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VIDEO: Danica Roem’s ceremonial swearing in
Democrat is first out trans person seated in state legislature
Virginia House of Delegates Clerk G. Paul Nardo, left, swears in state Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) on Jan. 20, 2018, during her ceremonial swearing in that took place in the Virginia House of Delegates chamber in Richmond, Va. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia state Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas)’s ceremonial swearing in took place on Saturday.
More than 100 of Roem’s family members, friends and supporters were gathered inside the Virginia House of Delegates chamber as House Clerk G. Paul Nardo administered the oath. Roem, who was wearing her trademark rainbow headscarf, spoke after the swearing in.
Roem at one point invited an 11-year-old transgender girl from Roanoke and her mother who she met during the campaign and two other young people to stand next to her. Roem gave each of them a hug after she spoke directly to them.
“This member pin that I have right now; this is on behalf of the people of the 13th District,” said Roem. “This pin belongs to the people of the 13th District.”
“This pin and every pin like it for you, for you and for you, this is ours . . . this is ours too,” she added as her supporters clapped.
Roem last November defeated then-state Del. Bob Marshall who had represented the 13th District since 1992. Roem on Jan. 10 became the first openly trans person ever seated in a state legislature in the U.S.
Roem is among the five openly LGBT members of the Virginia General Assembly.
State Del. Dawn Adams (D-Richmond) is the first out lesbian elected to the General Assembly. State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) and state Dels. Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax County) and Mark Levine (D-Alexandria) are openly gay.
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez previously told the Washington Blade he wanted to “go there on day one because that will be a remarkable moment for” Roem. Perez did not attend Roem’s official swearing in — which coincided with the beginning of the 2018 legislative session — or Saturday’s ceremony.
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PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony
The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
District of Columbia
Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp, Deacon Maccubbin named WorldPride grand marshals
Three LGBTQ icons to lead parade
WorldPride organizers announced Thursday that actress and trans activist Laverne Cox, powerhouse performer Reneé Rapp, and LGBTQ trailblazer Deacon Maccubbin will serve as grand marshals for this year’s WorldPride parade.
The Capital Pride Alliance, which is organizing WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C., revealed the honorees in a press release, noting that each has made a unique contribution to the fabric of the LGBTQ community.
Cox made history in 2014 as the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category for her role in Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black.” She went on to win a Daytime Emmy in 2015 for her documentary “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word,” which followed seven young trans people as they navigated coming out.
Rapp, a singer and actress who identifies as a lesbian, rose to prominence as Regina George in the Broadway musical “Mean Girls.” She reprised the role in the 2024 film adaptation and also stars in Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” portraying a character coming to terms with her sexuality. Rapp has released an EP, “Everything to Everyone,” and an album, “Snow Angel.” She announced her sophomore album, “Bite Me,” on May 21 and is slated to perform at the WorldPride Music Festival at the RFK Festival Grounds.
Deacon Maccubbin, widely regarded as a cornerstone of Washington’s LGBTQ+ history, helped organize D.C.’s first Gay Pride Party in 1975. The event took place outside Lambda Rising, one of the first LGBTQ bookstores in the nation, which Maccubbin founded. For his decades of advocacy and activism, he is often referred to as “the patriarch of D.C. Pride.”
“I am so honored to serve as one of the grand marshals for WorldPride this year. This has been one of the most difficult times in recent history for queer and trans people globally,” Cox said. “But in the face of all the rhetorical, legislative and physical attacks, we continue to have the courage to embrace who we truly are, to celebrate our beauty, resilience and bravery as a community. We refuse to allow fear to keep us from ourselves and each other. We remain out loud and proud.”
“Pride is everything. It is protection, it is visibility, it is intersectional. But most importantly, it is a celebration of existence and protest,” Rapp said.
The three will march down 14th Street for the WorldPride Parade in Washington on June 7.
2025 D.C. Trans Pride was held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, May 17. The day was filled with panel discussions, art, social events, speakers, a resource fair and the Engendered Spirit Awards. Awardees included Lyra McMillan, Pip Baitinger, Steph Niaupari and Hayden Gise. The keynote address was delivered by athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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