Local
FreeState Legal seeks recognition of same-sex parents
Trans man denied visitation with child
The Court of Appeals is expected to decide whether to hear the case of Conover v. Conover in the next two months.
In a case that impacts thousands of children in Maryland born into families headed by same-sex couples, Baltimore-based FreeState Legal has asked Maryland’s Court of Appeals to review a decision by lower courts denying legal parentage to a person who raised a child from birth with their same-sex spouse. In the case of Conover v. Conover, FreeState Legal represents Michael Conover, a transgender man. Before Conover’s gender transition, he and his female partner had a child by artificial insemination of his partner. They married after marriage equality was legally recognized for same-sex couples, but the lower courts have refused to recognize Conover’s parentage of their child. As a result, Conover has been unable to see his child for more than two years.
“This heartbreaking case is about whether Maryland courts will give equal protection to the parent-child relationships of children born to same-sex couples, and whether marriages between same-sex couples are truly equal under Maryland law,” said FreeState Legal’s deputy director and managing attorney, Jer Welter, who represents Michael Conover, in a statement. “For marriage equality to have real meaning, the families formed by same-sex married couples must have the same legal protection as the families formed by opposite-sex couples.”
Before his gender transition, Michael Conover was in a committed same-sex relationship for nearly a decade with Brittany Eckel. In 2009, before marriage equality for same-sex couples was recognized in Maryland, Conover and Eckel decided to have a child together by artificial insemination. They chose an anonymous sperm donor on the basis of physical resemblance to Conover, and when Eckel gave birth to their son Jaxon, the child was given Conover’s last name. A few months later, Conover and Eckel married in nearby Washington D.C., where marriage between same-sex couples had become legally recognized.
They parented Jaxon together for the first two years of his life, but later broke up. In their divorce case, Conover asked the court for visitation with their son, but Eckel claimed that they had no children together. The trial court ruled that Conover is a legal stranger to Jaxon because he lacks a biological or adoptive relationship to the child. In August, Maryland’s intermediate appeals court, the Court of Special Appeals, upheld the trial court’s decision.
“Not being able to be with my son, to lead him, and watch him grow is a pain that I wish no one else would have to experience,” said Conover. “Little kids don’t understand genetics; they understand a parent’s nurturing love. My love for my child is never going to go away.”
“The effect of the lower courts’ ruling here is to deny a child a relationship with one of the only two parents he has ever known,” said Welter. “We hope that the court will hear this case and recognize that marriage equality has changed the landscape in Maryland, and will give the Conovers’ legal marriage the same effect as the marriage of any other opposite-sex couple.”
The Court of Appeals is expected to decide whether to hear the case in the next two months.
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.
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