Local
Md. trans bill clears Rules Committee
Senate president persuaded to release ‘hold’ on measure
A transgender non-discrimination bill in Maryland cleared a major hurdle Tuesday when the Rules Committee of the State Senate voted to allow it to advance through the normal legislative process rather than die in committee.
The action by the Rules panel came after LGBT advocates and their allies waged an aggressive one-week lobbying campaign to persuade Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller to reverse what the bill’s supporters said was his decision to kill the measure in committee.
Nearly all knowledgeable observers of the Maryland Legislature believe Miller controls which bills go to and are approved by the Rules Committee, which has been dubbed the “graveyard” for bills unpopular with the Senate leadership. The committee is comprised of the chairs of the Senate’s standing committees, all of whom are appointed by Miller.
“With today’s vote, the Senate Rules Committee stood up for fairness,” said Morgan Meneses-Sheets, executive director of Equality Maryland, the LGBT group heading efforts to pass the bill. “With the Rules Committee vote, we’re one step closer in passing vital protections for Maryland’s transgender community.”
The state’s House of Delegates approved the Gender Identity Non-Discrimination Act on March 25 by a vote of 86-52. Equality Maryland and other groups lobbying for the bill believe they have the votes to pass the measure in the Senate if the bill reaches that body before the legislature adjourns on April 11.
The bill calls for banning discrimination against transgender Marylanders in the areas of employment, housing and credit.
According to sources familiar with the bill, it was expected to go before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Thursday for a hearing limited to the bill’s sponsors. The Judicial Proceedings Committee was expected to vote on the bill on Friday.
If approved by the committee, the bill was expected to come up for debate and vote on the Senate floor on Saturday, two days before the legislature’s scheduled adjournment for the year.
“We are now in the realm of the very serious possibility of passing this,” said Dana Beyer, a Montgomery County transgender activist and candidate last year for a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates.
“There’s an important lesson here,” she said. You can be a marginalized community, but if you firmly and politely lobby hard, you can get your message across. Now it’s our job to continue the lobbying with the Judicial Proceedings Committee and the full Senate.”
Beyer was referring to the coordinated lobbying campaign organized by Equality Maryland that involved arranging for members and supporters to barrage Miller and other key members of the State Senate with phone calls and e-mails urging that the bill be released from the Rules Committee. Among those said to have called Miller to request that he release the bill from the Rules Committee was U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the No. 2 Democratic leader in the House.
“We are hopeful that after thousands of e-mails and hundreds of phone calls that HB 235 [the Gender Identity Non-Discrimination Act] will continue to advance, but we will not rest until the final minutes of this legislative session,” Meneses-Sheets said in a statement released Tuesday.
In a March 31 letter, the seven-member LGBT Caucus of the House of Delegates also sent Miller a letter urging him to release the gender identity bill from the Rules Committee.
“We believe this bill is absolutely necessary for the civil protections of a subset of Marylanders who are most vulnerable to discrimination and prejudices, the caucus members said. “We are simply asking for full consideration of this bill on behalf of those Marylanders.”
Those signing the letter were Dels. Maggie McIntosh, Anne Kaiser, Heather Mizeur, Peter Murphy, Luke Clippinger, Bonnie Cullison and Mary Washington. All seven are Democrats.
The sole openly gay member of the State Senate, Richard Madaleno, Democrat from Montgomery County, said he has also urged Miller to release the bill from the Rules Committee.
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.
District of Columbia
Man accused of threatening to shoot D.C. bar employee after making anti-gay slurs
May 24 incident took place near Black Pride events on U Street
D.C. police on Sunday, May 24, at around 4:20 p.m. arrested a Maryland man for allegedly threatening to shoot an employee while using anti-gay slurs at Ben’s Next Door restaurant and bar at 1211 U St., N.W.
According to a statement released by police and a police incident report, the arrested man, identified as Delonte Fraley, 32, of Accokeek, Md., made the threats after the employee told a bartender not to serve the man alcohol.
“The suspect overheard the employee and threatened to shoot the employee and used homophobic slurs against the employee,” the police statement says. “When the employee left the restaurant for the day, the suspect was standing near the employee’s vehicle,” it says.
“The employee returned to the restaurant and called the police,” the statement continues. “The suspect was apprehended by responding officers,” it says.
The police statement says the arresting officers charged Fraley with Felony Threats (Hate/Bias).
D.C. Superior Court records show prosecutors with the Office of the U.S. Attorney for D.C., which prosecutes D.C. criminal cases, escalated the charge to Threatening to Injure or Kidnap a Person (Bias-Related Hate Crime).
The incident occurred during Memorial Day weekend when thousands of visitors and D.C. area LGBTQ advocates and supporters were attending D.C. Black Pride events held in locations across the city, including Black Pride parties hosted by LGBTQ bars in the U Street entertainment area near Ben’s Next Door.
Among the nearby LGBTQ bars hosting D.C. Black Pride events were Nellie’s Sports Bar and Thurst Lounge. Ben’s Next Door is located next to the popular longtime U Street eatery Ben’s Chili Bowl.
Court records show that Judge Robert R. Rigsby at a May 25 presentment hearing released Fraley on personal recognizance with a stay-away order — the details of which were not publicly disclosed pending a June 4 preliminary hearing.
A more detailed arrest affidavit filed in court by D.C. police says Fraley allegedly confronted the employee at Ben’s Next Door with anti-gay slurs on the day prior to his arrest.
“The complainant told the defendant that because he used homophobic slurs towards himself previously on May 23, 2026, and his hostess, as well as making threats to the complainant and calling him a faggot, he was unable to stay in the establishment,” the affidavit states.
It adds, “The defendant became irate stating, ‘I know where your Tesla is at. See me outside faggot, I will slap your ass’ and ‘I will shoot your ass.’” The affidavit says the complainant confirmed to police the Tesla referred to by Fraley was his vehicle. It says as the victim walked toward his car after getting off work, he saw Fraley standing directly in front of the car.
“The complainant stated he felt unsafe while the defendant was standing in front of his vehicle because he felt the defendant was capable of carrying out those threats,” says the affidavit. It says the victim then decided to return to the restaurant and call police without the defendant having seen him.
“The defendant was placed under arrest for Felony Threats Hate/Bias and was transported to the Third District Station for processing,” the affidavit concludes.
It couldn’t immediately be determined whether the victim identifies as LGBTQ or whether any of the Ben’s Next Door patrons had been involved with D.C. Black Pride.
“Established in 2008, Ben’s Next Door is a family-owned and operated restaurant and bar on U Street, Northwest in Washington, D.C.,” a statement on its website says. “As a Black-owned establishment, it’s our goal to deliver a warm, welcoming, familiar, and communal vibe to all guests,” the statement says.
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Congratulations to Peter Schott on being honored by Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer on National Honor our LGBTQ Elders Day.
Schott is a prominent LGBTQ advocate and seasoned political strategist who has spent decades advancing civil rights at the national and state levels. Following a distinguished 25-year career as a staff assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives, Schott leveraged his extensive legislative expertise to help organize the National Stonewall Democrats, serving as an influential member of its national board.
After moving to Delaware in 2002, he became a foundational figure in the state’s LGBTQ political landscape, co-founding the Delaware Stonewall PAC, (now Stonewall Delaware) to champion the election of pro-equality candidates. His strategic lobbying and community organizing were instrumental in the successful passage of Delaware’s landmark non-discrimination, civil union, and marriage equality laws. A former member of the State Human Relations Commission, he remains a vital voice for the LGBTQ community in the Mid-Atlantic, continuing to document and drive social progress through his activism and writing. Schott currently serves as vice chair of the Delaware Democratic Pride Caucus, and a board member of Speak Out Against Hate (SOAH). He was a delegate to two Democratic National Conventions.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, New York University; and a master’s of Public Administration degree from American University.
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