Happy Pride Month | June 2022
Did you know that Southwest Virginia has a vibrant LGBTQ+ history? Well, if you didn’t know… now you know.
World history shows us that alliances across the lines of race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, nationality, ability — across all kinds of lines of difference — have the potential to make a difference.
“The cannabis business attracts people from ALL walks of life. Therefore, it’s our policy to be a proud, safe space for all. Racism, sexism and discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated.”
At Bear Dance, y'all know we're all about bringing people together — usually it's over the fact that people from all sides of the political spectrum agree that cannabis should be legal and accessible.
The cannabis business attracts people from ALL walks of life. Therefore, it's our policy to be a proud, safe space for all. Racism, sexism and discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated.
While I was a student at Roanoke College, some friends of mine helped establish the Southwest Virginia LGBTQ+ History Project. This is a community-based history initiative committed to researching and telling the stories of LGBTQ+ individuals and organizations in our region.
We recommend visiting the History Project's website to:
Find out where to visit the physical archives in Roanoke
Explore the digital archives
Take one of the free walking tours in downtown Roanoke (there's 3 planned for the month of June)
and more!
Dr Samantha Rosenthal is an Associate Professor of History & Co-Founder of the History Project. To learn more about her story and the message of the the Southwest Virginia LGBTQ+ History Project, we recommend reading her article in Southern Spaces about living with queer history in the spaces of our lives.
