Mother-daughter duo is sending love to LGBTQIA+ folks spending the holidays away from family
They created a card-writing campaign where people can send in handwritten holiday letters to people who have been abandoned by their families.
Family is an integral part of the holidays as we tend to take a break from our chaotic lives and return to the warmth and familiarity of our homes. However, not everyone's holiday season looks like this as many members of the LGBTQIA+ community often spend it alone. Due to prejudice and queerphobia persisting in our society, queer folks often don't get to spend this time with the people they grow up with. However, a mother-daughter duo has found a wonderful way to make them feel at home during this time of the year, reports LGBTQ Nation.
Carolyn Pinta and her daughter Molly started a card-writing campaign in the aftermath of the November massacre at Club Q in Colorado Springs. They wanted to do whatever they could to provide some relief to the local queer community during the holidays. Carolyn worked with the Facebook group Home for the Holidays, which is committed to uniting LGBTQIA+ folks who can't travel home for the holidays due to familial situations, to put together a spreadsheet with the names and addresses of folks who could use some holiday cheer.
They then received thousands of cards from people across the country which they are now sending out to queer people. Molly, 16, started The Pinta Pride Project three years ago and organized the first pride parade in her hometown of Buffalo Grove, northwest of Chicago.
The group celebrated the success of the card-writing campaign in a post shared on November 27, which reads: "BG Pride already has 275 cards in the mail after four days!!" A week later, they revealed in an update that they have sent out almost 500 cards to queer people across the country.
On December 11 they wrote on Instagram: "We have MAILED 1,117 cards as of this moment and Sally Gill and friends have 278 coming our way... headed to 2,000 fast! Keep the joy coming!!" The most recent post reveals that they have sent out a total of 2,333 until now to bring joy to the lives of people devoid of family connection this holiday.
According to Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Pinta Project had already planned this card-writing campaign before the shooting occurred. It was a way to celebrate Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual event that originated in 1999 to remember transgender persons who had died as a result of violence and to raise awareness about the risks faced by trans people. However, it took on a new meaning after the devastating shooting at Club Q. The team went on to proceed with their campaign with stronger emotions and purpose.
Carolyn teaches middle school and rainbows adorn her clothing, phone case and classroom. She flaunts her allyship because she understands how life-changing it can be for a child to discover belonging and acceptance. After seeing her own daughter thrive with the help of family and friends, she went on to build more inclusive environments for other children. Carolyn sees, recognizes and listens to children who do not have that degree of support from their loved ones. She said, "We’re all so excited to be off for the holidays and home all week. Some kids are not so excited to be home all week." She thinks that the cards will assist people whose homes aren't a safe haven for them.
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