Rainbowpalooza of Years Past: A Look Back

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Seba Johnson – Olympian and Vegan Since Birth

Seba Johnson made history at the tender age of 14 as the youngest Alpine Ski Racer in Olympic History and the first Black female to ever ski in the Olympics. As an animal rights activist, and a vegan since birth, Seba protested what would have been her third Olympic Games because the host country lifted their moratorium and resumed practice of commercial hunting for minke whale. Always compelled to speak out against various forms of oppression, Seba’s unique perspective on life solidifies her unwavering commitment to help create a more hospitable place in which to live, for all earth’s inhabitants. Now a certified Yoga teacher, Seba continues to work on writing a memoir. Seba’s history-making Olympic skis are currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. Website: http://www.sebajohnson.com

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Eloisa Trinidad – Vegan Food Justice and Anti-Colonial Liberation Activist

Eloísa Trinidad is a total liberation activist and organizer focusing on animal rights and human rights. She approaches liberation praxis and veganism with an anti-colonial framework to raise awareness of how Western colonialism has affected and continues to affect the plight of more-than-human persons and human persons, and how it has changed the food system and our relationship with each other and to the natural world.

She is the founder of Vegan Activist Alliance and serves as Executive Director for Chilis on Wheels.

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Roger Barraby – Winner of the International Gay Games

Roger Barraby grew up on a one-way street in Windsor, Vermont. Ever since graduating high school, he has found himself moving in many directions. One of the most consistent of these has been running in circles around an athletics track.

Roger completed four years of NCAA eligibility at Franklin & Marshall College, making two Centennial Conference finals in individual events alongside relay success. After spending a few years on the DL throughout the pandemic, he managed to make a comeback. Now registered with USATF and fresh from his first international championship win at the Gay Games this past fall in Mexico, Roger is back on track. A loyal Vermonter, he helps mentor athletes from Windsor High School and looks to inspire his community to compete on a world stage in whatever they wish.

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Tillie Walden – Comics and Queerness in Vermont and Beyond

Tillie Walden has published five graphic novels and a webcomic. She won the 2018 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work for her graphic novel Spinning, making her one of the youngest Eisner Award winners ever. She was named Vermont’s Cartoonist Laureate for the years 2023 to 2026.

From Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home to Charles Schulz’s Peanuts, comics have been a part of American culture since print first began. But comics are no longer relegated just to the newspaper, and as books like Maus or Persepolis have proven, this is a golden age for graphic novel storytelling. What is even more exciting is how the comics industry is currently championing narratives for all identities and ages.

Vermont Cartoonist Laureate Tillie Walden presents a look at the intersection of indie comics with queer identity through her many graphic novels—from science fiction to memoir to historical retelling. Explore process and power through visual narrative and learn why comics are relevant to Vermonters and beyond.

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