The City of Richmond’s Office of Equity & Inclusion is inviting residents to participate in the 2026 LGBTQ+ Community Survey, a citywide effort designed to better understand the experiences, needs, and priorities of LGBTQ+ residents and ensure Richmond continues building a community where everyone can thrive.

The anonymous survey supports the Mayor’s Action Plan pillar of Thriving and Inclusive Communities and will help guide decisions about services, partnerships, staff training, and future policy priorities.

“This survey is about listening,” said Aneesah Smith, Equity and Inclusion Advisor for City of Richmond. “Even when communities are resilient and vibrant, there are still barriers that can prevent our LGTBQ+ residents from feeling fully safe, seen, and supported. This is an opportunity for residents to shape how the City moves forward. This effort reflects our commitment to ensuring Richmond belongs to all of us,” Smith added. “We want our data to reflect the real diversity of every corner of our city.”

Smith started in her role last summer and brings more than a decade of experience advancing equity-centered systems change and has long been deeply embedded in regional LGBTQ+ and racial equity work. She was recently appointed by Governor Abigail Spanberger to the Commonwealth’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board, serves on the OutRVA Advisory Committee, and was selected as one of only two City employees to participate in the Rockwood Leadership Institute’s Black and Latino Changemakers Fellowship—recognitions that reflect her leadership across Virginia and her commitment to ensuring LGBTQIA+ initiatives are grounded in systems-level equity.

The survey is designed to help the City:

• Focus resources where they are most needed
• Establish a baseline for measuring progress over time
• Strengthen partnerships with community organizations
• Improve services and training across City departments

City leaders emphasize that participation will directly inform how Richmond continues to invest in inclusive programs and responsive government services:

“At the City of Richmond, we are leaning into ensuring our work is guided by residents’ lived experiences,” said Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Human Services, Amy Popovich. “The 2026 LGBTQ+ Community Survey is a key part of that effort, helping us hear directly from LGBTQ+ residents about their needs and priorities. Our teams are in the community every day, and I have the honor of working alongside leaders like Aneesah Smith who are deeply committed to this work. We are intentionally including residents in every step of our design process to build a stronger, more responsive partnership that serves our LGBTQ+ community with care and accountability.”

Community partners believe the release of the LGBTQ+ community survey signals progress:

“The launch of this survey, alongside the appointment of long-standing LGBTQ+ advocate Aneesah Smith as the City’s Equity and Inclusion Advisor, marks a meaningful step forward for Richmond as it continues to become a more LGBTQ+-inclusive city,” said James Milner, Virginia Pride Director, who also serves as Program Director at the nonprofit Diversity Richmond.

“These efforts reflect both the progress that has been made and a clear recognition that more work remains. By pairing dedicated leadership with community-driven data, the City is building a stronger foundation to better understand the experiences of LGBTQ+ residents and respond with intention, authenticity, and impact.”

Responses are anonymous, quick to complete, and will go directly to the teams working on policy and program improvements across City government. Community feedback will help guide future action and ensure that the City’s work reflects residents lived experiences across Richmond’s LGBTQ+ community.

Residents who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community and live in Richmond are encouraged to participate.

Take the survey: https://go.rva.gov/corlgbtqsurvey26        

For questions about the survey, contact: askoei@rva.gov