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O’Malley addresses Lobby Day rally
First sitting Md. Governor to appear at gathering
About 500 LGBT rights supporters turned out for the annual Lobby Day in Annapolis this week. For the first time, Gov. Martin O’Malley addressed the gathering. (Washington Blade photo by Steve Charing)
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Gov. Martin O’Malley on Monday became the first sitting Maryland governor to appear before the annual pro-LGBT Lobby Day rally in Annapolis. The event, which was held at Lawyer’s Mall, attracted a raucous and diverse crowd of more than 500 with many representing religious and political organizations from all over Maryland.
They cheered enthusiastically as several speakers made the case for same-sex marriage. The crowd roared its approval at the news that Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a same-sex marriage bill into law earlier in the day. While gender identity non-discrimination was addressed during the rally, marriage was clearly the focus.
Sultan Shakir, campaign manager for Marylanders for Marriage Equality, the umbrella organization for a coalition of organizations that is spearheading the marriage effort in the state, and Carrie Evans, executive director of Equality Maryland, were the event’s emcees.
Speakers included Del. Keiffer Mitchell (D-Baltimore), Del. Ben Barnes (D-Anne Arundel, Prince George’s), Candace Jones-Gingrich, and Sen. Allan Kittleman (R-Howard, Carroll). Kittleman remains the sole Republican in the Senate who is supporting the legalization of marriage for same-sex couples.
“I’m a proud Republican who supports marriage equality,” Kittleman said. “It’s not a partisan issue. There are thousands of Republicans in Maryland who support the principles of freedom, liberty and equality.”
The governor was introduced to loud cheers and chants of “O-Mal-ley!, O-Mal-ley!”
“We are united in our belief in the dignity of every individual,” he said. “It is not right that the children of lesbian and gay parents have lesser rights than the children of other parents.” The governor also expressed frustration with the animus from opponents. “I had enough of the division.”
As the crowd broke up to lobby their respective legislators on each of the two major LGBT legislative issues, the governor expressed cautious optimism concerning the votes in the House of Delegates.
“I think we’re doing a little better this week than we were last week, and we need to do better still,” O’Malley told the Blade. “We need to get a couple more.”
WorldPride 2025 concluded with the WorldPride Street Festival and Closing Concert held along Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. on Sunday, June 8. Performers on the main stage included Doechii, Khalid, Courtney Act, Parker Matthews, 2AM Ricky, Suzie Toot, MkX and Brooke Eden.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Celebrating the transgender community, Baltimore Safe Haven, an organization committed to empowering LGBTQ individuals in Baltimore City, plans to host their fourth annual Baltimore Trans Pride on Saturday.
Instead of the usual parade and march, this year’s Trans Pride will be a block party on Charles Street and between 21st and 22nd Streets. The event will start at 1 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and last until 10 p.m.
Community members can go on guided tours, enjoy refreshments by local vendors, listen to presenters, and watch performances by special guests.
Sukihana, the event’s headliner, plans to take to the stage to entertain the crowd, along with a variety of local performers, according to Melissa Deveraux, Baltimore Safe Haven’s executive assistant to Executive Director Iya Dammons.
“Some (are) prominently known, some (are) just making a name for themselves,” Deveraux said. Iya is always making sure that community talent is showcased at all of our functions.”
In company with Pride on Saturday, Baltimore Safe Haven will be opening its new building on Friday from 1-4 p.m.
“That is sort of going to be the prelude to pride,” Lau said. “Thanks to Sen. Mary Washington and the Weinberg Foundation, we were able to purchase the building outright, and it’s going to be a community hub of administrative buildings and 12-bedroom apartments.”
Renee Lau, administrative assistant for special projects coordinator for Baltimore Safe Haven, said the planning process for Baltimore Trans Pride began in January, and putting it all together was a collaboration of multiple city agencies and organizations.
“Safe Haven is an LGBT community organization, but we service the entire community, and that’s the message we try to spread,” Lau said. “We’re not just here for the LGBT community. We’re here to spread goodwill and offer harm reduction and housing to the entire community.”
Lau said the organization’s biggest goal for the event is to gain exposure.
“(We want) to let and let people know who we are and what our community is about,” she said. “Right now, because of what’s happening in DC, there’s a lot of bad untruths going on, and the total thing is bringing out the truth.”
Deveraux said having a place of inclusivity, acceptance, and togetherness is important in today’s political climate and the current administration.
“This event will have people seeing the strength and resilience of the transgender community, showing that no matter what we are going through, we still show up,” Deveraux said. “We are here, we will not be erased.”
The 2025 WorldPride Parade was held in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, June 7. Laverne Cox and Renée Rapp were the grand marshals.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key and Robert Rapanut)
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