A prominent Charlotte Metro area LGBTQ+ community member, Quandrico Rutledge-Wade, 50, was found deceased at his home on January 29. After several attempts to reach him by phone went unanswered, family members visited his residence, reportedly two days after his death. Public records list an address for Rutledge-Wade in nearby Lancaster, South Carolina.
According to friends, he was receiving treatment for seizures and a heart condition, although no official cause of death has been released.
He was a proud member of the Charlotte-based Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, a minister; and a member of Gamma Mu Phi, the first gay fraternity. Additionally, Rutledge-Wade was deeply involved in ballroom culture and Pride events. He touched many lives by promoting self-love and mentoring young queer folk.
Rutledge-Wade and longtime friend Jermaine Nakia Lee were fraternity brothers and worked together to create Gamma Mu Phi’s first group of founders in the early 2000s. Said Lee: “He wasn’t afraid to challenge ignorance. He fought for everyone’s rights, regardless of friendships.” Lee added that Rutledge-Wade helped him see that anyone’s oppression in the LGBTQ+ community meant the oppression of all.
“[He was] a dear friend to me,” Lee said in his podcast ‘The Conversation.’ I consider [Quan] family. He was a mentor to many people who were a part of the pageant community. Quan was very outspoken, very funny … wonderful sense of humor.”
Rutledge-Wade was also known as an early founder of Rebirth Cathedral of Praise and a leader of Charlotte Black Pride. He helped create a solid space for the LGBTQ+ communities of faith and color. Throughout social media, many individuals locally and nationally offered praise for his accomplishments and remorse for his loss.
“I’m still trying to process it,” Ra’Shawn Flournoy wrote on social media. “I literally just spoke with him. We talked, we planned, and he had even applied to serve on our Board of Directors at Quality [Comprehensive Health Care]. To go from conversation to loss so quickly is a painful reminder of how fragile life is.
“Quan was a founding member and part of the early journey of ReBirth Cathedral Of Praise, and though his path later led him elsewhere, the respect and connection never left. I’m praying for his family, his loved ones, and all who are grieving. [His] life mattered, and willingness to serve will not be forgotten.”
Rutledge-Wade’s ministry path urged him to encourage people to think and practice outside the four walls of the church. On Instagram, he posted motivational quotes and offered people to take a “Church Cheat day” to focus on themselves.
Regardless of whether he stood in the pulpit or on the streets of Beatties Ford Road, Rutledge-Wade continued “to be a beacon of light,” said Flournoy.
Recently included in the Qnotes’ article “Evolving Faith” and featured in our story “25 in ‘25: Who’s Who in Charlotte’s Black LGBTQ+ Community,” used his influence to change people’s minds in and outside of the community. As well, he was an early advocate for the trans community and other marginalized groups.
According to the announcements section of Crawford Funeral Home in Lancaster, South Carolina, a funeral service for Rutledge-Wade will be held on Saturday, February 14, at 2 p.m. at the Crawford Funeral Home Chapel. For more details or to leave condolences for family and friends, visit their website at https://www.crawfordfuneralhomesinc.com/obituary/Quondrico-RutledgeWade