Keyara Helps Organize Del Norte’s First Pride Event to Make Crescent City a More Inclusive Place to Work and Live
Keyara Olson loves her hometown of Crescent City, but as a trans woman, finds it a hard place to be herself. Lack of welcoming spaces and fulfilling job opportunities have her considering moving, but Del Norte’s first Pride event promises a more inclusive future. “It's a great place for tourists. It's just not a good place for opportunity.”
A Timeless Place
For all its awe-inspiring beauty and coastal charm, Crescent City can be a bit socially isolated, says Keyara. “It’s one of those that’s behind the times. You hear about uprisings, social events and stuff like that in Southern California, all that fun stuff. But here, it's like we're 20 years behind and you can look outside and see these old cars driving the streets. It's like you're walking out into the 1980’s. The buildings are all the same.”
Finding Safe Spaces
Keyara is a 26-year-old transgender woman raised in Crescent City. She loves the rivers and forests and coastlines, and the small community she’s found solace in, but doesn’t always find it to be a welcoming place to be herself. “There's not a lot of safe spaces around here, and I don't leave my apartment very often because of that. There's very few community members that actually get together, and the people who do are brave because anything can happen. We have to be careful in what we do here in this city and county, because it's not easy to say, ‘hey, let's get together’ and not have interesting figures pop up.”
“I would hate the idea, but sometimes I feel like I have to move because there isn't work here.”
Lack of Thriving Wage Opportunities
It wasn’t easy for Keyara to find a social space she felt comfortable in, but she was able to connect with her local church that has safe and welcoming weekly gatherings. The social atmosphere of Crescent City has made it hard for her to find work as a trans woman with an autism diagnosis, so she works as a contractor online, but it can still be difficult just getting by.
“I would hate the idea, but sometimes I feel like I have to move because there isn't work here. The only jobs that are here are with the hospital, the prison, and Walmart. And the working conditions are absolutely terrible. You hear these rumors about people who have worked there and walk away almost traumatized from the experience. I don't want to get involved in a company that doesn't care about their employees, and so work is a big struggle. Especially with my disability, it's rather pressing. There aren't any accessibility options around here. And if you express that need, they're just like ‘we won't want to work with you, we'll find another candidate.’”
Room For Growth
Having grown up in Crescent City and spending some of her free time volunteering, Keyara is well-acquainted with the area's needs. She envisions playing off Crescent City’s natural beauty to strengthen tourism which will attract more businesses as well as reinforce transportation.
“Honestly, we just need to make this place a little bit more attractive to larger businesses. This town thrives off of tourism. It's all we've got. We've got to kind of really play to our strengths to make this place a little bit more attractive. I mean, no one wants to work for the prison or the hospital. And what's left?”
Photos by Amy Kumler
“The whole point of pride is to show the community that we are here, that we exist, and to not to be afraid of us because it's normal and we're just trying to be who we are, existing in the world.”
Paving The Road
Del Norte’s small population and rurality make it difficult for the local LGBTQIAS2S+ community to find their place in town, but Keyara has been helping put on Crescent City’s first ever Pride.
“The whole point of pride is to show the community that we are here, that we exist, and to not to be afraid of us because it's normal and we're just trying to be who we are, existing in the world. It's not easy for anyone involved. And so what I hope to get out of Pride, and the main reason why I put so much effort into it, is a little bit more acceptance within the community, maybe a little less discrimination, a little bit more knowledge. Educating the public on the subject is complicated. Being LGBTQ is not easy and not everyone's open to it. But we have to take the first step or it'll never change. So that's why we put so much effort into what we do. That's why I am so involved in the community. It's because we have to put ourselves out there. People want change.”
