Local
Some D.C. schools participating in ‘Day of Silence’
Friday’s event spotlights anti-LGBT harassment, violence
(Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Hundreds of D.C. college students will tape their mouths shut on April 11, pledging to remain silent in an effort to generate awareness about anti-LGBT bullying.
They’ll be joining thousands of others nationwide in the Day of Silence, organized by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), as part of a battle to bring the problem of hate crimes in schools to light.
“The Day of Silence is all about remembering that even though we have the privilege of being at a progressive school, not everyone on this campus has the ability to come out,” said Tyler Bowders, executive director of American University Queers and Allies, which is coordinating the Day of Silence there.
Students will be given placards to hand out to their professors, friends and bosses to explain why they have promised not to speak for the entire day.
At American, the Day of Silence is the culmination of a full week of advocacy events, which include free HIV testing and “trans 101 training” in conjunction with the university’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion.
Last year, at least 100 people — both straight and gay students — participated in Pride Week events, which have been held on American’s campus for the past three years. The event has steadily gained traction and will likely have a turnout of about 150 people this year, Bowders said.
Georgetown University’s LGBT organization, GUPride, has also pledged to participate in Day of Silence. There, the day will culminate with GenderFunk, the university’s annual drag ball. George Washington University’s Allied in Pride, which held a drag competition earlier in the year to benefit the Trevor Project, an organization focused on LGBT suicide prevention, does not have events planned this week.
The Day of Silence got its start 1996 at the University of Virginia. Today, it is the “largest single student-led action toward creating safer schools for all,” with student activists at more than 8,000 middle schools, high schools and colleges participating, according to the group’s website.
The day of action has spurred controversy, drawing ire from religious conservative groups like Focus on the Family. In response, the group created an annual Day of Dialogue in 2011 aimed at having conversations about what they call God’s plan for human sexuality.
The event, usually scheduled on the same week as Day of Silence, has been derided by supporters of the LGBT rights movement as a publicity stunt.
For some college students — even those living in D.C., known for its large LGBT population — events drawing attention to bullying, discrimination and the difficulty of the coming out process are deeply personal.
“There’s a lot of people who don’t think the event is necessary since this is an accepting campus,” Bowders said, explaining that many students live openly gay lifestyles at college, but might not be out to their family and friends back at home.
“What they should realize is that being silent can be impactful,” he said. “You’re forgoing your voice symbolically to commemorate those who metaphorically and quite literally lose their voice every day.”
Virginia
Black transgender woman murdered in Va.
Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-McCray killed in Petersburg on March 13
A Black transgender woman was murdered in Petersburg, Va., on March 13.
Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-McCray, who was also known as Mable, was a drag queen who won the Miss Mayflower EOY pageant in 2015. Reports also indicate she was a well-known community activist in Virginia and in North Carolina.
Local media reports indicate police officers found Sanchez-McCray, 42, shot to death inside a home in Petersburg. These initial media reports also misgendered her.
“My heart is shattered and heavy with grief at the news of Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-McCray’s murder — the first trans life stolen from us this year,” said Victoria Kirby York, director of public policy and programs for the National Black Justice Coalition, in a statement.
Kirby York in her statement also criticized the media coverage of Sanchez-McCray’s murder.
“The early reports of Shyyell’s death stripped her of her identity by misgendering her, a deeply damaging and persistent failure by law enforcement and media that haunts these cases again and again,” she said. “Misgendering doesn’t just erase a person’s truth — it can derail justice entirely, or worse, bury a case in silence as investigators chase the wrong identity, the wrong face, the wrong name.”
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.”
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