Miscellaneous
Queery: Diego Sanchez
The first trans Congressional legislative staffer answers 20 gay questions
Diego Sanchez (Blade photo by Michael Key)
Diego Sanchez has lived in a lot of places. The 54-year-old legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was born and adopted in Frankfurt, Germany and lived his first few years in Washington.
ALSO IN THE BLADE: BARNEY FRANK TO RETIRE IN 2012
But he mostly grew up in the Panama Canal Zone and in Georgia. By his 20s, he was in New York City, then Atlanta and finally to Boston where he splits his time with Washington. There was also a year in Milan. He lives now in Washington’s Columbia Heights neighborhood but retains voting and residency rights in Massachusetts.
Sanchez, who’s transgender, enjoys playing guitar, writing songs, reading biographies, playing tennis, golf and squash and watching what he calls “trash TV” in his spare time.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
At age 5 in 1962, I told my parents I was born wrong. Their loving acceptance and support in dually socializing me as a boy and girl made disclosure to others later a cakewalk. Parents’ love mattered most to me.
ALSO IN THE BLADE: DIEGO SANCHEZ ON COMING OUT
Who’s your LGBT hero?
It can’t be easy to be the smartest man in Congress — voted by others who know. Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) fights fearlessly for our rights and for the good of our country. I admire his courage, tenacity, refreshing wit and towering intellect.
What is Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Since I was a kid and even now, I enjoy the Jefferson Memorial at night to center me.
Describe your dream wedding.
Anyone’s but mine — as long as I’m invited.
What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about?
Eliminating health care access disparities, delivering workplace equality and establishing affordable adoption rights. I’d literally be dead if I had not been adopted.
What historical outcome would you change?
The Holocaust; my Mom was a survivor thanks to my Dad’s World War II Army liberation action.
What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?
Nelson Mandela’s liberation and how he selflessly gives the world himself. I’m grateful to have met him in Massachusetts.
On what do you insist?
Honest and honorable living and full equality for LGBT people. God did not create tiers of humanity.
What was your last Facebook post or Tweet?
(No answer)
If your life were a book, what would the title be?
“Survive, Succeed, Excel: Lessons From a Man First Seen as a Girl then Realized as Himself.”
If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?
Advocate for a toggle switch. I’d want gay and lesbian people to be able to come back if they left for a bit, and vice versa.
What do you believe in beyond the physical world?
God and spiritual presence of our angels, the people who have passed and watch over and guide us from heaven for eternity. I hope I get that job in time.
What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders?
Listen intently more than you speak. Think and feel before you act. Live honestly, honorably and with integrity. Don’t assault your allies.
What would you walk across hot coals for?
My people and my animal companions.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?
I have one for each letter: That all gay men are fey and have style sense; that all lesbians wear tool belts; that bisexuals are undecided or in denial; and that all trans people are gay.
What’s your favorite LGBT movie?
Fave? “Fluffer,” but most meaningful to me is “Boys Don’t Cry” with Oscar winner Hillary Swank as Brandon Teena.
What’s the most overrated social custom?
Applause. Have you ever imagined yourself from another planet and watching people applaud? I have struggled with it since early childhood.
What trophy or prize do you most covet?
Chris Crowe calling me his “Yoda.” It matters a lot.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
A lesson learned at 31: “Do you want people to know how smart you are or do you want people to do what you want them to do?”
Why Washington?
Congressman Barney Frank asked me to be the first openly transgender Capitol Hill legislative staffer by working for him in D.C. I couldn’t resist and I love having him as my boss because of the work we get to do for his constituents on a variety of issues close to my heart — health care, veterans, labor, disability, civil rights and more. I’m blessed to be here.
Diego Sanchez at the White House Pride reception (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Miscellaneous
SMYAL receives $25,000 award for ‘courageous acts’
D.C. group provides support services for LGBTQ youth
The D.C.-based organization SMYAL, which provides services for LGBTQ youth in the D.C. metro area, including housing for homeless LGBTQ youth, announced on June 30 that it received a $25,000 award for its “courageous acts” in support of the community it serves.
The award was a monetary grant from The Courage Project, which describes itself as a “national initiative investing in acts of courage and compassion that strengthens our communities and democracy.”
A statement on its website says it was launched in May 2025 and is funded and backed by leading national foundations in the U.S.
“At SMYAL, we are deeply grateful to receive support from The Courage Project and are inspired by their bold investment in LGBTQ+ youth at such a critical moment,” SMYAL CEO Erin Whelan said in a statement. “For queer and trans young people, simply showing up as themselves each day requires immense courage, and that courage is strengthened when organizations like The Courage Project stand behind them loudly, proudly, and without hesitation,” Whelan said.
In its statement announcing the award SMYAL says The Courage Project will recognize SMYAL and other awardees and their work on July 3 at the Washington National Cathedral as part of a special interfaith service marking the U.S. 250th anniversary.
“The Courage Project is a bold initiative honoring everyday acts of bravery – the quiet, often unseen acts of heroism that reflect the best of the American spirit and strengthen democracy at the community level,” the project states on its website.
Miscellaneous
LA-based TransLatin@ Coalition leads in time of attacks
Members of Congress ‘calling us a radical organization’
As ICE raids intensify across Southern California and anti-immigrant sentiment resurfaces in Orange County, transgender and immigrant communities are once again being targeted. These crackdowns go beyond enforcement — they’re designed to instill fear. At the same time, a coordinated right-wing smear campaign is attempting to discredit the very organizations working to keep these communities safe.
Last month, the TransLatin@ Coalition, a cornerstone in the fight for trans, queer, and immigrant rights in Los Angeles, was publicly named by members of Congress. But this was no recognition. It was a calculated attack.
“They’re calling us a radical organization,” said Bamby Salcedo, president and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition. “They’re spreading lies, saying we’re using government funding to abolish ICE and the police and to provide abortion access. We do believe in those things, but the funding we receive is used to serve our people.”
Now, that funding is being stripped away.
In the face of state violence, political backlash, and economic sabotage, TLC is responding the way it always has: by organizing, celebrating, and building a better world. Because when our communities are under attack, we show up — stronger, louder, and more united than ever.
Salcedo, herself a proud trans Latina immigrant, has spent decades fighting for those living at the margins. “I always say I am an intersection walking,” she said with a smile. “Our organization is made up of the people most impacted — and we are the ones leading the work.”
In Los Angeles County, roughly one-third of residents are immigrants, the majority of whom are Latino. Unsurprisingly, trans Latinas represent the largest segment within the local trans community.
Yet even within immigrant justice spaces, trans people are often sidelined.
“It’s a very hetero-centric space,” Salcedo said. “Most of the time, they don’t even consider the lives and experiences of trans and queer immigrants.”
The TransLatin@ Coalition is actively changing that. As a key member of a broad alliance of more than 100 immigrant-serving organizations across Los Angeles, including CHIRLA and the Filipino Workers Center, the TransLatin@ Coalition helped secure over $160 million in American Rescue Plan funds for immigrant housing, internet access, and legal services.
They also co-created the groundbreaking TGIE (Transgender, Gender-Nonconforming, Intersex Empowerment) initiative, which allocates $7 million in Los Angeles County’s annual budget to support trans-led service providers.
“We don’t just want symbolic policies,” said Salcedo. “We fight for resources. We analyze the budget. We make it real.”
Despite these victories, the TransLatin@ Coalition is now confronting devastating federal cuts.
“Our work has been defunded,” Salcedo said bluntly. “Multiple programs are gone. And we’re not alone — trans-led organizations across the country, especially in the South, are facing the same.”
She pointed to a broader backlash against anything associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). “The private sector is pulling back. Philanthropy is scared. Even the same corporations that fund us during Pride are investing in our opposition the rest of the year. It’s hypocrisy.”
Rather than retreat, the TransLatin@ Coalition is calling for bold, collective action.
“Now’s the time for people to step up,” said Salcedo. “We have the strategy. We’re doing the work. But we need resources — and we need real solidarity, not just statements.”
To respond to the crisis and raise urgently needed funds, the TransLatin@ Coalition is organizing its Walk for Humanity on Saturday, Aug. 24. The event will begin at 9 a.m. in Silver Lake and march to Sunset and Western, featuring live performances, a resource fair, and a unified call for justice.
And yes — it will be joyful.
“This is a call for all people to stand in solidarity with one another,” said Salcedo. “We want to bring together 1,000 people, each raising $1,000. It’s going to be a beautiful day of community and resistance.”
In a surprise announcement, Salcedo also revealed she will debut her first single — a cumbia track inspired by the movement. “It’s about movement in both senses: our political movement, and moving our bodies,” she laughed. “We can’t let them take away our joy. Joy is how we survive.”
When asked what more local leaders can do, Salcedo didn’t hesitate. “Elected officials are public servants. That means serving all people,” she said. “We may be a small population, but we are deeply impacted — and we contribute so much to this city.”
She pointed to data from LA’s most recent homelessness count, which identified over 2,000 trans and gender-expansive people experiencing homelessness. That number exists thanks in large part to years of advocacy demanding the city count and name trans lives. “We have the data now. There’s no excuse not to invest in our people.”
She also uplifted allies like Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and newly appointed City Council member Isabel Urado, the first openly LGBTQ person to hold her seat. “They’ve seen our work and are fighting to invest in it,” Salcedo said. “We’re hopeful we’ll see another $10 million in city funding. But we need the community behind us.”
At the end of our conversation, I asked Salcedo what she would say to undocumented, queer, and trans Angelenos who are feeling afraid right now.
Her answer was clear, powerful, and full of love:
“You are a divine creation. You deserve to exist in this world. Walk your path with dignity, love, and respect — for yourself and for others. You belong. You are part of me. You are part of us.”
If standing with trans immigrants, resisting federal rollbacks, and dancing in the streets sounds like your kind of solidarity, join the TransLatin@ Coalition on Aug. 24. Because when we show up together, we protect each other. And when we dance together — we win.
Watch the full interview with Salcedo:
Miscellaneous
LGBTQ cruise ship rescues 11 migrants between Cuba and Mexico
Rescue took place in Yucatán Channel on Wednesday
A cruise ship chartered by an LGBTQ travel company on Wednesday rescued 11 Cubans from a boat that was adrift between their country and Mexico.
Vacaya in a press release said the Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, which had left from New Orleans, discovered the migrants’ boat in the Yucatán Channel, a strait between Mexico and Cuba that connects the Gulf of Mexico (the Trump-Vance administration now refers to the body of water as the Gulf of America) and the Caribbean Sea.
A video that Vacaya provided shows the migrants’ boat before the rescue. Other videos show the rescue taking place.
MTV’s Downtown Julie Brown, who was performing on the ship, described the rescue in a video she posted to social media.
“We are in the middle of a live rescue operation right now,” she said. “The captain of the ship, while we were hauling so fast the other way, thought he saw a boat in distress. So, we looped around … and it was indeed a boat in distress.”
“Nothing speaks more to VACAYA’s values than providing comfort in a moment of need,” said Vacaya CEO Randle Roper in the press release. “I’m so happy we were able to bring these 11 refugees onboard safely and provide medical care, dry clothes, food, and, most importantly, water.”
“It’s sad that some people have to put themselves through such trauma in hopes of finding a better life, but that’s where we are today,” added Roper. “I’m so proud of our LGBT+ guests rallying to collect clothes for these fellow humans in need.”
The ship is scheduled to return to New Orleans on Saturday.
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