Patricia Fontaine
As someone with a big facial birthmark who has faced bullying for both her appearance and her queerness, Patricia has a message for youth who feel being ‘different’ means not belonging. Being welcomed and celebrated as your true self is a right - and Outright is a place where all youth can experience that belonging.
Patricia‘s relationship with Outright dates way back to Outright’s founding in 1989, and through more than 30 years she has seen Outright consistently show up to meet the moment. When she first set foot on the land at Sunrise, and witnessed youth deeply engaged in dreaming up the future of that land, Patricia knew it was time to return and join Outright’s bold and ambitious mission. Patricia is truly excited to be part of what the Strategic Plan names as an irresistible organization, building a creative and joyful force against oppression.
Patricia’s lifetime of community service work here in Vermont has taught her many valuable lessons that she brings to her role on Outright’s board. She teaches a class called Healing Art & Writing for people living through illness and transitions, where she loves leveraging creativity to invite truth, confidence, and resilience. While a member of the Equity & Diversity Committee in the town of Shelburne, she learned that effective social justice work leans on building, maintaining, and sustaining meaningful relationships - an area in which she sees Outright as true leaders. As a fundholder at the Vermont Community Foundation, Patricia has visited with many nonprofits, and has seen that self-and community care is essential to staying in this work for the long haul.
As a longtime meditator and social justice learner, Patricia is always looking for ways to make renewal and resourcing easy and accessible. In her free time, she enjoys birdwatching, and her favorite bird right now is the Swallowtail Flycatcher, with its long swishy tail and apricot armpits. She also loves to confer with Tarot cards for inspiration and guidance, and even knows how to practice dowsing, a divination practice for gaining insight into a question or situation. Look it up, it’s pretty cool!
