Local
Robert Larkin dies at 61
Noted antiques dealer, passport service worker


Robert Ashby Larkin (Photo courtesy Ken Ceccucci)
Robert Ashby Larkin, 61, died Jan. 18. He had been ill since spring 2014 with chronic conditions associated with congestive heart failure, according to friends.
A graveside memorial will be held at noon Saturday at National Memorial Park in Falls Church, Va.
An Arlington native, Larkin was born Dec. 26, 1953. An only child surrounded by close-knit family, he was loved and doted upon. Recalling his early years in the now-Tysons megaplex, he would cite the family’s farmhouse-like environment as the imprint to a lifelong interest for collecting antiques, a passion shared with his closest friends.
Following high school graduation, he began work as a bank teller at Columbia First Federal Savings and Loan, leaving as head of that department. He indulged his passion for antiques for a couple years at Ruff and Ready Furnishings in Washington. He later worked at Washington Passport and Visa Service in D.C. where he excelled at processing passports and visas and counseled travelers for 25 years. He took great professional pride in his work, finding it both challenging and rewarding. His was a voice many clients were happy to have at the other end of the line as he navigated them through tight deadlines and multiple destinations.
Larkin formed lasting relationships with several antique dealers who became close friends. He was a habituate of the Georgetown, Eastern Market and Civitan flea markets, sometimes as a vendor, sometimes a shopper. For several years at Eastern Market, he operated a regular booth, MerryMart, named for his mother, Mary.
Friends said Larkin loved nothing better than a road trip through Maryland and Pennsylvania. Alone or with friends, he pursued his passion for Old Paris porcelains, Cranberry glass, Jasper ware and his much-loved Flow Blue and Havilland china.
In later life, he particularly enjoyed being with close friends, sitting around a kitchen table sharing stories and laughter, or sometimes the impromptu dinner party capped off with an Irish Coffee at Mr. Henry’s on the Hill.
His friends and professional family will miss him greatly, among them Ken Ceccucci (Spencer Holland), Joe Munroe and Gary Riley as well as Bob Hincherick, and Hernan (JR) and Blanca Diaz. Flowers for his memorial may be delivered to National Memorial Park in Falls Church, Va.

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)

















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.
Baltimore
More than 15K people attend Baltimore Trans Pride
Baltimore Safe Haven organized annual event

More than 15,000 people attended Baltimore Safe Haven’s annual Trans Pride on Saturday.
“Last year we had maybe 2,500, and the year before that, we had 5,000,” Renee Lau, administrative assistant for special projects coordinator for Baltimore Safe Haven, said. “In today’s political climate, it’s absolutely amazing.”
Lau said allies and other groups “went into hiding” for about a month or two after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, but then all at once, different organizations started to reach out.
“The community has really come together to support us,” Lau said. “It was a fun, exciting day.”
Baltimore Safe Haven Executive Director Iya Dammons in a press release said the “historic turnout” showed the transgender community’s strength, as well as their unity to fight for justice and equality for all LGBTQ people.
At the event, attendees were seen waving flags and shouting “Trans Lives Matter,” showing their support for the community.
On Friday, before Trans Pride, Baltimore Safe Haven opened their new building to the public, gathering notable attendees like the Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohan, Council Member Antonio Glover, and representatives from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.
“(It) was historic in itself because … we’re the only direct service providers for people in the LGBT community,” Lau said.
Providing housing for 18- to 24-year-olds, Lau said the new building also serves as a community hub and has office spaces for workers.
With only a few hiccups of arguments between attendees and fixing street blockades during Trans Pride, Lau said the event showed what the community can do.
“It was amazing that so many people came out and had that much fun. We were all giddy by Sunday morning,” Lau said. “(It gave) Safe Haven exposure and continuity. We are not just an LGBT organization, we are an organization that supports the entire community.”
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