Local
Fast Five Fix: March 8
Maine marriage polls look promising but give pause, incredible HIV med news, North Carolina on the verge, and more
A majority of Maine voters support same-sex marriage, but polling shows the exact ballot language confuses people. To help you understand, here's an infographic that took 2 hours to make and crashed our computers twice. (Washington Blade graphic by Phil Reese)
Good morning! As the java sinks in — along with word from ThinkProgress that DC just made it a whole lot easier for out of state gays to have messy, expensive split-ups (that’s the sound of lawyers cheering!) — here’s the gay news that’s got us jabbering today:
- JoeMyGod tips us off to several pieces of HIV treatment and prevention news: FIRST, Gilead is preparing to release a four-in-one med called “Quad” (creative!) that will rival Atripla’s safety and effectiveness, without the neurological side effects, and with higher achievement of target levels of HIV (but more nausea); ALSO, are we on the verge of having an effective monthly injection HIV prevention regiment?
- As seen above, ThinkProgress alerts us to a new PPP poll that says Maine voters are cool with extending marriage rights to same-sex couples… but aren’t really sure about the ballot language that’s been chosen to do so. That’s why its very important that the gays in Maine start making commercials that just say “Yes!”
- Over 100,000 have signed a Change.org petition asking President Obama to deliver an executive order barring LGBT employment discrimination with Federal contractors. And growing.
- AMERICAblog Gay thinks the far right is getting desperate in North Carolina: might we actually beat back an anti-gay ballot measure in the south?
- UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon has called for member states to stop LGBT discrimination during a historic human rights council hearing, according to ThinkProgress.
Finally, this video that Towleroad shared with us is really hard to watch. A nightclub bouncer at a gay bar in West Hollywood drops some homophobic slurs on a decidedly drunk and unruly gay patron, and appears to punch him several times while telling him to “stop struggling.” Is this gay-on-gay crime, or have some gay bars slipped and hired some unenlightened straight homophobes to handle their security?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAozn3Qt3hk
The transcript courtesy Towleroad:
“Look at my face man,” the victim says, “-they f**ked me up.”
One of two men holding him down says: “F**k your face. I don’t give a shit about your face.”
Victim: “Trust me please I didn’t start the sh*t. I was with my boyfriend. I’m a gay boy.”
Face down on the ground, he tries to look up at his captors. One of them says:
“Yeah well your a f**kin’ [unintelligible] … Stop f**kin’ struggling motherfucker. ”
“Stop resisting,” one of the men says. “Stay still motherf**ker.”
Then one of the captors unleashes this: “Stop fuckin’ moving you c*cks**ker.”
Just then a security guard with a badge walks up, and one of the captors says, “Hey can we get some cuffs please.”
“Stay where you are motherf**ker,” the victim is told. “Shut up.”
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
