Trailblazers - Kassie Thornton and Christy Spitzer - Ep. 20

In 2011 my then MTV colleague Christy Spitzer walked into my office, and happily pronounced  her lengthy, self-imposed dating sabbatical - one we had discussed at length over the course of the past year - was finally over.  And it was over because of Kassie Thornton - a sensational woman she had recently met through mutual friends. Though it was only a few weeks in, she had a hunch this was the real deal, that this one was somehow different from the rest. She was right. Not because she had never been with a woman before - no that was not the only life changing part of the story, not even close. No the real hum dinger was that shortly after that conversation, a random, fleeting moment in the back of a NYC cab would change the course of their lives.

What happened next and what they did about it helped create case law so that others who find themselves the unfortunate target of discrimination, will now have legal precedent. They became a face for the LGBT community in Hilary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the subject of numerous articles in mainstream media across the globe - reminding the world it is never ok to discriminate. Ever. 

It might surprise you to know that Christy and Kassie are reluctant poster girls. And their motive for taking the action they did will probably surprise you despite the rampant hate mail they’ve received since their story went public, wrongly accusing them of having nefarious motives.  More on that in the conversation. At any juncture along the way they could’ve quit. When you hear the full story you’ll understand why. I’m sure they thought about it. But they didn’t. They hung in there. For 3 years. It’s been stressful and time consuming, expensive and incredibly infuriating at times. And it’s not over yet. To say I admire them for their tenacity, and courage is an understatement.  

Im extremely proud to call them my friends. They have reminded me the impact every day people in every day ways can change the world and frankly make it a better place to roam. I hope their story will inspire you to stand up for something you believe in, should the opportunity ever present itself. Doing nothing, frankly, makes you complicit and creates opportunity for offenders to strike again. And again. 

It may not always be easy… but often the most important things we will ever do with our lives aren’t. Ask the people of Baltimore who stood vigil in front of locally owned stores to protect them from being looted (just one of many of the positive accounts you DIDN’T hear), or 16 year old, Malala Yousafzai the muslim, Pakistani teen who became a powerful women's rights activist after fighting for her right to an education - whether their respective and hard won battles have been worth it. And if she were still with us, I’m pretty sure Rosa Parks would answer you with a resounding YES.  This is how we change the world. All of us. Take a stand. Right where you are. You matter. The way you are treated matters. Have the courage to speak up and take action. And if you need a word of encouragement, you know where to find me.  

This episode is sponsored by The Podcasters' Studio.

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