Manrriquez, Jessica

In this interview, Jessica Manrriquez details coming-of-age as a Lesbian of Color in the Mississippi Delta. She discusses bullying and ridicule she faced in school regarding her weight, her race, and her masculine gender expression which made it difficult to make friends. During much of her school years, she struggled with depression and other mental health issues that were exacerbated by abuse and difficulties in school. Manrriquez also shares her journey through mental health treatment, and her advocacy work on behalf of marginalized folks. Two notable organizations she discusses her involvement is the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ+, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming students in the state of Mississippi, as well as Southerners On New Ground (SONG), an organization devoted to the liberation of LGBTQ+ folks across the south