The second out-LGBTQ+ person ever elected to serve on Akron council has been sworn in to serve.
Fran Wilson, a community organizer, defeated incumbent Sam DeShazior in the May primary and independent candidate Acacia Reynolds in the November election for the Ward 1 seat.
Wilson identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Kani Hightower swore them in, and Wilson’s sister, Joan, pinned them ahead of the council meeting Monday night.
During the meeting, Wilson pledged to stand up for Akron’s LGBTQ+ community.
“It is an honor to be one of the very, very small few of out-elected, queer representatives who have sat in this horseshoe in Akron’s 200-year history,” Wilson said.
Wilson will also listen and respond to residents, they said, and focus on pressing housing issues in Ward 1’s neighborhoods, including West Hill and Highland Square.
They touted their experience coming to council meetings for the past five years and bringing community members together.
"You've seen me, often times, the only one sitting in the pews in committee, asking questions behind the scenes,” Wilson said. “I've worked as an organizer in my neighborhood, which, I hope to bring that energy to this space."
Council is considering removing pronouns in titles, such as councilman or councilwoman, from its rules. Instead, council members would be permitted to use gender-neutral terms like councilperson.
Council leaders want to modernize the language, said Council President Margo Sommerville, who sponsored the legislation alongside Vice President Jeff Fusco and President Pro-Tem Brad McKitrick.
“Typically, you'll see just a removal of pronouns so that people can identify, you know, they don't have to necessarily identify as he or she,” Sommerville said.
Council ultimately voted to take time to consider the change. Councilmember Linda Omobien said it could be confusing.
“I'm not really clear why we're going from him and her to their, because usually when you talk about their and they, you're talking about more than one person,” Omobien said.
Ward 8 Councilmember Bruce Bolden was also sworn in Monday night. He was appointed to represent the city’s northwest side in early 2024 and won a full term in the November election.
“I’m really thankful to the residents of Ward 8 for putting their trust in me,” Bolden said.
Council meets twice more before taking a recess the last two weeks of the year.
