Hello!

My name is Kristin Russo, and I have been working with LGBTQ communities for over a decade. Currently, I speak at workplaces and community organizations about creating safe(r) spaces and supporting the LGBTQ young people in their lives. I am also hard at work writing A Quick & Easy Guide to Coming Out with Oni Press, set for release in 2024.

I am the co-founder of My Kid Is Gay and author of This is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids (Chronicle, 2014). I hosted an annual All Ages Pride Party in NYC for seven years and worked as host and producer of the PBS Digital Series “First Person.”

I have my masters degree in Gender Studies and have been out as a queer woman for over twenty years.

This Patreon page exists for two main reasons:

First, as a community space to read our favorite queer books and watch our favorite queer movies together! I've called the space Queer Homeroom because our conversations often feel like a beautiful place to gather, regroup, and recenter before walking back out into the larger world.

We typically read four fictional books each year as a group, and two non-fiction books with a bit more of an academic "bent" to them (but don't worry, we are very chill). Often, books are paired with films that connect in some way to the theme, and sometimes we watch films together just for fun in the Queer Homeroom Discord.

Second, as a place to lend your financial support to my work speaking to lower-funded workplaces and community organizations. Each month I donate a virtual speaking event to organizations that have less funding — and because of this I have speak to city-run social work organizations, library groups, faculty at middle and high schools, and many others.

Funding here also goes to support smaller costs such as the maintenance and hosting of two e-Care packages from My Kid Is Gay, and other small, administrative operating costs.

My work has evolved so much over the years, in response to the changing landscape and need for conversation — and all of it has been made possible by the support of the larger community.

Thank you!