Precious Brady-Davis is the first out Black transgender woman to hold public office in Cook County, Illinois, and the first trans person to serve on any U.S. water reclamation district. She was appointed a commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago in 2023 and won election to the post in 2024.
Now running for reelection, she’s tasked with protecting the drinking water of more than 5 million people, safeguarding Lake Michigan, and advancing climate-resilient infrastructure. She is also chief strategy officer for Chicago’s Center on Halsted, the Midwest’s largest LGBTQ+ community center.
“Together these roles show that infrastructure and public service are inseparable, delivering real results that people can see and feel in their daily lives,” she says.
For Brady-Davis, growing up in a household that didn’t affirm her identity, reading Out “was a light in the darkness,” and now she hopes to be that light for someone else.
While serving her constituents, husband, and daughter, and fighting for an inclusive future, she adds, “I still will make time to buy more shoes.” @preciousbradydavis
Years before Stonewall, a cafeteria riot became a breakthrough for trans rights
All about the Compton's Cafeteria riot, when drag queens and trans women rose up against police at a diner in San Francisco.