By Ashleigh Crocker I don’t know how you’re feeling, but this last week, and if we’re being honest, the last six months, or year, or since November 2016, things have felt especially grim. Between a debate that left me feeling hopeless, Supreme Court decisions on immunity and Chevron with far-reaching consequences, and Project 2025 looming, […]
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It’s Time for Republicans to Admit That No One is Safe From MAGA Supporters
By: Kierra Johnson Trump and his supporters have way too much power, and the evidence has only grown since the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol. On May 28th, former police officer Michael Fanone spoke to the press outside of the courthouse where closing arguments were made during Donald Trump’s hush money trial […]
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Why Are Conservatives Debating Pride Flags and Not the Worship of Confederate Losers?
By: Kierra Johnson Symbolism is having a huge moment in Virginia right now on a couple of fronts, and while the conversations may seem a bit backward, no one should be surprised. During Pride Month, crosswalks in Alexandria, VA were painted the colors of the modernized LGBTQ+ flag. Several other cities, such as Atlanta, Philadelphia, […]
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If You’re Gay N You Know It
by shay bell GAY PEOPLE LEMME HEAR YOU MAKE SOME NOISE!!! *inserts that one Ariana Grande meme (iykyk) Happy Pride Month to MEEEEEEEEEE and everyone else who celebrates this amazing time of love, liberation, and freedom. And in honor of Pride Month and also because ABSOLUTELY no one asked, I’ve decided to share just three […]
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Conservatives Can’t Keep Blaming Immigrants for Everything
By Kierra Johnson Conservatives are blaming marginalized people for social problems again, and this week it’s because of a terrible, yet isolated crime that was reported over the weekend. Hiuder Pedro Javier Sacul Caal, who is a 21-year-old undocumented migrant, was arrested over the weekend for the sexual assault of a minor. If the alleged […]
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Pop Politics (A Taylor Swift Playlist)
by Kimberly Nario Okay okay okay. WAIT. Just hear me out. Before you jump in the comments, know that I have several friendship bracelets, I have seen Eras Tour four times (on screen, duh), and maybe I’ve listened to Down Bad multiple times a day for however many days it has been since April 19. […]
News
The One Thing Youngkin Can’t Buy
By Ashleigh Crocker Governor Glenn Youngkin couldn’t get it together enough to manage a viable Presidential run. So now he’s vying for the next best thing: Vice President, with Trump at the top of the ticket. But as a Virginian who has been dealing with Youngkin and his wild incompetence since he was elected, Youngkin […]
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It’s AAPI Heritage Month! But You Knew That… Right?
Kimberly R. Nario Y’all, it’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! I’d love to hear how you’re celebrating or acknowledging, but in case that brings about a dreaded silence from you and a swift side-eye from me, let me just go ahead and give you some ideas. Diversify your personal library. Take a look […]
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Campus Police Are Arresting Your Children
by shay bell On Monday, April 29th, students of VCU, as well as others, gathered on campus in a peaceful demonstration of solidarity with the Palestinians suffering a horrific genocide in Gaza. The gathering was a nonviolent communion of students and community members across Richmond. That was until, of course, the cops came. VCU police […]
News
3 Things I’d Like to See in a Budget Deal
By Ashleigh Crocker It’s been fun watching Senator Louise Lucas dunk on Governor Glenn Youngkin over the budget the last few weeks. Democrats in the House and Senate want to give teachers and school staff raises, fund schools, ensure corporations pay their fair share in taxes, and legalize marijuana. Governor Youngkin doesn’t want to do […]
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The Heart of My Head
By Kimberly R. Nario “There’s not really anything we can do to help you.” Or maybe it was, “We can’t do anything to help you.” His exact words are lost to my memory, but I know I was around 16 years old when I found myself sitting in a guidance counselor’s office, ugly crying to […]
News
Antisemitic Candidates Don’t Belong in Virginia Congress
By: Kierra Johnson As many people continue to use antisemitism to villainize youth and social justice activists, it is important to remember that antisemitism has been on the rise in the United States for years. Especially since the election of Donald Trump, MAGA candidates and the general voting base of the GOP have repeated vile […]
News
What Do I Know?
By shay bell Every single day, I wake up and do my silly little tasks. I fill in some colors for a graphic. I write some words about the state of our Commonwealth. Every week, I get on this platform and tell you that everything is within our power to fix. But what do I […]
News
Governor Youngkin’s Confusing Vetoes
By Kierra Johnson On April 5th, just before the weekend, Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed 11 bills after signing 88 others. His vetoes included several abortion bills. One of them was HB1539, which would have protected abortion providers from being extradited to other states for prosecution for simply doing their jobs.. HB519 would have protected doctors […]
News
I Went to SCOTUS And All I Got Was Really F***ing Angry
By Kimberly R. Nario On Tuesday, March 26, I attended a rally on the steps of SCOTUS in support of reproductive freedom. That morning, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration et all. Three key things to know about this case: This case […]
News
Your Governor Doesn’t Give a Single Sh*t About You
by shay bell You read that right, Governor Glenn Youngkin doesn’t give a single sh*t about you, me, or anyone else in the Commonwealth, and I have the proof. Last week, we announced that several bills had passed both chambers and made their way to the Governor’s desk. While we knew that Youngkin–in the spirit […]
News
Spare Us the Secret Police–The Public Ones Are Plenty Unaccountable
So, Chesterfield has their very own Secret Police–or at least police that are secret. The department recently moved to redact 500 names from its roster in what is little more than a thinly veiled attempt to skirt any accountability for their actions. That they did this in response to OpenOversight VA’s request for a full […]
News
Senator Siobhan Dunnavant Is Still The Worst
by Ashleigh Crocker It’s me again, reporting with an update that Senator Siobhan Dunnavant is still the worst, in case you were wondering. I wrote a few years ago about her bizarre views on birth control and abortion, despite being an actual OB-GYN. I’ve also talked before about how she even voted for junk health […]
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Flowers for Mothers
by shay bell In observance of Pride Month, I wanted to honor the pioneers who made this celebration possible. Marsha “Pay No Mind” Johnson and Sylvia Rivera are the icons of the Gay Liberation Movement of the 1960s and 70s. These confidently expressive women who met and became friends in NY during the early years […]
News
Rae Cousins
by Kierra Johnson Every seat is up for re-election in the next cycle, and Virginia needs candidates who understand what’s at stake. If conservatives gain power, they’ll pass more restrictive legislation next year. NO THANK YOU! With the June primaries right around the corner, the 79th District can vote with confidence for a candidate who […]
News
5 Things I Hate About Senator Joe Morrissey
by Ashleigh Crocker Senator Joe Morrissey has got to go! It took me forever to write this blog because narrowing it down to just 5 things I hate about Joe. You might know of the Senator because he is an anti-abortion Democrat. Or maybe you heard about him because he has been disbarred more than […]
News
Vote Right Meow!
By Kimberly R. Nario I admit, I’m a complainer. It’s a natural talent, and I’m incredibly gifted in this arena. Sometimes I think it should go on my résumé under special skills. But this time, instead of thinking of more ways to call out Republicans in our state legislature for continuous attempts to roll back […]
News
It’s the Guns (And the Legislators)
By Kimberly R. Nario Last year I wrote about guns. This year, I’m writing about guns. I’m sick of writing about guns. My brother was a student at Virginia Tech in 2007. My mom worked near the municipal building in Virginia Beach in 2019. My family frequents a restaurant across from the Walmart in Chesapeake. […]
News
And in April, We Sparked
by shay bell It’s my favorite time of year. Spring is upon us, the sun is shining, birds are chirping, the smell of jasmine lingers in the air. And what’s that other smell wafting through my nostrils? Earthy, musky, and sent from above, it’s the smell I’ve come to associate with peace, marijuana. Virginians far […]
News
Transphobic Legislation Affects Everyone
By Kierra Johnson It’s open season on trans folks, and everyone, regardless of their gender, should be worried. This past legislative session in Virginia was full of committee meetings staffed with cisgender politicians questioning the rights of transgender children. While those who are defending anti-trans bills do so under the guise of protecting children, the […]
News
Voting Rights, Youngkin Wrong
by Kimberly R. Nario Everyday we hear about elected officials who are actively working to dismantle our democracy. But did you know some of those very people are right here in our state legislature? Just this past session, several Republicans in both the state Senate and House of Delegates introduced bills to rollback progress on […]
News
That’s A Wrap On the 2023 Legislative Session
By Ashleigh Crocker Whew! We survived another legislative session with a Republican-controlled House of Delegates and Governor Youngkin, who continues to improve his MAGA impression. We did some great work beating back bills that would have harmed our communities, and we even managed to pass a few good things! Here’s a rundown of what happened. […]
News
Devastated But Never Surprised
by shay bell I’m so f*cking sick and tired of grieving over the loss of my people at the hands of police violence. On February 22, at Tysons Corner Center mall in Fairfax County, Virginia, police officers James Sadler and Sgt. Wesley Shifflett shot and killed Timothy Johnson after he was suspected of shoplifting sunglasses. […]
News
Republicans Want To Ban Abortion In Virginia
by Ashleigh Crocker Well, we’ve known this was coming since Roe fell in June. Republicans in Virginia are trying to ban abortion in Virignia. Tomorrow, the Health Professions Subcommittee of the Senate Education and Health Committee will hear two bills and a resolution that would ban abortion. Everyone, everywhere, all the time, should be able […]
News
The War on Drugs isn’t Real
by Kierra Johnson If there was ever any proof that the war on drugs is not about drugs, it’s the latest numbers of marijuana arrests in Virginia. A Washington Post analysis revealed that even though marijuana has been legalized in the state, the majority of the people who are arrested for drug related charges are […]
News
Get Ready for the General Assembly Session
By Ashleigh Crocker It’s December, so you might be drinking hot chocolate, decorating a tree, lighting a menorah, shopping til you drop, spending time with family, or marking the holiday season with your own special traditions. But for us at Progress Virginia, December means something else too: it’s time to get ready for the General […]
News
Amanda Chase is not SAFE for Virginia … and we need to ACT fast.
by shay bell There’s nothing like waking up in the morning to a nice cup of tea, a good book, and news of extremely transphobic policies being proposed by Virginia Senators. Republican Senator Amanda Chase has just proposed a new ban on youth transition and I can’t even begin to describe how enraged I am. […]
News
Kiggans Doesn’t Cut It
by Kimberly R. Nario While we’re all being bombarded with political ads of candidates repeating their best qualities in their most unassuming tones—while sometimes talking sh*t about their opponents—let me remind you of some things one candidate may have failed to mention in her ads. Jen Kiggans apparently has a problem saying President Biden won […]
News
Same Day Voter Registration
It’s fall, y’all! And that means not only is it spooky season, but it’s also my personal favorite, election season. That’s right, it’s time to start thinking about who we are voting for and making our plans vote, if we haven’t already. One new thing we have in Virginia now is same-day voter registration. You […]
News
Clover Power in Halifax, What’s the Deal?
by shay bell It’s been a minute since our last set of blogs, but I’m back this month with a bit of an attitude because I’m over white male greed. As I’m sure we’re all aware, Virginia is one of many states aiming to lower their carbon emissions this year in an attempt to combat […]
News
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly in Virginia’s New Budget
by Ashleigh Crocker On Friday, June 17, legislators came back to Richmond to debate Governor Glenn Youngkin’s amendments to the state budget. With the threat of a government shut down if they weren’t able to agree and pass something by July 1, legislators got down to business. Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly […]
News
Virginia Republicans Miss the Mark Again
by Kimberly Nario It was sunny until it wasn’t. A group of us walked out of the theater building, laughing at something I can’t remember, when someone approached us and asked if we heard. Confusion set in. Then immediately we all started texting and making phone calls, checking on our people, trying to remember who […]
News
Fed Up With What the GOP is Serving
I hope y’all are hungry because Virginia’s GOP is serving up a buffet of ridiculousness. We knew this session would be different – and difficult – without a trusted Democratic trifecta to lead the Commonwealth. So when it comes to the nonsense some GOP legislators are trying to push through the General Assembly, you can color us shocked, but NOT surprised.
News
The Federal Government is Slashing Programs To Help Teachers and Principals in High-Needs Schools
Kelsey Cowger One of the biggest challenges for rural and low-income schools has historically been finding employees who are willing to walk in the door in the first place. Due to a combination of high demands, lower-than-average pay and sometimes unique geographic challenges, rural and low-income schools have had a particularly hard time recruiting and […]
News
Bad Information is the Problem, Not Immigrants
Kierra Johnson White supremacy has an eternal thirst for scapegoats, and Virginia Republicans are attempting to break apart entire communities and families to satisfy it. These efforts are consistent with a push and pull between progress for all communities in the Commonwealth and regressive initiatives that rely on misinformation and disinformation while claiming to make […]
News
Virginia Workers Pay a High Price for DOGE
by Kierra Johnson Many hardworking Americans have felt the detrimental effects of DOGE’s clumsy strategy of removing them from their jobs. Several government departments such as USAID, the Department of Education, and others have either been affected by massive layoffs, or they have been effectively defunded. While federal workers across America are being treated terribly […]
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Job Description: Virginia State Organizing Director
Progress Virginia is an equal-opportunity employer. Women, people of color, persons with disabilities, veterans, and LGBTQ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. About Progress Virginia: At Progress Virginia, we drive powerful, values-based narratives to uplift and amplify grassroots voices through innovative digital communications and earned media strategies. We build progressive power alongside marginalized communities to […]
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Black History Month’s Virginia Connection
With Trump and his MAGA acolytes seemingly intent on erasing any acknowledgment of racial diversity from public life, this year’s Black History Month has taken on special significance. The administration is following the Project 2025 playbook to rewrite history and normalize white supremacy, trying to undo nearly a century of hard-won progress with a flurry […]
News
In 2025, we’ve got to protect trans people
By Kelsey Cowger We’re just a couple weeks into the Trump presidency, and right now, trans people are under threat. That’s not hyperbole; that’s not a metaphorical statement where “threat” means “subject to mild inconvenience.” The threats to trans people are both real and immediate. We have just come out of a brutal campaign season […]
News
Glenn Youngkin’s Worst Nightmare: Fair Pay and Rights for Public Workers
by Ashleigh Crocker Let’s cut to the chase—Virginia’s public workers are the backbone of our communities. These are the home health care workers who take care of your parents and grandparents, the teachers who spend all day trying to teach your kids to read, bus drivers, firefighters, social workers, and many others who keep our […]
News
It’s True: Rent Is Still Too Damn High
by Kimberly Nario After a particularly nasty breakup several years ago, I found myself in need of a place to call my own–or at least a place to rent on my own. I remembered an apartment building I lived in years prior with one of my best friends. Perhaps it was sentimentality or desperation, but […]
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2025 General Assembly Lobby Days
As we prepare for the 2025 General Assembly session, here are a few important lobby days with progressive Virginia organizations that we encourage you to boost and to join. We’ll see you at Capitol Square in 2025!
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Tips for identifying mis/disinformation
As the crucial 2024 elections approach, bad actors are all over the internet, trying to confuse and mislead voters. Here’s everything you need to know to avoid the dangers of misinformation and disinformation while surfing the web.