mary e.
gonzalez
In 2015, Equality Texas named her the “Champion of Equality”. Later that same year she became the youngest person to be nominated into the El Paso Women’s Hall of Fame. Mary Gonzalez serves as the Texas State Legislator of House District 75. She is the first woman to represent her district and the nation’s first openly
pansexual legislator and elected official. Congresswoman Gonzalez’s mission to promote social justice and equality for the LGBTQ community and their allies have earned her a place on NBC Latino's top ten newly elected politicians to watch in the nation.
Mary Gonzalez is from Clint, Texas. She obtained her BA in History from the University of Texas at Austin and her MA in Social Justice from St. Edward's University. She recently earned her Doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Austin in 2019. Prior to being elected to office, Gonzalez worked as an assistant director of the Office of Research and Demonstration for U.T Austin’s National Hispanic Institute and as a graduate research assistant. She worked as a visiting instructor and Assistant Dean for Student Multicultural Affairs at Southwestern University. In 2012, Mary Gonzalez was elected to District 75 and assumed office in 2013. Since then, Gonzalez has implemented different bills to improve water utility systems, protect Texans with disabilities, and promote economic and educational development.
While representing District 75, Representative Gonzalez has served on several different committees such as the Public Education and Agriculture and Livestock committees. She currently serves as the Vice-chair of the state House Appropriations Committee and is Vice-chair of the Mexican American legislative caucus. She also serves on the board of directors for ALLGO, a Texas statewide Queer People of color organization. As a result of Gonzalez’s trailblazing spirit and love for activism, she is one of the co-founding members of the first Texas House LGBTQ caucus. The Texas House LGBTQ caucus was formed by five openly LGBTQ women legislators including Gonzalez in 2019. The organization’s main goal is to help protect and properly represent the Texas LGBTQ community. The organization has helped prevent several harmful bills from passing in the state of Texas and has helped increase funding for HIV research and brought awareness to anti-gay hate crimes. Representative Gonzalez is currently acting as Chair of the council. Furthermore, Gonzalez is the founder of Izel Consulting, an organization that provides comprehensive workshops that teach companies the importance of inclusion and diversity.
Currently serving her fifth consecutive term, Gonzalez has shown beyond a a doubt that devotion to public service and to the people of Texas is at the heart of her work. It’s no wonder she was recognized as one of ten “Next Generation Latinas” by Latina Magazine.