Welcome to this week’s episode of NHLN Opinion+, our weekly program that is dedicated to discussing the concerns and opinions of New Hampshire’s Latino community!
We spoke with Executive Director Hershey Hirschkop of Seacoast Outright this week on the organization’s current and upcoming services, how it has adapted to serve residents amid the pandemic, its main goals moving forward, and addressing intersectionality within LGBTQ communities.
On the topic of intersectionality, Hirschkop said it’s a great segway to discuss how Seacoast Outright serves people of color within its community and how the organization can confront racism within the community as well. She also emphasized the importance of recognizing how discrimination and racism can differ between different BIPOC communities.
About challenging racism, Hirschkop said, “I think a part of it is looking at how we present ourselves, how we make [Seacoast Outright] a good space, how we intersect with other organizations, how we deal with it on a personal level, a one-on-one level, but how we deal with it as…an organization.”
More highlights from today’s conversation:
Seacoast Outright was founded in 1993 as an outcome of the “Respect for all Youth” conference spearheaded by PFLAG—watch our interview with PFLAG-NH Executive Director here. Hirschkop said the volunteer-based organization has stayed true to its mission of serving, advocating for, and supporting LGBTQ youth within the Seacoast area and across New Hampshire since then. She explained that the nonprofit offers direct services to local youths but also heavily focuses on outreach and education within the greater community. Although the organization focuses on serving younger residents, it also offers groups and resources for parents, families, and older residents in general. Within the past year, the organization moved its support groups and events online to continue serving the public amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Resources mentioned in the video:
Check out all the different support groups the organization currently offers here:
Access available resources through the link below. This list is continuously updated.
Learn how you can support Seacoast Outright at:
Read their BLM statement:
