Remembering Logan, Ken, and Brenda
Maybe because it's been a challenging time nationally and globally, losing a number of our OITO community members recently has been feeling especially sharp these past few months. I wanted to take a moment to honor three people who have passed recently: Logan McFadden, Ken White, and Brenda Churchill.
The first time I met Logan was at our 2019 Out in the Open Summit at Green Mountain Camp in Dummerston. We had so many sweet interactions during that weekend, including lots of talk about Logan's own organization Build. Repair. Grow. We stayed in touch throughout the following years and them picking up items from my house during early COVID was a welcome break from those bleak times. Read more about Logan's vision through BRG here.
Ken was such a warm presence! And someone I had the pleasure of getting to know a little bit over the past 8 or so years. I often smile thinking of this sweet photo of him and his husband, John, (see below) from our Out in the Open House at the community space on early 2020. And of the lovely brunch they hosted for me and Rosie, then an OITO Board member, at their home where we laughed, enjoyed delicious food, and Ken & John regaled us with stories of gay history and presence from their own lives. Read a loving tribute to Ken in his obituary here.
I'll never forget the first time I got to meet Brenda in person in 2016 when she drove down to Brattleboro from Bakersfield in her big orange Jeep. We absolutely FEASTED on BBQ, and laughed while we talked statewide strategy and policy supports for LGBTQ+ community. We had so so many conversations over the years while working to get the "X" marker added to drivers licenses, or expanding medicaid coverage for gender affirming care, and more!
In early 2023, I had the pleasure of spending the week alongside Brenda at our Trans Audio Retreat, here in Southern Vermont, and it was such a treat to be able to just be together laughing and learning. If you want to hear Brenda making bird calls and talking about sweet things, she's here in this piece from Vincent at 2:55-5:55 https://www.weareoutintheopen.org/vt-trans-audio.../vincent (fair warning, there is one loud surprise bird call in there so take caution if you're listening with headphones and/or suggested listening not with headphones). And here's recent a piece about Brenda in VTDigger, too.
You will each and all be missed.
– HB
Ken and John in early 2020 at Out in the Open
Brenda, third from the left, alongside other 2023 Audio Retreat participants and OITO staff.