Mauree Turner

Early life Turner is from Ardmore, Oklahoma and a graduate of Ardmore High School. They are a Muslim, raised in an interfaith Baptist and Muslim household. Their family received public assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and their father spent time in prison.

Community organizing Turner was a board member of the Council on American–Islamic Relations and led the "Campaigning for Smart Justice" criminal justice reform initiative of the American Civil Liberties Union. In 2022, Turner joined the board of GLSEN, an LGBTQ+ students' rights organization.

Oklahoma House of Representatives (2021–2024) 2020 campaign and first term In the 2020 elections, Turner ran as a Democrat for the Oklahoma House of Representatives in district 88, held by incumbent Democrat Jason Dunnington. Turner's 2020 election campaign was focused on criminal justice reform, public education, and raising the minimum wage. Turner defeated Dunnington in the primary election and was backed by U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar. In the general election, they defeated Kelly Barlean, the Republican nominee, in a landslide, with approximately 71% of the vote. During the general election, Turner was also endorsed by Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Elizabeth Warren. Turner is the first publicly non-binary US state lawmaker and the first Muslim member of the Oklahoma Legislature.

Re-election campaign and second term Turner was reelected in the 2022 elections to serve in the 59th Oklahoma Legislature. In 2023, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma issued a statement criticizing the Oklahoma House of Representatives for tabling Turner's proposed amendments to the chamber's dress code rules that would have made the rules gender neutral. On April 3, 2024, they announced they were retiring due to health concerns and would not seek a third term.

House censure On February 28, 2023, the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed H.B. 2177; the bill would ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender children. During protests that day, a protester allegedly tossed water on Representative Bob Ed Culver Jr. and had a physical interaction with a police officer. After the altercation, the protester was locked in Turner's office; The Oklahoma Highway Patrol alleged Turner refused to unlock the office when they communicated with them through the door. On March 7, the Republican-controlled Oklahoma House voted along party lines to censure Representative Turner. They were also removed from their committee assignments until a written apology is sent to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and Speaker Charles McCall. Davis was later censured on March 27. Charges against O'Donnell were dismissed in early April. Martinez is, as of March 2023, currently under indictment and has not been censured. The New York Times compared Turner's censure to the Montana House of Representatives censure of Zooey Zephyr, another transgender state lawmaker, who was censured for giving a speech in the Montana chamber for saying supporters of an anti-transgender health bill had "blood on [their] hands" for voting for a bill "tantamount to torture."

Post-legislative career Following their departure from the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Turner became the director of public policy and advocacy for Glisten, overseeing the expansion of the organization's National Student Council program for high school students. Turner is the sole guardian of their nephew.

2022