Gender Justice League director hopes to make history with 43rd District bid
If elected, Danni Askini would do something that no other person in Washington state ever has.
The founder and director of the Gender Justice League — who announced her campaign last month for the 43rd District House opening created by Rep. Brady Walkinshaw’s Congressional bid — would become the first openly transgender person to serve in any elected position in the state.
The longtime Capitol Hill resident said her bid comes at a time when extremists in Olympia“ are working very hard to divide our communities by using scapegoats like transpeople, rather than addressing the serious and fundamental issues the state is facing.
“I want to see a strong, bold, progressive champion in Olympia that is able to effectively fight and win things that we really need,” she said.
For Askini, those necessities include, among others, affordability, a reduced debt burden for college students and equitable access to K-12 and post-secondary education.
“Affordability is something that I’m really honed in on,” she said, “and that’s related to a number of other issues, like transportation, and making sure that people can get to and from the 43rd.”
While the looming battle on how to fund public education in compliance with the McCleary decision is a clear issue to address, Askini also mentioned her support of state Sen. Pramila Jayapal’s bill to eliminate tuition at community colleges for many state residents.
“I think education is a key to the economic success of our region,” she said, “and also to really help grow our communities to be competitive in the 21st century.”
Askini also cited her role as a civil rights activist, working on issues of child welfare, HIV/AIDS care, LGBTQ civil rights and women’s reproductive rights.
Coalition builiding
Before founding the Gender Justice League in 2012, Askini served as the national program director for the Gay-Straight Alliance Network in San Francisco and worked to pass the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act. That bill mandated the age-appropriate inclusion of communities of color and LGBT people in school curriculums.
She also spent time with Basic Rights Oregon, working to increase access to health care for low-income transgender residents.
In those instances, she cited her ability to bring groups together to forward politically difficult initiatives. Another example was advocating to extend Washington state’s Medicaid coverage to be the most comprehensive in the country for transgender people.
“I think that that history of building community mobilization and building strong coalitions to push forward on some of the most difficult issues that we’ve faced is something that I really bring to this race,” she said.
Her background of community organizing, coalition building and awareness in how best to move legislation forward, she said, sets her apart.
Looking ahead
Along with Askini, the 43rd District field includes Downtown Emergency Services Center housing director Nicole Macri, LGBTQ community advocate Thomas Pitchford, labor organizer Marcus Courtney, trial lawyer Daniel Shih, former 43rd District Democrats chair Scott Forbes and environmental advocate Sameer Ranade.
The top-two vote getters in the August primary will advance to the November general election.
“I’m proud and honored to be in this race with so many other incredible candidates,” Askini said, “and [I’m] honored to have been in the 43rd since 2007, doing work here, and just really excited for the upcoming election season and all the incredible conversations that we’re going to be having about solving some of the biggest issues we’re facing. I’m looking forward to that.”
For more information on Askini’s campaign, visit www.danniaskini.com.
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