Misty Neergaard

Misty Neergaard is a candidate for Tennessee House, District 33

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LET'S DO THIS: Turn an abandoned hateful church into an LGBT homeless youth shelter

Yesterday we learned that Harlem’s infamous “Jesus Would Stone Homos” hate church has been ordered to public auction due to over $1M in unpaid bills.

Remember Atlah Worldwide Church in Harlem? The church that wrote “Jesus Would Stone Homos” and other anti-LGBT messages on its marquee?

They racked up over a million dollars in unpaid bills, and now the building is up for public auction. The Ali Forney Center, which houses about 107 homeless LGBT youth in New York City, is ready and willing to make an offer, buy the space and convert it into an LGBT homeless youth shelter – if we can help them come up with the money. 

Since 2014, local Harlem residents have opposed Rev. Manning’s messages of hatred and violence by organizing a series of events to raise funds for the Ali Forney Center, as well as to increase awareness of the needs of homeless LGBT youths. Also they have organized a series of protests outside of Atlah Church. These efforts, under the name of Love Not Hate, have been coordinated by Stacy Parker Le Melle.

“I am ecstatic to imagine a future where our Harlem corner will be a home of compassion, not hatred.  We have a homeless problem in New York City. The de Blasio administration is working hard to remedy this, but LGBT young people are especially vulnerable with the shelter system. They need protection.  The Ali Forney Center is a beacon, but they need more space for transitional housing and job training. I can’t imagine a better use for that property.  Who needs more luxury condos?  We need to care for the most vulnerable in our midst.”

Le Melle continued “When the ATLAH story broke on Thursday, immediately I heard from neighbors: wouldn’t it be amazing if an LGBT group could acquire the property? What if it were the Ali Forney Center?  We all knew that this would be poetic justice. We need to care for those kicked out of homes, often on religious-based grounds. We need to care for those most vulnerable to ATLAH’s hate speech.”

Ali Forney needs at least $200k to begin to make this happen. If you can, donate. If you can’t, spread the world. There’s a whole lot of need in Harlem, and how amazing would it be to take a place that was a site of such hurt and vitriol and turn it into something truly life-saving?

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Meet Misty

Upcoming public events where you can meet the candidate in person.

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I am challenging Rep. John Ragan and respectfully asking for your vote for Tennessee State House seat, District 33rd (Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, Clinton, Lake City). Read more here. 

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Where is District 33?

Where is District 33?

You can find out if you are a resident of Tennessee State House discrict 33 by following this link.

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I learned my values through hard work in rural Wisconsin.  As an exchange student, I learned to listen to diverse points of view. I have always been interested in education, and gained an appreciation for educators through homeschooling my own children and working to make their environment safer, more productive places for them.

I was raised in a farming community outside Oconomowoc, Wisconsin; there I learned the value of hard work. As a child I hauled buckets of water to the horse stable during the freezing northern winters and I stacked hay in the stifling heat of the summer. I earned my first real paycheck as a maintenance worker for my family’s small manufacturing business where my mother served as President.

After high school I was able to spend a year living in Belgium as an exchange student. My view of the world was changed during that time and it ignited my passion for hearing stories from people of all walks of life. I also developed a deep respect for the art and power of diplomacy. I returned to America with the intention of becoming a diplomat for the State Department.

At the age of 22 I graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a double major in Political Science and International Relations. During my time there, I met my future husband, Mike. It was love at first sight; we have not missed a day speaking with each other since.

After graduation, I relocated with my new husband to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where he furthered his career as a mathematician. We lived in Los Alamos for nine years as my focus turned to raising our two sons, Maitland and Marcel. I indulged my love of animals by volunteering at the Wildlife Center raising orphaned baby animals, such as chipmunks, squirrels and raccoons.

Mike and I delighted in projects aimed at making science fun at the local elementary schools. We created classroom demonstrations and worked with students to explore science with hands-on activities. The family moved to Oak Ridge in 2005, and continued our work of creating fun science experiences for kids by doing in-class science models and demonstrations.

Three years after moving to Oak Ridge, one of my sons unexpectedly struggled in the classroom and began to lose interest in school. The family decided homeschooling was the best available option to keep our kids engaged. The next school year I wrote a custom curriculum for each son, and worked to instill coping strategies to help my children thrive in the classroom. We took time to travel and explore the community around us. It was a terrific, although challenging, learning experience for everyone. I saw first-hand the thankless, never-ending work expected of our educators; a respect and passion that I carry today. Both children returned to the public school system the following year without difficulty.

Our household experienced a dramatic shift, however, when our younger son Marcel became the target of severe bullying in 5th grade. For Marcel’s 6th grade year I again chose to homeschool, while also working to create a safer environment for my son.

To our family’s pleasant surprise, Marcel soon blossomed into a nationally-recognized safe schools activist. This past summer, with the family’s help and support, he launched an online petition which gained over 50,000 signatures in less than a week. Marcel has since returned to public school and continues his advocacy by meeting with fellow students, school officials, and his state senator and representative. Marcel also writes for the Huffington Post on behalf of the many who are often silenced. Marcel’s activism and commitment inspire people around the world, including me.

My son pours his heart into advocating for all people, and I find I can do no less. When I look around, I do not see my voice, my family’s voice, or my friends’ voices properly represented in the Tennessee House of Representatives. Far too many other Anderson county residents feel the same. I decided to run for State Representative to represent the voices of all Anderson county voters, and I respectfully ask for your vote.

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About Misty I learned my values through hard work in rural Wisconsin.  As an exchange student, I learned to listen to diverse points of view.

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