The Team
Who We Are
Sophia (Cassy) Thompson
Founder & President
Sophia (Cassy) Thompson was born and raised in Jamaica, where she first developed a deep sense of justice and compassion shaped by her own lived experiences. At the age of 15, she courageously disclosed her sexual orientation to her family. Their response—sending her to a pastor to “pray away” her identity—reflected the harsh reality of living in a society where LGBTQ+ people were marginalized and often silenced.
Instead of suppressing her truth, Sophia recognized the urgent need for social change. She began volunteering with Jamaica AIDS Support, then the island’s only organization dedicated to issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. Her work there marked the beginning of what would become a lifelong commitment to advocacy, community education, and service.
In her early twenties, Sophia relocated to the United States, where she continued her work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. Motivated by a desire to reshape harmful narratives and uplift marginalized voices, in 2019, she founded The LGBTQ Dignity Project, an organization dedicated to advocacy, education, storytelling, and community support.
Through every stage of her life, Sophia’s mission has remained unwavering: to build understanding, promote dignity, and ensure that LGBTQ+ and marginalized individuals have the power and the platform to tell their own stories.
Dr. Angelica Thompson
Vice President & Treasurer
Dr. Angelica Thompson is a researcher and analytical strategist dedicated to empowering individuals to reach their full potential. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology & Research and brings over 17 years of experience to her work. Dr. Thompson is particularly committed to promoting equity and access, with a focus on improving academic, social, and economic outcomes for historically marginalized communities. Self-motivated and progress driven, Dr. Thompson is the founder and CEO of Data Works, Inc—a minority- and woman-owned business— where she assists community-based organizations in enhancing their services by evaluating program effectiveness and providing evidence-based recommendations for improvement. Dr. Thompson specializes in outcome and impact evaluations and is skilled in building organizational capacity to understand and utilize these evaluations effectively.
Additionally, Dr. Thompson and her wife, Sophia, pour their hearts and souls into co-hosting the powerful and inspiring A Queer Understanding podcast. It is a sacred space where members of the LGBTQIA+ community come together to share their raw and authentic stories. From heart-wrenching personal accounts to enlightening interviews with fearless trailblazers who have pushed boundaries and shaped our world, each episode is an emotional rollercoaster of triumph and resilience.
Rebecca Oxley
Secretary
Rebecca Oxley (she/they) is a queer femme and a branch manager at the District of Columbia Public Libraries. She previously was a library supervisor with Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, where she was a key member of the LGBTQ+ Team, managing the library pop-up at The SPACE and co-founding The Butterfly Project, which connects BIPOC trans women with library and community resources and services.
They received their BA in Fine Art from SUNY Albany in 2002, and their MLS in School Library Media and Information & Diverse Populations from UMD’s iSchool in 2012, where they worked as a graduate researcher with the Information Policy & Access Center and founded the iDiversity student group.
Before working in public libraries, she was a K-8 School Librarian and Technology teacher with Prince George’s County Public Schools. They served on the Black Eyed Susan Book Award for Graphic Novels, which they helped co-found, and are a passionate advocate for new media, Teen services, uplifting the intersectional LGBTQ+ community, EDIA work, and digital literacy.
Rebecca serves on the executive board of the LGBTQ Dignity Project and was the recipient of the Karen Holmes Flame Award for Trans Advocate of the Year in 2021. She lives in Prince George’s County with her husband Akwasi, her dog, Jolyne, and her kitten siblings Hermes and Weather Report