Local
Sibley Hospital disputes lesbians’ allegation of discrimination
Allegedly had to “prove the legitimacy of their relationship” to obtain newborn’s birth certificate
A spokesperson for D.C.’s Sibley Memorial Hospital disputed a claim by three members of the D.C. City Council that the hospital appears to have discriminated against a married lesbian couple last month by making it more difficult for them to obtain a birth certificate for their newborn child.
In a July 28 letter to Sibley Hospital President Robert Sloan, Council members Phil Mendelson (D-At-large), David Catania (I-At-Large), and Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) said they were contacted by a lesbian mother who had given birth at Sibley. The Council members said the mother told them the hospital had a policy of requiring married same-sex couples to “prove the legitimacy of their relationship, a burden not placed on opposite-sex couples, before they can obtain their newborn’s birth certificate.”
According to the letter, the hospital informed the lesbian couple that same-sex couples were required to provide a marriage certificate to verify their marriage while opposite-sex couples were “presumed married” and were not required to provide additional information to document their marriage.
“This requirement, whether isolated to this incident or an aspect of hospital policy, is wrong, discriminatory, and antithetical to the District’s laws providing equal rights and equal dignity to all residents,” the three Council members said in their letter.
Sheilah Roy, Sibley’s director of public relations and marketing, told the Blade on Monday that the hospital was following a directive it received from the D.C. Office of Vital Records. Roy said the directive came in an e-mail dated Jan. 22, 2010, and calls on all city hospitals to verify the marriage of same-sex couples before providing those couples with a birth certificate of a child bearing the names of both members of the couple.
“The parents must provide a copy of the certified marriage license or domestic partnership registration,” Roy quoted the directive as saying. “Attention must be paid to the relationship between the partners,” she quoted the directive as saying. “Close relatives registered as domestic partners may not have the second partner added [to the birth certificate] when the partner is related by blood.”
The last sentence Roy quoted pertains to a provision in the D.C. domestic partnership law that allows blood relatives, such as a parent and an adult child or siblings, to become domestic partners.
“In other words, it says that we are required to ask for a marriage license or domestic partner registration,” Roy said. “So we were following what we were told to do by the D.C. government.”
American University law professor Nancy Polikoff, a recognized expert on family law pertaining to same-sex couples, said the city’s domestic partnership law and a separate parental rights law require that same-sex couples be treated the same as opposite-sex couples in all areas, including the issuance of birth certificates by hospitals. She said the directive issued by the city’s Office of Vital Records, if correctly described by the Sibley spokesperson, appears to be an incorrect interpretation existing D.C. law.
Mahlori Isaacs, a spokesperson for the D.C. Department of Health, of which the Office of Vital Records is a part, said she would make inquires to confirm the accuracy of the directive that the Office of Vital Records sent to Sibley and other city hospitals.
District of Columbia
Blade welcomes fall intern
Alexis McLean is student at University of North Florida
The Washington Blade this week welcomed Alexis McLean as its fall intern.
Alexis is studying political science at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. She is interning with the Blade as part of a continued partnership with the Washington Center.
“I am looking forward to spending my time in the fall with the Washington Blade, as this is a new experience for me,” said Alexis. “I have not experienced any journalist jobs in the past so this would be my first time, and I am excited to better my writing and communications skills with this internship.”
Alexis’s internship with the Blade ends in early December.
Rehoboth Beach
SUNFESTIVAL takes center stage as Rehoboth Beach closes out summer
Labor Day Weekend bustling with events, including David Archuleta performance
Labor Day Weekend marks the unofficial end of summer in Rehoboth Beach, but there will be no shortage of LGBTQ events, with CAMP Rehoboth’s annual SUNFESTIVAL taking over town this weekend.
Thursday (9/3)
Get your Labor Day Weekend started early Thursday night with happy hour from 5-7 p.m. at Diego’s Bar & Nightclub, followed by Naughtee Bingo hosted by Magnolia Applebottom at 8:30 p.m.
After bingo, the party continues with Dancing at Diego’s from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Aqua Bar & Grill will also kick off its Labor Day Weekend festivities Thursday with a DJ spinning from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Friday (9/4)
The weekend ramps up Friday night at Aqua, where DJ Matt Bailer will keep the dance floor moving from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Over at Diego’s, DJ Steve Sidewalk will then take over Diego’s for Freedom Friday from 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m.
Saturday (9/5)
The main event of the weekend arrives Saturday with the opening night of CAMP Rehoboth’s SUNFESTIVAL.
Billed as the ultimate party to close out the summer, SUNFESTIVAL has become one of Rehoboth’s signature Labor Day Weekend events. The annual celebration sells out each year, with proceeds benefiting CAMP Rehoboth.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments available at the cash bar while attendees are invited to socialize and find their seats.
Saturday night will feature local singer Ashley Williams as the opening performer, followed by headliner David Archuleta. The event will also feature a live auction.
Back across town Saturday, Aqua will continue its Labor Day Weekend DJ lineup from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Diego’s will also have plenty happening, with ‘Splash Party’ hosted by Magnolia Applebottom at 5 p.m., followed by a Saturday Dance Party with Brett Oosterhaus from 9 p.m.- 1:30 a.m.
The Blue Moon hosts its popular Legends Show at 9 p.m. It’s an all-live singing show by the Blue Moon cast of celebrity impersonators.
Etienne Pilon has taken Rehoboth by storm this summer. Check out the talented singer/pianist at The Pines from 7-10 p.m.
Sunday (9/6)
Sunday’s SUNFESTIVAL event will shift the focus to the dance floor, with globally renowned DJs Robbie Leslie and James Anthony scheduled to perform. Doors open at 7 p.m., with dancing continuing until 1 a.m.
On Sunday, Aqua will throw its annual White Party, with DJs spinning from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Guests are encouraged to dress in white for the holiday weekend celebration.
Diego’s will host its Sunday High T-Dance with Pamala Stanley at 5 p.m. Later that evening, DJ Tannr will be spinning at 9 p.m.
John Flynn is on the piano from 6-8 p.m. at the Blue Moon.
Monday (9/7)
The final day of Labor Day Weekend brings one last chance to hit the dance floor before summer officially winds down.
Aqua will close out its five-day Labor Day Weekend celebration with DJ Biff from 3-7 p.m.
Maryland
Anne Arundel schools now need parent permission to call trans students by preferred names
Conservative groups challenged system’s policy
By JESSICA CALEFATI | Anne Arundel County Public Schools staff cannot use transgender students’ preferred names if their parents oppose it, according to an internal document reviewed by the Banner, a change that comes after conservative groups challenged the school system’s approach to gender identity.
Teachers union president Kristina Korona told members in an Aug. 20 email that the new guidance undermines district policy on acceptance and inclusivity and “will begin harming affected students immediately.”
Previously, the district didn’t require parental permission to use a high school student’s chosen name and pronouns corresponding to their gender identity, the internal document says. Now it does. The change comes as parents challenge the suburban school system’s gender identity policy and regulation in court and the Trump-Vance administration threatens the district’s funding.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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