Bedford Pride

02/02/2025

Save the Date! We are so excited to announce “The Central VA Inclusive Wedding Expo,” taking place on March 30, 2025 at the Virginian Hotel in Downtown Lynchburg. 🌈
You deserve to have a safe & welcoming space to plan your wedding; come meet all kinds of vendors from venues, to bakers, to photographers, to DJs, all committed to being a safe & supportive environment for all nearlyweds. 🫶 Q***r, trans, & allied folks welcome!

Profits from this event will be donated to the Shenandoah LBGTQ+ Center.

Vendors! If this sounds like something you’re passionate about, we would LOVE for you to apply to participate in this event. 💚

Register or apply on our website below!
https://theevergreencollective.co/wedding-expo

07/20/2023

Beale's is always a safe space in Bedford.

Q***r life has long been linked with big, coastal cities like Portland. But entrepreneurs and organizers have worked to carve out LGBTQ+ spaces in smaller cities and towns across the state.

07/19/2023

See below from a reporter if anyone would like to reach out to her.
...

Hi, my name is Mia Nelson. I am a reporter with WSET ABC 13 news. I am reaching out in regard to the VDOE's newly released model policies for state schools and specifically how the policies address gender-based issues in schools.

https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/46509/638252918535347325

The finalized policies say students should be referred to by pronouns matching the s*x appearing in the student's official record and should use the bathroom matching the s*x on their official record.

We are interested in talking with any local families and/or students who would be impacted by this if the policies were implemented by their school system.

I wanted to see if you knew of anyone who you could put me in touch with who would be interested in setting up an interview today either in person or over Zoom in regard to this.

Please let me know your thoughts, and thank you very much!

Mia Nelson
Multimedia Journalist WSET ABC 13
(434) 420- 1707
https://wset.com/
[email protected]

07/06/2023

We're grateful for our friends over at Givens for their voice of reason, compassion, and kindness.

You may not agree with every book we sell and in return, people may not agree with what you read. But society can work well when everyone is respectful, kind and generous of heart. Please stop turning books over that don’t fall in line with your train of thought. This is a big beautiful world with all sorts of beautiful people. I hope you aren’t missing out on any of them bc you look away if you don’t like what you see at first glance. What a weight would be lifted off your shoulders if you didn’t judge or condemn but only accepted and smiled at the people you encounter.
And FYI.. turning a book over only makes it stand out more. Thank you for reaffirming the belief System that some of us hold tightly to… you can’t change minds when yours is always closed .

07/03/2023

In red communities across America, lawmakers are pushing to restrict drag performances and, in some cases, broader trans and gay rights.

06/12/2023

7 years ago.
49 souls lost.
53 injured.
We remember.

On June 12, 2016, a gunman opened fire at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub — an LGBTQ safe space — killing 49 and injuring 53 more. The deadly attack was an earth-shattering reminder that our work to combat militarized hate is critical to creating a safer, more inclusive future. Just over six years later, on November 19, 2022, a gunman killed 5 and injured at least 25 others at Club Q, an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs.

These attacks, like the onslaught of anti-LGBTQ policies and bigoted rhetoric sweeping the nation, were meant to scare us back into the closet. They were meant to leave LGBTQ people wondering if it’s safe to be ourselves. But, with our community under siege, we chose to be unapologetically visible and refused to be erased. This moment in history calls for that same courage.

Today, we will honor the victims of Pulse and Club Q with action by raising our flags higher than ever. By celebrating Pride unashamedly. And by committing to the fight for a world where no one has to fear being themselves. And we invite you to join us by committing to the following actions:·

· Changing your profile or header picture to the attached Resist flag
· Using , and
· Encouraging your followers to do the same (all the details and the downloadable image are at honorthemwithaction.org)

Let's send a clear message that they will not be forgotten and we will not be erased.

06/07/2023

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️Big things are happening!🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈
We're grateful to everyone who came out for our brainstorming session on Sunday, and we're excited to build an active Pride community in the area. Missed the meeting and have brilliant ideas? We want to hear from you! Just message the page to let us know what you'd like to see, or how you'd like to be involved.
Happy Pride Month, friends!