So, Substack has been encouraging us writers to use the various other features available on the site, including this nifty video post format. And I finally have a video worth sharing!
Several months ago, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland was invited to speak at SXSW in Austin, Texas and shaped her session around allyship and community building, which she dubbed “Auntie Deb’s Guide to Diversity and Inclusion”.
The full clip above features three segments: 1) the Secretary’s speech, 2) my short speech, and 3) our wonderful Q&A.
As part of her session, she wanted to offer space for someone to talk about trans issues, especially in the midst of the anti-trans horror in Texas — a direct way, in her words, of “holding the ladder down” for the next person. She was generous and kind in reaching out and asking if I wanted to join her for this session, and after pinching myself because this is Secretary Deb Haaland, I readily agreed.
We ate breakfast tacos together early that morning and she was so wonderful with her time in offering hard earned wisdom on advocacy and public policy. She is as amazing a human being in person as you’d hope — no, in fact, she’s better than you’d hope.
The video wasn’t available for several weeks and then I got underwater with various other work things, but this now seems like a fantastic time to publish it through here.
Enjoy!
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*closed captioning version available here
My Conversation with Secretary Deb Haaland