• GAYRVA.COM
  • ABOUT
  • Mobile Site

GayRVA

  • News & Views
    • Headlines
    • History
    • Op/Ed
  • Arts & Events
    • Calendar
    • Photos
    • Nightlife
    • Submit an Event
  • Lifestyle
    • Food & Drink
    • Dating & Relationships
    • Health & Fitness
    • Style
  • Guide
    • Attractions
    • Bars & Clubs
    • Faith
    • Health & Beauty
    • Hotels
    • Legal Resources
    • Non-Profit, Volunteer & Activism
    • Real Estate
    • Recreation
    • Restaurants
    • Shopping
    • Support & Social Groups
    • Theaters
    • Travel
  • Calendar
  • Advertise
  • Bars & Clubs
  • Business Directory
  • Dating
  • Nightlife
  • Photos
  • Visit Richmond
  • Home
  • >
  • Planned Parenthood Discussion on LGBTQ History and Politics
  • You are not logged in.
  • LOGIN
  • Arts & Events

    Health Brigade Throws Inaugural...

    brigala001
  • News & Views

    Trump To Reverse Obama...

    HHS-4
  • News & Views

    This Man Thinks His...

    itv-this-morning-4_640x345_acf_cropped-1
  • News & Views

    British Man Who Deliberately...

    daryll-rowe-facebook_650x400_61524107676
  • News & Views

    Christian Conservatives Claim Bill...

    oann-4
  • News & Views

    RTD Quietly Apologizes For...

    ggUwXDMz_400x400
  • Arts & Events

    On Their Debut Album,...

    npr-1----farrah-skeiky_wide-05af2f640c5bed5ccb7df1f871116072c1d54b78-s800-c85
  • News & Views

    “Queers Will Burn And...

    michael-hill-4
  • Arts & Events

    “Queer Voices” Brings Needed...

    queervoiceslitcrawl
  • News & Views

    VAVP Brings NERVE: Stories...

    29314750_1888291627850560_5798738618818232320_n

Featured

    • Headlines
    • History
    • Op/Ed
  • Question

    Tacos vs Pizza: You must choose!

    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...

Planned Parenthood Discussion on LGBTQ History and Politics

“My hope is that we move towards an understanding that LGBTQ people of color exist in our community, are out and proud and need to be listened to.”
Maya Earls
Maya Earls
July 1, 2013
    • Tweet

    Read More: DOMA, history, Planned Parenthood, Prop 8, salem acuna, SONG

    image (3)

    Emily Yates, Salem Acuña, and Ted Lewis

    Wednesday night, the Virginia League for Planned Parenthood’s Education Program held a conversation on LGBTQ History and Politics that tried to understand where the current communities issues intersected with historical situations that still affect us today.

    Even though there was a storm thundering in the background, the discussion had a celebratory feel due to the recent Supreme Court decision to strike down DOMA and Prop 8. Ted Lewis, Associate Director of Common Ground for LGBTQ Campus Life at the University of Richmond, explained that while same-sex marriage is a major part of LGBTQ politics, the conversation would take a much broader approach.

    Lewis and Salem Acuña, an organizer with Southerners on New Ground, a group specializing in LGBTQ organizing and social justice interpretation work in minority communities. began with introductions highlighting the diversity of the audience. There were people who experienced the Stonewall Riots firsthand, a few students of the University of Richmond who were new to LGBTQ politics, and some members of Act Up who helped those suffering from AIDS in the 1980s.

    After introductions, Lewis and Acuña dove right into LGBTQ history by focusing on the Stonewall Riots. Lewis explained the restrictions members of the LGBTQ community faced in the 1960s, and identified how the Stonewall Inn was a place of freedom.

    Acuña then invited the audience to close their eyes and put themselves in the moment, as he read a descriptive passage of the emotions felt when the police began to arrest patrons of Stonewall and the patrons fought back. Once he finished the passage, Acuña asked the audience, “What were [the members of Stonewall] fighting for”. There were a variety of answers, such as “freedom from persecution,” “equal rights” and even “the future generation”. Lewis pointed out that Stonewall became a defining moment, where LGBTQ members and LGBTQ supporters joined together to resist the discrimination of the law. The Stonewall Riots were also picked up by national media, bringing the struggles the LGBTQ population faced into the average American’s living room.

    Next, Lewis asked, “What does the [LGBTQ community] have now?” Someone mentioned the power of technology. With internet access, a LGBTQ person in the most rural town can feel connected with the worldwide LGBTQ community. A few older members of the audience explained how laws used to prohibit people from “dressing as the other gender” or even “expressing interest in the same gender.”

    LGBTQ interests, like equal workplace protections and partner benefits, have been endorsed nationally by companies such as Pepsi and GAP, and television shows like Modern Family feature same-sex couples in prime-time TV slots. Lewis made it clear that advancements have been made, but there is still work to be done.

    Acuña then changed the focus from history to politics by introducing a version of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that identified the priorities of the LGBTQ community. The crowd added specific needs, such as “gender neutral bathrooms” to the list as well the general need for acceptance and equality. In conclusion, Acuña and Lewis identified the broad and narrow goals the LGBTQ community wishes to accomplish, and the steps needed to move towards those goals. Once the discussion was over, the crowd was able to walk around the room and read more historical facts about the LGBTQ movement.

    In a short interview, Lewis spoke about the importance of having public discussions.

    “For me, this is all about consciousness raising,” said Lewis. “And specifically trying to shift the conversation to a more intersectional approach.”

    Lewis then explained some misconceptions of the LGBTQ community in Richmond.

    “I’ve heard from some elders that there aren’t LGBTQ people of color in the city…or that trans people are hiding, and that’s simply not true,” said Lewis. “My hope is that we move towards an understanding that these people exist in our community, are out and proud and need to be listened to.”

      • Tweet

      Maya Earls and is a second-year journalism student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She was born in Los Angeles, and moved to Richmond in 2000. Her first journalism experience was managing social media for the Rock4Life benefit concert.She enjoys exploring Richmond on her bike and finding good views of the river. Her favorite past-time is watching people dance in their cars from her apartment window.

      HB1466 vote

      Related Stories

      UPDATE: HB 1466 Killed In Committee

      UPDATE, 2/7/2018: Well, here we are again — another chance at a legislative victory for Virginia’s LGBTQ community ends before it really even gets a shot. Yesterday, a subcommittee within the House Of Delegates’ Committee on Commerce and Labor voted to “pass by indefinitely” on HB 1466, the bill that would have prevented health insurance [...]

      February 7, 2018
      • Equality Virginia’s James Parrish Named to Northam’s Transition Team, November 16, 2017
      • SONG’s Black August Bail Out offers aid to black women & black trans prisoners unable to afford bail, August 17, 2017
      • Friends For Equality hosts benefit show for Nationz Foundation at Smatter 8/5, August 2, 2017
      • Prev What Does The End of DOMA Mean For Virginia’s Married Same-sex Couples
      • Next The 2013 Richmond Mural Project Kickstarter Campaign
      • Topics
      • Back to top
      ACLU Babe's of Carytown Bob Marshall Carytown Discrimination Diversity Richmond DOMA Equality Virginia Fan Free Clinic Featured Fourth Friday GA 2016 gallery Gay Community Center of Richmond GCCR Godfrey's History HRC Human Rights Campaign Lesbian LGBT LGBTQ LGBT Rights Mark Herring Marriage Equality movie reviews Movies music Nations North Carolina Photos Richmond Richmond Triangle Players ROSMY rva theater RVA theatre Same-Sex Marriage Transgender transgender bathroom use Trump tv jerry University of Richmond VA Pride VCU video

      More News

      • HHS-4 Trump To Reverse Obama Rule Banning Health Care Discrimination Against Transgender People
      • itv-this-morning-4_640x345_acf_cropped-1 This Man Thinks His Medication Made Him Gay — Watch A Doctor Explain the Truth to Him On Live TV
      • daryll-rowe-facebook_650x400_61524107676 British Man Who Deliberately Infected Partners With HIV Gets Life In Prison
      • Recent Posts

        • Health Brigade Throws Inaugural Brigala at LaDiff Saturday
        • Trump To Reverse Obama Rule Banning Health Care Discrimination Against Transgender People
        • This Man Thinks His Medication Made Him Gay — Watch A Doctor Explain the Truth to Him On Live TV
        • British Man Who Deliberately Infected Partners With HIV Gets Life In Prison
        • Christian Conservatives Claim Bill Banning Conversion Therapy Would Also Ban The Bible
      • Friend Activity

      our partners

      Gungho Guide

      QUICK LINKS

      About

      • About GayRVA
      • Advertise
      • Contact Us
      • Privacy Policy

      Arts & Events

      • Photos
      • Nightlife
      • Calendar
      • Archive

      Connect

      • YouTube
      • Twitter
      • Facebook
      • E-Newsletter

      Guides

      • Travel
      • Resources
      • Real Estate
      • Business Directory

      Lifestyle

      • Style
      • Health & Fitness
      • Food & Drink
      • Dating & Relationships

      Partner Links

      • RMCVB
      • Gungho Guides
      • GCCR

      Copyright (c) 2018 GayRVA.com | Website Developed By CO+LAB

      GayRVAout. spoken.

      Continue to GayRVA (X)