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About Us

Mission and Values

The Queer-Oriented Rural Resource Network (QORRN) is dedicated to helping LGBTQ+ individuals in rural communities access the resources and services they need.

We value the important work that is happening on the ground in rural communities all across America. Our aim is to elevate the profile of existing resources and to amplify their messages so that people in need can find them easily.

We recognize that the LGBTQ+ communities are expansive and expanding. We strive to include resources that attend to a wide variety of needs, identities, and experiences.

Importantly, we know that struggles are interconnected: the quest for Queer liberation is intrinsically connected with the quests for Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Immigrant liberation. Black Lives Matter. Black Queer Lives Matter. Black Trans Lives Matter.

Our Approach

We serve rural Queers in the following ways:

  • Resource Mapping. Our volunteers look for LGBTQ+Focused and LGBTQ+Friendly resources in rural areas. We publish details about the providers we find, including addresses and phone numbers, mission statements, and other pertinent information.
  • Community Engagement. We collaborate with other DeKalb, IL groups and non-profits to offer community events that celebrate Queer life in Northern Illinois.
  • Education and Outreach. QORRN founder Frankie DiCiaccio shares insights from QORRN’s work in the form of interviews, presentations, peer-groups, and op-ed publications. 

Context

In April 2019, the Movement Advancement Project (in partnership with the Equality Federation, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and the National Black Justice Coalition) published a report called “Where We Call Home: LGBT People in Rural America”. They found that between 2.9 and 3.8 million people living in rural America are LGBT and that they face higher rates of discrimination due to “the social and political landscape of rural areas.”

One particularly telling line from the report summary reads:
“…the greater social and geographic isolation of rural areas means there are fewer support structures available to LGBT people in rural areas. When LGBT people in rural areas face discrimination, or even simply are struggling with acceptance or coming out, there are fewer places to turn for social support, legal support, or even just basic information.”

Later in 2019, QORRN was founded to help point people to the resources available to them at the local, statewide, and inter/national levels.

Our Team

QORRN is 100% volunteer run. We would not exist without dedicated and generous volunteers and supporters. We gratefully acknowledge the following individuals for their contributions:

Anonymous • Zahra Barnes • Andrea Bartels • Mélisa Breiner-Sanders • Ally Camelio • Daisy Campuzano • Brandon Chiou • Gwendolyn Perry Davis • Frank DiCiaccio • Frankie DiCiaccio • Joey Donnelly • Lindsay Kulla Ellis • Kelsey Ettman • Brian Evans • Madisyn Fairchild • Jeremy Floyd • Claire Frederiksen • Jason Holmes • Corinna Joyner • Martha Koch • Andrea Levine • Andee McEvoy Ryerson • Daniel McCarey • Jules Nestler • Lauren Noll • Alexander Pepperman • Jenny Petersen • Diana Raiselis • Anne Schuler • Enrico Spada • Michala Stock • Walls Trimble • Rachel Valdez

Executive Director
Frankie DiCiaccio

Spring 2021 Intern
Daisy Campuzano

Website Design and Support
Enrico Spada

Logo Design
Bowie Dunwoody

Contact Us

We value your thoughts and look forward to hearing from you. Please note that because QORRN is 100% volunteer-run, it may take some time for us to respond to your inquiry.

Contact Us
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Annual Reports

Our Annual Reports chart QORRN’s progress and offer reflections and goal-setting at the end of each year.
• 2023
2022
 2021
2020

Press

Visit our Press page for relevant releases. With inquiries, contact Executive Director Frankie DiCiaccio at info@QORRN.com.

 

Due to the volume of resources included in our network, QORRN is unable to vet individual providers. QORRN reserves the right to remove any provider from our network at any time.