Name: Kim Baker
City, State: Winchester, VA
Age: 44
Profession: Government employee
In a few words, how would you describe yourself?
Open-minded, ambitious, cultured, dependable, generous, hardworking, adaptable, straight-forward, and loving.
Your favorite hangout spots.
Pre-COVID, Pitchers, Freddie’s, and Nellie’s. I also love going to concerts and museums. Post-COVID, hanging out on my front porch and back yard with my three fur babies, Milo, Roxie, and Biscuit. I’ve realized through this pandemic that I was not taking advantage of just slowing down. I am a very social person, but being alone really made me [appreciate] just sitting still and taking the simple things in.
Favorite guilty pleasure.
Can you say BINGO? When I lived in Reston, VA, as a fun thing to do when I wanted to take a break from school, work, or life in general, I went to a fire station and played bingo with a group of “seasoned” bingo players. Let’s just say, these women were full of nothing but sass and humor. I’ve won over $20,000 playing bingo.
Favorite quote.
The Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.”
Who is your biggest influence? And why?
My biggest influence, I would have to say is being in the Army for over 20 years. I had a very successful career; retired as an E-8, Master Sergeant with Honor. It has influenced my character, how I live my life, my civil service, and how I approach things with courage and confidence. I believe I would have been a completely different person if I weren’t in the Army.
Favorite event.
I love spending time with my friends and family. I enjoy anything that involves being around people that add to my happiness. It doesn’t matter what event it is, just as long as it is a way of spending time with people I care about. That’s all that matters.
Do you have any regrets in life?
Like everyone else, I have experienced hurt, sadness, and a plethora of not so good feelings. I take these experiences as lessons learned, and work really hard on making better choices. I do have a tendency of not taking care of myself in certain situations. I tend to put others’ needs before my own, which has been to my detriment at times in my past, but now learning from that, has made me so much stronger.
Favorite lesbian/queer celebrity.
Comedian Urzila Carlson. She makes me laugh, she is “real,” and she is the reason why I named my dog Biscuit.
Any fun facts or anything else you want our readers to know?
I’m a half Filipino, disabled veteran, and gold star lesbian who serves on the board for the Capital Pride Alliance.
