As the first trans woman to serve as a commission chairman and commission secretary in the Texas Legislature, Mo Jenkins is reshaping things. Jenkins is herself running for state representative after working for Abel Herrero, the state agent for Texas House District 34. If she wins the primary, Jenkins will be the first openly transgender person to cast a vote and possibly the first openly transgender legislator to serve in the Texas Legislature.
Working in elections wasn’t, however, a wish for Jenkins. Her initial job aspirations were fueled by her mother’s congestive heart failure treatment.
“I always wanted to work in elections. As a child, I didn’t know much about it,” Jenkins recalls. “I really wanted to be a cardiac surgeon to find new ways to keep hearts alive.”
Growing up, Jenkins had to face some hardships. She recalls a time when my mom and I consumed butter, sugar, and corn for four consecutive weeks because we ran out of meat and seeds. Except when I was at school, we didn’t have anything to eat, so that’s what we ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I, therefore, consumed the school meals.
Jenkins even recalls moving frequently as a child, coming home from school to discover that the lights had been cut off, and having to live with her mother when her mother became ill and the family was facing eviction.
Jenkins went through homelessness as a student while also attending public college. She says, “Being in collegiate high school is how I pulled myself up.” That’s how I obtained the scholarships to attend school, earn a degree, and now work for myself. But I’ve always wanted to protect those student pathways, our public schools, and make investments in our higher education programs to enable students to enroll in classes and graduate with less debt.
In school, Jenkins double-majored in political science and biological sciences. “I just added social science because I had a doctor who said, ‘If you add on a liberal-arts major, it’ll help improve your GPA for medical school,'” Jenkins admits. “One of the groups I took was Campaigns and Elections with Dr. Gleason, but I simply chose the first one they put in front of me. And we fell in love.”
That particular course entirely altered Jenkins’ career path. She dropped her major in medical science and concentrated solely on social research. With her diligent work, she received a 2020 apprenticeship working for State Representative Herrero, which launched her political career.
“I’m fortunate to have a boss who allows me to be my authentic self in my professional life,” says Jenkins. “There are some legislators who have used violence against me because I am a Black trans woman, to the point where it threatens my health.
“I want to be a great example for this historic moment, but I also want to show Republicans that you can’t bully trans people,” he said. — Mo Jenkins
Being openly trans in the Texas Legislature is challenging, but Jenkins doesn’t let that deter her. She continues, “I know the images the politicians are thinking of with all the discussions about these bathroom bills and things.” “They are thinking of the large biker who wears the golden Party City wig, which is what they believe trans is. Therefore, I try to have honest meetings, and I find it much more difficult for these people to criticize our community when they confront us every day. Because they know that you can’t get to them, members will say some sick things. They know that DPS will stop you if you attempt to approach that floor. They know their limitations,” according to Jenkins. “They are much more cautious with their words when they understand that they cannot move away from the community they are referring to.
When she confronted both Republican and Democratic senators about their use of dehumanizing language regarding the transgender community, Jenkins firsthand experienced this during the debates over SB 14.
“Because I want you to say these things to my face, because you can’t run to the members’ lounge, I want to be there in those places. I’ll be able to catch it. You can’t enter the back hallway. I’ll be able to catch that. Because I’m there with you, you can’t hide on the floor,” she retorts defiantly.
However, Jenkins doesn’t want to be the only transgender legislator. Anyone who wants to cast their brand on the vote should be aware because “it gets lonely,” she admits. “I want to be a great example for this historic moment, but I also want to show Republicans that you can’t treat trans people like just being trans. We are specialists in policy. We educate people. We are programmers. We are officials in non-profits. We work in the community all the time, and you can always find us there.
Visit mojenkins.com for more details.
