Tully Satre
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Tully Satre (born Tully Meehan Satre on May 17, 1989 in Dover, DE) is an American gay rights activist. In June 2005, Tully Satre founded Equality Fauquier-Culpeper in the rural suburbs of Virginia. Equality Fauquier-Culpeper hit national press that summer in The Washington Post, The Washington Blade, and other news outlets such as The Advocate. That was then, this is now: Tully Satre has become one of the nation's leading youth activists for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights.
Almost overnight, Tully Satre became a nationally recognized gay rights advocate when he began his online blog which can be found online at http://tullysatre.livejournal.com. Initially, the blog appeared on John Aravosis' heavy-traffic liberal AMERICAblog (http://americablog.org) and later made headlines on AMERICAblog, Andrew Sullivan's blog, the New York Times, The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, the Culpeper Star-Exponent, The Advocate, and other news outlets when he confronted U.S. Senator George Allen (R-VA) in Culpeper during a town hall meeting.
Within a year of Equality Fauquier-Culpeper's inception, Tully has traveled around America sharing his story from rural Virginia. He has appeared on shows such as Gay USA with Andy Humm, OutQ on Sirius Satellite Radio with Michelangelo Signorile, and was the first student to appear on Richmond's Education Radio.
Among other notable accomplishments, Satre has been considered a major influence for youth activism in many social circles. This was made apparent during a Richmond-based festival where Satre was cheered to the stage and recognized as one of the nation's leading youth activists. His influence in the political arena has lead to a break in the generation gap for teens active in political activism. See Impact and Influence.
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[edit] Leadership
Tully currently serves as the hired Executive Director of Equality Fauquier-Culpeper, headquartered in Warrenton, Virginia. In January 2006, Tully founded Commonwealth Education Equality Virginia (CEEVA), Virginia’s statewide organization advocating for GLBT/Q youth, and is current president of the board. He also directs The Voice Project, an internet outreach program for GLBT/Q youth which also promotes civic participation among teens for equality. (TVP formed as an online network project known as Equality Myspace.) Tully is the official blog writer for The Advocate, and also maintains a personal blog on activism which can be found online at http://tullysatre.livejournal.com. During the Summer of 2006, Satre attended the NYU Tisch School of the Arts CAP 21 Studio for Musical Theatre.
Satre was nominated to serve on the Board of Directors for Equality Virginia, to become the first teenager to serve on a statewide gay rights organization in the United States but could not accept the position because he was under the age of 18.
[edit] Impact and Influence
Satre has impacted a generation of youth activists all around the United States. After gaining national recognition for becoming the first teenager to run a regional gay rights organization on the east coast, the minimum age range for gay activist leaders in the country has dropped. Over the past decade, teenagers have pioneered a number of movements and Satre's influence has opened the doors for gay teens to stand up for themselves. Despite the growing number of support for youth in the country, there has been a lack of peer support for gay teens. Tully Satre has stood alongside other youth activists like Steven Cozza from Scouting For All, as well as a committee with GLSEN, the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
At 16 years of age, Tully Satre, is spearheading one of the most controversial equality groups in Culpeper and Fauquier counties. "We're living in two very conservative counties that have a great amount of discrimination with no policies or laws protecting gay citizens," Satre said. "I am an activist, I'll always be an activist and age is just a number and can never define a person's capabilities." Satre, founder and executive director of Equality Fauquier/Culpeper (EFC), said the reason he wanted to create an organization that reached out to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered (GLBT) and questioning community is so that equal rights might one day be established.
Pamela Kulick / Staff Writer / Culpeper News / August 18, 2005
[edit] Awards and Nominations
- Capital Pride Hero 2006 - Washington, D.C. Pride Week.
- Colin-Higgins Foundation, Nomination
[edit] External links
- Tully Satre's Online Blog
- The Advocate
- Equality Fauquier-Culpeper
- Commonwealth Education Equality Virginia, CEEVA
- Equality Virginia
[edit] References
[edit] Sources
- Kulick, Pamela; Culpeper News
- National Stonewall Democrats "Gay Teen takes on Pompous Politician"
- Humm, Andy; GayUSA; Episode Date: Unknown.
- Gay, Sheryl; New York Times Quoted in article regarding Senatorial elections.
- The Advocate "A Senator faces off with Gen Q"
- Metro Weekly "Capital Heroes"
- Jean, Aymar; The Washington Post "Once Shunned, Student Knows He's No Longer Alone"
- Gross, Edie; The Free-Lance Star "Allen avoids 'the' question"
- Staff Editorial; Loudoun Times-Mirror "This kid's got courage"
