This year, after way too long, InterConnect came home.
I had almost forgotten what it felt like to see kids finally meeting each other face to face, after spending two years on Zoom calls. I barely remembered what it felt like to see a tween suddenly, confidently, skipping along with friends in the park, who will be there for them for the rest of their lives. I finally got to see those faces that felt like coming home. We spent time together, and it was amazing.
Did you know that we were able to bring every single person who asked for our help to the conference this summer? Did you know that we were able to give speaker stipends to all of our presenters, thought many insisted that we keep them to help others? Did you know that we not only held our conference in person, but also online for the first time?
Throughout this process, we learned so many things to make next year even better. And, just like every other year, that is where you came in -- our generous community that help us keep going year after year.
So, while you will be asked to give by 100 different groups in the next few hours,
I want to give you the opportunity to be one of the people who make it possible to bring families together so that intersex kids don’t ever have to be alone again. I want to give you the opportunity to be one of the reasons that someone who has felt alone their entire life to look into the eyes of another intersex person. I want you to be the reason that somebody gets to join us, and come back home.
When you donate to InterConnect, we are able to host more Zoom meet-ups and welcome new members every week, who are ready to make their first connection. When you donate to InterConnect, you make it possible for our board to remove all barriers to participation, so we can build a leadership team as diverse as our membership. When you donate to InterConnect, you make certain that everyone can “come home” to the conference year after year.
We are trying to reach a wider net than we ever have before. We want to make certain that the second someone hears the word intersex, they also learn about us. We want to bring more of our community home than ever before. I really hope you can help us bring them home, and welcome them with open arms.
With immense love and gratitude,
Rebecca Baughman Kerns
InterConnect Board President