Photo by Neidy Gutierrez / SOC Images.
Growing up in Hudson County, Mercy (they/them) didn’t have many safe spaces outside of their home or at school where they could open up about their identity.
In high school with their friends, Mercy started the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), now known as the Gender and Sexuality Alliance. This allowed them to create a safe space at Memorial High School where people could make friends without the barriers of having to hide who they were.
But in college, Mercy felt like they couldn’t jeopardize who they were, especially being a first generation student.
“I felt like there was already so much to feel like I had to overcompensate for,” Mercy explained.
It wasn’t until a year before graduating that Mercy felt ready to explore their identity and sexuality.
“I learned that politically it’s just something that deserves to be embraced but also spiritually it’s something that deserves to be honored and lived out fully,” they said. “So I just took small steps and came out to only a few of my closest friends about my gender identity and about my romantic connections and my exploration of sexuality.”
“And then they opened up back up to me and that’s when I realized that we can only shine when we open up to those who are ready to hold that shine and reflect it back to us.”
Mercy’s experiences and reflection in college inspired her to study gender and women’s studies, which ended up shaping the work they do now.
They now work with LGBT Alliances at universities, Pride Centers and women’s centers to create programming that can encourage college students to learn more about the ways they can have impact in the world.
“I always had a passion for community and for creating a safe home outside of places that weren’t safe for us,” they said. “So my study [at the] university just helped me create a political, more stable structure so that I also acknowledge the systems of oppression at play and how it impacts our race, gender, [or] social economic class.”
Mercy organizes leadership workshops to teach students how to use aspects of their identity to further strengthen advocacy work that they’re most passionate about. Sometimes they offer creative workshops where one can learn more about themselves.
An important part of their work is working with Pride Centers and LGBT alliances to ensure that all students in universities have access to resources, mental health services, safe sex education, HIV testing and contraception.
As Mercy continues working with youths, they hope that more resources can become available for the LGBT community like:
- More funding for LGBT youth programs in Hudson County.
- Affordable or free programs that can help people with legal name changes or gender marker changes.
- Access to a stable housing or shelter because sometimes youths can experience displacement from their homes or find themselves in an unsafe environment.
Local Resources
If you or anyone you know needs programs or resources, check out the Hudson Pride Center located in Jersey City. They are the largest LGBTQ+ social services center in the state, which offer LGBTQ+ youth from ages 13 to 24 access to many programs and services like:
- Support groups
- Workshops
- Learning about empowerment through creative forms
- Help with accessing food pantries
- And more
They also have “Rainbow Elders of New Jersey” to help “improve the lives of LGBTQ+ older adults.”
The Trevor Project, which is a nonprofit organization focuses on suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth and provide an online chat and phone call support system as well as resources.
Another organization that helps the community is the Trans LifeLine. Their mission is to connect trans people to the support and resources that can help them not just survive, but thrive.
NJCU Pride Center is another organization that is especially meaningful to Mercy. They offer a gender affirming closet space where students can look through clothes that they may need or always wanted to try. They also have menstrual products and contraceptive care.
A goal Mercy hopes can be accomplished in the near future is for the center to receive donations of binders or makeup to help students express themselves, have fun and feel good about themselves.
Healing with Art
When Mercy is not working as a community organizer, they are creating and embracing art. One of their favorite works of art are collage pieces because they feel like it resembles an altar.
In the Mexican culture, altars or “ofrendas” (offerings) are created to honor loved ones, usually who have passed away. Mercy, who grew up in a culturally Mexican household, finds altars to be very sacred.
One of her favorite pieces is the collage she created of her mother which holds one of the only few pictures they have of when she was younger.
What Mercy loves most about art is that it allows them to create a memory, express themselves and find an avenue to help them heal.
“Because I love deeply, the grief is also deep and art allows me to give that grief a voice,” they said. “Our society and capitalism tells us to shut down. And I feel like that grief, that love, that passion, any intense feeling is the fire for what we do, [and] why we do what we do. So art is like a home for that so that we can keep encouraging and inspiring each other.”
Because art is so important to Mercy, they try to always find a way to either give out free art, or make a zine filled with affirmations – usually for survivors.
They are always looking to receive donations that can further support their work in the community, but mainly they want to encourage people to go into the community with an open heart and a will to listen to one another.
“The most important thing is that we have an open heart and compassion to get to know everyone for who they are. And that showing up means you’re willing to listen to someone’s story.”
