Untold Stories Come to Life at “Queer Hartford” Panel

Jules Bourbeau ‘25

Managing Editor

In celebration of LGBTQ+ history month, the Queer Resource Center hosted a discussion panel titled “Queer Hartford: Our Stories” on Oct. 22, 2024. The event, held at the Cornelia Center, began with a dinner at 5:30 p.m., catered by Hartford restaurant Dhaba Wala. The talk then began shortly after at 6 p.m.

Four panelists were present: Professor Richard Stillson as zir drag persona Mucha Mucha, former CT State Representative Evelyn Mantilla, LGBTQ activist Regina Dyton and Reverend Aaron Miller, pastor of Metropolitan Community Church Hartford.

Dyton began the discussion by recounting some of her lengthy activism history. She boasts an impressive record of having helped found several major organizations in the CT area including TV365, a ministry focused on serving transgender individuals, the True Colors mentoring program, which offers one-on-one mentorship to LGBTQ+ youth, and Lesbians of Color in Kinship, a group providing a safe space for lesbians of color. Dyton emphasized the importance of recognizing intersecting experiences as a proud queer, Black, disabled woman: “I want to be a whole person. I don’t want to go over there to be queer then come over here to be Black.” In speaking about activism, she asserted that, “The things I do are fun. Hard,” she added, “but fun.”

Mantilla spoke next. She is currently the owner of Mantilla Leadership Solutions, a consulting firm, but previously spent 10 years as a State Representative for CT. In fact, she was the first openly bisexual legislator in the entire United States. She told the story of how her interest in social justice began at age 18, at the time when she began to question her sexuality and also became a sexual assault crisis counselor. When a friend decided to run for Hartford City Council, she joined her, and “caught the political bug.” She was motivated by the determination to present herself as positive representation for Latinas and described working in politics as being “the privilege of a lifetime.”

Miller followed, beginning with the history of the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) as a whole. The denomination began in 1968, founded by Troy Perry after being made to resign as a clergy member due to his sexuality. Miller summarized the philosophy behind MCC as not just “welcoming and tolerating, it celebrates you and who you love.” Miller then discussed his story as a transgender man who transitioned 16 years ago. He was inspired by a message from God which told him that he must be authentic if he were to minister in God’s name. Since then, he has done invaluable work for the transgender community, including serving as a chaplain for Yale’s gender services program.

Mucha Mucha finished off the conversation by speaking about drag. Zir drag has always been intertwined with politics; “I am a queen that is political,” ze said. Zir efforts have included raising thousands for AIDS-related resources through the ballroom scene and fundraising for LGBTQ+ resources through the drag Imperial Court System. Ze is currently the proud queen mother of Drag Story Hour CT. Ze closed off the evening by thanking each of the participants and the discussion opened to include the audience.