I have been involved in activism since I was ten.

In middle and high school, I worked with GLSEN and PFLAG and served on a speaker’s bureau that talked about bullying and safety in school for LGBT students. I received a scholarship I helped found several Gay-Straight Alliances and was active in other community programs. I also organized several marches and protests in terms of state amendments discriminating against LGBT people. (I lived in Nebraska, it was bad.) I also served on suicide and crisis lines and took a special interest in internalized homophobia, and its devastating consequences.

In college, I switched gears and focused on sexual assault and domestic violence. I worked at a rape/domestic violence crisis line. Without the support of an organization, I focused my efforts on male victims and LGBT victims of domestic violence with “push back” from all sides. I continued my work as a victim advocate for these populations until I moved to California for graduate school.

In California, I took a much-needed break. I know, but seriously I had too much going on.

When I moved back to Nebraska after graduate school, I fractured my skull and collarbone. A few months later my tailbone and three vertebrae. And then a few months after that I had that death thing and then kidney failure and so on. Basically, I was not involved, but unlike California it was not because I was taking a break. It was because I was fighting like hell not to stay dead.

I met my husband, and later moved to Colorado where I picked up all my activist tendencies again. I focus primarily on disability rights, but I am still vocal on gender, abuse, sexual assault and LGBT rights and issues. And I get involved when I need to.

And no one wants that.

“Don’t make me get all redheaded on your @ss.”

Pretty much sums it up.