Local
Equality Maryland board chair dies at 43
Bowling battled several illnesses
M. Scott Bowling (Image courtesy YouTube)
M. Scott Bowling, a longtime LGBT advocate and board chair of the political arm of Equality Maryland, Inc., died at the age of 43 in the Hospice of the Chesapeake in Annapolis on Nov. 19 after battling several life-limiting illnesses, including Crohn’s Disease.
Bowling created a blog, itgutsbetter.org, to raise awareness of those who suffer from the disease and need small bowel transplants and chronicling the struggles they endure physically, mentally and financially.
Bowling was born and raised in Prince George’s County and, according to Equality Maryland’s website, he was an attorney with the Department of Defense and served as president of the Metro Maryland Ostomy Association, Inc. in Silver Spring.
In 2006, Bowling became the first openly gay candidate to run for the State Democratic Central Committee in Anne Arundel County. In 2009, he sought a seat as a Republican on the Annapolis City Council representing Ward 3. He narrowly lost that election in which he alleged that it was tainted by homophobia citing an anonymous and illegal flier circulated around the ward targeting African American voters. Bowling stated that the flier contained specific references to his being “homosexual.” It warned that electing such a person would be dangerous to children.
“I am disappointed that in 2009 there are factions within Annapolis that insist on engaging and bringing this type of racist and hate filled activity into our city elections,” Bowling told Baltimore OUTloud at the time. He filed complaints to the U.S. Attorney General’s Office as well as a Maryland Attorney General’s office as a violation of the Voting Rights Act.
Bowling had also been appointed to and served on several public boards and commissions.
While suffering with his health, Bowling, Equality Maryland’s website stated, continued to be an active member of the leadership team at Equality Maryland.
“He had arranged several fundraisers, secured commitment for items for [last Sunday’s] Silent Auction— all from his bed. Prior to entering in-patient hospice care, Scott volunteered at the polls during early voting.”
His efforts earned him the initial M. Scott Bowling Courage Award. The award was presented at the hospice on Nov. 11 by Carrie Evans, executive director of Equality Maryland along with several members of the staff and board members as well as former Annapolis Mayor Josh Cohen.
A video of the presentation was shown at Equality Maryland’s Signature Brunch, which honored Gov. Martin O’Malley as well as Bowling. He was able to watch that part of the program, which included a musical performance by Troy Koger and remarks by Bowling’s husband David Miller.
Bowling and Miller married in Washington D.C. in July 2010.
“Anybody that knows Scott knows he lived with chronic illness most of his life and absolutely refused to be defined by that illness,” Miller told the Capital Gazette.
On her Facebook page, Evans posted, “Tonight I lost a dear friend. I am trying to remember that I have only lost his physical presence because I can never lose the presence he has in my heart. Scott leaves me a better person than he found me. He has left me with the lessons of how to fully live your life — every single minute; and what it means to love the life you have and the people in it and to keep on fighting even when, and especially when, you want to stop. My dear Scott, may we always remember all that you gave us.”
Miller told the Blade that donations in Scott’s memory can be made to any of the following: Equality Maryland, the Metro Maryland Ostomy Association, Evolve Chesapeake or Chesapeake Creation Spirituality Community. Plans for a celebration of life memorial service have not been finalized.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTgwjUhhzm4
Delaware
Historic New Castle to host Pride Market this weekend
Delaware town offers event with more than 55 vendors
The town of New Castle, Del., will host a Pride Market on Sunday, the first day of Pride month.
The event is hosted by the Delaware Sexuality and Gender Collective and features more than 55 LGBTQ-aligned businesses and resources, including Planned Parenthood of Delaware, the ACLU of Delaware, Orgullo Delaware, and New Castle Public Library. The event runs from 12-5 p.m. at 3rd Street and Delaware Street on The Green, an open space and market square.
The inaugural Pride Market in November 2024 was the first market in the town’s history dedicated to the LGBTQ community. The Pride Market is “designed to be an affirming space for LGBTQ businesses and individuals to join together as a community,” according to the Facebook page.
New Castle was founded in the 1650s by Dutch settlers with weekly markets on The Green beginning in 1655. The area features historically significant buildings like the 1732 Court House, the 1799 New Castle Academy, and an 1809 U.S. arsenal. Delaware Pride is scheduled for June 7 in Dover.
Maryland
Annapolis Pride postponed due to weather
Parade and festival will not happen as scheduled, other events to take place
The annual celebration of the Annapolis LGBTQ community has been put on hold due to forecasted severe weather.
The Annapolis Pride parade and festival, both of which were supposed to take place on May 31, have been postponed until a later date.
Annapolis Pride Board Chair Joe Toolan announced the decision this afternoon, citing information given to the Pride board from emergency management agencies and weather forecasting models.
“The safety of our community comes first,” Toolan said. “Based on guidance from the Annapolis Office of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service, we’ve made the difficult decision to postpone the 2025 Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival due to the very real threat of severe thunderstorms, lightning, and flooding.
“We are hoping to reschedule for some time this fall,” he added.
The National Weather Service has issued tornado and flood watches for large portions of the Mid-Atlantic area, more specifically in areas of Virginia, D.C., and Maryland — including Anne Arundel County where Annapolis is located.
The tornado watch only lasts until midnight, but the impacts of heavy downpours in the area can already be seen where the parade and festival were set to take place. The festival grounds at Bates Middle School are already experiencing flooding and over-saturation, and a flood watch remains in effect with more rain forecast for tonight and tomorrow.
“We are all sad and terribly disappointed that we cannot proceed with the parade and festival on Saturday,” Toolan said. “Hundreds of hours have been spent on planning and coordination, and we were expecting tens of thousands of attendees. But at the end of the day, safety concerns outweigh all other concerns.”
Toolan said the Pride board will announce a rescheduled date as soon as it is confirmed.
Even though the Annapolis Pride parade and festival have been postponed, there are a slew of other planned Pride events that will go on as scheduled:
May 30 – Ladies Night – SOLD OUT
6–10 p.m., Eastport Democratic Club, Annapolis
June 1 – Drag Brunch at Leo – SOLD OUT
10 a.m., Leo Annapolis Restaurant, 212 West St.
June 1 – Ecumenical Pride Worship Service
3 p.m., Eastport United Methodist Church, Annapolis
June 3 – Annapolis Pride Beer Launch
4–7 p.m., Forward Brewing, Annapolis
June 5 – Pride on the Pier
6–9 p.m., Bread and Butter Kitchen, Annapolis
June 6 – Big Gay Dance Party
10 p.m.–close, Tsunami Restaurant, 51 West St., Annapolis
June 7 – Pop-Up Market: Benefiting Annapolis Pride
10 a.m.–3 p.m., Annapolis Town Center
Special discounts @Kendra Scott 6/7–6/8
June 14 – Silent Disco
7–11 p.m., Eastport Democratic Club, Annapolis
June 21 – Teen Dance Party
6–9 p.m., Art Farm, Annapolis
For high school freshmen – juniors
*ticketed event
For more information on the postponement of Annapolis Pride, visit https://annapolispride.org/
District of Columbia
Bowser raises Pride flag over Wilson Building
Council members joined mayor to welcome WorldPride to D.C.
Close to 200 people turned out on Thursday, May 29, to watch D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, joined by members of the D.C. Council and officials with the Capital Pride Alliance, raise a large Pride flag on a tall flagpole in front of the John Wilson D.C. City Hall building.
The mayor, who joined others in speaking from a podium on the front steps of the Wilson Building, called the event the city’s official welcoming ceremony for hosting WordPride 2025 DC in the nation’s capital.
World Pride events, which began May 17, continue through June 8.
“Happy WorldPride in the gayest city in America,” Bowser told the crowd to loud cheers and applause.
Joining Bowser were five members of the D.C. Council, including gay Council member Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5), who was among the Council members who also spoke at the event.
Also speaking were Ryan Bos, executive director of Capital Pride Alliance, the local LGBTQ group serving as lead organizer of WorldPride 2025, and Capital Pride Alliance Deputy Director June Crenshaw.
“This flag tells a story of love without apology,” Crenshaw said in her remarks at the podium. “Our community has never backed down, and we will not at this time of challenge,” she said.
Japer Bowles, director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, told the gathering that the city and especially Bowser and all city officials were proud to host WorldPride at the time of the 50th anniversary of Pride celebrations in D.C.
Among those attending the event and sitting in a front row seat was longtime D.C. gay activist Deacon Maccubbin, who organized the city’s first Gay Pride Day celebration in 1975. He was joined by his husband, Jim Bennett.
During the ceremony Bowser also presented Capital Pride Alliance officials with a mayoral proclamation proclaiming Thursday, May 29, 2025, as “A Day of Remembrance For Bernie Delia in Washington, D.C.” Delia, a longtime Capital Pride Alliance official and one of the lead organizers of WorldPride 2025, died unexpectedly of natural causes June 21, 2024
The other Council members participating in the event in addition to Parker were Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1), Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2), Matthew Ruman (D-Ward 3), and Charles Allen (D-Ward 6)
The Council members, Capital Pride officials, and LGBTQ community members stood next to Bowser as she raised the large Pride flag on a pole located to the right of the front steps and main entrance of the Wilson Building.
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