Oak Ridge League topic: Laws, children of different sexual identities

The Oak Ridger
·3 min read

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge will host John Jaruzel and Anne Backus, co-chairs of Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Oak Ridge, and Nathan Higdon, chief financial officer for Knox Pride, to discuss the laws and children of different sexual identities.

Anne Backus
Anne Backus

This hybrid “Lunch with the League” event (available in person and virtually via Zoom), will be held at noon at the Unitarian Universalist Church Social Hall in Oak Ridge. The League will provide a lunch from The Soup Kitchen. If you cannot attend in person, use the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85481905266.

Since moving to Oak Ridge seven years ago, according to a League news release, Jaruzel has continued his advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community in East Tennessee. As treasurer of the AIDS Housing Project in South Knoxville, he helps provide low-cost housing for people dealing with HIV/AIDS. He co-chairs PFLAG Oak Ridge, is on the Grants and Allocation cCommittee of the East Tennessee Ryan White Planning Council, and volunteers with the Bearden Central Baptist Church outreach group Samaritan Ministries doing HIV prevention outreach.

John Jaruzel
John Jaruzel

Backus earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Mississippi State University. She worked for 33 years at Y-12 National Security Complex as a project/program manager before retiring in 2014. She has spent her retirement volunteering in the community and is currently co-chair of the PFLAG Oak Ridge Chapter. She supports the youth at two local high schools and one middle school by attending their weekly meetings. She assists the high schoolers in planning the annual Youth Pride Fest. In addition, she is a CASA volunteer and works with the youth at her church.

Nathan Higdon, chief financial officer for Knox Pride.
Nathan Higdon, chief financial officer for Knox Pride.

Higdon. is the CFO of Knox Pride, described in the release as the the largest free Pride festival in the South. He is a sixth generation Blount County native and is active in politics. Higdon is chair of the Blount County Democratic Party and was elected State Executive Committeeman for the 2nd Senate district in August 2022. He is a professor of marketing and economics at Mercy College in New York City and a Social Impact, Political, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consultant with Full Circle Strategies in Washington, D.C.

He will be discussing "The Slate of Hate & You," the proposed anti-LGBTQIA bills, and how individuals can have a meaningful impact in stopping them.

Guests are welcome to participate. The League welcomes members and nonmembers alike to all its first and third Tuesday noon gatherings. Anyone not familiar with Zoom meetings may go to https://support.zoom.us, then scroll down to frequently asked questions. Several days after each event, attendees may view the recorded session on the League’s website (https://my.lwv.org/tennessee/oak-ridge).

The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge is a nonpartisan political organization for men and women , according to the release from the organization. It encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Oak Ridge League topic: Laws, children of different sexual identities