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Friday, Nov. 4, 2022
We begin today’s newsletter with the story of Charley Burton. He is a 62-year-old transgender man who says he has struggled as a child and then adult in Charlottesville to discover and embrace who he is.
Charley tells the story in his own words, as part of First Person C’Ville.
“The only thing I knew about gay life in Charlottesville was from the books I would sneak off and read at the Gordon Avenue Library,” Charley writes. “When I was around 10 years old, I climbed those brick steps into a world of adventure. I looked for books about gay people — I didn’t know about trans people then — and I would go all the way to the back where the health books were. My heart would pound and I had sweaty hands just knowing I could slip away into all those words and find out about subjects that were taboo in my community. Even as I got older, it felt as if I was doing something wrong.”
He used to sneak to the back of the library to learn about who he was — now this trans advocate has his own book
It would be decades before Charley would learn what it meant to be transgender. After finally transitioning, he has a lot to say about how this community treats its transgender residents.
He also wants you to know that the policies our elected officials enact matter.
2022 Voter Guide
Election Day is nearly upon us. Next Tuesday, polling places will open and the 5th Congressional District will choose between Rep. Bob Good and his Democratic challenger Josh Throneburg. For Charlottesville and most of Albemarle County, that’s the only race on the ballot.
However, there are numerous local elections across Central Virginia. We have compiled a list of them, with other important election information, in our 2022 Voter Guide.
The 5th District’s up for grabs in Tuesday’s election, but so are mayors and school boards across Central Virginia
I recently joined In My Humble Opinion on 101.3 Jamz to talk about the election — both the local races and the big 5th District one. Listen to the conversation and be sure to follow In My Humble Opinion for other impactful stories from our community.
Thanks for reading!
Jessie Higgins, managing editor
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