This post is an interview with one of our new interns. Welcome, Heather!

Who are you?

Quite the existential question. My name is Heather Noble, and I’m from the New Jersey suburbs of New York City. I’m an upcoming junior at Smith College in Northampton, MA where I’m studying both government and religion. I am incredibly interested in how the two tend to collide in US politics. I’m also working toward getting my Massachusetts early education teaching certificate.

What brought you to Family Equality Council? What interests you about LGBT families?

I actually heard about the Family Equality Council through a Jewish lobbying organization in Washington DC. I was looking at working for them, and through their website stumbled across this organization and immediately fell in love. I’ve always loved working with children and the combination of politics and children seemed almost too perfect to be true, so I applied and here I am.

Do you remember a specific moment or story that made you become an advocate for equality? For LGBT families specifically?

I’ve spent the last year or so working at a very liberal child care center near Smith, and a majority of the children I worked with there come from families that navigate away from the typical nuclear family that society so often pushes. The school does an incredible job of representing a variety of different types of families, including single parent, two moms, two dads, a mom and a dad, or children living with other members of their extended family. My work there exposed me to a new world of child care that I had not previously explored and I have really enjoyed the process of teaching children to accept differences. My work there in conjunction with my own experiences led me to become a huge advocate for LGBT rights, specifically in relation to family law.

What are you most looking forward to about working with Family Equality Council?

The kids! As I mentioned I love them. I’ve worked with kids in camps, day cares, and schools, through babysitting and public events, and I even have a three year old brother. When I decided to major in government I thought my only future interactions with kids would be by having or adopting my own, so I’m thrilled that I found a way to combine my loves for social justice and children in such an important way.

Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?

A full-time Family Equality Council employee? Just kidding… kind of. I had been thinking about either early childhood education or non-profit work, but it’s a mystery for the most part.

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