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Shining a light on equality

Mark Patro is leaving no stone unturned in the effort to defend the Md. marriage law that is being challenged in November by a referendum

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gay marriage, same-sex marriage, gay news, Washington Blade

Volunteers are holding lighted panels at dusk on highway overpasses and bridges that contain messages promoting marriage equality. (Photo by Mike Bernard)

Mark Patro is leaving no stone unturned in the effort to defend the Civil Marriage Protection Act that is being challenged in November by a referendum. As president of the Baltimore County chapter of PFLAG, he is working hard to gain the support of allies and clergy. Using his own initiative, Patro sought training and then trained others on how to register voters. He has worked farmers’ markets and festivals to gather pledges to line up volunteers and voters for marriage equality.

And recently Patro launched a new project called Light Brigade Maryland. Inspired by a similar effort (Overpass Light Brigade) in Wisconsin to recall Gov. Scott Walker this spring, volunteers hold lighted panels at dusk on highway overpasses and bridges that contain messages promoting marriage equality. The messages will vary but the goal is to bring attention to the need to vote in favor of the Civil Marriage Protection Act.

“My first exposure to the Overpass Light Brigade (overpasslightbrigade.org) was a short segment on one of MSNBC’s evening shows at the end of May or early June, just before Scott Walker’s recall election,” Patro told the Blade. “I was excited about the visual aspect of their presentation.”

His educational background is in visual arts, so the visual aspect appealed to him. “I did an Internet search and contacted them to ask about how to make the panels,” Patro explained.

Patro recognized that many people want to do something to help with the referendum battle, and this project appears to meet that desire.  “They don’t all feel like they fit into prescribed jobs set up by the larger bureaucratic organizations. Most of them are worker-bee/assignment style organizations and some folks just respond better to more freelance-like or guerilla-activist roles. We hope using this method will motivate an additional group of people who will bring currently untapped energy to the effort of protecting the Civil Marriage Protection Act and keep it law.”

Patro said this project will help stir up excitement to at least match the passion by the opposition. “The vote will be close and we could lose if we sit back and do nothing. The opposition will be running to the voting booth. We need to out-work them.”

To find out more, visit the Light Brigade Maryland Facebook page.

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District of Columbia

Norton reintroduces bill to ban discrimination against LGBTQ jurors in D.C. Superior Court

Congresswoman notes Congress controls local court system

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D.C. Congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

D.C. Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) on Friday, June 20, reintroduced her bill to ban discrimination against LGBTQ D.C. residents in the process for selecting people to serve as jurors in D.C. Superior Court.

“The bill would clarify that D.C. residents may not be excluded or disqualified from jury service in the local D.C. trial court, the D.C. Superior Court, based on sexual orientation or gender identity,” Norton said in a statement.

“Specifically, this bill would clarify that the term ‘sex,’ which is a protected class under the nondiscrimination law that applies to jurors in the D.C. Superior Court includes sexual orientation and gender identity,” Norton said.

She points out in her statement that under the D.C. Home Rule Act approved by Congress that created D.C.’s local government, including an elected mayor and City Council, the federal government retained control over the local court system.

“Therefore, until D.C. is given authority to amend Title 11 of the D.C. Code, which one of my bills would do, an act of Congress is required to clarify that LGBTQ+ jurors in the D.C. Superior Court are protected from discrimination,” according to her statement.

A spokesperson for Norton couldn’t immediately be reached to determine whether Norton is aware of specific instances where residents were denied jury service because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.  

Online records of congressional action on Norton’s juror nondiscrimination bill show she had introduced it in 2019, 2021, and 2023, when it died in committee each year, except for the 117th Congress in 2022, when it was approved by a committee but died in the full House.

“During Pride month we are reminded of the many contributions of the LGBTQ+ community,” Norton said in her June 20 statement. “Nobody, including D.C. jurors, should be discriminated against based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, and D.C. juries should not be deprived of the service of LGBTQ residents,” she added.

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Photos

PHOTOS: Pride on the Pier

Blade’s WorldPride celebration ends with fireworks show

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The Washington Blade's Pride on the Pier. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Washington Blade’s second day of Pride on the Pier at The Wharf DC ended with a fireworks show on Saturday, June 7. The fireworks show was presented by the Leonard-Litz LGBTQ Foundation.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

The Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier (Photo by Cedric Craig for Wild Side Media)
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Virginia

Hashmi to face Reid in Va. LG race

State senator won Democratic primary on Tuesday

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Ghazala Hashmi (Screen capture via One Vote At A Time/YouTube)

State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield) will face John Reid in the race to become Virginia’s next lieutenant governor. 

Hashmi won the Democratic primary with 27.49 percent of the vote. She defeated former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, state Sen. Aaron Rouse (D-Virginia Beach), Babur Lateef, Victor Salgado and Alexander Bastani.

“Tonight, Virginians made history,” said Hashmi in a statement. “We didn’t just win a primary, we sent a clear message that we won’t be bullied, broken, or dragged backward by the chaos in Washington.”

Reid, a gay conservative talk show host, in April won the Republican nomination to succeed Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is running to succeed Gov. Glenn Youngkin. 

The incumbent governor days after Reid secured the nomination called for him to withdraw his candidacy amid reports that a social media account with his username included “pornographic content.” Reid, who would become the first openly gay person elected to statewide office in Virginia if he wins in November, has strongly denied the reports.

Former state Del. Jay Jones defeated Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor in Democratic attorney general primary. Jones will face Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares in November.

Youngkin cannot run for a second, consecutive term.

Former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger will face off against Earle-Sears in November. The winner will make history as the first woman elected governor in the state’s history.

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