Local
Fast Five Fix: March 8
Maine marriage polls look promising but give pause, incredible HIV med news, North Carolina on the verge, and more
A majority of Maine voters support same-sex marriage, but polling shows the exact ballot language confuses people. To help you understand, here's an infographic that took 2 hours to make and crashed our computers twice. (Washington Blade graphic by Phil Reese)
Good morning! As the java sinks in — along with word from ThinkProgress that DC just made it a whole lot easier for out of state gays to have messy, expensive split-ups (that’s the sound of lawyers cheering!) — here’s the gay news that’s got us jabbering today:
- JoeMyGod tips us off to several pieces of HIV treatment and prevention news: FIRST, Gilead is preparing to release a four-in-one med called “Quad” (creative!) that will rival Atripla’s safety and effectiveness, without the neurological side effects, and with higher achievement of target levels of HIV (but more nausea); ALSO, are we on the verge of having an effective monthly injection HIV prevention regiment?
- As seen above, ThinkProgress alerts us to a new PPP poll that says Maine voters are cool with extending marriage rights to same-sex couples… but aren’t really sure about the ballot language that’s been chosen to do so. That’s why its very important that the gays in Maine start making commercials that just say “Yes!”
- Over 100,000 have signed a Change.org petition asking President Obama to deliver an executive order barring LGBT employment discrimination with Federal contractors. And growing.
- AMERICAblog Gay thinks the far right is getting desperate in North Carolina: might we actually beat back an anti-gay ballot measure in the south?
- UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon has called for member states to stop LGBT discrimination during a historic human rights council hearing, according to ThinkProgress.
Finally, this video that Towleroad shared with us is really hard to watch. A nightclub bouncer at a gay bar in West Hollywood drops some homophobic slurs on a decidedly drunk and unruly gay patron, and appears to punch him several times while telling him to “stop struggling.” Is this gay-on-gay crime, or have some gay bars slipped and hired some unenlightened straight homophobes to handle their security?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAozn3Qt3hk
The transcript courtesy Towleroad:
“Look at my face man,” the victim says, “-they f**ked me up.”
One of two men holding him down says: “F**k your face. I don’t give a shit about your face.”
Victim: “Trust me please I didn’t start the sh*t. I was with my boyfriend. I’m a gay boy.”
Face down on the ground, he tries to look up at his captors. One of them says:
“Yeah well your a f**kin’ [unintelligible] … Stop f**kin’ struggling motherfucker. ”
“Stop resisting,” one of the men says. “Stay still motherf**ker.”
Then one of the captors unleashes this: “Stop fuckin’ moving you c*cks**ker.”
Just then a security guard with a badge walks up, and one of the captors says, “Hey can we get some cuffs please.”
“Stay where you are motherf**ker,” the victim is told. “Shut up.”
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/
Evan Glass is leaning on his record. Is that enough for Montgomery County’s top job?
D.C. bar, LGBTQ+ Community Center to mark Lesbian Visibility Week
Trailblazing trans Brazilian lawmaker refuses to set foot in Trump’s America
Lebanese LGBTQ group responds to latest war
Inside the LGBTQ records of Todd Blanche and Markwayne Mullin
BLUF leather social set for April 10 in Rehoboth
Calendar: April 10-16
An effort to increase the number of psychiatrists of color
Comings & Goings
