Local

Gender identity ‘death certificate’ bill introduced

D.C. measure would ‘memorialize decedent’s transition’

Published

10 years ago

October 21, 2015

D.C. Council member Mary Cheh introduced a bill that calls for amending the city’s Vital Records Act of 1981 ‘to clarify the process for respecting a decedent’s gender identity.’ (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

D.C. Council member Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) introduced a bill on Tuesday that calls for amending the city’s Vital Records Act of 1981 “to clarify the process for respecting a decedent’s gender identity on his or her death certificate.”

The Death Certificate Gender Identity Recognition Amendment Act of 2015, among other things, would require a funeral director or another person completing a death certificate to “record the decedent’s sex to reflect the decedent’s gender identity” as defined in the D.C. Human Rights Act, which bans discrimination based on gender identity and other factors.

“In case of conflicting information from sources, the death certificate shall be based on documentation that memorializes the decedent’s gender transition,” the bill states. “If documentation is not available, it shall be based on information from individuals most familiar with the decedent’s gender identity at the time of death,” it says.

The bill says documents that may memorialize a gender transition include written instructions from the decedent, a court order approving a name or gender change, an advanced health care directive, or documentation of “an appropriate course of treatment for the purpose of gender transition.”

Eight Council members signed on as co-sponsor of Cheh’s bill: Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Elissa Silverman (D-At-Large), David Grosso (I-At-Large), Anita Bonds (D-At-Large), Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), Vincent Orange (D-At-Large), Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) and Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1).

Among those not signing on as co-sponsors were Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) and Council member Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), who chairs the Council’s Judiciary Committee, to which the bill was assigned.

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Virginia

VIDEO: LGBTQ groups march in Va. inaugural parade

Abigail Spanberger took office on Saturday

Published

8 hours ago

January 17, 2026

Michael Key

Diversity Richmond and the Virginia Pride project of Diversity Richmond march in the 2026 Inauguration Parade on the grounds of the state capitol in Richmond, Va. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The inaugural ceremonies for Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger were held in Richmond, Va. on Saturday. Among the groups marching in the parade were Diversity Richmond and the Virginia Pride project of Diversity Richmond.

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*The LGBTQ contingent in the inaugural parade in Richmond, Va. pass by the review stand on Jan. 17, 2026. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)*

Virginia

Va. Senate approves referendum to repeal marriage amendment

Outgoing state Sen. Adam Ebbin introduced SJ3

Published

16 hours ago

January 17, 2026

Staff reports

(Bigstock photo)

The Virginia Senate on Friday by a 26-13 vote margin approved a resolution that seeks to repeal a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

Outgoing state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) introduced SJ3. The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee on Wednesday approved it by a 10-4 vote margin.

Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in Virginia since 2014. Outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2024 signed a bill that codified marriage equality in state law.

A resolution that seeks to repeal the Marshall-Newman Amendment passed in the General Assembly in 2021. The resolution passed again in 2025.

Two successive legislatures must approve the resolution before it can go to the ballot. Democrats in the Virginia House of Delegates have said the resolution’s passage is among their 2026 legislative priorities.

“It’s time for Virginia’s Constitution to reflect the law of the land and the values of today,” said Ebbin after Friday’s vote. “This amendment, if approved by voters, would affirm the dignity of all committed couples and protects marriage equality for future generations.”

Maryland

Layoffs and confusion at Pride Center of Maryland after federal grants cut, reinstated

Trump administration move panicked addiction and mental health programs

Published

2 days ago

January 16, 2026

Baltimore Banner

Merrick Moses, a violence prevention coordinator, works at the Pride Center of Maryland in Baltimore. (Photo by Ulysses Muñoz for the Baltimore Banner)

By ALISSA ZHU | After learning it had abruptly lost $2 million in federal funding, the Pride Center of Maryland moved to lay off a dozen employees, or about a third of its workforce, the Baltimore nonprofit’s leader said Thursday.

The group is one of thousands nationwide that reportedly received letters late Tuesday from the Trump administration. Their mental health and addiction grants had been terminated, effective immediately, the letters said.

By Wednesday night, federal officials moved to reverse the funding cuts by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, estimated to total $2 billion, according to national media reports. But the Pride Center of Maryland’s CEO Cleo Manago said as of Thursday morning he had not heard anything from the federal government confirming those reports.

The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.