1 TIARA MACK , DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR REPRESENTING DISTRICT 6 IN PROVIDENCE “ People will always see me as Black . People will always see me as a woman . But I have to choose to disclose that I am queer . And I don ’ t want to hide that part of me — I ran as an unapologetically Black , queer young person . It ’ s really important as someone who never saw leaders who look like me — in office , in schools , in communities — to be able to show young queer people that they can be elected officials . They can be public health officials . They can be teachers . There are so many different ways to be queer — to own your queerness — and there ’ s no one size fits all , but it ’ s important to show .”
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l JUNE 2024 57