Marie Cau, 55, became the first transgender person to be elected mayor of a French city. She won the election in March in the small town of Tilloy-lez-Marchiennes in northern France, which has just 600 inhabitants.
The mayor told the news agency AFP who was elected not because of her gender identity, but because of her qualifications. Her proposals focused on ecological sustainability and clarity in the presentation of economic planning are factors that, according to Cau, helped her to be elected.
“This should be considered normal, because people voted for a team and a project,” he said. “What’s really surprising [about my election] is the surprise.”
The inauguration ceremony was postponed due to the new coronavirus pandemic.
