Staff Spotlight: Jared Torgeson on Pride Month
June 30, 2021, Katie Huynh
On the last day of June, we’re concluding our celebration of Pride Month by interviewing our Bilingual Program Coordinator, Jared Torgeson, who is an outspoken member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Jared’s advocacy work includes starting an LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group to provide space for BBBS team members and allies to support the community. We interviewed Jared about their experiences and insight on the importance of Pride Month for youth who identify as LGBTQIA+ and why it is relevant in youth mentoring work.
How do you identify yourself?
I am a queer and non-binary individual, who uses they/them/theirs pronouns!
Why is Pride month important to you?
Pride Month is important to me because it is a time for the LGBTQIA+ community to have the spotlight. During this month, the community has many outlets and opportunities to celebrate being exactly who they are meant to be, for the community and allies to engage in discourse, activism, and education. Pride Month may just be the spotlight, but it gives the space for year-round discussions around policies, barriers, and blatant discrimination in place that prevent the LGBTQIA+ community from experiencing the same level of equity as cisgender and heterosexual individuals.
What are some misperceptions about the LGBTQIA+ community you encounter
Identifying within the community is incredibly complex. There is so much more intersectionality than people ever understand. A lot of times, people clump the community into the term “gay,” but there are layers and layers of identities outside of that umbrella term, and people need to take more time to do the work to learn about these intersecting identities.
If you feel comfortable sharing, are there any micro-aggressions you typically struggle with?
Micro-aggressions that I have encountered are an invalidation of my sexuality and identity, intentional incorrect pronoun use, and stereotyping based on appearance.
Why is LGBTQIA+ Pride important in youth mentoring work?
This month and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community is so important. Young people deserve to feel valued regardless of how they identify themselves. Even more so, they deserve to feel celebrated by the mentors in their life. Creating spaces for youth to express themselves, ask questions, and navigate who they are meant to be is so crucial to their development and mental health. Having a mentor that supports you and is there to listen and give advice without judgment allows youth to live more authentically and engage in creating brave safe spaces in their communities. When youth experience a mentor that does not support their identity, it is incredibly harmful and can cause years of struggles with their identity, feeling ostracized, mental health challenges, and more. Youth mentoring organizations that are openly supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community are a necessity for youth to comfortably grow into who they are meant to be. There has to be a stance taken within youth mentoring organizations. And that stance is Love Is Love. Period.
Do you have any advice or insight you would like to share with young people who identify as LGBTQIA+?
Don’t settle for people that only support you conditionally. You have so much worth and deserve to feel valued for everything that you are. With every generation of young LGBTQIA+ community members, we are creating change. Never be afraid to fight for a seat at the table, because you deserve it.
