More than a year later, Turner — a queer, Black Muslim who wears a hijab and identifies as nonbinary — won a seat Tuesday in the Oklahoma state legislature‚ becoming the first openly nonbinary state lawmaker in the country. Besides becoming the highest-ranking nonbinary official in the country, Turner will also be the first practicing Muslim elected to the Oklahoma state legislature, which in 2019 blocked an imam from conducting the chamber’s daily prayer. “Having any LGBTQ person elected there is really exciting.”While the Victory Fund does not track the religion of LGBTQ candidates, Imse said it is also possible that Turner could be the first LGBTQ Muslim elected to a state legislature in the country. Two lesbian women serve as state senators in Oklahoma, including one as the chamber’s minority leader, according to the group. In the months since launching their campaign, Turner said they received messages of support from people outside Oklahoma — and even outside the country — who are Muslim, nonbinary or Black.

Source: Washington Post November 05, 2020 12:35 UTC