News
Obama tries again: 2nd gay black man named to fed’l bench
Gayles named for seat on federal bench in Florida
After his earlier attempt at appointing a gay black male judge to the federal bench was thwarted by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), President Obama on Wednesday announced he’s making another effort with a different nominee in the same court.
Obama named Darrin Gayles, who currently serves as a Miami-Dade Circuit Judge in Florida, as part of a group of four nominees for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
āThroughout their careers, these distinguished men and women have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to public service,ā Obama said in a statement. āI am confident they will serve the American people with distinction from the District Court bench.ā
If confirmed by the Senate, Gayles would be the first gay black male to serve on the federal bench. (Deborah Batts, confirmed to the federal bench in 1994 and the first-ever out person to sit on the federal judiciary, is also black.)
Steven Thai, a spokesperson for the Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute, praised Obama for nominating Gayles.
āWe commend the administration for nominating a qualified jurist who will also add diversity to the federal bench,” Thai said. “If confirmed, Judge Gayles will be the nationās first black, openly gay federal judge, and he will reflect the talent and commitment that exists in communities that are underrepresented in public service.ā
According to a White House bio, Gayles has served as a circuit judge in Florida state court since 2011. He was among the candidates endorsed by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund in 2012.
Before that, Gayles was a county judge since 2004. He’s also served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, an assistant district counsel at the U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service and an assistant state attorney.
Gayles received his law degree in 1993 from George Washington University Law School and his bachelor’s degree in 1990 from Howard University.
In November 2012, Obama made an attempt to appoint a gay black judge to the federal judiciary by naming Miami-Dade Circuit Judge William Thomas to federal court in Florida, but the nomination never even saw a hearing.
Rubio, who had initially recommended the Thomas nomination, refused to hand in his “blue slip” as one of his home-state senators to start the process of confirmation, objecting to Thomas’ temperament when presiding over two different cases.
Although lawyers involved in the case said he acted appropriately, Rubio refused to allow the nominee to proceed. At the start of the year, Obama didn’t include Thomas’ name among the 200 nominees that were renamed, and the White House said Thomas wouldn’t be named again.
In a statement, Rubio said he’s happy with each of the four judicial nominees that Obama named on Wednesday, which would include Gayles, but said he wished the White House would have acted in more bipartisan manner.
āI welcome todayās four nominations to the district courts in Florida,” Rubio said. “As I previously indicated to the president, I do not anticipate having an objection to moving forward on any of these nominations pending the outcome of the customary background check conducted on every nominee. I am disappointed, however that given the opportunity to fill four vacancies on the court, the White House has declined to nominate any of the Republican finalists jointly suggested by Sen. Nelson and myself.ā
Alex Conant, a Rubio spokesperson, said Gayles was on a list of potential nominees that Rubio’s office told the White House would be acceptable.
Ryan Brown, a spokesperson for Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), said Gayles was among the potential nominees the Florida Democrat sent to the president.
Obama has also named Staci Michelle Yandle, a black lesbian, for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Her nomination is pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
D’Arcy Kemnitz, president of the LGBT Bar Association, said Gayles’ nomination “deserves prompt consideration” by the Senate.
“Darrin Gayles is admired and well-respected throughout the profession,” Kemnitz said. “Our judiciary should never be politicized, and any attempt to delay or derail his nomination because of animus or discriminatory political views would be unacceptable.”
National
Antony Blinken, USAID mark World AIDS Day
Officials reiterate Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to end pandemic
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the U.S. Agency for International Development on Sunday marked World AIDS Day.
Blinken in his statement echoed the Biden-Harris administration’s call “for collective action with partners around the world to sustain and accelerate the great progress we have made toward ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.”
“Over the past four years, the State Department has worked tirelessly to save lives through the Presidentās Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR),” the statement reads. “In partnership with foreign governments, PEPFAR has changed the trajectory of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and now supports more than 20 million people on lifesaving treatment across 55 countries around the world. Independent analyses have documented a direct link of this lifesaving work to economic growth across PEPFAR partner countries. Bipartisan action on a clean, five-year reauthorization of PEPFAR is essential to ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat and to implementing the programās plans to sustain success over the long term through partner country and community-led and managed programs.”
Blinken further stressed World AIDS Day “is a day to remember the more than 42 million lives lost to HIV/AIDS ā a stark reminder of the threat this virus continues to pose if we do not ensure that partner countries have the vision and capacity to sustain a bold response.”
“We must continue to chart a course together that will help communities stay safe and prosperous by ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat,” he said.
USAID spokesperson Benjamin Suarato in a statement echoed Blinken.
“Each year, we observe World AIDS Day to honor people living with and affected by HIV, remember those we have lost, and recommit to ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030,” said Suarato. “For decades, USAID has worked to support those affected by HIV, as well as the health workers, scientists, researchers, advocates, and communities dedicated to the HIV response.”
Suarato noted this year’s World AIDS Day’s theme, “Collective Action: Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress,” “underscores the long-term leadership of the United States to galvanize global solidarity and make critical investments to reduce HIV transmission, improve access to treatment, and advance transformative partnerships to sustain a locally-led HIV response.” Suarato also highlighted PEPFAR has saved “more than 25 million lives and helped more than 5.5 million babies to be born HIV-free across 55 countries.”
“We recognize that ending HIV as a public health threat requires enduring cooperation with partner country governments, civil society, faith-based, and other non-governmental organizations, researchers, and scientists,” said Suarato. “It also requires us to continue to elevate the leadership of communities and individuals living with and affected by HIV. On this World AIDS Day, USAID reaffirms our dedication to collective action.”
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Sunday will commemorate World AIDS Day at the White House. AIDS Memorial Quilt panels will be shown on the White House’s South Lawn for the first time.
The Washington Blade will have further coverage of the White House commemoration.
India
India’s Transgender Welfare Boards fail to meet trans people’s basic needs
Committees have only been established in 17 regions
Nineteen of Indiaās 28 states and eight union territories lack a functional Transgender Welfare Board, despite legal mandates.
Most of the boards that have been established in 17 regions operate without policies, compliance framework, or any substantial authority. This lack of oversight, combined with an absence of policies, has left transgender Indians without access to critical services.
India’s 2011 Census says there are 487,803 trans people in the country, yet only 5.6 percent have managed to apply for a trans identity card. These identity cards, essential for accessing government programs designed specifically for trans people, remain challenging to obtain, hindering access to crucial welfare programs.
Under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019 and its 2020 rules, 17 states and union territories, including Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, have notified the establishment of a Transgender Welfare Board. Rule 10(1) of the law, however, mandates all state and union governments must constitute a board to safeguard trans rights, promote their interests, and facilitate access to government welfare schemes.
Reports reveal most Indian states with a notified Transgender Welfare Board have held fewer than one meeting per year since their inception, raising concerns about the effectiveness of these boards. States such as Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Manipur, and Tripura have yet to disclose any updates on their boardsā activities. Notably, Gujaratās Transgender Welfare Board, established in collaboration with UNAIDS in 2019, reportedly did not hold a single meeting until Oct. 14, according to board members.
Only a few states and union territories saw any regular activity from their Transgender Welfare Boards in 2023; with Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Chandigarh, and Maharashtra holding just four meetings each. Other states have held fewer meetings or none at all since the boardās formation.
In states like Mizoram, the Transgender Welfare Board has not held meeting since its creation.
In Manipur, the board has been virtually defunct since its establishment in 2017. Although the state’s reappointed the 17-member board last year, it included only minimal trans representation, with one trans woman and one trans man appointed.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2022 criticized the Chandigarh Transgender Welfare Board for its insufficient activity, describing it as a mere “cosmetic feature” in a Public Interest Litigation filed by Yashika, a trans student. The court observed that the board had failed to meet regularly, hindering its ability to fulfill its duties and effectively support the trans community.
“Although the petitioner had submitted complaints in this regard to the Union Territory Administration, no relief was granted and, thus, it is essential to ensure that bodies such as the Transgender Welfare Board acquire teeth and do not remain cosmetic features,” said the High Court. “Meetings should be held more frequently so that issues likely to arise in the future can be anticipated.ā
An Amicus Curiae the Kerala High Court appointed in 2021 reported the Kerala State Transgender Justice Board had not held a single meeting that year.
Since its creation under the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry, the National Council for Transgender Persons has held only two meetings in the past four years. Reports also suggest that budget allocations for state Transgender Welfare Boards often vary based on the ruling political party.
Maharashtra in 2020 allocated approximately $602,410 to its welfare board, but no further budget was earmarked for the board after the government changed.
Souvik Saha, founder of Jamshedpur Queer Circle, an LGBTQ organization that conducts sensitization workshops with law enforcement and local communities, criticized the frequent inaction of Transgender Welfare Boards.
“As an LGBTQ rights activist and head of Jamshedpur Queer Circle, I find it deeply disheartening yet unsurprising that only 5.6 percent of transgender people in India possess a transgender ID card. This figure underscores the systemic barriers faced by the transgender community when accessing their rights,” said Saha. “The example of Gujarat’s Transgender Welfare Board, which despite its collaboration with UNAIDS was dormant for nearly four years, illustrates how bureaucratic inefficiency and lack of political will stymie progress. Similarly, Mizoramās board has yet to hold a single meeting, reflecting the widespread neglect of transgender issues.”
Souvik further said the situation in Jharkhand mirrors these national trends.
The stateās Transgender Welfare Board, though established, has faced challenges in regular functioning and proactive policy implementation. Reports from local community members highlight that meetings are infrequent and the boardās activities lack sufficient outreach. Trans people in Jharkhand, as a consequence, face barriers in securing IDs and accessing welfare schemes, contributing to a continued cycle of marginalization.
Saha told theĀ Washington BladeĀ that inaction within Transgender Welfare Boards stems from a lack of political will, bureaucratic hurdles, social stigma, marginalization, and inadequate representation. His organization has encountered numerous stories reflecting these challenges, with community members expressing frustration over the stagnant state of welfare boards and theĀ difficultĀ process of obtaining official recognition. Saha emphasized that these systemic barriers leave many in the transgender community struggling to access the support and resources they are entitled to.
“For any meaningful change, it is essential that welfare boards function effectively, with regular meetings, transparent procedures, and active community involvement,” said Saha. “The government must take urgent steps to address these issues, enforce accountability, and collaborate with local LGBTQ organizations to bridge the gaps between policy and practice.”
Meera Parida, aĀ trans activistĀ from Odisha, told the BladeĀ that while the previous state government implemented numerous welfare initiatives for trans individuals, it fell short of establishing a dedicated Transgender Welfare Board.
“Back then it was Biju Janata Dal party leading the state and now it is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) still there is no Transgender Welfare Board in the state,” said Parida. “After the Supreme Court’s judgement, it was our thought that some radical change is coming, nothing short of that happened. Most of the governments have no interest in it and that is why this is not happening.”
Parida told the Blade it was also her failure as she was associated with the previous government and in the party, but she was not able to convince her political party to establish a welfare board for trans people.
The Blade reached out to UNAIDS for reaction, but the organization has yet to response.
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].Ā
Congratulations to Charles Roth on his appointment to the board of directors of the Pride Bands Alliance, the national and international organization for LGBTQ bands. On his appointment Roth said, āI am beyond humbled, and excited, to join the Board of Directors of Pride Bands Alliance at the national / international level for LGBTQ+ band organizations. The mission of promoting diversity, inclusivity, community, and pride through music is something I have always held very close to my heart. I very much look forward to working with this amazing organization and team, to keep that visibility alive and well, and to help foster and expand it even more across our country.ā
Roth is the 2025 Guest Drum Major for The Queer Big Apple Corps, and former Marching Band Artistic Director for D.C.ās Different Drummers. Under his leadership, DCDD expanded its presence in and around our nationās capital, featuring high-profile performances including at the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, Smithsonian Institute, World Pride 2019, and two special appearances at the Naval Observatory, home of Vice President Kamala Harris. He is the Team DC LGBTQ Student Athlete Scholarship Chair, and board member. He is a band director in Alexandria City Public Schools, and teaches middle school band at a Title I, International Baccalaureate School, where he built an award-winning program.
Congratulations also to Amira McKee and Chinanu Okoli, named by The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists as recipients of the 2024 Phillips-Green Family Scholarship. These scholarships provide financial assistance to two CONNECT participants to support their participation in the CONNECT Student Journalism Training Project, and help launch their careers as young journalists.
“We are so excited to be partnering with the Phillips-Green Family Fund,” said NLGJA Executive Director Adam Pawlus. “Thanks to their generosity, we are thrilled to continue our support for young journalists whose work exemplifies our mission of creating a fairer and more diverse field of journalism.”
The CONNECT Student Journalism Training Project provides real-world, hands-on experience to students or recent graduates pursuing a career in journalism. The Phillips-Green Family Fund aims to provide organizations with financial assistance that work toward the education and well-being of women, children, and families. Their support helps make it possible for students in financial need to participate in our CONNECT program.
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