WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Residents in West Hollywood could have a politician of historic significance in their midst.
Sepi Shyne is running for West Hollywood City Council. If she were to win, she says she would be the first out LGBTQ Iranian to hold public office anywhere in the world, and says discrimination has driven her to serve.
“It happened to me because I was a lesbian, and that same kind of prejudice, judgement, discrimination happens to you whether you are a renter, whether you are a black person, whether you are a trans black woman or a man,” Shyne said.
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Her journey against oppression began we she was just a child in Iran, with her family losing their civil rights, during the country’s Islamic Revolution.
“We fled the country. My parents decided we needed to flee the country. We came here. We immigrated here to America for safety,” said Shyne.
It is a background that drives Shyne today. Knowing what it’s like to be oppressed is her reason for fighting for the oppressed. Those supporting and canvasing for believe her compassion and uniqueness would serve the city council well.
She would be one of the first woman of color ever elected to the office.
“The fact that she would be a first-time city council woman. So, she brings a fresh perspective,” said Peter, a member of her campaign team. “There’s a lot of city council people who have been on city council for years and years, so she represents the voice of a younger generation.”
She also represents what America is all about, a country where one can make their lives better. Now she wants to do the same for the people in West Hollywood.