This map shows the 31 countries where transgender and gender-variant candidates

[traci_k]

This map shows the 31 countries where transgender and gender-variant candidates have run for office since 1977

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2015/12/16/this-map-shows-the-31-countries-where-transgender-and-gender-variant-candidates-have-run-for-office-since-1977/?ref=yfp

The Washington Post
By Logan S. Casey and Andrew Reynolds December 16 at 8:00 AM

Last week, Tamara Adrián became the first transgender person elected to office in Venezuela, and the second trans person elected to national office in South America. She becomes only the fifth transgender person ever elected to a national office, following Georgina Beyer of New Zealand, Anna Grodzka of Poland, Vladimir Luxuria of Italy and Michelle Suarez of Uruguay. Petra de Sutter joined the Belgian Senate in 2014, but she was appointed and not elected.

For that reason, Adrián's election was symbolically important beyond her native country.

Being represented and visible in the government can make a critical difference in creating policies affecting transgender people. Having open lesbians and gay men in government has been key in making progress in gay rights around the world, as the LGBTQ Representation and Rights Research Initiative has found in its other research.
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Interesting read about the number of gender non-conforming candidates who have run for public office since 1977 around the world.