This Pride we are chatting with our staff and supporters about their experiences.
We caught up with Georgia Spooner. Georgia was our Mind Without Borders Greenspace Wellbeing Coordinator and helped develop this amazing refugee service. She has recently started a new role and we wish all her all the best!
“I had one foot out the closet when I moved to the Bristol area five years ago. I’d previously seen only a handful of LGBTQ+ role models and thought that the queer life was either going out doing shots in clubs or sitting in with a long-term partner watching box sets and getting a cat. I didn’t really want to do either, they just weren’t for me. I heard about an LGBTQ+ choir movement from a colleague and decided to get all my courage together and go along to a Sing Out Bristol welcome night as way to meet others.
Suddenly, I was surrounded by people living a whole variety of LGBTQ+ lives and all of us just trying to hit the right notes, remember the words and dance in time! It was a truly wonderful feeling to be inspired by these folks; I think little do they know that just by being visible to me, even those who were out only in the strict safety of our rehearsals, helped me to find my feet and discover my own, unique, LGBTQ+ life. The fact that we have the best fun singing and dancing is really just a bonus.”