Nashville voters elected Olivia Hill to the city council, making her the first openly transgender woman elected to public office in state history, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund PAC.
Hill won one of four open city council seats last Thursday. The election was also historic in other ways, as the remaining vacancies were also filled by female candidates, making the Council a majority female.
Hill’s election comes at a time when the Tennessee legislature has proposed or passed a number of measures aimed at the LGBTQ+ community.
In March, Tennessee became the first US state to pass a law banning drag shows when Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill restricting “adult cabaret performances” — defined as including “topless dancers, go- go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers” and “male or female impersonators”.
Lee signed the bill on the same day he signed legislation banning gender-affirming health care for transgender youth in the state.
In June, a Tennessee judge appointed by former President Donald Trump struck down the law, declaring it unconstitutional and finding it violated free speech protections.
Trump-appointed judge rules Tennessee’s drag ban unconstitutional in major victory for LGBTQ+ community
LGBTQ+ advocates argued the bill would go far beyond restricting “obscene” entertainment and could affect events like the Drag Queen Story Hour events at local libraries, which have been the target of attacks across the country in recent months.
Following the passage of the bill, Governor Lee was accused of hypocrisy, as a photo of him in a high school dress was published in the media, including Nashville Public Radio. While LGBTQ+ advocates said the photo showed Lee’s hypocrisy, his office instead said it was merely evidence of a “facile school tradition.”
Tennessee’s Republican Lt. Governor Randy McNally has also come under fire for hypocrisy after a series of positive comments he posted on Instagram photos of an LGBTQ+ man went public.
Anti-withdrawal laws sweep the nation: Here’s where every state stands on withdrawal bans
According to the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Human Rights Campaign, the state has passed 14 anti-LGBTQ+ laws since 2015. Among them are two bathroom bans and three laws that prevent transgender students from playing sports consistent with their gender identity.
Speaking with Tennessean after her win, Hill said, “I want to say I’m ecstatic. For every trans kid in the state of Tennessee who felt uncomfortable or didn’t belong… We’re worth it. We are what we say we are. And let’s move on.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education