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D.C. anti-bullying bill clears key vote

Training requirement eliminated to cut cost of measure

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Tommy Wells, gay news, gay politics dc

ā€˜The bill delivers a strong message that this city will not tolerate bullying ā€“ especially for our LGBT youth,ā€™ said Council member Tommy Wells. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

A D.C. Council committee voted unanimously on April 20 to approve the Youth Bullying Prevention Act of 2012 and to send it to the full Council for an expected preliminary vote on May 1.

ā€œThe bill delivers a strong message that this city will not tolerate bullying ā€“ especially for our LGBT youth ā€“ in our schools, libraries, recreation centers and where the city serves its youth,ā€ said Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6).

Wells is chair of the Councilā€™s Committee on Libraries, Parks, Recreation and Planning, which worked with the mayorā€™s office and LGBT advocates over the past year to make significant revisions to the bill before voting to approve it last week.

With the city facing an expected budget shortfall next year, Wells and his fellow committee members were faced with the need to make changes to lower the cost of implementing the bill.

The revised version of the bill, for example,Ā eliminates a provision in the earlier version that stated, “To the extent that funds are appropriated for these purposes,” various city agencies, including the public school system, “shall provide training on the agency’s harassment, intimidation or bullying policies to employees andĀ volunteers who have significant contact with students or the public…”

The revisedĀ bill approved by the committee says the public schools and other city agencies “may … provide training on bullying prevention to all employees and volunteers who have significant contact with youth.”

Alison Gill, public policy manager for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, which worked with Wellsā€™ office to help revise the bill, said the training requirement in the earlier version of the bill was contingent upon the availability of city funds and the elimination of that provision would have a minimal impact on the overall bill.

ā€œI think itā€™s excellent,ā€ Gill said of the revised bill. ā€œThe new bill addresses the issues the community had raised over the past year.ā€

Among those issues, Gill said, was the need to broaden the definition of bullying from the original bill to include all of the categories of individuals protected under the D.C. Human Rights Act andĀ the need to strengthen the reporting requirements for schools and city agencies to keep track of bullying incidents.

The committee vote came just over one week after Mayor Vincent Gray announced he would put into place a citywide anti-bullying initiative through his executive authority as mayor. His proposal includes the creation of a special task force on bullying and the development of a model anti-bullying policy and standards to be used by city agencies with jurisdiction over youth.

The legislation approved by Wellsā€™ committee, among other things, also calls for creating a bullying task force and developing a comprehensive anti-bullying policy for city agencies.

Gill said the mayor’sĀ task force and bullying polices would beĀ adopted as those required under the bill, with an expected smooth transition once the bill becomes law.

Eleven of the Council’sĀ 13 members signed on as co-introducers or co-sponsors of the earlier version of the bill. Supporters say the new version is expected to pass the full Council by an overwhelming margin.

A summary of the billā€™s provisions released by Wellsā€™ office says the measure includes these key components:

ā€¢ The establishment and implementation of a bullying prevention policy, including reporting and investigation guidelines, that specifically covers all youth, including youth of color, LGBT youth, and youth with disabilities.

ā€¢ The establishment of an appeal process for a party dissatisfied with the outcome of an initial investigation of a bullying incident.

ā€¢ A clear prohibition against retaliation against a target of bullying, a witness to a bullying incident, or someone who reports an incident of bullying.

ā€¢ The granting of legal immunity from lawsuits against an employee, volunteer or youth who ā€œin good faithā€ reports an incident of bullying.

The bill defines bullying as ā€œany severe, persistent act or conduct, whether physical, electronic, or verbal that ā€¦ shall be reasonably predicted to place the youth in reasonable fear of physical harm to his or her person or property; cause a substantial detrimental effect on the youthā€™s physical or mental health; substantially interfere with the youthā€™s academic performance or attendance; or substantially interfere with the youthā€™s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by an agency, educational institution, or grantee.ā€

It defines ā€œgranteeā€ as an entity or contractor that provides services, activities or privileges to youth on behalf of the city.

Wells said at the time the committee voted to approve the bill that a financial impact statement prepared by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer shows that implementing the measure would cost the public school system $36,000 in fiscal year 2014 and $31,000 in both fiscal years 2015 and 2016.

Wells said public school officials indicated the system ā€œcannot absorb this amount,ā€ requiring that the Council and mayor identify other sources of funding.

Wellsā€™ office said last month that an inability to identify funding sources for the bill was among the reasons it has been stalled in committee for more than a year. The revised bill is believed to be far less costly than the earlier version.

ā€œI am confident we will resolve this issue before the bill has its first reading at the full Council,ā€ Wells said.

The committee members who voted to approve the bill, in addition to Wells, were David Catania (I-At-Large), Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) and Vincent Orange (D-At-Large).

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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. 

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, a gay man 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.Ā Ā 

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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