You Got to Give Them Hope: Elevating LGBTQ+ Rights, Visibility, and Community with Mardi Moore (Episode #147)

In this powerful episode, Dr. Lynn Hellerstein of Vision Beyond Sight sits down with Mardi Moore, CEO of Rocky Mountain Equality and the Rocky Mountain Equality Action Fund, for a candid conversation about advancing the rights, visibility, and socio-economic well-being of the LGBTQ+ community. Together, they explore the current wave of anti-trans legislation and executive actions, and the real-world consequences of policy decisions affecting gender-affirming care through Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. Mardi shares heartbreaking and inspiring stories—from partners denied hospital access before marriage equality to bullied LGBTQ+ youth finding safety and belonging through community support.

The conversation highlights the wide-ranging work of Rocky Mountain Equality: protecting trans youth, training law enforcement through the Safety in Pride program, supporting people who relocate to Colorado for affirming care, convening faith leaders for mutual aid efforts, condensing complex federal reports into accessible information, and advocating for fair-minded candidates in schools and public office.

Grounded in resilience and Harvey Milk’s quote “You got to give them hope,” this episode is both a clear-eyed look at today’s challenges and an uplifting reminder that change happens through community, courage, and love.

Click here and tune in to the show now to explore these insights:

• The story of Ryan White and funding for people dying of AIDS
• Cruel attacks to the trans community and the executive order that stated there were only two sexes
• Issues of gender-affirming services through Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP
• The “Sophie’s choice” in nonprofit hospitals
• Trans Day of Awareness, the threats to being visible and the need for awareness about the trans community
• Marriage equality and the rights that unmarried couples don’t get
• The story of Charlene Hoffman not being allowed access to her partner in the hospital for not being married
• Dr. Lynn Hellerstein’s father’s personal development course at 80 years old
• How to deal with the next terrible news by focusing on community and love
• Rocky Mountain Equality Center’s programs for people impacted by discrimination, and advocacy work that changes systems to remove discrimination
• Gathering leaders of faith communities to talk about immigration, safety and mutual aid efforts
• Parents of trans youth learning about schools protecting trans kids and their records
• Trans support groups, mental health program called the Point, recovery program, cultural events like balls, volunteer program, training and education program, youth programs
• Safety in Pride program working with municipals to train officers to support LGBTQ+ in times of crisis
• Condensing federal reports for public understanding and Mardi’s podcast
• Expanding in Fort Collins with youth groups and events
• Fundraising programs and the basic needs program for people who moved to Colorado to continue gender-affirming care
• The story of Marty, the bullied gay boy that was given help by the organization and community
• Rocky Mountain Equality’s role in interviewing candidates and holding forums
• Rocky Mountain Equality Action Fund role in making endorsements
• The battle against taking over the schools with far-right, Christian-leaning, anti-LGBTQ+ candidates
• A neighborhood with differences celebrated, where everybody has the same rights and there’s no debate over somebody’s worthiness
• Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream of being judged based on character and not on looks or what they do for a living
• Harvey Milk: “You gotta give them hope.”

About Mardi Moore:

Mardi Moore has dedicated her life’s work to elevating the rights, visibility, safety, and socio-economic status of the LGBTQ community, building grass roots organizations from the ground up, living through the AIDS pandemic, and continuing to see the gradual, albeit slower-than-wished, acceptance of the LGBTQ community into mainstream public discourse.

Moore has been on the frontlines of the good fight for 40 years at the local and national level, recognizing that her role in demanding inclusion and diversity needed to go beyond armchair activism. She currently serves as CEO for Rocky Mountain Equality, Colorado-based not-for-profit organization with the mission to educate, advocate, and provide services, programs, and support for Boulder County’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer communities.

Under her leadership, the organization has grown from a $250K organization into a $5 million organization in 10 years. by modeling equality, respect, intersectional empathy, and deep understanding of the fundamental human right to fall asleep at night dreaming of an optimistic, realistic tomorrow.

Prior to leading Rocky Mountain Equality, Moore held senior-level positions in New York City with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the NYC LGBT Center, and ran a fundraising business in Seattle raising over $2M annually for progressive causes.

Connect with Mardi Moore and Rocky Mountain Equality:

Website | Facebook | Linked In | Instagram | Bluesky | Threads

“2 out of 3 people know somebody who’s gay or lesbian. 1 out of 5 know somebody who’s nonbinary, and it’s a similar number for who knows a trans person. We know that how we got to, for example, marriage equality, is that enough people knew somebody who was gay or lesbian was like, ‘What’s wrong with this?’ Right? Just ordinary people doing ordinary things. But society hasn’t gotten there with the trans population and this administration has doubled down on that fear of the other and been very cruel in their attacks.” – Mardi Moore

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