Our People: Heidi Hemphill Samples
No matter when an individual joins the LGBTQ+ community through self-acceptance, everyone has an opportunity to make an impact that resonates. Heidi Hemphill Samples is one such individual. Born in Toledo, Ohio, reared in the suburbs of Cincinnati and landing in Charlotte in 2018, Samples continues to make her mark in a community that might…
Small town Pride celebrations growing across North Carolina
Small-town Pride celebrations continue to grow across North Carolina. This June, both Hendersonville and Morganton are preparing for community-centered festivals that organizers say are about visibility, connection and creating welcoming spaces in places where LGBTQ+ people are often overlooked. The Hendersonville Pride Festival returns June 6 from noon to 5 p.m. at Jackson Park in…
SC Pride events for Greenville and Bluffton
From South Carolina’s Upstate to the Lowcountry, this year’s Pride events reflect how local festivals have become important gathering spaces for LGBTQ+ people and their families living outside larger metropolitan areas. In Greenville, the Pridefest Collaborative will return June 6 with their 6th Pridefest at Hampton Station from noon to 4 p.m. Organizers describe the…
Several Carolinas LGBTQ+ nonprofits beneficiaries of 2026 Elton John Impact Awards
Several LGBTQ+ nonprofits in North and South Carolina are beneficiaries of the inaugural Elton John Impact Awards, a new initiative from iHeartRadio and Procter & Gamble highlighting LGBTQ+ changemakers and organizations providing community support services. Charlotte Trans Health, the LGBT Center of Raleigh and Charleston-based We Are Family each shared public announcements this week about…
Some LGBTQ+ Carolinians are redefining home and community abroad
Every morning in Atenas, Costa Rica, Susan Anderson wakes before sunrise and sits outside watching birds move across the mountains surrounding her home. The doors and windows stay open year-round. There are no screens. No air conditioning. The weather rarely shifts far beyond the 60s and 80s. By evening, the sounds of roosters, tropical wildlife…
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