OFM Pride Spotlight: Colleen Tufts

Join us in celebrating diversity and inclusion at OFM! This Pride Month, we're shining a spotlight on the incredible contributions of our LGBTQ+ colleagues. We're honoring their voices and achievements as we continue to foster a culture of respect and unity. Their stories inspire us all to create a workplace where everyone belongs—read more to learn more about what pride means to OFM Engagement Strategist, Colleen Tufts (she/her))!

Colleen Tufts (she/her) is the Engagement Strategist at OFM Communications. She has over five years of experience with digital communications and marketing, with an emphasis on writing and audience engagement. Colleen was primarily raised in Washington, with extended family scattered around the Puget Sound and Kitsap County. She attended the University of Washington, Seattle, where she studied English Literature and Political Science alongside her current girlfriend. She now lives in the Queen Anne neighborhood in Seattle with her partner and their two extremely mischievous cats, Stella and Daphne. Colleen likes to swim, garden, bake, birdwatch, read, try new restaurants, and practice film photography in her spare time.

What does getting to celebrate Pride Month—especially in a work setting—mean to you?

Getting to celebrate Pride feels like an immense privilege, especially in the workplace. I haven’t always felt comfortable being out at work, and I love that at OFM celebrating and recognizing Pride is an all-agency practice. As OFM’s internal communications lead, I feel celebrated and empowered when I am invited to share my LGBTQ+ identity and LGBTQ+ history with the agency. I also appreciate that our work serves communities in Washington directly, so advocacy and allyship are an important part of our agency conversations around Pride.

What does living authentically look like to you?

I am always striving to live as authentically as I can. Although I am doing a lot better now than I have in the past, authenticity is a practice I know I will work on for the rest of my life. For now, my version of living authentically looks like being out, being proud, and being loud about it! It is really important to me to be visible to anyone who might be questioning, I know it would have meant a lot to me when I was figuring out my place in the LGBTQ+ community. I am proud to be out, to love my partner, to be happy, and share about it openly—I worked hard for it. I also want anyone who might be unsure if there is a place for peace, acceptance, and joy in being out that I find the deepest joy in living an openly queer life. I also want other members of the LGBTQ+ community to know I am in the room ready to support and making space for our voices to be heard.

Who are some LGTBQ+ people or leaders that you look up to and why?

Recognizing the trans women of color who kicked off the Stonewell Riots and the Pride movement—particularly Miss Major Griffin-Gacy and Marsha P. Johnson—is very important to me. Miss Major Griffin-Gacy is a particular hero of mine; she survived the Stonewall Riots and is still an activist today. She is a hero to me especially because of her work with the Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project, an institute providing legal, support, and re-entry services to transgender and gender non-conforming individuals facing or leaving incarceration. The carceral system is organized around assigned gender at birth, while Black and Indigenous transgender women are arrested at higher rates than any other demographic. Transgender prisoners are often placed in holdings that do not align their chosen gender identity and urgently need community support. You can support these individuals through the Transgender Law Center’s Prison Mail Program.

Some other LGBTQ+ leaders I look up to are Cynthia Nixon, Elliot Page, Megan Rapinoe, and Renee Rap for their advocacy, visibility, and activism.

How do you respond to instances of homophobia, whether explicit or implicit or subtle?

I think that homophobia can be difficult to spot and address, but as a white, cisgendered person, I try to use my privileges to respond. I think fear of the unknown can be a powerful driver of homophobia, or just fear in general, so I try to make myself approachable. Some of my extended family were quite vocally homophobic when I was growing up, but as they have connected with me as an adult and individual, they have shifted to be more a bit more accepting. It’s far from perfect now, but it’s important to me that they can connect with me. I want them to remember that they interact safely with, chose to spend time with, know, and care for a member of the LGBTQ+ community so they can keep their fears in check moving through the world.

Have you always been able to be out in the workplace? What makes OFM different?

I have not always been able to be out at work. Working in tech startups especially, I tended to keep my personal life to myself. In one role, I was hired when my hair was long hair and before my first day, I decided to cut it short. After I debuted my haircut, I was treated very coolly by my new manager. I really appreciate that at OFM diversity and inclusivity are recognized for the strength they bring. It also means a lot to me that we have Business Resource Groups, which bring together groups of employees and their allies who have a common interests or characteristics, and other gathering spaces where we get to lift up and celebrate our differences, rather than glossing over important parts of our identities.

What is your favorite part about working at OFM?

I really enjoy getting to work towards the betterment of Washington. After working in the private sector, it is so refreshing to fully explore and engage with the impacts of our work. I also really value feeling heard, seen and appreciated for who I am, authentically.