 | | Dear John, Happy Pride Month! This June, we have a lot to be proud of – we’ve grown our team to help expand our policy and advocacy work, we've wrapped up our Legislative Lunch & Learn series, and we’re rounding the corner on our month-long Give OUT Day fundraiser. As we look ahead, we are excited to share new opportunities for you to get involved with EV in the coming months and we're especially pumped to release the dates for the 8th Annual Transgender Information and Empowerment Summit happening virtually on October 20 – 23, 2021. Keep reading for more details below. |
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EV's June Newsletter
In this Issue:
- Pride 2021
- Update on Safe Schools
- Board Member Spotlight
- TIES 2021
- Community Conversation: Racial Justice at Equality Virginia
- Recap: Lunch & Learn
- 2021 Legislative Scorecard
- Give OUT Day 2021 |
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| Find a Pride celebration near you! Pride season is in full swing and here in the Commonwealth, June kicks off celebrations that don’t stop until October! This year, many Pride events are venturing to a hybrid model or are safely in-person, which is why we are thrilled to host a web page listing Pride events happening all across the state. Over the next several months, be sure to use our Pride 2021 page to find an event happening in your area and, if you know of an event that you want to add to our web page, simply respond to this email and let us know. |
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| | Safe Schools Update: LCPS Over the past few weeks, several events in Loudoun County regarding the approval and implementation of school policies protecting the rights of gender-diverse students have made local, state, and even national news. Policy 8040, the proposed Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) policy based on the VDOE Model Policies on the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools, is currently pending approval from the school board. Unfortunately, the proposed policy has received significant pushback from some Loudon County residents. You may have heard that an elementary school gym teacher was placed on administrative leave and later reinstated by a judge after making a public comment against the policy at a May school board meeting. Just this past Tuesday at another LCPS school board meeting, community members who showed up in support of transgender and non-binary students encountered a large crowd of protesters who expressed fervent opposition to the pending policy. After several disruptions during the meeting, the school board unanimously decided to suspend the public comment period, prompting a negative reaction from the opposing crowd and an escalation that led to an arrest and an injury. |
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|  | We're saddened by the events happening in Loudon County, and unfortunately, it is not the only locality in Virginia that is currently experiencing anti-trans resistance in response to policies like this one. As preparations for the 2021-2022 school year begin, it is vital that community members contact their school board members and speak out in support of policies that would affirm and protect transgender and non-binary students in public schools. To find out more about this issue and learn how you can make a difference, please visit our Creating Inclusive Schools web page as well as our Advocating for Trans Students FAQ. You can also email our Safe Schools Coordinator, Kyleigh, for more information. |
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| Board Member Spotlight:
Bryan Price This month, we are highlighting one of our incredible board members, Bryan Price. You've probably seen his friendly smile at EV events over the past year, and we're excited for you to get to know Bryan a little better. Check him out! What do you enjoy most about being on EV's board: "I enjoy the privilege of serving Virginia’s LGBTQ+ community and meeting folks from across the Commonwealth." What impact do you hope to have through your work with EV: "I hope that EV can be more representative of the Commonwealth’s LGBTQ+ community. As a Black gay man that lives in rural Southern Virginia, I have not seen many EV leaders that look like me or live in my region of the Commonwealth. I believe that in order to maximize the strength and visibility of our community, we need to be represented by the entire spectrum of LGBTQ+ folks in the Commonwealth, not just those of a certain hue and economic status who live in the urban centers." Can you share a positive experience you’ve had while serving on EV’s Board: "I am very proud of the effort to make EV a more racially just organization. During this time, it is fashionable for organizations to issue a Racial Justice press release, offer sensitivity training, offer their employees Juneteenth holidays with pay, but stop right there. I have witnessed the genuine willingness and work being done to make EV a more racially just organization by the staff and the board. I hope that our community will hold us accountable and help us to achieve that goal." |
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|  | Why are you fundraising for EV on Give OUT Day: "Equality Virginia and its community partners have done a great job of creating and changing legislation that affects the LGBTQ+ community, but the work has only begun. As hard as we have fought to create and change policy, we have to work just as hard, if not harder, to keep and maintain those rights. Also, the work is not done. There are so many other issues that have not been addressed yet. Give Out Day helps us secure the resources to continue the fight." Fun Facts & Hobbies: "One of my favorites hobbies is teaching Urban Line Dance classes. I have become totally immersed into a community of folks that love to dance and fellowship. Now that COVID restrictions are being lifted, new friendships and collaborations are happening in person. If you like R&B, soul, hip hop, reggae and pop music, you should definitely try Urban Line Dancing. Shameless plug, check out my group on Facebook, Southside Urban Line Dance!" We are so grateful to Bryan and our board members for their dedication to equality. If you're interested in helping to support our work, please consider making a $10 Give OUT Day donation! |
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|  | Virtual Transgender Information & Empowerment Summit We are thrilled to announce that our 8th Annual Transgender Information and Empowerment Summit (TIES) will take place Wednesday, October 20 through Saturday, October 23! This year, the free conference will be fully digital again. This was a long, thoughtful decision to ensure the health and safety of our whole Virginia community and plan for the best event in these uncertain times.
This year's TIES will offer workshops, trans-affirming mental health and medical consultations, a name and gender marker change clinic, plenty of opportunities to connect and build community, and you're invited! TIES is designed to meet the interests and needs of transgender and non-binary people of all ages as well as partners, family members, service providers, and allies. All are welcome, so register here today! |
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 | Community Conversation: Racial Justice at Equality Virginia This March, Equality Virginia released a public commitment to make anti-racism a central part of our work for LGBTQ equality, and we are dedicated to updating you on the progress we’ve made over the past few months. Join Equality Virginia on July 8, 2021 at 6:00PM for a community conversation, where we hope to hear from community members about how you are seeing, not seeing, and would like to see racial justice show up in our work. This discussion is an opportunity for you to share, provide feedback and ask hard questions. You’ll get to hear from us, but more importantly, we’ll get to hear from you. All are welcome to the space, but we are prioritizing the voices and experiences of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Middle Eastern and North African people who participate in the conversation. |
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|  | Recap: Legislative Lunch & Learn Over the last five weeks, dozens of advocates joined us at our Legislative Lunch & Learn series to celebrate and learn more about Virginia’s newest pieces of pro-equality legislation! Throughout the series, we discussed the new laws in great detail and highlighted some of the legislators, organizations, and community members who helped to make our equality agenda a reality. While we've come to the end of the summer series, our work to educate LGBTQ Virginians about their new legal protections has just begun. Special thank you to our panelists and everyone who helped to make this series a success. If you joined us, please take three minutes to leave some feedback about your Lunch & Learn experience. |
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 | 2021 Legislative Scorecard 2021 was another historic and life-changing year for LGBTQ equality in the Commonwealth, and it’s important to know how your elected officials scored on issues of equality during the General Assembly session. We have developed our 2021 Legislative Scorecard which expands on our mission to build a fully inclusive Commonwealth where all LGBTQ people can live dignified and liberated lives. The scorecard provides an in-depth look at the policy positions of every legislator during the 2021 General Assembly, and gives them each a score based on how they voted for pro-equality legislation this year. This educational guide will help you get a clear sense of the political priorities of each legislator and demonstrate the level of support for each pro-equality bill - check it out! |
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| | Contact Us Equality Virginia
530 E Main St Ste 600
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 643-4816
[email protected] |
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