Florida Elects 1st APA Out Mayor

By Jennie L. Ilustre

 

Ty Penserga recently made history as the first Asian Pacific American elected mayor of Boynton Beach city in Florida, as well as its first out LGBTQ.

City Commissioner Penserga had previously served as the vice mayor of Boynton Beach, the third-largest municipality in Palm Beach.

Filipino American Penserga, 33, is a high school science teacher, with a Master’s degree in Integrative Biology and Neuroscience.

At his victory party, Mayor-elect Penserga recalled his initial motivation in running for public office, according to the Advocate. He cited the attacks on Asian Americans and the need to build “a community of leaders” who will fight for those who feel scared and powerless.

Ben de Guzman, Founding Co-Director of the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance, underscored the significance of Penserga’s victory in an email.

“Florida is at the center of political discussion in the LGBTQ news cycle because of the “Don’t Say Gay” pending legislation and the far right’s ongoing attacks on our community members,” he noted.

“Ty’s election as one of only three openly LGBT mayors in the state, and the only mayor of color, inserts him squarely in the middle of this important debate, and he represents a new wave of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders elected and appointed officials making moves in the South,” he stressed. “There is no denying we are a truly national electorate building power and engaging the important topics of the moment.”

        

A Community of Leaders

At his victory party, Mayor-elect Penserga recalled that when he was in college, his fellow Asian American friends and their siblings were getting attacked, according to the Advocate. He said they were baffled why they were being attacked, because they were just going about their daily lives, waiting at the subway or shopping at the grocery store.

Penserga said they were afraid and felt powerless. “Nobody was there to fight for us… That’s where my story began.”

He said that was when he realized that not only did he need to build himself up, but he also needed to build others up to create a leadership pipeline. He and others “need to build a community of leaders.”

 

Priorities

As a public servant, Penserga’s priorities include enhancing public safety through technology, promoting the construction of affordable housing, creating high-paying jobs and developing special economic clusters, and reducing taxes.

His other priorities include creating the Quantum Eco-Park and a vibrant and exciting downtown, and eliminating slum and blight throughout the city. Penserga strongly believes that “good governance, equitable growth, and a strong, long-term vision” are what will revitalize the city.

 

Voters’ Choice

Penserga won nearly 60 percent of the total votes cast, according to a WPTV report. He succeeds term-limited incumbent Steven Grant and defeated three other candidates.

Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, the president and chief executive of the LGBTQ Victory Fund and LGBTQ Victory Institute, lauded Penserga’s victory and its significance.

She pointed out: “While legislators in Tallahassee were trying to silence us, voters were making their voices heard at the ballot box. And with resounding enthusiasm, they chose equality.”

Parker added: “Not only did Ty shatter a lavender ceiling in Boynton Beach tonight, his election is a clear call of hope to LGBTQ people in Florida and across the country who are tirelessly battling legislatures bent on stripping away our basic human rights and freedoms.”

 

Biography

Penserga was born in the Philippines and immigrated to the U.S. with his mother when he was a child. He was raised in Boynton Beach in Palm Beach County. He graduated from Temple University, Philadelphia where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Biology.

While in college, he served as Senator representing the College of Science to Temple’s Student Government. He received the prestigious Diamond Award for his leadership, community service, and the creation of a longitudinal mentoring pipeline to uplift underprivileged teens.

Before running for public office, Penserga returned to Palm Beach County to work as a Chemistry and Biology teacher at Suncoast High School in Riviera Beach. He later attended Florida Atlantic University to earn his Master’s degree in Integrative Biology and Neuroscience.

Penserga published his first research paper at age 17. His most recent work was in 2019. His research focused on advanced imaging techniques to uncover the underlying pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. It was published in the prestigious international journal Frontiers in Neuroscience.