Kurt Thigpen: Redefining Joy in Washoe County

“Joy is an act of resistance.” Rev. Michael Crumpler, LGBTQ and Multicultural Programs Director, Unitarian Universalist Association

October 11, 2020 marks the 32nd anniversary of National Coming Out Day, which serves as a reminder of the power of coming out. Despite being ranked by USA Today as the “best state in America for LBGTQ people,”  Nevada’s LGBTQ+ population nonetheless experiences higher rates of cancer, substance abuse, suicide, sexual abuse, body image and weight issues-- likely linked to undergoing greater frequencies of hostility, isolation and discrimination-- than non-LGBTQ+ people.

National Coming Out Day is a day to honor those who have the courage to speak up and be who they are,  who pave the way for others to do the same. The courageous act of coming out is a battering ram against barriers imposed by silence.  This year, Washoe County celebrates the election of its first openly gay School Board Member, Kurt Thigpen, 30, who won his seat in the June 2020 primary with a landslide 53% of the vote.  

As a student, life for Thigpen was not easy, growing up in rural Hazlehurst, Georgia in a school system with few resources, and more than a few incidents of hatred and bullying. As an adult however, Thigpen has channeled those struggles toward his passionate mission to “[defend] those that need it most.”

Thigpen is not new to “busting barriers;” he served as the first openly gay president of the American Advertising Association, and in 2016 Thigpen and his husband founded Ace Studios, a digital marketing agency dedicated to supporting nonprofits and small businesses who “do good in this world.” Thigpen has also worked with Communities in Schools of Western Nevada’s “Fill the Bus” campaign to provide school supplies to students in need, raised $1100 to provide school uniforms, has raised his voice as an ally in the Black Lives Matter movement, and joined the race for School Board after hearing of student after student getting hit by cars while crossing the streets around Wooster High School. 

“We need more people who are willing to demonstrate what it looks like to risk and endure failure, disappointment, and regret-- people willing to feel their own hurt instead of working it out on other people, people willing to own their stories, live their values, and keep showing up,” Brene Brown, Rising Strong.

Kurt Thigpen is that person. Statistically, the sole act of coming out has proven to make others, once they know that someone close to them is LGBTQ+,  more likely to support equality under the law. In sharing his story with the community at large and holding a public office, Thigpen empowers others to do the same; it's a tremendous act of bravery, and he is to be commended. 

“This win is not just for me, but it is for all of you. This is for every student that has ever been bullied or told they weren’t good enough to make it in this world.

As… the first-ever elected openly LGBTQ+ member of the Washoe County School Board, I am living proof that you can do anything you set your mind to. Never take no for an answer.”

In celebration of National Coming Out Day, the Redefining Joy Project honors Kurt Thigpen for raising his voice as a role model for the “other.” In simply speaking up, he touches hearts and opens minds, and empowers others to do the same. To read more about the project, visit: https://www.midorijoy.com/love-my-life-project/redefining-joy.