Fixmer-Oraiz, V (1978- )
Dates
- Existence: 1978-
Biography
V Fixmer-Oraiz was born April 25, 1978 at the Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego to Gilda Payosing Oraiz Bowman and James Allen. They graduated from Coronado High School in San Diego and completed coursework at several colleges in California and North Carolina before earning an associates degree from Durham Technical Community College in 2008 and a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina in 2010. During this period, Fixmer-Oraiz worked in food service, construction, and as a welder. In North Carolina, they began working as a drag performer, eventually becoming co-founder of a troupe of drag kings known as the Cuntry Kings, which operated for 10 years and toured nationally and internationally. Fixmer-Oraiz traveled to the Philippines from 2010-2011 as a Fulbright scholar, researching the impact of climate change on rural bamboo farmers. They completed a master’s degree in urban and regional planning at the University of Iowa in 2015. Fixmer-Oraiz then founded Astig Planning, a consultancy combining urban planning expertise with community organizing techniques. They have been involved with a number of community housing organizations, chairing the Housing and Community Development Commission and serving as vice president of the Johnson County Affordable Housing Commission. They were elected to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors in 2022 as the first biracial, transgender, and queer county supervisor in Iowa. Fixmer-Oraiz is married to Natalie Fixmer-Oraiz and they have two children.