Lauren McManamay is a Registered Nurse, advocate for mental health and LGBTQ+ issues, and a current Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner graduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She has presented on Veteran mental health issues at the West Virginia Nurses Association and has been interviewed on the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy for the Richmond Times. Lauren is a 14-year Air Force veteran, with multiple overseas deployments, and currently serves as a Flight Nurse in the Air Force Reserves. Originally from West Virginia, Lauren has settled in Richmond, VA, with her wife Jaysa and her two dogs, Penny and Charlie. She adores spending as much time as she can on the James River, either in a kayak or hanging on the rocks with her pups, and traveling the world with her wife.