Thousands of LGBTQ+ people & allies celebrate Virginia PrideFest — with Gov. Abigail Spanberger among them

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger joined thousands of LGBTQ+ people and allies Saturday at Virginia PrideFest in Richmond, appearing openly and enthusiastically at the Commonwealth’s largest queer gathering.The Democratic governor attended the free, eight-hour festival at Midtown Green, where more than 200 vendors and exhibitors gathered alongside food trucks, drag artists and musicians. This year’s theme — “Our Pride. Our Joy. Our Resistance” — situated the celebration within a national climate of escalating government attacks on LGBTQ+ people.“It was wonderful to join Virginians this afternoon to celebrate Richmond PrideFest and reaffirm our Commonwealth’s place as a welcoming home for all families. We are taking practical steps to strengthen laws against discrimination, contend with the chaos out of Washington, and make sure every Virginian can feel safe and supported in their daily lives," Spanberger told The Advocate in a statement. "This November, I urge all voters to continue the progress we’ve made by voting yes on Virginia’s constitutional amendment to affirm marriage equality.”Related: Virginia LGBTQ+ groups ‘thrilled’ to march in inaugural parade celebrating the state's new Dem governorSpanberger's attendance was a welcome development.“It is particularly meaningful in this moment to have the governor not just attend but to celebrate pride and to do it with sincerity and authenticity,” Virginia Pride director James Millner told The Advocate. “When so many political officials use the LGBTQ community as pawns, we are fortunate to have a governor who is an ally in every sense of the word.”Spanberger is not the first Virginia governor to attend. Democrat Terry McAuliffe became the first sitting governor to appear at PrideFest in 2016, and his successor, Democrat Ralph Northam, also attended. But Republican Glenn Youngkin did not continue that tradition. Instead, his four years in office were defined by policies targeting LGBTQ+