Updated 5/4/2021 8:15 AM For decades, those closest to Danielle Aylward, McHenry Township's clerk, have known she was transgender. Late last week, Aylward, who is in the process of transitioning from a male to a female and prefers the pronouns she and her, made everyone else aware of how she has long identified to her family and friends by coming out as trans on social media.
Danielle Aylward, who won reelection last month as McHenry Township's clerk while on the ballot as Dan Aylward, became McHenry County's first openly transgender elected official when she came out on Facebook. While many would call Aylward's decision to come out at 72 as courageous, she credited her late twin, who was also transgender and died by suicide years ago after transitioning from male to female, with far more bravery.