LGBT Archives - Amy Lynn Smith

Proud to be an ally to the LGBTQ community

Posted on: July 10th, 2016 by Amy Lynn Smith 2 Comments

Ever since I can remember, LGBTQ people have been part of my circle of friends, including those so close I consider them my chosen family. So the work I do to support the pursuit of full LGBTQ equality comes naturally to me.

With each step forward, I have shared in the joy of the LGBTQ community and wept with joy for their progress. With every setback or tragedy, I have shared in their frustration and grief, at times weeping in sorrow.

I can never truly know what it means to question my sexual orientation or gender identity, but what I do know is this: The LGBTQ community is made up of people, just like any other community. And they deserve the same rights as everyone else.

So it was a great pleasure to write the cover for this year’s annual PrideSource magazine, at a time when the LGBTQ community is celebrating both one of its greatest triumphs to date — marriage equality — and facing some of the most troubling backlash, including the horrific attack in Orlando.

As I wrote in my feature story:

There’s no question that the landscape of LGBTQ equality has shifted dramatically since the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. It’s the equivalent of a massive earthquake that’s done more good than harm. But the aftershocks are significant. Those who oppose LGBTQ equality are pushing back and the backlash is fierce, both in Michigan and across the country. Still, when you talk to leaders in Michigan’s LGBTQ movement, the prevailing attitude is one of optimism.

I had the honor of interviewing some of the most influential LGBTQ movement leaders in Michigan, and I share their optimism — and their determination to continue the forward momentum of progress. I will continue to stand with them every step of the way.

Read my cover story here, starting on page 8.

Tags: ally, equality, LGBT, LGBTQ, marriage equality
Posted in Content, Society | 2 Comments »

Using storytelling to foster empathy

Posted on: May 13th, 2016 by Amy Lynn Smith No Comments

Transgender rights are having a moment. Transgender people have existed since the beginning of time, but they’ve often been afraid to tell their stories. Now, they’re afraid not to.

TransLivesCollage With every step forward in trans equality — and there have been many of late — there continues to be a backlash that is bred through ignorance and fear.

Anti-equality crusaders are using a simple, yet sadly effective, strategy: Take advantage of a lack of awareness about what being transgender really means to incite bigotry and vitriol.

Telling the stories of transgender people is one way to break through the ignorance and fear, to create understanding and empathy. I’m writing an ongoing series of profiles about the lives of transgender people, which you can read over at Eclectablog.

I was pleased to pen a post for the ACLU of Michigan blog talking about my experience with this series, and the trans people who have generously shared their stories with honesty and courage. The fact is that transgender people want the same things everyone else does: to be loved, to be valued, to be understood. As more people learn this simple truth, they will come to realize that transgender people deserve the same rights as every other American.

Read my post at the ACLU of Michigan blog.

[Photo collage courtesy of the ACLU of Michigan.]

Tags: ACLU of Michigan, Eclectablog, empathy, LGBT, LGBTQ, storytelling, trans, transgender
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Love knows no bounds, even gender identity

Posted on: March 17th, 2016 by Amy Lynn Smith No Comments

When you see real love, you know it. And I recently had the honor of telling the story of two women whose love is so powerful, it transcends gender identity.

Amy and Cindy Hunter are two of the couples I profiled as part of promoting The Ultimate LGBT Wedding & Anniversary Expo hosted by Between The Lines, Michigan’s weekly LGBT newspaper.

Although the expo is in its sixth year, this is the first following the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. The expo recognizes all the celebrations in the lives of LGBT people and their allies, including anniversaries, baby showers, adoptions, graduations and more.

As part of promoting the event, I had the pleasure of interviewing a number of couples who shared their stories of longtime commitments and what marriage equality means to them. But Amy and Cindy’s story is unique. They were married in 2003, when Amy was still living uncomfortably as the male she’d been assigned at birth. Three years later, her love for Cindy finally gave her the courage to say what she’d known in her heart all along: she knew herself to be a woman.

Their story not only demonstrates the depth of true love, it sheds light on the lives of transgender people — who are gaining greater visibility, but not always in a positive way. Transgender people face significant discrimination, largely because others simply don’t understand who they are deep inside.

Even with marriage equality, LGBT people — especially transgender people — still don’t have full equality in America, so the work continues. Part of that work means educating the public on what gender identity is. So it is my hope that while celebrating love, I can help reveal the truth that transgender people want the same things as everyone else: love and acceptance.

Read the full story here as it appeared in the special wedding edition of Between The Lines.

[Photo courtesy of Amy and Cindy Hunter.]