Conversation with Elena Joy Thurston
Elena Joy Thurston
What inspired you to create Pride and Joy Publishing company? What was the process like?
So much of the publishing world is gatekept from brilliant, diverse, and specifically LGBTQ+ voices. For me, this was even more personal as I was well on my way to publishing my own book after my Ted Talk went viral. Although it raked in over 45 thousand views and led to many incredible opportunities, the publishing company I was working with at the time dumped me out of nowhere stating that my social follower counts just weren't there. I don't want anyone to ever experience what I experienced. You don't need a massive social presence or a certain set of accolades to have something worth publishing and sharing with the world.
Pride and Joy Publishing was founded to amplify those voices who might have otherwise been silenced by heteronormative publishing houses and fame checkers.
Why was Thriving in Business your first choice of topic?
The Pride and Joy Foundation held a virtual two-day summit in May of 2021. The first day of the summit was jam packed with queer influencers and business owners who had valuable information to deliver to any young person or soon to be business owner who felt like there were impossible hurdles between them and living visibly as a successful professional. The second day of the summit was all about providing support to parents of LGBTQ+ children, LGBTQ+ families and community leaders. On day two, we discussed the heavy topics which included everything from allyship in faith communities to transitioning, parenting queer youth, and finding community.
Our leadership team overwhelmingly felt like the contents of this summit were just too good to leave behind in the digital stratosphere. We wanted to synthesize that helpful content and wrap it up into something people could turn to again and again. That was how Thriving in Business was born. We gathered 14 authors (mostly from the summit) and had them translate their speeches into a chapter of the book. Little by little, we packaged all the collective wisdom into something our young people and first-time entrepreneurs could keep with them forever.
How did you choose the authors for Thriving in Business? Why was it important to you to have Lisa, an ally, write a chapter?
Most of our authors were speakers at the summit or involved in the summit in some capacity. We are lucky to have a vast network of incredible LGBTQ+ changemakers so the choosing came very naturally.
We asked Lisa to write for us because as with all forms of allyship, it's crucial to have that added perspective. We know our authors and readers will want to share this work with their loved ones. We wanted a chapter that could speak to those who want to show up for the queer people in their life but might feel the weight of the challenge and the loneliness that can come with potentially being the only ally in a queer person’s life. It can be scary to watch your loved ones choose to be openly visible as an LGBTQ+ person. Lisa's chapter addresses that journey, including the self-evaluation and the steps she took to fill in the gaps she saw in herself and in her daughter's coming out journey.
What do you hope to publish in the future?
A wide range of work that truly represents how vastly diverse, talented and unique our community is. Our ultimate goal is to publish work that will help queer folks get the leg up we wish we had, but step one is visibility. It's time to put an end to the gatekeeping of queer voices and get the work out to the public. The more visible we are, the more we can learn from one another and support each other.
How will the proceeds of Thriving in Business support the work of the Pride and Joy Foundation?
All of the funds raised through the first book will go towards producing the next book. Our incredible authors signed on knowing this and I think that's the clearest example of how incredible our community is. We want so badly to help each other in whatever way we can. This book will absolutely be the catalyst for many, many queer authors to come.
What are some of the most meaningful moments you’ve had while speaking or interacting with queer youth (and/or parents/teachers/allies)?
The first is one I speak about mostly when I'm conducting a corporate training or teaching the importance of inclusion in business spaces. Often, I think we tend to think these trainings fall on deaf ears or don't make the impact speakers claim they have. This interaction changed all of that for me.
It was during one of my regular LGBTQ+ inclusion training sessions at a corporation. It was a one-day training that stretched over the course of several hours. For the first half of the day, I noticed a man sitting, arms crossed, disgruntled face and on the surface, seemingly unhappy to be in the room. Without directly addressing him, I continued with the training until we came to a portion of the discussion in which I invited open dialogue.
The man uncrossed his arms, leaned forward and said, "My sister came out to me many, many years ago and we have not spoken since. I want to fix that but I have no idea how. What do I do?"
From the back of the room, a queer employee who had not yet come out at work identified himself and offered to help this man with opening up the conversation with his sister. The two made plans to go to lunch and talk it over.
This was one of the most profound experiences I've had with queer inclusion speaking gigs.
What do you enjoy most about speaking?
My all-time favorite experience came up following a speech I gave at a local high school. After the speech was done, I opened up the floor for Q&A. A young girl raised her hand and asked, "How do you do that? How do you just throw out the L word (lesbian) like that?! I want to be able to do that."
It's moments like that when I remember how important it is to be visible as an LGBTQ+ person. Speaking and being visible not only helps potential allies put a face to the label but it also helps those who need it most feel empowered to be visible themselves.
