Profiles

Dorothy Fillmore (M.A.’84) (she/her) 

What are some things that bring joy to your life? 

I live with my wife, Lisa, and our two dogs, Rascal and Cricket. We enjoy camping and road trips. I volunteer and work with adults who want to improve their literacy. Lisa and I are active in our Unitarian Universalist church.

If you could give one piece of advice to LGBTQ+ students today, what would you tell them?

We can draw strength from the resilience and the stories of those who went before us. This is a difficult time for LGBTQ+ people; diversity as a value is being challenged, and the infrastructure that supported multiculturalism is being dismantled. We need to take care of one another while we advocate for change. 

Jonathan Moore (B.S.’01, M.Envs.’04, M.Ed.’25) (he/him)

How have fellow LGBTQ+ alumni affected your life/career/journey?

My first year as a resident assistant in Rhoads Hall, I had an unusual number of gay young men on my floor. Those gentlemen hold a special place in my heart, as their very presence, their unapologetic existence, gave me the courage and strength to come out by the end of that academic year. Later, my husband introduced me to several LGBTQ+ alumni who were decades older than us, and through their stories, I became much more knowledgeable about the gay culture at VCU and in Richmond.

What does it look like for VCU to commit to supporting its LGBTQ+ community?

To me, VCU’s commitment looks like taking a stance against unacceptable policies coming from anywhere else. VCU’s legacy includes queer-identifying individuals, and that must be honored if VCU is to maintain its integrity as an LGBTQ+-welcoming institution of higher learning. VCU’s commitment should include the development of a brick-and-mortar LGBTQ+ support facility, a healthy budget to support LGBTQ+ members in need and counseling sensitive to the various lifestyles of LGBTQ+ community members. There is always room for improvement, VCU.

Pharmacy students Gabe Bell (left), Gray Scott and Alice Atkins

What is your hope for the future of LGBTQ+ students?

My main hope for future LGBTQ+ students is for them to be comfortable in their own skin while out in public. You can make strides yourself by not being afraid to take up space, and this will eventually make things easier for others.

– Gabe Bell, School of Pharmacy, Class of 2028 (he/him)

What is your VCU story?

I’m a Pharm.D. student right now. I’m a huge chemistry nerd at heart, and after watching the events of 2020 unfold, I knew I wanted to be an LGBTQ+ health care provider advocating for members of my community. I chose VCU because I saw that they had a pharmacy student organization called PrideRx. I’m so proud to have been passed the torch of running PrideRx and making a safe space for future LGBTQ+ pharmacy students at VCU.

– Gray Scott, School of Pharmacy, Class of 2027 (they/them)

If you could give one piece of advice to LGBTQ+ students on campus today, what would you tell them?

Keep pushing through. Now more than ever, it is important to be a queer person taking up space in these rooms and in these institutions. Our elders have paved the way for us, and we can continue changing institutions to make them better places for those who want to follow in our footsteps. Don't be afraid to be unapologetically yourself!

– Alice Atkins, School of Pharmacy, Class of 2028 (she/her)

Will Gilbert (B.S.’15) (he/they)

How have fellow LGBTQ+ alumni affected your life/career/journey?

I remember so vividly a queer literature class I took as an undergrad. There were multiple people in that class that I felt were light-years ahead of me in their journeys of self-discovery. I have those alumni to thank for being my first real push into educating myself and gaining a better understanding of our collective queer history. I’m grateful that I had the opportunity at VCU to challenge the way I had always thought and to interrogate the things I had always thought to be true. Other queer alumni helped me in that journey, and now I hope I can be part of that journey for someone else.

In your opinion, what is the legacy of LGBTQ+ people and efforts on VCU?

I think VCU is such an integral part of Richmond, and I believe Richmond is an inherently queer city. Students come to VCU because they want to be queer in a place that fosters that exploration. You can’t have VCU without the queer people who helped build it into the institution it is today.

What does “community” look and feel like to you?

A place at the table for everyone. A piece of the pie for everyone. A home for everyone. A warm hug for everyone. A safe space for everyone.