Local
Transgender A.U. student leader finds acceptance
Fellow students, Delaware governor embrace Sarah McBride’s transition
Sarah McBride says she loves politics and loves her home state of Delaware.
A native of Wilmington, McBride, 21, has been active in Delaware politics since the age of 13 and worked on the 2008 election campaign of Gov. Jack Markell (D). When Markell won the Democratic primary in September 2008, he and his wife Carla invited McBride to introduce the future governor on the stage where he delivered his victory speech.
All of that, McBride points out, unfolded around Tim McBride, the person she informed her fellow students at American University last week that she had officially transitioned from.
“For my entire life, I’ve wrestled with my gender identity,” she wrote in a May 1 op-ed column in the Eagle, American University’s student newspaper. “It was only after the experiences of this year that I was able to come to terms with what had been my deepest secret: I’m transgender.”
In an interview with the Blade this week, McBride said she’s known as long as she can remember that her true gender was that of a female. But she suppressed taking action on that realization out of fear that her longstanding desire to become active in politics and eventually run for public office would be jeopardized if she changed her gender, she said.
“For the longest time my only ambition was to become an elected official and to change the world through that,” she told the Blade. “Those goals and those dreams sort of went hand in hand.”
Tim McBride advanced that goal shortly after beginning as a freshman political science student at American University in 2009. With political experience gained in Delaware as a backdrop, McBride won election to the A.U. student senate before winning election last year as president of the A.U. student government.
She submitted her op-ed column to the Eagle on the day after her term as student president ended and, upon completion of her junior year this spring, with one year to go before her graduation in June 2013.
In the column she noted that she came out as transgender to her parents and closest friends during the winter recess this year.
“Today is the next day of the life I’ve already had, but at the same time, the first day of the life I always knew I wanted to lead,” she said in the column. “Starting on Saturday, I will present as my true self. Going forward, I ask that you use female pronouns (she/her) and my chosen name, Sarah.”
In an interview with the Blade on Wednesday, McBride said the response on campus has been overwhelmingly positive.
“I always knew that I went to an inclusive and accepting school,” she said. “But the outpouring of love and support was so far beyond my expectations. I’ve never been prouder to go to A.U.”
She added, “And I really do hope this experience for our campus is not a blip on the gossip mill. I hope it’s an opportunity to raise awareness for a sustained inclusion and awareness of trans students.”
McBride said she considers herself privileged coming from a supportive, upper-income family that had the means to send her to a supportive university in the nation’s capital. Many transgender young people encounter far less supportive families and face discrimination and prejudice at every turn.
Among her goals is to work with the transgender and LGBT community to fight discrimination. She said her dreams to advance that goal by becoming involved in electoral politics in her home state were boosted in March when she came out to Gov. Markell and his wife, First Lady Carla Markell.
“They were incredible,” she said. “They were amazing. “They’re two of the best people I know and beyond my parents they are some of my biggest mentors and supporters. When I told them it was unconditional love from them. They said they were just as proud of me and that they were there for me 100 percent.”
She said other political leaders in the state have been similarly supportive. Although as Tim McBride and now as Sarah she has been known as a loyal Democratic Party activist, McBride said, “All of the active Republicans I know have sent me messages of love and support as well.”
McBride said she has accumulated enough college credits to spend the fall semester working as an intern with the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, where she hopes to help the organization elect openly LGBT people to public office throughout the country, including two openly gay candidates running for office in Delaware.
She would complete her senior year at A.U. next spring. She’s considering law school or graduate school sometime in the future, with politics still on the horizon.
“This entire experience has taught me that the goal of changing the world is a good goal,” she said, adding that seeking to become an elected official should be a means rather than an end to “improving and changing your community and your world…So that’s sort of been my readjustment of my life in terms of my dreams and my ambitions.”
Among those who have helped guide and mentor her in the process of transitioning has been Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, McBride said.
“She’s going to be a real powerhouse in whatever she does,” Keisling told the Blade. “She’s very politically savvy, very politically connected. I’m very excited not only that she’s transitioning but she’s transitioning with a real strong sense of social justice and political acumen.”
Keisling added, “So I’m hopeful for real big things for Sarah.”
Virginia
Arlington man arrested for arson at Freddie’s Beach Bar
Suspect charged with setting fires at two other nearby restaurants
The Arlington County Fire Department announced on Jan. 16 that an Arlington man has been arrested on three counts of arson for at least three fires set at restaurants on the same block on South 23rd Street, including Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant, which is a gay establishment.
A statement released by the fire department says a warrant for the arrest of Timothy Clark Pollock was issued on Jan. 15 and that Clark was apprehended by Alexandria police on Jan. 16 at approximately 6:54 a.m. It says he was transferred into the custody of fire marshals and the Arlington Police Department.
Fire department officials have said the fires that Pollock allegedly set took place between 5 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, on the 500 block of South 23rd Street in the Crystal City section of Arlington.
Freddie Lutz, owner of Freddie’s, said the front door of his establishment was set on fire with what appeared to be a flammable liquid such as lighter fluid. The door was partially blackened by the fire, but the restaurant itself did not catch fire, Lutz said.
Fire department officials said the other two nearby establishments hit by small fires around that same time were the Crystal City Sports Pub and McNamara’s Pub and Restaurant.
Lutz told the Washington Blade that the fire at Freddie’s took place the day before and the day after Freddie’s received a threatening phone call from what sounded like the same unidentified male caller.
“He said I’m going to fuck you up and I’m going to fuck the women up,” Lutz said the person told Freddie’s manager, who answered the two calls.
Lutz speculated that the caller could have been the same person who started the fire at Freddie’s and possibly the other two restaurants.
The short statement by the Arlington County Fire Department announcing the arrest did not say whether fire and police investigators have determined a possible motive for the fires. The statement says Pollock was being held without bond and that he is “also facing additional charges for unrelated crimes, which remain under investigation.”
The online news Arlington news publication AR Now reports that a Facebook account associated with Timothy C. Pollock includes a photo from inside Freddie’s posted on Facebook on Dec. 21.
Lutz confirmed for the Blade the photo clearly one that was taken inside Freddie’s showing Christmas decorations, leading Lutz to believe that Pollock has been inside Freddie’s at least once if not more than once.
Photos of Timothy C. Pollock on that person’s Facebook page appear to be the same Pollock as that captured in the mug shot photo of Pollock released by the Arlington County Fire Department on Jan. 16.
Delaware
Delaware governor issues executive order creating LGBTQ+ Commission
Body to ‘strengthen ties’ between government and community
Delaware Gov. Bethany Hall-Long on Jan. 16 signed and issued an executive order creating a Delaware State LGBTQ+ Commission that she said will hold public forums for the exchange of ideas on the needs of the state’s diverse LGBTQ community.
“The nine-member commission will serve to strengthen ties between the government and LGBTQ+ organizations,” a statement released by the governor’s office says.
The statement adds that the new commission will “help remove barriers to societal participation for LGBTQ+ people and improve the delivery of services to the community in Delaware to areas such as employment, equality, education, and mental health.”
It says that members of the commission will be appointed by the governor and serve without monetary compensation for a three-year term.
According to the statement, the commission members “will represent different facets of the LGBTQ+ community, taking into account age, race, gender, identity, background, life experiences and other factors, and reflect the geographic diversity of the state.”
Hall-Long’s executive order creating the new commission came at a time when she is serving in effect as interim governor for a period of just two weeks. As lieutenant governor, she became governor on Jan. 7 when outgoing Gov. John Carney resigned to take office in his newly elected position of mayor of Wilmington.
Carney, who served two terms as governor, could not run again for that position under Delaware’s term limit law. Democrat Matt Myer won the governor’s election in November and will be sworn in as Delaware’s next governor on Jan. 21, when Hall-Long will step down.
Myer was expected to appoint the commission members in the weeks following his assumption of gubernatorial duties.
“Ultimately, the commission will advise the governor, members of the governor’s Cabinet, members of the General Assembly, and other policymakers on the effect of agency policies, procedures, practices, laws, and administrative rules on the unique challenges and needs of LGBTQ+ people,” the statement released by Hall-Long’s office says.
“It is truly an honor to bring this commission to fruition, and I am very excited to see the positive changes the commission will make in the lives of our LGBTQ+ neighbors,” Hall-Long said in the statement.
David Mariner, executive director of Sussex Pride, an LGBTQ advocacy group based in Delaware’s Sussex County, which includes Rehoboth Beach, praised the new executive order as an important step in advancing LGBTQ equality.
“It is my hope that through this commission, we can address the critical issues facing LGBTQ Delawareans,” Mariner said in his own statement.
“This includes developing an LGBTQ health report with a tangible roadmap to health equity, increasing collaboration and communication on hate crimes and hate-related activities, and ensuring that nondiscrimination protections, guaranteed by law, are a reality for all of our residents,” he said.
The statement announcing the LGBTQ+ Commission and the full text of the executive order can be accessed here.
District of Columbia
Rachel Levine promotes vaccine awareness at Whitman-Walker forum
U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health is highest-ranking trans official
Dr. Rachel Levine, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health and the federal government’s highest-ranking transgender official, called on community leaders to join her in a campaign to promote vaccinations to curtail respiratory illness at a forum organized by the LGBTQ supportive medical center Whitman-Walker Health.
Levine, a pediatrician, was joined by fellow physicians, three Whitman-Walker staffers, and an official with the LGBTQ seniors advocacy group SAGE, in a panel discussion called “Protecting Our Health In the New Year: A Conversation on Flu, COVID-19, and RSV Vaccines.”
Among other things, Levine talked about a vaccination promotion program she is involved with at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services called “Risk Less and Do More.”
“I’m extremely passionate about vaccines and the role they play in preventing respiratory illness and keeping communities healthier,” Levine told the gathering, held at Whitman-Walker’s Max Robinson Center.
“And the success of ‘Risk Less, Do More’ is rooted in partnerships with community leaders across America who have provided reliable information to community members so that they can make the best informed decisions about their health and access one of the best tools that we have to protect our health — vaccinations,” Levine said.
She noted that separate vaccines are now available for three respiratory illnesses that can potentially be life-threatening — flu, COVID-19, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus known as RSV.
“While aiming to limit respiratory virus spread among all Americans, the ‘Risk Less, Do More’ campaign has placed particular focus on high-risk populations who are at the greatest risk for becoming seriously ill,” Levine said.
“This includes people who are not up to date on their vaccines, those who are 65 years and older, residents in long-term care facilities, pregnant people, those living in rural areas where healthcare access is limited, and racial and ethnic populations who are more at risk, including those in the Black and Hispanic community,” she said.
A “notable uptick” in the three respiratory illnesses she mentioned is now occurring across the country and in D.C., Levine added.
The others who joined Levine in the discussion were Aaron Tax, an official with SAGE; Tasliyam Adams, senior manager of Medical Support at Whitman-Walker; Danny Jaek, a pharmacist at Whitman-Walker’s Max Robinson Center; and Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard, vice president of administration for the Black Women’s Agenda.
Also participating in the discussion were Whitman-Walker Health System Chair Dr. Anne Bonham, Whitman-Walker Health System CEO Dr. Heather Aaron, and Dr. Kellan Baker, executive director of Whitman-Walker’s Institute for Health Research and Policy.
At the conclusion of the forum Whitman-Walker officials presented Levine with a poster size, framed proclamation honoring her “For Distinguished Service and Leadership In Advancing Public Health and Health Equity.”
Levine, who will leave her job on Jan. 20 when President-elect Donald Trump takes office, was asked by the Washington Blade if she has any advice for her successor under the new administration.
“I really can’t comment on the new administration,” she said. “But what I can comment on is the importance of vaccinations, which again has been one of the victories of public health in the 20th and 21st centuries. And so, we are very proudly talking about our Risk Less, Do More campaign for this respiratory season.”
Naseema Shafi, Whitman-Walker Health’s CEO, said Whitman-Walker was honored that Levine participated in the vaccine forum.
“She has done so much to advance health in the community,” said Shafi, who added, “She’s been a fearless leader living authentically and we’re really proud of the opportunity to be able to spend time with her today.”
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