Olivia Hill is TN’s first openly transgender candidate elected, but that’s not how she wants to be remembered

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Nashville’s first transgender woman elected to Metro Council At Large is celebrating.

Olivia Hill is also the first openly transgender woman ever to be on a ballot in Tennessee and elected.

“I’m almost a little numb just from the feeling of everything,” said Hill to WSMV4′s Marissa Sulek Friday.

While those titles are noteworthy, it’s not how Hill said she wants to be remembered.

“It just so happens that I am trans,” she said. “It’s no different as someone who ran as a man, a woman, or anything else. I just tried to take that component and set it aside. It’s one thing I can’t make go away, but that’s not why I ran.”

Hill credits her past experiences for her win. She settled with her former employer, Vanderbilt University after she sued for gender discrimination. She served in the US Navy during Desert Storm. She’s also a very handy woman.

“By trade, I’m a plumber, pipefitter, welder, high voltage electrician, diesel mechanic, jet engine mechanic, boiler specialist, 20-plus year union member, union shop steward, and so yeah I think I’m qualified to sit at the table,” Hill pointed out.

At the table, Hill wants to focus on infrastructure, homelessness, and transportation.

“We will not be able to continue to grow if we don’t have good transit,” she said.

She hopes those items will change the lives of Nashvillians.

“A lot of people just need a helping hand to get up and I think we could really do some good work,” Hill said.

The new Metro Council Members will be sworn in on Oct. 2. Their first meeting will be Oct. 3.

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