Local
New community center wins praise
Office space more youth friendly
The exterior of the new GLCCB headquarters. (Washington Blade photo by Steve Charing)
When the GLBT Community Center of Baltimore (GLCCB) moved its offices from the Waxter Center in the Mount Vernon neighborhood to the new locale in lower Charles Village in August, there was an abundance of optimism among the staff and community members. On Oct. 16, the GLCCB hosted a grand opening to show off the new digs and to demonstrate why there is good reason for the optimism.
The center hosted a cookout in the parking lot of its 2530 N. Charles St. edifice, which houses a Bank of America branch and office space for several other organizations.
The open house featured a tour of the brightly lit, airy third floor suite complete with newly installed carpeting, several individual offices, multiple meeting rooms, including a large community room that can accommodate 100 people, a discreet HIV testing room where testing takes place twice a week, a library, an art gallery and ample parking among other amenities.
“This is a lot more modern and more youth-friendly with its open lounge area and library, which is more accessible,” Jennifer Eden, a GLCCB Peer Navigator, told the Blade when comparing this venue to the Waxter Center offices. “There is sufficient meeting space to hold five meetings going on the same time,” says Eden.
Mimi Demissew, the newly appointed director of operations for the GLCCB agrees. “It’s a lot more open and there’s a lot more room for programs,” she says. “It’s a better place for youth.”
Jabari Lyles, president of the GLCCB’s board, in announcing the move in July, described this as “a new chapter for a stronger, smarter organization on which our community can rely.” The new space, Lyles says, is “a breath of fresh air. Hopefully, it solidifies a successful future for us.”
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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