What Happens When We Stop Fighting for Equality

"John Wilkinson (00:05)
Welcome everybody to Getting Real Estate with the Living Colorado team. We're very excited to have you, Nadine Bridges, joining us for our part two of our Pride Podcast series. We're very excited to have you today, Nadine.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (00:19)
Thanks for having me. I'm looking forward to the conversation and happy pride, y'all.

Kenda Ruck (00:23)
Happy Pride.

John Wilkinson (00:24)
Yes,

happy pride, absolutely.

Kenda Ruck (00:25)
Absolutely. Nadine, I would love to first understand a little bit about you and your history. So can you walk us through when you had your coming out experience, you were like, I'm good, I know who I am, I know my identity, and walk us through that process.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (00:43)
Yeah, it's so interesting.

I'm forty nine now. I did not come out until I was thirty. I think I've always known that I was queer and grew up like mainly in a queer friendly family, but not, right? I was raised a Jehovah's Witness, so was very much so aware that I could not be anything but, you know, heterosexual in that way. But also my father,

was very inclusive. He was not a Jehovah's Witness, so he was disfellowshipped when I was younger. and so I had my uncle Billy who was openly gay for a very long time of his life. and my dad celebrated him. So I knew that like within my family, my family unit that I would be okay, I actually met my now wife in grad school at the University of Denver. We were sitting across from each other. and we

We started dating by the end of the first quarter and have been together ever since. and when I told my family, I think my brother, my dad, my sister, my stepmom, they w they were very welcoming. In fact, my dad o had said to me, I just assumed you were bisexual. Like, you know, that you had always been dating women, which I don't know how to take that, but I will say that you know, I was I was like kind of offended, but like not.

But I will say that my dad tells me this story that when I was young, he was having a conversation with my stepmom about our futures. And he had said

you know, Nadine's probably gonna end up marrying a woman someday. And my stepmom said, What are you talking about? I must have been like eleven or twelve at the time. and he said, Because no man would ever be able to match her power and allow her to use it in the way that a woman would allow her to. And I have to say with my wife where we're we're about to celebrate thirteen years together, married, on June twenty ninth, that that is exactly it. I have a person who is my partner who allows me

John Wilkinson (02:30)
So

Yeah.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (02:47)
to be who I am and I'm very grateful for the love that we're able to share with each other.

John Wilkinson (02:52)
I love that so much. we were talking last week about coming out stories and how important it is. With was there a moment where you felt like you could truly live authentically, especially here in Denver.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (03:08)
Yeah.

Yeah, when I was the director of Rainbow Alley, I had that was the first time that I ha actually had really surrounded myself by queer community. and young people are like unapologetic about who they are. And they challenged me, within my own rigidity of expression to allow myself to just be to express myself in any way that I want to, to be proud of that, to stand up, and speak up for for those in community. And I think that that was really

what kind of harnessed who I am today, to be unapologetic, to be proud of who I am, to really understand what it means f pre colonization for queer identity to be almost like what we are supposed to be. and yeah, I'm I'm very proud of that. And they those kids are now adults and they still hold me accountable to like who I am in the community and an and really on a on a larger scale.

Kenda Ruck (04:06)
Yeah, Nadine, that I I was gonna ask you about key people in your story. I think your dad played a beautiful role and maybe your Uncle Billy too, but I'm gonna like change my question and ask you I'm so curious about the religion piece and how your church accepted you. I grew up in an extremely religious family and I'm so curious how did how are you received in your in your church?

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (04:25)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean you know, with the Kingdom Hall, I mean the majority of my family on both sides, my biological mom's family and my dad's side are Jehovah's Witnesses. and yeah, I think that it's definitely as I you know, when we got when Liz and I b got married, I think there was definitely a clear separation of like, she's definitely not, you know, gonna you know

Kenda Ruck (05:01)
Like she's going there. Yeah.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (05:02)
be a part of the Kingdom Hall. Yeah. Yeah.

And I think that as I've grown older, there's been like some tiptoeing in, of you know, some of my my family members asking about Liz, you know, being more kind about it. I've never felt like harmed, but I knew that it was that part of my life with my extended family is not something that I could fully celebrate in the way that I could with like my dad,

Or some of my family members who are not Jehovah's Witnesses. So it's an interesting dynamic. I it's it's always a little bit of a blind side when my family asks about Liz, like when I go to visit them and you know, 'cause it's not something and Liz and I will be together eighteen years in November.

And it is, you know, I'd say in the last four years where like that side of the family has reached out. So it's it's it's been interesting. I think it's it's a tight rope that I walk with with my family around that.

John Wilkinson (06:04)
Yeah, I feel that. My, you know, family's my mom's from Mexico, very Catholic, my dad's a deacon in the Catholic Church, you know, and the whole reconciliation, right, with you the higher being of whatever and who you are authentically, I think, it fuels me, right? For obviously there's some level of faith, but knowing that I am who I am and my family loves me, you know, that's that's a testament to kind of who we are as people, right? And that we can love

Kenda Ruck (06:04)
Thank you.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (06:33)
Yeah,

yeah.

John Wilkinson (06:34)
who we

are.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (06:35)
No, I appreciate you saying that. I think it's the i it's harder for those folks who have not been raised within any type of religious dynamic to understand like 'cause I firmly believe that my family loves me. you know, there's no doubt about that. you know, some of my uncles are elders. and I've I I never and I know that, you know, my f my friends and my wife, they don't understand that side of it. And it is hard to to balance that. Like I it it's certainly I would love

to have have the same dynamic that I see with maybe my cousins who are married, but I know that this is this is the way they see the world and I see the world differently. and I'm very grateful for the world that I'm in. but yeah it is it is very it's hard to reconcile and I love them and I know that they love me too.

John Wilkinson (07:26)
Well I'll tell you what from your story, and I'm glad that you're in the world where you are too, because a lot of your advocacy work is obviously super important to you know everybody who's fighting for equality or or wants that the the equal rights that that everyone deserves. You know, you spent you mentioned Rainbow Alley before, but you know, working with LGBTQ youth and the work that you do. Now what thread pulled you to the work and the service that

you do today?

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (07:58)
Yeah, it's so funny, right? I so I my undergraduate degree is I have a BA and a B S in biology with a focus on molecular biology and a lot of times folks are like, What like how did you go from that to social work, to the work that you do now? And I think one I I like to joke around and say, you know,

John Wilkinson (08:08)
Wow.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (08:19)
When I was an undergrad I studied cells and their environments and every little change could have a big change to how a cell moves, right? for lack of better I've been twenty years out of school, so I'll say it that way, right? But you know, every environment and can change in environment can impact you on a cellular level. And now as a macro social worker, I study people and environments and every little change in the dynamic can impact an individual or a group.

John Wilkinson (08:32)
Yeah.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (08:50)
And I love being able to be a part of creating sustainable change so that our communities can thrive. You know, I was raised, I you know, I tease my uncle a lot and say that the reason why I'm able to knock on doors and give speeches is because I've seen my my own family do it and to be able to have conversation, unpopular conversations with confidence. and I'm still able to do that. So I can thank them personally for you know the awakening.

watchtower and those conversations. but yeah, I think I I I was my dad has always raised us to speak up for ourselves and for vulnerable populations and understand how we are positioned in the world.

And I I believe that it it's a part of all of our roles to really understand that why the reason why I believe we're on this earth is to support one each other, and to love with each other and to create a space for for the respect and love of the human condition. And I lead by that in everything that I do.

Kenda Ruck (09:53)
Doing

advocacy work though and social work, it's not something you do to get rich, right? I mean, it's not something you do to get rich. So so when did you like have this understanding that, you know, this is kind of what I'm meant to do? Like this is kind of this is my calling.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (09:59)
No.

Yeah, I mean I s so when I graduated from undergraduate school I actually walked off the stage and told my family, I'm not going to medical school. I thought I was. and and I had a lot of events happen. I had lost my mom, my junior year in high school, my biological mom.

And I you know, I took a job as a nanny, moved to Washington State, like my family was like, What is happening? What is going on? I think my dad was just like, Do whatever makes you happy. and then I went to Peace Corps in Nicaragua and you know, being able to understand myself as a US citizen and the dynamics that it plays out in a like a country like Nicaragua, being able to understand cultures, especially as a black person and thinking about

the diaspora, especially on the Atlantic coast of of Nicaragua where there's a lot more indigenous and Afro Caribbean folks. I really I I don't know, I was really able to connect on a different level on why we do this work, why it's important.

And going to social work school at the University of Denver, where I understood like not just myself from a vulnerable public like from a vulnerable perspective, but also my privilege identities as a cisgender person, as a US citizen, and how I have a duty to serve community in a in the same way that I would expect community to serve me as a black queer woman. and I see what change can happen. I understand that that my role is not to change people directly, but to change how I

or approach them and to create space for communities to thrive and and I and I love that about my work.

John Wilkinson (11:54)
Yeah, and I think you're doing incredible. You know, we're obviously pride, you're one Colorado. One Colorado is one of the grand marshals for the parade this this year, which is awesome. you became the executive director in 2021. how was it stepping into that role? You write, having been, I know you were at Boulder County public health, right? And but moving into one Colorado's executive director.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (12:08)
Mm-hmm.

John Wilkinson (12:19)
What was that like?

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (12:21)
Yeah. I think John, I think I told you this, or maybe I didn't, but I you know, I never had any intention of becoming an executive director, I think. It was just like absolutely not. And when my predecessor, Daniel Ramos, stepped stepped down, community I had community members who reached out and said, Hey, have you thought about applying to this role? And I said, No

John Wilkinson (12:43)
Yeah.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (12:44)
but I did

and I was it was in the middle of the pandemic. I was on the emergency response working incredible amount of hours and I don't know, I was lucky enough that those who were on the hiring committee saw something in me. I think it was a opportunity for change. I started January nineteenth, twenty twenty one, right before the inauguration of Biden, a change in leadership. my birthday is also January twentieth.

So it was, you know, a d an interesting time. And I think at that time there was large movements happening around equity and inclusion, intersectional opportunities, Black Lives Matter and I wanted to be a part of that. You know, I I always say that our community, the LGBTQ plus community, is not a monolith. We're literally representative of every race, ability, political ideology that's out there. And my commitment to the work was very much so

John Wilkinson (13:15)
Wow.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (13:44)
Around bringing that intersectional lens to the work, like making sure that we weren't just an LGBTQ plus organization, but that we were committed to making sure that we were committed to the work in rural communities, that we were really paying attention from a disability lens, that bodily autonomy, immigrant rights, reproductive rights, and I've really been leading with that in the last five years.

Kenda Ruck (14:09)
Tell can you

tell me just a little bit about one Colorado what it does on a day to day basis?

John Wilkinson (14:17)
Mm-hmm.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (14:17)
What a question. I feel I'm always

Kenda Ruck (14:20)
yeah.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (14:20)
telling people that we can't be everything to everybody, and yet I feel like we are everything to everybody. there's the from a thirty-five thousand foot level, you know, I could say that we're a five on one C three, which is our public education work, making sure that our communities understand their rights, that we're doing trainings around equity inclusion, that our youth programming, that they're we're teaching about civic engagement and leadership. we're also C four.

Which allows us to endorse pro-justice, pro-equality candidates, make sure that we're doing trainings, that our candidates have the information that they need in order to support us through the legislature. We also have a PAC which allows us to put funding behind some of our endorsements when we do that. I think on a day-to-day right now with our health equity work, we're really leaning into supporting community around gender-affirming care.

Having

very candid conversations with Children's Hospital and Denver Health around how we can provide support there. We have a lot of families as a sanctuary state who are coming from Oklahoma and Texas, Florida, Nebraska. So making sure that we have support for them. We do a lot of convening, so we try to convene LGBTQ orgs from across the state to make sure that they have the information that they need. So the biggest piece for me is making sure that we're creating a blueprint and a print and a foundation for our communities to

to thrive not only within the LGBTQ community but within the greater Colorado community as well.

Kenda Ruck (15:52)
Wow.

John Wilkinson (15:53)
It's it's amazing.

And it's amazing because you don't have a huge staff, right? There the team is Yeah. Yeah. It's yeah, it's amazing. You know, I know like from from you know you have core pillars, right? So there's I have health equity, safe schools, and policy advocacy. How do you feel like those pillars connect or or affect or can and impact everyday lives of Coloradans?

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (15:59)
No, there's twelve of us.

Kenda Ruck (16:01)
Wow.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (16:21)
Yeah, again, I think that, you know, our health equity work is very much so I mean obviously right now we're really focused on gender affirming care. but we also do a lot of assessments in communities so that we can tell the stories of like what are the gaps that our community needs, and how do we turn that into policy. you know, we just had our youth summit in Salida where our young people were able to learn about civic engagement, understand what is going on in communities and how they can be

a part of the narrative, even if they're, you know, are not able to vote, that they could still be changemakers in their community. we have a change makers cohort, which is trans, non binary gender expansive Coloradans that represent seven of our

eight congressional districts and they do intensive training, storytelling so that they can also be on the ground to create sustainable change. so I think it's for me it's around like advocate, educate, defend, and advance. and we are constantly leaving leading in those areas and training others to lead in those areas as well.

Kenda Ruck (17:29)
Now the work that you're

doing among policy and legislative change is is just it's amazing. is there a specific way that you think that perhaps allies like myself can really come in and support this community with legislative awareness or any policy changes?

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (17:51)
Yeah, I mean I think you know

With what's going on right now in our community in in our nation, especially at the federal level, like what I keep trying to tell all people is that this is not just an attack on trans it's specifically around trans, non binary, and gender expansive community members and their families. This is attack on our freedoms. Right? When you at the leg at the federal level or even at the state level, think that you as a politician have the right to say how providers are able to give care.

John Wilkinson (18:12)
Yeah.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (18:25)
how

you know, if if you know, how federal funds are provided based off of div diversity, equity, inclusion, that is actually an impact to everyone. And so it's really important that everyone get involved. That we really especially when you're talking again, I lean into bod bodily autonomy because whether it's around e immigrant rights, reproductive rights, health care, those are all about bodily autonomy and everybody should want to be involved in making sure that we are holding our civil servants accountable.

to the decisions that they're making. you know, and when you know, right now we have these two anti-trans measures that have be on a November ballot, and a lot of folks keep asking us about these ballot measures and and and what the impact to them is. And I keep saying, especially around the sports band, who wants a person making assumptions around their children you know, and and you know, whether it's through a cheek swab, which they're saying they're gonna do.

What but ultimately what you're saying is you're gonna allow strangers to make decisions about your children. And that could be any child. you don't want that. So as an ally, you want to be involved in it, probably more so than anyone else. Same thing with healthcare. Like, do we really want politicians saying how our providers should be given care? and that, you know, in hospitals having to make a decision around giving care to everyone rather than you know, in in making decisions of not to give care based

off of funding. Like that should be a concern to everyone because if they can do it to trans community, LGBTQ plus community, they can make those decisions for women, they can make those decisions for other vulnerable populations. And that is just not what we want as Colorado's, but really na nationally.

John Wilkinson (20:14)
I totally

I couldn't agree with you more. You know, I think that, you know, just the awareness, the communication, having people know that story and the reasons why. It's not maybe they're not motivated by, you know, these specific measures, but when we could be put at risk at any time by people who are closed-minded or have ulterior motives or whatever, it impacts your life, you know, every single day, right? And and that's why I think what what you're doing and through a

awareness is is is so important. But like you know, but we're in Colorado, we're kind of in a bubble, right? But you're you're right when you look at the the federal level, like we see it on the news every day, what what can happen, you know, but shifting culture, building awareness, how do you do that? It's not just policy, but how how is it that you're communicating that story to to people?

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (21:08)
Yeah, I mean well, right now it's Pride Month and we've hit I I wanna say twenty eight prides since June first, from across the state. And one of the biggest and that's everywhere from being in to from Durango to Colorado Springs to Longmont.

John Wilkinson (21:11)
Yeah.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (21:27)
To Adams County. And it's really just sharing stories, letting folks know what's going on, telling them how they can be involved. I think it's really, really important to do that. Getting people to share, you know, their connections around the dignity and worth of a person. We do trainings all over the state. Again, trying to make sure that folks have the right information. I think it's really important to be collective. So working with immigrant rights organizations.

Organizations like Remain and Circ and reproductive organizations like Planned Parent of the Rocky Mountain, Cobalt, Color, you know, really just making sure that we're being intentional. There's great organizations like Black Pride, you know, and we just want to make sure that we're leaning in the best way we can and that we're collectively moving together. We don't all have to be moving exactly the same way, but when we're talking about freedom and liberation, in which I believe Colorado's really believe in.

that we have a part of the story and we could be connected to to advance in this movement.

Kenda Ruck (22:35)
I

agree one hundred percent.

I I'm lucky enough to have several of those letters represented in my own personal family. And I'm curious to ask about trans rights and gender affirming care. Do you think that's the most critical fight right now, or do you think there's another fight that really needs more attention right now?

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (22:56)
No, that this is critical. you know, I think you know, I'd like to say to folks with these two ballot measures and what let's be clear what they they did, right? Like they circumvented the legislative process. and this is happening a lot on

like in conservative circles where they're moving directly to putting things into or you know getting signature collection so that they can put kind of unsavory ideas onto the ballot and I'm all about like letting the people make decisions but they're not doing this because they care for for young people. You know their their whole thing is protect kids Colorado. But you cannot protect kids and discriminate against kids in the same breath. That is not protecting kids.

That is protecting your specific idea of what you want to control when it comes to bringing up a young person. And that's just not okay. And so, you know, what I've been saying to folks is we are like, I believe that Colorado is the last domino. And if we this domino falls in a way that they hope it will, it just sets up a standard and how to do this across the nation, right? So you want we want to be speaking up and fighting for democracy.

democracy. we wanna make sure that we're fighting for equity. and stopping these measures will demonstrate to the greater nation that Colorado is not a place where we're gonna allow these type of oppressive, kind of negative narratives to be you know, at the forefront of of of like this greater intentionality of taking over a state like Colorado.

John Wilkinson (24:39)
Yeah, I agree. You know, I moved here from Texas and talk about, you know, an environment that is definitely anti equality. one of the big reasons we moved to Colorado and Denver in particular was because, you know,

we felt like it was going to be a better place to raise our son, right? For him to have diverse friend groups. it's everything that that we love about Colorado. And I think, you know, last week we talked to to Justin Gregory about, you know, living in Denver as as a queer person. and it's shocking that

we have to kind of have these ballot measures on, you know, in November coming up. And I hope that, you know, our reason to move here was because people are pro equality Hopefully they do get they get turned down by the voters. do people like not know that these things are happening or what is what is it really like for the people in Denver?

what's your take on the lifestyle that we have here and people actually getting out to to fight for equality?

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (25:43)
Yeah, I think that people are certainly surprised and this isn't all within the community and outside of the community that this is happening. so we certainly have a lot of work to do around public education. Like we we keep saying we have to educate about one point five million voters, so that they fully understand what is happening. But I I think, you know, Denver in particular, but not just Denver, there are a lot of

places across the state where there's just courageous, powerful LGBTQ community members. But in Denver, you know, we have places like Cap Hill that's still like old school LGBTQ plus community. but even like where I live, which is often East Co Colfax, I see all the flags all over the place. But I think that we we have a duty to be aware of what's going on.

in our state and and in in Denver. so I'd say like with the you know the primaries are coming up June June thirtieth, our ballots will drop after that. Like really pay attention. That this is not a time to you know not read what's on our ballots. Like people really need to pay attention. You know, find your trusted folks in community and really be critical about what's on these ballots 'cause they seem they seem like they care for people.

When they say stuff again like protect kids, Colorado. And even with the, you know, there's a sex trafficking measure on the bill And I would really encourage people to read what it's saying before making a decision. because it sounds simple, but it's not that simple. they want to make us an example, and we don't want to be that type of example. We want to be an example of of equity and inclusion and fighting for what's right, not an example.

Kenda Ruck (27:33)
I know that so many times they they misrepresent the situation like you were just talking. They want to confuse people. They want you to think, well, I'm all for parents having rights and I'm all for this and I'm all for you know, and they make it very confusing and people don't understand. So what do you think is the most misunderstood talking point that's out there today?

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (27:52)
Yes.

That's a great question. yeah, I think that the most misunderstood talking point from the right, is that this is about protecting young girls. that this is about feminism. you know, that, you know, we just want equal opportunity and for all kids like to play sports. this is about

John Wilkinson (28:17)
Mm-hmm.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (28:30)
protecting the development of a young person. no, this is really about I mean, we've heard it. Like the folks who are running these the the you know initiatives one eight, one nine and one ten is Kevin Lundberg who is a man who tried to make abortion a capital offense. He has literally said that he's doing this so that the he can rile up his base to vote for other things that they support.

It's

not about kids. It's not about girls. It's about their own agenda. Erin Lee who's a part of Moms for Liberty, like this this is a woman who really was in obscurity, who suddenly has found voice in really bullying trans people and their families. Like, you know, like it's it's not about protecting young people and it's not about parents' rights, it's about them putting their agenda so they can control

how all parents are are taking care of their young people. And what we keep saying, and we have one Colorado's lucky to be on the executive committee of Families Not Politics, right? And it's like families not politics, right? They have a political agenda and it's part of a larger agenda across the United States. And we just don't want Coloradans don't want, should not want to be a part of this.

John Wilkinson (29:54)
No,

one hundred percent. I I think there's there's just so much like to Kinda's point of confusion, you know, out there and that's why they write the the the ballots the way they do, the the the measures on there. Like that they wanna create that that, you know, confusion so that people vote the wrong way. and hopefully, you know, th th it doesn't happen. But you know, I digress. But

You you mentioned Cap Hill, right? And East Colfax. Yeah, I'm I'm very close to those areas. Where do you feel like you know the old the or the the most inclusive or the best kind of neighborhoods that have the pride flags like when when you're out and about and may not even be here in Denver, maybe other cities in Colorado that you're like, wow, that's a really cool community there.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (30:20)
Yes.

Yeah, I think, man, there's so many great places, like Good Judy's out in Grand Junction.

the Mountain Pride out in Avon is really amazing. there's small LGBTQ youth organizations like Four Corners Rainbow Youth Center, Inside Out Ignacio, which is in the Southern Youth Tribe. but here in Denver there's there's a lot going on too, right? We have obviously we have the center in Colfax, we have Black Pride who has been doing some of the most amazing events

across the year. Town Hall Collaborative is really great. I'm naming places because I think that like a lot of times when people come in, they're not really sure like what to do, like where they should go. And I think these places like El Potrero, which is out in Glendale, which is like the I think the most inclusive L Latinx club. there's just a lot of good opportunities. My favorite place is Buddies. and Lil Devil. Yeah, I love Buddies and I also love Lil Devils.

John Wilkinson (31:34)
Yeah, but is it?

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (31:39)
Which is probably the place where I feel like it feels like the Cheers like if you were like a ruddy old LGBTQ person. Like it just feels like you have like your older guard of LGBTQ plus folks with like your punk young folks all going to one bar. And I love that. I don't know if there's an actual neighborhood anymore, but maybe it's just because I like hang out at my well, first of all, I'm working like all the time. So really I'm trying to like just like rest. So I o I can think about places like

John Wilkinson (31:56)
Yeah.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (32:09)
Champagne Tiger, if I want like a good place that inclusive and good food. there's just like you know, that's what I'm loving is that seeing these places pop up. 99ers, which I think is, although they say it's a women's bar, it's like I don't know, every time I go there, it's like 99.9% lesbians and non-binary humans, and maybe a couple of straight folks. But I just think that there's people are leading the charge, and I'm really proud of that. I want to give a shout out too to Inside Out Youth Services and

Colorado

Springs, which is really just doing phenomenal work for our young people, and leading the charge and accountability, especially at the local level.

and making sure that the right people are serving on our school boards. I don't know. I just be because of we're so lucky to be able to travel across the state. and I've been to places like Montrose and URA. what I see is proud LGBTQ plus folks and allies who are willing to say that we're not gonna stand for this type of harassment and harm. but we're gonna show what pride looks like and I'm I'm very I I'm always just amazed by that and I carry it

So close to my heart. It gives me energy

Kenda Ruck (33:22)
And we'll try to link some of those in the notes below, because I think that's great for people who are moving here from maybe states that are maybe not as not as progressive as Colorado. So

I want us to end on a positive note. It this has been heavy at time. Like it's very it's a hard, hard work that you do. But what can you point to right now that's giving you hope, that's giving you a feeling of just joy in in the in the community right now?

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (33:55)
yeah.

Man, there's so much. I think I just had I had the pleasure of meeting with some mama bears and dadvocates last week and just being able to s hear their stories and their fight and their drive. our young people are amazing. They are not going back in the closet, y'all. So like you can try, but they're just not. Like they were born to be like out and proud and you know, and they're going to continue to be that way.

Kenda Ruck (34:05)
That's great.

John Wilkinson (34:17)
Yeah.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (34:27)
you know, I want to say like I just had the the pleasure of meeting John just a couple of weeks ago in person and hearing his story and you know to have like a loving queer family just creating space for happiness for their son and themselves. Like that to me like br gives me so much joy. I mean, our we're living to like you know, our messaging right now is Trans Joy lives here. and we have some great products out right now around just celebrating.

That and that's it, right? Like, our community is not just about like this hatred that's out there, Kenda as you were saying, but like there's so much joy, there's so much pride, there's so much leadership in our faith communities, and that's what I'm gonna continue to hold on. We're gonna shine that beacon of light, whether again, whether you're in a small community or a large community, because that's what it's all about. Like, it's really just demonstrating that love has much more power than hate, and that's gonna create a sustainable.

for the future and Colorado's gonna lead the way in that, right? We have the most protections in any state, the nation, and we're not going back.

John Wilkinson (35:36)
Nadine,

I thank you so much for your work. Yeah, just keep shining that beacon of light, right? where can our listeners follow one Colorado and and maybe get involved?

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (35:49)
Yeah, I mean you can follow us on our socials, Just search one Colorado.

you can always email us at info@one-colorado.org you can go to our website at www.one-colorado.org look for us during Pride, where the Marshalls, as John mentioned, one of the grand marshals, along with Megan and felony misdemeanor, we'll be tabling. Please sign our pledge to defend transcoloradans. you could do that on our website. We have a lot of trainings coming up.

for folks so that you involved.

John Wilkinson (36:24)
be a bond.

Love that. And I will definitely see you at Pride Parade. I'll see you also at the Pink Party, which is I know a big fundraiser for One Colorado. It's this Friday. are there tickets still available?

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (36:32)
Yes.

There are tickets still available. Thank you for that. I'm it's like I forgot that we have a major event coming.

John Wilkinson (36:38)
Sure.

Ha ha ha ha ha.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (36:41)
Yes, at

Friday at Tracks. you can certainly buy your tickets on our website. we it also it's open bar. we also have NA bar. Nini Coco is our main drag queen who's gonna be performing. Minerva is our MC. It also gets you in the tracks for drag nation. So yes, please come out. you can reach out to me if you need a discount. at Nadine B at one dash colorado dot org.

John Wilkinson (36:43)
Some of the baggage and

I don't think it's really good for it, so forest.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (37:08)
and we'll provide you the support, but we'd love for you to come on out. you want to get those tickets as soon as possible.

Kenda Ruck (37:13)
Thank you so much. We're really looking forward to it. And we could not be more grateful for the time that you spent with us today. We really appreciate it.

John Wilkinson (37:21)
Yeah, thank you very much.

Nadine Bridges| she/her| OneCo (37:21)
It's my pleasure.

Thank you for having me. I love this.

Kenda Ruck (37:24)
Thanks so much for joining us on Living Colorado Getting Real Estate. And we'll see you in the next one.

John Wilkinson (37:31)
Bye everybody.
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