Moments after the U.S. presidential election was called for Donald Trump last November, Ellie Picard knew that she had to act.
As a transgender woman and co-founder of The Beautiful Idea, a queer bookstore and market located on the Downtown Mall, Picard wanted to prepare for the slew of anti-LGBTQ+ changes that Trump promised during his campaign. His proposals included “keeping men out of women’s sports,” banning taxpayer funding for gender-affirming surgeries and stopping taxpayer-funded schools from promoting gender transition.
“It’s time to start planning in earnest for how we provide for all of our community’s needs,” said Picard. “Especially for trans folks, we’re going to be the target of some nonsense.”
Trump’s return to power prompted Picard and other members of Charlottesville’s LGBTQ+ community to mobilize. Blake Walker, a transgender woman who serves on the board of the Charlottesville Gender Expansive Network, was among them.
“In the immediate wake of the election, I felt compelled to sidestep the pit of despair and channel my frustration into something productive,” Walker said in an email to Charlottesville Tomorrow.
Soon after the election, Walker contacted Picard and The Beautiful Idea’s other owners — Joan Covatch, Senlin Means and Dylan West — about creating a space that would be a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community. The idea appealed to Picard, who, when opening The Beautiful Idea in 2023, had imagined such a space.
Within three months of discussing what the facility could look like and gathering feedback from potential patrons, Picard, Walker and others leased a building at 801 West Main St. Formerly a Kicks Unlimited sneaker store, the space is now the Rivanna Area Queer Center, a community and social space intended for LGBTQ+ people in Charlottesville and surrounding areas.
With construction of the center and its plans for opening still underway, some of the reasons behind its creation have dominated national and local news.
On his first day of office, Jan. 20, President Trump signed an executive order declaring that the federal government will only recognize two sexes: male and female. On Feb. 5, Trump signed an executive order barring transgender women and girls from participating in female sports in federally-funded schools and universities, according to the White House.
Meanwhile, the Virginia General Assembly has seen its own set of anti-LGBTQ+ bills during this year’s session. Ten bills targeting transgender youth and individuals have all failed on the General Assembly floor, many of which involved banning minors from receiving gender-affirming medical procedures, prohibiting transgender girls from playing in sports, and allowing healthcare officials to deny care to patrons who are transitioning, according to the Trans Legislation Tracker, a research organization that tracks bills involving transgender and gender-expansive individuals.
In Charlottesville, UVA Health said Jan. 31 that it would pause any kind of gender-affirming care for individuals under 19 years of age following an executive order from President Trump and guidance from Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. Miyares warned UVA Health that they would be at risk of losing critical funding, such as money from Medicare and Medicaid programs. On Feb. 13, a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump’s executive order, and UVA Health resumed care that was previously paused.
Fighting such legislation and policies remains at the center of why Picard, Walker and other queer people in the area decided to create the Rivanna Area Queer Center.
“Folks need a beacon of hope in the midst of all that noise,” said Walker. “Something to remind them that they are safe, loved and worth protecting.”
Similar spaces in other localities are committed to offering support to the queer community as the nation debates legislation that could harm such people.
Rev. Lacette Cross is executive director of Diversity Richmond, a bustling facility located near Interstate 95 that describes itself as “the hub for the LGBTQ+ community of Greater Richmond connecting people, partners and programs through our work as a catalyst, a voice, a place and a resource.”
Rev. Cross explained that establishing spaces such as the Rivanna Area Queer Center in Charlottesville is a reminder to people outside of the LGBTQ+ community — supportive or not — that queer people are not going anywhere.
“These spaces are so critically important in times like these, because they are a reminder that we exist, and that nobody can legislate our existence,” said Cross. “We’re here, and we’re a part of this city, this town, this country.”
In addition to Diversity Richmond, the Queer Center’s founders modeled the site after similar businesses in the state, such as the Shenandoah LGBTQ Center in Staunton, Lavender Lodge in Lynchburg and the Roanoke Diversity Center in Roanoke, said Picard.
The Rivanna Area Queer Center founders want the site to be more than a place for people to hang out. Picard said the center plans to provide an apparel closet for people — such as those who are in the early stages of transitioning — to obtain free clothing. Inside the space, there will be three separate rooms, which Picard envisions having mental health providers and other LGBTQ+ groups use for queer-centered work.
Take Action
The Rivanna Area Queer Center is developing a dedicated space in Charlottesville for LGBTQ+ people. The center will host a visioning session at 801 W. Main St. on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. If you are interested in contributing to the center, or giving insight on what you would like to see, you can submit a Google form on the center’s LinkTree.
Fewer venues exist locally for queer communities
The Rivanna Area Queer Center will not be the first dedicated space for the LGBTQ+ community in the city. However, such spaces have struggled to stay open over the last decade.
Umma’s, a popular Japanese-Korean-American fusion restaurant that was considered to be a safe haven for queer people in the city, closed last September as the owners were set to move from Charlottesville.
The city also was once home to Impulse, a membership-based queer social club located on Emmett Street where Super Amanecer currently sits. Impulse closed in 2020 after being in operation for seven years, according to a News Leader report.
In 2017, the Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review approved the demolition of Escafé, a restaurant that was frequented by queer people in the area, and the restaurant came down in 2018. Club 216, another gay club in the city, shut down in 2016.
Despite the closures, other businesses, such as Firefly Restaurant and Game Room, have opened their doors for LGBTQ+ patrons and events. In addition, Out and About and Queerish Cville often serve as venues for events hosted by local residents or former queer establishments.
As the Rivanna Area Queer Center’s founders prepare for its opening within the next two months, they are seeking input for community members who plan to make use of the facility. Bailey Pleasant, a 25-year-old transgender man, looks forward to having an established setting to meet other queer people rather than meeting them by happenstance.
“I think there is a lot of value in finding other people that are like you and being able to be as true to yourself as you’re capable within that kind of company,” said Pleasant.
