Local
D.C. Black Pride leader Fowlkes elected chair of DNC LGBT Caucus
Equality Delaware leader elected as caucus secretary
Earl Fowlkes Jr. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
The Democratic National Committee’s LGBT Caucus voted unanimously on Thursday to elect D.C. gay Democratic activist and Black LGBT Pride leader Earl Fowlkes as the caucus’s chair.
The election took place during the DNC’s annual summer meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz. DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was among several guests speakers at the LGBT Caucus meeting in which Fowlkes was elected.
“The meeting was our first official Caucus meeting since the [Democratic National] Convention so it gave us an opportunity to celebrate the president’s re-election, all of the amazing LGBT victories last November at the ballot box and all the wonderful progress made in state legislatures over the past few months,” said gay DNC member Jason Rae of Wisconsin.
Rae, who has served as the LGBT Caucus secretary, assumed the position of acting chair in January, when then Caucus Chair Rick Stafford of Minnesota and Vice Chair Sue Lovell of Texas left the DNC after their terms expired.
Rae said he chose to run for a position representing the Midwest Caucus on the DNC’s Executive Committee rather than for chair of the LGBT Caucus.
“I wanted to help bring an LGBT voice to the executive team for the Midwest Caucus,” he said.
Rae said the LGBT Caucus on Thursday elected Laura Calvo, an official with the Oregon Democratic Party, as vice chair; and Lisa Goodman, co-chair of the statewide LGBT organization Equality Delaware, as caucus secretary.
Goodman played a lead role last year in campaigning for a same-sex marriage equality law and a transgender non-discrimination law that were passed by the Delaware Legislature.
Fowlkes served last year as an Obama delegate to the Democratic National Convention. He currently serves as president and CEO of the Center for Black Equity, an international LGBT advocacy organization that Fowlkes helped found. The organization, formerly known as the International Federation of Black Prides, among other things, organizes D.C.’s annual Black Pride celebration and conference. Fowlkes is also a member of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, D.C.’s largest LGBT political organization.
Fowlkes was attending DNC related meetings on Friday and could not immediately be reached for comment.
Rae told the Blade that the subject of the National Stonewall Democrats did not come up at the LGBT Caucus meeting on Thursday. NSD, an LGBT group, ceased operating last December due to financial problems.
LGBT Caucus member Raymond Buckley, the openly gay chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, told the Blade in February that he and other LGBT Caucus members were taking steps to resurrect NSD this year. In a phone interview on Friday, Buckley said he and the others working with him have made progress on the NSD front.
“We’re optimistic,” he said. “Some announcements will be coming soon.”
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
‘How We Survived’ panel set for March 25
Calendar: March 21-26
Small is beautiful: subcompact SUVs
