Local
Sarvis seeks to provide Virginia voters with ‘a better choice’
Libertarian gubernatorial candidate continues to take votes away from Ken Cuccinelli
Robert Sarvis and his family (Photo courtesy of Robert Sarvis)
“[I’m] somebody who’s talking about issues that would otherwise go untalked about,” he said during an interview before former Democratic National Committee Chair Terry McAuliffe and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli squared off in their latest debate that took place at the Capital One Conference Center in McLean. “[I’m running] to make sure there’s a candidate that’s talking about freedom across the board — both economic freedom and personal liberty.”
Recent polls suggest that Sarvis, 37, has become a factor in Cuccinelli’s gradual loss of support among Virginia voters over the last several weeks.
A Washington Post-Abt SRBI poll released two days before the September 25 debate found 47 percent of likely Virginia voters support McAuliffe, compared to 39 percent who support Cuccinelli and 10 percent who back Sarvis. A survey that Quinnipiac University conducted between Sept. 9-15 found McAuliffe ahead of Cuccinelli by a 44-41 percent margin. Seven percent of respondents said they support Sarvis.
“When you look at all the polls together, it becomes pretty clear that a lot of my support is coming from independents,” Sarvis told the Blade. “There’s support coming from people who are very much dissatisfied with their party’s candidate. And it comes fairly equally from both sides.”
Sarvis, who lives in Annandale in Fairfax County with his wife Astrid and their two children, left the Republican Party in 2011 after he unsuccessfully challenged current Senate Minority Leader Richard Saslaw (D-Fairfax County.)
“I was a fairly explicitly moderate, libertarian Republican,” Sarvis said. “I learned that the Republican Party just isn’t a good vehicle for liberty candidates. The move to the Libertarian Party kind of frees me up to push hard on the things that I believe in.”
Sarvis ran his first television campaign ad during the September 25 debate between McAuliffe and Cuccinelli. He also highlighted his support of nuptials for gays and lesbians over the summer in an online spot that highlighted the landmark 1967 U.S. Supreme Court case that found the commonwealth’s ban on interracial marriages unconstitutional.
Sarvis said in the ad he may not have been able to marry his wife if Richard and Mildred Loving hadn’t challenged the Virginia law that deemed their D.C. marriage illegal.
“Today Virginia is still not for all lovers,” Sarvis said. “That’s why I want to honor the Loving legacy and lead the fight now in this election to recognize same-sex marriage in Virginia.”
Sarvis stressed to the Blade that some Virginia voters are “deathly afraid” of Cuccinelli becoming the commonwealth’s next governor. He further criticized the attorney general over his decision to appeal three-judge panel’s March ruling that found Virginia’s anti-sodomy law unconstitutional.
“When did he become a judicial activist, asking a court to rewrite the law from a morals legislation to child protection,” Sarvis said, referring to Cuccinelli’s claim the statute protects children. “He’s pretty not credible on that issue and it just goes to show he’s just out of the mainstream on it.”
Sarvis said he feels Republican lieutenant gubernatorial candidate E.W. Jackson is “fairly aligned” with Cuccinelli over their opposition to marriage rights for same-sex couples in Virginia and what he described as his anti-gay rhetoric. He added he feels McAuliffe would not prove an effective advocate for LGBT Virginians in spite of his public support for marriage rights for gays and lesbians in the commonwealth.
“I’m in a really unique position to push that forward, to reach out to people in the GOP and explain to them why it’s such an important issue and why the GOP is wrong,” Sarvis said, referring to strong opposition to the issue in the Virginia House of Delegates. “Starting from the premise that it’s not going to pass is a huge mistake.”
Sarvis said he also supports employment protections for gay employees and LGBT-inclusive discrimination provisions to any group that receives a state subsidy.
“People in public employment should not be discriminated against,” he said. “If you’re employed by the state, certainly the state shouldn’t be allowed to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.”
Maryland
Md. Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs released updated student recommendations
LGBTQ students report higher rates of bullying, suicide
The Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs has released updated recommendations on how the state’s schools can support LGBTQ students.
The updated 16-page document outlines eight “actionable recommendations” for Maryland schools, supplemented with data and links to additional resources. The recommendations are:
- Developing and passing a uniform statewide and comprehensive policy aimed at protecting “transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive students” against discrimination. The recommendation lists minimum requirements for the policy to address: name, pronoun usage, and restroom access.
- Requiring all educators to receive training about the specific needs of LGBTQ students, by trained facilitators. The training’s “core competencies” include instruction on terminology, data, and support for students.
- Implementing LGBTQ-inclusive curricula and preventing book bans. The report highlights a “comprehensive sexual education curriculum” as specifically important in the overall education curriculum. It also states the curriculum will “provide all students with life-saving information about how to protect themselves and others in sexual and romantic situations.”
- Establishing Gender Sexuality Alliances “at all schools and in all grade levels.” This recommendation includes measures on how to adequately establish effective GSAs, such as campaign advertising, and official state resources that outline how to establish and maintain a GSA.
- Providing resources to students’ family members and supporters. This recommendation proposes partnering with local education agencies to provide “culturally responsive, LGBTQIA+ affirming family engagement initiatives.”
- Collecting statewide data on LGBTQ youth. The data on Maryland’s LGBTQ youth population is sparse and non-exhaustive, and this recommendation seeks to collect information to inform policy and programming across the state for LGBTQ youth.
- Hiring a full-time team at the Maryland Department of Education that focuses on LGBTQ student achievement. These employees would have specific duties that include “advising on local and state, and federal policy” as well as developing the LGBTQ curriculum, and organizing the data and family resources.
- Promoting and ensuring awareness of the 2024 guidelines to support LGBTQ students.
The commission has 21 members, with elections every year, and open volunteer positions. It was created in 2021 and amended in 2023 to add more members.
The Governor’s Office of Communication says the commission’s goal is “to serve LGBTQIA+ Marylanders by galvanizing community voices, researching and addressing challenges, and advocating for policies to advance equity and inclusion.”
The commission is tasked with coming up with yearly recommendations. This year’s aim “to ensure that every child can learn in a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment.”
The Human Rights Campaign’s most recent report on LGBTQ youth revealed that 46.1 percent of LGBTQ youth felt unsafe in some school settings. Those numbers are higher for transgender students, with 54.9 percent of them saying they feel unsafe in school.
Maryland’s High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey reveals a disparity in mental health issues and concerns among students who identify as LGBTQ, compared to those who are heterosexual. LGBTQ students report higher rates of bullying, feelings of hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts. Nearly 36 percent of LGBTQ students report they have a suicide plan, and 26.7 percent of respondents say they have attempted to die by suicide.
The commission’s recommendations seek to combat the mental health crisis among the state’s LGBTQ students. They are also a call for local and state governments to work towards implementing them.
Virginia
Va. lawmakers consider partial restoration of Ryan White funds
State Department of Health in 2025 cut $20 million from Part B program
The Virginia General Assembly is considering the partial restoration of HIV funding that the state’s Department of Health cut last year.
The Department of Health in 2025 cut $20 million — or 67 percent of total funding — from the Ryan White Part B program.
The funding cuts started with the Trump-Vance administration passing budget cuts to federal HIV screening and protection programs. Rebate issues between the Virginia Department of Health and the company that provides HIV medications began.
Advocates say the funding cuts have disproportionately impacted lower-income people.
The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, a federal program started in 1990, provides medical services, public education, and essential services. Part B offers 21 services, seven of which remained funded after the budget cuts.
Equality Virginia notes “in 2025, a 67 percent reduction severely destabilized HIV services across the commonwealth.”
Virginia lawmakers have approved two bills — House Bill 30 and Senate Bill 30 — that would partially restore the funding. The Ryan White cuts remain a concern among community members.
Both chambers of the General Assembly must review their proposed changes before lawmakers can adopt the bills.
“While these amendments aren’t a full restoration of what community-based organizations lost, this marks a critical step toward stabilizing care for thousands of Virginians living with HIV,” said Equality Virginia Executive Director Narissa Rahaman. “Equality Virginia plans to continue their contact with lawmakers and delegates through the conference and up until the passing of the budget.”
“We appreciate lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who recognized the urgency of this moment and will work to ensure funding remains in the final version signed by the governor,” added Rahaman.
District of Columbia
D.C. Black Pride theme, performers announced at ‘Speakeasy’
Durand Bernarr to headline 2026 programming
The Center for Black Equity held its 2026 DC Black Pride Theme Reveal event at Union Stage on Monday. The evening, a “Speakeasy Happy Hour,” was hosted by Anthony Oakes and featured performances by Lolita Leopard and Keith Angelo. The Center for Black Equity organizes DC Black Pride.
Kenya Hutton, Center for Black Equity president and CEO, spoke following the performances by Leopard and Angelo. Hutton announced this year’s theme for DC Black Pride: “New Black Renaissance.”
Performers for 2026 DC Black Pride were announced to be Bang Garcon, Be Steadwell, Jay Columbus, Bennu Byrd, Rue Pratt and Akeem Woods.
Singer-songwriter Durand Bernarr was announced as the headliner for the 2026 festivities. Bernerr gave brief remarks through a video played on the screen at the stage.
DC Black Pride is scheduled for May 22-25. For more information on DC Black Pride, visit dcblackpride.org.
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