QUEER RVA

Opinion | My Family Deserves to Exist

Opinion | My Family Deserves to Exist

by Alexis Jackson I am a Black queer woman, a wife, a mother, a licensed therapist, and a doula in Virginia. And before anything else, let me be clear: my family is not outside of the norm. Love, intention, and care are not radical ideas. They are the foundation of...



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LGBTQ Virginians Have Cause To Worry About Daniel Gade

Gade, the Republican candidate competing against incumbent Democrat Mark Warner to represent Virginia in the United States Senate, has a history of anti-LGBTQ views that should give LGBTQ Virginians pause. A candidate with a history of anti-LGBTQ comments and a...

Trump Has Chosen Right Wing Extremist Amy Coney Barrett for SCOTUS

Trump's latest nominee for the Supreme Court is an anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice religious conservative whose appointment to the court may put marriage equality at risk of being struck down. President Donald Trump has reportedly chosen a far right wing religious extremist,...

Disappearing Memories Of Home

In his new solo show at Reynolds Gallery, sculptor Raul De Lara takes a playful approach to images of his homeland in Mexico -- a place that, as a DACA recipient, he cannot return to. “I came to the desert to play with my homeland. No longer do I remember how she...

A Safer Place For Recovery

For LGBTQ and BIPOC folks seeking recovery from addiction in the Richmond area, there have traditionally not been many good options. Peter's Place hopes to change that, centering the experiences of BIPOC and LGBTQ people. When Shauntelle Hammonds was looking for place...

The Amazon Trail: Nah, We Ain’t No Sissies

Lee Lynch returns from a long rest with a new edition of The Amazon Trail about work, aging, and finding ways to survive the hard times we're all faced with. I have been resting. A strange activity for me, but I had no choice. I was so worn out, I remember promising...

The Future of Thrift

As the coronavirus pandemic reaches its sixth month in the United States, local boutiques and thrift store owners have been reevaluating their long-term business model, with some moving their operations online. When Bill Harrison first heard news of COVID-19 cases...

Stonewall Rising: Showing Support With Pride

Last weekend's Stonewall Rising march was an act of solidarity by Richmond's LGBTQ community, which took this opportunity during Pride Month to march in support of Black lives. On Saturday, June 27, Richmond's LGBTQ community commemorated the last weekend of Pride Month with a march demonstrating solidarity with the Black community of Richmond...

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The Work Is Never Done

Equality Virginia's Vee Lamneck talks to GayRVA about Title VII, The Virginia Values Act, and the connections between LGBTQ and BLM. On June 15th, the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed three historic cases and came to one monumental decision: that Title VII of The Civil Rights Act of 1964 protected LGBTQ people from discrimination in the workplace...

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Support Pride Month From Home With The RVA Virtual Pride Market

A brand-new event is coming to Richmond, and you won’t have to leave your house to attend. The RVA Virtual Pride Market this Saturday lets us support LGBTQ small businesses from home.  It’s June in Richmond, and in a normal year, it would be time to enjoy the many celebrations of Pride Month across the city. Like many other facets of the "normal”...

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The Amazon Trail: A Personal Silver Lining

At a time of racism, police violence, and an ongoing pandemic, The Amazon Trail's Lee Lynch has found something to celebrate. I thought there could be no good news.  Not in the midst of a pandemic and the mass selfishness that hastens and continues its spread.  Not when the abiding depth of U.S. racism bubbles to the surface without...

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Stepping Back From The Spotlight

June is Pride Month, but at a time of widespread unrest and protests, Virginia Pride is putting aside celebration in favor of focusing its efforts on supporting Virginia's black community. Virginia Pride, a local non-profit organization dedicated to bringing support to the LGBTQ community through education and events, is finding ways to support...

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Supporting the Black Community During Pride Month

It's Pride month, and in a time of frustration and action over police violence, local LGBTQ organizations are focusing their advocacy and support efforts on helping and uplifting the black LGBTQ community. Tear gas and pepper spray sting the eyes of protesters. Masked individuals of all demographics hold cardboard signs reading “Black Lives...

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