OUR HISTORY

NOVA PRIDE was founded as Fairfax Pride, Inc. in August of 2011, in response to the discrepancy between the large LGBTQ+ population of Northern Virginia and the lack of services available to it.  We sought to bring credibility to our voice by encouraging collaboration between the fragmented community groups the already existed, forming a coalition, and identifying and addressing gaps in services.

What started out as a small organization, hosting restaurant "takeovers" to gain attention and raise funds (and give people somewhere to go to meet their neighbors!), NOVA Pride is now the area's largest LGBTQ+ organization, and has become the voice of LGBTQ+ Northern Virginia.  We've held over 400 events in Northern Virginia since inception, including our Annual Northern Virginia Pride Festival, the region's largest gathering of members and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community. 

We are a non-political organization; focused on being accessible, inclusive, and ego-free. We create partnerships and promote all initiatives that benefit the community; and we are an IRS-recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization (EIN 45-2753405).