We recently connected with Brielle Winslow-Majette and have shared our conversation below.

Brielle , appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

As a black masc presenting woman with facial hair, I take a risk Everyday! Who I am goes against all that European and white supremacist societal ideals for women that exist. I walk true in my woman hood, despite the stereotype that facial hair and a beard is called “inappropriate male characteristics” based on my condition PCOS. I have been discriminated against in the workforce, almost a victim of a hate crime, and continuously have to validate my identity. It is a risk because my safety has been jeopardized, but my ability as a person who presents different is always challenged. But I bring awareness to myself by being the leader of a statewide LGBTQ organization working on the ground spreading awareness and chnaging people’s perspective by showing up and representing one day at a time. My mom always told me that women didn’t wear facial hair, so I was ashamed. I didnt wear it, but I didn’t realize… that when I fell into a deep depression, stopped shaving and taking care of myself… that first day I shaped up my facial hair and took a risk despite what anyone said was the beginning of the rest of my life. That day still, despite the hatred I’ve received and continue to receive on social media and in the form of mail, was as risk that changed my life. And still to this day I stand tall, confident in who I am despite my hair. Because living your authentic truth is the key to success

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am the deputy director of New Jersey’s largest LGBTQ education and advocacy organization. I got here because I was looking for a job and I would continue to get to the last round of every position that I applied for. Each time when people saw me in person I was discriminated against because I was a black perceived to be queer woman with facial hair and most organizations didn’t know what to do with me. My credentials got me the last round yelled and screamed at them that I was the perfect person for each role, but my exterior never matched idea what that role should look like . Then spoke to someone who is not my mentor who asked if I had ever tried to work at an LGBTQ organization and I said no because I did not want to want to use my identity to become successful. The individual told me that you might have to be gay for pay before you can be Brielle for pay because that is the way society is. I decided to apply for LGBTQ organizations and was immediately met by love and acceptance of my identity and how I showed up in spaces, I immediately was able to make change as I decided to ensure that we were not forgetting intersectionality that come when you were in LGBTQ communities making sure we uplift black and brown individuals, trans individuals disability, disabled individuals, and individuals who are immigrants or speak language as a second language . Since then I have worked across the state and also aboard a national organization and showing that LGBTQ individuals across the country work towards live equality in the law, I have spoken in many spaces in regards to Institut, speaking about the erasure of lesbians and other queer individuals I have spoken for the environmental office, protections FIFA, the ACLU, numerous universities and many other spaces to ensure that I am also , showing up building a table that has seats for all individuals who are part of this. I teach at university New Brunswick LGBTQIA policy, where I insure that the next generation of policy makers are one aware of the intersection all of the individuals that they were serve to can make policies that do not have a disconnect between the individuals on the ground were affected by the policies and the policy that is being written , I hope to make change for not just the current climate but the future in building both college students and the youth that we work with year Long to be the change that not only I but they just see in the world I advocate for women I started to talk about and show representation for women who have facial hair who are part of the POS community because we are always always forgotten by medical professionals that do not know about our condition. Want to change who we are and perpetuate the stigma that women are monolith and have to look a certain way way.

Have you ever had to pivot?

So before I worked for Garden City quality, I worked for another organization where I was super immersed in the DEI culture. I wanted to start a mentorship program for LGBTQ youth because I continuously saw them become victims of bullying mental health, crises and suicidal I doubt ideologies develop relationship with Min, young girl who I knew from seeing how based on the bullying in her schools, she became to self harm, but also draw with sharpie marker, tattoos on her fake tattoos on her body to intimidate the bullies. I knew that I had to make change, but I needed to create safe spaces and allow for LGBTQ use voices to be heard so I created a program. I research programs and I developed one that was a similar organization to mine to ensure that we could make sure this was a priority. I was immediately told by my executive Director and which, of course I went back to the drawing board decided that I would figure out everything to sponsor raise $10,000 and was ready to make it happen Once they said no again I knew that my vision and mission did not align with the organization that I was there that said they were for community and development, but that was for everyone who was not what people called queer for other then needed to find a new space and I needed to pivot. I need to find a new job a new career and new space for that so that my vision and my passion would not be left in the back burner either started had knee surgery and was out of work for multiple months in which I decided you know what I’m gonna apply to grad school and I’m going to become someone who can help with the mental health aspect I then found quality I had to quickly pivot because I decided that you know what School was not the space for me despite what they tell you about needing to get a masters degree I knew that I could take the impact that I was making on a city wide level and make it a state wide level and now my small mentorship LGBTQ program that was continuously denied, even after finding funding now became a large weeklong camp that allows for our youth who are queer or black or disabled or any other marginalized Class to learn about their isms and create action plans to make real change across our state for their

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

So whenever I speak about myself, I always have to pay homage to the people who came before me. One person that I always mention is Sakia gun. Sakia gun was a black mask, presenting woman who lived in Newark, who was brutally and violently killed for standing her ground in her authentic truth by saying that she was a lesbian When approached by a man who was trying to hit on her her legacy has left a lasting impression on me someone who continues to use my representation and my voice to create safe faces for black mask representing lesbians across the country. I never knew how close her experience was to me that grew up in Newark in the school system well went to school in Newark, the same place and multiple streets away from where she passed away, but it took years for me to hear her story , not long after one night after going to the club with friends I stopped at a local Wawa in a group of men harassed and also challenged me to the point where one was standing outside their car with a gun waiting for me to make the wrong move, I am a spitfire and like gun will stand up at any time to be off authentically myself, but at that time I had to ask myself was it worth it knowing that I saw the gun was it worth it to tell them who was was it worth it to fight that battle , I had to decide that I had to put my head down and act like I didn’t see them because it wasn’t for me, but I need to protect my partner and my friends in that moment later that day and 3 to 5 days after that profusely, because I hated myself, I did not want to be me just the instance of knowing that my life could’ve been taken based on who I was completely change my perception of who I wanted to be and why I was prideful in myself I thought about changing how I dressed, changing how I act changing everything about me because I no longer thought that I was safe, but also that I could be myself and be happy And dedicated to making sure that black mass presenting women have a space to do presentation across the country for an organization in the L where we uplift, black lesbians everywhere. We also have a podcast called the elbow room where we talk about being lakes experience of the black lesbians and safety being one of them , I also use my platform all the time never and that is my resilience because as I every step I take every breath I take every aspect of my life. I live is also dedicated to the people who crawled for me to walk and gun is one of them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Gardenstateequality.org
• Instagram: winslow_majette
• Facebook: Brielle Winslow-Majette
• Linkedin: Brielle Winslow-Majette
• Other: Tik Tok: thats_y_yuh_wins_low