“I help Orlando feel seen through art.”
This is the power punch that launched Kim Murphy’s artistic endeavors in 2021. Kim has been a long-time advocate and supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. Her work as a mental health counselor specializing in trans care made her a well-known figure in our community, but it is Kim’s commitment to our community that has made her the shining example of allyship we know and love.
Kim’s 2021 mirrors our own journey as a community. After a hectic 2020 where she made a shift away from her role as a mental health therapist, Kim was reborn in 2021. My personal journey with Kim goes back to our time together in the Maven Leadership Cohort. I remember her desperately wanting to be seen as an individual and not a part of an organization. Her fear was ultimately that she would not be seen by anyone and blend into the background. In 2021, she made sure that would not be the case.
Kim put all her efforts into her artistic work creating murals for the LGBT+ Center Orlando, Seven Bites and the Orlando Youth Empowerment Summit. She spent countless hours ensuring every participant for the National Trans Visibility March had signs that represented and captured the essence of the trans experience. She partnered with Stars of Hope to honor the lives of the 49 and most recently created an art installation for the World AIDS Day celebration in Lake Eola.
Kim is a remarkable person because she did what most of us only wish and dream of doing. She took her future into her own hands and left behind a life of comfort and security to follow her dream no matter the challenges ahead, and that is absolutely remarkable.
To view the full list of Watermark’s Remarkable People of 2021, click here.
