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Equality Maryland backs trans candidate, rivals & more

Equality Maryland backs trans candidate, rivals
Equality Maryland announced this week its endorsement of transgender candidate Dana Beyer β and the three candidates with whom she is competing in her race for a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates.
If successful, Beyer, an eye surgeon turned community activist, would be the nationβs first out transgender person to win election to a state legislature. She is running in the Sept. 14 Democratic primary for one of three seats assigned to House of Delegates District 18, which includes parts of Montgomery County.
βWe couldnβt not endorse her,β said Equality Maryland spokesperson Kevin Walling, in discussing Beyer and her role as a board member for the group and an advocate for LGBT issues.
βBut we also couldnβt not endorse the other three, who are champions of our bills,β he said.
Under Marylandβs electoral system, candidates and incumbents compete in a combined race for three seats in each of the stateβs 47 delegate districts. In Beyerβs race, Democratic incumbents Al Carr, Ana Sol Gutierrez and Jeffrey Waldstreicher β all of whom Equality Maryland has endorsed β currently hold the three seats. Beyer and two other challengers, Randy Evan McDonald and Vanessa Atterbeary, are running against the incumbents.
The three candidates receiving the highest vote count are declared the winners in the primary. Although voters have the option of voting for three candidates in delegate races, campaign workers often ask backers of a particular candidate to cast just one vote, known as a βbullet vote,β for the candidate they prefer the most, an action that increases the candidateβs chance of winning.
In the solidly Democratic Montgomery County, the winners of the primary are assumed to be the strong favorites to win the general election in November.
Walling said Car, Sol Gutierrez and Waldstreicher are sponsors of a same-sex marriage equality bill and a transgender non-discrimination bill that are pending before the legislature. He noted that all three have been supportive on virtually all other LGBT-related issues.
βWe would be equally satisfied if any of the four would be elected to those positions,β he said.
Beyer said she is happy to receive the endorsement and is working hard to show Montgomery County voters that she will be a champion for them on a wide range of issues, especially economic and social services issues.
She said that because the progressive leaning voters in District 18 are supportive of LGBT rights, including same-sex marriage, she intends to show that sheβs better than her rivals on other issues.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
Va. Partisans endorses Moran for Congress
The statewide LGBT Democratic group in Virginia last week threw its support behind Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) in his bid for re-election.
In a statement dated June 22, Terry Mansberger, president of the Virginia Partisans, formally endorsed Moran and called the lawmaker an βadvocate on all the important issues around LGBT concerns for many years, even before it was a politically popular or safe position.β
βAs a long-time friend and mentor to our community, Jim deserves our vote and financial support to keep doing the good work that he naturally knows how to do,β Mansberger said.
Since he first began serving in Congress in 1991, Moran has been recognized as a supporter of the LGBT community. He was among 67 U.S. House members to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996.
Moran has also been vocal in his support for repeal of βDonβt Ask, Donβt Tell.β In December, he sent a letter signed by 96 lawmakers to Defense Secretary Robert Gates requesting monthly reports on service members discharged under βDonβt Ask, Donβt Tellβ that detail the expelled troopsβ rank and time served.
In a statement to the Blade provided by his campaign, Moran said he is βdeeply appreciativeβ of Virginia Partisansβ support and hopes to βcontinue working with them to bring about a more open, honest, inclusive and progressive society.β
βFor me, these issues are a no-brainer,β Moran said. βDiscrimination is wrong. Oneβs sexual orientation shouldnβt prevent them from being granted the same opportunities as every other American.β
The 10-term lawmaker is fighting to retain his seat to represent Virginia 8th congressional district against Republican Patrick Murray, an Iraq war veteran. The 8th district, which includes Arlington and Alexandria, is heavily Democratic and Moran is favored to win.
CHRIS JOHNSON
District of Columbia
Wanda Alston Foundation chosen as Casa Ruby receiver
Judge approves move at recommendation of D.C. Attorney General

A D.C. Superior Court judge on Friday, Aug. 12, appointed the Wanda Alston Foundation as the cityβs receiver for the LGBTQ community services center Casa Ruby in a role in which the Alston Foundation will assume full control over Casa Rubyβs operations and finances.
Judge Danya A. Dayson stated in an order she issued at 2:27 p.m. on Friday that she appointed the Alston Foundation for the receivership role at the recommendation of the Office of the D.C. Attorney General, which asked the judge to place Casa Ruby in receivership in a court motion filed on Aug. 3.
Founded in 2008, the Wanda Alston Foundation provides housing and support services for D.C. homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth ages 18 to 24 and advocates for expanded city services for LGBTQ youth, according to a statement on its website.
During a virtual court hearing on Thursday, Aug. 11, Dayson approved the AG officeβs request to place Casa Ruby under receivership. During the hearing, Adam Gitlin, chief of the AG officeβs Public Integrity Section, announced that the AG office had two organizations under consideration for the Casa Ruby receiver β the Alston Foundation of D.C. and the Baltimore-based LGBTQ services organization Safe Haven, which has announced it planned to open a facility in D.C.
Gitlin asked the judge if the AGβs office could have one more day to make a final decision on which of the two groups should be named as the Casa Ruby receiver, and Dayson granted his request.
Among those who spoke at the Aug. 11 hearing was June Crenshaw, the Wanda Alston Foundationβs executive director. Crenshaw told the judge her organization has long supported the mission of Casa Ruby and it was prepared to do all it could to continue that mission in its role as receiver.
In a seven-page order issued on Aug. 12 approving the AGβs recommendation that the Alston Foundation be appointed as receiver, Dayson restated her earlier findings that the AGβs office provided sufficient evidence that a receivership was needed. Among other things, she pointed to the AG office’s allegations that Casa Ruby and its founder and former executive director Ruby Corado violated the Districtβs Nonprofit Corporations Act.
βThe District alleges in its petition that Defendant violated the Act by failing to maintain a lawfully constituted Board of Directors, failing to maintain control and oversight of the Corporation; permitting Ruby Corado, the executive director, to have exclusive access to bank and PayPal accounts held in the name of, or created to benefit, Casa Ruby; and permitting Corado to expend hundreds of thousands of dollars of nonprofit funds without Board oversight and for unknown reason,β Dayson stated in her order.
βAccordingly, it is on this 12th day of August 2022 hereby ORDERED that the Districtβs motion for appointment of a receiver is GRANTED, and it is FURTHER ORDERED that until further order of this court, the Wanda Alston Foundation, Inc., 1701 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W., 2nd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036 (the βReceiverβ), is hereby appointed as Receiver,β Dayson declared.
Dayson stated in her Aug. 12 order that she has βhereby liftedβ her Aug. 3 order granting the AG officeβs request that Casa Rubyβs bank accounts and all financial assets be frozen. The Aug. 12 order states that the receiver will now have full control over the bank accounts and Casa Ruby assets.
But the judge adds in her latest order, βNotwithstanding the lifting of the August 3, 2022, freezing Order, Ruby Corado shall not regain access to the affected accounts.β
In addition, Dayson βfurtherβ states in her Aug. 12 order that Casa Rubyβs “trustees, directors, officers, managers, or other agents are hereby suspended and the power of any directors or managers are hereby suspended. Such persons and entities shall have no authority with respect to Casa Rubyβs operations or assets, except to the extent as may hereafter be granted by the Receiver.β
The order concludes by directing the receiver to prepare a written report to the court by Sept. 13, 2022, on these issues:
β’ Assessment of the state of Casa Rubyβs assets and liabilities
β’ Identification of potential D.C. grant funds that could still be accessed if Casa Ruby met the grant requirements and how Casa Ruby could meet those requirements
β’ Determine whether Casa Ruby can pay outstanding financial obligations, including but not limited to employees, landlords, and vendors
β’ A recommendation regarding whether Casa Rubyβs Board should be reconstituted, and it should resume providing services, or instead whether Casa Ruby should be dissolved in an orderly manner pursuant to D.C. Code.
Corado also spoke at the Aug. 11 virtual hearing through a telephone hookup. Among other things, she said she does not oppose the appointment of a receiver.
But Corado disputed the AG officeβs allegations against her and Casa Ruby, claiming the groupβs financial problems that resulted in its shutdown of most Casa Ruby programs were caused by the D.C. governmentβs decision to discontinue many but not all city grants providing funding for Casa Ruby.
In its court filings, the AG’s office has disputed Corado’s claims, saying the city grant funds for many of Casa Ruby’s programs were suspended or discontinued because Casa Ruby failed to comply with the grant requirements that all city grantees are obligated to comply with.
βThe mission of the Wanda Alston Foundation is to eradicate homelessness and poverty for LGBTQ youth between ages 18 and 24, the group states on its website. The statement adds that the Alston Foundation seeks to accomplish that mission by advocating for LGBTQ youth by βproviding programs including housing, life skills training, case management services, linkages to medical care and mental health care and other support services, support in staying and returning to school, and employment support.β
District of Columbia
Another gay couple assaulted in D.C. in suspected hate crime
Two men holding hands when hit from behind by group of attackers

A gay male couple informed the Washington Blade this week that they were assaulted by a group of young men on June 17, at least of one of whom shouted the word βfaggots,β while the couple was holding hands walking home on the 1500 block of T Street, N.W. a few doors away from their house.
One of the two men suffered a broken jaw and fractured thumb when two or three of the attackers punched and kicked him in the head and face after knocking him to the ground, according to a D.C. police report that lists the incident as a suspected anti-gay hate crime.
The incident took place about six weeks before another gay male couple was attacked and punched in the head and face by a group of young males appearing in their late teens as at least one of them shouted βmonkeypox faggots.β The incident occurred on Aug. 7 along the 1700 block of 7th Street, N.W. in the Shaw neighborhood as the men were walking to a nearby bus stop.
D.C. police, who have released photos of two suspects in the Aug. 7 incident and a photo of one suspect in the June 17 case, say no arrests have been made in either of the cases but both cases remain under active investigation.
The two victims in the June 17 case identified themselves as J.P. Singh, Professor of Global Commerce and Policy at George Mason University, and Charles D. βChuckβ Johnson Jr., CEO and President of the Aluminum Association industry trade organization. They initially identified themselves in a little-noticed article about the incident that they wrote and published on June 23 in the blog Medium in which they also posted a photo of themselves.
βWe, JP and Chuck, are a middle-age interracial gay couple,β the two wrote in the article. βWe have been together for nearly 27 years, and live in a gay neighborhood in Washington, DC. On Friday, June 17, while walking back from the gym at 10 p.m. and holding hands, a group of young African American men assaulted us on our street,β the two wrote.
Their article goes on to explore issues surrounding racial justice and crime, and the possible impact of the Black Lives Matter movement on police response to crime, including anti-LGBTQ hate crimes, among other related issues.
βAssaults like ours open wounds in our society around race and LGBTQ issues,β they state in the article. βThrough writing this article, we want to emphasize context and healing, and not encourage racialized ways of thinking that we associate with divisive tactics.β
Singh told the Blade the incident began on T Street, N.W., steps away from their house and in front of the house of gay D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Kyle Mulhull. He said a group of the attackers approached him and Johnson from behind and the couple didnβt see the attackers until they were struck with punches.
βBefore we knew it, I heard Chuck yell,β Singh said. βAnd when I turned to him, I felt a punch on my ear.β
According to Singhβs account, the attackers ran toward 15th Street and Johnson ran after them presumably to be able to inform police of their location, with the intent that the attackers could be apprehended.
But Singh said that another group of attackers emerged from an alley and appeared to have joined the first group and began assaulting Johnson again. The D.C. police report says officers responding to a 911 call from Johnson arrived on the scene when Victim 1, who was Johnson, was observed at the intersection of 15th and U Streets, N.W.
βThe officers observed that Victim 1 was bleeding from his mouth as a result of the assault,β the report says. The report says the officers call the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department for assistance.
βVictim 1 stated that he and Victim 2 were walking eastbound in the 1500 block of T St., N.W. when 4 to 8 suspects approached from behind and assaulted them with punches,β the report continues. βVictim 1 stated that at least one of the suspects yelled homophobic slurs at him as the assault was perpetrated.
Singh said he accompanied Johnson to the emergency room where he was treated and underwent surgery two days later to treat his jaw, which was broken in two places. Singh said Johnson was also treated for a fractured thumb.

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at: [email protected].
Congratulations to Brian Reach on his new position as Associate Director of Marketing and Communications of the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). Reach has more than 18 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and deep roots in Northern Virginia.
Charles Meng, CEO of AFAC said, “I’m very pleased to have Brian Reach on our staff as we enter a new and very challenging year. A year when even more families suffering from inflation in food and fuel are coming to our doors seeking help.”
Jolie Smith, director of development at AFAC added, “Brian will be a wonderful addition to the AFAC development team as we start our new year with a strong focus on new opportunities outside of Arlington County. Given his experience, he’ll be a significant part of our new growth and development.”
Reach previously worked at MCI USA (formerly The Coulter Companies) in a number of positions including director of Information Systems and Credentialing. Before that he was with the Interstitial Cystitis Association as its nonprofit coordinator/accounts receivable coordinator; and the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Fairfax, Va., as Education coordinator.
Reach is an activist and leader in the LGBTQ community. He currently serves as president and executive director of NOVA Pride, a 501c3 he founded in 2011, as well as on other LGBTQ boards and task forces. A Northern Virginia local, whose grandparents met at Fairfax High School, he is extremely passionate about the area and is personally dedicated to making an impact on the lives of his neighbors in need. He has worked on political campaigns in Virginia for Jennifer Wexton, Justin Fairfax, Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Kerry, Chap Peterson, and Al Gore.
Reach is currently attending George Mason University and was a business major at Northern Virginia Community College.
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