i am sassa

Every penny of the profits from these prints will go to Project ID

It was an absolute joy to listen to Rosemary Ketchum speak while I painted her all day. Her views on mental health, tackling homelessness, and the importance of empathy in politics are refreshing and feel hopeful.

Rosemary is a long-time community organizer/activist, and works as associate director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Wheeling, West (By God!) Virginia. She often advocated for policy changes as part of her work in the mental health community, and says her biggest road blocks were the politicians. Eventually she realized it would be easier (and “more fun”!) to “replace them rather than convince them”. She urged friends to run for office before deciding to run herself.

As a transgender woman, Rosemary didn’t see that there was a place for her in politics. It’s certainly understandable. At the time she ran, only twenty-seven out trans officials had been elected in the whole nation. She ran a grass-roots Wheeling City Council campaign, finding to her delight that most people didn’t care about her identity….they just wanted the potholes fixed.

Obviously being the first ever openly transgender official in this ruby-red state is a badass accomplishment. But Rosemary says she didn’t run to make history. She ran to make change. She does not in any way downplay her identity, but is careful of “tokenism”, something I heard her mention in several interviews. My understanding of her is that she’s an intelligent person with a humongous heart and a calling for public service. She fully understands the importance of her role in terms of representation for young people who are also trans, but she in no way wants her trans identity to define her role as an elected official. And to me, THAT is why she’s a badass. She grew up being very “different” in this state. She maintained her focus and composure despite the trauma that comes with that, and is making a real difference. And the most badass part of all is that she doesn’t punish ignorance when it shows up around her. She understands the difference between bullying and well-intentioned ignorance, and she takes the time to address the latter with love, patience, and EDUCATION.

As someone who also grew up “different” and stuck around, I am just over here giving Rosemary a standing ovation in my studio all by myself. Her strength of character is monumental, and she is an unquestionably badass woman.

Thank you, Rosemary Ketchum.