It has been said that there aren’t enough young(er) people involved with the Progressive movement in Hendersonville. Jesse and David disprove that theory. Jesse Bailey and his husband, David Watson, arrived in Hendersonville in May of 2022, after spending their twenties in the Raleigh/Durham area post-college, Jesse from Liberty University and David from UNC Chapel Hill.
Jesse’s early years were spent in Athens, George. He grew up in a conservative, right-leaning religious environment, which included right-leaning political exposure. David was born in Florida, but grew up in Boone, NC. Politics was not a topic at home. Both were apolitical, but no more. Jesse attended Liberty University, influenced, he says, by parental pressure, majoring in Crisis Counseling. After college, he was dealing with the aftermath of “coming out” and moving away. Even though his philosophies and political views were changing, he was not driven to cultivate his own political interests until after the 2016 election. Davids’s experience was different. He attended the NC School of Science and Math in Durham prior to college and joined the school’s Gay Straight Alliance, marching in several parades. Though he discussed politics with friends, he limited his involvement to voting.
The move to Hendersonville was a chance to start over for the pair. Both were in remote jobs; Jesse has done stints in finance and pharmaceuticals, and David works in software development. Since David grew up in the mountains, they decided to look at the Asheville area and found Hendersonville to be quaint and quiet, but not backwoods. They enjoy the many restaurants, the downtown area and the proximity to larger cities.
They are self-described geeks and enjoy sci-fi and fantasy (Dungeons and Dragons, anyone?) as well as gardening, writing and bird watching. David muses that someday they will retire and become farmers if this year’s vegetable garden goes well.
When asked about his interest in PAHC, Jesse says “The 2024 election results catapulted me full steam into politics. I realized that I couldn’t sit around and wait for someone else to fix this problem – I had to be part of the solution, even if my impact was small.” He did some research into local political/activist groups and found PAHC. He attended a few postcard parties, and then volunteered to be part of the PAHC PrideFest committee. David joined him at the postcard parties and says, “It helped me to actively engage with our elected representatives, and it felt good, like I was doing something.”
They are both passionate about LGBTQ issues involving their community, especially conversion therapy and marriage equality. Environmental awareness and protection, women’s rights and immigration rights also speak to them. They agree that community engagement is so important for PAHC, and it helps keep the local population aware of current issues. It’s also vital to have actionable items available for our members and the public, and more public events to bring forces together for a greater impact.
Jesse and David volunteered to be part of the PACH committee for Pride Fest and added their ideas, enthusiasm and problem solving skills to make our tent even more special. Better still, they’ve just joined the PAHC volunteer leadership group! We join them in moving forward and appreciate their passion and participation.
