MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As the Mid-South prepares for Pride month in June, a Memphis native is seeking solutions to bridge the gap between the city and the LGBTQ+ community.
“It actually means everything to me,” said Renee Parker-Sekander, the City of Memphis LGBTQ+ Liaison.
After careers in Denver, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, Parker-Sekander has become the first openly LGBTQ+ person to hold the position in Memphis. The position as LGBTQ+ liaison was first established back in A.C. Wharton's time as mayor, when Maria Fuhrmann held the role, followed by Dabney Ring during Jim Strickland's administration.
But for the Parker-Sekander, nothing was bigger than coming home to help expand safety and visibility for her fellow Memphians in the LGBTQ+ community.
“I have many friends, many family members who have left our city," said Parker-Sekander. "I’m on my own personal tour of getting them back here in this city, and really remarketing our city and what our city has to offer.”
Over the past month in her new role as liaison, Parker-Sekander has met with groups like Mid-South Pride and OUTMemphis, on how to bring these voices to the table. To OUTMemphis Executive Director Molly Quinn, this will come by capitalizing on the city's social services that many LGBTQ+ individuals rely on.
“Whether it’s housing, or transportation access, or food insecurity," said Quinn, "Memphis is such an important community to other Southern communities.”
As of 2023, Memphis currently scores 76/100 on the latest "Municipal Equality Index" from the the Human Rights Campaign, which ranks how cities support the LGBTQ+ community. This is up significantly from where Memphis was the year prior in 2022 with 54/100 points.
At the moment the biggest struggle facing the Bluff City lies in the area's non-discrimination laws, only scoring 6/30 points in 2023. According to the HRC, the score is determined based on whether or not discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited in the city, county, or state for employment, housing, and other public accommodations.
“Our community gets stigmas about the rights and freedoms that are ‘free to all’ but sometimes limited to us," said Eli Townsend, a Frayser native. "It’s kind of a breath of fresh air to know that we have a place to voice our concerns… and someone who knows our plight can speak on our behalf.”
For Parker-Sekander, the HRC score serves as a motivation and a road map for what the city can improve on, in its efforts to making Memphians feel like they belong.
“It’s about being safe, and wanting to make sure that wherever you are, you can be out, you can be queer, you can hold your wife’s hand in public and not be afraid to do that because your city has your back,” said Parker-Sekander.