On Saturday, April 5, over one hundred community members and elected officials gathered at the Gay Community Center of Richmond to celebrate the official dedication of the new Center. Virginia Delegate Jennifer McClellan presented the resolution of the 2008 Virginia General Assembly which recognizes the Richmond Gay Community Foundation - the parent organization of the Center - for eight years of hard, successful work supporting our community and the organizations which serve us.

From the flag-adorned stage to the tremendous buffet luncheon, the Center was shining. Even the weather cooperated, with a morning rain giving way to bright, sunny skies at noon.

The Center would like to specially recognize Connie Barber, William "Binky" Locke and Nick Schmitz, who were awarded the Volunteer of the Year award for 2007 at the ceremony.

The Gay Community Center of Richmond is a permanent resource for all of us, and this dedication ceremony was a great way to throw open the doors. Many community groups have already held events at the Center, and space is available for all groups which support the Center's mission "to improve the lives of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender people."

Enjoy the pictures and the audio from the dedication, and please stop by the Center soon - by yourself, or with your group. Group reservations can be made by e-mailing us.

Eleven community groups presented twelve requests for funding before the March 31 closing date for the 2008 GCCR financial grant program. The groups competing for GCCR funding are diverse and propose programming serving a wide range of the Richmond-area LGBT community.

In April, the GCCR Advisory Board will consider the requests and make a recommendation for awards to the GCCR Board of Directors. The Advisory Board members include six community activists and three members of the nine-member GCCR Board of Directors. The Advisory Board members are:

Sally Camp	Jonathan Squash
Dorothy Holland	Brenda Thornton
Michael Jones	Jim Todd
Lisa Miles	Scott Whitlow
David Peake

Grant awards are scheduled to be announced in mid-May. Since 2000, the GCCR has awarded nearly $500,000 in grants and donations to non-profit groups which benfit the Richmond LGBT community. Grants - but not donations - were suspended in 2004 in order to fund the purchase and renovation of the Gay Community Center of Richmond facility. They resumed in January along with a renewed commitment on the part of the GCCR Board of Directors to provide needed financial support to groups which improve all our lives.

Equality Virginia held its annual Lobby Day and Legislative Reception in Richmond on January 24. EV has been the recipient of two grants from the Gay Community Center of Richmond, and is the state's leading non-partisan lobbying, education and advocacy organization serving the LGBT community.

Over 150 activists visited nearly every member of the General Assembly. At the reception, delegates, senators and cabinet officials attending were recognized. These legislators and officials made a special effort to meet with Lobby Day activists personally. The audio file linked below contains the remarks of Dyana Mason, EV's Executive Director, recognizing those members of the General Assembly who came out to support our community. Toward the end of the audio, you'll hear applause announcing the arrival of Governor Tim Kaine.

More on Lobby Day at EV's web site.

Dyana Mason's Remarks (MP3 audio)

Other organizations interested in sharing news of their events on GayRichmond.com should contact the Gay Community Center of Richmond by e-mail.

On January 17, the Senate of Virginia gave final approval to HJ144, a resolution introduced in the House of Delegates by Richmond Delegate Jennifer McClellan. The resolution commends the Richmond Gay Community Foundation and the Gay Community Center of Richmond for its work since 2000 "serving the Richmond LGBT Community."

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