District of Columbia
SMYAL faces threats after hostile article by conservative publication
LGBTQ youth group falsely accused of encouraging children to become trans
The executive director and at least one staff member at the D.C.-based LGBTQ youth advocacy organization SMYAL reported the organization has received “threats to do bodily harm,” according to a D.C. police report, following the publication of an article in a conservative online publication that accuses SMYAL of placing prepubescent children “on a pathway to medical mutilation” through SMYAL’s transgender youth support programs.
The highly critical article was published Aug. 5 in the online publication Townhall.com, which states on its website that it is part of the conservative Salem Web Network that reaches out to “audiences interested in Christian and family themed content and conservative values.”
SMYAL spokesperson Hancie Stokes told the Washington Blade in a statement that SMYAL was not surprised to see “hateful rhetoric” in the publication’s comment section and posted on social media. “While there were no specific threats against our facility or personnel, out of an abundance of caution we alerted authorities to ensure safety of our staff and community,” the statement says.
The D.C. police report, which lists the incident as a hate crime, says that threats were reported on Aug. 7 by SMYAL Executive Director Erin Whelan, who is listed in the report as Respondent 1. “R-1 received threats that were directed toward her and her staff,” the report says. “R-1 felt threatened by these statements and was in fear for her and her staff’s safety,” it says.
The police report also identifies another SMYAL staff member as a victim of the threats. But the report does not disclose how the threats were made other than its reference to “statements” reported by Whelan.
The Townhall.com article, which is 25 pages long, among other things, raises concerns over a SMYAL program called Little SMYALs that is funded in part by a $50,000 grant from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs for fiscal year 2024. The article notes that SMYAL documents state that the program provides services to school kids from kindergarten through eighth grade after school hours.
According to the article, Townhall.com obtained a copy of the grant application through a Freedom of Information Act request. It says the application shows SMYAL agreed to a grant requirement that its purpose in part is to end gun violence and to place “All Students on Pathways to Success.”
The article says that while applying for the grant, SMYAL argued that those two objectives were achievable through SMYAL creating “a safe space where youth can express themselves without fear of judgment or discrimination,” “celebrating identity,” “promoting self-acceptance,” and “developing a positive sense of self.”
In response to a request from the mayor’s office for SMYAL to describe in writing a “programmatic achievement” of the project in the second quarter of the grant period, the article quotes from SMYAL’s response and implies that SMYAL inappropriately encouraged an eight-year-old child to become transgender.
The article states that as an example of the program’s “efficacy,” SMYAL shared a “success story” of a “little girl whom SMYAL, using a made-up male alias, identified as ‘Daniel.” The article then asserts, “Evidently, the exalted eight-year-old, now a poster child for the program’s cause, was groomed into believing she’s a boy.”
The article states that SMYAL and the mayor’s office did not respond to Townhall’s requests for comment before the article was published.
In response to a request by the Washington Blade for comment from the mayor’s office on the article, mayoral spokesperson Daniel Gleick sent the Blade this brief response from the mayor’s office: “Washington, D.C. is proud to be a community that supports, welcomes, and loves our LGBTQ community. We’ll keep fighting for a safe and inclusive future for every Washingtonian, especially the next generation.”
In its own statement SMYAL strongly disputes the claims made by the Townhall.com article.
“It is important to understand that this is a heavily biased article from a notorious anti-LGBTQ outlet,” SMYAL spokesperson Stokes says in the statement. “Our community is unfortunately very used to these discriminatory and biased attacks. Rather than addressing their complete misrepresentation and mischaracterization of our work point by point, we remain steadfast in continuing to support our community with unwavering strength,” the statement says.
It adds, “To be clear, SMYAL adheres to all relevant laws and regulations governing youth organizations, and we have a rigorous vetting process in place for our staff to ensure the safety of our youth participants. We actively work to create a community and space where LGBTQ+ youth and their parents and caregivers can thrive through affirming programs and services to develop critical life skills, build community, and foster a sense of belonging…SMYAL believes and trusts that the work we do is lifesaving.”
SMYAL Executive Director Whelan added in the statement, “SMYAL proudly stands by our 40-year history of providing care and support to LGBTQ+ youth.” According to Whelan, “When you work with the LGBTQ+ community you know there are extremists who seek to spread misinformation and politicize our work. SMYAL is aware of our detractors, and we’re committed more than ever to providing inclusive and affirmative support for LGBTQ+ youth and their parents and caregivers.”
District of Columbia
D.C. kicks off Pride month with flag raising ceremony
Mayor, Council members join LGBTQ activists in 4th annual event
Members of the D.C. Council joined Mayor Muriel Bowser and a crowd of LGBTQ activists and supporters on June 1 for the city’s fourth annual LGBTQ Pride flag raising ceremony held outside the John A. Wilson Building, which serves as the D.C. City Hall.
Since its inception four years ago by Mayor Bowser, the event has served as the official kickoff of D.C. Pride month, which culminates this year with the annual Capital Pride Parade on June 20 and Pride festival on June 21, which takes place on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. near the U.S. Capitol.
“As I like to say, we’re celebrating Pride month in the gayest city in the world,” Bowser told a crowd that included city officials and Council members joining her on the front steps of the Wilson Building.
“Fifty-one years of Pride in the future 51st state,” she said, adding, “And both movements are rooted in the same belief – every person deserves to be seen, heard, and fully represented.”
Among those who spoke at the event in addition to Bowser were Japer Bowles, director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs; D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb; and D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large).
“This year is special,” Bowles told the gathering. “It’s special because we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs,” he said. “For two decades this office has helped make Washington, D.C. one of the most welcoming and affirming cities in the world.”
He added, “We have expanded LGBTQ services across agencies, invested millions of dollars into community organizations, championing culturally competent care and training, supporting LGBTQ supportive businesses and workers and celebrated our history.”
Schwalb said his Office of the D.C. Attorney General continues to safeguard the city’s laws protecting residents against discrimination but expressed concern about “high court” rulings that he said continue to roll back civil rights, voting rights, and human rights.
He said, “We’re seeing cases limiting medical care for transgender youth while at the same time green lighting so-called conversion therapy.” He pointed to cases or policies “excluding transgender girls from participating in sports and excluding story books with LGBTQ characters from our school libraries.”
He said his office is committed to protecting all residents, including LGBTQ residents, from all forms of discrimination. “And that includes the right to be our authentic selves, to freely express our identities and ourselves to be who we are and to love who we love.”
Mendelson, who also expressed strong support for the LGBTQ community and for the upcoming Pride events, said 10 of the Council’s 13 members were attending the Pride flag raising event, including gay Council member Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5).
“I’m just here with gratitude,” Parker told the Washington Blade. “There’s a lot to be grateful for and a lot more to fight for,” he said. “And so, raising this flag is a reminder that our government is here to serve all of our residents regardless of how you identify or who you love.”
Shortly after Mendelson spoke, D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4), who is running for mayor in the city’s June 16 primary, arrived at the event, becoming the 11th Council member to turn out for the event.
Among those also attending the event were Ryan Bos and June Crenshaw, the two top officials of the Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride events.
Bowser, who is not running for re-election this year and will be stepping down as mayor in January 2027, thanked those attending the Pride flag raising event for playing a role in an all-inclusive city.
“We speak with one clear voice – that D.C. is a welcoming city,” she said in her remarks. “But also, we know that our work has been robust, but it is not done. We fly this flag in front of the John A. Wilson Building because it tells a story,” she said.
“It tells a story of a city that takes care of itself,” she added. “And we take care of each other. We are a city that is diverse and welcoming.”
Serving as the event’s master of ceremony and who introduced Bowles as the first speaker was longtime D.C. drag performer Tara Hoot.
District of Columbia
D.C. Pride flag raising ceremony set for June 1
Mayor, council members to participate
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs is inviting the LGBTQ community and friends to attend the city’s annual Pride flag raising ceremony scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday, June 1, outside the John Wilson Building that serves as the D.C. City Hall.
Like in prior years, members of the D.C. Council and officials with the Office of LGBTQ Affairs were expected to join Bowser in delivering remarks on the front entrance steps at the Wilson Building before raising the Pride flag atop one of the tall flagpoles next to the building’s entrance.
Gaby Vincent, a spokesperson for the LGBTQ Affairs Office, said attendees of the flag raising ceremony will be invited to attend a reception immediately following the ceremony in the main lobby of the Wilson Building, which is located on Pennsylvania Avenue at 14th Street, N.W.
She said the reception will feature a DJ, dancing, and refreshments provided by the D.C. LGBTQ bar and café Spark Social House.
Vincent said the flag raising event will also mark the 20th anniversary of the opening of the D.C. Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
In its official announcement of the flag raising event the LGBTQ Affairs Office also announced it is hosting the 7th annual District of Pride Showcase event to be held Friday, June 17, at 7 p.m. at the Lincoln Theater.
The announcement says LGBTQ community members, families, and allies are also invited to walk with Bowser in the Capital Pride Parade scheduled for Saturday, June 20. It says the mayor’s parade contingent will assemble at 2 p.m. at the parade’s starting location at 14th and U Streets, N.W.
“As we also celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, we invite residents, community members, families and allies to join us throughout June for moments of pride, connection, visibility, and joy,” the announcement says.
District of Columbia
‘Queer Love’ campaign launched to address domestic violence
D.C. event set for LGBTQ+ Domestic Violence Awareness Day on May 28
The D.C.-based Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing and support services for homeless LGBTQ youth, announced earlier this month that it has joined partner organizations to launch a Queer Love Shouldn’t Hurt campaign aimed at addressing domestic violence within the LGBTQ community.
In a May 18 statement, the Alston Foundation said the campaign involves a public awareness initiative leading up to LGBTQ+ Domestic Violence Awareness Day scheduled for May 28.
“Domestic and family violence in LGBTQ+ communities is real and too often invisible,” Cesar Toledo, the Alston Foundation’s executive director, said in the statement. “As a community, we do not talk about it enough, and that silence can leave survivors feeling isolated and alone,” he said. “We must break that silence.”
He added that culturally competent care for those impacted by domestic violence is available through a newly launched website, queerlove.org, “where people can safely access vital resources, educational toolkits, and support networks they need on their healing journey.”
The website announces one of the project’s first events, a Queer Love Community Social, was scheduled for Thursday, May 28, from 6-8 p.m. at the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center at 1827 Wiltberger St., N.W.
“Join us this LGBT+ Domestic Violence Awareness Day for a community social dedicated to visibility and survivor resilience,” the website statement says. “Let’s gather to strengthen our bonds, honor the path to healing, and share free resources,” it says of the May 28 event.
The website also announces a June 1 workshop called Empowering Survivors of LGBTQ+ Intimate Partner Violence, which it says will be presented by Jesse Wedell, an official with the D.C. LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative. The website provides an online form to register for the workshop upon which its location would be disclosed.
It identifies the partner organizations working with the Alston Foundation on the Queer Love Public Awareness Campaign as the LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative, Whitman-Walker Health, the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center, and Equality Chamber.
The resources and information provided by the project can be accessed at www.queerlove.org.
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