MassLive recently asked readers to identify people who are leaders from the LGBTQ+ community throughout the state, working to make a difference in their own area of interest, be it politics, education, business or the arts.
Profiles of these leaders will be published through the rest of February. These are people our readers have identified as inspirational, who may be doing good acts for their communities. They are being recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and commitment to inspire change.
Kris BergCourtesy of Kris Berg
Kris Berg
Age: 20s
Community: Boston
Berg’s story: As a student activist/scholar, violence prevention advocate and equity and inclusion consultant in Boston, Kris Berg can be considered a trailblazer.
While obtaining a Bachelors in Psychology from Boston University, Berg established BU’s groundbreaking LGBTQIA+ Student Resource Center. During that time, Berg also helped expand resources like gender-affirming healthcare and LGBTQIA+ mental health support across BU’s campus.
Berg’s college years helped the advocate recognize “the urgent need for programming and support for marginalized communities.” Motivated by this realization, Berg became increasingly involved in activism and sought a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of systemic inequalities.
Berg’s work focuses on supporting and advocating alongside marginalized populations including the LGBTQIA+ community, domestic violence survivors and people with disabilities. Berg also conducts “health equity-focused research and work” in Boston Medical Center’s Emergency Department.
Berg has also helped recruit and retain more feminist scholars for BU’s Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program. Berg has also worked with higher education administrators on new policies that better affirm and codify protections for LGBTQIA+ students.
Further, Berg co-founded BU’s first-of-its-kind Gender-Affirming Product Program (GAPP). The peer-led program provides low-income transgender students with necessary gender-affirming products.
Outside of work and school, Berg volunteers with organizations like the Pride Center of New Jersey, Boston COVID Action, Little Free Libraries, Fenway Health and the QT Library.
In Berg’s efforts to stay committed to creating a more equitable world and creating lasting social change, the advocate is pursuing duel master’s degrees in public health and clinical social work at BU.
In Berg’s words: “My advice to advocates embarking on similar journeys is to embrace the intricate tapestry of your own intersecting identities and lived experiences. I believe it is crucial to understand how your positionality shapes your approach to advocacy. I encourage advocates to engage in continuous self-reflection to better understand and interrogate their personal worldviews.”
We’re always open to hearing about more inspiring people. If you’d like to suggest someone else who should be recognized, please fill out this form.
