Charlotte's Premiere
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1202 Charlottetowne Avenue Charlotte, NC
Open Friday / Saturday 9pm-2:30am
For reservations call 70^-375-1777
www.ClosetNightclub.com
www.360charlotte.com
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Parliament Resort
Augusta, GA
Phi 700-722-1155
www.p-hous9.com
Augusta
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12 qnotes May 29-June 11.2010
Birltiday Weekends
June 25 & 26th
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Straight ally
Charlotte leader discusses social justice, the role of a straight ally
by Matt Comer :: matt@goqnotes.com
The Charlotte Coalition for Social Justice
JfATtice, Kir\OtAj Fep.ee,
Charlotte Coalition for Social Justice staff (l-r): Lacey Williams. Marcela Guerrero, Thanh-Thu Luong,
Setu Raval and Nyala Hunt.
Nyala Hunt, executive director of the
Charlotte Coalition for Social Justice (CCSJ),
says she had a bit of culture shock when
she waded across the pond from her native
Scotland and England.
"Coming here and finding that it was okay
that elected officials would use derogatory
language about gay people just blew my
mind," she says. "People here feel so free to
be homophobic and heterosexist."
As a teenager in Britain, Hunt first became
involved in social justice work during a time of
epic social and class struggle.
"I grew up in a culture where it was very
normal for working class people — I was
part of a working class family—to recognize
oppression, to recognize that the system was
oppressive and to organize to challenge rt,"
Hunt says. "I was just one of those young
people just like the young people in CCSJ who
felt passionate about injustice and wanted to
do something about it I was fortunate enough
to be born in a time and location when there
was a lot going on and a lotto be involved in."
Hunt's early involvement in social justice
work ultimately shaped the person she is
today and her career. She studied community
engagement and went to school for commu
nity education. Thirteen years ago, she came
to Charlotte — hired at CCSJ's predecessor
in 2000 and promoted to executive director in
2001.
In hertime here. Hunt has had a unique
impact on matters of social justice and inclu
sion as CCSJ works with young people across
the region and teaches them the importance
of equality and inclusion. Charlotte, she says,
still has a long way to go.
"I think Charlotte is like the U.S. and the
rest of the world; it's struggling to work out
howto embrace all sections of the commu
nity and treat everyone equally," Hunt says.
"That's essentially what CCSJ is working for
— a community that is inclusive and just for
everyone and Charlotte is not"
Hunt says the Queen City's history doesn't
always lend itself to large-scale movements
of grassroots activism. "Charlotte's history is
very much top-down leadership. People at the
top decide change needs to happen and they
determine how it will happen."
It's an unfortunate circumstance, she
says, especially considering the history of
social change.
"Throughout history, young people have
led every major movement for social change,"
Hunt notes. "It's not been the aristocracy. It's
not been church leaders. It's not been CEOs.
It has been young people, grassroots activists
that pushed for change."
And, she adds, that while established lead
ers have supported change movements, and
allowed those movements to push them, the
"impetus has always come from the grass
roots and from young people specifically."
The role of an ally
Upon coming to America, Hunt says the
culture shock she felt was a "wow" moment
She'd always considered herself a straight
ally, but her new environment kicked her
awareness up a notch.
"I think recognizing the need to really
become a vocal ally, to be willing to stand up
and publicly support is something that I think
has become clearer to me over the years...and
I think probably more so since I've come to
Charlotte...becausethe homophobia seems
so much worse."
Her experiences as a newcomer led Hunt
to speak out more often and more forcefully.
"When I first came here people thought
I was outrageous because I would 'name'
everything," she recalls of her tendency to
point out oppression.
Fortunately, it's a tendency that's contin
ued to this day. After the California Supreme
Court upheld Prop. 8 last year. Hunt was one
of few straight ally community leaders present
at a grassroots protest march and rally in
Uptown Charlotte. Organizers of the event
—the Charlotte Rainbow Action Network for
Equality (CRANE) — asked her to speak, but
she took only a couple minutes to recognize
her role as a straight ally and thank LGBT
community members for inviting her. [Ed. Note
— This writer is an organizer with CRANE.]