Local
FreeState Legal, Equality Md. to celebrate merger
June 30 event planned in Baltimore
In January, the merger of two LGBT advocacy organizations—Equality Maryland and FreeState Legal—was announced to consolidate their efforts. The announcement indicated that the organizations “will merge to form a comprehensive, statewide direct legal services and policy advocacy organization that addresses the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) Marylanders.” The new group will also continue to “focus on the needs of low-income LGBTQ Marylanders.”
FreeState Legal and Equality Maryland note that significant progress has been made but there is much more work to do. During the period since the announced merger, the combined organization is taking a grassroots approach as representatives embarked on listening tours throughout the state as well as conducted an online survey to determine the needs of LGBT Marylanders and how the organization can best serve the community.
These sessions were designed to solicit feedback from the LGBTQ community on what issues should be prioritized by the combined organization both in terms of substantive legal and policy issues, as well as which populations with intersecting identities most need barriers removed with the assistance of the newly formed organization.
“Passing a law and having protections on paper don’t provide any relief to the hundreds of LGBTQ people that call us every year who continue to experience discrimination in employment, health care, public accommodations, or housing, who risk losing custody of their children, or who face bullying and harassment in schools or foster care just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Patrick Paschall, the executive director of FreeState Legal/Equality Maryland, told the Blade.
“We are at a pivotal moment for LGBTQ equality in our state and in our country,” explains Paschall. “At FreeState Legal and Equality Maryland we are creating a new model for state-based LGBTQ advocacy, a model based on ensuring that LGBTQ Marylanders experience actual, lived equality in their everyday lives. This means using all the tools — direct legal services, policy advocacy and community engagement — to ensure that the protections we have fought so hard for result in substantial improvements in the daily lives of LGBTQ Marylanders.
On June 30, the organization will celebrate the merger with a fundraiser from 6-9 p.m. at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Highway in Baltimore. The event is called “Achieving Lived Equality,” and the new name, mission and vision for the organization will be unveiled then.
Adds Paschall, “We are excited to share that new model, along with our new name, mission, and vision, with the community at our fundraiser event on June 30, and we look forward to working with our partners across the state to continue make Maryland a leader in our country on LGBTQ legal and policy issues.”
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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