Jessica L. Benham (born December 13, 1990) is an American politician and

disability rights activist A disability-rights activist or disability-rights advocate is someone who works towards the equality of people with disabilities. Such a person is generally considered a member of the disability-rights movement and/or the independent-living mo ...

serving as a member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

for the 36th District. She is the first openly LGBTQ+ woman and first openly autistic person elected to the

Pennsylvania General Assembly The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania ...

. She cofounded the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy in 2014.

Education

Benham was homeschooled through highschool and competed for many years at the

National Christian Forensics and Communications Association The Christian Speech & Debate League also known as the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association is a speech and debate league for Christian students in the United States. The NCFCA was established in 2001 after outgrowing its ...

, advancing to the national level multiple years in a row. During that period, she acquired the skill of using logic and facts to articulate and defend her faith. Benham earned a bachelor's degree in political science and communication at Bethel University. She earned a master's degree in communication at

Minnesota State University, Mankato Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU, MSU, or Minnesota State) is a public university in Mankato, Minnesota, United States. It is Minnesota's second-largest university and has over 123,000 living alumni worldwide. Founded in 1868, it is t ...

and a master's degree in

bioethics Bioethics is both a field of study and professional practice, interested in ethical issues related to health (primarily focused on the human, but also increasingly includes animal ethics), including those emerging from advances in biology, med ...

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

(Pitt). While at Pitt, she was a member of the organizing committee to start a union for graduate students. Benham holds a doctorate in communication from the

, which she completed while serving as a state representative.

Career

In 2014, Benham cofounded the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy, where she served as the director of development. It is an LGBTQ+ autistic-led advocacy group, and the only LGBTQ+, autistic-led advocacy program in the greater Pittsburgh region. The group successfully advocates for state legislation, including Paul's Law which prohibits those with disabilities from being denied

organ transplants Organ transplantation is a medical procedure in which an organ is removed from one body and placed in the body of a recipient, to replace a damaged or missing organ. The donor and recipient may be at the same location, or organs may be transpo ...

. Benham advocates for autistic rights, creates

sensory friendly Sensory friendly is a designed environment which is an accommodation for people who have a sensory dysfunction or a sensory processing disorder. There are sensory friendly experiences which are offered by businesses and there is also sensory fri ...

spaces, and increases access to individual education and 504 plans for autistic children in the public schooling system. She helps educators, parents, and healthcare workers to better understand those with autism, and reduces roadblocks to employment for autistic adults. Through the PCAA and other mediums, Benham has worked to ensure the fair treatment of individuals with disabilities in the legislative system. She has consulted and provided feedback for the

Pittsburgh City Council The Pittsburgh City Council serves as the legislative body in the City of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city ...

's gun legislation, state level healthcare efforts, and the endeavor to create autism designations on driver's licenses and license plates. As a graduate from the

, Benham is involved in the organization of a graduate student union. She facilitates meetings and phone banking, and serves as the editor-in-chief of the committee newsletter. Since 2016, she has been active in the Zone 3 Public Safety Council of District 36. In 2020, Benham defeated opponent AJ Doyle and was elected to the

for the 36th District, where she succeeded

Harry Readshaw Harry A. Readshaw III (born August 17, 1941) is a retired American politician. He was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 36th District from 1994 until 2020. He and his wife live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvani ...

. She is the first LGBTQ+ woman and first autistic person elected to the

. Her campaign focused on healthcare, workers' rights, and a clean environment. Benham received endorsements from local trades labor unions, including in the natural-gas industry. She has served as the Judge of Elections since 2018.

Committee assignments

* Aging & Older Adult Services * Health * Human Services

Personal life

Benham is autistic and bisexual. She has a cat, Ravi.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Benham, Jessica Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Bethel University (Minnesota) alumni Minnesota State University, Mankato alumni University of Pittsburgh alumni 21st-century American women politicians Bisexual women politicians LGBT state legislators in Pennsylvania Autistic LGBT people American activists with disabilities Women state legislators in Pennsylvania Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Autism activists American disability rights activists American politicians with disabilities Activists from Pennsylvania 21st-century American legislators 1990 births American bioethicists American bisexual women American bisexual politicians 21st-century Pennsylvania politicians