Will Sussex have the UK’s first openly transgender MP?

Rianna Humble is in the running to become the Labour parliamentary candidate for either Hove or Brighton Kemptown.

If chosen, she would then attempt to unseat one of the incumbent Conservative MPs at the 2015 General Election to become the UK’s first openly trans MP.

Ms Humble, who used to be known as Robert Hull and is a former councillor in Crawley, is on the long list for both parliamentary seats.

Trans campaigners feel, if selected, it would be a big boost to raising awareness of the issues faced by the community.

Brighton-based trans activist Steph Scott said: “100 years ago there were not many women in the Houses of Parliament.

“The more people see that everybody has a point of view and that everybody is entitled to that point of view, the better.

“She is an intelligent person and I wish her the best of luck.

“Brighton is a diverse city and leads the country in many aspects. I think that it’s incredibly positive.”

All-women shortlist

Brighton Kemptown, whose current MP is Tory Simon Kirby, has an all woman shortlist for Labour, with four candidates in the running for the nomination.

A UK first The others include Katie Ghose, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, and former Brighton Pavilion candidate Nancy Platts.

In Hove, Labour’s only “open seat” in the city, Ms Humble is up against 17 men.

These include former Brighton and Hove City Council leader Simon Burgess and Adrian Twyning, who runs the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton.

The successful candidate will have to defeat incumbent Tory MP Mike Weatherley.

Trans politicians

The UK has never had an openly trans MP.

However Poland and USA do have trans politicians representing their communities.

At the last election in 2010, Ms Humble unsuccessfully stood for MP in Reigate.

Speaking in an interview in 2010, when she made the decision to openly live as a woman, she said: “My earliest memory is when I was a child about seven years old.

“It was a recurring dream I would have. I would be watching my wedding, but I would be the bride.

“I did as much as I could to repress my feelings, but now I do not want to hide from myself. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

She added: “I had to accept that I was not a man, I am a woman.”

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