10 | OutBoise Magazine | NEWS
OutBoise.com | Issue 3.2 | January 2015
even when he wasn’t part of the gay community
he was certainly one of our allies. His mother is
a good friend of Brandi and Maria’s. The idea
that of losing a child because they don’t feel
as though they are accepted for who they are
terrifies Brandi, and the last thing she wants is for
any other parents to go through that.
Brandi believes that the more good you put
out there the more you get back. She wants to
progress The Community Center and affect the
younger generation so they know they are not
alone. As cliché as it sounds, she whole-heartedly
believes that children are our future. Teaching
children it is okay to be who you are regardless
of what that is, and even if they don’t know, that
is okay, too. Being a very goal-oriented person
and having a set of goals in front of her means
she is going to be a more effective team member
and board member. She personally feels that The
Community Center needs to show the general
public, overall Boise population, that we as gays,
Brandi was approached by TCC Board Member
Rick Ramos to be part of the board. He had been
courting her for a few years to be part of the
board but Brandi had other commitments that
wouldn’t allow her to devote the time and effort
needed for the role. This year Brandi accepted
the board member invitation. Brandi was a natural
choice for this role since she has experience
working with a non-profit daycare. With two young
boys and a background in a childcare non-profit,
Brandi wants to bring a focus on youth.
Brandy recently lost a friend and it was
remarkably hard since she feels that part of
the reason he took his own life is because
of his own inability to accept himself and he
always struggled with his identity and his sexual
orientation his entire life. He was 28-years-old,
Marie had known him since he was 15, and it was
a really rough loss. Our community lost someone,
are no different than they are. She feels as though
there is a misconception that LGBT Idahoans are
all flamboyant and sensational rainbow-wearing
aliens while, like all communities, have subsets
and diversity. Albeit, our diversity might be more
colorful and unconventional but we are just other
Idahoans. We should be treated equally and
respectfully. Having someone on The Community
Center board that is married and has children will
help incorporate a new perspective of the LGBT
community as a whole.
I was very impressed with Brandi and the
two hours we spent together talking went way
too quickly. I believe I have met a new and
everlasting friend that is going to move The
Community Center is a new direction and I am
excited to see what she is going to do as a board
member.