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Some D.C. schools participating in ‘Day of Silence’

Friday’s event spotlights anti-LGBT harassment, violence

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Day of Silence, Silent March for Victims of Anti-LGBT Violence, gay news, Washington Blade
Day of Silence, Silent March for Victims of Anti-LGBT Violence, gay news, Washington Blade

(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.”

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Delaware

Milton Pride Fest to take place Saturday

This year’s theme is ‘Small Town, Big Heart’

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(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Milton, Del., will host its Pride Fest this Saturday with the theme “Small Town, Big Heart.” The town’s population of just over 3,000 is in its sixth year hosting Pride. 

The event is hosted by Sussex Pride and Milton Theatre and will take place from 4-8 p.m. in the area surrounding the theater. Admission is pay-what-you-can and proceeds will support the Milton Theatre’s education wing campaign, an initiative dedicated to expanding arts education and creating spaces for the next generation of performers and artists. 

The musical act schedule includes Goldstar at 4 p.m., Magnolia Applebottom and Friends at 5:30 p.m., and Mama’s Blacksheep at 6:45 p.m. There will be vendors, food trucks, and a Kids Fest with an inflatable obstacle course. 

“In our little corner of the world, LOVE leads the way! Milton Pride 2025 is a celebration for EVERYONE — neighbors, families, allies, and friends — because acceptance, kindness, and community belong to us all,” Milton Theatre’s website reads. “Whether you’re here to cheer, learn, or simply feel the joy … you’re welcome exactly as you are. Let’s come together and celebrate Milton, a SMALL TOWN … with a BIG HEART!”

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District of Columbia

Drive with Pride in D.C.

A new Pride-themed license plate is now available in the District, with proceeds directly benefiting local LGBTQ organizations.

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A sample of the license plate with the "Progressive" Pride flag. (Screenshot from the DCDMV website)

Just in time for Pride month, the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles has partnered with the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs to create a special “Pride Lives Here” license plate.

The plate, which was initially unveiled in February, has a one-time $25 application fee and a $20 annual display fee. Both fees will go directly to the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Affairs Fund.

The MOLGBTQA Fund provides $1,000,000 annually to 25,000 residents through its grant program, funding a slew of LGBTQ organizations in the DMV area — including Capital Pride Alliance, Whitman-Walker, the D.C. Center for the LGBTQ Community, and the Washington Blade Foundation.

The license plate features an inclusive rainbow flag wrapping around the license numbers, with silver stars in the background — a tribute to both D.C.’s robust queer community and the resilience the LGBTQ community has shown.

The “Pride Lives Here” plate is one of only 13 specialty plates offered in the District, and the only one whose fees go directly to the LGBTQ community.

To apply for a Pride plate, visit the DC DMV’s website at https://dmv.dc.gov/

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Delaware

Delawareans march in D.C. WorldPride parade

CAMP Rehoboth contingent among marchers

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(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The nation’s capital welcomed WorldPride this past weekend, a massive celebration that usually takes place in a different city every two years. 

The Saturday parade attracted hundreds of thousands of people from around the world and the country. The state of Delaware, a few hours drive from D.C., saw participants in the parade, with CAMP Rehoboth, an LGBTQ community center in Rehoboth Beach, hosting a bus day trip. 

Hope Vella sits on the board of directors and marched with CAMP Rehoboth. Vella said that although the parade took a long time to start and the temperature was hot, she was “on a cloud” from being there. 

“It didn’t matter to me how long it took to start. With the current changes that are in place regarding diversity and inclusion, I wanted my face there,” Vella said. “My life is an intersection. I am a Black woman. I am a lesbian, and I have a disability. All of these things are trying to be erased … I didn’t care how long it took. I didn’t care how far it was going to be. I was going to finish that parade. I didn’t care how hot it was.”

The nearly two mile parade route didn’t feel as long because everyone was so happy interacting with the crowd, Vella said. The group gave out beads, buttons, and pins to parade watchers. 

“The World Pride celebration gave me hope because so many people came out. And the joy and the love that was between us … That gave me hope,” Vella said. 

Vella said that people with disabilities are often overlooked. More than one in four Americans have disabilities, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Vella said it was important for her “to be out there and to be seen in my wholeness as a Black woman, as a lesbian, as a woman with a disability and to not be hiding. I want our society to understand that we exist in LGBTQ+ spaces also.”

Retired Maj. Gen. Tammy Smith is involved with CAMP Rehoboth and marched with a coalition of LGBTQ military members. Smith said they were walking to give transgender military members visibility and to remind people why they are serving. 

“When we are not visible, what is allowed to take our place is stereotypes,” Smith said. “And so without visibility, people think all veterans are conservative and perhaps not open to full equality. Without visibility, they might think a small state with a farming background may be a place that’s unwelcoming, but when you actually meet the people who are from those places, it sets aside those stereotypes and the real authenticity is allowed to come forward.”

During the parade, Smith said she saw trans military members in the parade make eye contact or fist bump with transgender people in the crowd. 

“They were seen. Both sides were seen during that parade and I just felt privileged to be able to witness that,” Smith said. 

Smith said Delaware is a state that is about freedom and equality and is the first state for a reason. The LGBTQ community is engrained as part of life in the Rehoboth and Lewes areas. 

“What pride means to me is that we must always be doing what is necessary to maintain our dignity as a community,” Smith said. “We can’t let what people with negative messaging might be tossing our way impact us and the celebration of Pride. I don’t see it as being self-promoting. I see it as an act of dignity and strength.”

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