天美传媒

Veronica Pejril readily admits she started it.

Her 2019 opponent for the Greencastle City Council鈥檚 Third Ward seat had told her 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care how you live鈥� and 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to make an issue out of that in the election.鈥�

鈥淚 said, 鈥榳ell, I鈥檓 glad that you don鈥檛 think it ought to be an issue in this election because I鈥檓 not making an issue of it either,鈥欌�� she recalled. 鈥淭he fact that I happen to be a transgender woman is irrespective of my ability to serve and lead in our community. It鈥檚 neither an attribute that necessarily makes me a better leader or not, right? It鈥檚 just part of who I am. It鈥檚 like my shoe size.鈥�

But then, Pejril, who is 天美传媒鈥檚 director of Faculty Instructional Technology Support, coordinator of the Music Instructional Technology Center and an adjunct assistant professor of music, became aware of her opponent鈥檚 鈥渉ateful,鈥� islamophobic social media posts. 鈥淢y heart was telling me that I can鈥檛, in good conscience, let that go unseen,鈥� she said, so she publicized the posts and braced for what she knew was coming.

In no time flat, she was 鈥渄eadnamed鈥� 鈥� that is, 鈥渟omebody calls out a transitioned, transgender person鈥檚 former name to dehumanize them or to have them be seen as something other than what they represent themselves to be.鈥� Transphobic social media posts followed.

So why would Pejril expose herself to that? 鈥淚 needed to bring light to them and point out that these are not the values that we hold to represent the city of Greencastle and the spirit of Greencastle,鈥� she said. What鈥檚 more, 鈥淚鈥檝e developed some thick skin over the years 鈥� I鈥檝e had some tough times in my life; I don鈥檛 want to discount that. That was one of the weirder ones, but definitely not the toughest.鈥�

Pejril鈥檚 campaign 鈥渢ried to uplift my own work for the community, my background, what I brought to the table, where my values stand as far as valuing education and community and being a good neighbor.鈥� She won in a landslide, becoming the first transgender elected official in Indiana.

Though most duties of her first year in office have been conducted virtually, she said she has been pleased to find that 鈥渢he labels that often divide folks on the national level are not represented in our city politic and that鈥檚 a great thing. We generally vote with consensus that crosses party line. 鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 just a pleasure and a joy to work with every one of these folks.鈥�

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