Local
Police Log: October 28
The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit was involved in the following investigations
The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit was involved in the following investigations:
On Oct. 24 at 21st & P streets, N.W., two suspects reported that they are involved in a domestic partnership and that they were involved in a physical altercation. An investigation revealed that both suspects had assaulted each other. Both suspects were arrested.
On Oct. 24 in the 2200 block of 13th Street, N.W., a woman reported that she got into a verbal altercation with her roommate over the way he addressed her. Police services were refused and a report was taken.
On Oct. 24 in the 1700 block of 16th Street, S.E., a woman reported that her two roommates accused her of stealing their property. The suspects confronted the woman at the listed location and punched her in the face. An assault report was taken.
On Oct. 23 at 11th & Kenyon streets, N.W., a man reported that while walking with friends he became involved in a verbal altercation with one of his friends at which time the verbal argument became violent and the suspect struck the victim about the head and face. The suspect fled the location prior to the arrival of police and the victim was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
On Oct. 23 in the 2300 block of T Street, N.W., a man reported to police that he and a suspect were in a verbal altercation. Both started pushing each other when the suspect struck the man in the face with a closed fist. The suspect fled the scene in an unknown direction and the victim was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment. The two are involved in a romantic relationship.
On Oct. 23 in the 2500 block of Naylor Road, S.E., a man and his boyfriend got into a verbal altercation over the use of their car. The suspect shoved the victim and punched him in the face. There were no visible injuries and the victim refused medical treatment. The case was closed with the arrest of the suspect.
On Oct. 22 in the 1900 block of Naylor Road, S.E., a woman reported that she was in a verbal altercation with three suspects when the suspects began assaulting her. Four other suspects joined in and punched and kicked her. The victim broke free and ran home. The suspects then fled the scene. An assault report was taken.
On Oct. 16 in the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., a woman reported that a suspect approached her while in the company of a group of people at a nightclub. She stated that the suspect became upset for an unknown reason and hit her in the back of the head with a closed fist. The victim then walked away and later returned to talk with the suspect. The verbal dispute escalated and the suspect struck the victim multiple times in the face and body with a closed fist. The suspect then fled the scene. A report was taken.
On Oct. 17 in the 4400 block of C Street, S.E., a man reported that his former boyfriend, who had been served with a Civil Protection Order, violated the order by coming to his home and knocking on his door. The man also stated that the suspect returned twice more on Oct. 17 attempting to contact him. A report was taken.
On Oct. 18 at 1600 New York Avenue, N.E., a taxicab driver reported that his passenger threw a sum of money at him below the cost of the fare and opened the rear door of the vehicle. The suspect began to run attempting to avoid the full amount of the fare. The driver flagged down an MPD officer and the suspect was arrested moments later.
Maryland
Union leader files assault complaint against gay Md. delegate after fight at early-voting site
Del. Gabriel Acevero, Gino Renne accuse each other of starting confrontation
By ANTONIO PLANAS | After a physical confrontation outside an early-voting site Thursday, local union leader Gino Renne filed an assault complaint against Del. Gabriel Acevero, who said he plans to do the same.
Each accuses the other of starting the fight and throwing punches in an incident Thursday at about 6 p.m. at the Bohrer Park Activity Center in Gaithersburg, police said. The park, an early-voting site that day, attracted many candidates and their supporters.
Acevero, 35, is defending his seat representing District 39, which includes Montgomery Village and surrounding areas. The primary is on Tuesday.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Delaware
Delaware guv signs bill to protect children born using assisted reproduction
‘Modernizing laws to better reflect and protect today’s families’
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer on June 9 signed SB 250, a bill that helps fill the gaps in the state’s parentage law.
SB 250 amends the 2017 Uniform Parentage Act to broaden the state’s legal framework for surrogacy. Prior to SB 250, some children, particularly those born through assisted reproduction or surrogacy, did not have a clear path to a legally recognized relationship with their parents. This created issues around parental decision-making and children’s access to health insurance.
According to the bill’s prime sponsor, Sen. Marie Pinkney, SB 250 ensures that every child in the state has a secure legal relationship with their parents. She said the bill modernizes outdated statutes and strengthens protections for children born through assisted reproduction or surrogacy.
These issues are more likely to affect queer families that rely on assisted reproduction methods to have children. Parentage laws are critical to the well-being of children and the ability of parents to care for them without unnecessary legal barriers.
“Today, we celebrate a victory for all children and families in Delaware. By modernizing its laws to better reflect and protect today’s families, Delaware has set an example for states across the country,” said Jordan Wilson, executive director of COLAGE.
COLAGE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and empowering youth in LGBTQ+ families through activism and community.
“We are grateful to the many families and advocates who worked tirelessly to advance this legislation, from the bill’s drafters to the COLAGErs who shared their lived experiences directly with lawmakers,” said Wilson.
“Delaware is strongest when the law respects and protects all families,” said Mark Purpura, board member of Equality Delaware, a statewide organization focused on promoting and ensuring dignity, safety, and equality for all LGBTQ+ Delawareans.
The bill’s sponsors and co-sponsors include Sen. Pinkney, Rep. Krista Griffith, Sens. Russ Huxtable, Raymond Seigfried, and David Sokola; and Reps. Alonna Berry, Mara Gorman, Kerri Harris, Eric Morrison, DeShanna Neal, Sophie Phillips, and Cyndie Romer.
Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth’s ‘Poodle Beach’ to be honored with historical marker
Delaware Public Archives to hold ceremony June 27
The Delaware Public Archives is set to unveil a new State of Delaware Historical Marker recognizing Rehoboth’s Poodle Beach Saturday, June 27, at 9 a.m. The unveiling will take place at the corner of Prospect Street and the South Boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
The unveiling ceremony is free and open to the public and will include remarks from members of the community, government officials, and representatives from the Delaware Public Archives.
Located at the southern end of the boardwalk near Queen Street, Poodle Beach is one of the most famous sections of Rehoboth Beach, having served as a gathering place for the LGBTQ community for decades.
The Delaware Public Archives said that, “The marker recognizes the site’s longstanding role in the social and cultural history of both Rehoboth Beach and the State of Delaware.”
The petition to have Poodle Beach recognized with a historical marker was started by a group of Rehoboth Beach residents in June 2020 and was officially approved in December 2020.
Although the origins of where Poodle Beach got its name are unknown, its history can be traced back to du Pont heiress and well-known lesbian Louisa Carpenter. Carpenter and her LGBTQ group of friends would travel to ‘Carpenter Beach’ toward Dewey Beach in the19 30s and ‘40s.
Over time, the beach grew in popularity and began to be used predominantly by gay men in the following decades. It wasn’t until the ‘80s when the beach spread back toward the boardwalk as people stopped making the journey to Carpenter beach.
Poodle Beach was initially called “Lazy Gay Beach” because gay men got tired of walking so far from the boardwalk to get to Carpenter Beach.
There are multiple theories that explain how the name ‘Poodle Beach’ came to be. One of the most popular is the ‘Two cousin theory’ where it is rumored that a pair of cousins would drive up from Maryland and bring their poodle dogs onto the beach.
Poodle was also the site of the popular Labor Day weekend drag volleyball games that were started in 1988 and ended with COVID in 2020.
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