This quarter, The Lexington Herald-Leader profiles 24 people you should be keeping an eye on in 2024. The chosen group is made up of representatives from various sectors, political parties, expeditions, and the condition itself. Each, in our opinion, stands out for their efforts to Kentucky and their long-term goals.
Who: Rebecca Blankenship, who was elected to the Berea Community School Board in 2022 and has served as executive chairman of Ban Conversion Therapy Kentucky since 2021.
Background: When the Marshall County indigenous won a seat on the Berea Community School Board during the 2022 election cycle, she became the first openly transgender person to win office in Kentucky. Blankenship’s function has been concentrated on giving trans people a seat at the decision-making table through advocacy, campaigning, and work with different strategies.
Blankenship anticipates staying active in an election season that begins with a budget-deciding position legislative session. Blankenship stated that she continues to “play protection” in the Republican-controlled state legislature. There is concern that the trans community will “be used as a tool to harm another communities” in addition to being harmed, she said. Blankenship predicted that there would be more trans candidates for state headquarters than ever before at the voting booth.
Overall, this year will be one that builds on 2023, which was the first time in state record that a group of trans people “exercised energy collectively,” Blankenship said, despite being upsetting in many ways for the transgend area. As an illustration, Blankenship cited the 12 trans people of Kentucky who collectively denounced a statement made by now-Democrat Kentucky House Representative Adrielle Camuel in September during her campaign for the 93rd District seat. After being condemned, Camuel expressed regret. I believe that the effects of that is really, really important in the framework of Kentucky politics, according to Blankenship.
In 2024, why will she be effective? Oliver Hall, the transgender health director for the Kentucky Health Justice Network, said, “She has the drive and she has a truly clear sense of purpose.” She “sees the social power that the transgender community you had,” I believe. Therefore, having her there to sort of unite people and assist them in realizing their unique strength helps her achieve all of her targets, particularly this year.
Why is 2024 for a crucial year for your company or yourself? According to Blankenship, “This is going to reflect, in some ways, a banner year for transgender individuals running for office, not just in the cities, but away in rural and yet Eastern Kentucky as well.” “While the cities are viewed as these liberal bastions of progress and things like that, rural Kentuckians are not bigoted, in my opinion, has always been the case. They don’t think transgender people are inherently bad, and I believe that making an effort to demonstrate this and demonstrate it at the polls will be beneficial.
