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  WINDY CITY TIMES

In the Life: Ayanna Armstrong
by Ross Forman
2016-02-24

This article shared 6495 times since Wed Feb 24, 2016
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Ayanna Armstrong is, admittedly, "super-packed" with work chores, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m, at Chicago House and Social Service Agency. After all, she is the executive assistant to the CEO, Stan Sloan; the office assistant; and Proud 2 Share campaign manager.

"I wear many hats," she said.

Armstrong formerly was a housing monitor for Chicago House's TransLife Center. Plus, she previously worked in the hospitality industry as a front-office supervisor.

"Customer service and taking care of people has always been a part of who I am. I'm a people-person, and can make friends with someone in 0.6 seconds, if need be; that's thanks to my customer service background," Armstrong said.

Proud2Share is an LGBTQ anti-poverty campaign headquartered at Chicago House, which Armstrong said is "part of history."

"There's nothing like this campaign in the nation," she said. "It's a call to action, bringing awareness to LGBTQ poverty—and one thing I think it is going to do that no other campaign has done is, change the mindsets of its participants and those who benefit from it."

Armstrong is an admitted "gym rat," so when the work day ends, she's off to XSport Fitness five days a week. "It's my way of blowing off some steam, getting rid of some pounds and just trying to stay fit and live a healthy lifestyle."

Armstrong is "passionate about my community," she said. "I not only am a beautiful person on the outside, but also very, very beautiful on the inside and I just want us all to make it to heaven."

Armstrong and others started a marketing and advertising company, named PPMG. The group hosted its first pajama pillow-talk in February. "We had open conversations about finding love within the LGBTQ community," she said. An upcoming speed-dating event for the LGBTQ community from PPMG will be held in April.

"A lot of the [trans] girls that are a part of my community do not have too many people that they can look up to, or have made it [to] where I have made it," she said. "A lot of the trans women of color have had to do crimes of survival, whatever those crimes are, just to make it on a day to day basis. So for me, a trans woman of color, I have shown them that, yes, you can go to school, get your education, then acquire a nice paying job; you can be a career woman—all still while being a trans and living in the real world. For them, I think that's the most inspirational thing that they've seen.

"If I can inspire one trans woman of color to go back to school and get her education, acquire a 9-to-5 job without having to resort to crimes of survival, then I think I've done my part."

THE STATS

* Age: "A woman of a particular age."

* Orientation: "Heterosexual female with a birth defect, which translates to a trans woman of color." [Laughs]

* Relationship status: Dating

* Favorite local restaurant: The Angry Crab in West Rogers Park

* Hometown: Grew up in Bronzeville and Burnside neighborhoods

* Hobbies: "Shopping, traveling, reading books, going to art expos, and I am a foodie."

* Favorite movies: The Last Dragon, Breakin' 2—Electric Boogaloo, and The Color Purple

* Favorite TV show: How To Get Away With Murder

* Little-known fact: "I used to be an avid Barbie collector."


This article shared 6495 times since Wed Feb 24, 2016
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