Nashville Pride Grand Marshal hopes to inspire trans-community through activism

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Community activist Olivia Hill says the best part of participating in this year’s pride parade was seeing all of the people lined up along Broadway to celebrate the LGBTQ community. She served as a Grand Marshal, alongside Health & Wellness Coach, Eric Cox, during this year’s Nashville Pride Festival. It was a full circle moment for the activist.

“The thing that I think gives me the most joy is to be in the parade and walking down Broadway and you see so many young couples with two and three-year-old children. They’re normalizing to those children that we are just regular people. That’s my most favorite part, all of the amazing allies that are there,” said Hill.

It’s been four years since her transition. Hill says she is honored to follow in the footsteps of former grand marshals like actor Leslie Jordan. She says representation is key despite the anti-LGBTQ legislation moving forward across the country.

“We want to see someone like us. That doesn’t matter if you’re white, black, brown, purple, male, female, gay, straight or whatever. We want to see and be around like-minded people,” said Hill.

Her fight to make sure there’s trans representation throughout the community is something she’s been battling since childhood.

“I was sent to a psychiatrist at age 10 to teach me that I had to be a boy, and like boy things. So, I grew up my whole life thinking I was broken. Because there was no real representation of anybody trans throughout those years,” said Hill.

She grew up in Nashville and wants to further enhance it by becoming the first trans council member for the city. Hill hopes her drive to serve Nashville will have a positive and significant impact on the trans community.

“I hope that the trans community throughout Middle Tennessee and all over Tennessee look and see that a trans-woman is a grand marshal and that we’re okay, we’re normal. I don’t have horns and a tail. I’m not a bad person. I am just a normal human trying to work my way through life like we all do,” said Hill.

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