Charlotte's LGBTQ organizations have weathered the storm of a tumultuous year politically and managed to do outstanding work in the face of adversity.

This past year, more personalities stepped out into the light and professed their sexual orientation. From pop stars to athletes, the rainbow got a little bit larger with them included. Here are some of those faces in the news

Here are the top 10 most popular stories of the year based on web traffic. See you in 2018!

Rev. William Barber II's new calling: To make a nationwide impact, organizing with other leaders to jumpstart a moral revival in America, by relaunching Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Poor People's Campaign, some 50 years after it was initially conceived.

Ken Fuquay was always someone whose love for the church helped shape and create the person he is today. This journey was done with joys and struggles and eventually led him to become a "person of the cloth."

Around the holidays, a lot of LGBTQ folks, particularly in the South, have to deal with difficult family members or friends and the ensuing difficult conversations.

Acclaimed and renown filmmaker John Waters ("Female Trouble," "Hairspray," "Pink Flamingos") brings his annual holiday show to Asheville, N.C. on Dec. 18.

Just in time for the holidays, a number of children's book writers have some thoughtful and entertaining contributions for gift giving for the younger set.

Charlotte City Councilmember LaWana Mayfield has announced that she will be boycotting a new barbecue restaurant over its owners anti-LGBTQ views and activism.

As World AIDS Day approaches, taking place on Dec. 1 each year, there is as always much work to be done, but there is also cause for celebration

Rarely - if ever - are stories about the intersection of mental health issues with HIV status heard. Individuals living with HIV have a far greater likelihood of experiencing mental health problems than the general population.

Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris has apologized for putting part of the blame for Charlotte's high HIV rate on it being a "party town."

Last year set a grim record for the highest number of known transgender people murdered in the U.S. This year is on track to match, or even top, it.

Joney Harper's intersex self-discovery was born in North Carolina. And the road to finding that out was long and arduous as she traversed the landscape to becoming the person she was meant to be.

To be an ally to the T in LGBTQ, all queer, cisgender or straight allied individuals need to be aware of the ever-evolving lexicon used to define gender identity and expression.

The battle against breast cancer is one example of how far a movement can go to address a deadly serious women's issue. Yet, other risks to women's health are not as publicized or as known to the general population.

The arts have always been a sort of haven for LGBTQ people. Creation is undoubtedly a form of expression, and that is exactly why Travis Wall of "So You Think You Can Dance" dedicated his life to performance from an early age.

Charlotte has already begun early voting in a race to select the city's seventh mayor in eight years.

Gov. Roy Cooper signed an executive order on Oct. 18 extending protections to members of the LGBTQ community who work for the state, receive state services or work for a company that contracts with the state.

"Rolling the Stone Away: Generations of Love and Justice" brings together pro-LGBTQ Christian leaders from Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Metropolitan Community Churches and United Church of Christ communities.