Local
Walk to End HIV postponed due to potentially hazardous weather
The event will now take place on World AIDS Day

The Walk to End HIV. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Whitman Walker Health’s 32nd annual Walk & 5K to End HIV has been postponed to World AIDS Day on Saturday, Dec. 1 due to potentially inclement and hazardous weather. The event was originally scheduled for Saturday morning at Freedom Plaza.
“This weekend could present a significant weather event and safety issues for all those involved in the Walk—walkers, runners, vendors, and other community groups. This new date offers us a unique chance to present the Walk as it always should be—namely a community event focused on those impacted by HIV and an opportunity for togetherness and solidarity with community,” Executive Director Don Blanchon said in a statement. “We fully recognize that inclement weather could be an issue again on December 1st, but hold the safety and wellbeing of our communities first in postponing from this weekend.”
However, Whitman-Walker’s third annual Brunch to End HIV will go on as scheduled on Saturday, Oct. 27 and Sunday, Oct. 28.
Participating restaurants Compass Ross, Declaration, Exiles Bar, Granville Moore’s, Lincoln, The Queen Vic and Shaw’s Tavern will all donate a percentage of their proceeds to Whitman Walker Health’s HIV care programs and services.
Whitman-Walker Health notes that rescheduling the walk offers participants more time to fundraise for the nonprofit organization’s goal of $850,000.
For full event details, visit here.
Virginia
VIDEO: LGBTQ groups march in Va. inaugural parade
Abigail Spanberger took office on Saturday
The inaugural ceremonies for Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger were held in Richmond, Va. on Saturday. Among the groups marching in the parade were Diversity Richmond and the Virginia Pride project of Diversity Richmond.
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Virginia
Va. Senate approves referendum to repeal marriage amendment
Outgoing state Sen. Adam Ebbin introduced SJ3
The Virginia Senate on Friday by a 26-13 vote margin approved a resolution that seeks to repeal a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
Outgoing state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) introduced SJ3. The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee on Wednesday approved it by a 10-4 vote margin.
Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in Virginia since 2014. Outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2024 signed a bill that codified marriage equality in state law.
A resolution that seeks to repeal the Marshall-Newman Amendment passed in the General Assembly in 2021. The resolution passed again in 2025.
Two successive legislatures must approve the resolution before it can go to the ballot. Democrats in the Virginia House of Delegates have said the resolution’s passage is among their 2026 legislative priorities.
“It’s time for Virginia’s Constitution to reflect the law of the land and the values of today,” said Ebbin after Friday’s vote. “This amendment, if approved by voters, would affirm the dignity of all committed couples and protects marriage equality for future generations.”
Maryland
Layoffs and confusion at Pride Center of Maryland after federal grants cut, reinstated
Trump administration move panicked addiction and mental health programs
By ALISSA ZHU | After learning it had abruptly lost $2 million in federal funding, the Pride Center of Maryland moved to lay off a dozen employees, or about a third of its workforce, the Baltimore nonprofit’s leader said Thursday.
The group is one of thousands nationwide that reportedly received letters late Tuesday from the Trump administration. Their mental health and addiction grants had been terminated, effective immediately, the letters said.
By Wednesday night, federal officials moved to reverse the funding cuts by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, estimated to total $2 billion, according to national media reports. But the Pride Center of Maryland’s CEO Cleo Manago said as of Thursday morning he had not heard anything from the federal government confirming those reports.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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