Local
Protester accuses Charles Village officials of homophobia
Demonstration follows Eagle liquor license flap
Brian Gaither protested outside the Charles Village Festival. (Blade photo by Steve Charing)
Brian Gaither of the Baltimore Homophobia Opposition Network (HON) stood on the island on Charles Street just outside the Charles Village Festival’s footprint on May 30 donning a rainbow boa and pink-framed sunglasses, playing Erasure on his boom box and handing out fliers to festival goers.
The flier that was titled “WANTED FOR HOMOPHOBIA” included the photographs of five key individuals who went on record opposing the liquor license transfer requested by the new owners of the Baltimore Eagle—a leather bar located on the corner of Charles and 21st streets—at a key liquor board hearing in March. In April, the board denied the license transfer request. HON is not affiliated with the Baltimore Eagle and was acting independently.
Gaither also carried a bullhorn, which he used to bellow to all within earshot the following:
“The Charles Village Civic Association, despite the excuses they offer, used procedural tools to oppose the opening of a gay business in Charles Village. In so doing the Charles Village Civic Association has made it clear that businesses catering to the LGBT community are not welcome here. Opposing businesses which cater to the LGBT community makes me, a Baltimore citizen, feel less welcome and less safe in Charles Village. Expressing a personal dislike of LGBT people, whether you say it or you use the neighborhood association to do it, is the essence of homophobia. Spending your money at the festival today directly supports the homophobia of the Charles Village Civic Association.”
The protest lasted two hours though it had been scheduled for five hours each of the two days of the festival. Brendan Coyne, a board member of CVCA, approached Gaither and told him that it was not the official position of the association to oppose the bar, Gaither told the Blade. Gaither later aborted the protest.
Gaither told the Blade, “If Sandy Sparks, the president of the CVCA, (one of the five pictured on the flier) was not acting in accordance with the desires of the rest of the board when she appeared before the Liquor Board to oppose the transfer of the license, then CVCA should take corrective actions to remedy the situation and make public their official position on the re-opening of the Eagle.”
He added, “I think of Charles Village as a diverse and inclusive part of Baltimore. So it was disappointing to watch video of the president of the neighborhood association go before the Liquor Board and oppose a gay business.”
Coyne disputed that assessment.
“I know of no one on the CVCA board who is opposed to the Baltimore Eagle on the grounds of it being a gay bar,” Coyne told the Blade in an email. “While there may be opposition in Charles Village and among other organizations on liquor license and land-use grounds, ours is an inclusive neighborhood that has long welcomed members of the LGBTQ community and continues to do so.”
He continued, “Happily, American society at large is finally catching up to where we’ve been for decades and I fervently hope that Mr. Gaither and others fighting the good fight against homophobia will choose better targets in the future.”
Efforts by the Baltimore Eagle’s ownership and supporters are underway to attempt to overturn the liquor board’s decision. More than 1,000 signatures have been gathered from an online petition at TheBaltimoreEagle.com.
CLARIFICATION: This story was updated to add attribution, reflecting that Gaither told the Blade about Coyne’s comments. The Blade has invited Coyne to contribute a quote explaining his position on the Eagle liquor license dispute and has offered op-ed space to CVCA to better explain its position.
Maryland
Evan Glass is leaning on his record. Is that enough for Montgomery County’s top job?
Gay county executive candidate pushing for equitable pay, safer streets, and cleaner environment
By TALIA RICHMAN | During a meet-and-greet at Poolesville Memorial United Methodist Church, Evan Glass got his loudest applause of the night with a plan he acknowledged was decidedly unsexy.
“Day one, I’ll hire a director of permitting services,” the county executive candidate said.
Doing so, he added, is a step toward easing the regulatory burdens that can stifle small businesses in Montgomery County.
The only problem? At least one of his fiercest competitors is making a similar pledge.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
District of Columbia
D.C. bar, LGBTQ+ Community Center to mark Lesbian Visibility Week
‘Ahead of the Curve’ documentary screening, ‘Queeroke’ among events
2026 Lesbian Visibility Week North America will take place from April 20-26.
This year marks the third annual Lesbian Visibility Week, run by the Curve Foundation. A host of events take place from April 20-26.
This year’s theme is Health and Wellness. For the Curve Foundation, the term “lesbian” serves as an umbrella term for a host of identities, including lesbians, bisexual and transgender women, and anyone else connected to the lesbian community.
The week kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony on April 19. It will take place in New York, but will be livestreamed for the public.
“Queeroke” is one of the events being held around the country. It will take place at various participating bars on April 23.
As You Are, an LGBTQ bar in Capitol Hill, is one of eight locations across the U.S. participating. Their event is free and 21+.
On April 24, the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center will hold a screening of “Ahead of the Curve,” a documentary about the founder of Curve, Franco Stevens. The event is free with an RSVP.
April 25, is Queer Women in Sports Day. And on April 26, several monuments in New York will be illuminated.
Virtual events ranging from health to sports will be made available to the public. Details will be released closer to the start of Lesbian Visibility Week. Featured events can be found on the official website.
Some ways for individuals to get involved are to use #LVW26 and tag the official Lesbian Visibility Week account on social media posts. People are encouraged to display their lesbian flags, and businesses can hand out pins and decorate. They can also reach out to local lawmakers to encourage them to issue an official Lesbian Visibility Week.
District of Columbia
Whitman-Walker Health to present ‘Pro Bono Excellence’ award to law firm
Health center set to celebrate 40th anniversary of legal services program
Whitman-Walker Health, the D.C.-based community healthcare center that specializes in HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ-related health services, announced it will present its annual Dale Edwin Sanders Award for Pro Bono Excellence to the international law firm McDermott Will & Schulte at a May 6 ceremony.
“This year’s award is especially significant as it coincides with the 40th anniversary of Whitman-Walker Health’s Legal Services Program, marking it as the nation’s longest running medical-legal partnership,” a statement released by Whitman-Walker says.
“As a national leader in public health, Whitman-Walker celebrates our partnership with McDermott to strengthen the health center and to enable Whitman-Walker to reach more medical and legal clients,” the statement adds.
“McDermott’s firm-wide commitment to Whitman-Walker’s medical-legal partnership demonstrates a shared vision to serve those most in need,” Amy Nelson, Whitman-Walker’s director of Legal Services, says in the statement. “Our work protects individuals and families who face discrimination and hostility as they navigate increasingly complex administrative systems,” Nelson said.
“Pro bono legal services – like that of McDermott Will & Schulte – find solutions for people who have no place else to turn in the face of financial and health threats,” she added.
“Our partnership with Whitman-Walker Health is a treasured commitment to serving our neighbors and communities,” Steven Schnelle, one of the law firm’s partners said in the statement. “We are deeply moved by Whitman-Walker’s unwavering dedication to inclusion, respect, and equitable access to health care and social services,” he said.
The statement notes that the award for Pro Bono Excellence honors the legacy of the late gay attorney Dale Edwin Sanders. It says Sanders’s pro bono legal work for Whitman-Walker clients “shaped HIV/AIDS law for more than four decades by securing key victories on behalf of individuals whose employment and patient rights were violated.”
It says the Whitman-Walker Legal Services program began during the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s at a time when people with AIDS faced widespread discrimination and often needed legal assistance. According to the statement, the program evolved over the years and expanded to advocate for transgender people and immigrants.
Whitman-Walker spokesperson Lisa Amore said the presentation of the Dale Edwin Sanders Pro Bono Excellency Award will be held at the May 6 fundraising benefit for Whitman-Walker’s Legal Services Program. She said the event will take place at the offices of the DC law firm Baker McKenzie and ticket availability can be accessed here: https://www.whitman-walker.org/gtem-2026/
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