Local
Shevlin, Suwanlert have union blessed
Ceremony at the Wat Thai Buddhist temple
Peerapol Jack Suwanlert and George Felix Shevlin, IV had their marriage blessed last month.
George Felix Shevlin, IV and Peerapol Jack Suwanlert of Washington and Rehoboth Beach, Del., respectively had their marriage blessed on April 17 at the Wat Thai Buddhist temple in Silver Spring, Md.
Phramaha Ruangrit Thaithae led eight other monks in a traditional Northeastern (Isaan) Thailand Bai Sri Su Kwan ceremony, which was attended by their mothers, friends and family. Shevlin and Suwanlert were legally married on Aug. 11, 2011, by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan, a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Sullivan had presided over Suwanlert’s naturalization ceremony in the United States Capitol Building in 2010.
Their son, Patrick Kul Shevlin, born June 20, 2015, was also blessed by Phramaha Thaithae at the ceremony.
Shevlin is the son of Linda Owens Shevlin of Glen Falls, N.Y., and the late George Felix Shevlin, III. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and received his Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore and a degree from the London School of Economics. He is a member of the Maryland and United States Supreme Court bars. He worked for the United States House of Representatives for 20 years. His last position was the executive director of the House Democratic Caucus under Chairman John B. Larson. He is currently the political affairs officer for the Investment Company Institute, the trade association for the mutual fund industry.
Suwanlert was born in Muang City in the Province of Nakhon Ratchasima, in Thailand, where he spent most of his youth. He is the second son of Mongkol Suwanlert from Lampang in northern Thailand and Siriporn Rattanakul, from Nakhon Prathom (central part of Thailand).
He received a bachelor’s degree in public administration (police science) at the Royal Thai Police Cadet Academy in Sampran, Nakorn-Prathom, Thailand, where he worked as an interrogation inspector in Bangkok for the Royal Thai Police Force. He received a master’s degree in political science from the National Institute of Development Administration in Bangkok.
He moved to Washington in 2000 to work at the Marriott International Headquarters in Bethesda, Md., where he is director of global intelligence and support. Suwanlert is a member of the Private Security Analyst Group under Overseas Security Advisory Council, conference committee chair of the Public Sector Intelligence Council and the D.C. Intelligence Analyst Working Group. He completed his second master’s degree in Intelligence Studies at the American Military University in 2013.
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.”
Markwayne Mullin confirmed as next DHS secretary
Gay man murdered in Va.
Trans Day of Visibility events planned
Virginia General Assembly’s 2026 legislative session ends
Polish court rules country must recognize same-sex marriages from EU states
Queer American in Israel discusses Iran war’s impact
Calendar: March 21-26
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