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The Texas Tribune
The Texas Tribune
National
By Ayden Runnels

Transgender staffer navigates Texas Capitol with guarded care amid growing hostilities

Capitol Lauren Ashley Simmons Texas MA Transgender Abel Herrero Brian Harrison Lorianne Willett Donald Trump The Texas Tribune
Mo Jenkins walks with State Rep. Lauren A. Simmons (D-Houston) ahead of a House meeting on Feb. 11, 2025.
Mo Jenkins, center, walks with state Rep. Lauren A. Simmons, D-Houston, at left, ahead of a House session on Feb. 11. Jenkins works as Simmons’ chief of staff, a role she earned after working five years in the state Capitol. (Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune)

For Mo Jenkins, working in the Texas Capitol is a dichotomy: in one moment, a House representative may be rallying against transgender rights, and in the next the same lawmaker will stop by Jenkins’ office for a friendly chat.

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