17 Comments
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Ellie Leonard's avatar

Thank you, this warmed my heart. Keep fighting. Keep advocating (loudly). And don't ever give up. (I will too)

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Lady Libertea's avatar

I am so glad it was able to touch you. I will remain in the fight on that you may count. Here at the tea table, we will be standing proudly in community, no matter what the future holds.

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Michiganographer's avatar

Powerfully and beautifully written. This message resonates strongly, especially now when we are all feeling so helpless. So glad I found your work here.

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Lady Libertea's avatar

I am so glad it was able to resonate with you! This place has become a true community for me and I celebrate that as much as I can at our tea times. Every long form post comes with ways to get in the resistance and ways you can impact those around. We hold the power and together it’s time the people wielded it— in community. It helps us all.

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E.K. Fleming's avatar

Beautiful story about beautiful human beings written by a beautiful mind. 🙏

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Lady Libertea's avatar

Wow. Thank you! Your words are truly humbling and I am grateful both for the read and for your use of your own voice to amplify my own. Thank you, truly, for reading, for sharing, and for learning about a woman who gave so much in the spirit of community, through something as simple as opening the front door and welcoming them inside.

We all have a place in the movement. All are needed, and vital to the cause. We just need to find our lane, and I hope that the more stories I tell the more lanes peoples see for them to take, and the more courage they find to face the battles ahead.

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Lisa J 💜🏳️‍🌈's avatar

I am so grateful for all the people I am learning about from you and others. I wish I had known about them when I was 15.

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Lady Libertea's avatar

I am so glad to hear that they are touching you Lisa! This Pride was truly eye opening for me. I had learned a lot about these figures myself just in the course of learning history and seeking out these type of stories and icons which give me so much inspiration.

Up until this past Pride, I assumed everyone else knew about these people. I didn’t realize how little known they were, even within the LGBTQ+ community. I am determined to make sure they are not, and I am so glad to have you here for the journey. I look forward to your porch chats daily. Know you always have a seat in the tea time garden, dear Lisa, for as much history as you would like to learn.

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Wendy Parker's avatar

I'm a sucker for strong women in history. Thanks for introducing me to this one. :)

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Lady Libertea's avatar

I know what you mean. I have a thing for a strong female character who refuses to limit or mold themselves smaller. They don’t always have to be loud, Ruth certainly wasn’t what I would term loud, but you do have to be genuinely and authentically yourself if you want to make an impact. That is my hope for every woman everywhere. That they shine and dance and laugh in all their splendor, like absolutely no one is watching.

Ruth never stopped being who she was, she simply accepted it as fact and moved on with her life, forcing others to meet her on her terms and welcoming all those who did. That too is how I want to live my life on this earth.

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Mal Pronouns's avatar

Thank you so much for sharing the incredible life of Ruth Ellis. There was a documentary made about her that I’ve seen a few times. She deserves to be known as the trailblazer she was.

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Lady Libertea's avatar

She most certainly does! I had not heard about the documentary until researching more for this piece but I found it at my local library and it is on my list of things to watch. I am very excited to get to know her even better myself.

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Mal Pronouns's avatar

Yeah, my spouse went to Vassar, where the filmmaker went so we have a VHS copy. Except we haven’t had a VCR for years. 😆

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Carolyn Faggioni's avatar

What a beautiful legacy she has left. Thank you for sharing yet another story of how individuals can make a positive difference in this world. We need more Ruth Ellis's more than ever.

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Lady Libertea's avatar

Yes we do! I am so glad to hear my words touched you. Her legacy lives on in Detroit, but there are many areas where there are homeless youth and the only services being provided are by christian organizations that require chapel and prayer—and usually do not allow openly LGBTQ+ a roof. I live in one such area.

We need more services dedicated to helping this population with their unique challenges. Too many children are going without a roof. Jesus didn’t stand on the sea of Galilea and ask for the proper documentation before passing out fish and bread—he simply passed it on to all who needed it. Hopefully, this will encourage more Ruth’s to pop up in other communities. All it takes is a willingness to open that door and share what you have.

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Liberaldad's avatar

Its seems you and I are on the same page LL. Your vision for our future is a beautiful one. Acceptance and community are truly the last vestige of hope. We are all in this together regardless of these things our current government is trying to do to divide us.

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Lady Libertea's avatar

Thank you for reading and for your kind words. I couldn't agree more, and I intend to keep these hearth fires burning bright-even if all other lights go dark. I am happy to have found another kindred soul in this space. Keep dreaming sir, together we can get through this, no matter what the government tries to do. After all, its the responsibility of a people ruled by a tyrant to oppose the dictatorial acts of a government of vengeance.

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