Local
Police chief joins rally, walk against anti-LGBT violence
Residents of Bloomingdale, Eckington denounce attack on gay couple
D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier, a contingent of police officials, two members of the City Council, and civic activists from the cityās Bloomingdale and Eckington neighborhoods participated in a rally and walk Thursday night against anti-LGBT violence.
Chanting āFrom Ward 1 to Ward 8, stop the violence, stop the hate,ā about 100 people gathered outside the Big Bear restaurant in Bloomingdale at First and R Street, N.W., where organizers staged a rally.
A smaller contingent of about 60 people then walked several blocks to Third Street and Lincoln Road, N.E., in Eckington near where a gay male couple was attacked and beaten on July 22.
āWe are here in response and defense against what happened on the 22nd and the prevailing rise of violence in the District of Columbia in general,ā said gay activist Nick McCoy, the lead organizer of the event.
āWeāre here today to showcase the broad support of our community that represents black, white, LGBT, artistic, business, and heterosexual,ā McCoy said. āTonight, instead of silence, weāre raising our voices together.ā
Police said yoga instructor Michael Hall, 29, and his partner Michael Roike, 28, were attacked by three unidentified youths who shouted anti-gay names before punching and kicking the two men. Hall suffered a fractured jaw and broken face bone and underwent surgery at Howard University Hospital as a result of his injuries.
No arrests have been made in the incident. Lanier said an active investigation continues and police are appealing to the community for witnesses to help identify the attackers.
Hall and Roike didnāt attend the rally and walk. McCoy said the two were invited but declined, saying they were not ready to participate in such an event.
A.J. Singletary, chair of Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV) told the rally that D.C. has the highest rate of anti-LGBT violence in the nation and that between 2005 and 2011 anti-gay crime increased 86 percent.
He said police statics show 21 hate crimes based on the victimās sexual orientation have been reported so far this year, compared to 15 reported as of August 2011.
āThis is absolutely unacceptable,ā Singletary said. āThe only way we can change this is to work together as one community.ā
Lanier joined the walk at the site near where the attack against the gay couple took place. She praised organizers and participants for rallying the community against crime.
āI wish we could do this more often because it sends a message that communities were formed for the protection of the community,ā she said. āSometimes we forget that. So I think that when anybody in the neighborhood is victimized we should stand up and come together and say, no, this is not tolerable. This is not going to happen in our community.ā
Others who spoke at the rally or during the walk were Commander Andy Soleberg of the Fifth Police District, which has jurisdiction over Bloomingdale and Eckington; and D.C. Council members Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5) and Vincent Orange (D-At-Large).
Other speakers included Jeffrey Richardson, director of the Mayorās Office of GLBT Affairs; and Lateefah Williams, president of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, the cityās largest LGBT political group.
Captain Edward Delgado, director of the police Special Liaison Division, which oversees the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit; Sgt. Carlos Mejia, supervisor of the GLLU; and several GLLU members participated in the walk and rally.
McCoy said he was especially pleased that Bloomingdale and Eckington residents, LGBT and straight, turned out for the event and expressed strong support for the neighborhoodsā LGBT residents.
E. Gail Anderson Holness, a Bloomingdale civic activist and minister, led the crowd in the chant, āFired up, we wonāt take no more.ā
āWhen injustice happens to one of us, injustice happens to all of us,ā she said. āLetās walk together and stand together and tell this community and all communities in Washington D.C. that weāre all standing together ā lesbian and gay, bisexual, tri-sexual, any sexual, no sexual. Weāre all standing together and weāre not going to tolerate crime of any sort in our community.ā
Virginia
Va. House committee approves resolution to repeal marriage amendment
Two successive legislatures must approve proposal before it goes to voters
A Virginia House of Delegates committee on Wednesday approved a resolution that seeks to repeal a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
The Privileges and Elections Committee by a 16-5 vote margin approved state Del. Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax County)’s resolution that he introduced earlier this year. State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) sponsored an identical resolution in the Virginia Senate.
Ebbin and Sickles are gay.
Voters approved the Marshall-Newman Amendment in 2006.
Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in Virginia since 2014. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin earlier this year signed a bill that codified marriage equality in state law.
The General Assembly in 2021 approved a resolution that seeks to repeal the Marshall-Newman Amendment. It must pass in two successive legislatures before it can go to the ballot.
“Virginia is for lovers,” said the Virginia House Democratic Caucus on X after Wednesday’s vote. “Today, we advanced a Constitutional Amendment to overturn Virginiaās ban on same-sex marriage. Itās time our laws reflect our values of equality, inclusion, and dignity for all.”
The committee on Wednesday also approved resolutions that would enshrine reproductive rights and restore formerly incarcerated people’s right to vote in the state constitution.
Maryland
At Salisbury University, an alleged hate crime shakes LGBTQ studentsā sense of safety
Authorities have charged 12 men in connection with attack
BY ELLIE WOLFE | Gigi Levin said she wasnāt particularly shocked when she heard a group of her classmates had been accused of luring a gay man to an apartment and attacking him.
āThis is a problem rooted in our campus culture,ā said Levin, a 24-year-old Salisbury University student from Montgomery County. āThe administration can help, but ultimately we are responsible for our safety as LGBTQ+ students.ā
Levin was one of the first to arrive at a vigil on Monday afternoon, planned by an LGBTQ faculty group after University President Carolyn Ringer Lepre announced inĀ an email to the campus last week that several students been arrested.Ā The Salisbury Police Department chargedĀ 12 men, all students between 18 and 21,Ā with first-degree assault, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment and associated hate crimes.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
District of Columbia
Two D.C. LGBTQ rights advocates stepping down from jobs
Crenshaw leaving Alston Foundation; Czapary departs mayorās office
Longtime D.C. LGBTQ rights advocate June Crenshaw announced she is stepping down from her position for the past nine years as executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, the local organization that provides housing and support services for homeless LGBTQ youth.
Around the same time, fellow LGBTQ rights advocate Salah Czapary announced he is stepping down from his position for the past two years as director of the D.C. Mayorās Office of Nightlife and Culture.
Meanwhile, a third longtime local LGBTQ rights advocate, David Meadows, was unanimously confirmed on Nov. 1 by the D.C. Council for an appointment by Mayor Muriel Bowser as a member of the cityās Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board, which is responsible for administering, enforcing, and adjudicating the cityās alcoholic beverage and medical marijuana laws.
Neither Crenshaw nor Czapary disclosed in announcing their departure from their jobs what their future career plans are, and the two didnāt immediately respond to a question from the Washington Blade asking about career plans going forward.
Crenshaw currently serves as co-chair of the committee organizing D.C. World Pride 2025, the international LGBTQ Pride celebration expected to draw a million or more visitors to the city for a wide range of World Pride events in late May and early June 2025.
āAfter over nine years of unwavering dedication and visionary leadership, our beloved Executive Director, June Crenshaw, has decided to step into her next chapter,ā a statement released by the Wanda Alston Foundation board of directors says. āWhile we will miss Juneās daily presence, we are grateful that she will stay on through the transition to ensure a warm, seamless handover as we actively search for our next executive director,ā the statement says.
It adds, āHer unwavering commitment to our mission, clients, and team has helped build a foundation of compassion, resilience, and excellence. This transition reflects her readiness to explore new paths and her belief in the bright future of the Wanda Alston Foundation.ā
In his own statement, Czapary said he appreciated the opportunity his job gave him to serve the city and its residents and visitors.
āOctober marked my last month in the Mayorās Office and Iām grateful to Mayor Bowser for giving me the opportunity to serve as the Districtās Nightlife and Cultural Director, supporting our hospitality sector ā the sector that makes the city a great place to live and visit,ā he said.
āIām proud of positioning the office as a responsive entry point for industry and residents to interact with government,ā he said in his statement. āThe role deepened my understanding and love for D.C. in ways I couldnāt have imagined two years ago.ā
Czapary added, āAs for me, Iām excited about whatās next.ā But he gave no indication of his future career plans.
In the past 20 years or longer D.C. mayors have appointed an LGBTQ member of what used to be called the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board or ABC Board before its role was expanded to include marijuana regulations. It currently still uses the name ABC Board to denote Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board.
LGBTQ rights advocates have called for at least one LGBTQ member of the board to provide representation for the important role that gay bars and other LGBTQĀ establishments licensed to sell or serve liquor have historically played in the community.
The boardās previous gay member, Edward Grandis, left the board earlier this year. In a statement released at the time of his confirmation by the Council, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration, which works with the ABC Board on liquor and cannabis related regulations, issued a statement introducing Meadows as its new board member.
āMr. Meadows is a long-time Ward 8 LGBTQIA+ community advocate with 30 years of extensive experience serving in leadership roles in District government and civic organizations,ā the statement says. āMost recently, Mr. Meadows ran day-to-day operations in the Office of At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds as her Chief of Staff and Senior Adviser,ā the statement continues.
It says Meadows previously has served as executive director of the D.C. Democratic Party and notes he began his career in the hospitality industry, including serving as events manager for the D.C.-based National Democratic Club. His appointment on the ABC Board is for a four-year term.
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