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Hello, 88.1 WKNC, Raleigh. The song you just heard was house of mango by surf ninja three. I'm your host, Sophia manganini, and you are listening to Oak city move today. We are joined by a very special guest, Corey Hennessy, Executive Director of the LGBT Center of Raleigh. First off, I just want to say thank you so much for taking the time to join me today. And if you just wanted to start off by introducing yourself and for listeners who may not be familiar. Can you share what the LGBT Center of Raleigh does and why it's so important for the community?
Kori Hennessey 1:07
Yeah, absolutely. And thank you so much for having me.
Kori Hennessey 1:11
I am Kori Hennessey. My pronouns are they them? I'm the Executive Director of the LGBT Center of Raleigh. As you said,
Kori Hennessey 1:18
really grateful to just be able to share a little bit about the center and what we do. I mean, essentially, we are one of the few LGBTQ nonprofits in North Carolina, and really the only like established one in Wake County and we serve, I mean, realistically, way County and all the surrounding counties and quite a few different areas of the state, we have tons of different programs and services that we do offer LGBT Q plus folks and allies,
Kori Hennessey 1:52
including, you know, anything from like name change support to case management. We have a free clothing closet. We have support groups, peer support groups, and
Kori Hennessey 2:05
social opportunities. And we also do the giant Pride festival out Raleigh pride every year, which is the second biggest pride in the state.
Sophia Magnanini 2:14
That's very, very important, especially like, I feel like there are not that many resources. It's crazy, even in today, but what you guys do is so important, if you wanted to kind of tell us about your journey and like, what brought you to the LGBT Center and what inspires you to do this work
Kori Hennessey 2:32
Absolutely. So I have been with the Center for over eight years now.
Kori Hennessey 2:39
I actually first kind of stepped into the door at the center as a community member, was really needing a lot of support with, you know, my identity journey and needing community and friends and, you know, just whatever I was, it was a was all a lot at the time, and I quickly found, you know, just a comforting and affirming space. So actually started volunteering pretty regularly, and then they had an office manager role that popped up, and I was like, why not?
Kori Hennessey 3:19
And I did get, ended up getting the job, and was in that role for a few years, until moving into the director of education and programs role for about four years or so, until I was given the opportunity to step in as as executive director.
Kori Hennessey 3:37
And it's, yeah, it's, it's been, it's been a little little chaotic. But,
Kori Hennessey 3:44
you know, I I've gone through my life, you know, knowing this, like very stereotypical thing, right, knowing there's something different about
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me, but, you know, not really having any resources from my hometown area, which was Northwest Indiana. I really wanted to be a part of
Kori Hennessey 4:09
this, you know, this space, and being able to do something for folks that I wish I had when I was younger, or when I was first coming out,
Sophia Magnanini 4:19
that's awesome. And it's really cool how you've been able, like, started as a volunteer, and you've kind of, like, been in all these different positions and roles, so you've been able to, like, see the different things as the center grows. And could you like as do have you seen any instances where it's, like, really evolved where you, like, looked around, you're like, Oh, we this has really grown into something amazing.
Kori Hennessey 4:48
Yeah. I mean, I think that where we are now, there's been so many positive changes, although, you know, the environment around us is a little chaotic.
Kori Hennessey 4:59
Right now, and maybe not so friendly towards LGBTQ plus folks,
Kori Hennessey 5:05
but I you know, some of the things that we've been able to establish over the last couple of years.
Kori Hennessey 5:12
I mean, even just we're in a temporary office space right now, we're going to be moving into our new community center space next month, actually, in September, so I'm very excited about that.
Kori Hennessey 5:25
And I think that whenever I see all the work that we've done to be able to get to this point of having our own space and like being able to bring a little bit more stability and visibility to
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the community, I don't know. I just there's, there's so many different aspects to that that, like, I can truly look at and say, like, we really are doing something positive and good for the community, and we're continuing to make change and fill gaps, and, you know, meet the community where it's needed the most, while also remembering that, you know, all of us working on all these things are also part of the community. So, you know, there's, like, just quite a few different things I feel like that have happened that has really just been such a, I don't know, really positive and special part of my life and so many other people's lives,
Sophia Magnanini 6:19
that's great, especially the moving and the center is such a safe space. And so it's nice to have your own space physically, where everyone can be there and feel safe, feel themselves. Have you seen it like since we were or you were saying earlier, the climate right now, I feel like there's so much prejudice and hate towards anyone that's different, and I feel like it's kind of grown more in the recent years. Have shifts? Have you kind of seen that like, been able to witness the like shifts?
Kori Hennessey 6:54
Yeah. I mean, I definitely would say the last year, especially, or just, you know, couple of years, we have seen more of the negative and more, you know, hate being outspoken. I think that, you know, they've kind of like people have been given
Kori Hennessey 7:17
the opportunity and the,
Kori Hennessey 7:22
I don't say, I don't really know how to say this very nicely, but people have been given the opportunity to be outspoken about their hate and their discrimination, and, like, you know, with also not fully understanding, like, what That really means, and like, having a lot of misinformation and lack of understanding around, you know, different identities.
Kori Hennessey 7:48
I think on the flip side, though, there's also been a lot more people that are standing up and showing support. So I think, you know, we're really in, like a It's a complicated time, but I think that,
Kori Hennessey 8:03
you know, something interesting will come out of a lot of this. And I feel like people are starting to kind of take the time to just fully understand that diversity is so beautiful. That's what makes like, you know, everything in life just so much more interesting. And
Kori Hennessey 8:23
you know, it's, it's really unfortunate that a lot of people you know, including myself, and like the trans community and the non binary community, like we're really struggling with
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just being able to exist safely in a lot of ways,
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and so I don't know I it's, it's a complicated, chaotic time, but I'm really hoping that something positive can kind of come out of this.
Sophia Magnanini 8:51
And that's why the center is so important, because not only does it create, once again, a safe space, but it can help educate those who are kind of ignorant about the topic, and this, all this misinformation that's going around, like the people that really want to know and learn for the better will like that's a perfect space for them too, because it is, I feel like at this time, just a lot of misinformation, just like ignorance about things and lack of empathy and stuff that in the time, which is just very scary to see. But like you're saying, I feel like hopefully we are also seeing that the rise up against it, where it's like people are speaking out and support and educating others, thankfully, because it is, it is tough times right now.
Kori Hennessey 9:40
Oh,
Kori Hennessey 9:40
absolutely, yeah, yes.
Sophia Magnanini 9:41
Being Executive Director, what does that kind of mean for you on a day to day level?
Kori Hennessey 9:47
Yeah, good question.
Kori Hennessey 9:50
I think that this being my first executive director role, but also, you know, being able to grow with the organization and seeing, you know.
Kori Hennessey 10:00
Examples and bad examples of, you know, being a leader in the community, I think, like to me, and day to day, it's really about, you know, continuing to move the mission forward,
Kori Hennessey 10:16
but also, you know, making sure that I'm listening to folks, I think, especially the staff that we have here, like, it's really important to me that, you know, we are working as a collaborative and we are,
Kori Hennessey 10:33
you know, actually making decisions. There's not like uni, unilateral decisions, you know, I'm really trying to kind of change the dynamic of, like, that kind of negative hierarchy, hierarchical system, like, there's, there's so many things that like me as, you know, Executive Director, and even though, like, I'm looked upon as, like, the leader of the organization, I think day to day, like, it is really important to me that I'm consistently, like, showing up in the community, listening to people, you know, asking for like, opinions on things with my staff, and making sure that we're just kind of all, yeah, working together. I don't know there's, there's so many things that I should say about that, but I think that those are definitely some things that I regularly think about, like how lucky I am to be in this position to be able to make the changes, but also, like remembering the things that I need to not forget about and not get away from.
Sophia Magnanini 11:35
Yeah, I feel like, as you said, like collaboration is really important, and that's amazing that you're doing that, because in a space with so many different people, you get so many different perspectives, asking for input and getting it all just it's really awesome. What are some like programs or services at the center that people might be surprised to learn, that they provide something that they might not have thought of in the first place, or when they thought of the center?
Kori Hennessey 11:59
Yeah, I think, you know, one thing I think most folks don't understand is, like, some of the like, you know, like free services. So we, I think I like, I mentioned a couple of things, you know, we have a free, gender affirming clothing closet. It's pretty large right now. You know, we're really trying to figure out what are some of the things that people regularly need or ask for, or really just anybody who'd like to come in and, like, check out the clothes and grab some stuff on it is open to anyone. We also have, like, a care pantry, where we do provide like care items. We do regular, like care packages and different things to some of our clients who are maybe experiencing different hardships.
Kori Hennessey 12:49
I think one thing that most a lot of people actually just don't know that we do is we provide, like just guidance and navigation to legal name changes,
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which is, again, kind of becoming very complicated with different, you know, levels of identification. But we also have the option to be able to cover all of those fees,
Kori Hennessey 13:15
because it is pretty expensive to get your name changed and to get different documents. So I don't think most folks really know that that is something we can do if for say, like, you can't afford to change your name, but like, for safety reasons, it's really important that maybe you go through that process.
Kori Hennessey 13:35
But yeah, I mean, I think that, and also the connection that we do put on our pride like we do put on out Raleigh pride every year. Most people don't know that that the LGBT Center Raleigh does it, so it's a big undertaking. But yeah, this is some of the things I think most people don't really know that we do
Sophia Magnanini 13:54
that's really cool, especially the closet did not know about that. I feel like that is very important, because it's not only being in something comfortable that makes you feel yourself, is just such a good experience for pride. How was pride this, um, year? Was that, uh, a lot.
Kori Hennessey 14:13
It was, it
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was, it is always a lot, for sure, the first year that we did two days, actually,
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we had a Friday night, like, more, kind of local, smaller version, just for adults and like,
Kori Hennessey 14:33
I mean, that was, I've heard nothing but positive things. People really enjoyed it. We're actually looking at trying to make it a little bit bigger, just because there were so many people that showed up. But then our normal Saturday festival was, I don't know, just this year overall, everything seemed to go so much more smoothly. I mean, there's such a positive vibe, like they even with the protesters showing up, like it.
Kori Hennessey 15:00
It just it, yeah, which is, like, a, you know, oh, always, we get that every year, but it just everything went so well this year. I think it for sure be like, by far, was our best year yet.
Sophia Magnanini 15:14
That's awesome. I did go with my roommates, and so that was a lot of fun. And it was my first ever pride and but it was, it was one for the books. So I really,
Kori Hennessey 15:24
yeah, awesome. Oh, that's, that is great to hear. It's, it's always hot. But like, you know, we got to do something in June
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capital city, like
Sophia Magnanini 15:35
with forming events as well as just the day to day. What kind of lessons have you learned in this role that you would wish you'd known earlier, or that other you'd kind of want to let other people know who might want to be in the same position?
Kori Hennessey 15:50
It's a lot. It's, uh, you're gonna be pulled in multiple directions. Um, that is something that I, like, kind of knew going into it, but fully, like, just fully understanding, like, my purpose and my role. It's taken me a while, and I'm still learning things to to this day, and like, I think that's something that I really wish I had, was just a little bit more, like, I
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don't know guidance as I was moving into this position. And
Kori Hennessey 16:28
people, somebody telling me, like, lean on the others in the community. Lean on like, there's so many other like nonprofits that have, like, very positive missions. And I think,
Kori Hennessey 16:42
you know, something that I learned eventually was I really can lean on some of those support systems,
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because we can't do all of this, and, you know, we can't do all of it all at once for everybody.
Kori Hennessey 16:58
So, yeah, I think those are some of the things. And I think also, like,
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a hard lesson has been, don't, like, don't take everything personally,
Kori Hennessey 17:08
which I feel like is just such, such a hard thing for us humans, like in general, to not do but, you know, it's, it is about the like, full community, and to continue to remember that. And like, even if somebody is upset, like, it's, it's going to happen. And how do you it's really about how you can, like, come back from that, and how do you respond to that?
Kori Hennessey 17:31
And so, you know, it's, I still have a long way to go to like, get to be in a place where I can, like, be a support for somebody else, I'm sure, and like the ways that I needed it, but
Kori Hennessey 17:44
yeah,
Sophia Magnanini 17:44
it's learning, because that is just also, I can only imagine, like, the position, the amount of people coming to you, the amount of things to do, but absolutely, like, also, you're probably a lot of support
Sophia Magnanini 17:59
this next question, kind of loops back to we were talking about earlier. What do you think are the most like pressing issues facing the LGBTQ community in Raleigh in North Carolina today?
Kori Hennessey 18:11
Yeah,
Kori Hennessey 18:14
I definitely would say some of the things that I feel like we see the most are, it is a right to work state. And us being in, you know, one of the largest counties and and being in the capital city, I mean, folks come here first, if they are, you know, trying to find more resources or more places. And so one of the biggest things we've seen is people have been losing their jobs just because of their identities.
Kori Hennessey 18:49
Again, it's the right to work state. So there's only so much you know that you can do, and it's so having to, like be able to address that, but also address all the things that potentially come with losing your jobs, you know, dealing with like housing insecurity, dealing with food insecurity, so, like, just having
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to deal with some of those things can make other things exponentially harder.
Kori Hennessey 19:18
And I that that I think, alone, has really kind of like opened our eyes to seeing some other things that have happened just with just blatant discrimination that occurs in, you know, different parts of your life.
Kori Hennessey 19:37
It is the south, after all, still, even though, like Raleigh, especially, being in a more progressive area, there's still, there's still a lot of things that people deal with that you know, aren't
Kori Hennessey 19:50
positive, and like, you know, moving forward, when compared to cities like New York or something you know, like bigger places, I think that those for sure are.
Kori Hennessey 20:00
Are some of the issues that we see pretty often. Things tend to shift over time and change, but feel like consistently, those are things that we've seen and continue to have to just help people navigate,
Sophia Magnanini 20:16
which is just terrible, having your whole life could be affected by just being your true self, and the fact that other people cannot understand that and have prejudice and hate towards it is just I feel like us as a society have kind of almost taken steps back in that area, especially with the current political and just everything that's going on. So I can only imagine how tough it is to be the progression in the past couple years and then the regression. But once again, it's you. That's why the center is so important. And you guys just do amazing things for areas outside of Raleigh. Does the center do anything to support kind of more, like rural areas, or, like, less connected parts of the state. Or is it more Raleigh, since it is the center of Raleigh?
Kori Hennessey 21:11
Yeah, no. I mean, that is a lit we've, we've thought a lot about, like, maybe rebranding, because we don't just serve Raleigh. We actually I mean, especially because we're the, like, one of the longer standing established LGBT Q centers in this kind of central part of North Carolina on we get a lot of people from all over the place, and we've actually, like, continue to hold some of our programs virtually so that folks, because we get folks from all over the state that otherwise wouldn't be able to get connected to community attending those we get people that do even drive in like hour, two hours, or Sometimes even more, which is wild to me, to just come to, like, one program, or come and get, you know, support for like, you know, this one thing. So
Kori Hennessey 22:11
it's really hard to, like, fully determine, like, exactly like, what the big, what are like, geographical area that we serve. But it's for sure. Like, we get a lot of people from the more rural counties surrounding Wake County
Kori Hennessey 22:28
coming to us for just, you know, a variety of things.
Sophia Magnanini 22:32
That's awesome, because it just shows how much of a pillar that the center is for people all around even, like you're saying two hours, three hours away. Just just having that understanding is enough for people to do that make that journey, and this kind of connects to that. Are there any like partnerships or collaborations that have been impactful with the center, like, what roles do allies play in supporting the mission?
Kori Hennessey 23:01
Yeah, yeah, we've that is something that we've really built upon over the years. Something that was really important in my previous role was just kind of establishing more partnerships, because we are still such a small organization when you're comparing us to, like, you know, some of the larger like,
Kori Hennessey 23:25
bigger budgets and more staff and all of that. So, like, it is really important that we do have these partnerships so that we can be able to continue to provide things. I think some of the biggest ones, like, we have a long standing relationship with Alliance of aid services. They are an incredible organization that provides HIV and STI testing services, counseling. They have a pantry.
Kori Hennessey 23:52
They're they're they've been such an integral partner for us and just incredible allies. We've have a really good relationship.
Kori Hennessey 24:03
But there's, you know, there's other places, some like more youth serving organizations you know, continue to try to build relationships with,
Kori Hennessey 24:13
like some other like leaders in the community, even you know,
Kori Hennessey 24:21
folks within the city or that work within the county, because, again, like we just we can't do everything and without the support and the connection
Kori Hennessey 24:32
from folks that aren't even necessarily part of the LGBTQ Community. Like, that's how we continue to get things done for folks that need it. So I don't know. Yeah, allies play a very big role in what we do, which is exactly why we say, like, you know, programs and services, unless it's for, like, a specific identity, it's open to, you know, folks like of just.
Kori Hennessey 25:00
Sense of any identity. You know, obviously we have, like, our transgender programming are, like,
Kori Hennessey 25:08
we have a couple of other, like, identity specific, I, you know, programs, but really,
Kori Hennessey 25:16
I don't know, yeah, all that is to say is allies are really important because they're also the ones that are going to be standing up and speaking up and continuing to try to educate folks like you said.
Kori Hennessey 25:29
So we really, definitely need them.
Sophia Magnanini 25:31
That's great. Yeah, just a community that helps support one another and all the people in it. It's just something that I feel like should be almost common sense of what is good and what's needed in the society, but that's that's really great that you're getting all these help from all these different organizations that helps show that like they understand the importance of this. Also, this is kind of few questions, but then go together. What advice would you give young, LGBTQ plus people who want to get involved or make a difference?
Kori Hennessey 26:05
I would say just, I mean, just show up. Um, you know, I think it's really hard to have the courage to step into the door and to start something and to talk to folks, but it's so life affirming in so many ways, um, just showing up and and just, you know, wanting to be involved is enough. And definitely, I like, that's what I usually tell folks, because then you're going to find the things that you really enjoy doing and the things that you want to get involved in even more
Sophia Magnanini 26:39
that's awesome. And then second question, second part, how can our listeners help support you the center right now financially through volunteering or otherwise?
Kori Hennessey 26:49
Yeah, I mean, definitely the environment right now for funding is complicated, and it's gotten pretty messy. So, you know, we really, really really rely on, on the support of folks, even if it's, you know, somebody giving $5 a month that is, that makes a world of difference, and it brings a little bit of stability there too. So, you know, definitely financially. But you know, we also rely a lot on our volunteers, and the volunteers are a huge part of our organization, so we always need folks, whether it's just volunteering at out Raleigh pride every year, or coming in and helping, you know, facilitate or host a program, or anything in between,
Sophia Magnanini 27:34
that's awesome. I said this so many times, but this center is just such an important safe space and an important part of Raleigh's community. You guys just do so much and deserve all the credit you get. I just wanted to say kind of Yeah, as we come up to the end of our chat, thank you for coming in and talking to me all about your organization and what it does for the community. It's amazing, and you guys deserve every ounce of recognition that you guys get. It's it's something, especially in this climate with how hard it is, I can only imagine the the struggles that it takes, the the battles that you like have to pick and choose to get through. But at the end of the day, you guys are just on helping people. That's like the main goal, which is what we need today, more in society and the community?
Kori Hennessey 28:25
Yeah, no, absolutely. And I thank you so much for saying all that. I very much appreciate it. And,
Kori Hennessey 28:32
yeah, we're here, we're around, and we're going to be moving soon. So
Kori Hennessey 28:37
please come and see our new space. We'll be right next to the Lincoln theater downtown.
Sophia Magnanini 28:41
Thank you for listening to Oak city move once again. I'm your host, Sophia magdanini, and if you're interested in listening to this episode again or to past episodes of the show, you can go to wknc.org/podcast
Sophia Magnanini 28:53
and make sure to tune into our show every other Monday on WKNC. 88.1 FM, Raleigh.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
