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Donations sought for Kameny funeral

Friends, activists developing plans for public ceremony

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Frank Kameny

Friends of Frank Kameny, who died last week, expect a funeral to be held within the next two weeks. (Photo by Joe Tresh)

Friends who worked closely with veteran gay activist Frank Kameny are asking the community to contribute to a local LGBT-oriented charitable group to help it meet the cost of Kamenyā€™s funeral, which they say is expected to be held within the next two weeks.

The group, Helping Our Brothers and Sisters (HOBS), has assisted Kameny for the past year or two, helping him meet basic household needs such as the delivery of groceries, assistance in paying utility and property tax bills, and providing transportation to and from community events, according to HOBS co-founder and President Marvin Carter.

Kameny, one of the nationā€™s most prominent gay rights advocates, died in his home in Washington on Oct. 11 at the age of 86.

Messages of condolence over his passing continue to pour in from across the country. Nearly all major news media outlets have published obituaries recognizing Kameny as a leading figure in the LGBT rights movement over the past 50 years.

Longtime Kameny friend and gay rights advocate Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck-Combs Communications, said friends and activists who have known Kameny for many years are developing plans for a Kameny funeral that they hope will be held in a public building in Washington.

He said Kamenyā€™s friends and associates working on funeral plans are asking members of the LGBT community and supporters from the community at-large to make a tax deductable contribution to HOBS, which has established a Kameny funeral fund.

Contributions can be made at helpingourbrothersandsisters.com or sent by mail to HOBS, P.O. Box 53477, Washington, D.C. 20009.

ā€œHOBS is an all-volunteer micro-charity that helps marginalized GLBT individuals in the Washington, D.C. area meet short-term needs,ā€ the group states on its website. ā€œHOBSā€™s focus is on those who do not fit the criteria for help from other organizations and agencies.ā€

Witeck said Kamenyā€™s friends and associates also are planning a separate memorial service in a larger space with a target date of Nov. 15, which will mark the 50th anniversary of the Mattachine Society of Washington, the cityā€™s first gay rights group that Kameny co-founded.

Funeral arrangements could not be made immediately, Witeck said, because Kamenyā€™s Washington friends had to reach out to his surviving sister, 83-year-old Edna Lavey, who lives in Riverhead, N.Y. Under D.C. law, Lavey, as the next of kin, has sole legal authority to decide on what to do with Kamenyā€™s remains.

ā€œSheā€™s been very gracious and very supportive of our efforts to plan the funeral,ā€ said Witeck.

He said that under advice from lawyers, Lavey has agreed to sign a legal document giving Witeck and other friends in Washington authority to move ahead with funeral plans, including the release of Kamenyā€™s body from the D.C. Medical Examinerā€™s office to a D.C. funeral home.

According to Witeck, friends will fulfill Kamenyā€™s long-stated wish to be cremated and to have a non-religious funeral or memorial service.

One option under consideration is an offer to accept a donated cemetery plot to have Kamenyā€™s ashes interred at D.C.ā€™s historic Congressional Cemetery near the gravesite of the late gay Air Force veteran Leonard Matlovich. Matlovich, a decorated combat veteran in the Vietnam War, approached Kameny for assistance in his decision to become the first active duty member of the military to publicly declare that he was gay in 1975 in an effort to challenge the ban on gay service members.

The widespread media coverage of Matlovichā€™s declaration, which included the now famous cover story in Time magazine with the headline ā€œI am a homosexual,ā€ has been credited with kicking off the campaign that led to the repeal this year of ā€œDonā€™t Ask, Donā€™t Tell.ā€

The Blade will report all details surrounding Kamenyā€™s funeral and memorial service as soon as they become available.

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District of Columbia

Protests against Trump executive orders to take place in D.C. on Thursday

Demonstrations will happen outside attorney general’s office, Kennedy Center

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The Kennedy Center (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Trump-Vance administration has taken an aggressive stance against the LGBTQ community by passing executive order after executive order that restricts the ability of transgender people to exist. In response, LGBTQ activists in Washington will take to the streets on Thursday to protest the slew of actions the White House has undertaken.

In back-to-back protests, demonstrators will rally against a federal ban on gender-affirming care for minors, followed by a protest at the Kennedy Center condemning a newly imposed ban on drag performances at the venue.

The first protest of the day will take place outside the D.C. Attorney General’s Office (400 6th St., N.W.) to oppose Trump’s executive order banning gender-affirming care for minors. Originally scheduled for the previous day but postponed due to snow, the protest will run from 12-2 p.m. Organizers aim to pressure D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb and Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Wayne Turnage to join 15 other states in issuing official public guidance against the order and declaring it unlawful. 

Under the D.C. Human Rights Act, passed by the D.C. City Council in 1977, discrimination based on gender identity and expression is explicitly prohibited. The law defines gender identity and expression as ā€œa gender-related identity, appearance, expression, or behavior of an individual, regardless of the individualā€™s assigned sex at birth.ā€ Trumpā€™s executive order, officially titled the ā€œProtecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilationā€ order, directly violates this act by banning all forms of gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth, effectively preventing them from accessing medical care necessary for their transition.

The 15 other statesā€™ that objected to the order include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

This protest was organized by the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America Bodily Autonomy Working Group, which focuses on ā€œthe fight for queer, trans, and feminist liberation and against systems of patriarchal capitalist oppression that devalue women and LGBTQIA+ people, under the guidance of reproductive justice.ā€ 

Organizers encourage protesters to bring friends and signs to get their voices heard. 

The second protest of the day will take place in Washington Circle in between the Foggy Bottom and West End neighborhoods to protest Trumpā€™s takeover of the Kennedy Center. Trump removed all 18 members that former President Joe Biden appointed to the Kennedy Center board and has started installing Trump loyalists into their roles.Ā 

The sudden board shake-up was first announced on Truth Social, Trumpā€™s social media platform, as a response to what he called the boardā€™s lack of ā€œvision for a Golden Age in arts and culture.ā€ Many found this statement puzzling, given that Trump has openly admitted he has never attended a performance at the nonpartisan arts center.

The ā€œTrans & Queer Dance Party and Protest,ā€ which will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the circle only a few blocks from the Kennedy Center, is an attempt by six DC based organizations to show the Trump administration that ā€œas D.C. residents, we say the Kennedy Center is our house, and weā€™re not going to let fascists tell us what to do or censor our artists.ā€ The collaborating organizations encourage supporters of art, drag, the Kennedy Center, and the LGBTQ community to show up in ā€œour best (warm) looksā€ to let the administration know that D.C. will not be silenced.

Richard Grenell, who served as Trumpā€™s ambassador to Germany in his first term, was given the title of ā€œinterim executive directorā€ of the Kennedy Center, tasked with realigning the arts center to better fit Trumpā€™s agenda. The announcement initially caused confusion because before this announcement, there had never been an acting director, but a president elected by the board.  

His agenda so far includes banning any performances in the famous performing arts center, including “Dancing Queens Drag Brunch,” “A Drag Salute to Divas,” and ā€œDixie’s Tupperware Party,ā€ which were put on at the Kennedy Center and aimed at adults. 

This protest was organized through a collaboration of six local left-leaning organizations. They include the DC Dyke March, Harrietā€™s Wildest Dreams, Occupation Free DC, Good Trouble Cooperative, and Claudia Jones School. 

For more information on the trans gender-affirming care protest, visit https://actionnetwork.org/events/schwalb-trans-rally or https://mdcdsa.org/. For more information on the Kennedy Center dance party protest, visit any of the organizers’ Instagram pages.

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District of Columbia

Bill to repeal D.C. home rule would jeopardize LGBTQ rights: activists

Measure introduced by homophobic lawmakers

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ā€˜Bowser and her corrupt Washington City Council are incapable of managing the city,ā€™ said U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn). (Washington Blade file photo by Giuseppe LoPiccolo)

U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn) on Feb. 6 introduced legislation in the Senate and House calling for repealing the D.C. Home Rule Act, which would eliminate the cityā€™s limited home rule government with a mayor and city council.

The two lawmakers named the bill the ā€œBringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident Actā€ or the ā€œBOWSER Act,ā€ saying in a statement that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was responsible, in part, for leaving ā€œour nationā€™s Capital in crime-ridden shambles.ā€

Lee and Robles each received a ā€œ0ā€ rating, the lowest possible rating, on the Human Rights Campaignā€™s Congressional Scorecard, which assesses the record of members of Congress on LGBTQ related issues.

Most political observers point out that far-right Republican lawmakers have introduced similar bills in the past, including one in 2024, which have died in committee with little support.

Both Democratic and some Republican lawmakers expressing opposition to the previous bills noted that under the existing D.C. Home Rule Act, Congress retains full authority to reject any legislation passed by the D.C. Council and signed by the mayor. They note that Congress also retains authority to impose any law it wishes on D.C.

But some observers, including LGBTQ rights advocates, say the prospects of the current bill could go further with the current GOP-controlled Congress and at a time when President Donald Trump raised the issue of  alleged ā€œout of controlā€ crime in D.C. during his presidential campaign. Trump has said he plans to issue one or more executive orders targeting D.C. home rule.

The bill introduced by Lee and Ogles does not address or propose who or what federal entity would operate D.C.ā€™s local government after the Home Rule Act of 1973 is repealed. The two-page-long bill states, ā€œEffective on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (Public Law 93-198) is repealed.ā€

Prior to the passage of the Home Rule Act of 1973, which Congress approved under the administration of then-President Richard Nixon, the city was governed by a commission whose members were appointed by the U.S. president and approved by Congress. A ā€œcommissioner-mayorā€ appointed by the president served as the head of the commission.

LGBTQ rights activists believe a similar type of governing body under the current Republican Congress and the Trump administration could pose a threat to the LGBTQ rights laws currently on the books in D.C., including the cityā€™s Human Rights Act, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

ā€œRepeal of Home Rule at this time can only be a negative for the LGBTQ community, especially the transgender community, because of the virulent antagonism toward that community of the MAGA Republicans in control of Congress,ā€ according to D.C. gay Democratic activist Peter Rosenstein.

Howard Garrett, president of the Capital Stonewall Democrats, D.C.ā€™s largest local LGBTQ political organization, also expressed concern that repeal of D.C. home rule would pose a threat to the local LGBTQ community.

ā€œRepealing D.C. home rule would be a direct attack on our cityā€™s ability to govern itself and protect the rights of all residents, especially the LGBTQ+ community,ā€ Garrett told the Washington Blade. ā€œWashington, D.C. has been a leader in advancing LGBTQ+ rights, from nondiscrimination protections to access to affirming healthcare,ā€ he said. ā€œIf Congress were to strip away our autonomy, it would leave us vulnerable to reactionary policies that do not reflect the values of our residents.ā€

Garrett added, ā€œThis latest attempt to revoke home rule is nothing more than political interference that undermines democracy.ā€

In a joint statement released on the day they introduced their D.C. home rule repeal bills, Lee and Ogles denounced what they called a ā€œradically progressive regimeā€ of Bowser and the City Council.

ā€œWashington is now known for its homicides, rapes, drug overdoses, violence, theft, and homelessness,ā€ Ogles said n the statement. ā€œBowser and her corrupt Washington City Council are incapable of managing the city,ā€ he said.

Lee stated, ā€œThe corruption, crime, and incompetence of the D.C. government has been an embarrassment to our nationā€™s capital for decades. It is long past time that Congress restored the honor of George Washington to the beautiful city which bears his name.ā€  

Daniel Solomon, co-founder of D.C. Vote, a local nonpartisan group that advocates for D.C. statehood, said in a statement that supporters of the home rule repeal bill were putting out misleading information about crime in D.C.

ā€œMake no mistake: This bill is a thinly veiled attempt to punish D.C. for political differences under the guise of public safety,ā€ he said. ā€œWe all agree that public safety is paramount, but dismantling home rule will do nothing to make our communities safer,ā€ his statement continues.

ā€œInstead, it will silence the voices of D.C. residents and threaten the progress weā€™ve made on criminal justice reform, economic growth, and local accountability,ā€ he said.

Bowser, who has declined to comment specifically on the current bill to repeal D.C. home rule, has pointed out that violent crime in D.C. dropped by 35 percent from 2023 to 2024 and property related crime declined by 11 percent during that same period.

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Virginia

Virginia High School League reverses policy on transgender athletes

Trans athletes previously allowed to compete on teams that corresponded with gender identity

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Virginia flag flies over the state Capitol. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Virginia High School League on Monday announced it will no longer allow transgender athletes to compete on teams that correspond with their gender identity following another executive order signed by President Donald Trump targeting trans people.

The VHSL announced their policy change on their X account. It undoes a 2023 announcement that said it would not change their policy that allowed trans athletes to compete on teams that affirmed their identities.

Following a Jan. 28 executive order signed that stopped hospitals and other medical institutions from providing gender-affirming care to minors under that age of 19, Trump on Feb. 5 signed another executive order, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”

The ban seeks ā€œto rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls.ā€ The NCAA and many other educational institutions agreed to implement the ban in fear of losing federal funding.

“The VHSL is an association comprising 318 member schools with more than 177,000 students participating yearly in sports and academic activities. The VHSL is the governing body, and our member schools look to and rely on the VHSL for policy and guidance. To that end, the VHSL will comply with the executive order,” said VHSL Executive Director John W. “Billy” Haun. “The compliance will provide membership clear and consistent direction.”

The VHSL also said staff will be making changes to their handbook and policy manual in the coming days, reminiscent of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scrubbing all of the papers in its database of any now-banned language regarding LGBTQ people and attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The VHSL’s own data indicates only 29 of the student athletes it oversees have been reported as trans since 2022.

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