Seven years ago, the Shenandoah LGBTQ Center was founded and housed in the Staunton Innovation Hub to provide services never before available in the area.
In early 2019, the center moved into its current space on the fifth floor of 13 W. Beverley Street in downtown Staunton.
“You need a hub, you need a physical space for that to happen,” said Shenandoah LGBTQ Center Executive Director AnhThu Nguyen of the lack of a sense of community for LGBTQ in Staunton before the center was founded.
Nguyen, 41, became executive director in November 2021, but has been involved since the center’s inception when she was a member of the center’s board. She grew up in Powhatan County and came out as queer when she was 18 years old.
“I think it’s important in any context, any city, any area to have an LGBTQ Center, but, particularly, what’s important and what I think is unique about us is that we’re really in an under-resourced, rural, conservative area,” Nguyen said.
When Staunton’s LGBTQ Center was founded, the only other centers for the LGBTQ community were in Winchester and Roanoke.
“Up and down [Interstate] 81, there wasn’t any point of connection for queer community,” Nguyen said of resources seven years ago.
After listening sessions, the center created pillars of its mission, including access to mental health services, housing, access to affirmative healthcare, access to advocacy and providing a safe space. All of which, Nguyen said the center has accomplished in the last seven years.
“It’s pretty broad and ambitious, especially for a young nonprofit, but they serve as our sort of roadmap of where we want to be,” Nguyen said.
The center organizes the annual Staunton Pride celebration, which began in 2018 and serves as an opportunity for the center to reach the entire community, at Gypsy Hill Park in October. And opened a Harrisonburg location in November 2021 with Friendly City Safe Space.
The center has four full-time staff and three part-time, all working to provide support and education to the local LGBTQ community. The center works to provide education in local schools and ensure that local children and teenagers know its resources are available to them.
While the center has surpassed expectations set by its founders, Emily Sprouse and Chris Wood, Nguyen said she does have goals for the future.
“I think there’s still so much need in this area as far as advocacy. I would love to see a stronger presence and support for our local school systems and making sure our LGBTQ youth are really seen and supported in the ways that they deserve,” Nguyen said.
She would like to establish outposts of the center, physical spaces in other locations of the Valley, so that the center can further serve the communities beyond Staunton, Harrisonburg, Waynesboro and Augusta County. She would also like to have a team of full-time community health workers and expansion of Hope House with full-time case managers.
“Especially now when we’re seeing an erosion of public supports and services, we know that it’s up to the community to sort of fill those gaps,” Nguyen said. “I think us and the rest of the service providers here in this area, we know what to expect in the coming years and I want to really be able to focus and support our community.”
In the midst of national politics in 2025, Nguyen said the LGBTQ community is always ready for a battle. She, however, remains focused on hyper local issues, but the response to oppression remains the same: to fight. She has confidence in the center and the community.
“The community has always responded appropriately. So there’s a long history of LGBTQ activism that shows we know how to take care of our own,” Nguyen said.
Involved in LGBTQ activism work for more than 20 years, Nguyen said the pendulum of history swings back and forth, but the community is always prepared to respond.
The Shenandoah LGBTQ Center was founded during President Donald Trump‘s first term in office.
“We’ve known a lot of unrest,” Nguyen said. “That’s just sort of our unique timeline. Have I ever felt more positive about our future? I think, generally, I am a hopeful person anyways.”
The center’s ability to have achieved so much already in seven years sometimes makes Nguyen believe it is unstoppable.
“I know that’s not the case because we’re still small, but, I think, I have a lot of confidence about us as an organization and as a community. I think there’s something special about Staunton,” Nguyen said.
The center could have been founded in any city in the Valley, yet it was founded in the Queen City.
“I think our success has always been tied to the community here and the folks who have rallied to help support this,” Nguyen said.
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Rebecca Barnabi
