Vanity Reid Deterville

Durham, NC

Vanity Reid Deterville serves as the program director of the LGBTQ Center of Durham, where she works toward improving the lives of LGBTQ folks across Durham. 

As a Black transgender woman, she knows that passing LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances – like the one adopted by Durham on January 19 – provide vital foundational support for LGBTQ people.  

“Protections of any sort when it comes to the LGBT community — and, more specifically, queer and trans Black women, people of color — is critical,” she said.

She also encourages elected officials and advocates across North Carolina to keep pushing further after the passage of local LGBTQ nondiscrimination ordinances so that other key issues that impact LGBTQ people, especially Black trans folks, are prioritized. Addressing the cruel and unacceptable violence that Black transgender women encounter regularly in NC and beyond, for example, is vital. 

Vanity’s background on this issue stems from her work in South Carolina in 2019, when she helped coordinate a memorial for Denali Stuckey, a Black trans woman who was murdered in the Charleston, SC area. "I recognize how hard it is just to live your truth in a very southern region of the United States," she said. "She was a woman who walked a very difficult life in a very southern state."

“Understanding the violence that the community is predisposed to is a key part of equality and equity for Black trans people,” she said. “We need to continue to invest in safe shelter spaces, cultural competency for our police force, and get accurate tracking around hate crimes or bias-motivated incidents.”

Join Vanity in calling for statewide action on LGBTQ protections by clicking here and sending a message to your elected officials in the North Carolina General Assembly.