Andrea Jenkins: Minneapolis City Council Legacy & Future Advocacy

Andrea Jenkins, after 8 years on Minneapolis City Council, retired in Jan. She championed LGBTQ+ rights, racial equity, and affordable housing, notably banning conversion therapy. She continues activism, writing a memoir, and inspiring trans leaders, remaining hopeful for justice.

A Hopeful Political Vision

The moments remain challenging, but Jenkins assumes better times are ahead. “If you’re a political leader, I believe you have to be hopeful and positive,” she states. “I’ll utilize the saying that the arc of background is long, but it flexes towards justice.”

Landmark Legislative Achievements

Among the other achievements, in 2019, she and an additional council participant, Black trans guy Phillipe Cunningham, successfully promoted a statute barring accredited professionals from executing supposed conversion therapy on minors. “That was a truly large offer,” Jenkins states, and brought about a statewide restriction.

The times continue to be difficult, but Jenkins thinks much better times are ahead. “If you’re a political leader, I think you need to be hopeful and hopeful,” she claims. “I’ll utilize the saying that the arc of background is long, however it bends towards justice.”

“That might be, as a poet, my absolute proudest moment,” says Jenkins, that is likewise a historian, prose author, and performance artist and has actually been manager of the Transgender Oral History Project at the University of Minnesota’s Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Research studies.

Championing Equity & Social Justice

The council has actually developed a Racial Equity, Addition, and Belonging Department along with a truth and reconciliation job group to eliminate racial injustice, proclaimed Minneapolis an inviting city for trans individuals, moneyed two positions taking care of LGBTQ+ concerns, and crafted Minneapolis 2040, a strategy focused on promoting budget friendly housing and living-wage tasks.

Jenkins, a Chicago citizen, relocated to Minneapolis in 1979 for college and then was an employment counselor there while advancing her education. In 2001, she functioned on Robert Lilligren’s campaign for City Council, after that joined his staff when he was elected.

She says, “Thank you to Black and brown, immigrant, previously incarcerated, trans and gender-nonconforming individuals for being on the front lines of almost every social justice movement in this nation. … We require your voice in each and every single area, in all profession, so please run for office, train yourselves to be community leaders. Being an individual of trans experience is an unique experience that lets you recognize that adjustment is feasible.”

She says, “Thank you to Black and brown, immigrant, formerly jailed, trans and gender-nonconforming individuals for being on the front lines of practically every social justice motion in this nation. “I’m not leaving public life, I’m just leaving the Minneapolis City Council,” she says.

Reflecting on City Council Tenure

Jenkins, 64, retired from the City board in January after eight years, a period that saw the 2nd and very first Trump managements, the murder of Minneapolis resident George Floyd by a police officer, a worldwide pandemic, and a ruthless suppression by the federal government on immigrants in the city et cetera of the state. Jenkins stood for Ward 8, where Floyd and, a lot more recently, Renee Nicole Good were eliminated, the last by government migration representatives in very early January.

“In 2020, I declared bigotry a public health dilemma, and my associates all sustained that,” claims Jenkins, who was vice president of the council from 2018 to 2021 and president from 2022 to 2023.

Just prior to casting my vote in the 2024 election in my home town in South Carolina, I turned on Brandi Carlile’s “The Joke” from her album By the Way I Forgive You, which was created in the results of Donald Trump’s 2016 win. Carlile’s rising vocals and touching lyrics about hope in the face of persecution comforted me as I pulled right into the parking lot of a former Walmart turned megachurch that served as my polling terminal.

Inspiring Next-Gen Trans Leaders

Last but not least, she states, “Thank you to Black and brownish, immigrant, formerly jailed, gender-nonconforming and trans people for getting on the front lines of practically every social justice motion in this country. … We require your voice in every single space, in all profession, so please run for office, train yourselves to be area leaders. Being a person of trans experience is a distinct experience that lets you recognize that adjustment is feasible.”

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s elderly national politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for day-to-day papers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade publications, and recommendation books. She is a political addict that thinks also the wonkiest information are interesting, and she always enjoys to see political candidates that are groundbreaking in some way. She appreciates discussing various other subjects also, consisting of religious beliefs (she wants what individuals think and why), film, literary works, and theater. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood movies of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Various other interests include traditional rock music (Bruce Springsteen policies!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! participant back in 1998 and won 2 video games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, yet Trudy still takes satisfaction in this success.

She says, “Thank you to Black and brown, immigrant, formerly jailed, trans and gender-nonconforming individuals for being on the front lines of practically every social justice motion in this nation. Two years after founding Vision Sanctuary of Atlanta, Bishop O.C. Allen III states the church’s work is a lot more urgent than ever before.

This write-up is part of The Advocate’s Mar-Apr 2026 print concern, which strikes newsstands March 24. Assistance queer media and subscribe– or download and install the issue through Apple Information+, Zinio, Space, or PressReader.

Two decades after starting Vision Sanctuary of Atlanta, Diocesan O.C. Allen III states the church’s work is extra immediate than ever before. The LGBTQ-affirming Black Pentecostal parish, which initially collected in his living area and currently loads a vast refuge every Sunday, has actually come to be both a spiritual home and a civic center at once when queer and trans individuals are encountering intensifying political assaults across the South and the nation at large. Maintain Reading →

Life After Council: Writing & Advocacy

Now she’s focusing on her family and her writing, including a memoir regarding her time on the council, and she’s working on an epilogue regarding the migration suppression. But she hasn’t left politics behind totally. She gets on the boards of the Human Rights Project and Advocates for Trans Equal Rights, and she’ll do some consulting. “I’m not leaving public life, I’m simply leaving the Minneapolis Common council,” she says.

Jenkins, a Chicago native, moved to Minneapolis in 1979 for university and then was an occupation counselor there while furthering her education. In 2001, she worked on Robert Lilligren’s campaign for City Council, after that joined his personnel when he was elected.

“In 2020, I stated bigotry a public health and wellness crisis, and my associates with one voice sustained that,” claims Jenkins, who was vice head of state of the council from 2018 to 2021 and president from 2022 to 2023.

She states that total, she’s glad she ran and served. “I have actually had an entire life of community service,” she claims. She had the ability to elevate recognition around trans concerns, and she believes she motivated other trans and gender-nonconforming individuals to go into national politics.

Kat Abughazaleh has spent a lot of her early their adult years warning that the far right’s edge was coming to be the center of American political power. Currently, at 26, the Palestinian American LGBTQ+ maker, that developed her own national platform with trenchant video explainers and through her work with a media watchdog, has actually tipped directly right into the sector, running for Congress in Illinois’s Ninth District.

The city has changed its public security feedback, with a behavior dilemma group that heads out before or with authorities if somebody is having a mental health and wellness situation, and the production of a workplace of community safety that looks for to de-escalate harmful circumstances to ease the demand or delay for police involvement.

She says that total, she rejoices she served and ran. “I have actually had a whole life of community service,” she claims. She was able to elevate understanding around trans issues, and she thinks she motivated various other trans and gender-nonconforming people to get in national politics.

“I’m not leaving public life, I’m simply leaving the Minneapolis City Council,” she states.

This write-up is part of The Supporter’s Mar-Apr 2026 print concern, which strikes newsstands March 24. Assistance queer media and subscribe– or download and install the concern through Apple Information+, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader.

Now she’s concentrating on her family members and her writing, consisting of a narrative concerning her time on the council, and she’s working on an epilogue concerning the migration crackdown. “I’m not leaving public life, I’m just leaving the Minneapolis City Council,” she claims.

The council has developed a Racial Equity, Addition, and Belonging Department as well as a fact and reconciliation job group to combat racial oppression, declared Minneapolis a welcoming city for trans people, funded 2 positions dealing with LGBTQ+ concerns, and crafted Minneapolis 2040, a strategy targeted at fostering budget friendly housing and living-wage tasks.

Among the other success, in 2019, she and an additional council member, Black trans man Phillipe Cunningham, efficiently pushed for a regulation disallowing qualified professionals from executing supposed conversion treatment on minors. “That was a truly large offer,” Jenkins states, and brought about a statewide ban.

Jenkins, 64, relinquished the City Council in January after eight years, a duration that saw the very first and 2nd Trump managements, the murder of Minneapolis resident George Floyd by a police officer, a worldwide pandemic, and a ruthless suppression by the federal government on immigrants in the city et cetera of the state. Jenkins represented Ward 8, where Floyd and, extra recently, Renee Nicole Good were killed, the latter by federal migration agents in very early January.

“That could be, as a poet, my outright proudest minute,” states Jenkins, who is likewise a historian, prose author, and efficiency artist and has actually been curator of the Transgender Narrative History Task at the College of Minnesota’s Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Research studies.

During a time when LGBTQ+ background is under attack in collections and class– via “do not claim gay” costs, publication bans, and the erasure of referrals to trans people on nationwide monuments– College of California, Berkeley, professor Juana María Rodríguez’s 10-year task that includes LGBTQ+ background to Wikipedia is more crucial than ever. Keep Reading →

The city has reformed its public safety and security feedback, with a behavior situation team that heads out prior to or with authorities if a person is having a psychological wellness dilemma, and the development of a workplace of area security that looks for to de-escalate harmful circumstances to delay or alleviate the requirement for cops involvement.