Trans councilwoman Andrea Jenkins explains Obama is the (2nd) “coolest motherf••ker” she ever met

Andrea Jenkins became the first out Black transgender woman elected to office in the United States when she won her race for a seat on the Minneapolis City Council in 2017. She’s served as council president since January 2022.

Jenkins was born and raised in Chicago, attended the University of Minnesota, and earned two master’s degrees: an MFA in creative writing from Hamline University and an MS in community economic development from Southern New Hampshire University. She was also a David Bohnett LGBTQ Victory Institute Leadership fellow at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

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Jenkins shared the cover of Time magazine in January 2018 with several dozen other women who participated in the Women’s March in Washington the year before and, like her, later ran for office.

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She’s a performance artist, poet, and writer and has won numerous accolades for her work. Jenkins also curates the Transgender Oral History Project at the University of Minnesota’s Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies.

LGBTQ Nation put Jenkins in the Hot Seat at her home in Minneapolis, where she’s seeking reelection to another four-year term on the City Council on November 7.

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LGBTQ Nation: You grew up in Chicago and call Minneapolis home. You have to choose: Minneapolis or Chicago?

Andrea Jenkins: Minneapolis.

LGBTQ Nation: Name three things you like about both.

AJ: Downtown Chicago is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The architecture! And the people, interestingly for a really big city, are very friendly. Man, I grew up eating Italian beef sandwiches and deep dish pizza and thin crust pizza, which I probably would have to say is my favorite.

Minneapolis is built by nature, right? So we have multiple lakes right in the city. You don’t have to drive out to the country. We have an amazing arts community.

Our food scene is second to none. My ward, in and of itself, has two top 50 restaurants in America, Petite Leon and another restaurant called Khâluna. It’s a clean city. It’s a prosperous city. It’s easy to navigate; you can get anywhere within 15 minutes. And the crime is relatively low, and the quality of life is very high.

LGBTQ Nation: Minnesota has more than its fair share of famous real-life and fictional sons and daughters. You have to choose among them. Bob Dylan or Prince?

AJ: Prince. He’s a creative genius.

LGBTQ Nation: Hubert Humphrey or Jesse Ventura?

AJ: (laughing) That’s a good one. You know what, I’m gonna go with Jessie on this one.

LGBTQ Nation: Paul Bunyan or Bullwinkle J. Moose?

AJ: (laughing) Bullwinkle J. Moose! And Rocky!

LGBTQ Nation: Rose Nylund or Mary Richards?

AJ: Mary. Wait, who is Rose?

LGBTQ Nation: Betty White on The Golden Girls.

AJ: I mean, I love The Golden Girls. I’m changing to Rose.

LGBTQ Nation: New York Governor Mario Cuomo wrote, “You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose.” What’s more satisfying to deliver? A poetry reading or a political speech?

AJ: I would agree with that, like, 100%, and I’d say poetry reading.

LGBTQ Nation: Why is that?

AJ: Well, to be honest with you, I always incorporate poetry into my political speeches. So I could say it’s a tie. I really love straight poetry readings. There’s more humanity. It’s more creative.

LGBTQ Nation: You’ve cited the Black Panther Party as an inspiration for your involvement in politics. A lot of folks aren’t aware of the group, and some might be shocked by their history and tactics. How would you describe the Black Panthers and what’s something you admire about their movement?

AJ: One of the things I admire about their movement was they were unapologetically Black. The Black Panthers were so vilified, but people would be really surprised, I think, to learn that they were providing free breakfast for kids going to school. The Black Panthers were one of the first Black-led groups to really incorporate this idea that we talk about around intersectionality. They had an analysis about the quest for LGBT liberation and how that work coincided with work for Black liberation.

And they spoke about inclusion. They were sexist, unfortunately, as were and still are so many male-dominated movements, but they were really operating under the same principles that a lot of groups operate with now.

LGBTQ Nation: You called Barack Obama another inspiration. Have you met him?

AJ: I have. Twice.

LGBTQ Nation: What’s something memorable that he shared with you?

AJ: Um, you know, more so something memorable that I shared with him.

I met him the first time when he was Senator Obama, and I said to him, “Please, Senator. I’m from Chicago, you’re elected. Can you do something about trans lives?” And I think his administration was one of the most trans-friendly administrations in history, before the Biden administration took office. And I think the 44th president influenced this now 46th president. I don’t know if that comment to him really stuck, but I’ll take credit for it because, you know, I’m a trans activist. I got a chance to speak to him, you know, while holding his hand and making that comment, and he pulled through to a large extent.

And so that was probably the most memorable thing in terms of words, but I have to say, and you can print this: Barack Obama is the coolest motherf**ker I have ever met, next to my dad. My dad was a pretty cool dude.

LGBTQ Nation: You represent the 8th Ward in Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered by police in 2020. What’s the most harrowing memory you have from the aftermath?

AJ: Oh boy.

I’m watching my city burn down. Hearing helicopters flying over my neighborhood for a year, 24 hours a day. Every news outlet in the world was here. The influx of white supremacists, who were roaming our streets with Confederate flags and shotguns and gas cans on the back of their pickup trucks. I’m getting re-traumatized here.

There was no one harrowing thing. It was all — the combination of it all was really traumatic. And I will say this: our community is still — particularly my ward — is still tender and hurting and grappling with that aftermath. I feel like we’re kind of starting to turn the corner in many ways but it’s still a very unpleasant memory for a lot of people.

LGBTQ Nation: What’s the most important lesson you drew from George Floyd’s death?

AJ: Hmm, boy. I mean, Gregory, you know, Black men have been killed by the police a lot in this country. It happened long before George Floyd. Unfortunately, that has continuously happened since the murder of George Floyd. I think the most important lesson is that we have to create systems that hold police accountable.

LGBTQ Nation: You are the first Black transgender woman to be elected to public office in the United States. Is it a burden or a blessing?

AJ: I want to really clarify that I was the first out transgender woman, because we do know that a sister in Boston, Althea Garrison, was the first Black transgender woman, but unfortunately, she was not able and willing to be out. And I understand that reality, because being out can be a deadly move, particularly 30 years ago when she was elected. I definitely want to acknowledge that.

But it’s a blessing and honor to have that recognition. I think it really offers some hope and inspiration to the young people in a time when trans and gender non-conforming people are being unfairly targeted by political attacks that are trying to legislate trans and gender non-conforming people out of public life. I think it is an inspiration to trans and genderqueer and gender non-conforming people who want to seek roles in public life and particularly in elected roles. So it’s an honor to be able to speak on behalf of my community, from a position of authority, from a platform that people will listen to. It’s a deep honor.

LGBTQ Nation: You work closely with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D), who represents you in the 5th District in Minneapolis. How would you describe the Squad, and do you have any interest in joining it?

AJ: I think they are preaching the right values to make America accountable to its most vulnerable citizens, as well as pragmatic enough to ensure that we are working on behalf of all Americans.

Joining the Squad would mean I would have to replace Congresswoman Omar, so yeah, no, I don’t have any interest in that.

LGBTQ Nation: Let’s say she moved up.

AJ: If she moved up, there will be a whole lot of people seeking to become the representative from District 5. You know, when my time on the City Council ends, I think I’m gonna go back to making poems.

LGBTQ Nation: Are you making news?

AJ: (laughing) I mean, I’m gonna stay on the City Council for as long as I can.

LGBTQ Nation: This week, another Minnesota Congresswoman, Angie Craig, shouted, “Happy anniversary to my wife!” as she cast her vote for Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker of the House, a dig at the new Speaker Mike Johnson for his opposition to gay marriage. If you were in Congress, what would you have shouted?

AJ: I would have shouted, “Trans lives matter! I cast my vote for Hakeem Jeffries!”

LGBTQ Nation: What’s the best part of your job?

AJ: Oh boy, the best part of my job is talking to young queer people. I get invited to grade schools, to colleges and universities, high schools, and to witness the energy that they bring to political discussions, the changes that young queer and trans and gender non-conforming people are making in our society is inspiring to me. And just to know that I am a part of this continuous struggle for LGBTQIA+ liberation as a — I mean, I’m 62 years old — as an elder, as a person who has been now at the forefront of this movement for the past 30 years, you know, like I said, to be able to speak from a position of authority and be a role model for young people is an amazing blessing and a really great part of this journey.