LGBTQIA+

• Pride Center of the Capital Region (PCCR)  |  Jun 2023 - Apr 2024​​

  • The Pride Center of the Capital Region is the oldest continuously-operating LGBTQIA+ community center in the country and is committed to promoting the well-being of LGBTQIA+ individuals and addressing discrimination based on gender identity and expression.  I have volunteered to support a number of their events, including the annual Capital Pride Parade & Festival, and have also served as a group facilitator for their Young Adult Support Group.

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• Upper Hudson Queer Alliance (UHQA)  |  Apr 2024 - Present

  • ​In April 2023, Rockwell Falls Public Library faced intense homophobic backlash after announcing a Drag Story Hour, resulting in death threats against it staff and a six-month closure of the library.  In response, local residents organized a small Pride picnic, which unexpectedly attracted dozens of vendors, performers, and attendees from throughout the region to show their support.  This event led to the founding of Upper Hudson Queer Alliance, a group committed to opposing anti-queer movements and creating a safe, loving space for LGBTQIA+ individuals.  I joined UHQA as a volunteer in 2024, helping to plan their second annual "Big Gay Pride Picnic", and have continued to support the organization through event collaboration and grant opportunities.

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• Lavender Graduation LGBTQ+ Outreach Award  |  May 2024

  • I received the 2024 Lavender Graduation LGBTQ+ Outreach Award by the Rensselaer LGBTQ+ Task Force.  This award is given to a graduating student who has not only been active in the LGBTQ+ campus community, but has also made efforts to connect and support the LGBTQ+ community of the Capital Region, providing valuable contributions towards supporting and advocating for the wider LGBTQ+ community at large.
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• UHQA Big Gay Pride Picnic - RPI Players' Pride Cabaret  |  June 2024

  • While planning UHQA’s Second Annual Big Gay Pride Picnic, I worked with RPI Players to put on a “Pride Cabaret” for the event, featuring a Broadway-style performance that explored the history and significance of the Pride flag.  The show included music from iconic musicals like Hamilton, Beetlejuice, Wicked, and Les Misérables.  The performance was a colorful blend of powerful stories through queer history, and I am honored to have been a small part of such an incredible, heartfelt celebration of love, loss, and hope within the LGBTQIA+ community.
     

• New Yorkers for Equal Rights Campaign  |  Sep 2024 - Nov 2024

  • Leading up to the 2024 election, I served as a volunteer for the New Yorkers for Equal Rights Campaign.  Through tireless community outreach and policy campaigning, we successfully amended the New York State Constitution through the passing of Proposition 1.  This bill added new protected classes based on sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, pregnancy status, and immigration status (previously the only protected classes in NYS were based on race, religion, and ethnicity).  While there were many major upsets in the wake of the 2024 election, the passing of Prop 1 was a huge victory for protecting marginalized communities in New York State.
     

• Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood Fall Advocacy Summit  |  October 2024

  • I had the honor of attending the Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood Fall Advocacy Summit last October.  Just some of the summit's many guests speakers included New York State Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado, Executive Director for the NEW Pride Agenda Elisa Crespo, and National Organizing Director of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Brianna Twofoot.  The summit also featured the Emmy nominated short film Deciding Vote, followed by a live Q&A with the filmmakers, about the incredible true story of NYS Assemblyman George Michaels who's single vote legalized abortion in New York, sacrificing his political career to save countless live.​