Pride Week 2015 - Growing Up . . . Gay in Hampton Roads

Earlier in the month I wrote about an event sponsored by the Hampton History Museum that will take place tomorrow evening.  The recordings of the panel discussion from the event will become part of the Museum's oral history collection that seeks to preserve history through the recollections of ordinary people as well as the prominent and famous.  The topic is growing up gay in Hampton Roads.  The husband is one of the panelists.  Last evening we hosted a gathering at our home for the panelists and some of the Museum staff in order that the panel could get to know each other somewhat before the event and review the event format.  Based on last night, the panel discussion should be remarkable, especially the contributions to be made by  Gavin Grimm, a transgender boy on who's behalf the ACLU has filed a law suit against the Gloucester County School Board.  Here are details on the event (which will be followed by music and a cocktail party):

This year The Hampton History Museum will be presenting an event entitled "Our Story, Our Time  Growing Up . . . Gay in Hampton Roads."  The event is free to the public and starts at 5:30 on June 24, 2015, at the Crown Plaza Marina, 700 Settlers Landing Road in downtown Hampton.  Part of what the event focuses upon is the reality that LGBT individuals have always been part of our local history even if in times past they felt the need to remain invisible. 

The Hampton History Museum event will include a panel the members of which will describe what it was like to grow up "different" in Hampton Roads.  Panelists include Dick Fore, the owner of Foremost Florists, Barry Menser, owner of Barry's for Hair, Corey Mason, an actor, theater director and college student, Anthony Cudrup of the Hampton Finance Department, Bobbi Mitchell, and Art Institute student and Gavin Grimm, a transgender high school student.

Local readers need to attend and learn some interesting history and meet some wonderful people.

P.S. Posting will be reduced all week due to the daily Pride events we will be attending every evening.