How Keturah Herron became the first openly LGBTQ woman elected to the Kentucky Senate

“Growing up, Keturah Herron [Leading with Conviction™ 2019] never imagined she would engage in politics. But after working in a youth court program and getting involved in youth justice with her sister, she wanted to learn more about policy and how it impacts families.

“‘At the time, my sister was heavily engaged and involved in the community,’ Herron said. ‘She would tell me, ‘you need to go to this meeting. Go to that meeting.’ And so I kind of started to figure out who were the players in the city.’

“Now, Herron is the first openly LGBTQ woman to be elected to the Kentucky Senate, after serving as the first openly LGBTQ member in the state House of Representatives.

How am I representing these different groups of people that make up who I am?

“Herron said her involvement in Frankfort started when she began volunteering with the ACLU of Kentucky, where she helped launch a group called the Smart Justice Advocates, made up of people who’ve been impacted by criminal legal system.

“She was hired as a part-time worker at the ACLU in 2018 and, the following year, lobbied in Frankfort on Republican Sen. Max Wise’s ‘School Safety and Resiliency Act,’ which expanded use of school resource officers and mental health services, among other measures.

“She later joined the ACLU full time and continued to build relationships with state lawmakers. …

“Herron said people first approached her about running for office during the Breonna Taylor protests in 2020. As a policy strategist at the ACLU, she drafted an ordinance banning no-knock warrants in Louisville that was unanimously passed by Metro Council. She also spoke openly about the importance of voting and political involvement, prompting some to encourage her to run for office.

“‘I had people asking me to run for mayor during that time,’ Herron said. ‘I was not interested and was not interested in running for office at all. Then when I learned that (former) state House Rep. Reginald Meeks was stepping down, I got phone calls, and I really took the time to really think about it.’

“Herron ran for the House District 42 seat in a special election in 2022 and won, becoming the first openly LGBTQ state representative. While she said it’s an honor to have earned that recognition, she also realized it carried some weight.

“‘It puts a sense of, like, responsibility of … how do I make sure that I’m representing Black people or LGBTQ people, women or people who’ve been impacted by the justice system,’ Herron said. ‘How am I representing these different groups of people that make up who I am?’ …

“This year, Herron wrapped up her first legislative session as the senator representing District 35 in Jefferson County. She ran for the seat in 2024 after former Sen. Denise Harper Angel decided not to seek reelection.”

Read the full story at Courier-Journal.com.