By Paige Payden Meade
Casa BruMar Foundation welcomed community members, advocates, and service providers to its 5th Annual LGBTQIA+ Symposium on Sept. 19, 2026, marking a significant moment for the organization: the event was the first symposium held in the foundation’s new home, Our Center, located on Ridgewood Center Drive in Woodbridge.
This year’s symposium carried the theme “Building Bridges,” a fitting continuation of Casa BruMar’s mission to close the gaps that too often leave LGBTQ+ residents without equitable access to education, social services, and basic human dignity throughout Prince William County and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
For an organization that has spent five years building relationships and resources for the local LGBTQIA+ community, hosting the symposium in its own dedicated space felt like a natural next step. Our Center represents more than a change of address. It stands as a physical symbol of the roots Casa BruMar has put down in Prince William County, offering a permanent gathering place for the very community the foundation was created to serve.
The day’s programming featured a lineup of speakers whose backgrounds spanned military service, education, health care, and government. Bree Fram, Col, USSF (Ret.), delivered the keynote address, drawing on a distinguished career in the United States Space Force to speak to resilience and visibility within LGBTQ+ communities. In a moment that resonated throughout the room, Fram offered a tribute to the foundation’s namesake: “When the sky is falling, some people think that all they can do is point it out. But people like Evelyn BruMar take a different approach. They gather their friends and do everything they can to hold up the sky. For the LGBTQ+ residents of Prince William County, the Casa BruMar Foundation is building the community to do just that.”
Joan Macenat, Principal Consultant at EDTelligence, brought an education-focused perspective, while Raul Torres, Esq., Executive Director of the Prince William Human Rights Commission, spoke to the local policy landscape shaping protections for LGBTQ+ residents. Dr. Tempestt Williams of Lunera Health rounded out the roster of subject-matter experts with insight into health equity and access.
Elected officials also lent their voices to the symposium. Senator Danica Roem of Senate District 30 and Delegate Brianna Sewell of House District 25 both addressed attendees, offering updates on legislative efforts at the state level. Supervisor Kenny Boddye, who represents the Occoquan District on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, spoke to local governance and the ways county leadership can support LGBTQ+ residents closer to home. Their presence underscored the symposium’s central theme, bridging the space between community members and the policymakers whose decisions affect their daily lives.
This year’s sponsors made the symposium possible. CAREducation Foundation served as Gold Sponsor, providing significant backing for the event. Silver Sponsors included Manassas Park Vice Mayor Darryl Moore, Clerk of the 31st Circuit Court Jacqueline C. Smith, Esq., community members Meg McEvoy and Greg Proseus, The Didlake Foundation, Equality Prince William, and The Alborn Foundation. Their support reflects the network of local leaders, elected officials, and organizations that stand behind the LGBTQIA+ community in Prince William County.
The symposium also brought together a coalition of organizations that share a commitment to LGBTQ+ equity, each contributing a distinct piece to the day’s programming. Attendees had the chance to connect with LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative, Inc. and Harmony Psychotherapy Center, both of which offer mental health support tailored to the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals and families. All of You Counseling and Nova Prism Center rounded out the mental health and wellness presence, underscoring how central emotional and psychological support has become to the symposium’s mission. Equality Prince William, which also served as a Silver Sponsor, brought its grassroots organizing experience to the table alongside Fauquier Pride, while the Prince William Human Rights Commission offered insight into the policy and civil rights protections available to residents.
As a registered 501(c)(3) organization, Casa BruMar Foundation has built its programming around a simple but ambitious goal: to make sure that equality is not just a word in Prince William County, but a lived experience. The choice to hold this year’s symposium at Our Center reflects that same philosophy. Rather than renting outside venues or relying on borrowed space, Casa BruMar now has a home base where community members can return again and again, building familiarity and trust over time.
With a permanent space to call home, an impressive slate of speakers, and a strong base of sponsors behind it, Casa BruMar Foundation is positioned to expand its programming and deepen its impact in the years ahead. As Fram’s words suggested, the foundation continues to hold up the sky for LGBTQIA+ residents across Prince William County, gathering friends and allies alike to build bridges toward a more equitable future.
Paige Payden Meade is a board member and local advocate for Action in Community Through Service (ACTS), a Prince William County nonprofit. She brings experience through her work with the Virginia Department of Corrections’ Victim Impact program, advocating for survivors of sexual assault and expanding support resources across the Commonwealth. Paige is passionate about strengthening community ties throughout Prince William County and Virginia, and she is dedicated to highlighting the organizations and individuals making a lasting impact in the region.
