Olivia Hill.Photo:Jason Kempin/Getty
Jason Kempin/Getty
Nashville voters have elected Olivia Hill to city council, making her the first openly transgender woman elected to public office in the state’s history, according to theLGBTQ+ Victory Fund PAC.
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 state in the U.S. topass legislation restricting drag showswhen Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill into law restricting “adult cabaret performances” — which it defines to include “topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers,” and “male or female impersonators.”
Lee signed the bill on the same day he signed a bill banninggender-affirming health carefor transgender youths in the state.
LGBTQ+ advocates argued that the bill would go much further than limiting “obscene” entertainment and could impact things like Drag Queen Story Hour events at local libraries, which have been targeted across the country in recent months.
According to LGBTQ+ advocacy organizationHuman Rights Campaign, the state has enacted 14 anti-LGBTQ+ laws since 2015. Among those are two bathroom bans and three laws preventing transgender students from playing sports consistent with their gender identity.
Speaking toThe Tennesseanfollowing her victory, Hill said, “I want to say that I am elated. For every trans kid in the state of Tennessee that has felt discomfort or that they didn’t belong… We are valid. We are who we say we are. And we are going to move forward."
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source: people.com
