This is part two of GayRVA.com’s interview with Scott Sibley, founder of the Richmond Queer League. You can read about his group’s Tuesday Queer Night’s here.
Scott Sibley looks to bring the queer community into the mainstream.
Today, Scott Sibley, self-proclaimed Queer Cultivator, just passed the 300 person mark for his Facebook group, the Richmond Queer League. Where does he go now? The group originated to get the word out about new nightlife for the community. Queer is a term Sibley defines as inclusive of anyone outside the social norm.
“I really want to bridge social gaps between cliques in Richmond – whether gay or straight,” he said. “I want something for all different types of people to do.”
Sibley said a lot of “normal” people don’t understand what people in the homosexual lifestyle face simply because of ignorance. He hopes to work with the Richmond community as a whole to bring more of the mainstream in to get outsiders to learn what the queer lifestyle is like. He said that this misinterpretation runs within the gay community as well.
“From what I’ve seen, gay men tend to stray away from the lesbian population except for a random night – they’ll party together at Babe’s, but they’ll still stick to their own group afterwards,” Sibley said. “I just don’t think they’ve taken the time to spend together outside the club.”
And he plans to bring more cohesion through hosting social events outside the club – like picnics with other active groups and bowling nights with small businesses. He said there is already a business in Shockoe Bottom that plans a bowling night and he plans to collaborate with them to get the Richmond Queer League involved.
“It’s going to be trial and error,” Sibley said. “Mainly, it’s being out in the public. Fourth Friday has done a great job of that. They take over a traditionally straight establishment and give people the opportunity to socialize in a mainstream environment.”
He also has a forum in the works with the Gay Community Center, which will also be posting events on their website. Sibley is planning to create a blogspot to keep minutes and a running list of events for the Richmond Queer League.
Sibley believes if you give people different opportunities that tie in social support, you’ll be able to put together a better face to a lifestyle or individual.
“I feel 90% of all prejudice is because people don’t know about the lifestyle. We just need to let people see it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Sibley said. “It boils down to equal respect.”
You can join the Richmond Queer League via Facebook.
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