Pride Month 2024: Getting to Know Carlisle Quinn

June is Pride Month, a time dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, honoring its history, and advocating for equal rights. As we embrace the spirit of Pride Month, we are excited to spotlight Carlisle (they/them), our invaluable peer support partner from Out Boulder County.

A Philadelphia transplant, Carlisle started at Out Boulder County in 2023 as a Peer Support Specialist. Since beginning their new position, they have been hard at work developing programs and opportunities to support the LGBTQ+ community in Boulder and around Northern Colorado. 

For 30 years, Out Boulder County has been creating a community amongst Boulder’s LGBTQ+ population, providing services, programs, and support. Originally established to organize the city’s annual pride celebration, Out Boulder County has expanded county-wide to bring community and resources to a heavily populated area.

On Thursdays, Carlisle brings their Peer Support expertise to Recovery Café Longmont; co-locating has been a critical element of their career growth and development and has allowed them to expand their community and bring recovery resources to a historically underserved population.

Across the board, one of the biggest challenges sexual and gender minorities in recovery face is a lack of connection to people with similar experiences. Something Carlisle says a lot of people fail to realize is that community helps in building (and re-building) individual identity; when you have internalized shame, trauma, and mental health conditions, it can be hugely impactful on recovery to see others finding success when they have had similar experiences. By creating safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community to engage with each other and with recovery resources, there is more opportunity for individual healing.

In their free time, Carlisle leads a local alt-indie rock band called TransRomantics, who play original music in addition to a variety of covers by popular alternative artists, like the Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, and Hozier.

The Recovery Café Network prides itself on being accessible and inclusive towards all identities. As a community of healing and refuge for people in recovery, we encourage and support the journeys of all members, volunteers, and visitors and continue to explore how best to serve the Longmont LGBTQ+ community. This includes continued work with organizations like Out Boulder County to ensure that our space and programs are safe for all.

Although the opportunity to show up as an ally is available year-round, this Pride Month gives us a chance to reflect on our attitudes and contributions. Some of the ways we can all act as allies to the community include:

• Ensure that “safe spaces” are truly safe: Whether it be language, behavior, or practices, could we be more accommodating?
• Show up and use your voice: Find Recovery Café Longmont at the Longmont Pride Festival on June 7, 2024. How else can we show up for members of our community?
• Consider diverse perspectives: Read books, articles, and watch documentaries about LGBTQ+ history, culture, and the challenges the community faces.

If you are interested in more LGBTQ+ resources, visit the Out Boulder County site and be sure to find Recovery Café Longmont at Longmont Pride!