Dawn Josephine Wilson was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1967. Dawn’s mother and father raised her in the Pentecostal church. After the passing of her mother and father in her early childhood, she was raised by her aunt and uncle in Lexington, Kentucky. Although her aunt and uncle were members of a Missionary Baptist church, Dawn continued to attend Pentecostal services as a child. As part of her faith, she witnessed door-to-door evangelism, which she says made her a more outgoing person. “It’s not hard for me to be a public speaker,” she says, “because I’m not afraid of people. Matter of fact, I find people interesting.” 

Dawn’s aunt and uncle raised her to believe in the importance of education. In high school, she was a member of the debate team, which she loved for the way it cultivated her ability to express herself and her ideas. Dawn later became captain of the debate team at Transylvania University, where she earned her B.A. in Political Science and International Affairs. She went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Kentucky. 

As a child, Dawn looked up to her aunts and female cousins, whom she describes as “role models.” Around age five, she became aware that, in her words, she wasn’t “in the right body.” However, it wasn’t until grad school, when she found a book in the library that talked about the experiences of trans individuals, that she found the words to express those feelings. With the support of many of her family members, Dawn transitioned and began to embody the role of “queer mentor” for her family and community. 

In 2004, after an injury playing church softball, Dawn discovered fencing. She quickly joined the Louisville Fencing Center, which she refers to as a “family.” Today, Dawn is a 2x Veteran Women Saber Champion and a 2x member of the US Veteran Fencing World Championship team. She currently serves as Kentucky Division Chair, and she is a member of USA Fencing’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee. She has coached students at the Louisville Fencing Center since 2014.

Dawn is also an elder at Douglass Boulevard Christian Church, where she is proud to have the opportunity to preach the occasional sermon. Dawn remains highly engaged in her community and currently serves in several government positions; as she says proudly in her interview, she represents “the part of Louisville that people really don’t see.” She is a Commissioner on the Metro Louisville Human Relations Commission, where she engages with the Jefferson County School District to facilitate communications related to access and diversity. She also serves as a member of the Juneteenth committee. Additionally, Dawn serves on the Board of Directors of the Fairness Campaign, a Kentucky-based LGBTQ advocacy organization that fights for anti-discrimination civil rights legislation and has helped enact Fairness Ordinances in 24 Kentucky communities thus far. 

As a longtime advocate for Kentucky’s LGBTQ+ residents and a leader in both sports and civil rights, it is clear that Dawn brings her “whole self to that space.” Her unwavering dedication to fostering inclusive communities continues to inspire positive change and uplift countless lives today.