Local
Montgomery County mothers back Question 6
Women spoke in support of Question 6 during Silver Spring press conference
A group of Montgomery County mothers spoke in support of Question 6 in Silver Spring on Thursday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)
A group of Montgomery County mothers on Thursday expressed their support of Maryland’s same-sex marriage law.
“I’m opening my home to you all because it’s an important issue of fairness on the ballot this year in Maryland,” said retired Library of Congress librarian Marilyn Parr during a press conference outside her Silver Spring home. “I’ve gathered some women like me who believe Question 6 is about fairness and equality. I’ll let them share their stories with you, but I believe that a couple who is willing to make a lifelong commitment should be treated with the fairness I received in my own marriage. It’s the right thing to do. And it’s time that Maryland voters do the right thing and vote for fairness and equality for all families to be equal under the law.”
Silver Spring resident Jane Meier, who identified herself as a life-long Christian, said she has already voted for the same-sex marriage law.
“I voted for Question 6 because I believe in the Golden Rule and I want to raise my children in a state where we treat others as we want to be treated,” she said.
A Goucher College poll released on Monday found 55 percent of Marylanders support marriage rights for same-sex couples in the state, compared to 39 percent who oppose them. A Baltimore Sun survey conducted between Oct. 20-23 noted only 46 percent of respondents would vote for the law. A Washington Post poll published on Oct. 18 found 52 percent of Maryland voters support Question 6, compared to 42 percent who said they oppose it.
Karin Quimby, field director of Marylanders for Marriage Equality, and others stressed that Question 6 will not force clergy who object to nuptials for gays and lesbians to marry same-sex couples.
“Every family deserves dignity, and all children need to be protected under the law,” said Susan Wilson. “We all know someone who’s gay or lesbian. They are our neighbors, our friends, our family or even members of our congregations or synagogues. And their children, who are every bit as precious as my own, deserve the securities afforded to our families under the law. In six days we all have an opportunity to provide fairness and equality for these families and children. They deserve the same protections I enjoy simply because of the person I married.”
Michelle Russo agreed.
“Marriage equality just makes sense to me,” she said. “I met the love of my life 16 years ago, and I married him three years later. I believe the gay couple down the street should be able to have the same marriage that we do. The freedom to marry should be afforded to all committee couples.”
Baltimore
‘Heated Rivalry’ fandom exposes LGBTQ divide in Baltimore
Hit show raises questions about identity, cultural representation
By JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IV | “Heated Rivalry,” the surprise gay hockey romance that has captivated global audiences and become a cultural phenomenon, has inspired sold-out parties celebrating the characters from the steamy series, including in Baltimore.
For some, love of the show has exposed the loss of a once-vibrant gay nightlife in Charm City and splintered its LGBTQ community. It also brings up layered questions about identity, cultural representation, and the limits of identity politics.
In Baltimore, the majority of the parties also appear to be missing a key ingredient that has been a part of the show’s success: gay men at the helm. Last month, women hosted a dance party at Ottobar, a straight establishment.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Virginia
McPike wins special election for Va. House of Delegates
Gay Alexandria City Council member becomes 8th LGBTQ member of legislature
Gay Alexandria City Council member Kirk McPike emerged as the decisive winner in a Feb. 10 special election for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates representing Alexandria.
McPike, a Democrat, received 81.5 percent of the vote in his race against Republican Mason Butler, according to the local publication ALX Now.
He first won election to the Alexandria Council in 2021. He will be filling the House of Delegates seat being vacated by Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-Alexandria), who won in another Feb. 10 special election for the Virginia State Senate seat being vacated by gay Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria).
Ebbin is resigning from his Senate next week to take a position with Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s administration.
Upon taking his 5th District seat in the House of Delegate, McPike will become the eighth out LGBTQ member of the Virginia General Assembly. Among those he will be joining is Sen. Danica Roem (D-Manassas), who became the Virginia Legislature’s first transgender member when she won election to the House of Delegates in 2017 before being elected to the Senate in 2023.
“I look forward to continuing to work to address our housing crisis, the challenge of climate change, and the damaging impacts of the Trump administration on the immigrant families, LGBTQ+ Virginians, and federal employees who call Alexandria home,” McPike said in a statement after winning the Democratic nomination for the seat in a special primary held on Jan. 20.
McPike, a longtime LGBTQ rights advocate, has served for the past 13 years as chief of staff for gay U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and has remained in that position during his tenure on the Alexandria Council. He said he will resign from that position before taking office in the House of Delegates.
Local
Local LGBTQ groups, activists to commemorate Black History Month
Rayceen Pendarvis to moderate Dupont Underground panel on Sunday
LGBTQ groups in D.C. and elsewhere plan to use Black History Month as an opportunity to commemorate and celebrate Black lives and experiences.
Team Rayceen Productions has no specific events planned, but co-founder Rayceen Pendarvis will attend many functions around D.C. this month.
Pendarvis, a longtime voice in the LGBTQ community in D.C. moderated a panel at Dupont Underground on Feb. 8. The event, “Every (Body) Wants to Be a Showgirl,” will feature art from Black burlesque artists from around the country. Pendarvis on Feb. 23 will attend the showing of multimedia play at the Lincoln Theatre that commemorates the life of James Baldwin.
Equality Virginia plans to prioritize Black voices through a weekly online series, and community-based story telling. The online digital series will center Black LGBTQ voices, specifically trailblazers and activists, and contemporary Black queer and transgender people.
Narissa Rahaman, Equality Virginia’s executive director, stressed the importance of the Black queer community to the overall Pride movement, and said “Equality Virginia is proud to center those voices in our work this month and beyond.”
The Capital Pride Alliance, which hosts Pride events in D.C., has an alliance with the Center for Black Equity, which brings Black Pride to D.C. over Memorial Day weekend. The National LGBTQ Task Force has no specific Black History Month events planned, but plans to participate in online collaborations.
Cathy Renna, the Task Force’s director of communications, told the Washington Blade the organization remains committed to uplifting Black voices. “Our priority is keeping this at the forefront everyday,” she said.
The D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center is also hosting a series of Black History Month events.
The D.C. Public Library earlier this year launched “Freedom and Resistance,” an exhibition that celebrates Black History Month and Martin Luther King Jr. It will remain on display until the middle of March at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at 901 G St., N.W.
Home is where the heart is
‘Heated Rivalry’ fandom exposes LGBTQ divide in Baltimore
Magic is happening for Round House’s out stage manager
Four bisexual women on stereotypes, erasure, representation, and joy
Unconventional love: Or, fuck it, let’s choose each other again
McPike wins special election for Va. House of Delegates
Meet D.C.’s Most Eligible Queer Singles
Top Democrats re-introduce trans bill of rights
Local LGBTQ groups, activists to commemorate Black History Month
