Local
Md. marriage bill coming next week
GOP Senate leader steps down over civil unions flap
A Republican lawmaker in Maryland who plans to introduce a civil unions bill startled colleagues this week by resigning from his position as minority leader in the State Senate one week before the scheduled introduction of a same-sex marriage bill.
Sen. Allan Kittleman (R-Howard County) said he decided to withdraw from the minority leader post he held for two years after determining he was not conservative enough for the other 11 GOP senators in the 47-member Senate.
Observers at the state capital in Annapolis said it became clear to Kittleman that his moderate to liberal views on social issues troubled the other GOP senators after he announced plans to introduce legislation allowing civil unions in Maryland for same-sex and opposite-sex couples.
“I’m a social moderate and I wanted to stand up for what I believe in,” the Baltimore Sun quoted him as saying. “It’s more important for me to stay true to my beliefs than it is for me to be the minority leader.”
LGBT advocates pushing for a same-sex marriage bill in the Maryland Legislature had expressed concern earlier this month that Kittleman’s civil unions measure might take away votes from the marriage bill. In other states, lawmakers reluctant to back same-sex marriage have embraced civil unions as a less controversial alternative, saying it provides the same legal benefits as marriage.
But this week, the head of the statewide LGBT group Equality Maryland said she was hopeful that Kittleman’s action would create an opportunity for same-sex marriage advocates to point out the differences between marriage and civil unions and why civil unions don’t provide full protections for lesbian and gay couples.
“This was an incredibly brave and important move on his part to stand by his principles,” said Morgan Meneses-Sheets, Equality Maryland’s executive director.
“And we really thank him for that and we will continue to communicate with him and talk with him,” she said. “We certainly hope we will have his support when the marriage bill comes.”
Meneses-Sheets said the marriage bill is scheduled to be introduced next Tuesday at a time when her organization and most political observers believe supporters of the bill have the votes to pass it in both chambers.
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has said he will sign a same-sex marriage measure approved by the legislature.
Kittleman has not said when he plans to formally introduce his civil unions bill, and he has not released details of its content other than to say it would cover both same-sex and heterosexual couples.
His office said he was not immediately available for comment.
Meneses-Sheets said she doesn’t believe Kittleman was planning to introduce a civil unions bill with the intention of derailing the marriage measure.
“I really think that he truly supports providing protections for gay and lesbian couples and that he’s in a challenging position,” she said. “Clearly, where his party isn’t offering support for that position, he’s standing by his principles.”
Added Meneses-Sheets, “We’re hoping to have those conversations with him and a good open dialogue about why it really needs to be marriage, what the key differences are in both the rights and responsibilities and the important status of marriage in our society.”
The national same-sex marriage advocacy group Freedom to Marry is scheduled to hold a joint news conference with Equality Maryland at the state capital in Annapolis at 11 a.m. on Jan. 25 to announce the official introduction of the marriage bill.
Equality Maryland has announced an increase in its staff to boost its lobbying capabilities on behalf of the bill. The group has begun holding meetings throughout the state to recruit volunteers to engage in grassroots campaigns to rally support for the legislation. Meetings have already taken place in Prince Georges and Montgomery counties, with meetings scheduled Wednesday night in Baltimore and Anne Arundel County.
“They’ve been well attended, and people are incredibly excited and really ready to pitch in every way they can,” said Meneses-Sheets.
The National Organization for Marriage, which is leading efforts to oppose same-sex marriage nationwide, has vowed to spend large sums of money in Maryland to work against passage of a marriage bill.
The group is expected to organize a voter referendum to prevent the bill from becoming law if the legislature passes it and O’Malley signs the measure, setting in motion what some predict will be Maryland’s version of Proposition 8, the California ballot measure that ended same-sex marriage there.
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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