Among The Contenders For Roanoke City Council: Three Openly Gay Men.

Henri Gendreau -
Democratic candidates for Roanoke City Council, from left: Peter Volosin, Joe Cobb, Luke Priddy, Vivian Sanchez-Jones and Terry McGuire. PHOTO COURTESY OF WILL SELLARI

Medical students gathered at Starr Hill’s Roanoke brewery on a warm June evening to sip craft beers and talk politics with Councilman Joe Cobb.

The casual meet-and-greet was organized by the Virginia Tech Carilion Med Student Pride Alliance, which formed last year. The group is part of a national alliance that advocates on behalf of LGBTQ students and others in the healthcare field.

A half dozen students and friends showed up to the happy hour — advertised as a way to get to know Cobb, the city’s first openly gay council member, who was elected in 2018 and is running for another four-year term.