In Virginia’s capital, where LGBTQ+ advocates have worked for years to make civic life more inclusive, the organization He She Ze and We is filling growing gaps in care and community for transgender and nonbinary people.
“We’re really responding to everything that’s going on right now,” said Haiden Hopper, the group’s communications and operations coordinator, in an interview with The Advocate. “The need has increased with inquiries from families and people needing support.”
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Founded to help families of transgender and nonbinary youth, the Richmond-based nonprofit has expanded to serve adults seeking care and connection. Its Trans Wellness Fund offers quarterly microgrants that help Virginians pay for surgeries, hormone therapy, and other forms of gender-affirming care. “We’ve helped 46 people access surgery, hormone therapy, and direct care through places like Seven Hills,” Hopper said. “With hospitals no longer serving minors and with costs rising, that support has been crucial.”
Festivalgoers picking up information at the He She Ze and We info table during LGBTQ+ Pridefest in Richmond, Virginia, September 2025Nikki Aye for The Advocate
He She Ze and We now operates across Virginia, from Northern Virginia to Hampton Roads and the Blue Ridge. Its programs include support groups, educational workshops, and volunteer outreach. “We work with all ages, all people—parents, trans adults, allies,” said Grayson Arthurs, the group’s community engagement and events coordinator. “There’s a place for everyone.”
The organization also recently launched trans adult welcome calls, modeled on its family support outreach, to connect adults with affirming health care providers, housing, and social resources. A new trans adult social club will begin meeting this month to create space for friendship and mutual aid. “We’re hearing from adults that they’re looking for community,” Hopper said. “Our first event will be making vision boards, but it’s really about meeting friends and sharing what we have.”
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Arthur said the work has taken on new urgency amid changing health care access. “Parents are scared,” Arthurs said. “It’s not just one hospital. We’re redirecting families to private practices because gender-affirming care is legal, but the hospitals just aren’t providing it.”
Grayson Arthurs (right) working with volunteers to organize the He She Ze and We youth pride info table during LGBTQ+ Pridefest in Richmond, Virginia, September 2025Nikki Aye for The Advocate
That redirection often happens quietly. “Some providers have asked that we keep their information close to the chest,” Arthurs said. “It’s like an underground railroad system for trans health care. We’re sharing information verbally, one person at a time, and helping the people we can.”
Richmond consistently earns national recognition for its LGBTQ+ inclusivity. The Human Rights Campaign’s 2024 Municipal Equality Index again gave the city a perfect score of 100, citing protections in employment, housing, and public accommodations, trans-inclusive health care benefits for municipal employees, and an LGBTQ+ liaison in the mayor’s office.
A recent Advocate feature described Richmond as a “Southern LGBTQ+ travel haven,” noting its thriving queer-owned businesses, arts community, and long-standing advocacy networks. Hopper credited city leadership for keeping inclusion a priority. “It’s been really awesome to see the city invest in people who are advancing protections for queer folks,” they said. “When I spoke at the Pride flag raising this year, it felt like, ‘Wow, I’m invited here. I belong.’”
Haiden Hopper (pictured left) speaks with festival goers at the He She Ze and We info table during LGBTQ+ Pridefest in Richmond, VA, September 2025 Nikki Aye for The Advocate
Arthurs said community leaders meet monthly with the mayor’s liaison to discuss policy and safety. “We have a lot of policies in place that are keeping us safe and keeping us happy,” they said. “And we’re working hard to make sure those continue.”
Even as the city celebrates progress, the state’s health care landscape has grown more restrictive. In early 2025, Virginia Commonwealth University Health and the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU announced they would suspend all gender-affirming care for minors, citing political pressure and federal directives. As The Advocate reported at the time, the move effectively ended hospital-based treatment for trans youth in Virginia, joining similar decisions by the University of Virginia and Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.
The fallout has been immediate. “Parents and young people started calling us not knowing where to go,” Arthurs said. “That’s when we started expanding our work with adults, because a lot of families had nowhere to turn.”
Despite the strain, Richmond’s LGBTQ+ community continues to find strength in visibility. At this year’s Richmond Pridefest in September, He She Ze and We volunteers spent the day connecting with attendees. “There was foot traffic all day long,” Arthurs said. “It was an ugly day, but a beautiful one.” Hopper said the event underscored how much affirmation matters: “You didn’t have to worry somebody would misgender you or treat you weird. Everyone was celebrating being themselves.”
Festivalgoer picking up information at the He She Ze and We info table during LGBTQ+ Pridefest in Richmond, Virginia, September 2025Nikki Aye for The Advocate
Still, both said anti-trans messaging remains exhausting. “There’s so much anti-trans rhetoric out there,” Arthurs said, referencing new billboards around the city. Hopper added, “People are like, ‘Why are we so obsessed with trans people?’ I hope we can focus on issues that affect everyone, such as the economy, housing, and groceries. Bigger fish to fry.”
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