Meet Eric Ramsey | Mental Health Worker and Community Organizer/Activist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric Ramsey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, what are you inspired by?
I think that the thing I find myself most inspired by on a daily basis is simply my community. The beautiful, diverse, LGBTQIA+ community that I am more than proud to belong to. I continuously find myself amazed and awe-inspired by the LGBTQIA+ individuals who I meet that are living their lives truthfully and authentically, despite consistent circumstances that would encourage otherwise. Despite the adversity the community continuously faces (such as all the current anti-Trans bills being proposed/debated), we’ve made so many strides and we continue to grow and live our lives loudly and proudly.
But to me, and I think most others, being part of the LGBTQIA+ community has become about so much more than simply being Gay or Lesbian or Bisexual or Transgender; it’s become about being true to oneself. To that end, I am constantly inspired by my friends and chosen family who continue to fight every day for LGBTQIA+ equality, and who continue to show the youth of tomorrow that being different is perfectly okay, and even normal.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I do community organizing and activism as part of In Solidarity, which is an LGBTQIA+ led social justice organization. Though we do a lot of work within the LGBTQIA+ community itself, such as putting on inclusive Pride events and educational events, we also support and do work for a variety of other causes that we believe in too, such as immigration reform, Black Lives Matter, gender equality, and more. I believe that the fight for LGBTQIA+ liberation is intrinsically linked to the various other fights against oppression that are currently gripping our country, and our fight must absolutely be tied to racial justice and gender equality.

And it definitely hasn’t been easy at all. As part of my organizer journey, I’ve really had to hold difficult inner conversations with myself in order to come to terms with and overcome personal biases that, at times, I wasn’t even aware of…but in the end ,it’s been such a rewarding experience, especially being able to meet and work alongside individuals of all walks of life who are also fighting to enact social change. At the end of the day, I really just want to leave the world a little bit better off than it was when I entered it. For me, it isn’t about name recognition or advancing some sort of agenda…I just want to help people, no matter how big or small the act ends up being.

As for my professional life, I am a peer support specialist and I work primarily with youth; mental health advocacy is another passion of mine, and my longterm career goal is to one day do mental health work within the LGBTQIA+ community…perhaps by opening my own practice eventually. I am actually almost done with my bachelor’s degree (finally!) and then I will work towards my masters. My educational journey has been a difficult one too, but all in all, things are finally starting to come together.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of my favorite places in all of Dallas (I call it my “happy place”) is White Rock Lake. I just love to go out there, jog or run, get on the lake in a kayak, or just sit in the grass and read a book/listen to music. I know that that is a pretty busy area, but the lake reminds me of a lake back home in South Texas (I’m not a Dallas native) and I love how serene and quiet it can be at times.

After that, we’d have to do the obvious items: Dallas Farmers Market, some authentic tacos (there are so many good places to choose from!), and check out some of the awesome museums we have like the Museum of Art and the Crow Museum of Asian Art.

I’m honestly more of a spontaneity sort of guy as opposed to “let’s make a plan,” so we’d probably just end up where ever we end up!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people in my life who deserve a shout out and a thanks. But first and foremost I’d like to thank my In Solidarity organizing family: Freyja, Kelsie, and Sabrina. They constantly serve as a source of support and inspiration and empowerment for me to continue the work that we do, even when it’s difficult and exhausting and emotionally draining. I actually almost completely stepped away from organizing for personal reasons before they came around and helped me realize how worth it and how important it is (and how easy it can be with the right people beside you), and they drive me to keep doing bigger and better things for our community.

I’d also like to give a shout out all the other community organizers (of whom there are too many to name) that I have come to call friends, family, and allies, for doing the work and also serving as a source of inspiration and support and as a source of learning and growth, too.

Just like it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to enact social change, and I’m honored to stand beside so many amazing organizers and activists from all walks of life.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InSolidarityDFW