A group of more than 100 supporters gathered outside of Luther Jackson Middle School in Falls Church, Va., on Thursday, March 27 to show appreciation for the passage of a Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation by the Fairfax County School Board. The board unanimously passed the proclamation in its general meeting held in the auditorium of the middle school that evening.

Karl Frisch, Fairfax County School Board chair, introduced the proclamation recognizing March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility in Fairfax County Public Schools.

The Fairfax County School Board passed the proclamation, which “encourages all to promote a caring culture of equity, inclusivity and respect for transgender people, not only on this special day but throughout the entire year as well.”

Vanessa Hall, co-chair of FCPS Pride, was among the speakers and organizers of the Transgender Day of Visibility rally preceding the school board meeting.

“In this world right now, this world which feels so chaotic and threatening — which really seems to be overly focused on trans children, removing their rights — we need to take this opportunity to gather our community, to celebrate joy, to see each other and to gather our strength for the next attack, frankly,” Hall told the Blade.

Rev. Emma Chattin of the Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia was among the speakers at the rally.

“We have to be visible — all of us — friends, family, allies, speak up!” Chattin called out to the crowd. “To do otherwise does a disservice to the strong souls that came before us. For the struggles that they faced are now ours. The spirits of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera look to us now. Because liberation is a long, long struggle. We are not helpless and we cannot be hopeless. Our time is now. We are a powerful people. We leave a mark and we will not be erased.”

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Congratulations to the nine local LGBTQ high school student-athletes named by Team DC as recipients of its college scholarships. The scholarships for student athletes are $2,500 each and awarded to open LGBTQ student-athletes from high schools across the greater Washington, D.C. region. The scholarships will be presented at the annual Night of Champions Gala, on April 5 at the Hilton National Mall/Wharf. 

Charles Roth, Team DC Scholarship Committee Chair, and board member said, “We are continually impressed and proud of all our scholarship recipients’ continued commitment, dedication, and passion in both the classroom, and in their respective sports.” 

Team DC President Miguel Ayala added, “Our scholarship program is the heart of our mission, empowering young LGBTQ+ athletes to embrace their full potential—on and off the field. … These scholarships help set young people on a path to future LGBTQ+ leadership.” 

The nine students honored this year are: Nwaamaka Agwu, Springbrook High School (Silver Spring, Md.); Natalia (Nat) Alatis, Hayfield Secondary School (Alexandria, Va.); Emilia Benitez-Pergola, Benjamin Banneker Academic High School (Washington, D.C.); James Hughes, Basis DC, (Washington, D.C.); Catherine (Rin) Kelley, Chantilly High School (Fairfax, Va.); Nadia Lytle, School Without Walls High School (Washington, D.C.); Shanti Osborne, Woodson High School (Washington, D.C.); Katelynne Robertson, Herndon High School (Herndon, Va.); and Jay Young, HS Woodlawn Secondary Program (Arlington, Va). 

Team DC has now awarded more than 113 scholarships in the program’s 18-year history. Applications for the 2026 program will open in the fall of 2025. To find out more about Team DC and its scholarship program visit teamdc.org. 

By MEREDITH COHN | At least two dozen research grants at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and Johns Hopkins University have been terminated by the federal government in recent weeks amid President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity efforts.

Alex Likowski, a spokesman for the University of Maryland, Baltimore, said on Tuesday that the combined value of its 12 canceled contracts was $5.87 million this year, with an anticipated future funding loss of $11.6 million.

“In nearly every instance, the reason cited for cancellation is that the grant involves gender identity issues or promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Likowski.

The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.