Drag BINGO! returns December 8th

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Spread the word and grab your dabber! Drag BINGO! returns Thursday, December 8th in our Event Hall, 1407 Sherwood Ave, RVA 23220. $20 admission gets you 9 games with $50 jackpots plus a $500 jackpot! Hosted by Grace Wetpants! Fun drag performances by Tiffani Hunter Monique, Sweet Pickles, and Javon Love. This is a non-smoking, all-ages, way fun event. Doors open at 6PM. Proceeds benefit the programs of Diversity Richmond.

Queer and Trans Author Showcase

 
Diversity Richmond is hosting a Queer and Trans Author Showcase Saturday, December 3rd 3:00-7:00pm in our Event Hall at 1407 Sherwood Ave RVA 23220. Free refreshments, cash bar. Meet and greet authors and hear readings from their works. This event is free and open to all ages. These are just a few of our participants.
 
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November 29th is Giving Tuesday

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Giving — whether that’s money, time, or donations of goods — is an opportunity to join together and change things for the better in your community.

Donate money to Diversity Richmond (no amount is too little). Donate here
Donate your time. Sign up here.
Donate goods to Diversity Thrift – Donations are accepted daily from 10am to 2pm at 1407 Sherwood Ave., Richmond, VA 23220. DiversityThrift.org
 
Diversity Richmond is a catalyst, a voice, a place and a resource for Richmond’s LGBTQ+ community. Your generous support will help us continue our work in 2023
 
Diversity Richmond has worked very hard over the last few years to meet the ever-changing and challenging needs of our communities. Here's how your monetary donation can help Diversity Richmond support the LGBTQ community:
• $10 provides three pair of shoes to someone in need
• $15 provides several toys for kids in need
• $25 provides six articles of clothing for someone in need
• $35 provides three meals to someone in need
• $50 purchases five much needed shopping baskets for Diversity Thrift
• $50 allows us to donate 13 items of clothing to a person in need
• $65 provides one night’s lodging for someone facing homelessness
• $75 covers the rental of a conference room for nonprofits to use
• $100 purchases a week’s supply of gloves and hand sanitizer for customers
• $125 funds our twice-monthly newsletters
• $200 provides a month of lawn care
• $250 sponsors two newsletters with a banner ad and two articles about your business
• $600 provides gas for the Diversity Thrift truck for one month
• $1,500 allows a nonprofit to use our event hall for free
• $9,000 pays our monthly mortgage
Any amount you can give is greatly appreciated! Thank you for your support.

The ultimate regift

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In August of this year, our friends at Amazon made another massive donation of merchandise to Diversity Richmond worth more than $140,000 that we are using to support community partners serving those in need in the Richmond region.

The first disbursements of the merchandise were made to PATCH Virginia and to CARITAS and included more than 250 boxes full of toys, home goods and other necessities that these organizations will use to support their clients. The estimated value of the donations so far exceeds $70,000.

Diversity Richmond is committed to working with our corporate and community partners to address unmet needs in our community. We are eternally grateful to Amazon and its employees for entrusting us with these very special gifts.

Pictured above: Caritas Furniture Bank Manager Sandy Morris and Diversity Richmond/VA Pride Program Director James Millner. Pictured below: PATCH Virginia founder Lynette DiScalio and James Millner.

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To our community:

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As we head into the Thanksgiving Holiday, we find ourselves yet again confronted with another unimaginable tragedy in which five members of the LGBTQ community were murdered and dozens more were injured at the hands of a gunman.  Our hearts ache for all that knew and loved them and we stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ and allied community of Colorado Springs as they mourn.   We know that members of our own community here in Richmond are hurting, angry and frightened.

We are, too.

But we cannot pretend that this act of hate and violence happened in a vacuum.  It was stoked by the anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and vitriol propagated in recent years on social media, the campaign trail and in our state legislatures, our city halls and school board meetings by those who wish to relegate our community back to the fringes of society.   We cannot and will not let that happen.   They will fail.

Diversity Richmond will continue to be a safe haven for our LGBTQ community.  We will add our voice and our resources to those of our community partners to fight for a city, a region and a Commonwealth where LGBTQ people are celebrated and affirmed and in which every space is safe for us to live and thrive as our true, authentic selves.  We welcome you to join us in this fight.

For now, please know that you are loved, affirmed and celebrated for who you are.

Diversity remains committed to being a catalyst, a voice, a place and a resource for Richmond's LGBTQ community.

The Joy of Sax

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In October, an anonymous donor gifted Diversity Thrift with a valuable work of art by national award-winning sculptor Susan Geissler. The life size piece titled The Joy of Sax is on display and available for purchase in our Holiday Boutique.

Geissler is recognized as one of the premier designers of human figures in the United States. Her work has been seen and enjoyed by millions of people at top outdoor art events around the United States. Some of her public collections, commissions, placements, and monuments include the George Bush Presidential Library, TX, Disney World Gallery, Orlando, FL, Benson Park Sculpture Garden, Loveland, CO, and Spartan Monument, San Jose State Univ., San Jose, CA.

The piece was originally purchased from the Chasen Gallery in 2005 for $8,500 and is priced for sale in our boutique for $12,000 or best offer.

All year long, our store staff stashes away our very best donations of vintage wares, antiques, silver, fine china, estate jewelry, rare books, vintage clothing, art, rugs, ceramics, and vintage toys for this boutique which is set up in our Iridian Gallery rooms. Your purchases support the programs of Diversity Richmond. We hope you will make time to visit our boutique which is open daily 10am to 6pm through December 23rd. We are closed on Thanksgiving.

Call For Queer and Trans Authors!

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Diversity Richmond is hosting a Queer and Trans Author Showcase on Saturday, December 3rd from 3:00-7:00pm in our event hall, 1407 Sherwood Avenue, RVA 23220. Participation in this event is free and open to local Queer and Trans authors, published or unpublished. This is an opportunity to introduce yourself and promote your work. We’ll have free refreshments and a cash bar.

To reserve your spot, contact by November 25th, 2022.

Diversity Richmond is seeking a part-time Program Coordinator

Diversity Richmond is seeking a part-time Program Coordinator to provide administrative assistance to our various program initiatives. This position will be responsible for managing our volunteer program, assisting with managing Diversity Richmond’s emergency financial assistance program, management of donor databases to include donor management and communication. This position will also provide support to Diversity Richmond’s management team by providing a wide variety of administrative duties such as assisting with invoicing, payment of vendors and budget tracking.  The ideal candidate must have excellent communication skills, orally and in writing, proficient in Excel, PowerPoint and database management as well as experience being able to update and make changes as needed to our website.  In addition, familiarity with RVA’s LGBTQ+ community and the various organizations that support it is needed.

Interested candidates should email their resume to 

Diversity Richmond is an equal opportunity employer.

Diversity Richmond Names Lacette Cross Executive Director

The Board of Directors of Diversity Richmond has named Lacette Cross, D.Min, the organization’s Executive Director, effective October 17, 2022. 
 
“We’re thrilled to name Lacette Cross our executive director, to lead our talented staff and to continue the important work Diversity Richmond accomplishes in building a more inclusive and equitable region,” said Chris Moore, Board Chair. “Lacette possesses a truly unique combination of understanding the challenges we face as a community and the impactful ways that Diversity Richmond can serve the LGBTQ+ community, our families, friends and our allies.”
 
"Diversity Richmond has a rich legacy of being a catalyst, a voice, a place and a resource for Richmond’s LGBTQ+ community," said Dr. Cross. “It is an honor to be chosen as the next Executive Director, and I am elated to join Diversity’s phenomenal board and staff at this pivotal moment for the organization. Together we will link arms to continue building the kind of dynamic, responsive, and equitable organization our community deserves.”
 
Dr. Cross has more than 15 years’ experience working with regional non-profits in various positions, most recently as VA SIP Strategic Advisor with NEO Philanthropy. She served as interim Executive Director for Side-by-Side during 2021, after serving as their Director of Volunteers and Outreach. Dr. Cross was graduated from Virginia Union University with a Doctor of Ministry, a Master of Theology from Union Presbyterian Seminary, a Master of Divinity from Virginia Union and a BS in Social Work from the Catholic University of America. She was named an Equity + Health Fellow with the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation and earned a Community Trustbuilding Fellowship with Initiatives of Change. She has beenrecognized as an OUTStanding Virginian by Equality Virginia in 2019 and in 2020 by the YWCA of Richmond as an Outstanding Woman.
 
For more than 20 years, Diversity Richmond has worked to make Richmond a better place to live, work, and visit for the LGBTQ+ community. Key Diversity programs include Diversity Thrift, Virginia Pride, the Black and Bold Awards, Viva RVA, Transgender Remembrance and support, and its community grants program, Diversity Celebrates.

Scary-Oke! A Costume + Karaoke Gaylalala

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Scary-Oke! A Costume and Karaoke Gaylalala benefitting Diversity Richmond

Friday, October 28 at 7 PM - 10 PM

Doors open at 6:30
Diversity Richmond
1407 Sherwood Ave. RVA 23220

$1,000 in cold hard CASH PRIZES!
$400 Costume Grand Prize!
Three $100 Costume Runner-ups!
Three $100 Karaoke drawings!

No singing talent required. Everyone who sings gets entered in the karaoke cash raffle. Singing starts at 7:00 sharp!

FREE Admission
Age 18+ welcomed
I.D. required for alcohol
Cash bar serving up craft beer, wine, and cocktails.
$7 Alcohol/ $2 Soft Drinks/Water.

Hosted by Natasha Carrington!

Food for sale by Midnight’s Soul Food Catering.

COVID Safety Measures: Masks are strongly encouraged.

Dress up sexy, funny, politically (in)correct, come-as-you-might-have-been, or just as you are. Let's get Halloween weekend off to a great start and support the programs of Diversity Richmond!

Hosted by Youneek NuYork

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VIVA RVA! Hispanic Music Festival October 1st

In 2019, Diversity Richmond hosted its first Viva RVA! celebration, commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month and LGBTQ+ Pride. With a goal of welcoming 500 people, the event exceeded expectations with 700 attendees. No one could have prepared for the pandemic. What was founded as a music and cultural festival morphed to coordinating food drives in collaboration with Feed More and partnering with the Virginia Department of Health to host COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics.

In 2021, Viva RVA! partnered with Richmond’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Engagement (OIRE) and the Office of Minority Business Development to host a 15-week Latino Entrepreneurship Academy, during which participants learned from business owners and financial experts in Spanish. This year will see a return to the traditional event, with music, dance and food, and art.  

Viva RVA! is a family-friendly event with free admission from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Due to the weather, we will celebrate Viva RVA! inside the Event Hall that holds 500 guests. Food trucks, vendors and exhibitors will be available, and performers include bomba, plena and salsa band Kadencia; Puerto Rican folk dance group Tradición; Brazilian quartet Quatro na Bossa, Latina Drag Queens, Serenata Duo, Children's Musical Performances, Salsa Lessons, door prizes and more!

Enjoy authentic Hispanic music, food, interactive stations, dance lessons, drag show, children program and exhibitors. The Viva RVA! Hispanic Music Festival is FREE. Eventbrite ticket is required.

More information, follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/VivaRVA

HIGHLIGHTS

11:30 a.m. Opening Ceremony

1:45 a.m. Quatro Na Bossa

12:15 p.m. Latino Entrepreneur Academy Presentation

12:30 p.m. Quatro Na Bossa

1:00 p.m. Tradición Dance Company and Salsa Lessons

1:40 p.m. Serenata

2:30 p.m. Tony Tunes - Children's Musical Program

3:00 p.m. Presentation of Commemorative El Abrazo

3:15 p.m. Kadencia4:00 p.m. Kendra Ferretti & Friends - Family-Friendly Latino Drag Show

4:30 p.m. Kadencia

5:15 p.m. Closing Remarks

Follow us on Facebook for more updates:https://www.facebook.com/VivaRVA

GENERAL INFORMATION

RAIN DATE Viva RVA! will happen rain or shine! If there is rain forecasted on the day of the event, we will move the performance stage to the Event Hall that holds 500 people. Food trucks and vendors will remain outdoors.

FOOD & BEVERAGES Several local Hispanic Food trucks/vendors will be on-site with food and beverages for purchase. There will also be beer and wine available for purchase. You must be 21+ with a valid ID to purchase alcohol tickets. Wristbands for alcohol will be issued for all attendees 21+ that have a valid ID.NO

COOLERS ALLOWED Coolers with beverages/food from outside the festival are NOT permitted. Please come and enjoy the amazing Hispanic food and beverages from the festival. No alcoholic beverages of any kind may be brought to the event.

DOOR PRIZES All attendees are eligible for entry in the door prize drawings. Please pick up your Door Prize ticket at the Viva RVA! Welcome Table. Door Prizes will be announced during each of the breaks. You must be present to win a door prize.

WHAT NOT TO BRING• Coolers, large backpacks• Alcohol• Bottles/glass containers• Contraband (drugs and weapons)• Laser pointers• Bikes, skateboards, inline skates• Bikes may be parked outside the festival area• Flying objects (drones, kites, frisbees, footballs, etc.)

CASH & CREDIT CARDS Admission and parking to Viva RVA! Music Festival are FREE. Food, beverages, and vendor goods can be purchased with cash or if the vendor accepts debit/credit cards. There is an ATM inside Diveristy Richmond's Event Hall.

PARKING Parking is FREE. The festival will be outdoors in the Diversity Richmond parking lot. You can park in available spaces in the Diversity Richmond lot off of Cummings Drive, or you can park in the streets surrounding Diversity Richmond.

RESTROOMS Restrooms are available inside the Event Hall at the Diversity Richmond building.

PETS Pets are allowed in the outdoor areas only of the Music Festival. No pets will be allowed inside Diversity Richmond. Remember that restrooms and alcohol will be inside the Event Hall. Also, please be mindful of cleaning up after your pet.

SECURITY There will be on site security to support the festival activities.

SEATING Outdoor seating will be available near the food vendors. Indoor seating will be available in the Event Hall. Bring your lawn chairs and set up near the stage to enjoy the music and dancing performances.

LOST AND FOUND Viva RVA! is not responsible for lost or stolen items. However, any lost items can be requested at the Viva RVA! Welcome Table.

ACCESSIBILITY Viva RVA! is wheelchair accessible.Your Presence is Your Permission: Special photographers and videographers have been hired by festival organizers to document the event. Some images may be used in later promotional materials. Your presence at the event is seen as your permission for such promotional use by the non-profit organizers.

Follow us on Facebook for more updates:https://www.facebook.com/VivaRVA

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