Meet Christy Tweddle
Meet Christy Tweddle
Everyone, this is Christy.
Christy is an equal rights activist who spends a ton of her time volunteering with the Tennessee Equality Project and the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center. This is her Memphis:
Name: Christy Tweddle
Hometown: Originally from Miami, Florida. My former employer moved me to Memphis in 2001.
I live in: Midtown
My favorite thing about my neighborhood is: how walkable Midtown is. I love the tree lined streets and local businesses and the arts are a short stroll or bike away.
In 10 years, Memphis will be: a better place for everyone to live. The number of citizens and officials committed to improving the infrastructure, preserving and enhancing our green spaces and standing up for equality and diversity is growing. There is still a lot of work to do but the people of Memphis are working to create the communities they want to live in. We have made great strides in just the last two years, and I don’t see that slowing down anytime soon.
My favorite annual Memphis tradition is: Thursday night at BBQ Fest. It’s a locals night where everyone that has a friend with a booth (or a friend of a friend with a booth) goes down and says hello and the vibe is really amazing.
I’m inspired by: the people of Memphis. I have lived a lot of places and the people here are unlike any other place. Behind all of the music, the food, the language, the vibe are the people. They are what keep me here and inspire me to do my part every day to make it a better place to live. I feel like I’m paying them back counting for me as one of their own now.
My favorite place in Memphis is: the Shelby Farms Off Leash Dog Park, Gate 11 (the gate number is important because it is much less crowded than the main entrance to the dog park). When I am there, it makes me feel very grateful that I live in Memphis. I go there about 4-5 times a week, it makes me feel that good.
I’m working on: full equality and a stronger community. I am a board member of Tennessee Equality Project and we have been working on an inclusive Non Discrimination Ordinance for Memphis city employees. It recently passed its first reading and moved to the second reading in the Council on 11/23. I also Chair the board of the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center. We are about to launch an aggressive outreach, visibility and annual giving campaign for the New Year. We have already put out a call to bring the best and brightest of our community, including straight allies, into the Center to be a part of creating the community we want to live in.
If you buy me a drink, it should be: very well received, thank you very much.
If you’re coming to Memphis, don’t miss: talking to some locals and asking them what you should see while you are here. They are better than any guide you will ever read. Pick your BBQ joint by who has the best reason why you should go and let them sell you on what the best sights are to see - their opinions will be as strong as their barbecue arguments. Don’t miss Graceland (there is nothing more singularly American than Graceland), the Stax Museum, Civil Rights Museum, Dixon Gardens, and Gus’s Chicken (but do yourself a favor and go between 2 and 3pm – only the uninitiated go for lunch and dinner).
I love Memphis because: it has everything I need to be happy. The cost of living is low, it’s a strikingly beautiful and diverse place, talent and creativity are celebrated and nurtured everywhere, education and the arts are accessible and affordable and we have a remarkable history and legacy. It is an environment where it is possible for people to create and affect real change and because of that, this city is in a constant state of evolution. This city and the people that live here are magnificent. If you don’t think so, give me a call and I’ll show you around.
For more information about Christy's work, check out the Tennessee Equality Project and the MGLCC.
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