Jeanne Peters of Out MOV hosting conversation on allyship

As Pride Month continues, the Marietta community group New Wineskins will be hosting a conversation led by Jeanne Peters, president of Out MOV, on the significance of allyship. The conversation will be held via Zoom at 6pm tonight, and is open to all who would like to join.

New Wineskins is a group that explores progressive practices of spirituality and Christianity, and Peters will be joining them to discuss LGBTQIA+ life in the Mid-Ohio Valley, as well as ways in which local residents can be effective allies to the LGBTQIA+ community, Peters said.

“I’m looking forward to being able to discuss with people what it looks like to be an ally, how you move from that to becoming an accomplice for our community, and how you can be bold and brave in supporting the LGBTQ community,” Peters said.

In addition, Peters plans to discuss the ways in which Pride Month has been influenced by the nationwide and international demonstrations protesting the death of George Floyd.

“Pride Month has been transformed this year by the Black Lives Matter movement. For myself and for Out MOV, we are deeply committed to supporting that movement and learning our own way through allyship,” she said. “It has highlighted the need for us to remind everyone that all Black lives matter, that Black trans women continue to be murdered at astronomical rates,” Peters said.

In addition, Peters said she hopes the event will provide an opportunity for those who may wish to become more socially and politically active but have questions.

“I think there are those who don’t know who to have the conversation with. We are all...recognizing how much we have to unlearn from our own pasts, and learning to be willing to understand our own privilege and unpack it,” she said. “This is an opportune time for me to admit how much I still have to learn about allyship with people of color or trans people or nonbinary, because I’m a white, cisgender lesbian who’s middle aged, middle class, with a particular set of views and history,” she added.

Those interested in attending can find the Zoom link on the Facebook page of New Wineskins. Find that link under Related Links on the right side of this screen.