Owen Hurcum became the world’s first non-binary mayor, when they took charge of the position Bangor in Wales, UK. All of 23 years old, they expressed their delight and mentioned that they felt ‘hugely humbled’ to be representing their community.
Speaking to the Guardian, they said, “It wasn’t as much a shock or surprise to become mayor of Bangor. But it was when they asked me to put my name forward for deputy mayor back in 2019. I wasn’t expecting that. I was very honoured that they asked me to put my candidacy forward. They didn’t put anyone up against me, so I got appointed unopposed.”
They went on to explain their journey, and said, “Growing up, there was little or no representation of non-binary people. I knew I wasn’t transgender in terms of being a woman – I thought I was just super queer. But I could live that from day one in Bangor. It was the people of Bangor that gave me the vocabulary, the confidence, and the support to understand my gender as non-binary. Bangor is really the place that has allowed me to embrace myself, and I owe the city everything for that.”
It is to be noted that Bangor is the oldest city in Wales, and it is a significant step-up for the country that has been popularly known for its bigotry. It is to be noted that Owen is not the first person to have been elected to a bureaucratic position in the world, as the US elected its first trans state senator and first black gay congressman recently.
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