Local
Prominent Richmond lawyers back gay prosecutor’s judgeship
Former Attorney General Richard Cullen is among the five lawyers who signed the letter
Five prominent Richmond lawyers on Tuesday backed a gay prosecutor's nomination to the city's General District Court. (Photo via Wikimedia)
“We understand that the court is considering appointing Tracy Thorne-Begland to the District Court for the city of Richmond,” they wrote in a two sentence letter to Richmond Circuit Court Judge Richard D. Taylor, Jr., that the Blade obtained. “We believe he would be an outstanding jurist and support his appointment.”
Former Attorney General Richard Cullen, chair of McGuire Woods, and former Virginia Bar Association President James Meath, who heads Williams Mullen, both signed the letter that comes nearly a month after the Republican-controlled House of Delegates rejected Thorne-Begland’s nomination. Thurston R. Moore, chair emeritus of Hunton and Williams; John S. West, managing partner of Troutman Sanders and Thomas M. Wolf of LeClair Ryan are the three other signatories.
“In the course of talking about this, we all just felt that this was the wrong decision and believe the right thing to do was to write to the court who was considering apparently an interim appointment just as individuals and member of the legal community to let them know we support the judgeship,” Meath told the Blade earlier on Wednesday. “Judgeships should be based on merit—it’s a meritocracy system. We believe that he’s qualified and it’s pretty much as simple as that.”
Delegate Bob Marshall (R-Prince William County) stressed before the May 15 vote that the former Navy pilot “misrepresented” himself by failing to disclose his sexual orientation when he enlisted in 1992.
Marshall did not immediately respond to the Blade’s request for comment. State Sen. A. Donald McEachin (D-Henrico,) who sponsored Thorne-Begland’s nomination in the state Senate, welcomed the lawyers’ support.
“It affirms what we in the Richmond area delegation have said: Tracy Thorne-Begland will be a fantastic jurist should he be given the opportunity,” he told the Blade.
The six Richmond Circuit Court judges could appoint Thorne-Begland on an interim basis because lawmakers did not fill the vacancy. McEachin told the Washington Post that the prosecutor is “definitely interested” in the judgeship, but neither he nor Meath would provide a potential timeline.
Thorne-Begland continues to decline comment.
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.”
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
