March 31, 2025 • 21 mins
LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week is in March and was started in 2003. It raises public awareness regarding the unique health needs and disparities in the LGBTQ+ community. It also highlights many aspects of the LGBTQ+ community.
My guest Bill Ollayos, is the administrator of the Connecticut LGBTQ+ Justice and Opportunity Network and is a Law Fellow with Children, Women, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity (CWCSEO). He says the network's mission is to advance equity through policy advocacy, community outreach, and grant funding that can be used for some unique events for the LGBTQ+ community. He emphasizes the importance of mental health, noting that 70% of LGBTQ+ individuals accessed mental health services in the past three years, but 15% were refused care due to their identity. Bill also talked about how CT Paid Leave talks about chosen family and the importance of the program covering mental health as well. Bill also discusses the network's efforts to improve healthcare access and the significance of Connecticut's non-discrimination laws and supportive legislature.
To get in touch with CT's LGBTQ+ Justice and Opportunity Network go to: ctlgbtqnetwork.org
For information or to apply for benefits please go to : ctpaidleave.org
https://ctpaidleave.org/s/?language=en_US
https://www.facebook.com/CTPaidLeave
https://www.instagram.com/ctpaidleave/
https://twitter.com/CTPaidLeave
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ct+paid+leave
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Nancy Barrow (00:01):
Hello Connecticut, and welcome to The Paid Leave
Podcast. The title basicallysays it all. I'm Nancy Barrow,
and I will be delving into thisnew state program and how it can
help you and your family. Thispodcast will give you
information you should knowabout Connecticut Paid Leave and
maybe just a little bit more.
Connecticut Paid Leave bringspeace of mind to your home,
(00:22):
family and workplace. Welcome toThe Paid Leave Podcast.
LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week isin March, and it was started in
2003. It raises public awarenessregarding unique health needs
and disparities in the LGBTQplus community, and this week is
(00:42):
intended to bring attention tothe discrimination and health
disparities that affect theLGBTQ plus community, and it
also highlights many aspects ofthe LGBTQ plus community. And
here to discuss this is William,and I will call him Bill
Ollayos. Bill serves as theadministrator of Connecticut's
LGBTQ+ justice and OpportunityNetwork, an organization founded
(01:05):
by state statute in 2017 and itfocuses on empowering and
uplifting LGBTQ + communitiesthrough grant funding and policy
initiatives. And Bill is a thirdyear JD candidate at Quinnipiac
University School of Law, wherehe specializes in areas such as
administrative law, genderstudies and policy analysis, and
(01:25):
he balances all this in hislegal studies with a really
great career in highereducation, serving as an area
coordinator with the Office ofResidential Life at Wesleyan
University since 2017 he'spassionate about advocating for
LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion, andhe uses his unique blend of
policy expertise, legalknowledge and community
(01:46):
engagement. And welcome to thepaid leave podcast. Bill. So
glad to have you here.
Bill Ollayos (01:51):
Absolutely. Thank you so much for inviting me.
Nancy Barrow (01:53):
Well let's get right to it. Why don't you tell
me a little bit about what theNetwork does and what you do as
an administrator?
Bill Ollayos (02:00):
Sure So as you mentioned, the Connecticut
LGBTQ+ Justice and OpportunityNetwork. We all call it the
network.
Nancy Barrow (02:06):
Yeah, the network.
Bill Ollayos (02:06):
Yes. We were founded in 2017 by a statue, and
we're really focused onadvancing equity for LGBTQ+
folks throughout the state. Andso that might look like policy
advocacy, community outreach,and particularly grant funding,
because we do run a grantapplication process every fiscal
year where we're able to giveout about $250,000 worth of
funds.
Nancy Barrow (02:27):
And where do the funds go?
Bill Ollayos (02:28):
Oh, to, you know, all the different folks who
apply for us. So a lot of folksout of New Haven, a lot of folks
out of the Hartford area, we cangive out 15, up to $15,000 per
grant. And so if you do the mathon that, I think we've given out
about 20 in this last fiscalyear, or whatever that works out
to be, yeah. So we're fundingdifferent initiatives that might
(02:49):
focus on helping, you know,trans sex workers in Stanford.
We also work with q plus to fundsome queer youth nights in
Southington, which is just aspace for younger folks to come
and hang out and hang out and tofeel really secure with their
identities while they're beingin community like that. So we're
really we're eager to give themoney out. So please check out
our website, CT LGBTQnetwork.org, and we have our
(03:13):
grant application. All theinformation there. Divinely you,
which is an initiative run byNadine Ruff, is a comprehensive
resource center tailored totransgender and gender and
gender diverse individuals thatwe were able to fund with one of
the recent grants in the lastfiscal year, they provide
services like assistance fortransitioning, housing support,
addiction resources and evenworkforce training. And then Q+
runs the Southington activitynights, which provides a youth
(03:34):
led affirming space for queeryouth to build community and
develop leadership skills. Butthat's just a few. I mean, we've
had applications to fund queerrollerblading night down in
Norwalk, and then one of the onethat was most popular in
Hartford, we funded aninitiative to give dentures to
queer seniors. So we really tryto cover as many bases as
possible, I know, but that's whyit's so great to be as community
(03:57):
driven as we are, because weneed to hear from the folks
about what the needs are.
Nancy Barrow (04:00):
Exactly what are the needs of the community? Why
is this so important to you?
Like, why have you done thisyour whole career, and you did
this even in your education.
Bill Ollayos (04:09):
Absolutely, I think that's a great question.
Well, so the work is reallypersonal to me, just because
LGBTQ rights are human rights,and historically, they're
incredibly overlooked, dismissedand attacked. Growing up queer
myself, I saw firsthand howthese systemic barriers in
healthcare, employment,education, they really impact
queer folks in different waysthan some of the other folks in
our community. I believe thatpolicy and advocacy are really
(04:32):
powerful tools for change, andthrough my work at the network,
I really want to makeConnecticut a safer and more
inclusive space for the nextgeneration. Equity doesn't just
happen by accident. It takesorganizing, advocacy and
persistence.
Nancy Barrow (04:43):
Tell me about the safer aspect. So as someone in
the LGBTQ plus community, do younot feel safe?
Bill Ollayos (04:49):
It really depends on the context, I think, for
myself, and really somethingwe're working at the network is
keeping intersectionality inmind. So for myself, from both
my whiteness my identity as acisgender man, I'm not often. A
space where I'm feeling unsafe,but we talk a lot about how that
is certainly not the same forour black and brown
counterparts. For transindividuals, the credit
administration, in the firstcouple weeks of their work, have
(05:10):
issued a number of executiveorders that are really stirring
up the racism that might havebeen latent beforehand, a little
bit. Not entirely, obviously.
But you know, black and brown,queer folks of color, trans
folks, they're really going tofeel unsafe in a variety of
spaces, and they also might facedifferent barriers to accessing
the support that I myself wouldeasily be able to use. Yeah, I
actually just had, we werestarting really amazing
(05:31):
conversations with the FBIchapter out of New Haven, who
wants to really focus on thereporting of hate crimes and
connecting with the network toboost that as much as possible.
I think that's a perfect examplewhere folks who are not white
are probably not going to feelcomfortable working with the
police or any sort of lawenforcement force in that
capacity, right? And so we'retrying to use that connection
with the network to try and makethem more approachable.
Nancy Barrow (05:55):
What a great idea to go talk to the FBI and talk
about hate crimes.
Bill Ollayos (05:59):
Yeah, they reach out to us too. It was amazing. I
know so really cool people thatwe're working with.
Nancy Barrow (06:04):
That is absolutely wonderful. How important is it,
because it is LGBTQ healthawareness in March? How
important is it for thecommunity in Connecticut to get
health equity and someone whotalks the pronouns? Because
that's really important.
Bill Ollayos (06:20):
Yeah, I think a big concern for folks in the
network and for the communitiesthat we serve is that that
affirming healthcare, access tothat affirming healthcare, is
really inconsistent. And so itdepends on who you're working
with, who your medical providersare, but especially for
transgender and non binaryindividuals, who are already
facing discrimination on the dayto day, working with uninformed
providers can really exacerbatesome of that trauma and make
(06:42):
them less likely to access thecare that they're entitled to.
So the LGBTQ plus networkactually conducted a needs
assessment back in 2021 wecollaborated with Yale at the we
collaborated with the Yaleconsultation Center, which was a
really fantastic initiative.
That was one of the first bigthings that the network did when
I had come on. And so that was astatewide historic landmark
(07:02):
survey where we tried to reachout to as many queer adults as
possible to just get a sense oftheir experience living in
Connecticut. And those surveyresults showed that many LGBTQ
plus people delay or avoidhealthcare due to past negative
experiences. There's a seriousneed for mental health support,
substance abuse resources andreproductive care that is
inclusive for LGBTQ pluspatients.
Nancy Barrow (07:23):
And how do you there are some providers that
know about the pronouns thatthat are empathetic and can make
someone feel comfortable. Do youwhen you find those? Do you
spread the news around like thiswould be a really great
healthcare person for you to gotalk to. They're, you know, they
know about the pronouns and howto address people. Because I
(07:47):
think that it's all a respectthing.
Bill Ollayos (07:49):
Absolutley, and we certainly try. So I would
highlight the work of the healthcollective, because we're
recording here in Hartford. Sothe health Collective is
incredibly local to the Hartfordarea, and they have a number of
queer providers themselves whoyou're going to go there, and
you're going to already feellike you're affirmed in that
space. But then if you look attheir website as well, they keep
resources related to who wouldbe good to work with. And that's
true of a number of the otherespecially the pride
(08:11):
organizations like the New HavenPride Center, might have good
resources or Q+ also. And then Iwould also just highlight that
programs like Connecticut paidleave are actually really
crucial in allowing LGBTQ plusindividuals to take medical
leave without fear of financialruin. But there's still work to
be done in ensuring healthcareproviders are fully trained in
the LGBTQ plus culturalcompetency.
Nancy Barrow (08:29):
in going back and talking about healthcare. What
are your thoughts about theimportance of mental health? You
mentioned that, right. So, whatare your thoughts about mental
health and the LGBTQ pluscommunity, because Connecticut
Paid Leave does cover mentalhealth, and you also mentioned
addiction treatment, we do coverthose, too. A lot of people
don't know that we cover those.
They are serious healthconditions, so we do cover them.
(08:51):
But how important is mentalhealth to the LGBTQ+ community?
Bill Ollayos (08:56):
Absolutely. Well so again, I want to highlight
the needs assessment that weconducted in 2021 it was a bit
tricky to do so at the timebecause COVID was kind of still
raging. It would have been a lotbetter if we could have done
more of the survey work inperson, but we still had a lot
of virtual work, a lot of socialmedia pushes to try and get a
good sense of where thecommunity stands. And so mental
health challenges really came upa lot in the survey results. 70%
(09:18):
of respondents accessed mentalhealth services in the past
three years, but 15% wererefused care due to their LGBTQ+
identity barriers. Includedaffordability. For 20% of
respondents, a lack of LGBTQplus competence among providers
and then ultimately, unfriendlyenvironments.
Nancy Barrow (09:32):
Yeah, so that's really tough trying to find. I
feel like it's it's tricky,right? When you go and you're
trying to find a therapist.
Bill Ollayos (09:39):
it's so personal.
It's so personal and sosensitive. And also, do you want
it's complicated too. Do youwant a therapist? Do you want a
social worker? Do you want apsychiatrist to maybe prescribe
something and it can be hard tofeel safe in those more
sterilized environments? Yeah,
Nancy Barrow (09:51):
I think that that's a challenge for anybody
really, to find someone that youclick with, but someone who can
speak the language that youunderstand. I think that's
really important.
Bill Ollayos (10:00):
Completely agree.
Nancy Barrow (10:01):
What would you like people to know about the
LGBTQ plus community inConnecticut? Is it? Is it a big
community? Are you tight knit?
What? What should we know?
Bill Ollayos (10:11):
Absolutely. I would certainly say that we are
large we are but that isdefinitely my bias in context,
because you know, almost all thefolks that I know are queer. So
while we might be a smallerpercentage out of the ultimate
population of Connecticut, weare here. We are strong, vibrant
and resilient. We haveincredible grassroot organizers,
advocates and leaders who workevery day to make sure the state
(10:31):
is more inclusive, but progressis not equal for everyone, so
queer youth, trans individualsand LGBTQ+ people of color,
still face higher rates ofhomelessness, healthcare
disparities and workplacediscrimination. While
Connecticut is often seen as aleader in LGBTQ+ rights, we
can't become complacent. There'sstill work to do to ensure
safety, economic security andfull equality for all LGBTQ+
(10:52):
residents. I will say that Idon't think I would ever want to
live in a state other thanConnecticut, because I'm really
confident in the statelegislature to continue
supporting LGBTQ+ issues here,and that makes me feel really
hopeful, especially when a lotof what we're hearing from the
current federal administrationis incredibly anti trans and
incredibly anti LGBTQ.
Nancy Barrow (11:11):
Well, it's good that you feel safe here in
Connecticut.
Bill Ollayos (11:14):
Connecticut actually just launched. It was
about a year ago now, but theylaunched a tourism initiative
focusing on Connecticut as asafe haven for queer folks,
which is awesome and reallyreflects the priorities of the
state. And also that is a goodreason for us to continue
pushing Connecticut to be asprogressive as possible on these
fronts.
Nancy Barrow (11:30):
Yeah. So people do feel safe, and you know, they
can come to Connecticut if theyare in a state that's not so
friendly, absolutely. So that'sa plus here for Connecticut,
Bill Ollayos (11:41):
We're actually working on a couple legislative
priorities actually related tothat topic. So we have the
access to healthcare fund thatwe would like to develop, which
will highlight the really longwait lists for transgender
healthcare and the urgent needfor doctors training and support
services. And then we're alsoworking on visibility grants,
which would emphasize fundingfor local LGBTQ plus community
centers and pride organizationsto better support families
(12:02):
fleeing other hostile states andhaving funding for initiatives
like that, especially thevisibility component,
representation is just soimportant. And so if we're
talking about Connecticut as atourist destination for queer
folks, where you should comehere, you should move here,
you're going to be safe here,it's important to really see
yourself reflected across thestate.
Nancy Barrow (12:17):
Yeah and since we're talking about health
equity, Connecticut Paid Leavealso, if someone is transgender
and well, they're going throughthe surgeries that is a serious
health condition, and we docover that as well. Yeah. So
that is another key component, Ithink, of how inclusive
Connecticut Paid Leave is.
Bill Ollayos (12:35):
So in Connecticut, we have really strong non
discrimination laws and asupportive LGBTQ plus caucus up
at the Connecticut GeneralAssembly, but nationwide, we're
seeing a rise in anti LGBTQ plusrhetoric and legislation,
especially targeting transyouth. So while these social
attitudes might have improvedand younger generations tend to
be more accepting, there's stilla real divide in access to
safety and resources, and whileacceptance is increasing, so is
(12:55):
the organized opposition, whichis making our continued advocacy
really crucial.
Nancy Barrow (12:59):
Are there any really big bills that you're
working on in the currentlegislation in Connecticut?
Bill Ollayos (13:04):
Absolutely, no specific bills right now, but we
do have a legislativesubcommittee that is on it and
has been collaborating reallyclosely with the LGBTQ plus
caucus, which is a number ofstate representatives in the
Connecticut legislature who arereally advocating and serving as
strong allies for us.
Nancy Barrow (13:17):
And that's why Connecticut is so inclusive.
Bill Ollayos (13:19):
Absolutely, we're so lucky to be here.
Nancy Barrow (13:21):
We are lucky to be here. What's the difference
between sexual orientation andgender identity? For people who
don't know the difference.
Bill Ollayos (13:29):
Oh great, that's an excellent question. So
sexuality and gender arecompletely separate. All of them
exist on spectrums, but they aredifferent concepts, and it's
really an important distinction.
So sexual orientation can run onany sort of spectrum from I am
gay, I am queer, I am a lesbian.
(13:49):
That's about who you'reattracted to. It doesn't have a
lot to do with your physicality,your biology, your expression,
necessarily, of your gender.
Sexual orientation is about thatattraction gender and gender
expression is more closely tiedto how you want to be perceived
and how you exist in your bodyand how you feel in your sense
of self. So that might have todo with your biology, but not
(14:11):
necessarily. It might have to dowith the clothes, clothing that
you choose to wear. It mighthave to do with the pronouns
that people use for you. Andagain, all of this is highly
personal and can vary. So formyself, my experience is that my
sexuality and my gender are veryseparate, and that is generally
the stance, I would say,especially legally, when folks
are approaching this issue. Butsome folks might see them a bit
(14:33):
more intertwined.
Nancy Barrow (14:35):
Yeah, it's I just wanted for people who didn't
know the difference to kind ofget the grasp that there is a
difference.
Bill Ollayos (14:42):
That's an excellent question.
Nancy Barrow (14:44):
Yeah, and is it important for continuing
education and educatingourselves about the LGBTQ+
community?
Bill Ollayos (14:53):
So if you are a cis person, or if you don't have
any trans friends or trans lovedones in your life, it might be
easy to tune out for. Thatconversation and feel like it
doesn't apply to you, but it'simportant to note, historically,
these sort of really difficultregimes that take over different
countries target the weakest ofus and the most marginalized of
us first, and then they start tocome after the stronger from
(15:15):
there. So issues that affecttrans folks, even if you don't
feel like they're personal toyou, it's important to
prioritize the safety of transyouth, especially because you
might be on the chopping blocknext.
Nancy Barrow (15:27):
And if you don't know the pronouns, the correct
pronouns, is it fair to ask? Imean, sure, is that the best way
to handle it?
Bill Ollayos (15:35):
Sure, it's incredibly personal also. So I
you mentioned that I work inhigher education at Wesleyan
University, and so Wesleyan isan incredible, incredibly
liberal, incredibly progressiveand inclusive space. And so
we're sharing pronouns, left,right and center, like you say,
share your name and yourpronouns right off the bat,
right? It's incredibly standardfor professors to start their
classes and say, What's yourname, what's your pronoun,
what's your major. It's right upthere. It's incredibly chill, is
(15:58):
the best vibe, I would say.
Nancy Barrow (16:00):
And it's wonderful for higher education to be like
that.
Bill Ollayos (16:02):
Absolutely. It's really important for education
in general to take that stance,because all children are
entitled to an inclusiveeducation space where they can
feel safe and when, especiallyin the education context, if
they're not feeling safe andperhaps are existing in a state
of fight or flight for theirentire educational experience,
they're not going to be theirbest selves and they're not
going to take what they needfrom that classroom. What I
would say is outside of theeducation context, if you're
(16:24):
just a straight cis person outin the world, connecting with
queer folks, it can be reallypersonal about what that queer
person might like. I think it'salways great to ask. I think it
can't hurt to ask. Just knowthat they perhaps might not want
to answer the questionnecessarily, but I would say
good rule of thumb, ask beforeyou assume.
Nancy Barrow (16:40):
Yeah, that's what I think that that's the safe
that's the safe route,absolutely, When did you realize
you were LGBTQ+ , and how didyou deal with others, and how
did you come out?
Bill Ollayos (16:53):
Yeah thank you so much for that question. It was
definitely a journey of selfdiscovery throughout my youth,
throughout middle school,throughout high school, I really
benefited from the communitythat was around me, and so
having resources in my highschool, having resources in my
local community, where I couldsee queer folks reflected back
at me was really game changingand really affirming to my
existence, and helped me becomethis confident queer adult that
(17:13):
I am now. I had a reallypositive coming out experience,
and so I think that's anincredible privilege that
probably intersects with some ofthe other identities that I've
mentioned here, and that's notnecessarily the case for all
folks, I think especially thesedays when we're looking at the
growing population of transyouth, and also the growing
numbers of anti trans billstalking about trans girls in
sports, trans boys in sports,all of that is really creating a
(17:35):
really hostile environment forfolks to feel like they can come
out in that capacity. And so thework that I see, it's really my
responsibility to do as someonewho carries this privilege, is
to shed light on that and try tocounteract it.
Nancy Barrow (17:46):
And have people come to you and asked for advice
of coming out, or how did you dothis and and where is there a
safe space, and how to talk topeople about it?
Bill Ollayos (17:56):
Certainly, certainly, it kind of depends on
the context that I'm in. So forthe network, with my
administrative role, I'm mostlyfocused on organizing things for
the executive board and for allthe queer folks who we already
work with. But so the work thatI do as the administrator helps
these other queer adults andqueer professionals to then
provide that care for youthacross the state.
Nancy Barrow (18:14):
How do you see Connecticut paid leave helping
the LGBTQ+ community?
Bill Ollayos (18:18):
Oh that's an excellent question. I mean, CT
paid leave is a real lifelinefor a lot of LGBTQ+ individuals.
One of the most impactfulaspects of your work is that it
recognizes chosen families,which I think is really unique
and really powerful. So a lot ofLGBTQ+ people can take leave to
care for those who aren'tlegally related, but are just as
important to their personallives. This is huge, because
many LGBTQ+ individuals,especially those who are
(18:40):
estranged from their biologicalfamilies, rely on friends,
partners and community forsupport, and also ensures that
trans people recovering fromgender affirming care, as you
mentioned, can take medicalleave without fear of losing
their Income.
Nancy Barrow (18:50):
Yeah, so our caregiver leave, we have IT
related by affinity. So forexample, if my my best friend in
California, she had a hipreplacement, if her sister
wasn't there taking care of her,I could fly to California and
take care of her and takeConnecticut Paid Leave.
Bill Ollayos (19:04):
That's awesome.
But then, who would host thepodcast?
Nancy Barrow (19:06):
That's right, I could do it from there. What
would you like people to takeaway from the podcast today?
What? What do you think weshould leave people with?
Bill Ollayos (19:17):
Oh great, great question. You know, when I think
about the work and I think aboutmy career so far, equity isn't
just about policy. It isn't justabout safe spaces. It's really
ultimately about action. And soLGBTQ+ people in Connecticut
still face barriers, but we areworking every day to close those
gaps through policy advocacy andcommunity support, whether it's
paid leave, healthcare,education or housing
(19:38):
protections, we need to keeppushing for full equality, and
everyone has a role to play,whether you're LGBTQ+ or an
ally.
Nancy Barrow (19:43):
And do you think that your community knows about
Connecticut paid leave? I
Bill Ollayos (19:47):
I think so. We had folks from your org actually
come to present at the networkand to talk about, yeah, they
did awesome work. They had afull PowerPoint to really talk
about all the benefits. And soyeah, I know a number of, even
my close friends who are alsoqueer, who have taken advantage
of the benefits.
Nancy Barrow (19:59):
Which is really wonderful. So that makes that
makes us really happy. Any finalthoughts that you'd like to
leave?
Bill Ollayos (20:05):
Best thing people can do is stay informed, get
involved and support policiesthat create a more inclusive
Connecticut. Feel free to reachout to me if you have any
questions. We are a greatresource referral agent. So I
would also start at our website,CT LGBTQ network.org, which is
full of resources andinformation. And if you reach
out to me, even if I don't havethe answer, which I might not, I
will redirect you right away tosomeone who does,
Nancy Barrow (20:26):
Oh, that's great.
I want to thank my guest, BillOlayos, for his expertise, and
thank you so much for sharingyour experiences on the paid
leave podcast. I think that'swhat really resonates with
people you know, yourexperience, your personal story.
So thank you so much for comingin and talking about it.
Bill Ollayos (20:41):
Of course, thank you so much for having me. This
was fun.
Nancy Barrow (20:43):
For more information or to apply for
benefits, please go toctpaidleave.org This has been
another edition of The PaidLeave Podcast. Please like and
subscribe, so you'll be notifiedabout new podcasts that become
available. Connecticut. PaidLeave is a public act with a
personal purpose. I'm NancyBarrow, and thanks for
(21:03):
listening.
Hello Connecticut, and welcome to The Paid Leave
Podcast. The title basicallysays it all. I'm Nancy Barrow,
and I will be delving into thisnew state program and how it can
help you and your family. Thispodcast will give you
information you should knowabout Connecticut Paid Leave and
maybe just a little bit more.
Connecticut Paid Leave bringspeace of mind to your home,
(00:22):
family and workplace. Welcome toThe Paid Leave Podcast.
LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week isin March, and it was started in
2003. It raises public awarenessregarding unique health needs
and disparities in the LGBTQplus community, and this week is
(00:42):
intended to bring attention tothe discrimination and health
disparities that affect theLGBTQ plus community, and it
also highlights many aspects ofthe LGBTQ plus community. And
here to discuss this is William,and I will call him Bill
Ollayos. Bill serves as theadministrator of Connecticut's
LGBTQ+ justice and OpportunityNetwork, an organization founded
(01:05):
by state statute in 2017 and itfocuses on empowering and
uplifting LGBTQ + communitiesthrough grant funding and policy
initiatives. And Bill is a thirdyear JD candidate at Quinnipiac
University School of Law, wherehe specializes in areas such as
administrative law, genderstudies and policy analysis, and
(01:25):
he balances all this in hislegal studies with a really
great career in highereducation, serving as an area
coordinator with the Office ofResidential Life at Wesleyan
University since 2017 he'spassionate about advocating for
LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion, andhe uses his unique blend of
policy expertise, legalknowledge and community
(01:46):
engagement. And welcome to thepaid leave podcast. Bill. So
glad to have you here.
Bill Ollayos (01:51):
Absolutely. Thank you so much for inviting me.
Nancy Barrow (01:53):
Well let's get right to it. Why don't you tell
me a little bit about what theNetwork does and what you do as
an administrator?
Bill Ollayos (02:00):
Sure So as you mentioned, the Connecticut
LGBTQ+ Justice and OpportunityNetwork. We all call it the
network.
Nancy Barrow (02:06):
Yeah, the network.
Bill Ollayos (02:06):
Yes. We were founded in 2017 by a statue, and
we're really focused onadvancing equity for LGBTQ+
folks throughout the state. Andso that might look like policy
advocacy, community outreach,and particularly grant funding,
because we do run a grantapplication process every fiscal
year where we're able to giveout about $250,000 worth of
funds.
Nancy Barrow (02:27):
And where do the funds go?
Bill Ollayos (02:28):
Oh, to, you know, all the different folks who
apply for us. So a lot of folksout of New Haven, a lot of folks
out of the Hartford area, we cangive out 15, up to $15,000 per
grant. And so if you do the mathon that, I think we've given out
about 20 in this last fiscalyear, or whatever that works out
to be, yeah. So we're fundingdifferent initiatives that might
(02:49):
focus on helping, you know,trans sex workers in Stanford.
We also work with q plus to fundsome queer youth nights in
Southington, which is just aspace for younger folks to come
and hang out and hang out and tofeel really secure with their
identities while they're beingin community like that. So we're
really we're eager to give themoney out. So please check out
our website, CT LGBTQnetwork.org, and we have our
(03:13):
grant application. All theinformation there. Divinely you,
which is an initiative run byNadine Ruff, is a comprehensive
resource center tailored totransgender and gender and
gender diverse individuals thatwe were able to fund with one of
the recent grants in the lastfiscal year, they provide
services like assistance fortransitioning, housing support,
addiction resources and evenworkforce training. And then Q+
runs the Southington activitynights, which provides a youth
(03:34):
led affirming space for queeryouth to build community and
develop leadership skills. Butthat's just a few. I mean, we've
had applications to fund queerrollerblading night down in
Norwalk, and then one of the onethat was most popular in
Hartford, we funded aninitiative to give dentures to
queer seniors. So we really tryto cover as many bases as
possible, I know, but that's whyit's so great to be as community
(03:57):
driven as we are, because weneed to hear from the folks
about what the needs are.
Nancy Barrow (04:00):
Exactly what are the needs of the community? Why
is this so important to you?
Like, why have you done thisyour whole career, and you did
this even in your education.
Bill Ollayos (04:09):
Absolutely, I think that's a great question.
Well, so the work is reallypersonal to me, just because
LGBTQ rights are human rights,and historically, they're
incredibly overlooked, dismissedand attacked. Growing up queer
myself, I saw firsthand howthese systemic barriers in
healthcare, employment,education, they really impact
queer folks in different waysthan some of the other folks in
our community. I believe thatpolicy and advocacy are really
(04:32):
powerful tools for change, andthrough my work at the network,
I really want to makeConnecticut a safer and more
inclusive space for the nextgeneration. Equity doesn't just
happen by accident. It takesorganizing, advocacy and
persistence.
Nancy Barrow (04:43):
Tell me about the safer aspect. So as someone in
the LGBTQ plus community, do younot feel safe?
Bill Ollayos (04:49):
It really depends on the context, I think, for
myself, and really somethingwe're working at the network is
keeping intersectionality inmind. So for myself, from both
my whiteness my identity as acisgender man, I'm not often. A
space where I'm feeling unsafe,but we talk a lot about how that
is certainly not the same forour black and brown
counterparts. For transindividuals, the credit
administration, in the firstcouple weeks of their work, have
(05:10):
issued a number of executiveorders that are really stirring
up the racism that might havebeen latent beforehand, a little
bit. Not entirely, obviously.
But you know, black and brown,queer folks of color, trans
folks, they're really going tofeel unsafe in a variety of
spaces, and they also might facedifferent barriers to accessing
the support that I myself wouldeasily be able to use. Yeah, I
actually just had, we werestarting really amazing
(05:31):
conversations with the FBIchapter out of New Haven, who
wants to really focus on thereporting of hate crimes and
connecting with the network toboost that as much as possible.
I think that's a perfect examplewhere folks who are not white
are probably not going to feelcomfortable working with the
police or any sort of lawenforcement force in that
capacity, right? And so we'retrying to use that connection
with the network to try and makethem more approachable.
Nancy Barrow (05:55):
What a great idea to go talk to the FBI and talk
about hate crimes.
Bill Ollayos (05:59):
Yeah, they reach out to us too. It was amazing. I
know so really cool people thatwe're working with.
Nancy Barrow (06:04):
That is absolutely wonderful. How important is it,
because it is LGBTQ healthawareness in March? How
important is it for thecommunity in Connecticut to get
health equity and someone whotalks the pronouns? Because
that's really important.
Bill Ollayos (06:20):
Yeah, I think a big concern for folks in the
network and for the communitiesthat we serve is that that
affirming healthcare, access tothat affirming healthcare, is
really inconsistent. And so itdepends on who you're working
with, who your medical providersare, but especially for
transgender and non binaryindividuals, who are already
facing discrimination on the dayto day, working with uninformed
providers can really exacerbatesome of that trauma and make
(06:42):
them less likely to access thecare that they're entitled to.
So the LGBTQ plus networkactually conducted a needs
assessment back in 2021 wecollaborated with Yale at the we
collaborated with the Yaleconsultation Center, which was a
really fantastic initiative.
That was one of the first bigthings that the network did when
I had come on. And so that was astatewide historic landmark
(07:02):
survey where we tried to reachout to as many queer adults as
possible to just get a sense oftheir experience living in
Connecticut. And those surveyresults showed that many LGBTQ
plus people delay or avoidhealthcare due to past negative
experiences. There's a seriousneed for mental health support,
substance abuse resources andreproductive care that is
inclusive for LGBTQ pluspatients.
Nancy Barrow (07:23):
And how do you there are some providers that
know about the pronouns thatthat are empathetic and can make
someone feel comfortable. Do youwhen you find those? Do you
spread the news around like thiswould be a really great
healthcare person for you to gotalk to. They're, you know, they
know about the pronouns and howto address people. Because I
(07:47):
think that it's all a respectthing.
Bill Ollayos (07:49):
Absolutley, and we certainly try. So I would
highlight the work of the healthcollective, because we're
recording here in Hartford. Sothe health Collective is
incredibly local to the Hartfordarea, and they have a number of
queer providers themselves whoyou're going to go there, and
you're going to already feellike you're affirmed in that
space. But then if you look attheir website as well, they keep
resources related to who wouldbe good to work with. And that's
true of a number of the otherespecially the pride
(08:11):
organizations like the New HavenPride Center, might have good
resources or Q+ also. And then Iwould also just highlight that
programs like Connecticut paidleave are actually really
crucial in allowing LGBTQ plusindividuals to take medical
leave without fear of financialruin. But there's still work to
be done in ensuring healthcareproviders are fully trained in
the LGBTQ plus culturalcompetency.
Nancy Barrow (08:29):
in going back and talking about healthcare. What
are your thoughts about theimportance of mental health? You
mentioned that, right. So, whatare your thoughts about mental
health and the LGBTQ pluscommunity, because Connecticut
Paid Leave does cover mentalhealth, and you also mentioned
addiction treatment, we do coverthose, too. A lot of people
don't know that we cover those.
They are serious healthconditions, so we do cover them.
(08:51):
But how important is mentalhealth to the LGBTQ+ community?
Bill Ollayos (08:56):
Absolutely. Well so again, I want to highlight
the needs assessment that weconducted in 2021 it was a bit
tricky to do so at the timebecause COVID was kind of still
raging. It would have been a lotbetter if we could have done
more of the survey work inperson, but we still had a lot
of virtual work, a lot of socialmedia pushes to try and get a
good sense of where thecommunity stands. And so mental
health challenges really came upa lot in the survey results. 70%
(09:18):
of respondents accessed mentalhealth services in the past
three years, but 15% wererefused care due to their LGBTQ+
identity barriers. Includedaffordability. For 20% of
respondents, a lack of LGBTQplus competence among providers
and then ultimately, unfriendlyenvironments.
Nancy Barrow (09:32):
Yeah, so that's really tough trying to find. I
feel like it's it's tricky,right? When you go and you're
trying to find a therapist.
Bill Ollayos (09:39):
it's so personal.
It's so personal and sosensitive. And also, do you want
it's complicated too. Do youwant a therapist? Do you want a
social worker? Do you want apsychiatrist to maybe prescribe
something and it can be hard tofeel safe in those more
sterilized environments? Yeah,
Nancy Barrow (09:51):
I think that that's a challenge for anybody
really, to find someone that youclick with, but someone who can
speak the language that youunderstand. I think that's
really important.
Bill Ollayos (10:00):
Completely agree.
Nancy Barrow (10:01):
What would you like people to know about the
LGBTQ plus community inConnecticut? Is it? Is it a big
community? Are you tight knit?
What? What should we know?
Bill Ollayos (10:11):
Absolutely. I would certainly say that we are
large we are but that isdefinitely my bias in context,
because you know, almost all thefolks that I know are queer. So
while we might be a smallerpercentage out of the ultimate
population of Connecticut, weare here. We are strong, vibrant
and resilient. We haveincredible grassroot organizers,
advocates and leaders who workevery day to make sure the state
(10:31):
is more inclusive, but progressis not equal for everyone, so
queer youth, trans individualsand LGBTQ+ people of color,
still face higher rates ofhomelessness, healthcare
disparities and workplacediscrimination. While
Connecticut is often seen as aleader in LGBTQ+ rights, we
can't become complacent. There'sstill work to do to ensure
safety, economic security andfull equality for all LGBTQ+
(10:52):
residents. I will say that Idon't think I would ever want to
live in a state other thanConnecticut, because I'm really
confident in the statelegislature to continue
supporting LGBTQ+ issues here,and that makes me feel really
hopeful, especially when a lotof what we're hearing from the
current federal administrationis incredibly anti trans and
incredibly anti LGBTQ.
Nancy Barrow (11:11):
Well, it's good that you feel safe here in
Connecticut.
Bill Ollayos (11:14):
Connecticut actually just launched. It was
about a year ago now, but theylaunched a tourism initiative
focusing on Connecticut as asafe haven for queer folks,
which is awesome and reallyreflects the priorities of the
state. And also that is a goodreason for us to continue
pushing Connecticut to be asprogressive as possible on these
fronts.
Nancy Barrow (11:30):
Yeah. So people do feel safe, and you know, they
can come to Connecticut if theyare in a state that's not so
friendly, absolutely. So that'sa plus here for Connecticut,
Bill Ollayos (11:41):
We're actually working on a couple legislative
priorities actually related tothat topic. So we have the
access to healthcare fund thatwe would like to develop, which
will highlight the really longwait lists for transgender
healthcare and the urgent needfor doctors training and support
services. And then we're alsoworking on visibility grants,
which would emphasize fundingfor local LGBTQ plus community
centers and pride organizationsto better support families
(12:02):
fleeing other hostile states andhaving funding for initiatives
like that, especially thevisibility component,
representation is just soimportant. And so if we're
talking about Connecticut as atourist destination for queer
folks, where you should comehere, you should move here,
you're going to be safe here,it's important to really see
yourself reflected across thestate.
Nancy Barrow (12:17):
Yeah and since we're talking about health
equity, Connecticut Paid Leavealso, if someone is transgender
and well, they're going throughthe surgeries that is a serious
health condition, and we docover that as well. Yeah. So
that is another key component, Ithink, of how inclusive
Connecticut Paid Leave is.
Bill Ollayos (12:35):
So in Connecticut, we have really strong non
discrimination laws and asupportive LGBTQ plus caucus up
at the Connecticut GeneralAssembly, but nationwide, we're
seeing a rise in anti LGBTQ plusrhetoric and legislation,
especially targeting transyouth. So while these social
attitudes might have improvedand younger generations tend to
be more accepting, there's stilla real divide in access to
safety and resources, and whileacceptance is increasing, so is
(12:55):
the organized opposition, whichis making our continued advocacy
really crucial.
Nancy Barrow (12:59):
Are there any really big bills that you're
working on in the currentlegislation in Connecticut?
Bill Ollayos (13:04):
Absolutely, no specific bills right now, but we
do have a legislativesubcommittee that is on it and
has been collaborating reallyclosely with the LGBTQ plus
caucus, which is a number ofstate representatives in the
Connecticut legislature who arereally advocating and serving as
strong allies for us.
Nancy Barrow (13:17):
And that's why Connecticut is so inclusive.
Bill Ollayos (13:19):
Absolutely, we're so lucky to be here.
Nancy Barrow (13:21):
We are lucky to be here. What's the difference
between sexual orientation andgender identity? For people who
don't know the difference.
Bill Ollayos (13:29):
Oh great, that's an excellent question. So
sexuality and gender arecompletely separate. All of them
exist on spectrums, but they aredifferent concepts, and it's
really an important distinction.
So sexual orientation can run onany sort of spectrum from I am
gay, I am queer, I am a lesbian.
(13:49):
That's about who you'reattracted to. It doesn't have a
lot to do with your physicality,your biology, your expression,
necessarily, of your gender.
Sexual orientation is about thatattraction gender and gender
expression is more closely tiedto how you want to be perceived
and how you exist in your bodyand how you feel in your sense
of self. So that might have todo with your biology, but not
(14:11):
necessarily. It might have to dowith the clothes, clothing that
you choose to wear. It mighthave to do with the pronouns
that people use for you. Andagain, all of this is highly
personal and can vary. So formyself, my experience is that my
sexuality and my gender are veryseparate, and that is generally
the stance, I would say,especially legally, when folks
are approaching this issue. Butsome folks might see them a bit
(14:33):
more intertwined.
Nancy Barrow (14:35):
Yeah, it's I just wanted for people who didn't
know the difference to kind ofget the grasp that there is a
difference.
Bill Ollayos (14:42):
That's an excellent question.
Nancy Barrow (14:44):
Yeah, and is it important for continuing
education and educatingourselves about the LGBTQ+
community?
Bill Ollayos (14:53):
So if you are a cis person, or if you don't have
any trans friends or trans lovedones in your life, it might be
easy to tune out for. Thatconversation and feel like it
doesn't apply to you, but it'simportant to note, historically,
these sort of really difficultregimes that take over different
countries target the weakest ofus and the most marginalized of
us first, and then they start tocome after the stronger from
(15:15):
there. So issues that affecttrans folks, even if you don't
feel like they're personal toyou, it's important to
prioritize the safety of transyouth, especially because you
might be on the chopping blocknext.
Nancy Barrow (15:27):
And if you don't know the pronouns, the correct
pronouns, is it fair to ask? Imean, sure, is that the best way
to handle it?
Bill Ollayos (15:35):
Sure, it's incredibly personal also. So I
you mentioned that I work inhigher education at Wesleyan
University, and so Wesleyan isan incredible, incredibly
liberal, incredibly progressiveand inclusive space. And so
we're sharing pronouns, left,right and center, like you say,
share your name and yourpronouns right off the bat,
right? It's incredibly standardfor professors to start their
classes and say, What's yourname, what's your pronoun,
what's your major. It's right upthere. It's incredibly chill, is
(15:58):
the best vibe, I would say.
Nancy Barrow (16:00):
And it's wonderful for higher education to be like
that.
Bill Ollayos (16:02):
Absolutely. It's really important for education
in general to take that stance,because all children are
entitled to an inclusiveeducation space where they can
feel safe and when, especiallyin the education context, if
they're not feeling safe andperhaps are existing in a state
of fight or flight for theirentire educational experience,
they're not going to be theirbest selves and they're not
going to take what they needfrom that classroom. What I
would say is outside of theeducation context, if you're
(16:24):
just a straight cis person outin the world, connecting with
queer folks, it can be reallypersonal about what that queer
person might like. I think it'salways great to ask. I think it
can't hurt to ask. Just knowthat they perhaps might not want
to answer the questionnecessarily, but I would say
good rule of thumb, ask beforeyou assume.
Nancy Barrow (16:40):
Yeah, that's what I think that that's the safe
that's the safe route,absolutely, When did you realize
you were LGBTQ+ , and how didyou deal with others, and how
did you come out?
Bill Ollayos (16:53):
Yeah thank you so much for that question. It was
definitely a journey of selfdiscovery throughout my youth,
throughout middle school,throughout high school, I really
benefited from the communitythat was around me, and so
having resources in my highschool, having resources in my
local community, where I couldsee queer folks reflected back
at me was really game changingand really affirming to my
existence, and helped me becomethis confident queer adult that
(17:13):
I am now. I had a reallypositive coming out experience,
and so I think that's anincredible privilege that
probably intersects with some ofthe other identities that I've
mentioned here, and that's notnecessarily the case for all
folks, I think especially thesedays when we're looking at the
growing population of transyouth, and also the growing
numbers of anti trans billstalking about trans girls in
sports, trans boys in sports,all of that is really creating a
(17:35):
really hostile environment forfolks to feel like they can come
out in that capacity. And so thework that I see, it's really my
responsibility to do as someonewho carries this privilege, is
to shed light on that and try tocounteract it.
Nancy Barrow (17:46):
And have people come to you and asked for advice
of coming out, or how did you dothis and and where is there a
safe space, and how to talk topeople about it?
Bill Ollayos (17:56):
Certainly, certainly, it kind of depends on
the context that I'm in. So forthe network, with my
administrative role, I'm mostlyfocused on organizing things for
the executive board and for allthe queer folks who we already
work with. But so the work thatI do as the administrator helps
these other queer adults andqueer professionals to then
provide that care for youthacross the state.
Nancy Barrow (18:14):
How do you see Connecticut paid leave helping
the LGBTQ+ community?
Bill Ollayos (18:18):
Oh that's an excellent question. I mean, CT
paid leave is a real lifelinefor a lot of LGBTQ+ individuals.
One of the most impactfulaspects of your work is that it
recognizes chosen families,which I think is really unique
and really powerful. So a lot ofLGBTQ+ people can take leave to
care for those who aren'tlegally related, but are just as
important to their personallives. This is huge, because
many LGBTQ+ individuals,especially those who are
(18:40):
estranged from their biologicalfamilies, rely on friends,
partners and community forsupport, and also ensures that
trans people recovering fromgender affirming care, as you
mentioned, can take medicalleave without fear of losing
their Income.
Nancy Barrow (18:50):
Yeah, so our caregiver leave, we have IT
related by affinity. So forexample, if my my best friend in
California, she had a hipreplacement, if her sister
wasn't there taking care of her,I could fly to California and
take care of her and takeConnecticut Paid Leave.
Bill Ollayos (19:04):
That's awesome.
But then, who would host thepodcast?
Nancy Barrow (19:06):
That's right, I could do it from there. What
would you like people to takeaway from the podcast today?
What? What do you think weshould leave people with?
Bill Ollayos (19:17):
Oh great, great question. You know, when I think
about the work and I think aboutmy career so far, equity isn't
just about policy. It isn't justabout safe spaces. It's really
ultimately about action. And soLGBTQ+ people in Connecticut
still face barriers, but we areworking every day to close those
gaps through policy advocacy andcommunity support, whether it's
paid leave, healthcare,education or housing
(19:38):
protections, we need to keeppushing for full equality, and
everyone has a role to play,whether you're LGBTQ+ or an
ally.
Nancy Barrow (19:43):
And do you think that your community knows about
Connecticut paid leave? I
Bill Ollayos (19:47):
I think so. We had folks from your org actually
come to present at the networkand to talk about, yeah, they
did awesome work. They had afull PowerPoint to really talk
about all the benefits. And soyeah, I know a number of, even
my close friends who are alsoqueer, who have taken advantage
of the benefits.
Nancy Barrow (19:59):
Which is really wonderful. So that makes that
makes us really happy. Any finalthoughts that you'd like to
leave?
Bill Ollayos (20:05):
Best thing people can do is stay informed, get
involved and support policiesthat create a more inclusive
Connecticut. Feel free to reachout to me if you have any
questions. We are a greatresource referral agent. So I
would also start at our website,CT LGBTQ network.org, which is
full of resources andinformation. And if you reach
out to me, even if I don't havethe answer, which I might not, I
will redirect you right away tosomeone who does,
Nancy Barrow (20:26):
Oh, that's great.
I want to thank my guest, BillOlayos, for his expertise, and
thank you so much for sharingyour experiences on the paid
leave podcast. I think that'swhat really resonates with
people you know, yourexperience, your personal story.
So thank you so much for comingin and talking about it.
Bill Ollayos (20:41):
Of course, thank you so much for having me. This
was fun.
Nancy Barrow (20:43):
For more information or to apply for
benefits, please go toctpaidleave.org This has been
another edition of The PaidLeave Podcast. Please like and
subscribe, so you'll be notifiedabout new podcasts that become
available. Connecticut. PaidLeave is a public act with a
personal purpose. I'm NancyBarrow, and thanks for
(21:03):
listening.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.