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I am a Keene native and a founding member of Keene Pride. I left my hometown in 2005 and spent 16 years in New York City working in the nightlife and entertainment, and technology industries. I returned to Keene in 2021 and found that the LGBTQ+ community was highly under-recognized and underserved. This is how Keene Pride began. I live in Keene nearby my family and am a very happy uncle to four beautiful children.

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Growing up questioning my sexuality and gender identity in a small town in the late 90’s was extremely difficult. I was bullied severely in school to the point of attempting to take my own life at 16. Luckily I survived, but my high school experience left me battered, with little self confidence and no self love. It took me years and many wonderful people coming into my life who truly embraced me and taught me that I was enough; that I deserved love not just from other people but from myself. More…

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I have called the Keene area my home for the majority of my life. Being involved in the community in a meaningful way was instilled in me by my amazing parents at a very young age. All humans deserve to feel safe and comfortable within their own community and that is why Pride is important. I live just outside of Keene with my pack, two cats and two dogs, who I have been fortunate enough to have been adopted by.

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Levi Barrett joined the Board in October 2023. A Keene native, Levi is a licensed CPA who received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in accountancy from Bentley University. After five years in public accounting, he served as Director of Finance at North Bennet Street School, a renowned craft and trade school in Boston for eight years. In June 2023, Levi relocated back to the Monadnock region. He currently works as the Finance Director at MacDowell in Peterborough. In addition to serving on the Board, Levi coordinates Keene Pride's outdoors program.

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I grew up in a very small Southern Vermont town. As a teen, I knew that I was gay but didn’t know of any peers in the queer community. I spent several years not accepting myself. At 19, I moved to downtown Keene and began to learn to love who I am. At 23, I met my now spouse and fellow board member, Paulee. We lived in the Keene area for a few years, but now reside with our two dogs in Brattleboro. More…

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I’m originally from Tennessee and was very aware of the gender norms growing up. I gravitated to “boy” things like sports, but knew to ask to for dolls and play dress up. It took a long time to admit that I was gay and even longer to live out loud. Now, I’m living my best life with my wife of 15 years. I teach exercise science at Keene State College. I’m really fortunate to bring my whole self into my work. I teach and study gender as it relates to exercise and health. I try to be the adult I needed when I was younger. For the last 4 summers, I’ve facilitated a day camp for LGBTQ+ middle schoolers. It’s rewarding to see the support for queer kids that didn’t exist 30 years ago. I have a lot of hope that we are going to continue that progress.

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Originally from Monmouth County, NJ, Gene is an artist, a chef, and has been the layout editor for Out in Jersey magazine for nearly 20 years. With a history in publishing, advertising, and graphic design, over a decade working in gay nightclubs in Asbury Park (NJ), and five years living in Europe, he moved to Marlborough, NH with his now husband in 2016. Gene began serving the local community almost immediately. He currently chairs the town Zoning board and Monadnock Music's Events committee. Dismayed by the lack of gay life when he first arrived to the area, Gene was eager to get involved with Keene Pride to help build a robust and active LGBTQ community close to home. Gene enjoys entertaining, fine dining, white wine, and is a proud "geek of the highest order" for [most things] sci-fi, fantasy, animation, comic books, and RPGs.

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Sam is originally from Louisiana where he studied theatre at Louisiana Tech University School of Performing Arts. His passion to perform led him to work at Walt Disney World (where he met his husband who is from Vermont) and eventually to LA, where he worked in film and TV production. Sam and his husband moved to New England to be closer to family and coming from Orlando and Los Angeles where the LGBTQ+ community was ever present, it was a bit of a culture shock to not see representation here. When Keene Pride was formed it was very exciting to see the beginning of an inclusive, loving, and welcoming organization and Sam is very excited to be part of this history making community! Sam performs locally with Rock Voices Keene and local theatre groups, loves going to Broadway with his husband and enjoys spending time with his friends. Like RuPaul said, “We as gay people get to choose our family and the people we're around. I am your family. We are a family here.”

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I  relocated to Keene in 2021 after living in Brooklyn and working in New York City as a pastry chef. New Hampshire has always been a part of my life, with going to college in Manchester at Southern New Hampshire University for Baking and Pastry Arts, family in Swanzey & Fitzwilliam, and now my partner and I share a life together in Keene. There is so much potential for the LGBTQ+ community in Keene, and I’m looking forward to bringing my perspective to the table. I worked for Pride for Youth through the Long Island Crisis Center when I was in high school, where our mission was to provide workshops on safe sex, LGBTQ+ resources, and suicide prevention. I lost my sister Amy to suicide in 2009, and work in this field has been a major coping mechanism for me over the years. I hope my involvement with Keene Pride continues to prosper an environment of healing, safety, and growth for our community.