Local
Another gay murder victim in Baltimore
Man accused of stabbing boyfriend
Jermaine Jackson, 28, was arrested and charged in the homicide of his boyfriend. (Photo courtesy Baltimore City Police)
Less than three weeks after Tamala Harris was charged in connection with the stabbing death of her girlfriend Tekeya Amanda Johnson in the 6000 block of Amberwood Road in Northeast Baltimore, another murder involving a gay couple allegedly occurred on Oct. 11.
Andre Nicholas, 28, who performed a variety of handyman jobs at Club Bunns, was found dead in the basement of his boyfriend’s mother’s home at the 2500 block of Garrett Ave. Nicholas’ boyfriend of about a year and a half, Jermaine Jackson, also 28, was arrested and charged in the homicide.
According to police charging documents, Jackson’s mother told police that the suspect was in the basement of her house with a male friend when she left the dwelling in the morning. She reported that she returned home around 6 p.m. to cook dinner when her son came up from his room in the basement telling her there was a dead body in his bed.
Jackson then told his mother to get important papers together because they needed to leave the house. When she asked what happened, Jackson told his mother, “he choked and stabbed Nicholas because the victim wanted him to do something he didn’t want to do,” police wrote in the documents.” What that alleged request entailed has not yet been identified.
The mother walked partway down the steps and saw what she believed was a body wrapped in plastic on Jackson’s bed. She then called police and the fire department. Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered a male wrapped in a sheet and plastic suffering from apparent stab wounds. Nicholas was pronounced dead at the scene.
A photo of the corpse was posted on Jackson’s Facebook page then removed following protests from the victim’s friends. Police are reportedly investigating how the photo was posted during the time Jackson was in custody.
Mark McLaurin, a close friend of Nicholas who knew the couple well, told the Blade that Nicholas frequently spent the night at Jackson’s mother’s home. “Andre was always the much bigger personality, and Jermaine was more quiet and laid back but not at all standoffish, almost shy but affable and approachable. It’s impossible to know what happened that day but I never would have guessed in a million years that Jermaine would kill Andre.”
McLaurin, a D.C. resident and political director for the Service Employees International Union Local 500 added, “Our community has lost so many, but this one is particularly hard.”
Court documents indicate Jackson was charged with Murder in the First Degree, Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, Assault in the Second Degree, Possession of a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Injure and Possession of a Concealed Dangerous Weapon.
A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 18 in District Court at 1400 E. North Ave. in Baltimore.
District of Columbia
Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp, Deacon Maccubbin named WorldPride grand marshals
Three LGBTQ icons to lead parade
WorldPride organizers announced Thursday that actress and trans activist Laverne Cox, powerhouse performer Reneé Rapp, and LGBTQ trailblazer Deacon Maccubbin will serve as grand marshals for this year’s WorldPride parade.
The Capital Pride Alliance, which is organizing WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C., revealed the honorees in a press release, noting that each has made a unique contribution to the fabric of the LGBTQ community.
Cox made history in 2014 as the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category for her role in Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black.” She went on to win a Daytime Emmy in 2015 for her documentary “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word,” which followed seven young trans people as they navigated coming out.
Rapp, a singer and actress who identifies as a lesbian, rose to prominence as Regina George in the Broadway musical “Mean Girls.” She reprised the role in the 2024 film adaptation and also stars in Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” portraying a character coming to terms with her sexuality. Rapp has released an EP, “Everything to Everyone,” and an album, “Snow Angel.” She announced her sophomore album, “Bite Me,” on May 21 and is slated to perform at the WorldPride Music Festival at the RFK Festival Grounds.
Deacon Maccubbin, widely regarded as a cornerstone of Washington’s LGBTQ+ history, helped organize D.C.’s first Gay Pride Party in 1975. The event took place outside Lambda Rising, one of the first LGBTQ bookstores in the nation, which Maccubbin founded. For his decades of advocacy and activism, he is often referred to as “the patriarch of D.C. Pride.”
“I am so honored to serve as one of the grand marshals for WorldPride this year. This has been one of the most difficult times in recent history for queer and trans people globally,” Cox said. “But in the face of all the rhetorical, legislative and physical attacks, we continue to have the courage to embrace who we truly are, to celebrate our beauty, resilience and bravery as a community. We refuse to allow fear to keep us from ourselves and each other. We remain out loud and proud.”
“Pride is everything. It is protection, it is visibility, it is intersectional. But most importantly, it is a celebration of existence and protest,” Rapp said.
The three will march down 14th Street for the WorldPride Parade in Washington on June 7.
2025 D.C. Trans Pride was held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, May 17. The day was filled with panel discussions, art, social events, speakers, a resource fair and the Engendered Spirit Awards. Awardees included Lyra McMillan, Pip Baitinger, Steph Niaupari and Hayden Gise. The keynote address was delivered by athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
Washington Blade’s unique archives chronicle highs, lows of our movement
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride in Washington, D.C., the Washington Blade team combed our archives and put together a glossy magazine showcasing five decades of celebrations in the city. Below is a sampling of images from the magazine but be sure to find a print copy starting this week.
The magazine is being distributed now and is complimentary. You can find copies at LGBTQ bars and restaurants across the city. Or visit the Blade booth at the Pride festival on June 7 and 8 where we will distribute copies.
Thank you to our advertisers and sponsors, whose support has enabled us to distribute the magazine free of charge. And thanks to our dedicated team at the Blade, especially Photo Editor Michael Key, who spent many hours searching the archives for the best images, many of which are unique to the Blade and cannot be found elsewhere. And thanks to our dynamic production team of Meaghan Juba, who designed the magazine, and Phil Rockstroh who managed the process. Stephen Rutgers and Brian Pitts handled sales and marketing and staff writers Lou Chibbaro Jr., Christopher Kane, Michael K. Lavers, Joe Reberkenny along with freelancer and former Blade staffer Joey DiGuglielmo wrote the essays.
The magazine represents more than 50 years of hard work by countless reporters, editors, advertising sales reps, photographers, and other media professionals who have brought you the Washington Blade since 1969.
We hope you enjoy the magazine and keep it as a reminder of all the many ups and downs our local LGBTQ community has experienced over the past 50 years.
I hope you will consider supporting our vital mission by becoming a Blade member today. At a time when reliable, accurate LGBTQ news is more essential than ever, your contribution helps make it possible. With a monthly gift starting at just $7, you’ll ensure that the Blade remains a trusted, free resource for the community — now and for years to come. Click here to help fund LGBTQ journalism.
Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp, Deacon Maccubbin named WorldPride grand marshals
House passes reconciliation with gender-affirming care funding ban
PHOTOS: D.C. Trans Pride
Men convicted of murdering two men in NYC gay bar drugging scheme sentenced
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
WorldPride events round-up
Pope Leo XIV: Family based on ‘stable union between a man and a woman’
Wes Moore signs HIV decriminalization bill
