Local
LGBT-backed candidate wins Ward 8 D.C. Council race
May prevails by razor-thin margin
LaRuby May (Washington Blade photo by Vladyslav Rekhovskyy)
Attorney and community activist LaRuby May, who received the backing of most of the city’s LGBT community leaders, won her race for the Ward 8 D.C. Council seat by a razor-thin 79-vote margin, according to a final but unofficial count released May 8 by the Board of Elections.
The April 28 special election was called to fill the seat that became vacant when former mayor and D.C. Council member Marion Barry died last November.
May, who expressed strong support for LGBT rights, was nearly overtaken in the vote count by former Ward 8 school board member and Barry protégé Trayon White, whose positions on LGBT issues are largely unknown.
In an 11-candidate race, May finished with 1,955 votes, or 26.76 percent, compared to White, who received 1,876 votes, or 25.67 percent. May outspent White in campaign funds by a more than a 6-to-1 margin and enjoyed the support of Mayor Muriel Bowser, who campaigned in the ward on her behalf.
In a separate race, Brandon Todd, who also received LGBT community support, easily won election to the Ward 4 Council seat that became vacant when then-Council member Bowser won election last November as mayor. Todd had served on Bowser’s Council staff as constituent services director and later served as finance director for Bowser’s mayoral campaign.
Todd also has expressed strong support on LGBT issues.
Todd and May were scheduled to be sworn in at a 6:30 p.m. ceremony on Thursday at the Wilson Building. The election board was scheduled to officially certify their election at a 10:30 a.m. meeting that same day.
White’s strong showing surprised many of the city’s political observers, who now say he is in a strong position to challenge May in the June 2016 Democratic primary, when Barry’s former seat is up for election.
When the Washington Blade contacted White last week to ask him about his views on LGBT issues, White requested that questions be sent to him in writing. As of late Tuesday, he had not responded to a series of written questions on LGBT issues, including whether he would have voted for the city’s same-sex marriage law if he were on the Council when that legislation came up.
Barry, who White has said was one of his political mentors, was one of two Council members to vote against the marriage equality law when it came before the Council in 2009.
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Congratulations to Jaime Christopher Pierce on their appointment to serve as a member of the Virginia Governor’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. Pierce was sworn in on Sept. 3 by Greg Parks, clerk of the Alexandria Circuit Court.
Pierce currently serves as vice chair of the Alexandria City LGBTQIA+ Task Force and as a member of the Alexandria Pride planning committee. They previously served on the board of directors of Equality Virginia.
Upon being sworn in, Pierce said, “Public service has been a central part of my life for more than 30 years, and this appointment gives me an opportunity to serve the Commonwealth in a different and very personal way. My career has allowed me to work with people and communities throughout Virginia, and I hope to bring that experience, along with my own lived experience and my involvement in the LGBTQ+ community, to the work of the Board.” They added, “Having Greg administer the oath makes the occasion even more meaningful because of his own historic role as Virginia’s first openly gay elected circuit court clerk.”
Pierce also serves as Circuit Court Services Manager for the Department of Judicial Services, at the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia. They began their career in Virginia’s judiciary in 1994 as a deputy clerk with the Virginia Beach Circuit Court and have since held several professional and leadership positions within the court system. Pierce is a member of the National Association for Court Management (NACM) and the Mid-Atlantic Association for Court Management. At the national level, Pierce participated in the workgroup that developed the National Association for Court Management’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Guide, a resource designed to help court professionals advance inclusive practices and strengthen access, fairness and belonging within the justice system.
Pierce earned a degree in Criminal Justice from Liberty University, and a certificate in Paralegal Studies from Norfolk State University.
Maryland
Md. groups receive state grants to fight hate crimes
Pride Center of Maryland among recipients
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy are awarding a total of $10 million in grants in the 2027 fiscal year to nonprofit organizations that work to prevent hate crimes in the state.
The funds will be used to support those who feel targeted or discriminated against because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status.
The Pride Center of Maryland is among the recipients. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and LGBTQ organizations are all eligible to receive grants
“The safety and security of all Marylanders is my top priority, so we are drawing a hard line because we have no tolerance for hate,” said Moore, according to media reports. “We are committed to protecting and ensuring safe and sacred spaces stay that way by investing in non-profit organizations, houses of worship, and community centers to protect and honor every community that makes our state so diverse and special.”
“Protection Against Hate Crime funding has strengthened the Pride Center of Maryland’s ability to protect, educate, and support the communities we serve … at a time of heightened concern associated with the Trump administration’s anti-LGBTQ/SGL (same-gender-loving) policies and pressures,” Pride Center of Maryland CEO Cleo Manago said. “PAHC funding helps us do more than improve physical security — it strengthens our community’s knowledge, preparedness, connection to resources, and ability to respond to hate with greater awareness and support.”
Maryland’s hate crimes law includes both sexual orientation and gender identity. The state’s nondiscrimination statute is also LGBTQ-inclusive.
District of Columbia
Blade welcomes fall intern
Alexis McLean is student at University of North Florida
The Washington Blade this week welcomed Alexis McLean as its fall intern.
Alexis is studying political science at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. She is interning with the Blade as part of a continued partnership with the Washington Center.
“I am looking forward to spending my time in the fall with the Washington Blade, as this is a new experience for me,” said Alexis. “I have not experienced any journalist jobs in the past so this would be my first time, and I am excited to better my writing and communications skills with this internship.”
Alexis’s internship with the Blade ends in early December.
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LGBTQ Military Happy Hour set for Sept. 15
Calendar: September 11-17
Multi-billion-dollar 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund to continue until 2090
Md. groups receive state grants to fight hate crimes
Nominate your favorites for the Blade’s 25th annual Best Of LGBTQ DC Awards
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PHOTOS: SUNFESTIVAL
