Joanna Whaley poised to become Michigan’s first transgender state legislator

Joanna Whaley, a former evangelical megachurch pastor who survived 15 years of conversion practices, is on course to become the first transgender member of the Michigan state legislature after winning a Democratic primary on Tuesday.

Whaley prevailed decisively over former state representative Frank Liberati and attorney Gary Schlack in the primary for the safely Democratic second district of the Michigan House of Representatives, Guardian reports.

Earlier this year, Liberati attempted to have Whaley removed from the ballot by challenging the validity of her name change. The Wayne County clerk’s office rejected the effort, ruling that her candidate affidavit met all legal requirements.

Whaley, 38, was raised in a Catholic household and later spent nearly two decades as a pastor in an evangelical megachurch. As she grappled with her gender identity, church leaders compelled her to undergo Christian conversion therapy with four different therapists over a 15‑year period. In 2022, she was forced to resign after church leadership learned she was considering a gender transition.

After leaving the megachurch, Whaley joined a more progressive congregation, publicly shared her story on social media and launched a podcast. She also became a hospital chaplain, working in emergency rooms, intensive care units and hospice settings. On the campaign trail, she has described awkward encounters with potential donors who recognize her dead name, including one local sports executive who realised mid‑conversation that he had gone to high school with her before her transition.

Her primary victory drew national attention from LGBTQ+ leaders. Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of the US Congress, praised Whaley on X for channeling hostility into grassroots outreach, highlighting her focus on economic issues and her decisive win by more than 30 percentage points over a former Democratic legislator.

As Whaley moves toward the general election, many LGBTQ+ professionals and allies watching her campaign are also seeking stronger networks and inclusive workplaces; they can take a practical step in that direction by signing up for myGwork, the global LGBTQ+ business community platform.

Interested in becoming a corporate member? Click here for more info.