Board Members
De Sube
Melissa Arehart
Melissa Arehart
De Sube (she/her) has been a transgender advocate and activist for 25 years. She is happily retired, which gives her ample to time to follow her passion - the transgender community. She founded the Gender Expression Movement support group almost 12 years ago and is one of the founding members of the Transgender Assistance Program of Virginia. She serves as Chairperson, Director of Client Services & Treasurer.
Melissa Arehart
Melissa Arehart
Melissa Arehart
Melissa Arehart (she/her) has lived in the Hampton Roads area for 30+ years. She transitioned later in life, and decided early on in her transition that it was important to use her life experiences and knowledge to be of service to the trans community.
"When I came out a few years ago, I realized that I wasn't alone. This is a very important message for all trans people. The trans community has support from people who truly care about their well being. There is help out there for those who need it. This is why I chose to be a director of TAP VA."
Melissa lives in Portsmouth with her partner Barbara and enjoys photography in her free time. She serves as the Director of Resources.
Katherine Kaywinnet
Katherine Kaywinnet
Katherine Kaywinnet
Katherine Kaywinnet (she/her/they/them) is a Norfolk resident and community activist, with a focus on transgender rights and community-building. She is also an artist who can often be found cross-stitching nerdy and political art at local hangouts throughout Hampton Roads. Katherine is a founding board member of TAP Virginia and serves as Director of Marketing.
Sarah N
Katherine Kaywinnet
Katherine Kaywinnet
Sarah (they/them/theirs) is a community activist and non-profit professional who has been on the Board of Directors of the Transgender Assistance Program of VA since July 2018. They currently serve as a Director. Sarah holds a B.S. in Political Science from Old Dominion University and is passionate about LGBTQIA+ equality, youth development, and harm reduction. In addition to their work at TAP VA, Sarah works for a local youth non-profit in Hampton Roads doing community engagement & volunteer management work.
Sunny Haynes
Katherine Kaywinnet
Sunny Haynes
Sunny Haynes (she/her) is a Hampton Roads resident of over 20 years and community activist, with a focus on transgender rights and community-building. Sunny is the mother of a transgender person who is constantly fighting for rights in Virginia, and her child having equality and equity is her passion. Sunny can be found on the frontlines of protests and volunteering for various organizations to advance the rights of all LGBTQIA+ Virginians.
Bumper
Bumper
Bumper
Bumper (they/them), is a Chesapeake resident, transplanted from New York, living in Hampton Roads since 1999. They only came out 10 years ago and have been very active in the local community ever since. Bumper has been volunteering their time with TAP Virginia, Hampton Roads Pride, LGBT Life Center and Equality Virginia. They are very passionate about supporting and being an advocate for the local LGBTQIA+ communities. In their free time, Bumper loves anything outdoors from hiking to many sports.
Shay
Bumper
Bumper
Shay believes that trans rights are human rights and every human has the right to safe, affordable, adequate housing. He is passionate about helping others overcome barriers and making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring. He has been working in mental health and human services for years and is new to TAP VA. A self proclaimed nerd, Shay enjoys reading books of all sorts and loves learning new things. He is a music enthusiast and enjoys traveling. Shay looks forward to helping fellow transgender and non-binary individuals find housing solutions, community resources, and navigate systems safely while advocating for change.