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2018 SESSION

18104006D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 167
Offered February 21, 2018
Commending Guy Kinman.
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Patrons-- McClellan and Ebbin; Delegates: Adams, D.M., Bourne, Carr, Roem and Sickles
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WHEREAS, Guy Kinman, a passionate advocate for equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people throughout Richmond and the Commonwealth, celebrated his 100th birthday in 2017; and

WHEREAS, born on December 23, 1917, Guy Kinman’s family roots were in Indiana, where he graduated from Wabash College; unsure of his career path, he was inspired by his mother to attend seminary school and become a minister; and

WHEREAS, Guy Kinman preached at Presbyterian churches in Illinois and Minnesota, before following in his father’s footsteps as a member of the United States Air Force, serving as a chaplain during the Korean War; and

WHEREAS, after his honorable military service, Guy Kinman also left the ministry and settled in Richmond as a salesman and employment counselor; he was married for 10 years before he acknowledged that he was gay and made it his life’s mission to help and support other members of the gay community; and

WHEREAS, in 1985, Guy Kinman was elected as president of the Richmond Virginia Gay Alliance, which later became the Richmond Virginia Gay and Lesbian Alliance, and was proud to serve as the public face of the organization, without the fear of retribution from an employer or ostracism by friends and family that many younger members of the gay and lesbian communities struggled with at the time; and

WHEREAS, inspired by similar but unsuccessful efforts in Lynchburg and Roanoke, Guy Kinman and the Richmond Virginia Gay and Lesbian Alliance raised money to place billboards throughout the city with simple, personal messages designed to fight discrimination and raise awareness of the gay and lesbian communities; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of Guy Kinman’s groundbreaking work, the Virginia Historical Society and the Gay Community Center of Richmond (now Diversity Richmond) created the Guy Kinman Research Award to promote historical scholarship on LGBTQ issues; and

WHEREAS, in recent years, Guy Kinman still enjoys attending events and writing letters to the editor on the fight for equal rights; he serves as a wise elder among members of Richmond’s LGBTQ community, maintaining a wealth of institutional knowledge about the movement’s early days; and

WHEREAS, Guy Kinman inspired members of the LGBTQ community to find confidence in themselves and live their lives openly and honestly, while fighting stereotypes and creating friends and allies through trust and mutual respect; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Guy Kinman on the occasion of his 100th birthday; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Guy Kinman as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his legacy of service to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community in Richmond.