Mauree Turner made history on Tuesday (November 3) when she won a seat in the Oklahoma state legislature, making her the nation’s first Black Muslim, openly nonbinary state legislator, according to The Washington Post.
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Reports The Post:
Turner’s decisive victory Tuesday night came as no surprise in the solidly blue 88th state House district, which covers a diverse, growing part of Oklahoma City. But in a night of historic firsts set by LGBTQ candidates across the nation, the win arguably stands out for the number of barriers it broke—and for where it all happened.
“This campaign, this movement that we built really hinged on visibility,” Turner, 27, told The Post. “The legislature hasn’t always been a friendly or welcoming place to many folks, and this was about drawing space—not fighting for a seat at the table, but creating a new table altogether.” Turner’s victory makes her the “highest-ranking nonbinary official in the country,” according to The Post. She is also now the first practicing Muslim elected to the Oklahoma state legislature.
According to the Victory Fund—which advocates increasing LGBTQ+ representation in government—26 openly LGBTQ+ candidates ran for a U.S. Senate or House of Representative seat on Tuesday. As Colorlines reported earlier this week, Mondaire Jones (D-NY) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY) will both become the first openly gay Black members of the House of Representatives.
“Having our first nonbinary state legislator is in itself an enormous win for the community, but it’s especially so given that it is happening in Oklahoma, of all states,” Elliot Imse, the Victory Fund’s communications director, told The Post.
Oklahoma, which sits squarely in the Bible Belt, isn’t exactly known for promoting progressive politics. “Having any LGBTQ person elected there is really exciting,” Imse added.