District of Columbia
Two nonprofits partner to support local LGBTQ military youth
Blue Star Families, MMAA launch ‘Safe Spaces for Belonging’ meet up
Two of the nation’s largest nonprofits supporting military families have joined forces to provide newly relocated LGBTQ military youth and their families safe meeting spaces, fun activities and vital resources about affirming services available across the district.
Blue Star Families, a community-based nonprofit supporting military-connected families, has partnered with the Modern Military Association of America, the nation’s largest organization serving LGBTQ military and veteran communities, to form “Safe Spaces for Belonging,” a monthly meet up for queer military youth and their families to meet local LGBTQ youth and allies while adjusting to their new environment.
“Military life is inherently transitory,” said Cathy Marcello, assistant director of programs for MMAA and the mother of a transgender military youth. “Every time LGBTQ military youth move, they have to come out again – and they move often before graduating from high school. We want them to know they’re not alone and give them literally a space where they belong.”
Past events, programmed for youth aged 13-19 who identify as LGBTQ or ally, have included an inaugural resource fair at MLK library, pronoun button making, rock climbing and a virtual trivia night. Events are open to all area LGBTQ-affirming youth to foster connections and help integrate queer military youth into their new communities.
Marcello noted military moves have been particularly stressful for queer military youth over the past few years. More than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in 2023 alone, according to the Williams Institute.
LGBTQ youth with at least one parent in the military reported significantly higher rates of mental health challenges and suicide risks than their peers, according to the Trevor Project, due to deployment separations and fears of harm for the service member, in addition to stress related to potential moves.
“We’ve got military families in these states right now with family members who do not have equal rights under the law,” Marcello said. “The family programming that we do is in response to the emergence of these anti-LGBTQ laws.”
Military parents attending Safe Spaces events with their queer youth receive information on LGBTQ-specific resources across the district and can ask questions, such as if continuing their child’s transition care would be considered “abuse” under local laws, without risking their positions or security clearances.
“Don’t Ask Don’t Tell [the repealed LGBTQ open service ban] happened during my lifetime, and this is an outgrowth of ending that time of serving in silence,” said Julie Riggs, executive director of the Sheila and George Casey National Capital Region Chapter of Blue Star Families. She’s also the wife of a retired Navy service member and the mother of two queer teens who are former military youth. “In contrast, we’re proud of all service and proud to have queer kids.”
While the Safe Spaces program is currently only available in D.C., Riggs said she hopes to see it expand across the country. The program falls under the Blue Star Families’ larger Campaign for Inclusion initiative.
Under the initiative, last year Blue Star Families partnered with Howard University and The Chamberlain Project to host a panel symposium at Howard recognizing the 75th anniversary of military desegregation.
The initiative also covers the position of Angie Cherikos, the Lockheed Martin National Capital Region DEPLOY (Diversifying and Expanding the Pipeline of Leadership) Fellow at Blue Star Families. Cherikos is a recent college graduate who describes herself as a former “military brat” who grew up in the D.C. area. While she only came into her queer awareness within the past two years, she always felt different and closely aligned herself with the LGBTQ community.
“It can be frustrating not knowing where to go and how to integrate into the communities I identify with,” Cherikos explained. “I wanted to ease that experience for others.”
As a queer person of color, Cherikos said she wanted to ensure the Safe Spaces program reached out and connected to diverse communities.
She pointed out the generational trauma inflicted on her age group was not just from the rise in anti-LGBTQ legislation, but also from a variety of issues impacting different groups in different ways, including the protests and national reckoning in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, rising gun violence, and the visible impacts of climate change.
Cherikos said one way for her generation to work through this trauma was to connect and support each other when they can.
In February, Safe Spaces is meeting up for a Valentine’s Day cookie decorating event in Arlington, where Cherikos said a goal is to open up conversations about who they’re dating or to encourage self-love in an affirming environment. A yoga and mindfulness event is scheduled for March in Georgetown. Each event helps queer military youth learn and explore the area while sharing experiences with their new friends.
“One participant said the hardest part of his transition was not the hormones or anything like that, it was moving from D.C. to Tennessee and not seeing anyone who looked like him,” she said. “So, if you see someone who looks like they just need one friend, use opportunities like this to be that friend for them. That’s how you make an impact. That’s how you make change happen.”
District of Columbia
Second trans member announces plans to resign from Capital Pride board
Zion Peters cites ‘lack of interest in the Black trans community’
Zion Peters, a member of the Capital Pride Alliance Board of Directors who identifies as transgender, told the Washington Blade he plans to resign from the board “due to the lack of interest in the trans community, specifically the Black trans community.”
Peters continued, “Nobody has checked on me in the last two months so that shows their level of unprofessionalism towards their board members and the community as a whole.”
If he resigns, Peters would be the second known trans person to resign from the Capital Pride board since February, when longtime trans activist Taylor Lianne Chandler informed the board of her resignation in a detailed letter that was sent to the Blade by an anonymous source.
Chandler, who served as chair of the Capital Pride Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, and Intersex Committee, stated in her Feb. 24 letter that she resigned from the board out of frustration that the board had failed to address instances of “sexual misconduct” within the Capital Pride organization. The organization’s and the board’s transgender-related policies were not cited in her letter as a reason for her resignation.
The Blade learned of Peters’s plans to resign from an anonymous source who thought Peters had already resigned along with four other board members identified by the anonymous source. The others, who Capital Pride confirmed this week had resigned, include Anthony Musa, Bob Gilchrist, Kaniya Walker, and Dai Nguyen.
Musa and Gilchrist told the Blade they resigned for personal reasons related to their jobs and that they fully support Capital Pride’s work as an organization that coordinates the city’s annual LGBTQ Pride events.
The Blade has been unable to reach Walker and Nguyen to determine their reasons for resigning.
Capital Pride CEO Ryan Bos and Board Chair Anna Jinkerson didn’t respond to a Blade question asking if they knew why Walker or Nguyen resigned.
In response to a request by the Blade for comment on the resignations and the concern raised by Zion Peters about trans-related issues, Bos and Jinkerson sent separate statements elaborating on the organization and the board’s position on various issues.
“We can confirm that the individuals you referenced, except for Zion, no longer serve on the Capital Pride Alliance Board of Directors,” Jinkerson said in her statement.
She added that following the WorldPride festival hosted by D.C. last May and June that was organized by Capital Pride Alliance, the group anticipated a “significant level of board transition,” with many board members reaching the end of their terms. But she said many board members chose to extend their service or apply for an additional term, showing a “powerful reflection of commitment.”
Without commenting on the specific reasons for the resignations of Peterson, Walker, and Nygun, Jinkerson noted, “As with all volunteer leadership roles, transitions occur for a range of personal and professional reasons, and we appreciate those transitions with both understanding and gratitude.”
In his own statement, Bos addressed Capital Pride’s record on transgender issues.
“The Capital Pride Alliance is committed to supporting and uplifting the Trans community through our work with the Trans Coalition under the Diversity of Prides Initiative, our partnership with Earline Budd on the LGBTQ+ Burial Fund with a focus on our Trans siblings, our collaboration with the National Trans Visibility March, and our ongoing investment in programming for Transgender Day of Visibility and Transgender Day of Remembrance,” Bos said in his statement.
“We also recognize there is always continued work to be done, and we always welcome feedback from our community to ensure our commitment remains unwavering,” he said.
At the time of her resignation in February, Chandler said she could not provide specific details of the instances of sexual misconduct to which she referred in her resignation letter, or who allegedly engaged in sexual misconduct, saying she and all other board members had signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement preventing them from disclosing further details.
Board Chair Jinkerson in a statement released at that time said she and the board were aware of Chandler’s concerns but did not specifically address allegations of sexual misconduct.
“When concerns are brought to CPA, we act quickly and appropriately to address them,” she said. “As we continue to grow as an organization, we’re proactively strengthening the policies and procedures that shape our systems, our infrastructure, and the support we provide to our team and partners,” she said.
District of Columbia
Curve magazine honors Washington Blade publisher
Lynne Brown named to 2026 Power List
Washington Blade Publisher Lynne Brown has been named to the 2026 Curve Power List celebrating LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary individuals in North America who are blazing trails in their chosen fields.
“From sports and entertainment icons to corporate leaders and lawmakers, these individuals are breaking barriers, challenging norms, and shaping the future,” Curve Foundation/Curve magazine said in announcing this year’s list, which includes ABC newscaster Robin Roberts, comedian/actress Hannah Einbinder, and singer/actress Renee Rapp, among others.
Brown has worked for the Washington Blade for nearly 40 years. She was named publisher in 2007 before becoming a co-owner in 2010.
“I am honored to be recognized by Curve magazine during Lesbian Visibility Week,” Brown said. “Receiving this Curve honor is twofold. I was an early subscriber to Curve. I enjoy the product and know its history. Its journalism, layout and humorous features have inspired me.
“As an owner/publisher, receiving recognition from a similar source acknowledges my work and efforts, with a sincerity I truly appreciate. Franco Stevens, the publisher of Curve, is a business person of duration, experience, and purpose. The fact that they are in the media business, and honoring me and my publication makes it a tiny bit sweeter.”
Nominations for the Curve Power List come from the community: peers, mentors, fans, and employers.
Curve explained the significance of the list in its announcement: “An annual, publicly nominated list of impactful LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary changemakers is crucial in current times to counter discrimination, legislative rollbacks, hostility, and the invisibility of queer women within mainstream and marginal spaces and endeavors. Such a list also fosters encouragement and solidarity, and elevates voices and achievements—from high-profile roles to under appreciated areas of life.”
District of Columbia
Judge rescinds stay-away order in Capital Pride anti-stalking case
Evidence hearing to determine if order should be reinstated against Darren Pasha
A D.C. Superior Court judge on April 17 rescinded an anti-stalking order he approved in February at the request of Capital Pride Alliance against local LGBTQ activist Darren Pasha.
In a ruling at a court status hearing, Judge Robert D. Okun agreed with defendant Darren Pasha’s stated concern that the initial order was too broad and did not specify who specifically he must stay at least 100 feet away from, as called for in the order.
Okun ruled on April 17 that the initial order, which he noted was oral rather than written, would be suspended until an evidentiary hearing takes place in which Capital Pride will need to present evidence justifying the need for such an order.
“I’m fine with scheduling a hearing at which the plaintiff can present evidence, and the defendant can present evidence,” Okun said. “But I’m not fine with just continuing this oral TRO [Temporary Restraining Order] that Mr. Pasha really doesn’t even have notice of. That seems unfair,” he said.
After asking both Pasha and Capital Pride Alliance Attorney Nick Harrison when they would be available for the evidence hearing, Okun set the date for April 29 at 11 a.m. in Superior Court.
The case began when Capital Pride Alliance, the D.C.-based LGBTQ group that organizes the city’s annual Pride events, filed a Civil Complaint on Oct. 27, 2025, against Pasha, accusing him of engaging in a year-long effort to harass, intimidate, and stalk Capital Pride’s staff, board members, and volunteers.
The complaint was accompanied by a separate motion seeking a restraining order, preliminary injunction, and anti-stalking order prohibiting Pasha from “any further contact, harassment, intimidation, or interference with the Plaintiff, its staff, board members, volunteers, and affiliates.”
In his initial ruling in February, Okun issued an order requiring Pasha to stay at least 100 feet away from Capital Pride staff, board members, and volunteers until the April 17 status hearing. He reduced the stay-away distance from the 200 yards requested by Capital Pride.
Pasha, who has so far represented himself in court without an attorney, has argued in multiple court filings and motions that the Capital Pride stalking allegations are untrue. In his initial 16-page response to the complaint, Pasha said it appears to be a form of retaliation against him for a dispute he has had with Capital Pride and its former board president, Ashley Smith, who has since resigned from the board.
“It is evident that the document is replete with false, misleading, and unsubstantiated assertions,” Pasha’s court response states.
At the April 17 hearing, Okun also ruled that, as standard procedure for civil complaints such as this one, he has ordered both parties to enter into court-supervised mediation to attempt to reach a settlement rather than go to trial.
In an earlier ruling Okun denied Pasha’s request for a jury trial, stating that civil cases such as this must undergo a trial with the judge determining the verdict under existing civil court statutes.
The April 17 court hearing was held in a courtroom at the courthouse, but as allowed under current court rules, Capital Pride attorney Harrison and Capital Pride official June Crenshaw participated virtually through a video connection. Pasha attended the hearing in the courtroom.
“This matter is proceeding through the court in the normal course,” Capital Pride released in a statement. “We look forward to presenting the relevant evidence at the scheduled hearing. Capital Pride Alliance remains committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for our staff, volunteers, and community, and to addressing concerns through appropriate channels.”
“This is clearly a case of retaliation,” Pasha told the Blade after the hearing. “Today the judge removed the stay-away order and asked Capital Pride Alliance to present enough evidence and examples to see if a stay-away order should be granted,” he said. “Because Pride is coming up in June, we need to see where this is going.”
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