LAS VEGAS (AP) — Army veteran LaDon Henry hopes to become Nevada’s first openly transgender legislator. Henry, a small-business owner and radio host, said he felt the urge to get involved with politics after the election of President Donald Trump, whom Henry feared would roll back protections for the LGBTQ community. His wife, a substitute school teacher, woke him at 2 a.m. after election night in tears. “She said, `It’s OK; you can hide. You don’t have to tell people you’re transgender,”’ said Henry, 41. Instead of hiding, Henry is running for the Assembly in District 42, a Spring Valley-area seat vacated by Democrat Irene Bustamante Adams who decided not to seek re-election. Henry will face fellow Democrats Kathleen Lauckner and Alexander Assefa in the June 12 primary election in his first run for a political office. District 42 has twice as many registered Democrats compared with Republicans. Henry said that if he wins, he’ll focus on improving Nevada’s education system, diversifying the economy and fighting for underrepresented communities, including immigrants, at-risk youth and ex-prisoners. “It wasn’t just me being transgender that made me want to run,” said Henry, who served nearly four years in the Army as a woman. “There are so many different marginalized communities right now who feel like they’re not citizens.” Henry, who transitioned into a man last year, said he always felt “different.” His family bought him Barbie dolls for Christmas and urged him to learn to one day be a good wife, to cook,… [Read full story]
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