Tamara Adrian recently registered as a presidential candidate in the Venezuelan primary—becoming the first openly transgender person in the world to do so, The Washington Blade reported.
The professor/attorney/author/LGBTQI+-rights activist—a member of the Popular Will Party who is the first transgender person elected to office in Venezuela (which happened in 2015)—is running to represent the Unidos por la Dignidad political movement and will have to compete with at least 10 other candidates in the country's Oct. 22 primary.
One of her main campaign promises will be to work for the inclusion of "people with disabilities, women, senior citizens, civil servants, LGBTIQ+ people, people of African descent, indigenous people, any group that, for whatever reason, has been or may be left behind," she told the Blade.
According to World Movement for Democracy, Adrian has guided various international LGBTQI+ movements and organizations, including the Committee of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO-T), the Board of Directors of GATE Global Action for Trans Equality, the Gay, Lesbian, Trans, Intersex Sport Association organizers of the World Outgames (GLISA), and the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA).
The winner of the primary will have to compete against President Nicolas Maduro in 2024.
The Blade article is at www.washingtonblade.com/2023/07/01/transgender-woman-running-to-become-venezuelas-next-president/ .
—Andrew Davis
