Nonbinary Transgender Months Away From Being Sworn In

Georgia’s first “nonbinary transgender” politician could be sworn into the state’s legislature this upcoming session.

Bentley Hudgins, who openly identifies as a nonbinary transgender, was the top vote-getter in last month’s Democrat primary election to represent House District 90, which includes parts of DeKalb County. Previously, Hudgins served as Georgia state director for the Human Rights Campaign.

“To me, it shows that the voters are tired of the hate and they just care about somebody’s qualifications,” Hudgins recently said in an interview. “But as a representative, I view the win, historic or not, as a starting point, and it’s up to me to prove to the people of my House district that good government can happen and that we can build a democracy that is worth fighting for.”

Hudgins, a Democrat, now heads to the November general election, and could replace outgoing Representative Saira Draper.

Hudgins is not the only transgender who has been eyeing a seat in the state’s top legislative body. Democrat candidate for Georgia State House District 51, Aaron Baker, and Democrat candidate for Georgia State Senate District 5, Robin McCoy, came close of obtaining their party’s nomination.

Baker, who launched his campaign after boasting on social media that he was “getting his b—s removed,” came within 10% of the nomination. Baker ran against the incumbent, Esther Panitch.

In a previous interview, Baker revealed that he ran in order to bring change to a “anti-immigrant, anti-DEI and anti-trans” legislature.

“After years of the Georgia Legislature ignoring the real affordability crisis people are facing, they have instead chosen to pass anti-immigrant, anti-DEI, and anti-trans legislation to scapegoat people like me. But we are fighting back,” Baker said.

McCoy, similarly to Baker, lost his election by less than 1,000 votes.