An RPCV in Public Service

Cathy Woolard joined the Atlanta City Council last year as the first openly gay candidate to be elected to public office in Georgia. And, surprise, surprise, she just happens to be an RPCV. Cathy served in Truk, Micronesia from 1980 to 1982, working as a counselor and promoting recreational activities for high school students. Possibly, the same courage that prompted her to join the Peace Corps led her to seek political office without hiding her identity. But, is she a lesbian politician, an RPCV politician, an RPCV lesbian politician, or none of the above? In a recent showdown with the Mayor of Atlanta over budgeting for community development, she firmly sided with the constituents of the district that she represents, despite a ploy by the Mayor to make it appear she was going against her lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) constituents. She continues to command the respect and support of Atlanta’s LGBT community. I was lucky to have the opportunity to interview her for the LGBRPCV newsletter.

SM: Tell me about your background, where you grew up, went to school, etc.

CW: I was born in Georgia, but also lived in Guam, Texas, Germany, and Washington, DC because my dad was in the Air Force. I graduated from high school in Northern Virginia. I went to Berry College and then to the University of Georgia, where I graduated with a BA in psychology.

SM: What made you decide to join the Peace Corps?

CW: I decided to join the Peace Corps when I was in junior high school. We lived in Germany, where one of our neighbors was a photographer for National Geographic. He and his wife, who were in Nepal for a few years working on a story, sent very exciting and beautiful pictures home to be developed and safeguarded. I thought Joel and Anna were very exotic and adventurous. I wanted to be just like them. Joining the Peace Corps was one way to go to very remote places to live and work.

SM: Why didn’t you join the military, like your father?

CW: I was aware of the military policy of discrimination based on sexual orientation. I was also rather non-compliant with virtually any type of regimentation, so I figured I would be a better candidate for the Peace Corps rather than the military.

SM: Did you think of Peace Corps as preparation for a political career prior to joining?

CW: No. I thought of Peace Corps as preparation for a career in international economic development. I was very focused on that as a career goal.

SM: What happened to your career plans in international economic development?

CW: I went to the School of International Affairs at the University of Denver for a master’s degree in economic development and completed nearly all the requirements. I returned to Atlanta to finish the degree, but never did. I became involved in gay politics and the rest is history.

SM: Tell me how similar or dissimilar your Peace Corps job was to your current position on the Atlanta City Council. Were there any lessons learned from your Peace Corps experience that you can or have applied to development work in the US?

CW: I don’t really see any similarities, but I was just out of college when I was in the Peace Corps and have grown a lot since then. I think Peace Corps gave me a lot of self-confidence in my ability to deal with different kinds of people and to see different perspectives—cultural sensitivity, if you will. Perhaps I do use insight gained from my Peace Corps experience more than I thought.

SM: Were you "out" as a PCV?

CW: I wasn’t at first. I was on a small island with about a dozen PCVs. I feared that some would reject me. It was a lonely place, even if everyone accepted me. Later on, I did come out to some people, which was fine.

SM: As you may know, Peace Corps has had a policy since 1993 prohibiting discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation. What would have made it easier for you to be "out" to more people as a PCV?

CW: Having that policy in place would have helped somewhat. Having Peace Corps staff talk about gay issues during the screening process and in training would have made it safer for me to ask questions about my country and would have alleviated my fears of being terminated if I were "outed."

SM: Do you feel that all PCVs should be able to be "out" at their Peace Corps posts?

CW:: I think that all PCVs have to develop a keen awareness of the culture in which they live to determine what is appropriate. I was aware of lesbian and gay Micronesians and, in fact, came out to some gay Micronesian men who had spent time in the US. I did not come out to any women I suspected of being gay because they were students. Also, I felt coming out might be disruptive to my role in the community, since I lived on a remote island. I never felt it was my role to stand out anymore than I already did as a PCV.

SM: Would you join the Peace Corps again?

CW: I may join again in my retirement years, if my partner will also go.

SM: How has being an "out" lesbian influenced your relationship with others on the Council and your perceived job performance?

CW: There have been occasional awkward moments, but I feel I’m accepted and respected for being a capable and well-prepared Council member.

SM: Have you ever experienced any discrimination in your current or past jobs?

CW: I think that I was denied job interviews because of my prior work with the Human Rights Campaign. For one position, I know that my sexual orientation was heavily discussed before a job offer was made. Discrimination against gay people is alive and well in America.

SM: I understand that you are an advocate for hate crimes prevention and employment nondiscrimination legislation. How important will these laws be to LGBT civil rights?

CW: I think they are very important, especially on the federal level. We still have not passed federal legislation protecting us from discrimination. These are important milestones for us as a community and we should stay focused on achieving these goals, even if things seem so much better than they did just a few years ago.

SM: What advice do you have for current PCVs who have political aspirations?

CW: You can’t win if you don’t run. I’ve very much enjoyed my time on the City Council and encourage anyone with political aspirations to become involved in whatever issues about which you feel passionate. I also encourage you to take advantage of any opportunities for responsibility and for project leadership so you can gain experience and perspective when the right time comes for you to enter politics.

SM: What are your future political aspirations?

CW: I plan to do a great job as an Atlanta City Council member.

SM: How can RPCVs help you achieve your goals?

CW: Vote. Work in campaigns. Move to District 6. (Not necessarily in that order).

If you would like to contact Cathy, please email her at cwoolard@atlanta.org

Suzanne Marks served in Togo from 1983 - 1985. She is our Southeast Representative and can be reached on sqm3@cdc.gov.