Know an HRC Intern: Zachary Bennett
Name: Zachary Bennett
Hometown: North Palm Beach, FL (map)
School: University of Florida
Major: Journalism
HRC Department: Media Center
Why intern at HRC?
HRC is a place that I have supported for a long time. It was one of the first organizations I chose to support financially and actively as an adult. Also, the internship program looked extremely legitimate when I was searching and that is, in fact, the truth.
What do you like most about working at HRC?
I’ve worked/interned at a lot of places, but I’ve never worked somewhere that I was actually behind the cause. At HRC, I am working hard and in full support of the overall goal of equality. There are not many things more rewarding than that. Plus, the people and atmosphere at HRC are amazing.
What issue is most pressing for the queer community on your campus?
The most prevalent issue I’ve dealt with on my campus is blood donation. Any male that is openly gay or says they are sexually active with another man is not allowed to donate blood. We have a lot of blood drives on my campus, so that issue comes up a lot and is in the papers a lot.
What other issues interest you besides LGBT equality?
I'm extremely interested in immigration reform and a free or more subsidized U.S. healthcare system. I also feel very passionately about the equal treatment of women and am very against whaling in Japan and rape in the Congo.
What do you do when you’re not out being an activist?
Bike around town in DC, enjoy the fresh-water springs of North Florida, surf, read, drink, cook, work-out, volunteer, play soccer, work on photo stories (which, at times, can include being an activist), write and make things.
What was the last song you downloaded?
“I’m in Miami” by LMFAO – truly a horrible song.
What upcoming events are you most excited about?
I’m really excited about the Campus Progress National Conference with Bill Clinton speaking! The conference is basically a roundup of about 1,000 progressive students from around the country who are all looking to create change.
Who would you like to have dinner with?
Annie Leibovitz. She is an amazing photographer and I aspire to work with or under her someday. She is definitely a very interesting person and has a long story to tell.
What advice would you give to LGBT students?
As a straight intern at HRC, I don’t understand all things as thoroughly as an LGBT person may because I haven’t been discriminated against or directly vilified by anti-gay activists. But, I am passionate about these issues and have had to face many arguments and deal with the loss of friends.
The fight for equality is a struggle, but we will succeed. All I can advise anyone to do is to choose your battles and fight in a peaceful way, without violence or insulting other groups of people. It was not the Black Panther’s idea of “separate but equal” that brought us to today’s society where every race is equal, but the ideas of Martin Luther King, of just being equal. Basically, let the anti-gay activists act a fool and always respond in the most educated, peaceful way possible.