Stephen Lenten

Virginia Commonwealth University Dean Stephen Lenten battled in court for university recognition of the Gay Alliance of Students. Credit ML

Aunt Bee

Members of GAP attended New York's 1975 Gay Pride Parade and Festival. Drag entertainer Stanley Kelsey appeared as Aunt Bee. Kelsey later served on the GAP board, and as Dora Lee Lewis remains a fixture of the Richmond scene. Credit ML

Patch Adams

Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams in 1973

Dora Lee Lewis

Stanley Kelsey performed as DoraLee Lewis. This picture is circa 1980. Credit ML

Tony Segura

In the 1950s, Gonzalo "Tony" Segura co-founded the Mattachine Society, commonly considered the first national LGBT organization. Segura's moved to Richmond in 1959, but his efforts to start a Mattachine chapter in Richmond were…

Broadway Cafe

The Broadway Cafe was originally Benny Sepul's, a 1950s-era restaurant with a private back area for gay men. Credit ML

Hunter Stagg

Avante garde writer Hunter Stagg hosted gay and lesbian authors. Credit ML

Ellen Glasgow

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ellen Glasgow was a suffrage activist and a prominent member of Richmond's literary circle. Credit ML

Lewis Ginter

Lewis Ginter was a Civil War veteran, who with his longtime companion John Pope was a leader of Richmond society in the late 19th Century. Credit ML

Mary Walker

Civil War veteran Mary Walker was awarded the Medal of Honor. Washington's Whitman-Walker Clinic is named in her honor. Credit ML

Anna Maria Lane

Anna Maria Lane, the only documented female soldier in the American Revolution. This historical marker stands near the Bell Tower off Capitol Square - the site of many rallies for LGBT rights. Credit ML

Diversity Thrift

Diversity Thrift

Guy Kinman

Guy Kinman

Marchers in DC

Marchers in DC

Anita Bryant

Anita Bryant sang and our community organized. To respond to her visit, activists organized the first LGBT rights rally in Richmond. No one mentioned Bryant's name - a tactic still used to good effect in rallies today. Credit ML

Adair Mix Headline

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Gay Community Center of Richmond

Gay Community Center of Richmond logo

Rainbow Richmond: LGBTQ History of Richmond, VA, 1625-2010, by Cindy Bray

Richmond is an old place, at least in American terms. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have always been a part of its history. This exhibit, published originally on OutHistory in 2013, is dedicated to all those who challenged the norms…

Philadelphia Inquirer Bicentennial Headline