Local
Mendelson wins top GLAA rating for D.C. Council
Grosso, Brown take high scores for at-large Council contest
D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) received GLAA’s highest possible score in his race for City Council Chair. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) received a +10 rating from the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, the highest possible score, in his race for the position of City Council Chair.
Mendelson, a long-time supporter of LGBT rights who played the lead role in shepherding the city’s same-sex marriage law though the Council, is considered the strong favorite to beat Democratic challenger Calvin Gurley in a Nov. 6 special election.
GLAA rates candidates on a scale of -10, the worst possible rating, to +10, the highest score.
In the general election race for two at-large Council seats, GLAA gave challenger David Grosso, an independent, a +9 rating compared to a +7.5 rating for incumbent Michael A. Brown, who’s also an independent.
In a statement announcing its ratings, GLAA, a non-partisan LGBT advocacy organization, said Grosso and Brown are equally supportive on the issues deemed important by GLAA and both have strong records of support on those issues.
The statement says Grosso received the higher score based on the “substance” of his answers to a GLAA questionnaire, which asks candidates to provide detailed responses to a wide range of LGBT-related issues as well as a few non-LGBT specific issues.
In a development likely to raise concern among some LGBT Democrats, GLAA gave incumbent Council member Vincent Orange (D-At-Large) a +0.5 rating, saying Orange disagrees with GLAA on a number of issues and “showed no understanding of the issues in his questionnaire” responses.
The GLAA ratings came out on Oct. 10, the same day that the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, the city’s largest LGBT political group, voted to endorse Orange’s re-election bid. His supporters among club members say he has shown overall support on most LGBT issues.
Most political observers believe Orange and Brown remain the strong favorites to win re-election, with Grosso considered the challenger with the best shot at pulling off an upset victory by winning one of the two seats.
Others running for the at-large seats who were rated by GLAA are independent A.J. Cooper (+4); Leon Swain Jr. (+4), Statehood Green Party candidate Ann Wilcox (0); and Republican Mary Brooks Beatty (0). GLAA said Wilcox and Beatty failed to return the questionnaire, resulting in an automatic 0 rating absent credible information about their records or positions on LGBT issues.
The Log Cabin Republicans of D.C. endorsed Beatty.
In other Council races, GLAA gave a -3.5 rating to incumbent Council members Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) and Marion Barry (D-Ward 8). Both voted against the same-sex marriage law when it came up for a vote in the Council in 2009. GLAA says Barry lost additional points for speaking at an anti-gay rally calling for the Council to defeat the marriage equality law.
The group says Alexander lost additional points for introducing an amendment to the same-sex marriage bill that would have “effectively removed protections of the D.C. Human Rights Act on the basis of sexual orientation.” The amendment died in committee.
GLAA gave Alexander’s Republican challenger, Ron Moten, a +1.5 rating and Barry’s independent challenger Jauhar Abraham a 0 rating. Both failed to return the questionnaire, but GLAA said Moten scored points for his record of providing services to LGBT youth through his organization Peaceoholics.
In the remaining two Council races, LGBT supportive incumbents Jack Evans (D-Ward 3) and Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) are running unopposed. GLAA gave Evans a +8.5 rating and Bowser a +6.5.
In the at-large race, LGBT activists appear to be dividing their support between Orange, Brown and Grosso, who has been aggressively courting the gay vote, according to some observers.
Brown supporters say Brown expended political capital in sections of the city dominated by conservative black voters in an effort to campaign for the same-sex marriage law, saying they believe he worked hard to persuade black clergy to support marriage equality.
Grosso supporters say Grosso was a behind-the-scenes advocate for LGBT rights while working for pro-gay Congresswoman Norton and pro-gay former Council member Ambrose.
A gay man was murdered in Petersburg, Va., on March 13.
Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-McCray, who was also known as Saamel and Mable, was a drag queen who won the Miss Mayflower EOY pageant in 2015. Reports also indicate Sanchez-McCray, 42, was a well-known community activist in Virginia and in North Carolina.
Local media reports indicate police officers found Sanchez-McCray shot to death inside a home in Petersburg.
Sanchez-McCray’s brother, Jamal Mitchell Diamond, in a public statement the Washington Blade received from Equality Virginia and GLAAD, said Sanchez-McCray was not transgender as initial reports indicated.
“Our family has always embraced the fullness of who he was. He used the names Saamel, Shyyell, and Mable interchangeably, and we honor all of them. There is no division within our family regarding how he is being represented — only a shared commitment to preserving his truth with love and respect,” said Diamond.
“He was also deeply committed to community work through Nationz Foundation, where he worked and completed multiple state-certified programs to support marginalized communities,” added Diamond. “That work meant a great deal to him.”
Authorities have not made any arrests.
The Petersburg Bureau of Police has asked anyone with information about Sanchez-McCray’s murder to call Petersburg-Dinwiddie Crime Solvers at 804-861-1212.
District of Columbia
Trans Day of Visibility events planned
Rally on the National Mall scheduled for Saturday
The Christopher Street Project has a number of events planned for the 2026 Trans Day of Visibility, including a rally on the Mall and an “Empowerment Ball” at the Eaton Hotel. Plenaries, panel discussions and meetings with members of Congress are scheduled in the three days of programming.
Announced speakers include N.H. state Rep. Alice Wade; Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Precious Brady-Davis; activist and performer Miss Peppermint (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”); Lexington, Ky. Councilwoman Emma Curtis; Rabbi Abby Stein; D.C. activist and host Rayceen Pendarvis; Air Force Master Sgt. Logan Ireland; among other leaders, advocates and performers.
Conference programming on Thursday and Friday includes an educational forum and a Capitol Hill policy education day. Registration for the two-day conference has closed.
The “Trans Day of Visibility PAC Reception” is scheduled for Thursday, March 26 from 7:30-9 p.m. at As You Are (500 8th St., S.E.). Special guests include Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nevada) and Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.). Tickets are available at christopherstreetproject.org starting at $25.
The National Council of Jewish Women and the Christopher Street Project host a “Trans Day of Visibility Shabbat” on Friday, March 27 from 7-8 p.m. at Sixth & I (600 I St., N.W.). The service is to be led by Rabbi Jenna Shaw and Rabbi Abby Stein.
The “Now You See Me: Trans Empowerment Social & Ball” is scheduled for Friday, March 27 from 6-11 p.m. at the Eaton Hotel (1201 K. St., N.W.). The trans-themed drag ball is hosted by the Marsha P. Johnson Institute with support from the D.C. Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs, the Capital Ballroom Council, the Christopher Street Project, the Center for Black Equity, Generation for Common Good, and Parenting is Political. RSVP online at christopherstreetproject.org.
The National Transgender Day of Visibility Rally is scheduled for Saturday, March 28 on the National Mall at 11 a.m. The rally will include speakers and performances. Following the rally, attendees are encouraged to participate in the “No Kings” rally being held at Anacostia Park.
Virginia
Virginia General Assembly’s 2026 legislative session ends
Voters in November will consider repealing marriage amendment
The Virginia General Assembly’s 2026 legislative session ended on March 14.
Lawmakers have yet to approve a budget, but they did pass a resolution that paves the way for a referendum on whether to repeal the state’s constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Lawmakers also advanced House Bill 60, which would protect PrEP users from insurance discrimination.
Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger has until April 13 to decide to pass, amend, or veto legislation before it goes back to the House of Delegates on April 22.
Spanberger on Feb. 6 signed the bill that sets the stage for the marriage amendment referendum. Voters will consider whether to “remove the ban on same-sex marriage; (ii) affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race; and (iii) require all legally valid marriages to be treated equally under the law?”
Equality Virginia has been working during this legislative cycle to urge lawmakers to allocate funding towards LGBTQ rights. The budget would expand funding for schools, competency training for the 988 suicide hotline, and funding to provide gender affirming care to LGBTQ youth.
“As the budget moves through conference and the Reconvene Session approaches on April 22, Equality Virginia remains focused on ensuring our victories this session translate into durable protections,” Equality Virginia Executive Director Narissa Rahaman told the Washington Blade in a statement. “Progress on marriage equality, nondiscrimination protections, and HIV care funding was essential, but Virginia must do more.”
Markwayne Mullin confirmed as next DHS secretary
Gay man murdered in Va.
Trans Day of Visibility events planned
Virginia General Assembly’s 2026 legislative session ends
Polish court rules country must recognize same-sex marriages from EU states
Queer American in Israel discusses Iran war’s impact
Calendar: March 21-26
‘How We Survived’ panel set for March 25
Small is beautiful: subcompact SUVs
