In first, transgender woman wins Democratic nomination for Vermont governor

By Daniel Trotta

 

Vermont Democratic Party gubernatorial primary candidate Christine Hallquist, a transgender woman, attends her election night party in Burlington, Vermont, U.S. August 14, 2018. REUTERS/Caleb Kenna

 

(Reuters) - Vermont Democrats made Christine Hallquist the first openly transgender person to win a major party nomination for statewide office in U.S. history as she clinched Tuesday's primary election for governor.

 

She defeated three other Democrats on Tuesday and will take on incumbent Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, in the Nov. 6 general election, unofficial results showed.

 

"I think Vermont is a beacon of hope for the rest of the country," Hallquist said during an interview with Reuters. "This is what I call expanding our moral compass and that is what I think it represents."

 

The contest comes at a time of uncertainty for transgender rights, which expanded under the administration of Democratic President Barack Obama. They have been reversed under Republican President Donald Trump's administration, a victory for religious conservatives who only recognise traditional gender roles.

 

Transgender candidates are hoping to build on the breakthrough year of 2017, when at least 10 won office across the country at levels ranging from state legislator to zoning (town planning) board - the most ever recorded.

 

This year, 43 transgender candidates have run for political office at all levels in the United States, most of them Democrats but a few running as independents, for the Green Party or for nonpartisan offices, according to Logan Casey, a research associate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

 

Hallquist is the first openly transgender candidate to win a major party nomination for governor or a statewide office of any kind.

 

The win "is a defining moment in the movement for trans equality," Annise Parker, president and CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, which seeks to elect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender candidates, said in a statement.

 

She enjoys name recognition as the former David Hallquist, the onetime chief executive of the Vermont Electric Cooperative who publicly transitioned to a female identity while leading the power utility in 2015.

 

While many transgender people change their name given at birth upon transition, Hallquist has made David her middle name and speaks comfortably about her previous identity.

 

Hallquist's transition was documented in "Denial," a film made by her son Derek. It was originally meant to be a documentary about the Vermont electric company dealing with climate change, but it also became a personal story as Hallquist came out as transgender to Derek during the making of the film.

 

"I'm proud to be a role model for others in ... marginalised communities so they can rise up and be recognised," Hallquist said.

 

Before Vermont's election, only four transgender candidates had won primaries in 2018, all for house and senate seats in state legislatures, and have a general election ahead. Seventeen have lost primary or general elections and 21 have yet to face voters, Casey's research shows.

 

"I love Vermont because we look beyond these surface issues," Hallquist said. "I just happen to be a leader who is transgender. Vermonters know that. They voted to support me because of what I am going to do for Vermont."

 

Vermont has a history of being first on gender-related issues. It was the first state to allow civil unions for same-sex couples in 2000 and in 2009 became the first state to legalize gay marriage through the state legislature.

 

(Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Eric Meijer)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-08-15

Sure Trump will have something to say about him/her,

he won't be able to hold his tongue,expect a tweet soon

regards worgeordie

Correct me if I am wrong please.

  But to call Christine a transgender woman is not PC . Should she not be addressed as transgender and leave it at that. Not transgender woman or transgender man.. Transgender is transgender it speaks for itself.

Troll posts and replies have been removed.

"This is what I call expanding our moral compass. . . "

 

More like confusing North with South.

3 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

Correct me if I am wrong please.

  But to call Christine a transgender woman is not PC . Should she not be addressed as transgender and leave it at that. Not transgender woman or transgender man.. Transgender is transgender it speaks for itself.

You're wrong.

5 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Sure Trump will have something to say about him/her,

he won't be able to hold his tongue,expect a tweet soon

regards worgeordie

Not sure about that but it's true he often plays to his base which is extremely anti-LGBT civil rights.

 

Anyway, she faces an uphill struggle now. Her republican opponent is the incumbent and the seat is rated strongly republican favored. But his approval has recently dropped 20 percent so she has a chance. 

Edited August 15, 20187 yr by Jingthing

3 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

Correct me if I am wrong please.

  But to call Christine a transgender woman is not PC . Should she not be addressed as transgender and leave it at that. Not transgender woman or transgender man.. Transgender is transgender it speaks for itself.

It's about what they identify so a woman who used to be a man but identifies as a woman is a transgender women and of course a transgender man is a woman who now identifies as a man. It's correct and in context. 

1 hour ago, johnnybangkok said:

It's about what they identify so a woman who used to be a man but identifies as a woman is a transgender women and of course a transgender man is a woman who now identifies as a man. It's correct and in context. 

Thanks I always thought transgender was used for both. No need to specify which sex they identity with.Shows how much I know abut that huh. I just assumed if the trans was dressed as a woman it was a male transgender and if the trans was dressed as a man  it was a woman.I quess it needs to be more specific than I thought thanks again. 

  Now I think about it my theory was really off if every one shows up in t shirt and jeans huh.

24 minutes ago, lovelomsak said:

Thanks I always thought transgender was used for both. No need to specify which sex they identity with.Shows how much I know abut that huh. I just assumed if the trans was dressed as a woman it was a male transgender and if the trans was dressed as a man  it was a woman.I quess it needs to be more specific than I thought thanks again. 

  Now I think about it my theory was really off if every one shows up in t shirt and jeans huh.

At least you are trying to learn which is far more than most on this forum.

To "P" sitting or standing, that is the question.

He's more drag queen than transgender. However, the media shouldn't focus on that and instead diagnose/challenge his policies or what the hell he plans to do to sort things out. If the best the media can do is the usual "breaking new ground" rubbish that seems to be the focus of everything now in media and giving him/her an easy ride, then.....pfft. Why not scrutinize him/her and ask questions on his plan for sorting stuff as there are obviously problems to deal with?

He's more drag queen than transgender. However, the media shouldn't focus on that and instead diagnose/challenge his policies or what the hell he plans to do to sort things out. If the best the media can do is the usual "breaking new ground" rubbish that seems to be the focus of everything now in media and giving him/her an easy ride, then.....pfft. Why not scrutinize him/her and ask questions on his plan for sorting stuff as there are obviously problems to deal with?

No. She's a transgender woman. Not a drag queen. I assume you wouldn't be into her sexually. Me either. But it wouldn't hurt you to show some basic respect for people's differences. This candidate has already led an accomplished life and it now appears she has some chance to unseat what was seen as a safe seat for their current republican governor. I don't expect her to win but I wouldn't bet against her either.

 

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Baiting posts removed.

 

She looks like a man in womens clothes (drag queen). He/she certainly would not get my vote.

1 hour ago, rodney earl said:

She looks like a man in womens clothes (drag queen). He/she certainly would not get my vote.

Well if that's your only criteria rather than her policies and her abilities then the problem lies with you.

She's very progressive on the issues. At least the people of Vermont have a clear choice.

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Bob the Builder in a dress.

1 hour ago, johnnybangkok said:

2 hours ago, rodney earl said:

She looks like a man in womens clothes (drag queen). He/she certainly would not get my vote.

Well if that's your only criteria rather than her policies and her abilities then the problem lies with you.

Mental health should be a big part of criteria when deciding on choosing a leader.

Edited August 16, 20187 yr by janclaes47

15 hours ago, johnnybangkok said:

It's about what they identify so a woman who used to be a man but identifies as a woman is a transgender women and of course a transgender man is a woman who now identifies as a man. It's correct and in context. 

Ime confused ,all i can say is he/she ,whatever ,looks like a man in a dress.,sorry if thats not PC.

Mental health should be a big part of criteria when deciding on choosing a leader.

Indeed. Sometimes big orange mental health mistakes can happen. Character matters too.

I don't think being a transgender person is evidence of mental illness or bad character.

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Ime confused ,all i can say is he/she ,whatever ,looks like a man in a dress.,sorry if thats not PC.

It's OK. She kind of does. But I'll take her word for it that she identifies as a woman. People should vote on the issues. It doesn't hurt her though politically that she has now become instantly famous based on her identity. She has people's attention. What she does with that will determine her chances.

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An off topic also a troll post have been removed

Hallquist can identify as female, but bioloogically will always be male and take female hormones for life in order to sustain her illusion/delusion.

 

People who suffer from the condition known as Gender Dysphoria, who grow up feeling they were born with a female brain in a male body or vice versa, have a suicide rate far higher than normal, irrespective of hormone treatment and other therapy, including "sex-change" surgery.

 

For this reason alone the kindest and most considerate thing to do in Halliquist's case and use the pronouns she and her.

 

Anyone who fails to do so, on the basis that this would be against their belief in traditionally-recognised evidence to the contrary, can expect to incur the wrath of transgender activitists - as conservative thinker Ben Shapiro discovered to his cost during a televised debate on transgenderism.

 

 

The UK government plans law changes which would will allow any Brit to change sex/gender on a whim simply by making an official declaration to this effect. A new offence of "misgendering" - failing to use the right pronoun out of a list of more than 70 dreamed up by transgender activists - is also in the pipeline, modelled on legislation already adopted in Canada and the US.

 

Some sceptical independent observers see the transgender "revolution" not a passing phase, but part of a global social engineering strategy to prepare homo sapiens for transition into trans-humans.

 

Silicon Valley (which would make a killing if this were to happen) and futurists like Elon Musk openly declares this unnerving prospect is not only inevitable but desirable. Those who think otherwise, like the author of the article referenced below, are increasing dismissed alarmist dinosaurs who have grazed too long in the brain-numbing pastures of science and reason. 

 

Time will tell who was right.

 

https://quillette.com/2018/07/31/why-trans-kids-need-gatekeepers/

 

 

Edited August 16, 20187 yr by Krataiboy

9 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

 

 

Time will tell who was right.

 

https://quillette.com/2018/07/31/why-trans-kids-need-gatekeepers/

 

 

Common sense and reality already tells us what is right.

 

there are 2 genders. EOD

Just now, mcambl61 said:

Common sense and reality already tells us what is right.

 

there are 2 genders. EOD

Who said we dinosaurs are extinct!

4 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Who said we dinosaurs are extinct!

so there are more than the x and y chromosomes?

 

who knew

 

On 8/16/2018 at 7:53 AM, mcambl61 said:

Common sense and reality already tells us what is right.

 

there are 2 genders. EOD

“Common sense is what tells us the earth is flat.”

 

Stuart Chase, Language in Thought and Action

A post commenting on moderation has been removed. 

Do you hear that?

If you listen closely, you can hear right wing/ conservative/ christian heads explode!

 

I drink to that!