Take Action: Apply for the LGBTQ Advisory Board

The Governor’s office is seeking Virginians to join the newly established LGBTQ+ Advisory Board!

The Board will consist of 26 volunteer members who will advise the state’s executive branch on economic, professional, cultural, educational, and governmental issues as it relates to the LGBTQ community. The LGBTQ Advisory Board becomes one of six citizen-led boards in Virginia that provide recommendations to the Governor’s office.

If you would like the opportunity to be help guide our state’s policy priorities and outreach efforts to LGBTQ Virginians particularly in rural and underserved communities, we invite you to submit an application under "Commonwealth." Members will be appointed by the Governor's office after July 1, 2021 when the new law goes into effect. 

Christine Carter (she/her) Springfield

Christine is a criminal defense attorney with the Fairfax County Public Defender's Office, and works as a zealous advocate for clients from a wide variety of backgrounds, helping them navigate complicated legal situations and fighting for them when the rest of the legal system is working against them. She earned her J.D. cum laude from George Mason University School of Law in 2015 and has handled thousands of criminal cases in the years since. She's always been passionate about supporting marginalized people, and was drawn to Equality Virginia because of its work to uplift underserved individuals and communities. 

"I'm really looking forward to the chance to help advocate for the interests of the LGBTQ+ community. I'm very excited to work with my fellow board members, who all seem energetic, compassionate, and dedicated to bringing about systemic change."

Joe Cobb (he/him) Roanoke

Joe Cobb is a member of the Roanoke City Council and previously served as Vice Mayor. He also works as Chaplain at Hermitage Roanoke and as Community Outreach Coordinator for Highland Park School. Joe and his husband, James, have two children, Ginny and JJ. Their family also includes a daughter, Emma, and Connor Gwin, and granddaughter, Harper Jane, and a son, Taylor. An ordained clergy with the Metropolitan Community Churches, Joe most recently served as Pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of the Blue Ridge from 2009-2017. Joe is co-author of Our Family Outing: A Memoir of Coming Out and Coming Through, written with his former spouse, Rev. Leigh Anne Taylor. 

"I am excited to join the board of Equality Virginia because EV works tirelessly for equality and equity for the LGBTQ+ community throughout the Commonwealth. All of the strides made have been in large part to EV's courageous advocacy, education and fundraising - all through building relationships with citizens and legislators and community stakeholders and partners. I believe in the power of relationships and the work we can do together to bring equity and equality to our LGBTQ+ community and allies."

Crystal Suber (she/her) Richmond

Crystal is the owner of Crystal Clear Financial Solutions (CCFS), a small financial services company devoted to improving financial literacy and increasing wealth in marginalized communities. CCFS is a certified LGBTBE business by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. She is a proud alum of Virginia State and Grand Canyon Universities where she holds a B.S. in Economics and M.B.A. in Finance. Crystal is a champion for the LGBTQ+ community and has devoted countless hours to making VA a more inclusive place for all who reside and visit here. Presently, she serves as President of Patchwork RVA and is the Treasurer for Baby Buns for Life Network. She is also on the board of directors for the Richmond LGBTQ Chamber and LGBT Dems of VA. Crystal serves her community with pride, always making time for the things that truly matter, such as our fight for justice and equality.

"I am an OUT and Proud Lesbian Woman of Color. For the life I wanted, I had to carve out a space for me. I had to find courage to address the situations which made me uncomfortable in my skin. I had to be my authentic self and finding my community was a big part of this. So, giving back to the community and our fight to make things better for others walking a similar path is what motivates me!"

Trans Student Policies Panel 

We're going live for a discussion with LGBTQ youth and advocates to talk about the Virginia Department of Education’s newly released guidance regarding the treatment of transgender and non-binary youth in schools!

The new policy is set to go into effect at the start of the 2021 – 2022 school year and in light of the recent lawsuit filed against VDOE, we know that trans-affirming families, educators, and administrators may have some concerns. To help answer your questions, please join us for a moderated panel discussion on Wednesday, May 12 at 6:00 pm. Our panelists will talk about next steps, advocacy opportunities, and there will be plenty of time for questions - we can't wait to see you there! 

TIES Planning and Equity Committee

Planning for this year's Transgender Information and Empowerment Summit (TIES) is well underway with the help of the community-led Planning and Equity Committee (PEC).

This month, participants focused on building relationships with one another and shared what they hope the committee accomplishes. PEC is a space for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern and North African folks and Spanish speakers of all backgrounds to make decisions about the direction and programming of TIES 2021. Sign-ups are still open, and we particularly invite more Spanish speakers to join our Spanish language access subcommittee.

Legislative Lunch & Learn

It's been another historic year for LGBTQ equality in Virginia after 11 pro-equality bills passed through the 2021 General Assembly! 

Many of these new laws will go into effect this summer and we want Virginians to learn more about the legislation that will soon affect our communities. That's why we're hosting a virtual Legislative Lunch & Learn series on Wednesdays starting in May. Each session will be a panel discussion featuring community advocates and organizations who partnered with us to support these bills, as well as other key leaders and content experts. Learn more about the new legal protections in place for LGBTQ Virginians and be on the lookout on social media to register for the series! 

2021 Commonwealth Dinner 

On April 22nd, we had over 800 attendees join us at the 18th Annual Virtual Commonwealth Dinner where we celebrated all of the progress made towards equality.

This year's Dinner was completely virtual, and although we couldn't be together in-person, we could all feel the energy radiating from everyone in attendance and from all across the state. Because of you and your contributions, we exceeded our fundraising goal, raising over $145,000 to support our mission of building a fully inclusive Commonwealth. Together, we're poised to do even more to support our communities. If you missed the Dinner - or would like to experience the celebration again, you can always visit our web page for full access to the program!