CARBONDALE – The first trans person to serve on a city council in Illinois was elected Tuesday in Carbondale.

According to a press release from Pride in Action, Southern Illinois, Clare Killman was elected to the Carbondale City Council.

The group says Killman is not only versed in LGBTQ+ issues, but other civic and economic issues crucial to the City of Carbondale.

Killman says when she came to Carbondale 10 years ago seeking a better life, she never could have imagined that she could be rewarded with the opportunity to give back to Carbondale all the love it wound up showing her.

Killman says the prospect of being the first transgender person ever elected to a city council in Illinois is one that she hopes will stand as a testament to what it means to be an Illinoisan. Illinois continues to be a beacon in the stormy seas that is the United States, lighting the way for those seeking the safeguarding of their basic human rights, common decency and dignity. Together, it is Killman’s hope that we can build a life worth living here for everyone.