Heather!
Who are you?
Quite the existential question. My name is Heather Noble, and I’m
from the New Jersey suburbs of New York City. I’m an upcoming
junior at Smith College in Northampton, MA where I’m studying
both government and religion. I am incredibly interested in how the
two tend to collide in US politics. I’m also working toward
getting my Massachusetts early education teaching certificate.
What brought you to Family Equality Council? What interests you
about LGBT families?
I actually heard about the Family Equality Council through a Jewish
lobbying organization in Washington DC. I was looking at working
for them, and through their website stumbled across this
organization and immediately fell in love. I’ve always loved
working with children and the combination of politics and children
seemed almost too perfect to be true, so I applied and here I
am.
Do you remember a specific moment or story that made you become
an advocate for equality? For LGBT families specifically?
I’ve spent the last year or so working at a very liberal child
care center near Smith, and a majority of the children I worked
with there come from families that navigate away from the typical
nuclear family that society so often pushes. The school does an
incredible job of representing a variety of different types of
families, including single parent, two moms, two dads, a mom and a
dad, or children living with other members of their extended
family. My work there exposed me to a new world of child care that
I had not previously explored and I have really enjoyed the process
of teaching children to accept differences. My work there in
conjunction with my own experiences led me to become a huge
advocate for LGBT rights, specifically in relation to family
law.
What are you most looking forward to about working with Family
Equality Council?
The kids! As I mentioned I love them. I’ve worked with kids in
camps, day cares, and schools, through babysitting and public
events, and I even have a three year old brother. When I decided to
major in government I thought my only future interactions with kids
would be by having or adopting my own, so I’m thrilled that I
found a way to combine my loves for social justice and children in
such an important way.
Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?
A full-time Family Equality Council employee? Just kidding… kind
of. I had been thinking about either early childhood education or
non-profit work, but it’s a mystery for the most part.