(Trigger warning for violent assault)
June is Pride month (officially), but it’s important to know that every queer person experiences their queerness differently. LGBTQI communities are not homogenous (even though, yes, many of us are homo). At Family Values @ Work, almost half of our staff identify as part of LGBTQI communities. At the same time, most of our LGBTQI staff have a different racial identity, some of us have chronic illnesses, some of us are immigrants, and most of us have kids. These different identities are shaped by — and help to shape— each of our queer identities. We bring ourselves into our work together.
The Family Values @ Work team and my previous team at A Better Balance have been there for me, not just as supportive work colleagues, but as dear loved ones who helped me to get through emotionally and physically challenging times. When I had top surgery, staff sent me care packages and came over to make dinner for me. Three weeks later, when two men jumped me and broke my jaw against a brick wall, staff bought me new clothes, visited me, and helped me to run errands. The following year when I had a hysterectomy, I stayed over at a coworker’s house during my recovery. When the one-year anniversary of the assault came up and I was having a hard time managing those memories, I stayed over at a different coworker’s house who helped to keep me calm and safe.
Preston Van Vliet is Family Values @ Work’s National Campaign Organizer
The time and love we spend at our day jobs to support paid family and medical leave and paid sick and safe days campaigns is as personal as it gets for me. But we always have room to improve — in our policies, in our organizing, and in how we work to make sure every LGBTQI person who doesn’t currently have support can get the support they need. So many LGBTQI individuals are self-employed and may not be able to afford to give themselves paid sick and safe days. We can do more to support queer and trans sex workers who are being targeted by the SESTA/FOSTA bills. We can do more to support disabled queers who aren’t legally recognized as “employees.” We can do more to support LGBTQI individuals who use drugs and need harm reduction focused services. Our communities are surviving in so many creative ways that our advocacy hasn’t caught up with. June may be Pride month, but I’m proud of queer communities every damn day of the year.
I don’t have all the answers to how to make sure all our LGBTQI loved ones are supported in our work, but I am also proud of my team at Family Values @ Work who are willing to struggle through these tough questions together.
With much queer love,
Preston
