As usual, summer fades all too quickly. It’s hard to believe that June and the glorious celebration of Pride Month weren’t just yesterday. However, while we may hear the most about the LGBTQ community at that time, one organization ensures it’s doing what it can year-round. Scott Mullin, one of QueerHub Martha’s Vineyard’s founders, and the current coordinator, explains, “We are a group of local folks coming together to celebrate and uplift LGBTQIA+ life on Martha’s Vineyard through community, connection, and visibility.”
Mullin continues, “It was officially started in 2019 by Molly Stevens, Lydia Fischer, and me. The group began from a desire to connect LGBTQIA+ folks here on the Vineyard, because there weren’t many conventional ways to meet other queer people, and we felt that needed to change.”
In its early years, QueerHub mainly organized social gatherings, but its scope has since expanded to include vital connections both on- and off-Island. It developed organically due to relationships that Mullin happened to have. In 2022, Mullin spoke with the Island Wide Youth Collaborative (IWYC) and Martha’s Vineyard Youth Task Force (MVYTF) about what could be helpful in terms of services for the young LGBTQ community. Through Mullin’s efforts, a range of resources are now available.
QueerHub works with PFLAG Cape Cod, an LGBTQ+ organization that supports families, educates allies, and advocates for fair, inclusive laws and policies. “We bring them over for a meet-and-greet open house with parents, caregivers, and educators to talk about the services they offer,” said Mullin. “It’s an opportunity for people on-Island to meet others in similar situations, hear their stories, and learn how they’ve navigated their journeys.”
Noting that the Vineyard doesn’t offer clinical services that are LGBTQIA+ specific, QueerHub partners with Island Wide Youth Collaborative to connect individuals to Out at Home in Boston (OHB). OHB provides outpatient, therapeutic support services for LGBTQ individuals of all ages, and families, couples, and caregivers. It has also referred people to the Cape and Islands Trans Resource Fund (CITRF), whose goal is to empower transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals on Cape Cod and the Islands by providing direct financial assistance for critical needs such as housing, utilities, food security, and essential living expenses.
To support Island youth specifically, QueerHub collaborates with the Family Resource Center, Island Wide Youth Collaborative, and Youth Task Force to host monthly Youth Pride events for elementary school to high school students. They bring together LGBTQ students from various gender and sexualities alliance (GSA) groups at Vineyard schools. They also organize trips off-Island to meet GSA students from Cape schools.
Referring to the political climate in general and the way the LGBTQ community has been portrayed of late, Mullin says, “Martha’s Vineyard has the same challenges that the rest of the country has in this current climate. There are people who are supportive and those who are less supportive, as is the case in the country as a whole. So I took a step back over the summer, because I was trying to figure out what made the most sense after doing all these political, social, and educational things. I wanted to regroup to figure out what I had the mental capacity for in keeping up, not just with the LGBTQ arena, but the country in general.”
After reassessing, Mullin has begun considering QueerHub’s role in fostering community. QueerHub will continue leading efforts to bring off- and on-Island organizations to the resource tent, where people gather after the Pride Parade in June; its website will remain a central hub of information, highlighting resources as well as LGBTQ- and LGBTQ-ally-run businesses. Additionally, its Instagram page, with about 1,200 followers, will continue to be a valuable tool for staying informed about LGBTQ events and resources.
“But I’ve also begun talking to people to see who wants to get involved to take QueerHub to the next level. In my mind, I hope to host social events for different age groups to gather more regularly off-season. But also, the question is, What can we do to give back to the Island?” In that vein, they are also considering fundraising efforts for various affiliated organizations.
Mullin reflects, “QueerHub hopes to bring LGBTQIA+ positivity forward, making space for negativity to fall away. Martha’s Vineyard is generally a welcoming and affirming place for the LGBTQIA+ community. As the Island’s population grows, so too should its commitment to visibility and inclusivity, ensuring all Islanders feel safe, seen, and supported.”
For more information, visit Queerhub MV at queerhubmv.com and Instagram @queerhubmv.
