Mauree Turner Becomes First Non-Binary & Muslim Oklahoma Legislator
Mauree Turner, 27, has become the first non-binary state legislator in US history and first Muslim lawmaker in Oklahoma after winning her race for Oklahoma state House for District 88.
Turner defeated Republican candidate Kelly Barlean to represent the district, winning about 71% of the votes.
An activist, community organiser and native Oklahoman, Turner has spent most of her life fighting for issues such as immigration rights, racial justice and criminal justice. Turner identifies as non-binary, using both they/she pronouns.
“I have a lot of feelings about tonight,” said Turner in a Twitter post. “But overall, I'm grateful for HD88 granting me this opportunity.” She posted the tweet with an image saying, “The real work begins. The future is now.”
As ‘CNN’ reports, currently there are four known genderqueer or non-binary-identified elected officials serving in the US and five public LGBT+ elected officials in Oklahoma. Turner is the first non-binary person to be named to a state legislature.
“Mauree is now a trailblazer for non-binary people and their courage to run openly will inspire more non-binary people to pursue careers in elected office,” said the president and CEO for LGBTQ Victory Fund, Annise Parker, in a statement.
Living as a Black Muslim American Queer Womxn in the state of Oklahoma, Turner said, she experienced not being seen or heard by lawmakers. Her campaign ran on a platform of seeking to drive conversations about what inclusive representation looks like, according to Turner's campaign site.
“It has never been a more important time for the next generation to see themselves in our government,” Turner said in a release announcing her campaign in February. “It has never been a more important time for those closest to our state's problems to be structuring the solutions.”
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