Profile

Valerie Davidson was born and raised in scenic Charleston, South Carolina, the only child of single mom, Vickie Davidson, and her then-boyfriend, a contractor named Carl Wilkes. Val has never met her father, who left town before she was even born. Growing up, it was just her and her mom, which left Valerie growing up with a thick skin and a sharp tongue. By the time she was in high school, her mom had settled down and married the local church's new pastor, and for the first time in her life, Valerie had two parents at home who actually took an active interest in her and her life, from her schooling, to who she was as a person. Despite the traditionalism of the church they all attended at that point, Valerie's stepdad, Darrell, was one of the kindest and least judgmental people she'd ever met, and for the first time in maybe ever, she was really content.

Freshman and sophomore years of high school went by relatively simply, with Val and her good friend Jenna Greene carrying on a bit of sometimes-friendly competition for almost everything. The girls mostly remained friends, but always had a bit of tension between them. The tension came to a head when Valerie shamelessly made a play for Jenna's boyfriend, Caleb, but fell flat when he turned her down firmly. The girls hated each other for the better part of a year, but Valerie's biggest secret would come to light after that, revealing that she really wasn't exactly who she seemed.

Val had always been seen as boy crazy, even to the point of being called a slut more often than not. It was something she kept hidden from her parents, but played up a lot at school, bragging on the guys she'd slept with and the others who'd only wanted to sleep with her, but been turned away. It was only when Jenna's best friend, Asher Rose caught Val in a heated liplock with her girlfriend, that year's senior class president named Carly, that the truth came to light. Valerie begged Asher not to tell anyone, and, as a young gay person in a not-so-accepting world, he promised to keep her secret, but told her that it would be better for her and everyone around her if she just lived her truth, no matter how hard it might be.

So it was that Val began to rebuild her friendships, embracing who she truly was instead of hiding behind sex she didn't enjoy with guys she wasn't attracted to. She came out to her friends, even apologizing to Jenna for her attempts to take Caleb from her, and with the few people who remained by her side, she went to her parents, struggling for the courage to tell them the truth. Much to her surprise, both her stepfather and her mother were not only understanding, but accepting. It was hardly a common stance among Christian ministers in the Deep South, but Darrell and Vickie both told Val that they loved her, no matter what, and she would never need to fear their judgment.

Unfortunately, the church was not so understanding. As Val began to find her feet, going from cowering in the closet to out and proud, Darrell's church asked him to leave, stating that they didn't need a minister who not only supported homosexuality, but allowed homosexual behavior in his home. Val told him that she wouldn't blame him for kicking her out to keep his job, but he refused, instead telling the leaders of the church that they could keep it, he would be supporting and loving his stepdaughter, no matter what.

And it was with that same love and support from both of her parents that Valerie made the move to New York after graduation, where she studied part time, a double major in women's and gender studies, and non-profit administration, while pouring the rest of her time into pursuing gay rights taking any and every opportunity to organize LGBT people and straight allies to make a difference. It was after volunteering at New York's Pride a couple of years ago that she met up with a stunning and mysterious stranger in a bar hosting an after-party. She found the woman surprisingly easy to talk to, and just as on-fire as she was for gay rights. After a long conversation, she ended up in bed with the woman, who confessed to her just before the sun came up that she was Kindred, of the Brujah Clan, and promised that with Embrace would come new power to fight for equality, and immortality beyond that.

The only part of that holding Valerie back was her family. It would be almost entirely necessary to step away from them, as most Kindred seemed to cut ties with their families, usually letting them think they were dead. Val wasn't sure she could do that. But tragically, that choice was taken from her when both her parents were murdered by homophobic extremists convinced they were doing God's will in "sending a false prophet and his harlot wife to the judgment throne of their Maker." Distraught, Valerie called the woman up again, and accepted the Embrace, determined to continue to fight for equal rights until things like that weren't such a likelihood, even in the most backward of places.

To this day, she remains dedicated to the cause of LGBT rights, and though the loss of her parents was heartbreaking, she fights all the harder in their memory, while spending time becoming more and more familiar with the Kindred way of life, and the people who live it in New York City.