Transsexual Seeks GOP Nomination For Minnesota Legislature
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: January 29, 2008 - 3:00 pm ET

(Minneapolis, Minnesota) Chrissy Nakonsky is hoping to become the first transsexual elected to a state legislature.

Nakonsky who was married before she transitioned and remains with her wife has two children. She is seeking the Republican nomination in Brainerd.

"I've voted Republican all my life," Nakonsky  told the Star Tribune newspaper. "Republicans swear by not raising taxes, and raising taxes would hurt families in poverty, like mine."

The re-election in 2006 of Sen. Paul Koering, the state's first openly gay member of the legislature and  fellow Republican has served as an inspiration she said.

Koering came out during a nasty fight in the legislature over a measure to ban same-sex marriage.

Nakonsky said that like Koering she is at odds with the GOP on issues like same-sex marriage, but won't press the issue if she is elected.  Nakonsky said she would prefer to focus on issues such as education and poverty.

She lives with her wife and children in a small mobile home. Her wife, Jennifer is a stay-at-home mom and Chrissy Nakonsky tells the Star Tribune that she hasn't worked since quitting her job as a local store because managers required her to observe the dress code for men.

She said she has filed a complaint with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.

Nationwide there are about 400 openly gay or lesbian elected officials in the United States - none is a transgender.

Michelle Bruce who was the lone trans official lost her re-election bid for a seat on the city council in Riverdale, Georgia, last November.

Bruce landed one of Riverdale's four council seats in 2003 after running unopposed. Bruce captured 312 votes in the November 2007 election, not enough to avoid a runoff against Wayne Hall, who earned 202 votes. Third-place finisher Georgia Fuller, who collected 171 votes, filed a lawsuit. (story)

The complaint, identifying Bruce as "Michael Bruce," claimed she misled voters by identifying herself as a female and asked a judge to rule the vote results invalid and order another general election.

The lawsuit was thrown out of court, but voters did not support her in the runoff.