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Comings & Goings
Chavez wins Latino GLBT History Project award
The ‘Comings & Goings’ column chronicles important life changes of Blade readers.
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].
Yesenia Chavez
Congratulations to LGBT Congressional Staff Association’s Yesenia Chavez who received the Latino GLBT History Project’s Mujeres en el Movimiento Award.
The Latino GLBT History Project is a non-profit, volunteer-led organization whose mission is to investigate, collect, preserve and educate the public about the history, culture, heritage, arts, social and rich contributions of the Latino GLBT community in metropolitan Washington, D.C. Mujeres en el Movimiento is an annual event coordinated by LHP’s Women’s committee to recognize and celebrate Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Latina activists who have made significant contributions to empower and increase the visibility of LGBT Latinas and Latinos.
Todd Sloves, president of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association said, “We’re so proud of Yesenia for this well-deserved recognition. In her time serving on our board she has worked hard to expand our organization’s diversity and served as a mentor to numerous junior LGBT staff of color.”
On receiving the award, Chavez said, “I’m grateful to the Latino GLBT History Project for selecting me as a recipient of this distinguished honor. As vice president of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association and organizer of Latinas in the House, I have strived to build a pipeline for queer and women staffers on the Hill. I am honored to work on behalf of my community and to push for space for LGBT people and Latinas on the Hill.
Chavez has taken a leading role in organizing events focused on creating a safe space for women and queer people of color, including an annual “Galentine’s Day” breakfast, regular Queer People of Color (QPOC) and women’s events, and various guest speaker events.
Chavez currently works in the Office of Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) as a legislative assistant. She has worked for the Harris County Democratic Party Houston, and for Amigos de las Américas Perez Zeledón, Costa Rica as Associate Project Director and Project Supervisor. She holds a bachelor’s in Political Science and Liberal Studies from the University of Houston.
Congratulations also to Randy Downs, on his appointment to the Advisory Committee for the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs. Randy is also an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner on ANC 2B05.
Downs, a native of rural Missouri, started advocating for social and environmental causes at a young age. Through his early work as a community organizer he successfully helped elect progressive candidates across the state and advanced initiatives to strengthen labor standards and campaign finance rules, improve safety and healthcare, and lift up young and working families.
He moved to D.C. in 2011 to join the Sierra Club where he is currently a campaign representative. In his role, Downs has trained thousands of community organizers across the country, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars successfully fighting to build grassroots support for policies to combat climate change and protect the health of our communities. Three years ago Randy was diagnosed with cancer and as he tells it, “I fought my way to remission using the same motivation and focus I use in my advocacy.”
Downs lives in Dupont Circle with his longtime partner Dylan and volunteers at many organizations including Whitman-Walker Health, the Smith Cancer Center for Healing and the Arts, and the DC Center for the LGBT Community. He earned his bachelor’s from Southeast MO State University where he graduated cum laude.
Randy Downs
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
