Serving as an Assistant Public Defender in a rural area comes with a unique set of challenges. For LGBTQ+ individuals, navigating the justice system in a rural community can feel particularly isolating and anxiety producing.

I am fully aware of the math of my practice. The vast majority of my clients and MSPD colleagues do not identify as LGBTQ+. Over the course of nearly three years managing close to 300 client files, I have specifically documented just 15 instances where my rainbow Ally bracelet, pin, or signature block directly prompted a client to reveal a previously unrevealed identification as LBGTQ+ or brought up a LGBTQ+ connection— a child, family member, or loved one (which could impact my representation).

Fifteen (15) out of three hundred might look small on a spreadsheet. But in indigent defense, statistics don’t capture the ripple effect of trust. Those 15 conversations represent deep, unexpected breakthroughs in attorney-client relationships that might have otherwise remained guarded.

Furthermore, I believe that this visible but non-proselytizing allyship has a profound, measurable impact on the other 285 clients who are not LGBTQ+ others with whom I interact (prosectors, law enforcement, judges, court personnel, others in court, etc.). Because I don’t bring up the issue unless my bracelet or pin prompts a question or statement, I don’t know precisely the impact, but here is what I suspect:

• Respectful/Kind silence. Some people might think mockingly of my bracelet or pin. They might think I am “woke” or identify myself as LGBTQ (which might also evoke certain emotions). Although I did see two LEO’s point in my direction once in court and overheard one later use a derogatory term for gay, with that exception, the fact that the people don’t treat me differently or say anything (as I say nothing to them about it either) is a positive response.
• Unconditional Advocacy: When a client sees their attorney openly standing up for a marginalized group in a rural area, it might signal courage. They reason: “If my lawyer is brave enough to openly support a minority community here, s/he will certainly have the backbone to stand up to the prosecutor and the judge for me.”
• A Standard of Zero Judgment: Indigent clients frequently carry immense shame or fear of being judged by the system due to substance struggles, poverty, or criminal history. Seeing an Ally symbol tells them that their attorney operates from a baseline of human dignity, assuring them they can share the absolute truth of their case without facing moral condemnation.
• Broadening Perspectives: In a rural community, witnessing a professional (known to some as a 24-year Army veteran) openly displaying LGBTQ+ allyship might help challenge stereotypes.

And whether it opens the door to a one vital conversation or reassures someone who wishes to remain quiet, or silently broaden perspectives, wearing my bracelets, pin, or my signature block, at its core, my objective is to demonstrate to everyone with whom I come in contact both interpersonal kindness and legal/professional courtesy.