Izzy Pellegrine
Out feminist and sociologist Izzy Pellegrine lives in Starkville, Mississippi, a part of the country not necessarily known for its LGBTQ friendliness. But Pellegrine, who came out at the age of 15, has worked to change that for queer youth and the rest of her community through her work as one of the founders of the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition. The MSCC helps establish Gay-Straight alliances in Mississippi schools, documents the experiences of LGBTQ youth around the state and hosts an annual summit and prom “to create safe networking spaces for Mississippi’s LGBTQ kids.” “I want LGBTQ folks to know that we are actively making progress toward LGBTQ equality in the Deep South,” Pellegrine says. “While our movement is doing a great deal of work on the national stage, we can’t forget about kids, families and communities in deeply red states and need to work to direct resources to these areas. I’ve been excited to see the tangible gains we’ve made in Mississippi, and I am looking forward to our state’s continued progress for sexual and gender minority folks.” —TB
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