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Comings & Goings

Morash takes on media role at Task Force

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Alex Morash, Comings & Goings, gay news, Washington Blade

The ‘Comings & Goings’ column chronicles important life changes of Blade readers.

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].

Alex Morash, gay news, Washington Blade

Alex Morash (Photo courtesy Morash)

Congratulations to Alex Morash who recently joined the National LGBTQ Task Force as Director of Media and Public Relations.

At the Task Force, Morash will be responsible for handling media relations, and assisting the communications director with the organization’s messaging, including working on the Task Force’s 2018 annual Creating Change Conference, that will be held next month from January 24-28 at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel in D.C.

When accepting the position, Morash said, “I am really excited to join an LGBTQ organization so committed to progressive values and bringing into focus the needs of LGBTQ people of color, those with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged LGBTQ people. This age of resistance is such an important time to be involved in the fight for LGBTQ equality, and I think the National LGBTQ Task Force will be one of the main LGBTQ organizations to lead this fight, which is why I feel honored to work with everyone here.”

Prior to joining the Task Force, Morash was at Media Matters where he wrote about economic policy. Before that he was with NGP VAN Inc., as a national account executive and Innovative Policy Solutions as a press and communications consultant. He earned his bachelor of arts in political science from Framingham State College and his master’s in political science from Northeastern University in Boston. Among other volunteer work, Morash is an officer in the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club.

Congratulations also to Brook Rose, owner of  Brook Rose Development for winning an award from Delta Associates for Best Washington/Baltimore Boutique condominium community 2017 for his project The Helicopter Factory. Upon being notified of the award, Rose said, “I feel a great sense of gratitude to be recognized for helping create a special residential building that honors the property’s old history in a modern, yet timeless manner. It was a great team that made it happen.”

This isn’t the first award this project has won as it was named best condo project by Washingtonian in 2016. Rose has said about the project, “This exciting development includes extraordinary, industrial-inspired townhouse residences built within and adjacent to an early 20th century factory owned by the eminent inventor Emile Berliner.”

Berliner was best known for inventing an early sound recording device but he also invented and built an early version of the helicopter at his Gyro Motor Company on Girard Street. From 1907 to 1926, Berliner dedicated himself to improving the technologies of vertical flight through the development of a lightweight rotary engine.

Rose began designing and building luxury residential properties in Washington, D.C. in 2002. His goal was to intermix quality construction with exciting, timeless design. He says if you are committing time, effort and finances to building something, then you should put in the extra work and make it special. He has said, “A home, like a person, should have its own distinct personality and style, from top to bottom.”

Brook Rose (Photo courtesy Rose)

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District of Columbia

Norton reintroduces bill to ban discrimination against LGBTQ jurors in D.C. Superior Court

Congresswoman notes Congress controls local court system

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D.C. Congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

D.C. Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) on Friday, June 20, reintroduced her bill to ban discrimination against LGBTQ D.C. residents in the process for selecting people to serve as jurors in D.C. Superior Court.

“The bill would clarify that D.C. residents may not be excluded or disqualified from jury service in the local D.C. trial court, the D.C. Superior Court, based on sexual orientation or gender identity,” Norton said in a statement.

“Specifically, this bill would clarify that the term ‘sex,’ which is a protected class under the nondiscrimination law that applies to jurors in the D.C. Superior Court includes sexual orientation and gender identity,” Norton said.

She points out in her statement that under the D.C. Home Rule Act approved by Congress that created D.C.’s local government, including an elected mayor and City Council, the federal government retained control over the local court system.

“Therefore, until D.C. is given authority to amend Title 11 of the D.C. Code, which one of my bills would do, an act of Congress is required to clarify that LGBTQ+ jurors in the D.C. Superior Court are protected from discrimination,” according to her statement.

A spokesperson for Norton couldn’t immediately be reached to determine whether Norton is aware of specific instances where residents were denied jury service because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.  

Online records of congressional action on Norton’s juror nondiscrimination bill show she had introduced it in 2019, 2021, and 2023, when it died in committee each year, except for the 117th Congress in 2022, when it was approved by a committee but died in the full House.

“During Pride month we are reminded of the many contributions of the LGBTQ+ community,” Norton said in her June 20 statement. “Nobody, including D.C. jurors, should be discriminated against based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, and D.C. juries should not be deprived of the service of LGBTQ residents,” she added.

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Photos

PHOTOS: Pride on the Pier

Blade’s WorldPride celebration ends with fireworks show

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The Washington Blade's Pride on the Pier. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Washington Blade’s second day of Pride on the Pier at The Wharf DC ended with a fireworks show on Saturday, June 7. The fireworks show was presented by the Leonard-Litz LGBTQ Foundation.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

The Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier (Photo by Cedric Craig for Wild Side Media)
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Virginia

Hashmi to face Reid in Va. LG race

State senator won Democratic primary on Tuesday

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Ghazala Hashmi (Screen capture via One Vote At A Time/YouTube)

State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield) will face John Reid in the race to become Virginia’s next lieutenant governor. 

Hashmi won the Democratic primary with 27.49 percent of the vote. She defeated former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, state Sen. Aaron Rouse (D-Virginia Beach), Babur Lateef, Victor Salgado and Alexander Bastani.

“Tonight, Virginians made history,” said Hashmi in a statement. “We didn’t just win a primary, we sent a clear message that we won’t be bullied, broken, or dragged backward by the chaos in Washington.”

Reid, a gay conservative talk show host, in April won the Republican nomination to succeed Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is running to succeed Gov. Glenn Youngkin. 

The incumbent governor days after Reid secured the nomination called for him to withdraw his candidacy amid reports that a social media account with his username included “pornographic content.” Reid, who would become the first openly gay person elected to statewide office in Virginia if he wins in November, has strongly denied the reports.

Former state Del. Jay Jones defeated Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor in Democratic attorney general primary. Jones will face Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares in November.

Youngkin cannot run for a second, consecutive term.

Former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger will face off against Earle-Sears in November. The winner will make history as the first woman elected governor in the state’s history.

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