Jamie Ellis, a Pride Youth Advocate at United Action for Youth, or UAY, has witnessed a lot of change in Iowa City as the organization continues to advocate for its cause. UAY has been in Iowa for many years, dating back to 1970 during the end of the Vietnam War. A group of anti-war college students wanted change and to make something happen out of the difficult situation; thus, UAY was started. As the organization morphed and changed with the growing Iowa City community, there was some pushback from the local community toward UAY and its cause. But despite the setbacks, the organization remained and is now a welcoming space for teens and adults alike.
“But it wasn’t always like that, it’s just the way things grow and we as staff, and as the organization, are good at morphing with that,” Ellis said while discussing how UAY has made a positive impact on the community even with the pushback they received.
Even though the organization remained, there are still issues with the university community. With new policies surrounding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, arising, groups on campus were threatened with the idea of getting shut down.
“All of that stuff is really scary and it’s bad for our community, not just the queer community but for the community of Iowa City,” Ellis said, talking about the new policies that are up for debate at the university.
Part two of this episode will continue the discussion of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community with Ellis.