Tim Marema and Liz McGeachy send this video note of support from Norris, Tennessee as part of our Love Notes to Rural LGBTQ+ Youth Project.
Transcript
Tim: Hey there, I’m Tim.
Liz: And I’m Liz.
Tim: And we live in Norris, Tennessee, and as luck would have it at the same address.
Liz: Yeah, Norris is a small town in east Tennessee.
Tim: And throughout our whole lives, we’ve lived in places where our families and our friends and our neighbors have supported us and helped us be the best people we can be.
Liz: And they welcomed us and told us to bring our entire selves to the table when we build friendships and participate in the life of our communities.
Tim: So we know that when people get the encouragement they need to be themselves, everybody benefits, not just that person, but the whole community they’re part of.
Liz: Yeah, and that support has given us a chance to make a bigger contribution to the places that we’ve lived I think.
Tim: So we want today to send out our encouragement and support to LGBTQ plus community in rural America and small towns.
Liz: Yeah, rural communities need you, we need you.
Tim: And we want you to be happy and to feel supported. And to know that this is a place where you can be your best, truest self — here or wherever you choose to be in the future.
Liz: So, thanks for being your beautiful, unique, and important self.
Tim: And just remember you’re exactly what we need.
This video was submitted as part of The Rural Youth Catalyst and Rural Assembly’s Love Notes to Rural LGBTQ+ Youth project. We invite you to write your own – a few sentences, a paragraph, or even a short video. Learn how and read more in this series below.