U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, who led the fight against allowing transgender individuals in the military that culminated Friday with President Donald Trump's directive banning those individuals from serving openly, could face a transgender woman in the next election.

Jenna Marie Bourgeois of Lebanon organized a committee to raise money for the race on July 31. She said Friday that sexual orientation and gender identity won’t be the main thrust of her bid for the Democratic nomination in August 2018, but said only someone who understands gender identity issues can effectively fight Hartzler. Bourgeois said Renee Hoagenson, the Columbia business owner who has been running for the Democratic nomination since March, can’t do that.

“I actually can represent this issue,” Bourgeois said. “People who are not transgender, even though they are supportive of us, can’t understand. That statement is like saying to Jackie Robinson, ‘don’t play in the big leagues, we will tell them you are great.’ ”

Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, will be seeking her fifth term in 2018. In July, she narrowly lost a House vote to bar the Defense Department from paying for gender reassignment treatments. Trump picked up the issue and issued his directive reversing a policy allowing transgender people to openly serve that was implemented in 2016.

Hartzler praised Trump’s action in a news release.

“Military service is a privilege, not a right,” Hartzler said. “I’m pleased to see the president putting military readiness first and making sure our defense dollars are spent keeping us safe.”

Hartzler’s office estimated the cost of treatments at $1.3 billion over 10 years. A Rand Corporation report estimated it would cost up to $8.4 million annually.

Hoagenson said she is unwavering in her support for protecting lesbian, gay and transgender individuals from discrimination.

“Vicky Hartzler has a reputation of being the most anti-gay congresswoman in the House,” Hoagenson said. “She has said really offensive things about what it is to be gay and transgender and she has continuously put forward discriminatory legislation toward the transgender community. I would not tolerate that.”

By entering the race against Hartzler, Bourgeois said she hopes to draw national attention to the race.

“The reason is to take the fight for transgender civil rights right to her front porch,” Bourgeois said.

Bourgeois, who lived in Missouri from 2001 to 2004, has lived in Lebanon for two weeks, she said. Her campaign committee mailing address is in Seattle. In the past three years she has lived in Utah, Alaska and Canada. The constitutional qualification for being a member of the House is to be a citizen, 25 years old and an inhabitant of the state.

Bourgeois began life almost 48 years ago as John E. Bourgeois III. Born in Chicago, she graduated from Northern Illinois University. She originally moved to Missouri in 2001, where she formed a chapter of the Young Democrats, began an abortive campaign for a state legislative seat and worked for U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt’s 2004 presidential campaign.

Her then-wife’s discovery that she visited a gay bar in Columbia disrupted both campaigns and the family moved to Wisconsin, where Bourgeois owned property. The visit to the gay bar was part of Bourgeois’ discovery of her identity, she said.

She said she dealt with discrimination in a court battle over custody of her daughter in Utah. In Alaska in 2016, Bourgeois attempted to organize a blues music festival that caused a controversy that included lawsuits and allegations of organized efforts to discredit her. She claims she was a target of bias.

“At the point they found out I was transgender, a group of people decided they wanted to harass, cyberbully and stalk me over a period of six weeks,” Bourgeois said.

Bourgeois said she sought refugee status in Canada late last year but was denied. Her experience with the Canadian health insurance plan, Bourgeois said, convinced her the United States should adopt a single-payer system.

The other planks in her platform call for a $15 minimum wage and a program to create “start-up farms,” establish business incubators and provide broadband access to rural areas.

“I think Missourians will better benefit from the programs I want to put into place,” Bourgeois said.

Filing for 2018 elections begins in late February. Hoagenson said she is not deterred by having a primary for a race that was already a difficult contest for a Democrat.

“Really I am just concerned about keeping my campaign moving forward; I am not concerned at all about any of that,” Hoagenson said. “I trust that the voters will decide who they want to represent them and that is my only concern.”

rkeller@columbiatribune.com

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