.png)
HISTORY
1980 - The Loudoun Pioneers
In the 1980's and beyond, a local group of Loudoun citizens set up the Loudoun Pioneers as a social club for the gay and lesbian population.
2003 - Equality Loudoun Founded!
The legacy is formed by a local group of queer advocates, with a mission.
"We think that all families are important and deserve security, all children have the right to a safe and supportive educational environment, and all members of the community are entitled to respectful and equal representation by our elected officials." Because this was a grassroots organization, no official inception date was named but the date of June 1, 2003 is commemorated as the official date of founding in honor of Pride Month, when local advocates began having conversations and meetings that would lead to this historic moment.
2005 - Independence Day Parade
Equality Loudoun rallied local advocates and citizens to march in the annual Leesburg Independence Day Parade for the first time, bringing much needed visibility to Loudoun's queer community. Thus begins a long tradition of visibility and advocacy that still thrives today.
2005 -EQLOCO President Named Pride Hero
Each year, the Capital Pride Planning Committee selects a number of individuals to honor as “Capital Pride Heroes.” These honorees have gone above and beyond the call of duty to bring full equality to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities. This year, nine individuals have been chosen in recognition of their outstanding efforts. On Saturday, June 11th, 2005, the Equality Loudoun President David Weintraub was honored as one of the Capital Pride Heroes at the Capital Pride Parade.
2006 - The Cypress Project
In the early morning of Saturday, July 29, 2006, an Aldie home belonging to two gay men was vandalized, with damage estimated to be around $10,000. More than 170 trees and boxwoods were either ripped out of the ground or cut down, and the word FAG was spray painted on the driveway, mailbox, fence, and on the street in front of the home. An accelerant had been poured on the lawn and around the house while they slept.
2007 - SoulForce Equality Ride Conflict
In April 2007, a small group of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies from outside of Loudoun planned to hold a peaceful vigil at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville as a show of support for the queer community, as they had done in multiple other cities and states. As a result of this stated intent and reportedly stating that they had "heard other groups may try to join," the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office were said to have dispatched 112 officers in addition to an estimated 50 Virginia State Troopers to protect the college in a massive show of force.
2010 - Discrimination Protection Passes
On January 5, 2010, with the support from advocates at Equality Loudoun and the bravery of our elected officials, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors passed the first specifically pro-LGBTQ+ policy to amend the Equal Employment Opportunity policy to add sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination protections. This, of course, was not met without resistance.
2011 - Loudoun Out Loud Forms
Loudoun Out Loud is formed as a support group for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning teens and their allies. Partnered with Metro DC PFLAG*, LOL provides a safe environment for GLBTQ teens and their allies as we strive to promote awareness, understanding, acceptance, and inclusion for GLTBQ youth.
2012 - School Board Abandons Protections
Amid a growing chorus of voices giving rise to anti-LGBTQ+ statements in Loudoun, including those from a County Board Supervisor and a local realtor, the newly elected School Board opted to indefinitely table protections for LGBTQ+ students recommended by the Human Rights Campaign in their first meeting.
2015 - S.C. Upholds Marriage Equality
On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court held in a 5–4 decision that the Fourteenth Amendment requires all states to grant same-sex marriages and recognize same-sex marriages granted in other states. The Court overruled its prior decision in Baker v. Nelson, which the Sixth Circuit had invoked as precedent. This precedent marks a pause in Loudoun's queer community.
2017 - EQLOCO Reforms, Advances
In May 2007, a group of local activists gathered in a local library to reform the advocacy organization Equality Loudoun, which was largely stalled as the former generation of advocates had moved away or stepped back. With a large gathering of local citizens, elected officials, and activists. Working as a grassroots organization, they recognized the importance of Loudoun as a bellwether for the state and a focal point of anti-LGBTQ+ efforts.
2017 - EQLOCO Reforms, Advances
In May 2007, a group of local activists gathered in a local library to reform the advocacy organization Equality Loudoun, which was largely stalled as the former generation of advocates had moved away or stepped back. With a large gathering of local citizens, elected officials, and activists. Working as a grassroots organization, they recognized the importance of Loudoun as a bellwether for the state and a focal point of anti-LGBTQ+ efforts.
2015 - First Pride Prom organized
2019- PFLAG Relaunches
2019 - Equal Opportunity Policy passes LCSB
2020- Board changeover
2021 - Nonprofit and incorporation
2022- First Pride Festival, President honored, Attorney General subpoenas
2023 -
