NEWIEE member and Rising Professionals Co-Chair Deanna Sassorossi shares her reflection on the meaning of pride month as we enter June.

We have all felt different at some point in our lives. Whether it’s because of some physical characteristic, like our skin color, eye color, height, weight, or something as simple as forgetting it was picture day and wearing an old sweatshirt to school – we all know the feeling of feeling “othered.”

We live in a world where we are bombarded by constant messaging regarding what is normal and what is accepted. From movies, TV, magazines, books, common vernacular, all the way through legislation, we are taught a narrative that what is normal, what is accepted, what is expected, is love between a man and a woman.

Being LGBTQ+ means going against the grain and pushing back on these societal expectations. Folks in our community walk through the world every day with the weight of knowing that we are different. Some days the weight doesn’t feel heavy and I forget it’s even there. But other days, the weight is so heavy that it makes my heart race and even makes me feel unsafe. For example, working in energy has taken me all across New England doing project walkdowns and environmental assessments in remote utility corridors. Some days when I’m driving alone and seeing hateful flags, the weight feels quite heavy. I’m unsure of how interactions with landowners may go when they see me, a young woman with short hair who to most people “looks gay.” In those moments I find myself wishing I hadn’t cut my hair so I appeared more straight passing and could slip back into the closet easier. I remind myself that those thoughts are simply internalized homophobia and that I should hold my head high in how I present, knowing that who I am and who I love is worthy of respect.

For me pride is about celebrating that I have found the strength and confidence to walk through the world knowing I will feel “othered” frequently. I know people will ask what my husband does, and I’ll awkwardly respond that my wife is a Production Superintendent. I know people will ask to see wedding photos and then be surprised that I’m in a bow tie in the photos and the person across from me is also a woman. The courage to walk through the world knowing you are different and will face unique challenges — now that is something that warrants pride.

Deanna Sassorossi
Sustainability Analyst, Eversource
NEWIEE Rising Professionals Co-Chair

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