Over the past 40 years, societal changes have brought greater acceptance and expanded legal protections for the LGBTQ+ community. Despite these advancements, members of the community continue to encounter significant challenges and discrimination.

Eric Morris grew up in Spotsylvania County during the 1980s. Back then, it was a rural farming community rather than the far-reaching Washington, D.C. suburb it is today. His life wasn’t sheltered, but his parents didn’t expose him to the things many teenagers today take for granted. Being gay just wasn’t something he considered.

“I didn’t go to my first movie until I was 16,” he said. “I dated girls because that’s what I thought I was supposed to do. But when you get older, you develop your own identity.”

Morris explained his coming out as a process. He says it was like a weight lifted from his shoulders.

“I didn’t know what gay was,” Morris said. “I just felt different. It wasn’t on TV. It wasn’t out in public, but things became clearer as I got older.”

Morris believes transgender youth face the greatest challenges today in finding the support they need to navigate the current social and political climate. 

A 2024 report by The Trevor Project, a nonprofit offering crisis and suicide prevention services for LGBTQyouth, highlights the struggles and victimization experienced by LGBTQ+ young people, particularly those who are transgender or nonbinary.

According to the report, almost half of transgender and nonbinary youth (46%) seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. Young people of color considered attempting suicide at higher rates than their white peers. However, only 50% of LGBTQ+ young people who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it.

A record number of anti-LGBTQ+ policies have been implemented over the last year, according to the report, creating a negative impact on the health of LGBTQ+ youth. The survey found that nearly half (45%) of transgender and nonbinary youth reported that they or their family have considered moving to a different state due to anti-LGBTQ+ politics and laws.

“Youth are very sensitive, especially the transgender youth,” Morris said. “We want to ensure their rights are protected and they have everything they need to live in society in peace.”

Meet the full-time real estate agent and investor helping LGBTQ+ youth, and this week’s Personality, Eric D. Morris:

Date and place of birth: May 29 in Spotsylvania.

Where I live now: Henrico.

Explain Side by Side: Side by Side is a 33-year-old LGBTQ+ youth nonprofit organization. We provide services to folks across the state, including training and education and school program support, but we have a center that supports queer youth in the Greater Richmond area. .

Mission: Creating supportive communities where Virginia’s LGBTQ+ youth can define themselves, belong and flourish.

When and why founded: Side by Side was founded in 1991 under the name Richmond Organization for Sexual Minority Youth (ROSMY) amid the need to support lesbian and gay youth in Richmond. It was later rebranded to focus its efforts on support for gender-expansive youth.

Founders: A group of concerned people who recognized the need for support and resources for LGBTQ+ youth in the area.

Location: Scott’s Addition.

Explain the use of personal pronouns and why it matters: Personal pronouns are a way to express gender and identity. It matters because we pride ourselves in celebrating the varied and diverse identities of our youth and, in solidarity, commit to using pronouns as a gateway to inclusion and acceptance. It releases some of the burden on our youth, particularly any trans or nonbinary individual, from having to explain themselves.

LGBTQ+ means: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (or questioning), with the plus sign representing other sexual orientations and gender identities that are not explicitly included in the initialism.

Side by Side is vital because: LGBTQ+ youth need support and resources, mental health and well-being, advocacy and empowerment, and education and awareness. In today’s political climate, where there are ongoing debates about LGBTQ+ rights and visibility, we provide these essential resources for LGBTQ+ youth, helping them navigate the challenges they face and empowering them to thrive.

How I got involved with Side by Side: The executive director invited me.

When elected co-chair: When elected co-chair, I was both excited and nervous because I lacked nonprofit experience.

My co-chair: La Verne Burrus-Johnson, and we share the responsibility of leading the board and working with the executive director to reimagine Side by Side’s strategic plan and vision.

Why Side by Side is meaningful to me: Because it’s an organization that provides the services and support that were not available or even heard of when I was growing up. It is exciting and humbling to be in a position to help protect and shape the future of our LGBTQ+ youth.

Main goal and strategy as a co-chair: To lead and support the organization in creating a safe, affirming and empowering environment for LGBTQ+ youth. My strategy includes building strong partnerships with other organizations, community groups and allies to amplify the impact of Side by Side’s work and create a network of support for LGBTQ+ youth.

Biggest challenge: Side by Side’s biggest challenge may be the ongoing need to navigate and address systemic barriers and discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ youth, including advocacy for inclusive policies in schools and communities.

We need to combat stigma and prejudice and ensure that LGBTQ+ youth have access to supportive resources and services.

Side by Side programming: Support groups, counseling services, youth leadership development, educational workshops, community engagement, advocacy and policy change, and crisis intervention.

No. 1 joy I have witnessed with Side by Side: One thing that stands out is reading a letter written by one of our youth expressing appreciation for how much the organization has meant to her.

How to get involved with Side by Side: Donate! The uncertainty of the current climate makes your dollars more important than ever, and guarantees that we can continue to staff our programs and provide the life-saving services our LGBTQ+ youth continue to need. Contact our director of development and community engagement or the director ofoutreach to volunteer because your time is just as valuable.

How friends, allies and those who need the support of Side by Side can connect: Register online at our website, sidebysideva.org. Follow us on Instagram atsidebysidevirginia and on facebook.com/sidebysideva.

Upcoming events: Glitter Glam Jam, a 21+ event, supports our mission. Participants create a team that will get a fundraising link to share with their networks to raise funds through Jan. 25, when we will hit the dance floor in full glitter and celebrate all that hard work and recognize teams for helping us out with food, fun and entertainment.

My morning outlook: I start the day with two cups of coffee. Otherwise, the rest of the day will suck! I go through my email to clear the junk and identify those things that need a response or an action. I review the goals, tasks and calendar events I set for the day the evening before, updating anything that crossed my brain overnight. And then, I get to work on everything that needs to get done.

The three words that best describe me: Truthful, kind-hearted, listener.

Best late-night snack: Butter Pecan ice-cream.

Top three on my musical playlist: “Flower,” by Miley Cyrus, “Not Like Us,” by Kendrick Lamar and “Wind Beneath My Wings,” by Bette Midler.

Most Inspirational quote: “You are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream,” by C.S. Lewis.

The best thing my parents taught me: Respect!

Most inspirational book: “The Millionaire Real Estate Agent,” by Gary Keller.

Next goal: For Side by Side, I want to return some of the core services we had to pause while engaged in an organizational reset. Within the next 6–8 months we aim to restore our clinical mental health services, and within the next year we plan to bring back our housing support services.