Tre Rusert

they/them, identifies as queer, non-binary/trans and demisexual

They grew up in the Winona area and went to Winona State for a couple of years after high school before moving around to bigger cities for about 18 years. They moved back to the area to be closer to family and because this is where their ex-partner and kids lived at the time.

Growing up in Winona in the ’70’s and ’80’s as someone who did not fit the typical gender roles or presentations they experienced a lot of discrimination. They have been mistreated by coworkers, employers, landlords, some former friends and even some family members who didn’t understand. They still have some family members who don’t treat queer people with the respect that they deserve. Those family members aren’t allowed access to hurt them directly, but it’s still there.

Tre enjoyed the period of about 10-15 years at the beginning of the new millennium when there was less overt hatred or mistreatment of queer folks. However, they believe that the pendulum has swung back hard with the way that Trump and other GOP representatives speak about queer people and queer issues, allowing for the normalization of violent rhetoric and violent acts against queer people at a rate that hasn’t been seen in quite some time. It’s disappointing and breaks Tre’s heart that people who pretend to care for them and other queer people will still vote and are complicit in that violence.

Tre’s grandmother was immediately supportive of them and they had a small group of very supportive friends. Their immediate family did eventually become supportive.

Tre believes in the strength of community and mutual aid, that we all have diverse interests and skills, that we do better when we share those skills and work in community and that each of us has something meaningful to offer.

They try to spend their time building safety through community.

They believe that it’s best when we all learn from each other.

They are eager to learn from the “queer innovators” and the “queer youth”.

Tre kind of chuckles when they are told that they are a ‘queer elder”, but they are embracing the role. They are here to share their skills, stories and experiences with others.

Having grown up queer and gender queer in rural SE Minnesota at a time when there were no role models on tv or in the media, they honestly thought that they were the only person who didn’t fit in their body. They didn’t have any guidance for surviving a world that didn’t include people like them. They believe people can learn from hearing about that experience, but that they can learn just as much from hearing about others’ experience.

They believe we can inspire each other and we can create a rich community for others to see as a place to belong, to be welcomed, to be cherished, to be affirmed and to be supported.