Local
Demolition forces move of Pride block party
New location secured behind Hippo
The last Baltimore Pride block party was held in 2013. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Just as locals thought the 2015 Baltimore Pride block party was returning to its familiar Eager and Charles streets locale after a one-year absence, a scheduling snafu by the City of Baltimore threw a wrench into those plans. Officials issued a permit to perform demolition and repaving of the parking lot (adjacent to Club Hippo and Grand Central Station nightclub) that has traditionally been used to host Pride vendors during the block party.
Additionally, the building on the north side of the parking lot (1010 N. Charles St.) has been demolished. Pride coordinator Paul Liller said he was notified of the parking lot construction in early June. News of the construction permit came months after Baltimore Pride submitted its permit to use the space. This can be seen as an oversight by the city, says Liller, which essentially issued two permits for the same space during the same period of time.
After meeting with city officials, the fire department and the permit office in mid-June, it was discovered that the construction would not be completed in advance of the block party on July 25, and an alternate location needed to be secured. Baltimore Pride secured the parking lot at the corner of Cathedral and Brexton streets, traditionally dubbed “the lesbian lot” as well as an adjoining parking lot on Charles Street, in front of Mt. Vernon Stable. Those lots are connected by a path.
Alcohol will be served in the space. Anyone who wishes to drink in the space will need to purchase a wristband. Bands will be available for sale on site, at the Hippo, and through a pre-sale at the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB) in the week leading up to Pride. Vendors have been notified of the new footprint. A detailed map will be released in advance of the block party.
Baltimore Pride, a function of the GLCCB, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. After receiving community feedback that criticized its move to a two-day event in the Mount Royal area in 2014, GLCCB officials decided to return to the Mount Vernon area in 2015.
“The discovery of a construction permit being issued after we submitted our own permit was upsetting, but I’m confident that the new space, which is mere feet away from our traditional footprint, will still deliver all the fun and excitement that Baltimore Pride revelers have come to expect,” Liller, who is also GLCCB deputy director, told the Blade.
The annual parade and block party will occur on July 25 with the Sunday festival to return to Druid Hill Park on July 26. The parade, which traditionally took place along Charles Street, will march along Cathedral Street instead — another change.
Photos
PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony
The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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)
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