Hello everyone!

My name is Mason Hickman, my pronouns are they/them/theirs and I’m a rising senior in Political Science and Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies at The Ohio State University. During my fellowship with The Columbus Foundation, I will be working as the Field Organizer for the Equality Ohio Education Fund!

The mission of Equality Ohio is to advocate and educate in order to achieve equal opportunity and prevent discrimination for all LGBTQ+ Ohioans. Growing up, I endured severe bigotry due to my sexual orientation and gender identity. Just like many others in the LGBTQ+ community, I feared that I would not be able to live a full life because I would be treated as a second class citizen. We have come a long way, but there are still battles to be won, and I am so grateful to be working alongside some of the most fearless activists.

My first week at Equality Ohio was exciting as I’ve been getting to know the whole team. On my first day, the Masterpiece Cakeshop decision came out where the Supreme Court sided with a baker who refused to sell a cake to a same-sex couple. From there, we held an outreach event on my very first day so that we could let individuals know that this ruling was not a reason to lose hope. As a previous intern at Planned Parenthood, I am very familiar with outreach events because they’re a phenomenal way to connect with the community. This week I also had the opportunity to travel to Dayton to see firsthand how Equality Ohio’s curriculum is taught to businesses, giving them the tools they need to create a safe and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ employees. Part of my work this summer will be modifying this curriculum to make sure it’s the most effective that it can be. When I’m not working on that, I’ll be organizing fundraising events as well as volunteer outreach events.

Needless to say, I am incredibly lucky to be part of such a great team that has such a passionate mission. I am really looking forward to what I can do for this organization over the next ten weeks, and all that I will learn while I am here.

Equality Ohio folder