Local
LGBT vote could be factor in D.C. Council race
Pannell wins key endorsements in Ward 8 school board campaign
The LGBT vote could be an important factor in the hotly contested race for at least one of the two at-large seats on the D.C. City Council in the Nov. 6 city election, according to political observers.
Council member Michael Brown (I-At-Large) and independent challenger David Grosso, along with Democratic incumbent Vincent Orange (D-At-Large) are competing in a seven-candidate race for the two seats in which only one Democrat is eligible to win under the cityās election law.
Most political insiders say the at-large race is likely to be the only Council race this year in which the incumbent isnāt expected to breeze to re-election on Tuesday.
Similar to most recent D.C. elections, nearly all of the candidates running for seven seats on the Council, five seats on the D.C. school board, and the cityās non-voting seat in Congress ā currently held by Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton ā are either supportive or highly supportive on LGBT issues.
Some LGBT activists say that because the city governmentās long record of support on LGBT issues isnāt in jeopardy, LGBT voters are likely to select candidates based on non-LGBT issues.
āItās a luxury to have to choose among friends,ā gay activist Rick Rosendall told the Blade earlier this year. āWe should remember how lucky we are.ā
In other Council races, Acting Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) is considered the strong favorite to win election to the full Council Chair position. The seat became vacant following the resignation earlier this year of Council Chair Kwame Brown, who was indicted on corruption related charges. Mendelson is a strong supporter of LGBT rights.
Incumbent Council members Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), who are running unopposed, are also strong, longtime supporters on LGBT issues.
One city race considered highly competitive is the contest for the Ward 8 seat on the cityās State Board of Education in which longtime Ward 8 community leader and gay activist Phil Pannell is challenging incumbent Trayon āTrayā White.
Pannell lost to White in a special election last year by just over 200 votes in a five candidate race. This year, Pannell is running as Whiteās only challenger and the other three candidates for the seat last year have endorsed Pannell. Among them are longtime Ward 8 community leaders Eugene Kinlow, Sandra Williams, and Anthony Muhammad.
Muhammad, a leader in the local branch of the Nation of Islam religious organization, is backing Pannell because of Pannellās long record of being a public schools advocate and community leader in the ward, according to Natalie Williams, Pannellās campaign manager.
āThat speaks volumes on how people in the community feel about Phil,ā she said.
Pannell has also received endorsements from the Washington Post, D.C. Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, and the D.C. local for the American Federation of Municipal Employees union or AFME among other endorsements.
However, Barry, who is considered highly influential in Ward 8, has endorsed White, a 28-year-old political newcomer who has been praised for organizing efforts to persuade young people in the ward to finish school rather than drop out in a ward with the cityās highest school drop-out rate.
Pannell, who is one of three out gays running in the city election this year, is the only one in a competitive race.
Gay Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Jack Jacobson is running unopposed for the Ward 2 school board seat. And gay Libertarian Party activist Bruce Majors is running against Norton for the cityās congressional delegate seat.
Majors, a real estate agent and longtime gay activist, says heās running to provide voters with a choice on through his āindividual rightsā platform and to expand support for the Libertarian Party in D.C. Norton, considered one of the strongest allies of the LGBT community in Congress, is considered the odds-on favorite to win re-election.
As many as 30 LGBT candidates are said to be running for one of the 296 Advisory Neighborhood Commission seats located throughout the city. The Blade has identified 19 out gay incumbents or challengers running this year for an ANC post.
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a national organization that raises money for out LGBT candidates, has endorsed four ANC candidates this year: Marc Morgan, whoās running unopposed for ANC single member district 1B01 in Ward 1; Martin Espinoza, whoās running against two challengers for an open seat in district 2B04; Chris Linn, whoās running unopposed in district 2F03 in the Logan Circle area; and Matt Raymond, whoās also running unopposed in district 2F07, also in Logan Circle.
Rosendall, who serves as vice president of the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, has joined other activists in noting that two incumbent Council members who have received support from the LGBT community in the past have lost that support to a large degree because of their 2009 vote against the cityās same-sex marriage law.
Council members Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) and Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) each received a -3.5 rating from GLAA on LGBT issues based on a rating scale of -10 to +10.
The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, the cityās largest LGBT political group, voted last month against making an endorsement in the Ward 7 and Ward 8 Council races, breaking from its decision in the past to endorse Alexander and Barry.
Following is a list of local candidates on the D.C. ballot on Nov. 6 along with information about endorsements from the Stein Club, the D.C. Log Cabin Republicans, and the rating assigned to the candidates by GLAA. GLAA doesnāt rate candidate for the school board, the congressional delegate seat, or for the shadow House and Senate seats. Also below are known gay candidates running for ANC seats:
- Council Chair: Phil Mendelson (D), GLAA +10, Stein Club endorsement; -Calvin Gurley (D), GLAA rating +1.
- At-Large Council seat: Vincent Orange (D)-incumbent, GLAA +0.5, Stein Club endorsement; Michael A. Brown (I-At-Large)-incumbent, GLAA +7.5; David Grosso (I), GLAA +9; A.J. Cooper (I), GLAA +4; Leon Swain Jr. (I), GLAA +4; Ann Wilcox (Statehood Green Party), GLAA +0.5; Mary Brooks Beaty (R), GLAA ā0ā, Log Cabin endorsement.
- Ward 2 Council seat: Jack Evans (D)-incumbent, GLAA +8.5, Stein Club endorsement.
- Ward 4 Council seat: Muriel Bowser (D)-incumbent, GLAA +6.5, Stein Club endorsement.
- Ward 7 Council seat: Yvette Alexander (D)-incumbent, GLAA -3.5; Ron Moten (R), GLAA +1.5, Log Cabin endorsement.
- Ward 8 Council seat: Marion Barry (D)-incumbent, GLAA -3.5.
- Delegate to U.S. House of Representatives: Eleanor Holmes Norton (D)-incumbent, Stein Club endorsement; Bruce Majors (Libertarian), GOProud endorsement; Natale Lino Stracuzzi (Statehood Green).
- At-Large State Board of Education: Mary Lord, Stein Club endorsement; Marvin Tucker.
- Ward 2 State Board of Education: Jack Jacobson, Stein Club endorsement.
- Ward 4 State Board of Education: D. Kamili Anderson.
- Ward 7 State Board of Education: Robert Matthews, Karen Williams, Stein Club endorsement; Villareal āVJā Johnson; Dorothy Douglas.
- Ward 8 State Board of Education: Trayon āTrayā White (incumbent); Philip Pannell, Stein Club endorsement.
- U.S. (Shadow) Senator: Michael D. Brown (D), Stein Club endorsement; David Schwartzman (Statehood Green); Nelson Rimensnyder (R), Log Cabin endorsement.
- U.S. (Shadow) Representative: Nate Bennett-Fleming (D), Stein Club endorsement; G. Lee Aikin (Statehood Green).
Following are openly gay ANC candidates the Blade has identified thisĀ year. The number that precedes the letter in the ANC districtĀ indicates the ward in which the district is located:
- Marc Morganā1B01 (unopposed)
- Erling (Erl) Baileyā1B12
- Jimmy R. Rockā1C08 (unopposed)
- Mike Feldsteinā2B01 (unopposed)
- Martin Espinozaā2B04
- Victor Wexlerā2B05 (unopposed)
- Mike Silversteinā2B06 (unopposed)
- Walt Cainā2F02
- Chris Linnā2F03 (unopposed)
- John Fanningā2F04
- Matt Raymondā2F07 (unopposed)
- Lee Brian Rebaā3C01 (unopposed)
- Bob Summersgillā3F07 (unopposed)
- Chad Hrdinaā5E06
- Andy Litskyā6D04 (unopposed)
- Roger Moffattā6D05
- Alexander āAlexā Padroā6E01
- Martin Moultonā6E02
- Kevin Chappleā6E02
- Anthony Lorenzoā8B04
Virginia
Norfolk transgender resource center vandalized
Anti-trans graffiti spraypainted onto Southeastern Transgender Resource Center’s windows
The Norfolk Police Department is investigating the vandalism of a transgender resource center’s building.
Tarena Williams, founder of the Southeastern Transgender Resource Center, told WAVY that someone spraypainted anti-trans graffiti on the windows of her organization’s offices on Sunday or Monday morning. Williams told the Hampton Roads television station that seeing the messages was like “walking into hell.”
āI opened up STRC, even the Lamina House,ā she told WAVY. āI opened up that to get away from those types of words. This is a place you can come to get away from that, but to see that sprayed over the window. Itās kind of like you are walking into hell. ā¦ To be honest, I was like in shock.ā
Authorities are investigating the vandalism.
West Virginia
Appeals court strikes down W.Va. transgender athlete ban
Ruling finds law violates studentsā constitutional rights, Title IX
BY LORI KERSEYĀ | The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down West Virginiaās ban on transgender athletes, finding the law violates trans studentsā rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the constitution and Title IX, a federal civil rights law prohibiting discrimination based on sex in education programs.
The case, B.P.J. vs. the West Virginia Board of Education, was filed in May 2021 on behalf of Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 13-year-old trans middle school student and track athlete who would be barred from participating if the ban is upheld. Pepper-Jackson is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia and Lambda Legal.
In April 2021, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice signed into law a bill prohibiting trans women and girls in the state from participating in sports that align with their gender identity. The U.S. Court of Appeals in February 2023 blocked the state from removing Pepper-Jackson from her schoolās track and field team as legal advocates appealed a lower courtās ruling upholding the ban.
In Tuesdayās ruling, Judge Toby Heytens wrote that offering Pepper-Jackson the āchoiceā between not participating in sports and participating only on boys teams is not a real choice.
āThe defendants cannot expect that B.P.J. will countermand her social transition, her medical treatment, and all the work she has done with her schools, teachers and coaches for nearly half her life by introducing herself to teammates, coaches and even opponents as a boy,ā the judge wrote.
āBy participating on boys teams, B.P.J. would be sharing the field with boys who are larger, stronger, and faster than her because of the elevated levels of circulating testosterone she lacks,ā he wrote. āThe Act thus exposes B.P.J. to the very harms Title IX is meant to prevent by effectively āexclud[ing]ā her from āparticipation inā all non-coed sports entirely.ā
In a statement Tuesday, Joshua Block, senior staff attorney for the ACLUās LGBTQ and HIV Project, called the courtās ruling āa tremendous victory for our client, transgender West Virginians and the freedom of all youth to play as who they are.ā
āIt also continues a string of federal courts ruling against bans on the participation of transgender athletes and in favor of their equal participation as the gender they know themselves to be,ā Block wrote. āThis case is fundamentally about the equality of transgender youth in our schools and our communities and weāre thankful the 4th Circuit agreed.ā
āWe hope todayās ruling sends a message of hope to the trans youth of West Virginia,ā Aubrey Sparks, legal director of the ACLU of West Virginia, said in the statement. āAnd a message of warning to politicians who continue to dehumanize this vulnerable population.ā
West Virginia is one of 21 states that have banned trans student-athletes over the last three years, according to the ACLU.
In a statement Tuesday, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey vowed to defend the ban and said he is ādeeply disappointedā in the decision.
āThe Save Womenās Sports Act is āconstitutionally permissibleā and the law complies with Title IX,ā Morrisey said. āI will keep fighting to safeguard Title IX. We must keep working to protect womenās sports so that womenās safety is secured and girls have a truly fair playing field. We know the law is correct and will use every available tool to defend it.ā
******************************************************************************************
Lori Kersey is a reporter with a decade of experience reporting in West Virginia. She covers state government for West Virginia Watch.
******************************************************************************************
The preceding article was previously published by the West Virginia Watch and is republished with permission.
Nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent journalism not hidden behind a paywall. Mountaineers are always free, and so is West Virginia Watch.
West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, the nationās largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
District of Columbia
Reenactment of first gay rights picket at White House set for April 17
Event marks 59th anniversary of historic push for gay rights in nationās capital
D.C.ās Rainbow History Project announced it will hold a reenactment on Wednesday, April 17, of the historic first protest for gay rights in the form of a picket line in front of the White House that took place on that same day in 1965.
In a statement released last week, Rainbow History Project says the reenactment will mark the 59th anniversary of an event that is credited with bringing attention for the first time to the federal governmentās longstanding discrimination against a minority group referred to then as homosexuals or gays and lesbians.
The statement notes that the 1965 event was organized by the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C., the first politically active LGBT organization in the nationās capital founded by local gay rights pioneer Frank Kameny.
āThe picket took place on the White House sidewalk, Lafayette Park, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., on April 17, 1965,ā the statement says. āFor exactly one hour, from 4:20 p.m. to 5:20 p.m., members of the Mattachine Society of Washington walked in a circle, non-stop, in silence, carrying posters of their demands,ā the statement continues.
āThe White House picket is the origin story for public demonstrations for gay rights in the U.S., and the origin story for Pride Marches and the annual LGBTQ Pride celebrations which occur across the globe,ā according to the statement.
It says those picketing in the April 1965 event, which included Kameny and longtime local D.C.-area lesbian activist Lilli Vincenz, both of whom held doctorate degrees, called on the government to adopt the Mattachine Society of Washingtonās four major demands: an end to the exclusion of homosexuals from federal government employment; an end to the ban on gays and lesbians from serving in the U.S. military; an end to the āblanket denialā of security clearances for gay people; and an end to the āgovernment refusal to meet with the LGBTQ community.ā
Among those who chose not to respond to the request for a meeting was President Lyndon B. Johnson, who occupied the White House at the time of the 1965 picketing.
Vincent Slatt, the Rainbow History Projectās director of archiving and one of the lead organizers of the April 17 reenactment event, said the event is aimed, among other things, at drawing attention to how far the LGBTQ community has come since 1965. He said the event is not in any way a protest of the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who Slatt called staunch supporters of the LGBTQ community.
āWe are just reenacting this historical event and pointing out how far weāve come,ā Slatt told the Washington Blade. āIf you think about what it means in 1965 when these people were protesting and LBJ would not even respond to them. And now, we are at a place where Vice President Harris speaks on a stage at Capital Pride.ā
The Rainbow History Project statement notes that the reenactment event will also be held in honor of Kameny, who died in 2011, and Vincenz, who passed away in 2023, both of whom participated in a similar reenactment event in 2008.
Among those who will be participating in this weekās reenactment on April 17 will be longtime local LGBTQ rights activist Paul Kuntzler, who is the only known surviving person who was among the White House picketers at the April 1965 event. Kuntzler will be carrying a replica of his own picket sign he held at the 1965 event, the statement says.
It says Rainbow History Project volunteers will also carry replicas of the original protest signs and hand out literature explaining the picket to passersby and tourists.
Similar to the 1965 event, the reenactment picketing at the White House will begin on April 17 at about 4:15 p.m., according to Slatt of the Rainbow History Project.
-
Africa3 days ago
Congolese lawmaker introduces anti-homosexuality bill
-
Colorado5 days ago
Five transgender, nonbinary ICE detainees allege mistreatment at Colo. detention center
-
World3 days ago
Out in the World: LGBTQ news from Europe and Asia
-
Real Estate4 days ago
Boosting your rental propertyās curb appeal