Watch 'Rosemary: A Community Activist Fighting For The Friendly City'

Watch ‘Rosemary’, a new documentary from WVPB that follows the campaign of Rosemary Ketchum, the first openly transgender person elected to public office in West Virginia.

With the pandemic as the backdrop, the film follows Rosemary Ketchum’s campaign and election to Wheeling’s City Council in June, 2020.

Watch here in your browser or using the PBS App on your TV on mobile device. Download for free now!

Rosemary Premieres Monday, October 26, 2020 at 9 PM on WVPB TV.

Encore Presentations: Wednesday, October 28, 08:00 pm on The West Virginia Channel, and Thursday, October 29, 10:30 pm on WVPB.

Corey Knollinger

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WVPB

Ketchum, elected June 9 to Wheeling City Council, defines herself simply as a determined community activist and human rights advocate.

“Realizing that I could be defined solely by my gender identity was uncomfortable when this campaign started,” Ketchum said.

“For years I’ve been working throughout the state of West Virginia, advocating for issues like racial justice, criminal justice, poverty, mental health and LGBTQ equality, all issues that matter greatly to me as well as the people of Wheeling.”

West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s cameras follow Ketchum pre-COVID 19, on a series of community projects and events, capturing her energy and optimism for making things better in her adopted city.

Rosemary is a film produced by Corey Knollinger and Chuck Kleine. Both are residents of Wheeling and found Ketchum’s long-demonstrated drive to better the lives of the city’s most vulnerable to be inspiring.

“If every community had 10 Rosemarys, the world would be a much better place,” Kleine said, who with Knollinger captured Ketchum’s work as a community activist and her journey on the campaign trail, including the exuberance and elation of an election win, and the emotion of taking the oath of office.

Visit the Rosemary homepage for more info.