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John Perkins

Board Secretary 

Festival Chair

Social Media

Pronouns: he/him/his

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Email: John@gcequality.org

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John Perkins has lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast all of his life and currently lives in Waveland.  He serves as Board Secretary and Festival Chair.  John became an activist for the LGBTQ+ community due to the bullying he faced in school for being gay.  This is something he wants to help end so no other child has to face the same discrimination.

 

In 2013, he co-founded The Rainbow Center, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group here on the coast.  The Rainbow Center worked to bring change and support to South Mississippi.  From 2014 to 2022 he produced the Facebook page CAYA - "Come As You Are." CAYA was a news and information page that supported and promoted diversity. From 2015 to 2024 he served as Social Media Director for The Mississippi Stonewall Democrats, an LGBTQ+ political group. 

 

John is a founding member of Gulf Coast Equality.  He served as President of the organization from 2017-2019.  During this time, under his leadership, the organization grew from an idea to become what is today, a driving force for LGBTQ+ equality, outreach, and support here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  This is something he is very proud of.   

 

John is the social media person for the organization.  He has served as Festival Chair of Gulf Coast Equality Festival since its organization in 2017. This is a yearly event to support equality and diversity for the LGBTQ+ community and our allies.  John and his committee members have put on very successful events each year.  He hopes the festivals will be bigger and better going forward.

 

John is very skilled in organizing and planning.  He is always ready to help with any Gulf Coast Equality events and to help work in the community.  John has taken part in events with The Campaign for Southern Equality, Mississippi Rising Coalition, HRC of Mississippi, and the ACLU of Mississippi.  Over the years he has helped organize, and participated in, several major events for the LGBTQ+ community here in the state of Mississippi which include the following:

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2013 We Do Campaign for Marriage Equality -  Hattiesburg

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2014 We Do Campaign for Marriage Equality - Jackson

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2014 Bay St Louis LGBTQ+ City Resolution

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2014 Waveland LGBTQ+ City Resolution

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2014 National Gay Blood Drive - Gulfport

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2014 Steven Palazzo Marriage Equality Protest - Gulfport

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2014 SB2681 Religious Freedom Bill Rally - Jackson

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2014 We Are Rally Mississippi Religious Freedom Bill - Jackson

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2016 Pulse Candlelight Vigil - Biloxi

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2016 HB-1523 Rally Religious Freedom Bill - Gulfport

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2016 HB-1523 Rally Religious Freedom Bill - Jackson

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2016 No Hate in Our State Rally - Bay St Louis

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2022 Club Q Candlelight Vigil - Biloxi

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