Local
McAuliffe speaks at Pride event in Richmond
Urges LGBT residents to vote in November
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe urged LGBT residents to vote during a recent Pride appearance. (Washington Blade file photo by Lee Whitman)
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) urged LGBT Virginians to turn out and vote in the statewide election in November in an appearance on Sept. 23, at the annual Virginia Pride Fest in Richmond.
McAuliffe’s appearance at the LGBT event, which drew more than 30,000 people, marked the third time he attended the event since taking office as governor in 2014.
“The governor was thrilled to speak at the event this weekend and thanked the attendees for standing up for equal rights in our Commonwealth,” McAuliffe’s press secretary, Brian Coy, told the Washington Blade.
“He talked about how important open and inclusive policies are to economic growth in Virginia and he urged attendees to stay engaged with the upcoming elections and vote for candidates who will continue the progress we have made on equal rights and a stronger economy,” Coy said.
Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, who is running as a Democrat to succeed McAuliffe in the November election, did not attend the Virginia Pride Fest event but his campaign workers circulated throughout the festival grounds reminding LGBT voters of Northam’s longstanding support for LGBT rights.
Under Virginia law governors can only serve one four-year term in office. McAuliffe has endorsed Northam, who is being challenged by Republican Ed Gillespie, the former chair of the Republican National Committee.
James Millner, president of Virginia Pride, the group that produces the Pride Fest event, said Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney also appeared and spoke at the Pride event, becoming the first Richmond mayor to appear at a Pride festival.
Millner said this year’s Pride Fest included about 125 vendor booths consisting of nonprofit LGBT and LGBT supportive organizations as well as LGBT supportive businesses and corporate sponsors. He said the number of vendor booths represented an increase from about 85 that participated in last year’s Pride Fest.
“We very consciously sought out vendors and participants and organizations that really demonstrate the diversity of the community, both LGBTQ and our allies, whether they are faith based organizations, whether they are nonprofit advocacy groups, or whether they are for profit businesses that are selling their wares – all of that comes together to create a remarkable experience for people who come to this event,” said Millner, who worked as a communications spokesperson for D.C.’s Whitman-Walker Health before moving to Richmond.
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Congratulations to Jaime Christopher Pierce on their appointment to serve as a member of the Virginia Governor’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. Pierce was sworn in on Sept. 3 by Greg Parks, clerk of the Alexandria Circuit Court.
Pierce currently serves as vice chair of the Alexandria City LGBTQIA+ Task Force and as a member of the Alexandria Pride planning committee. They previously served on the board of directors of Equality Virginia.
Upon being sworn in, Pierce said, “Public service has been a central part of my life for more than 30 years, and this appointment gives me an opportunity to serve the Commonwealth in a different and very personal way. My career has allowed me to work with people and communities throughout Virginia, and I hope to bring that experience, along with my own lived experience and my involvement in the LGBTQ+ community, to the work of the Board.” They added, “Having Greg administer the oath makes the occasion even more meaningful because of his own historic role as Virginia’s first openly gay elected circuit court clerk.”
Pierce also serves as Circuit Court Services Manager for the Department of Judicial Services, at the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia. They began their career in Virginia’s judiciary in 1994 as a deputy clerk with the Virginia Beach Circuit Court and have since held several professional and leadership positions within the court system. Pierce is a member of the National Association for Court Management (NACM) and the Mid-Atlantic Association for Court Management. At the national level, Pierce participated in the workgroup that developed the National Association for Court Management’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Guide, a resource designed to help court professionals advance inclusive practices and strengthen access, fairness and belonging within the justice system.
Pierce earned a degree in Criminal Justice from Liberty University, and a certificate in Paralegal Studies from Norfolk State University.
Maryland
Md. groups receive state grants to fight hate crimes
Pride Center of Maryland among recipients
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy are awarding a total of $10 million in grants in the 2027 fiscal year to nonprofit organizations that work to prevent hate crimes in the state.
The funds will be used to support those who feel targeted or discriminated against because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status.
The Pride Center of Maryland is among the recipients. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and LGBTQ organizations are all eligible to receive grants
“The safety and security of all Marylanders is my top priority, so we are drawing a hard line because we have no tolerance for hate,” said Moore, according to media reports. “We are committed to protecting and ensuring safe and sacred spaces stay that way by investing in non-profit organizations, houses of worship, and community centers to protect and honor every community that makes our state so diverse and special.”
“Protection Against Hate Crime funding has strengthened the Pride Center of Maryland’s ability to protect, educate, and support the communities we serve … at a time of heightened concern associated with the Trump administration’s anti-LGBTQ/SGL (same-gender-loving) policies and pressures,” Pride Center of Maryland CEO Cleo Manago said. “PAHC funding helps us do more than improve physical security — it strengthens our community’s knowledge, preparedness, connection to resources, and ability to respond to hate with greater awareness and support.”
Maryland’s hate crimes law includes both sexual orientation and gender identity. The state’s nondiscrimination statute is also LGBTQ-inclusive.
District of Columbia
Blade welcomes fall intern
Alexis McLean is student at University of North Florida
The Washington Blade this week welcomed Alexis McLean as its fall intern.
Alexis is studying political science at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. She is interning with the Blade as part of a continued partnership with the Washington Center.
“I am looking forward to spending my time in the fall with the Washington Blade, as this is a new experience for me,” said Alexis. “I have not experienced any journalist jobs in the past so this would be my first time, and I am excited to better my writing and communications skills with this internship.”
Alexis’s internship with the Blade ends in early December.
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