April 10, 2017
TO: Brooke Sopelsa, Managing Editor
NBC Out
FROM: David S. Fishback, Advocacy Co-Chair
Metro
DC Chapter of PFLAG
RE: Nomination
of Robert Rigby, Jr., of Arlington, Virginia for the Inaugural Pride 30 List
(Robert may be reached at XXXXXXXXXXX)
As Advocacy
Co-Chair of the Metro DC Chapter of PFLAG, I am nominating Robert Rigby, Jr., of Arlington, Virginia, to be included on the
Inaugural Pride 30 List. I can think of
no one more deserving of this recognition.
And inclusion of Robert and a wider public knowledge of what he has done
and is doing can help advance the cause of LGBT students around the country.
Robert
recently was honored by Equality Virginia as one of 2017’s Outstanding
Virginians. Here is how Equality
Virginia describes his work:
"In his role as president of the
Fairfax County Public School Pride and a veteran
Latin teacher at West Potomac High School in Alexandria, Robert has been instrumental in getting protections
in place for LGBT students in his district. He
started a grassroots movement involving Equality Virginia, TGEA, PFLAG, GLSEN, NOVA Pride, and FCPS Pride
to support LGBTQ students, staff, and
faculty within the FCPS school district."
Robert’s
work was also well-summarized in this article in the West Potomac High School
paper, The Wire, in January
2016:
His
activism on behalf of LGBTQ students goes back more than a decade and a
half. I first met him in 2005, when I
was involved in developing a forum in Montgomery County MD, in support of proposed
changes in the Montgomery County Public Schools health education curriculum to
address LGBTQ matters. These links show
Robert’s wisdom and courage in helping people understand the dangers of the
now-utterly-discredited “conversion therapy” notions.
For many
years now, Robert, as a high school teacher and sponsor of his school’s
Gay-Straight Alliance, has helped to make school a safer and more welcoming
place for LGBTQ students. Even more
importantly, he has been the principal organizer and advocate for LGBTQ rights
in the Fairfax County (VA) Public Schools.
Bringing LGBTQ needs to the attention of the school system and the
School Board, both on his own and through coordination with parents and
students and through education of the media, he has successfully overcome
organized hate groups’ opposition, and has helped create and develop support
for the School Board’s majority, which is supportive of LGBTQ interests. His wisdom and dedication has helped to bring
people out of the shadows, and to educate the wider community about everyone’s
shared humanity.
This sample
of links shows what he has done, and continues to do, even in the face of
opposition from anti-LGBTQ groups:
I urge you to include Robert Rigby, Jr. in your list.[1]
[1] I also would like note the words of Fairfax
County parent Amy Adams, who also has nominated Robert: “Robert Rigby is a beacon of hope and light
for so many. He started FCPS Pride
(Fairfax County Schools Pride), an organization to bring together students,
staff and parents in Fairfax County, Virginia.
He has worked within the schools and School Board in a effort to promote
anti-discrimination policies that protect LGBTQ students, and despite
tremendous adversity and push back from conservative groups, he has
successfully changed minds and hearts.
Personally, he has been a tremendous supporter of my daughter who is
transgender and has always made himself available for us anytime we’ve needed
him. He is the epitome of ally, and
those who know Robert are lucky to stand in his light.”
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