(she/her/hers)
My wife and I were looking for a place near my family in Indiana. I grew up in the area and knew staying near Bloomington was likely our best option for an active LGBTQ community. We were living in Frankfort Kentucky at the time, and we had recently experienced some hateful vandalism. We were wary and looking for a place we would feel safe. I searched for active LGBTQ centers in the area to ask questions. What are the safe communities for a queer family? Can you tell us a friendly real estate agent? Where can I volunteer? We knew Bloomington was out because we wanted land for a farm. Google shocked me with Spencer Pride. I sent an email to info@spencerpride.org. Judi Epp was on the receiving end of that email. We messaged back and forth. She gave me the name of a good real estate agent and in weeks we found our farm. Judi brought us into the fold, and we found a happy place where we could start over. Months later I am the Director of Volunteer Development and Communications. I look forward to making all the new volunteers feel as welcome in this community as we have.