Difficult Discussions don't always have to be difficult

Photo courtesty of Nic Roc

As many of you know, January was National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.  Here at YBH, we partnered with Shyne San Diego and Amari Dixon Photography to present Behold Her, a portrait exhibition featuring local survivors of human trafficking. During the opening reception on January 17, we were psyched to see how many people came out to join in the conversation and show their support. 

To be honest, we were a little bit surprised at the number of people who turned up. We know it’s not easy to face uncomfortable realities and be open to conversations about difficult topics. But our space was packed, and the love was real.  

It got us thinking: What brought all these people here on a Friday night when they could be out doing any number of party-like things that didn’t involve thinking about the horrifying realities of modern-day slavery? So we decided to ask around. 

Many of the event attendees were, of course, friends and family of the eight women featured in the portraits. But there were also a large number of community members who came out just because they saw a writeup on our events page, on facebook, or in one of the local alt weeklies. 

We spoke to City Heights resident Luisa Davila, who follows our comings and goings on the socials and has joined us for a few different YBH events. The 38-year-old graphic designer brought a group of friends to the opening, and although at first they weren’t all that jazzed about the idea of a human trafficking awareness event to kick off a night of partying around San Diego, here they were anyway. 

“They were a little like, ‘Eh,’” Luisa told us, “but I think they also trust that I’m going to take them to something that’s going to be worth their time.” 

(Thanks, Luisa. We love knowing that you like what we do.) 

Luisa’s friend Lawrence McGaughy, 39, was visiting from Denver. It was his first time at YBH, and he admitted that he did think the event would be a little heavier than he wanted. But a recent conversation with his sisters made him more open to the experience than he might have otherwise been. 

“My sisters are a lot more aware of this type of thing and the different tactics that are used to capture people and traffic them,” he said. “So through them and their fears and concerns, it piqued my interest.” 

(We think that’s an interesting point. Sometimes having a personal connection gives weight and immediacy to causes we might otherwise dismiss or overlook.)

Lawrence also said that while he assumed it would be a heavy experience, he was surprised to find that the mood was more uplifting than he expected. 

“It’s not a downer at all,” he said. “Everyone seems to be very positive.” 

We feel the same way. Like we said earlier, the love was real. And it made us think maybe that’s the key to having difficult conversations and facing uncomfortable realities: doing so in the context of a supportive community. That’s what we strive for all day every day—to create an environment where people feel heard, included, informed, supported, and even a little jazzed. :)

Ms. Geraldine Adams, 80, seemed pretty jazzed that night. She was also here at YBH for the first time. Ms. Adams lives in the neighborhood and said she wasn’t at all scared off by the topic. In fact, she came specifically because she wanted to know more about human trafficking, what other people are doing about it and what she can do about it.   

“I’m interested in all kinds of things,” she said. “Now that I know about this place, I’m going to come back. There’s all kinds of interesting things going on.”

(Right on, Ms. Geraldine. We loved meeting you and we can’t wait to have you back.)

So basically, what we’re trying to say is that we want to face this world head on. And we want to do that with you. Even if some of the issues that arise feel like too much to face, or they’re too painful or too scary to think about, we’re in this together. Our community is your community, and we want you here. 

You know why?

Because you belong here. :)

P.S. Speaking of difficult conversations and such, we’re having our next Elephant Talk on Thursday, February 13 from 7:15-8:45pm. The topic will be polyamory / monogamy / relationship styles. Oughta be a good one. Register here.