“It simply is not safe for everyone to come out, to stand before a committee, to have their story published.”
In this op-ed, an advocate talks about the challenge of telling the stories of marginalized communities while keeping them safe.I am a firm believer that all good public policy is inspired by someone, somewhere who tells their truth. As an advocate working on LGBTQ+ civil rights issues in Ohio, I have seen firsthand what one good story told to the right people at the right time can do.
Like many people, I got started in advocacy and community organizing because of my own experience. As a bone marrow transplant survivor, I saw the importance of advocacy in my life and wanted to help others tell their stories. I grew up with this message from the disability rights movement: “I believe that moving forward as a society requires telling the stories of marginalized communities and centering those communities.
But as a young person who was once a beginner advocate, I also understand the shifting relationship we have with the stories we tell at different times in our lives. My perspective on my illness and my experience in the medical system were different in my early 20s. These days, I often grapple with how much of myself I shared online during that time. I don't regret it, but my perspective has shifted with my understanding of social media and privacy.
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