My Lilly Pulitzer

Meet Angela Rivers

Meet Angela (she/her), Riley (he/him), and their two children, an active-duty LGBTQ+ military family. Angela says, “Our children Kenzie (6) and Remy (3 and our CHD baby) are the most important people in our lives. My spouse is a transgender recruiter in the military; we have been to four duty stations so far. Our journey has been followed by many people, and we hope that it lets other LGBTQ+ people know they’re not alone.”

Sunshine Spotlight

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How does wearing Lilly Pulitzer make you feel?

Lilly Pulitzer was one thing that helped me after I had my first child six years ago. Postpartum emotions made everything different and when I wore Lilly, I was able to feel like myself again. When we were stationed in Seattle, people always joked that I was the brightest person in the room and they could always spot me because of my Lilly.

What does "Be the Sunshine" mean to you?

For me, it means that even when things feel like they're at the very bottom, all it takes is one thought, one person, or one day to turn it around. You could be the person at the bottom one day, but you might also be the one to turn someone else’s day around or help them without even knowing it.

Is there a message or mantra that inspires you?

One of my favorite Disney characters is Winnie the Pooh. This Pooh quote is used a lot in our house: “Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So, today is my new favorite day.” We cherish our time as a family since the military often separates us and, shortly after the birth of our second child, she had open heart surgery and we were not sure we would get to bring her home. With my spouse and our two amazing children, we fit as much family time as possible into each day.

How will you be celebrating Pride Month this year?

At every duty station, we try to make it to the Pride parades and celebrations. We typically like to host a question-and answer session on social media, too. The questions vary, from how long we have been together (10 years) to how I had our children to what it’s like to be an LGBTQ+ family in the military. This year, since our children are older, we’ll be able to talk more about how and why we celebrate Pride Month as a family. We also love to find local businesses that do special Pride events and explore how each city celebrates Pride.

How do you use your platform to share the It Gets Better message with the LGBTQ+ community?

We’ve been involved in the Lilly community and several other communities for a while now, and we’ve met some amazing people. Initially, it was scary to come out time and time again, but I realized that the more I speak about our family and the journey we’ve taken, the more others can see that we shouldn’t have to hide who we are or who we love. The It Gets Better message lets LGBTQ+ youth know they have worth and power as the person they are. There are many LGBTQ+ youth that don’t have support from family or friends, which can make their home and school lives difficult. For some, this might be the only support they have, which is why it’s important to keep sharing messages and advocating for the LGBTQ+ community. The It Gets Better message shows these youth that there are others just like them, others who have gone through struggles like theirs and come out on the other side.