ABSTRACT
Sue does not identify as sexually queer. Nonetheless, as the mother of a middle-aged White American gay man, she has been involved in fighting for civil rights for queers for many years. She has directed her local chapter of PF1AG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), and recently earned a recognition award from the local queer community center. Although now retired from a long career as an academic advisor to university students, Sue continues to work in the field of education as a member of the local school district's board. She often links her activism with her work in education, such as by advocating for safer schools for queer youth. Sue's life is filled with activity and activism, which is perhaps not surprising given her decades of involvement in social justice movements within her Quaker religious community. According to Sue, Quakers have historically engaged in antioppressive activism, from supporting Japanese Americans during their internment in the 1940s to protesting U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War in the 1960s to creating inclusive policies and practices for queers within Quaker communities in recent years. Coincidentally, her involvement in Quaker movements is not unlike her involvement in antihomophobia movements: both often result in being called a "queer" activist. As she will explain, Sue has long been used to being a "queer Quaker."
