Pride Month is a celebration of courage, community, and the freedom to live authentically. It’s a time to recognize the progress that has been made toward equality, while also honoring the resilience of LGBTQ+ people whose voices, stories, and advocacy continue to make our communities stronger.
For the Fairfax PRIDE community, the journey started when Brian Reach, founder of then Fairfax Pride, which is now NOVA Pride, out of frustration and need for local connection, started the first Pride organizing efforts.
Growing up in Northern Virginia, there really wasn’t a visible “gay community,” according to Reach. If you didn’t live in the City of Alexandria or Arlington County, you were often in a more conservative environment—even within Fairfax County. The few organizations that existed earlier on, like Equality Fairfax, had already disbanded by the time public sentiment began to shift.
At the time, Reach was tired of having to drive into D.C. just to find community or social spaces. They started organized rotating meetups—moving between different bars each week, sometimes multiple times per week—to identify local businesses that were willing to host LGBTQ+ patrons and help create consistent, welcoming spaces closer to home.
They understood early that one organization alone could not serve a region as large and diverse as Northern Virginia. Their goal was always to seed something broader: a network of Pride events and community spaces across jurisdictions. Over time, that vision expanded into what became multiple Pride observances and events across the region.
Reach worked with former Supervisor John Foust on drafting and passing Fairfax County’s first Pride proclamation in 2013, and then advocated for similar proclamations in jurisdictions that had not yet adopted them (while Alexandria and Arlington already had theirs).
In 2014, proclamations were secured in the City of Fairfax, the City of Falls Church, and the Town of Herndon. By 2017, with the help of NOVA Pride board members, that list expanded further to include the City of Manassas and City of Manassas Park. In 2018, Prince William County was added as well.
In 2016, Loudoun County held a town hall regarding the subject, which involved debate. Following the meeting, the Board of Supervisors decided not to issue Pride proclamations and instead designated June as “Love Loudoun” month. Pride recognition has re-emerged in some capacity since the pandemic era.
According to Reach, having worked on and received these proclamations, their meaning is not symbolic in a superficial sense—it is about public acknowledgment. For residents of a group that is actively being marginalized or antagonized, it matters when local government leaders formally recognize their existence and affirm their place in the community. Especially during contentious times, it sets a tone: that belonging is not conditional or invisible.
Proclamations matter because silence is also an active choice—not a neutral one. When a group is being treated unequally or facing hostility, there is no true “neutrality” in whether leadership chooses to acknowledge them.
Today, it is meaningful to see how far Northern Virginia has come. What began as isolated efforts has grown into a broader ecosystem of Pride events across multiple jurisdictions. At the same time, the work is not finished. Some communities and institutions are still becoming less comfortable with public affirmation—particularly when it comes to transgender people—which makes continued visibility and support even more important.
Pride is a celebration, rooted in a riot. Pride celebrates how far and accepted we are and our ability to gather and express our authentic selves. While celebrating achievement, we must not forget the opportunities still not won.
Pride Month reminds us that inclusion is not just a celebration for one month — it’s a commitment to building communities where kindness, understanding, and acceptance thrive year-round. Fairfax is stronger when everyone can show up as themselves, and Pride is a joyful reminder of that truth.
