‘The more vocal and visible we are, the better off’

For Creston native Jeff Woods, the month of June is about more than the beginning of summer: it’s about celebrating a generations-long battle for equality regardless of sexual identity or orientation.

Woods grew up in Creston and moved to Des Moines after graduating from CCHS in 1992. Woods would attend Grand View University and later receive two master’s degrees at the University of Iowa. Currently, Woods is married to his husband Nick, with whom he has two step-sons.

“Coming out was a process,” said Woods. “You don’t just come out and that’s the end of it. It’s definitely a process ... This was the ‘80s and early ‘90s, so it wasn’t totally acceptable. It’s a lot more acceptable now.”

Woods said he was fortunate to have supporting parents, family and friends in his corner, but he said he has met with members of the LGBT+ community who have been outcasted for their sexuality or identity.

“I think my experience was probably better off,” said Woods. “I know people who had been kicked out of their homes, who had been disinherited, who basically don’t speak to their families anymore ... It’s mind boggling to me how someone can love their child but won’t have anything to do with them. That tells me that they’re failing as a parent.”

The choice to come out is a difficult one, said Woods, and it is completely the decision of the individual as to if and when they choose to do so.

“First and foremost, coming out is a personal decision,” said Woods. “The choice to come out or when to come out is something that is different for every individual.”

Woods said that individuals who feel they are ready to come out should find a safe space to do so, whether a support group, family member or even close friend.

“Find somebody you trust and work with them,” said Woods. “You don’t need to come out all at once to everybody at the same time. It can be a piece by piece, and most people do it that way.”

Capital City Pride

Woods, who was named Sponsorship Director of Capital City Pride in February, said he fell into his position after the president of the board asked him to join as an advisor to the sponsorship director last summer.

“We do a lot of things, beyond the pride event that we typically hold in June,” said Woods. “We have a speaker series where we have speakers come in and talk about their experiences, we have a book club that usually meets monthly and we also have our Pride Gala in the spring, where we get to celebrate and give awards.”

Capital City Pride is an organization formed to bring together the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, as well as their friends, allies and supporters. Capital City Pride accomplishes this goal by producing events intended to inspire, educate, commemorate and celebrate the community and culture with and for the greater Des Moines metro.

Woods said these regular events are important as they provide a consistent environment for individuals to express themselves with others.

“It provides a safe space for us to go and be ourselves,” said Woods. “And secondly, it provides education, not just to LGBTQ, but to those who may want to go. It allows us to express ourselves in areas where we may not always be comfortable expressing ourselves the way we would like to.”

Additionally, groups such as Captial City Pride also work to educate and raise awareness on issues that disproportionately affect the LGBTQ community, such as HIV and youth suicide.

“(Suicide has) always been way higher for LGBTQ youth than their straight peers,” said Woods. “It does get some notice, but I think it deserves a lot more. I also feel a lot of people view HIV as a won battle, but there are still people living with HIV that don’t feel that way, and they tend to be overlooked now.”

As for the annual Pride Week, which consists of street festivals, parades and more, Woods said the large presence of the community and allies allows for the community to feel less alone.

“It has the benefit of reminding people that there are a lot of us, and that you’re not the only one,” said Woods. “The more vocal and visible we are, the better off we are.”

The Pride Gala was held in March, but with the ongoing threat of COVID-19, the annual pride week festivities have been postponed to July.

For more information, go to https://www.capitalcitypride.org.