 | | Dear John, Welcome to our final newsletter of 2020! From the EV family to yours, we hope your holiday season is filled with love, light, and joy. Earlier this month, we hosted an online town hall to discuss the Virginia Department of Education's transgender student policies, in anticipation of the public comment period next month. Plus, our team has been focusing on preparations for the 2021 General Assembly and we've created some unique ways to amplify your voice during the virtual session. |
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EV's December Newsletter
In this Issue:
- Turn out the vote in Georgia
- 2021 General Assembly Kickoff
- Bagels & Bills Series
- Transgender Student Policies
- Make an end-of-year gift |
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| We're also incredibly excited to announce that we will unveil our new website next month, which will give us the tools we need to more easily serve and connect with our community. At that time, you'll be able to reserve your free tickets for the Commonwealth Dinner, which we will host online in April. With the 2021 General Assembly session starting January 13th, you can count on us to keep you informed every step of the way through our weekly legislative update emails and our new Bagels & Bills series. These messages and events will keep you up to date on bills impacting the LGBTQ community, plus we'll share plenty of ways for you to involved, stay tuned! |
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| Turn OUT the vote in Georgia! While the November election is behind us, an extremely important race in the country is coming in January and will decide control of the U.S. Senate. On January 5th, Georgia will choose both its Senators, and that means making sure everyone votes. So we’ve teamed up with local organizations across the country to make that happen. And, you can help get out the vote in Georgia - right from your own home! From now through the Runoff Election Day, you can sign up at to make calls from anywhere, on any day. Every time we get someone to vote, we empower them to make their voice heard in our democracy. That’s why Georgia needs your help to get out the vote between now and the Runoff Election Day. Our partner, NEAT, provides an easy-to-use web calling tool, the materials you need, quick OnDemand video training your first time, and even live support while you dial. It doesn’t get any easier or more powerful than this! |
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 | | Sign up to make calls from home or even host a virtual house party of friends at a time that works for you by going to: theNEAT.org/GAvotes |
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| |  | General Assembly Kickoff We are so excited to gear up for another momentous year at the General Assembly! Due to the ongoing pandemic, this year's legislative session will be held almost entirely online, but that’s not to say that the wheels of the General Assembly will not be turning at their usual speed. We are eager to provide you with plenty of ways to stay informed, connect with lawmakers, and get involved. That's why we'll be hosting a virtual kickoff for the General Assembly on January 11, 2021 from 8:00-9:30am. Register for our GA kickoff so you don't miss a beat! |
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 | Bagels & Bills Series Start your day off right by joining EV every Monday morning from January 18 through February 22 for our scrumptious Bagels & Bills series. You will find out how to support legislation impacting LGBTQ Virginians, learn how to connect with legislators virtually, and stay up to date on the fight for LGBTQ equality at the capitol. We will be joined by community advocates and experts as we discuss pro-equality bills in 2021 and the best ways to support them. After each event, we will randomly select one lucky winner to receive a Panera gift card, so make sure you register today for your chance to win! |
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|  | Transgender Student Policies Last week, EV and Side by Side came together with First Lady of Virginia, Pamela Northam and trans advocate, Gavin Grimm to discuss the power of civic engagement to support policies that protect transgender and non-binary students in Virginia. The Virginia Department of Education has released a draft of the model policies for trans and non-binary students, which will be available for public comment from January 4-February 3, 2021. Be sure to raise your voice in support of the model policies that will protect trans students! Check out the event recording and this PowerPoint to learn how you can get involved. |
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 | Make an End of Year Gift Thanks to your efforts, Virginia made history to become the first state in the South to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in housing, employment, and public spaces. As we prepare for 2021, we will speak with legislators, testify in committee hearings, and build a platform to amplify the voices of LGBTQ Virginians, especially the Black trans community. With your valuable support, we can keep building power at the local level, making sure the community’s voice is heard loud and clear by our legislators. We truly cannot do this work without you! |
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| | | | Equality Virginia
530 E Main St Ste 600 | Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 643-4816 | [email protected] |
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