News
O’Malley seeks ENDA passage, ban on housing discrimination
Candidate stands at 1 percent among Democratic hopefuls in recent poll
Martin and Katie O’Malley (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Democratic presidential candidate and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley on Monday called for the addition of LGBT employment and housing protections in federal law following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of marriage equality.
“Last week the Supreme Court affirmed that marriage is a human right, and now gay and lesbian couples will be able to marry in every state in our country,” O’Malley said in a statement. “While this is a major step forward, our fight for equality continues. In a majority of states, gay and lesbian employees can still be denied job opportunities or fired solely based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Twenty-eight states also lack laws banning discrimination in housing.”
O’Malley noted that Maryland law has “long banned” discrimination based on sexual orientation and under his administration last year, he signed into law a measure prohibiting transgender discrimination in the state.
To enshrine into federal law employment protections for LGBT people, O’Malley said Congress should pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The measure hasn’t yet been introduced in 114th Congress, but in years past it has aimed to prohibit employment discrimination in most cases on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
“Passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to expand these protections at the federal level is a necessary next step,” O’Malley said. “We must continue to improve our laws, to more fully protect the rights of every individual — and more fully realize the vision of an open, respectful and inclusive nation that Friday’s decision aspires us to be.”
The candidate articulates support for ENDA ahead of the expected introduction of a comprehensive LGBT non-discrimination bill in Congress by Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). Matt Corridini, an O’Malley spokesperson, said his boss is aware of the legislation and supports it.
O’Malley’s competitors for the Democratic nomination for the White House have taken different approaches to the issue of LGBT non-discrimination.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for a ban on discrimination against LGBT people “so they can live, learn, marry, and work just like everybody else.” Although she’s supported ENDA in years past, she hasn’t articulated in this election cycle the best vehicle to achieve non-discrimination protections for LGBT people.
U.S. Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.) voted for a version of ENDA in 2013. In an interview with the Washington Blade, Sanders said he’d back amending the Civil Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity and anticipates he’ll support the upcoming comprehensive LGBT bill.
O’Malley faces a significant uphill battle in efforts to win the Democratic nomination for president. According to a Fox News poll, Clinton enjoys 61 percent support among likely Democratic voters nationwide. Sanders follows her with 15 percent support, Vice President Joseph Biden has 11 percent, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has 3 percent, former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb has 2 percent and O’Malley has 1 percent.
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.”
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