Still a ways to go

romanigypsyeyes
Thu, 11 Aug 2016 21:45:57 +0000

I volunteered at a crisis center for youths in Ann Arbor while I was getting my MPH. They were largely teens who had been kicked out of their homes… and the majority were LGBT.

It breaks my heart. I live in a very insulated liberal bubble (and I absolutely recognize this fact). My dad was in a marriage ceremony (spiritual, not legal since it wasn’t at the time) between two men back in the 90s. My grandmother has been a staunch advocate of LGBT rights for decades (her only brother died of AIDS in the late 80s). When I had a girlfriend in high school, I encountered no discrimination. My LGBT friends here in Ann Arbor have never told me about incidents around here.

Then I go and visit extended family or friends-of-friends and am reminded of all the vitriol that still exists. I go to the crisis center or where I volunteer as an HIV test counselor and I am reminded of what people even my age still experience.