Connecticut’s newest “Kid Governor”—chosen by fifth graders last November as part of a statewide civics program—is 11-year-old Ella Briggs, who’s proudly lesbian and ran on a platform of LGBTQ Youth Safety. The Connecticut Mirror just did a nice profile and video of her, so have a look and meet one of the young LGBTQ leaders making change today.
The Kid Governor program, created by the Connecticut Public Affairs Network (CPAN) in 2015, encouraged more than 6,400 fifth graders to cast votes in the election. Ella’s platform consisted of three main goals:
- Promote adoptions for LGBTQ Homeless Youth.
- Train teachers on how to work with LGBTQ Youth.
- Create youth programs for LGBTQ Youth and their allies.
After winning in November, she was inaugurated on January 18. Ella notes at the CT Kid Governor website that she lives “with my parents, my sister Riley, my two dogs Ace and Sammy, and my cat Otis. I like to hang out with my friends, cuddle my dogs, and make people laugh. I enjoy singing and dancing, and I really enjoy learning about all different kinds of animals—especially snakes. As a leader, I am kind, empathetic, determined, and very passionate about helping others.” She blogs at Pride, Hope, Love, where you can read about her travels and see just how hard working she is.
Even for a confident, self-aware person like Ella, the road wasn’t always easy. The Connecticut Mirror profile notes that she was harassed by some students at her former school, and that when she mentioned to a substitute teacher that she was a lesbian, the teacher responded, “That is not school appropriate.” Now she attends a different school, but the superintendent of her old school district, when told this week of her experiences, said that, “As superintendent now, if something like that came to my attention, we would treat it with severe discipline for the faculty,” and that he “would welcome a sit-down with our Kid Governor to listen to her and get any advice she has on how to make our schools, and any school in Connecticut, a safer place for students.” I’m sure she could offer much useful advice. (For those who don’t have the honor of getting a sit-down with Ella, here’s my own list of Back-to-School Resources.)
Watch Ella in today’s video co-produced by the Connecticut Mirror and Connecticut Public Radio:
And see her in action in a campaign video here:
