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John Joseph Harmon dies at 58

Golf enthusiast loved cooking, collecting

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John Joseph Harmon, gay news, Washington Blade

John Joseph Harmon (Photo courtesy family)

John Joseph Harmon died May 29 at his Arlington, Va., home at 58 from complications associated with HIV/AIDS, according to his brother, Tom Harmon.

Harmon was born Jan. 9, 1960, in Brockton, Mass., to Leona E. (Martin) and Robert L. Harmon. He spent his childhood years in Whitman, Mass., and was a graduate of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School, graduating in 1978. He moved to Richmond, Va., in 1983 and then to Northern Virginia in 1991.

“He will be fondly remembered for the enthusiasm he showed towards his various hobbies, which include watching golf, cooking, collecting baseball caps and following the Green Bay Packers,” Tom Harmon said.

Harmon, who was gay, is survived by sister Mary Ann and brother-in-law Robert W. Corthell III of Bridgewater, Mass., and brother Thomas L. Harmon and his partner, Dr. Jose W. Melendez of Chicago. Harmon was an uncle to Mathew R. and Ginger Corthell of Lake Forest Park, Wash., and Daniel T. and Tara Corthell of Wilbraham, Mass., Adam M. Corthell of Stoneham, Mass., and Kaitlynn R. Corthell of Northampton, Mass. He was great uncle to Teagan and Gavin Corthell of Wilbraham, Mass. He is also survived by other extended family.

A memorial service and reception is slated for Saturday, June 30 at 1 p.m. at Commonwealth Baptist Church (700 Commonwealth Ave., Alexandria, Va.). Donations in Harmon’s memory may be made to any agency that supports HIV/AIDS survivors or Friends of the NIH (friendsatnih.org), which helps patients undergoing treatment at the National Institutes of Health.

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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: 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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