Wordy Birds

Lesbian and Gay Richmond

(with Alex Lorch)

Original airdate: July 11, 2008

“Lesbian and Gay Richmond” is a look at the histories and contributions of homosexual Richmonders . It begins with Richard Cornish, one of the original Jamestown settlers, who was sentenced to death for breaking the sodomy laws. It moves through the centuries of fear, anger and rebellion and remarks on the achievements that have shaped Richmond just as much as Thomas Jefferson’s design of the State Capitol Building.

Unfortunately, many of these remarkable people who helped create our city were not recognized as LGBT. So while we celebrate their contributions, a large part of the creator was censored and misrepresented.  The truth was, despite some adamant docent’s decrees, that Lewis Ginter was a homosexual… as were so many others who designed our capital city.

(Another appalling anecdote of LGBT history is that it was against the law to serve a homosexual person alcohol until the late 1970s!)

In my opinion, the people in this book are our great romantic heroes.  The people in “Lesbian and Gay Richmond” have been true to themselves and, in some cases, risked their fame, fortune and physical safety to be with the ones they loved.  

This is a good show. I hope you tune in.  

Sincerely,

Liz

Listen to the show:

Buy the book:

Lesbian and Gay Richmond (Images of America (Arcadia Publishing))