Local
Cuccinelli dogged by protests at George Mason
‘A bigot is a bigot is a bigot’
Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette joined other local officials and George Mason University students Tuesday to protest the appearance of Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. (DC Agenda photo by Michael Key)
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli attracted 50 to 60 protesters when he appeared Tuesday at George Mason University — one day ahead of the college’s decision on whether it would follow his advice and remove its LGBT anti-discrimination policies.
State Dels. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria), Robert Brink (D-Arlington) and Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette joined students and alumni from the university’s law school in condemning Cuccinelli’s efforts to outlaw LGBT anti-discrimination policies and block federal health care reform.
“Ken Cuccinelli promised to impartially carry out his role as attorney general,” Ebbin told the crowd. “He promised us not to impose his personal agenda on the commonwealth. When Cuccinelli breaks those promises we will call him out. A bigot is a bigot is a bigot.”
Ebbin said Cuccinelli wasn’t spending time on the office’s responsibilities, such as protecting Virginians from criminals, identity theft and fraud.
“To our attorney general, words like toleration and diversity are dirty words. He prefers words like discrimination and persecution. But he’s wrong. Hate is not a Virginian value — it’s not an educational value.”
Inside the university, Cuccinelli told law students that his March 4 letter to universities describing LGBT anti-discrimination policies as unlawful was not an invitation to discriminate.
Third year law student Michael Misiewicz asked if Gov. Bob McDonnell’s subsequent executive directive, which was purported to restore some anti-discrimination protections to LGBT state employees, changed the situation. Cuccinelli said it did not.
The executive directive was “an invention by the governor,” Cuccinelli told the students, bearing “no legal force or effect” and its weight would have to be measured by the courts.
Misiewicz said he came to hear Cuccinelli because he wanted the attorney general to be held accountable for his policies face to face, but was unconvinced by the legal basis the attorney relied upon, that LGBT protections were currently federal domain.
“It would hurt this school [if it chose to repeal LGBT protections],” Misiewicz said. “It would detract the best students who happen to be LGBT. … This school has opened a lot of doors for me, but it would really strip future LGBT students of that opportunity to connect and raise George Mason’s profile.”
“George Mason already has a reputation for being very conservative. If we lost this, it would be that much worse.”
Cuccinelli said his own letter did not hold as much legal weight as a more detailed official opinion, but was intended as advice to schools to repeal LGBT protections.
The attorney general noted that he personally opposes protections based on sexual orientation, but he would uphold them if passed by the General Assembly next year.
The state’s 2010 legislative session ended last week with the shelving of a bill that could have restored LGBT protections for state employees. The bill passed the Senate but died in the House General Laws committee.
In Maryland, that state’s legislature has until Monday to advance de facto parent and family leave entitlement laws that would include same-sex families.
Morgan Meneses-Sheets, Equality Maryland’s executive director, urged supporters to reach out to lawmakers before the crossover deadline. Bills must pass at least one chamber before the deadline to advance this session.
Some lawmakers opposed to the state’s recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages also are attempting to pass a moratorium on such recognition, and face a similar Monday deadline to advance that effort.
Meanwhile, Maryland’s newly recognized married same-sex couples have yet to be issued official advice on whether to file joint tax returns this year. With the filing deadline of April 15 looming, the state comptroller’s office told DC Agenda the issue was still being investigated.
“We are still reviewing the tax implication of same-sex marriage,” said Caron Brace, an office spokesperson. “Comptroller Peter Franchot believes that a comprehensive review of tax law should be thorough and thoughtful and no artificial deadline unless required by legislation.”
Maryland
Evan Glass is leaning on his record. Is that enough for Montgomery County’s top job?
Gay county executive candidate pushing for equitable pay, safer streets, and cleaner environment
By TALIA RICHMAN | During a meet-and-greet at Poolesville Memorial United Methodist Church, Evan Glass got his loudest applause of the night with a plan he acknowledged was decidedly unsexy.
“Day one, I’ll hire a director of permitting services,” the county executive candidate said.
Doing so, he added, is a step toward easing the regulatory burdens that can stifle small businesses in Montgomery County.
The only problem? At least one of his fiercest competitors is making a similar pledge.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
District of Columbia
D.C. bar, LGBTQ+ Community Center to mark Lesbian Visibility Week
‘Ahead of the Curve’ documentary screening, ‘Queeroke’ among events
2026 Lesbian Visibility Week North America will take place from April 20-26.
This year marks the third annual Lesbian Visibility Week, run by the Curve Foundation. A host of events take place from April 20-26.
This year’s theme is Health and Wellness. For the Curve Foundation, the term “lesbian” serves as an umbrella term for a host of identities, including lesbians, bisexual and transgender women, and anyone else connected to the lesbian community.
The week kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony on April 19. It will take place in New York, but will be livestreamed for the public.
“Queeroke” is one of the events being held around the country. It will take place at various participating bars on April 23.
As You Are, an LGBTQ bar in Capitol Hill, is one of eight locations across the U.S. participating. Their event is free and 21+.
On April 24, the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center will hold a screening of “Ahead of the Curve,” a documentary about the founder of Curve, Franco Stevens. The event is free with an RSVP.
April 25, is Queer Women in Sports Day. And on April 26, several monuments in New York will be illuminated.
Virtual events ranging from health to sports will be made available to the public. Details will be released closer to the start of Lesbian Visibility Week. Featured events can be found on the official website.
Some ways for individuals to get involved are to use #LVW26 and tag the official Lesbian Visibility Week account on social media posts. People are encouraged to display their lesbian flags, and businesses can hand out pins and decorate. They can also reach out to local lawmakers to encourage them to issue an official Lesbian Visibility Week.
District of Columbia
Whitman-Walker Health to present ‘Pro Bono Excellence’ award to law firm
Health center set to celebrate 40th anniversary of legal services program
Whitman-Walker Health, the D.C.-based community healthcare center that specializes in HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ-related health services, announced it will present its annual Dale Edwin Sanders Award for Pro Bono Excellence to the international law firm McDermott Will & Schulte at a May 6 ceremony.
“This year’s award is especially significant as it coincides with the 40th anniversary of Whitman-Walker Health’s Legal Services Program, marking it as the nation’s longest running medical-legal partnership,” a statement released by Whitman-Walker says.
“As a national leader in public health, Whitman-Walker celebrates our partnership with McDermott to strengthen the health center and to enable Whitman-Walker to reach more medical and legal clients,” the statement adds.
“McDermott’s firm-wide commitment to Whitman-Walker’s medical-legal partnership demonstrates a shared vision to serve those most in need,” Amy Nelson, Whitman-Walker’s director of Legal Services, says in the statement. “Our work protects individuals and families who face discrimination and hostility as they navigate increasingly complex administrative systems,” Nelson said.
“Pro bono legal services – like that of McDermott Will & Schulte – find solutions for people who have no place else to turn in the face of financial and health threats,” she added.
“Our partnership with Whitman-Walker Health is a treasured commitment to serving our neighbors and communities,” Steven Schnelle, one of the law firm’s partners said in the statement. “We are deeply moved by Whitman-Walker’s unwavering dedication to inclusion, respect, and equitable access to health care and social services,” he said.
The statement notes that the award for Pro Bono Excellence honors the legacy of the late gay attorney Dale Edwin Sanders. It says Sanders’s pro bono legal work for Whitman-Walker clients “shaped HIV/AIDS law for more than four decades by securing key victories on behalf of individuals whose employment and patient rights were violated.”
It says the Whitman-Walker Legal Services program began during the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s at a time when people with AIDS faced widespread discrimination and often needed legal assistance. According to the statement, the program evolved over the years and expanded to advocate for transgender people and immigrants.
Whitman-Walker spokesperson Lisa Amore said the presentation of the Dale Edwin Sanders Pro Bono Excellency Award will be held at the May 6 fundraising benefit for Whitman-Walker’s Legal Services Program. She said the event will take place at the offices of the DC law firm Baker McKenzie and ticket availability can be accessed here: https://www.whitman-walker.org/gtem-2026/
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