|
|
ellie krug
writer, lawyer, human
Human Inspiration Works, LLC
The Ripple
Vol 7 No.4 April 2022
Inspired by the words and deeds of Robert F. Kennedy
|
|
A Smaller Pond
Dear Friends:
I’ve realized that living out here in Victoria—on the edge of the prairie 35 miles west of downtown Minneapolis—is offering me opportunities to be involved that I simply wouldn’t have gotten had I remained in the city. It’s a much smaller and less competitive pond out here, and with that, I feel like I can make a bigger difference. (Or so I think.)
Thus, since the last time you heard from me, I’ve spoken to LGBTQ+ students at the local alternative high school. That talk apparently went well enough that the students have asked me to return two more times before the end of the school year. Moreover, early next month I will train educators and administrators within the larger local school district on how to be welcoming to trans and nonbinary youth.
Additionally, last week I sat with Victoria city council members and senior city managers to conduct a talking circle (a directed conversation that’s intended to allow people to share inclusivity-related things they might not ordinarily talk about). This was intended as a “test drive” to see if the city is willing to roll out talking circles to all of the city’s residents (a process that I would lead). I’m still waiting to hear the verdict, but I’m hopeful that it will be a go.
I was also recently appointed to the citizen advisory committee for the local public mental health agency. The committee meets monthly, and so far, I’ve been relatively quiet but I suspect that may change as I dig into how the agency operates.
All in all, these are things that would be too daunting to take on if I was still in the big city with its various competitive constituencies and voices. I hadn’t intended for this when I moved here (all I wanted was simply to get a dog), but as life would have it, this is what’s transpiring.
Wish me luck on all of this!
Finally, if you have an interest, here is the video of the Dakota County Public Library event where author Rob Jung and I talk about our collaboration to create a transgender private eye for his crime mystery, The Sower. I had a lot of fun doing that event and Rob was so incredibly gracious and supportive!
Enjoy your spring. And remember, I care about you!
ellie
|
|
A Neighborhood Comes Together to Help Ms. Linda |
|
Out of the Powderhorn neighborhood of Minneapolis comes a wonderful story of neighbors banding together to help a treasured neighbor, Ms. Linda, who has lived there in a rented house for the past 18 years. As someone who was often in her garden during the summer where she could visit with friends and neighbors, Ms. Linda was thought of as upbeat, talkative and a bit of a sassy grandmother.
Certainly, she was a cherished neighborhood icon.
Thus, when Ms. Linda’s landlord notified her in January that she needed to vacate by April 1 so that he could put the house on the sizzling Twin Cities market, her neighbors would have none of it.
As this Star Tribune article relates, following George Floyd’s murder only several blocks away, neighbors became closer and developed a mutual aid network as they navigated the unrest and Covid. That network kicked in again when word of Ms. Linda’s plight became known.
“We just immediately shifted into high gear and started meeting…to figure out a plan to help rectify the situation (to) ultimately allow her to stay in her home,” said neighborhood resident Jenny Jones.
As a result, more than 400 people signed a letter addressed to the landlord demanding that he rescind the lease termination and negotiate to sell the home to Ms. Linda. Additionally, a neighbor wrote a letter in the neighborhood paper arguing that after paying $200,000 in rent over nearly two decades, Ms. Linda deserved not to be displaced.
In response, the landlord agreed to give Ms. Linda (and now a committee of her supporters) until the end of June to come up with money to purchase the home.
With just two months left to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, the committee has created a website (Savelindashome) and opened a GiveButter account on Ms. Linda’s behalf. Additionally, given that Ms. Linda paints delightful bark paper images, they arranged for a catered fundraiser to sell her art.
I’m so touched by the generosity of time and spirit of Ms. Linda’s neighbors that I’ve now sent a request for one of the supporting group’s organizers to be on my Ellie 2.0 Radio show. I’ll let you know if that happens. I’ll also let you know if the group is successful in helping Ms. Linda buy her home. (And here's a TV news story that gives you a sense of Ms. Linda.)
Regardless of outcome, this story shows what happens when humans come together to help another human. Because almost everyone has a good empathetic heart!
|
|
Inclusivity Tip of the Month
Understanding the Blending of America
|
|
One of the interesting things that I’ve discovered in my work is how America has become “blended.”
I use that phrase to describe how we’re becoming a country where many people marry someone of another skin color (and have kids of yet different skin colors) or where ostensibly straight, cisgender families have a family member who has come out as transgender or nonbinary (or as lesbian, gay or bisexual). Then there are families where people of different religions marry (and then sometimes choose a third religion as a compromise).
In fact, as this Wikipedia article related to skin color reflects, 3.2 percent of Americans (10.4 million people) identified as multiracial in the 2010 census. That percentage more than tripled to 10.2 percent (33.8 million people) in the 2020 census.
On the surface, though, this might be hard to discern. The reason: often we simply interact with people who look like “us.” Indeed, I often go into many organizational settings that are populated by white-color, ostensibly straight/cisgender people. However, when I start to get to know those folks a bit (through a training like Gray Area Thinking©), I hear about family members or best friends who are diverse in one or more ways.
The concept of blending is incredibly important because it demonstrates that yes, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is important to far more people that anyone might expect. Thus, even if your organization seems to lack diversity, the likelihood is that one or more of your team members actually has diverse families or close social networks. Those team members always appreciate that an organization has gone to the trouble of bringing someone in to talk about DEI—it makes those team members feel as if they and their families matter.
Remember the old adage that appearances can be deceiving. America’s becoming a blended country, which in my book is an incredibly wonderful thing!
|
|
|
|
In a time when transgender youth are being attacked on many fronts (see below) regular Ripple reader Joe in CT has sent along this great story of a school board doing the right thing to protect a transgender student who had been marginalized on social media by a school nurse. The school board did that knowing it would produce a backlash by some—in other words, the board did what it was supposed to do, lead. Moreover, speaking of leading, as well as compassion, here’s a NYT story about how Disney—seeking to show allyship for its many LGBTQ+ team members—is now paying the price for speaking up against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. Quite unbelievable...
|
|
|
|
|
It turns out that Minnesota Women’s Press (which I write for with some regularity) decided that I’m one of eleven “Badass Women.” See this link about the “Badass” event where each woman spoke, including me. Also, my April 9 Ellie 2.0 Radio show had me interviewing Rebecca Thomen, M.D. of MN Compassion and Choices about efforts to pass a medical-aid-in-dying bill in Minnesota (ten other states presently have such laws). After losing three high school classmates in the last month, a law like that would be quite welcome—why do we make people suffer? Here’s also my most recent Lavender Magazine piece, “Traveling While Trans,” which again is about me finding that just maybe, people who I initially thought would reject me for being transgender actually sort of like me after getting to know me. Nice! Finally, see this very astute Washington Post article by Jennifer Rubin about the risks to our democracy if the U.S. Supreme Court allows Christian Nationalism to become a weapon for oppression.
|
|
|
|
|
Since the last Ripple, Alabama has joined Texas and Arkansas in banning gender affirming care for transgender children and youth up to age 19, with a criminal penalty of ten years in prison for any medical provider who ignores the law. (See here.) However, the law also requires that anyone working at a public or private school to disclose to parents that a student believes they are transgender or nonbinary—so now, Alabama kids and youth are left on their own to deal with their gender identity issues. Ugh. Here also is the story of the Irving, TX school district punishing a teacher (and others) for posting LGBTQ-affirming signs and rainbows. And here’s a great summary that explains why LGBTQ+ people have again become the targets in America’s culture war. Lastly, can we please not get fatigued hearing about the incredible pain being inflicted on the Ukrainian people? What horror.
|
|
|
|
|
That Alabama anti-trans youth law has consequences: here’s a story about an Alabama mother and her trans son who need to leave AL to protect the son’s access to healthcare—the mom has set up a GoFundMe page to raise the money for that. (And this also underscores the point that once again, those who are income-limited always bear the brunt of oppression.) And wow, did you hear that off-the-charts speech by Michigan state senator Mallory McMorrow taking on another legislator who, in an effort to raise campaign donations, attacked her for supporting trans kids? See the speech here (well worth the 5 minutes) and Sen. McMorrow’s interview with CNN’s Don Lemon here. I’ve found a new heroine; I sure wish I could be that profound!
Lastly, several of you have recently donated to Human Ripple Works, Inc., the nonprofit which makes it possible for me to do more work for organizations that lack budgets for training (like talking to Gender and Sexuality Alliances at various schools across the country). Thank you for that!! If you’d like to support this work, please click here on the HRW website.
|
|
|
Finally....
The Ripple is a work in progress, so please, I welcome your suggestions and comments! Please share this newsletter with others, too!
Thank you for helping to make the world a better place! I'm at your side, cheering you on, I promise! Please have compassion for yourself and for others.
ellie
Encouraging Open Hearts and Thriving Human Spirits
Human Inspiration Works, LLC: We make "inclusion" an action word
|
|
|
|
Ellen (Ellie) Krug
319-360-1692
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
