Looking back over Charlotte’s LGBTQ+ cultural history, some names are remembered, honored and revered. Many in our community remember the names of individuals like political activist Don King, cultural contributor Dan Kirsch and drag legend Boom Boom LaTour.
Far too often, people who make a difference slip through the cracks. They don’t have awards named after them and the homage they deserve never happens. Not everyone needs that kind of attention, but it doesn’t mean they’re any less deserving.
One of those people is Robert Sheets. Born January 9, 1951 in Charleston, West Virginia, he spent several years living in Charlotte beginning in the early 1980s. Public records show his last residence in Charlotte was vacated January 23, 2003.
While serving as president of Queen City Quordinators in 1986, Sheets envisioned the creation of Qnotes as a newspaper specifically aimed at an LGBTQ+ readership. With the hiring of activist Don King as editor, the first edition was published in June 1986, to coincide with Pride month.
Another point of interest: Sheets was the first openly gay man to run for Charlotte City Council. Not just once, but twice. Regrettably, he also lost twice, although he dared to tempt the societal standards of the times to provide representation for his community.
Multiple attempts to track him down prior to his passing on July 9, 2024 were unsuccessful but additional information on his later years can be gleaned from an obituary posted from Charleston, West Virginia.
He was listed as 73 years of age when he passed away at the Charleston area Medical Center. Although he didn’t win a seat on the Charlotte City Council, he did serve as a City of Charleston council member for three consecutive terms, between 2007 to 2022.
He was lauded in the obituary for much more: his role as an LGBTQ+ activist in the area; his job as the former manager of a local establishment known as The Tap Room and for founding the annual Pride picnic held in Charleston’s Coonskin Park.
But it didn’t stop there. Sheets was the president of Charleston’s chapter of Prime Timers, the vice president of the Living AIDS Memorial Garden; a long time member of the Kanawha County Democratic Executive Committee; a Power of One recipient and a mentor to multiple nonprofit organizations.
While he may have stayed out of the social media spotlight, comments on his obituary from friends show that he was well loved for his efforts here in North Carolina and West Virginia.
Although he is no longer with us, he will forever remain a part of the Qnotes’ family and an important contributor to Charlotte’s LGBTQ+ history.