Sense of Community Growing: Turned Inward by the AIDS Crisis

While many political activities continued, the AIDS Crisis had an incredibly strong, at times debilitating, influence over the actions of the LGBTQ community during the mid 1980s through the mid 1990s. The LGBTQ Community continued to grow, more people found their voices and came out, but the voices were often muted or drowned out by the overwhelming facts of the AIDS Crisis. Yet new voices were coming to the forefront and activism took on two new channels: Virginians for Justice committed to work within the legislative system and OUT! Virginia dedicated to direct actions including civil disobedience and active protests. Meanwhile the social outlets continued to grow.