June is the start to LGBTQ Pride Month, a time when sexual and gender diverse communities celebrate their place in America. And Richmond kicked the month off a few days early when the mayor and community members gathered at city hall to raise the Rainbow Flag.
Mayor Danny Avula, who has a queer daughter, said his administration reopened the office of Inclusion and Equity in an effort to give LGBTQ Richmonders a voice.
“We are curating dialogue with not just OIE, but the connection to all the city offices to make sure they are hearing that input," Avula told the crowd who had assembled for the event. " And that they are hearing that input and shifting practices and making sure the way they deliver services more inclusive and more supportive.”
James Milner is the executive director of Virginia Pride - notably their celebration is in September - but he said the theme for Pride this year is Pride is a Practice.
“Pride is not simply a celebration we have once a year. It’s not a company changing its logo for Pride Month or a proclamation or a flag alone," Milner said. "Pride is the daily practice of choosing visibility over silence.”
And as President Donald Trump and his allies target LGBTQ Americans, Zakia McKensey, a Black woman of trans experience who runs the support organization Nationz Foundation, said practicing pride is about making sure the country - and the commonwealth - see LGBTQ people exist and are in their communities.
“And like my trans sisters before me, we will be vigilant. We will fight for our rightful place in our society," McKensey said. "Happy Pride!"
