Suzie Dorner, a Tampa General Hospital COVID ICU nurse manager, was named an honorary Super Bowl captain. She was invited to participate in the ceremonial coin toss as the second-ever female coin flipper in Super Bowl history. Her girlfriend Melanie accompanied her to the game.
For the better part of a decade, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has worked in concert with St. Pete Pride on production and distribution of its event guide, and despite a pandemic that forced an all-out cancellation of Pride last year, CL and St. Pete Pride teamed up again in 2021 for a standalone guide on stands through the month of June. This Q&A by Tiffany Freisberg, founder of LionMaus agency is pulled from that guide.
How did COVID change your day-to-day job?
COVID turned all of our lives upside down and changed healthcare. One minute, I was the nurse manager of the MICU (medical intensive care unit), and the next thing I knew, I was leading my team through a global pandemic. I worked with executives and leaders to advocate for the needs of my team, create new policies, and transform how we deliver nursing care.
My team went through an emotional rollercoaster, and I had to be there to hear them, support them, and educate them so they were armored to care for our patients.
How did COVID affect you personally?
COVID took a toll on all of us. As a healthcare worker, I maintained a somewhat normal routine by continuing to go to work everyday. However, we all missed out on normal life events such as birthdays, weddings, traveling, family gatherings, and the like.
As patients took their last breaths, my team was there holding their hands and FaceTiming their loved ones as they said their final goodbyes. That was very difficult and hit home for me as I lost both of my grandmothers during the pandemic. While they did not have COVID, no one from my family was able to be there with them. The facilities they were in did not have the capability to facilitate FaceTime, but I know they were in the hands of exceptional nurses. After losing my grandmothers, I made sure that my team had enough support and technology to be able to FaceTime so families could see their loved ones and say their goodbyes.
What was the first thing you felt when you heard you’d been selected to flip the coin at the Super Bowl?
I was in utter disbelief! I’m just a kid from Akron, Ohio managing a COVID unit. How in the world did I get selected to represent all of healthcare in such a monumental event?!? Once it sunk in, I was beyond humbled and honored!
When did you first know you were gay?
When I was 25, I went on vacation to Jamaica with my best friend. I realized I had feelings for a woman, and I came out to him on a boat in the middle of the ocean. He confessed to me that he had feelings for men. At the time, it was the most relieving, exhilarating, and freeing moment of my life!
Were you out to your colleagues before the Super Bowl, and do you feel accepted?
My team and my colleagues who know me know that I am gay. Tampa General Hospital is a very diverse and inclusive organization (it’s actually where I met my girlfriend!). I have never felt discriminated against or like I do not fit in!
What made you decide to wear a Pride bracelet to flip the coin?
As you can imagine, selecting an outfit for this event was very stressful! I knew that I wanted to represent the LGBTQ+ community but I wanted to do it subtly. I browsed shoes that had rainbows but nothing was “speaking to me.” Right before I was about to leave for the game, I went to grab something out of my car and the bracelet was right there. I knew it was the perfect addition to my outfit and I am so glad that I wore that bracelet!
Have you been to St. Pete Pride before? What are you looking forward to most about Pride this year?
I’ve been to almost every Pride since moving to Tampa! It is an event that I look forward to every year! The thing I love most is feeling and seeing the love, pride, and inclusivity. I know this year isn’t going to be the same, but I think the St Pete Pride leadership team has done a phenomenal job planning a month of safe and exciting events!
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This article appears in Jun 3-9, 2021.