Two Generations Of Queer Women Reflect On Life, Love And Feminism

For these two generations of queer women, the concept of “family” isn’t defined by race, sexuality or gender.

Kali Villarosa and her mother, Vickie Steller, sit down for a candid chat about their unique family structure, as well as the future of feminism and LGBTQ rights, for a new video produced by GLAAD to mark Women’s History Month. Villarosa references multiple “mothers” throughout the video, while her biological father is a gay Latino man.

Steller’s former partner, who is Villarosa’s biological mother, is black. Her wife is white.

“It’s always been important to us to be super authentic and true to ourselves and present that part of ourselves publicly,” Steller says in the video. “So it was always very important for us from the time you guys were born to raise you guys to feel really positive and proud about who you were, about who your family was.”

A member of GLAAD’s Campus Ambassador program, Villarosa adds, “I have all these historical figures I can honor ― all these very strong queer women who have come before me. But I also have the very strong queer women right in front of me.”

Clare Kenny, GLAAD’s campaign manager in charge of youth engagement, told HuffPost that the video was part of the LGBTQ rights organization’s aim to honor families like Steller and Villarosa’s “who have long represented the brilliance, beauty and potential of a family that is truly accepting.”

“It is vital for audiences, particularly young queer women, to see themselves — and the trailblazers that came before them,” Kenny said.

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