March 29, 2022 Submitted by Laurie Asmus of the Hingham Unity Council
Hingham Unity Council (HUC) continues to explore the many aspects of our community’s diversity with its Let’s Talk series. The next discussion, “Let’s Talk: The LGBTQIA+ Experience, A Multigenerational Discussion,” presented in partnership with the Hingham Pride Project, will be held on Thursday, April 7, 2022, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Zoom. All are welcome to join this online event in honor of Pride Month to uncover some vulnerable and honest truths from our neighbors about what it’s like to be living and learning as an LGBTQIA+ person in Hingham.
This event is held for the purpose of understanding and growth as a community and will feature panelists from different generations who will share their experiences living, working, and studying here in Hingham. A moderated question and answer period will follow. For context, LBGTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, plus other gender and sexual identities.
“The LGBTQIA+ community has been fighting relentlessly for equal rights and equal protection under the law since the days before the Stonewall uprising in 1969, where members of the queer community rose up in protest against the police raids that ruined so many of their lives. Since then, each generation has stood on their predecessors’ brave queer shoulders, marching both figuratively and literally towards a better future where LGBTQIA+ citizens can feel safe, respected, and valued in their communities,” explained Daniel Miller-Dempsey, one of the organizers of this event and a representative of the Hingham Pride Project. “In 2022, a new wave of hateful legislation has arrived on America’s doorstep that once again relies on the old tropes, painting queer adults as dangerous predators, and queer youth as easily manipulated know-nothings. Rights and protections that many generations of queer activists fought and died for are now being attacked and dismantled by a well-funded organized resistence. A new generation of LGBTQIA+ Americans must navigate their way through this new legislative attack designed to silence them, a movement that is using their identity to enact a political agenda based on intruding in the private lives of law abiding citizens. It is my hope that as folks listen to these panelists, we will celebrate how far we’ve come, bolster ourselves for the fights coming up, and hold fast in the resolve that we will not budge a single inch in protecting our established rights.”
This event follows previous discussions in HUC’s “Let’s Talk” series about race, disabilities, and neurodiversity. More than 230 families registered for the most recent conversation about what it’s like to be an Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) in Hingham, pointing to widening interest and appreciation of open dialogues that address issues facing historically marginalized populations at home.
“Our hope is that by hearing the voices of these community members, we will all dedicate ourselves to the work that must be done to make our community safe for everyone,” says HUC member and co-moderator Manny Oppong. “Having participated as a panelist in one of these talks before, I can tell you that it’s a brave act for anybody to show up in front of their neighbors and be vulnerable, so we are really grateful to the members of our community who have stepped forward to do this.”
“Our panelists participate for one reason and one reason alone, and that is to make our community stronger,” says Katie Sutton, one of HUC’s founding members. “Courageously sharing their stories and giving us the opportunity to ask questions is an act of complete selflessness, and we will all be better for it.”
All are welcome to register for this event. Zoom link to be provided on registration.
Let’s Talk: The LGBTQIA+ Experience, A Multigenerational Discussion
Thursday, April 7 @ 7pm via Zoom
Hosted by Hingham Unity Council
In partnership with Hingham Pride Project
Register at hinghamunity.org/events/
Replays of previous “Let’s Talk” events may be viewed at hinghamunity.org/video-library.
For more information on these and other upcoming events and initiatives, join the Hingham Unity Council’s mailing list at www.hinghamunity.org. Formed by members of the Hingham community in fall 2019, Hingham Unity Council is part of the South Shore Unity Council, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All are welcome and encouraged to join the conversation.