Ann Russo: A Prominent Voice & Advocate for the Queer & Underserved Communities

Ann revealed that her commitment to mental health advocacy, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community, is deeply rooted in her own life experiences. Growing up in a queer household during the 1980s, Ann was exposed to the harsh realities of a time when the LGBTQ+ community faced significant social and religious opposition. Her father, a gay man, and his partner raised her in a conservative environment where the fear of societal rejection was a constant undercurrent. “I knew the damage,” Ann shares. “I knew the harm. I knew the pain. I experienced it; being with my dad and his partner and them being afraid in public, having to leave certain places, living in fear of being found out.”