Ohio 4-H LGBTQ+ Summit

Apr 29, 2018
3 min read

The first annual Ohio 4-H LGBTQ+ Summit has taken place! I am honored to have been a committee member of this event and an emcee over the course of the last two days.

April 27, Professional Development Day, consisted of 86 participants from 15 different states. There was opportunities for participants to attend four sessions. Sessions throughout the day included Mental Health and Smart Self-Care, Navigating Coming Out Conversations, Don’t Box Me In: Understanding Stereotypes, Am I The Only One? Providing Visibility for LGBTQA+ Students Enrolled in Land-Grant Universities, and a Panel of 4-H Adults and Staff Respond to Coming Out and Safe Spaces.

Guest speaker, Dr. Glenda Humiston, Vice President of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of California, also gave and incredibly inspiring speech about her path in both her professional and personal life, as a member of the community. She spoke about the importance of always keeping in mind that at the end of the day, a human is a human. They should be treated with respect, no matter what one’s personal beliefs entail.

I, as an ally to this community, full heartedly believe in this message. However, there are individuals that do not. Before the event, I was attending a national conference and a fellow colleague forwarded me an article that they had found online about this Summit. As I read it, my eyes filled with tears and my heart sank. The things they were saying about my friends and family were harsh, hurtful, and jaw dropping. It had called for protest at the event. In preparation for such, University Security was present.

I then went to a role model of mine for advice and she said, “You know you are making change when you get criticized.” Those words will always stick with me.

The day of the event, no protestors showed. In fact, I did not hear one negative comment made throughout the entire event. 4-H embodies the meaning of family and inclusivity.

Professional Day then came to a close and 64.52% of participants said that this event exceeded their expectation. This was a heart filling day, for sure.

April 28, Youth Day, was then off to a start with 26 youth and 28 adults (including presenters and committee members) in attendance.

Jennifer Sirangelo, President and CEO of National 4-H, shared her support for Ohio 4-H and the members that were present as she greeted and welcomed us. After sessions began, a few young alumni and myself stayed after to share how much her presence and support meant to us and the attendees. One of my dearest childhood friends and fellow committee member, broke into tears as she shared what it meant to hear that she and others like her are and always will be welcome in this program.

This day also had three session opportunities available and those options included OUT on your Own: Determining Whether Prospective Colleges are Actually LGBTQ+ Friendly, Coming Out About Coming Out, Working on Wellness: My Mental Health, What is Transgender?, and Don’t Box Me In: Understanding Stereotypes.

The guest speaker for Youth Day was Ash Beckham. Her message was to give voice to your individual truth, whatever that may be. There were four main areas that were covered; empathy, authenticity, courage, and grace.

I had watched several of her TED Talks online (my favorite is attached) and knew she was the perfect fit for this event. The only problem was her price tag… But, as my mother always says, “you never know until you ask.” So, I asked if she would be willing to attend at a lower cost. At first I was speaking with her agent, and the answer was no. Then, another committee member remembered meeting her at a talk and getting her card. That had a personal email address on it. So I then reached out to her personally and she was more than willing to come and speak to our group. She did an absolutely amazing job and impacted so many lives with her words on that day.

Last but not least, the panel of 4-H alumni within the community took the stage to answer questions and share their personal 4-H stories. They shared that they felt not only welcomed, but comfortable in the 4-H environment. They were able to be themselves and share their truth, as Ash Beckham had encouraged. 4-H truly is a positive youth development program, if it can do that.

As a wise participant said at the conclusion of the event, “what is shared here stays here, and what is learned here leaves here.”

Until next year, friends.

THANK YOU to all that made this event possible.