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Comings & Goings
Perry named president of SCAN
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].
Kris Perry (Photo courtesy Perry)
Congratulations to Kris Perry who has been named president of the Save the Children Action Network (SCAN). SCAN is the advocacy arm of Save the Children. SCAN’s current president, Mark Shriver, will assume the role of CEO. Shriver said, “We are thrilled to have someone of Kris’ depth and experience in early childhood development and political strategy help us take SCAN to the next level, ensuring we have an even bigger impact for kids in this country and around the world.”
Perry said, “I’m thrilled to join the talented team at SCAN to help achieve crucial victories for children and families across America and around the world. … I look forward to helping SCAN’s noble work to make candidates’ and lawmakers’ support for young children a deciding issue when voters cast their ballots in 2018, 2020 and beyond.”
Perry has dedicated her career to advocating for young children and their families most recently as executive director of the First Five Years Fund, and previously as executive director of First 5 California, and executive director of First 5 San Mateo County. Perry served as a member of the SCAN board prior to accepting this position as president.
Many know Perry from when she and her wife Sandy were the plaintiffs in the Hollingsworth v. Perry legal challenge to California’s Proposition 8 that resulted in restoring marriage equality to the state of California. She received her bachelor’s from the University of California, Santa Cruz California and her master’s of Social Work, San Francisco State University.
Congratulations also to Dustin Wright, who was recently promoted into the Senior Executive Service (SES) after 21 years of federal service. Wright’s first assignment as a member of the SES will be as the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inspector General. During his 21-year federal career, he has served in the U.S. Border Patrol and two other Offices of Inspector General.
He began his career as a Border Patrol agent in 1996 and worked his way up the ladder. Dustin said, “I am proud to have served in the federal government and to make it my career.” In his most recent position as Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations in the Department of Energy, he received numerous awards for service and among his other accomplishments successfully wrote, revised and navigated a new department directive detailing reporting requirements of employees and contractors to the Office of Inspector General and supervised and innovated investigative and hotline operations.
Congratulations also to Chip Lewis, who begins his new position as director of communications at NMAC, formerly the National Minority AIDS Council. According to its website, “The new mission from NMAC calls on us to lead with race. NMAC’s urgency is the numbers. Black women are 20 times more likely to get HIV than white women. 50% of black gay men will have HIV by the time they are 35 (8% of white gay men are infected). Even with quality HIV services, the results for many black women and gay men of color are awful. What are we doing or not doing that makes HIV so racially polarized? Leading with race for NMAC means: Normalize discussion about race within the HIV movement; Bending the curve of new HIV infections; and Retaining people of color living with HIV in care.”
Prior to joining NMAC, Lewis spent a good deal of his career at Whitman-Walker Health in various roles including deputy director of communications. Prior to that he served as press secretary for Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.).
Chip Lewis (Photo courtesy of Lewis)
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.
Rehoboth Beach
SUNFESTIVAL takes center stage as Rehoboth Beach closes out summer
Labor Day Weekend bustling with events, including David Archuleta performance
Labor Day Weekend marks the unofficial end of summer in Rehoboth Beach, but there will be no shortage of LGBTQ events, with CAMP Rehoboth’s annual SUNFESTIVAL taking over town this weekend.
Thursday (9/3)
Get your Labor Day Weekend started early Thursday night with happy hour from 5-7 p.m. at Diego’s Bar & Nightclub, followed by Naughtee Bingo hosted by Magnolia Applebottom at 8:30 p.m.
After bingo, the party continues with Dancing at Diego’s from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Aqua Bar & Grill will also kick off its Labor Day Weekend festivities Thursday with a DJ spinning from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Friday (9/4)
The weekend ramps up Friday night at Aqua, where DJ Matt Bailer will keep the dance floor moving from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Over at Diego’s, DJ Steve Sidewalk will then take over Diego’s for Freedom Friday from 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m.
Saturday (9/5)
The main event of the weekend arrives Saturday with the opening night of CAMP Rehoboth’s SUNFESTIVAL.
Billed as the ultimate party to close out the summer, SUNFESTIVAL has become one of Rehoboth’s signature Labor Day Weekend events. The annual celebration sells out each year, with proceeds benefiting CAMP Rehoboth.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments available at the cash bar while attendees are invited to socialize and find their seats.
Saturday night will feature local singer Ashley Williams as the opening performer, followed by headliner David Archuleta. The event will also feature a live auction.
Back across town Saturday, Aqua will continue its Labor Day Weekend DJ lineup from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Diego’s will also have plenty happening, with ‘Splash Party’ hosted by Magnolia Applebottom at 5 p.m., followed by a Saturday Dance Party with Brett Oosterhaus from 9 p.m.- 1:30 a.m.
The Blue Moon hosts its popular Legends Show at 9 p.m. It’s an all-live singing show by the Blue Moon cast of celebrity impersonators.
Etienne Pilon has taken Rehoboth by storm this summer. Check out the talented singer/pianist at The Pines from 7-10 p.m.
Sunday (9/6)
Sunday’s SUNFESTIVAL event will shift the focus to the dance floor, with globally renowned DJs Robbie Leslie and James Anthony scheduled to perform. Doors open at 7 p.m., with dancing continuing until 1 a.m.
On Sunday, Aqua will throw its annual White Party, with DJs spinning from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Guests are encouraged to dress in white for the holiday weekend celebration.
Diego’s will host its Sunday High T-Dance with Pamala Stanley at 5 p.m. Later that evening, DJ Tannr will be spinning at 9 p.m.
John Flynn is on the piano from 6-8 p.m. at the Blue Moon.
Monday (9/7)
The final day of Labor Day Weekend brings one last chance to hit the dance floor before summer officially winds down.
Aqua will close out its five-day Labor Day Weekend celebration with DJ Biff from 3-7 p.m.
Maryland
Anne Arundel schools now need parent permission to call trans students by preferred names
Conservative groups challenged system’s policy
By JESSICA CALEFATI | Anne Arundel County Public Schools staff cannot use transgender students’ preferred names if their parents oppose it, according to an internal document reviewed by the Banner, a change that comes after conservative groups challenged the school system’s approach to gender identity.
Teachers union president Kristina Korona told members in an Aug. 20 email that the new guidance undermines district policy on acceptance and inclusivity and “will begin harming affected students immediately.”
Previously, the district didn’t require parental permission to use a high school student’s chosen name and pronouns corresponding to their gender identity, the internal document says. Now it does. The change comes as parents challenge the suburban school system’s gender identity policy and regulation in court and the Trump-Vance administration threatens the district’s funding.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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