NEW Pride Community Voices Banners (24 x 54 in)

Community Voices Celebrates Pride

PrideMonthisanannualcelebration,usuallyin JuneintheUnitedStatesandsometimesatother timesinothercountries,oflesbian,gay, bisexual,transgender,andqueer(LGBTQ) identity.PridecommemoratestheStonewall riots,whichbeganintheearlyhoursofJune28, 1969,afterpoliceraidedtheStonewallInnbarin NewYorkCity’sGreenwichVillageneighborhood.

Basedontheideathatspecificstoriesfrom peopleorcommunitiesmakeithardertodeny thosepeopletheiragency,identity,andplacein thelargernarrative,CommunityVoicesisan initiativetoprovidespaceforcommunity memberstosharetheirindividualstories.

WecenterCommunityVoicesexhibitsaround particularheritagesoridentitiesthatare meaningfulforourcommunity.

ThemissionofCommunityVoicesistofoster connections,cultivateempathy,andnurturea senseofbelongingatthelibrary.

While the library invites and provides space for members of the community to share their story, the library neither advocates for nor endorses the viewpoints expressed herein.

Community Voices Celebrates Pride

PrideMonthisanannualcelebration,usuallyin JuneintheUnitedStatesandsometimesatother timesinothercountries,oflesbian,gay, bisexual,transgender,andqueer(LGBTQ) identity.PridecommemoratestheStonewall riots,whichbeganintheearlyhoursofJune28, 1969,afterpoliceraidedtheStonewallInnbarin NewYorkCity’sGreenwichVillageneighborhood.

Basedontheideathatspecificstoriesfrom peopleorcommunitiesmakeithardertodeny thosepeopletheiragency,identity,andplacein thelargernarrative,CommunityVoicesisan initiativetoprovidespaceforcommunity memberstosharetheirindividualstories.

WecenterCommunityVoicesexhibitsaround particularheritagesoridentitiesthatare meaningfulforourcommunity.

ThemissionofCommunityVoicesistofoster connections,cultivateempathy,andnurturea senseofbelongingatthelibrary.

While the library invites and provides space for members of the community to share their story, the library neither advocates for nor endorses the viewpoints expressed herein.

Tellusaboutyourself.

My name is Keri Davis (she/her). I am 33 years old, black, Mexican, and white. I have lived in Aurora my whole life. I started performing at local bars and now over fifteen years later, I am a full-time drag performer performing all over the Chicagoland area and different states. I am now trying to be more involved in the LGBTQ+ community here in my hometown to help advocate, be a voice for those who need it, educate, and support in any way I can. I want to be a pioneer for my community and be remembered as someone influential and brave who lived in their truth.

Whatisasourceof prideforyouinyour heritage/identity?

Whatdoyouwishour greatercommunityknew aboutyour heritage/identity?

I wish our greater community knew it is okay to be different. There are a lot of people out there that can help you: support groups, elders with experience, or even someone you least expect. Learning and teaching never ends; you learn something each day, as long as you are respectful, kind, and caring.

A source of pride for me is my family. Not many LGBTQ+ youth are able to be themselves around family that are judging them when they should be loving them. My family has embraced me for being who I am and always supports me in everything I do. I am truly appreciative and grateful!

Tellusaboutyourself.

I am a 70-year-old binary trans woman who lives a female. I live every day without having to blend in after 50 years in a male body. My transition was physically smooth through gender reaffirming care but emotionally turbulent. I paid a price for it as I lost many family members as well as youthful male friends. I have lived in Aurora for 35 years. In that time, I worked as a field engineer for a lighting company. Most of the time I was on my own on the job, but sometimes I worked with other people - contractors and the “good old boys club”. I felt at those times like I was under scrutiny. I watched my mannerisms, so I didn't get called out for being “girly”.

Later I worked for Spectran Bus Company for 10 years before they moved to Durham. It was there I poked a hole in the “good old boys club”. During that time, I also went through gender reassignment surgery and took some time off work. After coming back from surgery, they had me do a job to remove and replace a tire in a Suburban. To do this, I needed support from a coworker. A week later, the boss had me come into the manager’s office and showed me my job description. It read, “Employees must be able to lift 30 lbs. without assistance.” I asked them to show me proof all employees do this, and they backed down. Years later, the company changed names and my new boss was more respectful, looking me in the eyes and saying, “good morning” and “goodnight”.

Whatisasourceofprideforyouinyour heritage/identity?

I live day to day as an ambassador for binary trans women who live as females. The surgery is not what makes me a woman. I never had particularly masculine features. In the 60’s and 70’s, it was not safe for trans women. People thought you were crazy.

SourceofPridecontinued...

Being transgender equated to something being wrong with you. The term “transexual’ was used derogatorily. I thought there must be something mentally wrong with me. Since I didn’t want to be treated that way, I kept everything to myself. The representations I saw in media were clownish men in a dress on comedy programs or movies like Dressed to Kill where they were portrayed as murderers in disguise.

Christine Jorgensen’s transition back in 1953 was one of the few representations we had. But people still treated her as an oddity.

It wasn’t until after college that I realized that being transgender was okay; that I wasn’t mentally ill. But society still wouldn't accept us.

Whatdoyouwishourgreatercommunityknew aboutyourheritage/identity?

Aurora is just now becoming a bit more welcoming to the LGBTQIA+ community. Back in the day, it was always a neutral sort of place. Not hateful, but neutral. Just recently, it is becoming a good place to live and work if you are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. I would like to see more going on that would appeal to the LGBTQIA+ community. Why don’t we have a thriving LGBTQIA+ community?

Transgender healthcare is kind of nonexistent in Aurora. They take care of you if you go to the emergency room. I have Medicare through Rush Copley. I had a consultation.

As a post-operative trans woman, the doctor looked at it and told him he didn’t want to do it. I was then referred to Rush in Chicago. The doctor’s office is 50 miles away. We need to get the word out and move more gender affirming care out west.

As the only transgender woman on the City of Aurora LGBTQ Advisory Board, I bring a different perspective on things that have taken/are taking place. I am the oldest as well. I am treated very well by peers on the committee. Being an older trans woman, I also hope that more women like me start coming out! I know younger trans women. But I hope to see more women my age come out and feel safe.

a r r i n g t o n

Tellusaboutyourself.

My name is Cecilia Carrington, and I am a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community here in Aurora! I love traveling in the U.S. and spending time with my family. Being a part of the Queer community is very important to me because there are people from all walks of life who are passionate about sharing their stories and experiences.

Whatisasourceofprideforyouinyour heritage/identity?

Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community is more than just attraction and sexuality. It affects the way we view the world around us. It’s easier to notice other social injustices when they are actively happening to you and your community. Queer people stand up for each other and those around them, no matter who they are!

Whatdoyouwishourgreatercommunityknew aboutyourheritage/identity?

I am incredibly lucky to be surrounded by people who love and accept me, but I know that’s not everyone’s story. I want people to understand that it can be difficult for LGBTQ+ members to live authentically as themselves because of their home environment. Having safe spaces in the City of Aurora is important for many people like me to feel not only accepted but celebrated!

Tellusaboutyourself.

I am a museum professional and local history author who’s lived in Aurora since 2019 with my husband, Ashton. I’ve worked in the museum field for seven years as a curator and collections manager and currently work at the Schingoethe Center of Aurora University. In 2022, I was honored to be chosen as one of the inaugural members of the City of Aurora LGBTQ Advisory Board and am proud of the work we are doing for the community.

Whatdoyouwishour greatercommunityknew aboutyour heritage/identity?

I truly wish that the greater community would look past the stereotypes and myths about LGBTQ+ people, especially trans individuals, that circulate often in the media. If you make the effort to get to know us, you will see that we just want to live our lives authentically, find happiness, and be a part of a community that respects and values everyone regardless of who they love and what gender they identify with. LGBTQ+ people want to make the world a better place so those who come after us can live in a more accepting and loving world.

Whatisasourceof prideforyouinyour heritage/identity?

I take great pride in the creativity and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community. Throughout history, we have made innovative contributions to politics, art, literature, healthcare, science, technology, and many other fields despite having to live in secrecy or face discrimination. Growing up queer, you learn how to untangle your identity from society’s expectations and be your truest, most authentic self. I believe this experience is what gives LGBTQ+ people a unique and much needed perspective on the world and its issues.

Tellusaboutyourself.

My name is Fred Yanos. I am a proud Filipino immigrant and board member of the Aurora LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. I’m Gay (he/him) and knew who I was at a young age, but I needed to conceal it coming from a conservative and religious family and country. When I migrated to this country, I learned how to fully love and embrace who I am. I wanted to share the acceptance and love Aurora gave to me by planning and organizing events with the Advisory Board. I work in healthcare full-time, and in my free time, I enjoy doing

heritage/identity?

I wish the greater community knew more about what we are capable of. I personally experienced being judged and belittled because I’m Gay and that I won't be able to fulfill gender norms. I want the community to know that Gays not only will make it happen, we will make it a spectacle!

something creative (writing, singing and photography), watching plays and musicals, binging TV series, and following anything geeky like superheroes, anime, fantasy and sci-fi.

Whatisasourceof prideforyouinyour heritage/identity?

A source of pride for me in the LGBTQ+ community is the love and acceptance for each other. This community taught me that it doesn't matter who you love or how you present yourself, what matters most is your heartshowing kindness, spreading love, making others feel secure and accepted for who they are.

n B i s h o p

I am a wedding officiant and a small business owner I own Bishop Weddings with my husband Zachary, and we specialize in love story weddings. I was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa I am the youngest of three Tellusaboutyourself.

children and the only known queer member of my family. I moved to Aurora in 2019 to live with my boyfriend at the timenow husband I work a day job as a trade professional; it’s not the most typical thing that someone might think when they look at me - especially if they know me - to see me working in a machine shop, getting my hands dirty

I'm an insanely passionate person when it comes to love I feel very strongly about the power that love has to make us better people, to move us in the directions that we need to go in life, whether that's between members of the queer community, heterosexual couples, bisexual, it doesn't matter Love has the power to change the world if we just let it I believe very profoundly in the concept that there is no limitation to love It's beautiful.

Living the most authentically that I can I first realized I was gay when I was 12 years old, and I immediately buried myself in the closet At 17, I experimented with, “I might be bisexual.” And Whatisasourceofpridefor youinyour heritage/identity?

then finally, I was just done Done It's exhausting It's exhausting trying to be something you're not. When I had that realization, it caused a lot of conflict in my life, and as much conflict as it generated, I still wouldn’t have changed it because it is who I am It’s not all of who I am, but it is a huge part of who I am.

It was very difficult to grow up in a conservative family. My mother was exceptionally homophobic She decided to remove herself from my life because she refused to make space for me in hers. I was a mama's boy growing up. So, to have that realization, that's what put me in the closet for so many years My father was rationally minded He didn't verbalize his discomfort with the queer community the way my mom did I would say that he was probably one of the more tolerant people that I've ever known; he believed that trying to institute some sort of idea of normal or standard for human beings only serves to divide

Whatdoyouwishourgreatercommunityknew aboutyourheritage/identity?

I hope they can understand my desire to see the LGBTQIA+ community actually become a community. There is so much infighting, especially in the last couple of years with the with the ramped-up anti-trans

rhetoric. I would love to see our communities truly coalesce into a community. I’d like to see Aurora create a working forum, a space where we can get members of all the alphabet together and to really find a way to embrace each other and work together. I’d like to see us stand in solidarity and not other ourselves. Nothing good comes from that.

I’d like for the broader queer spectrum to take a moment to reflect on where their lives would be if they had been born 2030 years earlier – through the 80s, through the AIDs crisis, through so much homophobia, through rejection of queer characters and media. It didn’t help people like me who were going up at that time. It only served to push us deeper into a closet.

When I look at queer youth today, I am inspired, but I am also saddened – I believe that to a large extent they have forgotten the shoulders on which they stand. I wish I could have grown up with all the queer media and pop stars and icons that are out and proud today. I hope that they recognize the privilege of the time in which they were born – and also, how fragile that privilege is.

We're not monotone, we're not boxed in, and that's the thing I think that scares the anti-gay community so much is that so many of us reject being boxed in. We don't want to be limited. We want to see color. We want to see diversity. We want to see the beauty that comes with it.

Tellusaboutyourself

u n g a n

My name is Alexander (any/all pronouns), and I currently serve as the Minister of Family and Justice at a church in Naperville where I work with youth, children, and marginalized communities to teach about social justice. As a gay, autistic/ADHD person, I provide a specific focus on LGBTQIA+ and disability justice, and I work to highlight neurodivergent and queer voices in a field where such voices can still be dismissed and rejected. I love to use my art, whether through writing, poetry, dance, puppetry, or any other medium, to tell my story.

Whatdoyouwishour greatercommunity knewaboutyour heritage/identity?

I take pride in being able to use my creativity to form bridges in my community, whether that involves creating an online dictionary of autistic terms and experiences or traveling to Pride events across Europe to form connections and learn about multicultural inclusivity efforts like I will do this summer.

Whatisasourceof prideforyouinyour heritage/identity?

I am proud to exist in such a way where younger kids can see autistic and queer voices in leadership and know that their identity, and the identity of those different from them, is incredibly powerful. They know that they can ask questions about anything they don’t understand and learn far more about queerness and neurodiversity than I could at that age. I can show the children in my setting what I seek to show my entire community: that there is a place for those like me. Having a different story to tell and challenging the standard image of leadership only enhances the strength of a community.

iLTellusaboutyourself.

Originally from China, I am now a proud American citizen, having called the U.S. home for thirteen years. I share my life with my husband Louis and our four-year-old son, whom we officially welcomed into our family through adoption last year after fostering him for over 3 years. Maggie, a Catahoula Leopard dog, has been our faithful friend for nine years.

Professionally, I thrive in the dynamic realm of the supply chain industry. Outside of work, my passions extend to cinema, literature, and nature. Additionally, I indulge my creative spirit by weaving tales through the art of storytelling, a hobby that allows me to express myself in unique ways.

Whatisasourceof prideforyouinyour heritage/identity?

As a proud Chinese American, I hold deep reverence for my cultural heritage, recognizing the richness and splendor of China's thousands of years of history. Its traditions are a tapestry of wisdom and beauty that continue to inspire me. And of course,

who can resist the allure of its delectable cuisine, a culinary journey that tantalizes the senses and nourishes the soul?

Moreover, as a gay man, I embrace my identity with unwavering courage and authenticity, cherishing the freedom to pursue love openly and without inhibition. I am privileged to share boundless love and compassion with those who grace my life. It's through this journey of self-discovery and acceptance that I find strength and purpose, striving to foster understanding within my community and beyond.

Whatdoyouwishourgreatercommunityknew aboutyourheritage/identity?

Many individuals of Chinese descent harbor deep aversion towards communism, valuing peace and harmony as integral to their cultural ethos. Similarly, within the LGBTQ+ community, there exists a strong desire among many members to embrace traditional family structures akin to those of heterosexual individuals. I envision our greater Aurora area continuing to champion diversity and inclusivity, fostering an environment where every individual feels valued and respected.

Tellusaboutyourself.

My name is Ivan Quinones, a first-generation Mexican American LGBTQIA+ health professional, born and raised in Aurora. I am the second oldest of six and have many nieces and nephews whom I adore.

n e s

At School District 131, I experienced diversity at its best but lacked representation in other areas of my life. I fell in love with the knowledge and values attained from different cultures, which later piqued my interest to pursue a healthcare career. After experiencing firsthand the lack of representation in many areas around the city, I wanted to help change that.

Growing up in a Hispanic household where “Machismo” was a huge obstacle to having an open mind, I chose to take on that challenge. I wanted to help others feel empowered to fight that battle as well. I now hold the Vice Chairperson seat along with so many other passionate LGBTQ leaders on the City of Aurora LGBTQ Advisory Board.

In 2019, I obtained my undergraduate degree at Rush University in the College of Health Science. I was also recently accepted into their Master-level Physician Assistant Studies program. In past experiences, and during my time at Rush University, I learned so much about inclusive, culturally competent,

equal, and equitable care for all. My goal is to continue being a part of the changes in the Hispanic and Latino communities and the LGBTQIA+ community.

Whatisasourceofprideforyouinyour heritage/identity?

I pride myself on the morals and values that were instilled in me by my mother Isabel Salgado and late father Fernando Quinones. As immigrants to this city, they brought so many great qualities and made a positive impact through their hard work. I see myself continuing that legacy through my service in healthcare and community service.

I am not just Ivan; I am a piece of all the people in this city who have touched my life in some way. I am just like any other “Joe” who just happens to have a huge crush on Jude Law. Whatdoyouwishourgreatercommunityknew aboutyourheritage/identity?

I am writing for many who would not even share anonymously. I believe sexuality is a very small aspect of identity and culture. Who I like or what I do does not define me.

I will not exalt - or reduce - my sexuality to a bumper sticker. It is irrelevant for you to hear about it. I promise not to foist other aspects of my identity on Aurorans either.

Some see it differently and choose to celebrate outwardly. Fine for them. I assess value (mine and others’) by sincerity of heart, not alphabet letters or rainbow colors.