Equality Loudoun

Goal: $10,000.00

Specific Need

Equality Loudoun has served the community for over 20 years, working to protect our LGBTQ+ neighbors, families, and youth! Every year, GiveChoose is the foundation of our Scholarship program that aims to deliver $10,000 annually to queer students who will be the advocates of our future! We have given out over $15,000 to date in scholarships and educational grants to youth and school-based groups to support higher education, inclusion initiatives, and acceptance in our school system. 

As the only recurring LGBTQ+ scholarship program specific to Loudoun, we ask for your help!

Mission

Equality Loudoun is a non-profit organization that advocates, educates, defends, and builds community to support LGBTQ+ equality in Loudoun County.

Profile

Equality Loudoun (EQLOCO) has been working since 2003 to make Loudoun County, Virginia a welcoming place for all its residents - gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and straight. We think that all families are important and deserve security, all children have the right to a safe and supportive educational environment, and all members of the community are entitled to respectful and equal representation by our elected officials.

Our goal is a Loudoun community free from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. By participating in civic life, building relationships with business, religious, and community leaders, and living our lives with integrity, we can create a community with respect for all.

Whether you are only interested in local social events, are looking for opportunities to participate in education and advocacy, or just want to stay informed about LGBT issues in our local community, Equality Loudoun has a way to stay connected and involved that is right for you.

Founded originally in 2003, the grassroots teams that began it all worked through some of the biggest struggles of the 21st century's fight for equality. As time went on and the region changed, the group temporarily halted operations from 2013 through 2016. Following the Supreme Court's Marriage Equality Decision in 2015, EQLOCO was restarted to continue its mission to bring equality to all the citizens of Loudoun County. They fought for acceptance in classrooms, in public spaces, and strove to create a shared community vision for Loudoun County. 

Now, in 2021, a new generation of advocates have stepped up and officially incorporated Equality Loudoun with the same goals to strive for advocacy, education, and community! As an official non-profit, they are building a new vision of the future where equality is more than just an idea but a reality for all the residents of Loudoun Country. This story is still being written.