The GLBT community is in the process of great change. In the 35 years since Stonewall, our community has made huge strides establishing itself in society. Yet, ironically, as we have carved out a clear public profile, we have simultaneously lost track of one another. The GLBT community is broad and diverse, but in many respects we have splintered into factions whose paths rarely cross.

“Portrait of a Community” aims to correct this imbalance. Each portrait will be a snapshot of an individual in his or her unique environment, and will include a conversation about the substance of that person’s life and the cornerstones of his or her GLBT experience.

In this way, in time, this column will create a complete portrait of our community – one member at a time.

Age: 49

Self Definition: Native American lesbian

Where were you at 9 a.m. last Sunday morning?

I was at home getting ready for this interview.

What person has influenced you more than any other, and how?

I would have to say it is Carolyn Norman. She was my first mentor when I was 16. She is also a librarian. She helped me get my first library aid job while I was in high school. She is still my mentor 33 years later.

When don’t you feel equal?

When people make racist comments about Native Americans; when men get more respect than women

Where were you last Wednesday at noon?

I was at work helping students do research. I am a librarian for a nursing college.

When was the last time you felt proud?

My most recent proud moment was finding out I am being inducted into the San Diego Women’s Hall of Fame on March 29.

If there was a defining moment in your life, what was it?

The first time all 10 kids from the Kumeyaay Children’s Shelter came running at me yelling “Auntie”

Where were you at 10 p.m. last Friday night?

Sad to say but I was in bed reviewing my mid-term paper. I am in graduate school. I will be graduating the first week of March with an MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science degree).

What is your most immediate goal?

To get through graduate school

When do you feel total joy?

I feel total joy every time I spend all day with the kids from the Kumeyaay Children’s Shelter. They make me laugh and smile and cry knowing how much they love me.