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2019 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 1007
Celebrating the life of Guy Malcolm Kinman, Jr.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 19, 2019
Agreed to by the Senate, February 21, 2019

 

WHEREAS, Guy Malcolm Kinman, Jr., a passionate advocate for equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people throughout Richmond and the Commonwealth, died on September 17, 2018; and

WHEREAS, a native of Heavener, Oklahoma, Guy Kinman graduated from Texas Military Institute Episcopal school in San Antonio, Texas, and earned a bachelor’s degree from Wabash College in Indiana; and

WHEREAS, after attending McCormick Theological Seminary in Illinois, Guy Kinman preached at churches in Illinois and Minnesota, then served his country as a chaplain in the United States Air Force; in 1960, Guy Kinman changed careers and settled in the Richmond area, working as a sales counselor for the firm Snelling and Snelling for 20 years; and

WHEREAS, Guy Kinman was married for 10 years before he acknowledged that he was gay and went on to make 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, such as “Someone You Know is Gay...Maybe Someone You Love,” to fight discrimination and raise awareness of the gay and lesbian communities; and

WHEREAS, Guy Kinman continued to lead and support the LGBTQ community up to the time of his passing, and in recognition of his 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, 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; and

WHEREAS, Guy Kinman was active with the Virginia Historical Society, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Valentine Museum, the Prime Timers of Central Virginia, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond; and

WHEREAS, Guy Kinman will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his vast circle of friends and the numerous people he helped lead richer, fuller lives through his outspoken leadership; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Guy Malcolm Kinman, Jr., a highly admired member of the Richmond community whose legacy of activism touched countless lives; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Guy Malcolm Kinman, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.