Local
6,000 to attend LGBT Workplace Summit at National Harbor
Officials with hundreds of Fortune 1,000 companies expected to participate
More than 6,000 people were expected to turn out Oct. 14-17 at the National Harbor in Fort Washington, Md., for what organizers say is the world’s largest conference to address issues related to LGBT people in the workplace at large and small companies and government agencies.
The San Francisco-based Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, which organizes the annual Workplace Summit, says as many as 70 percent of Fortune 1,000 companies from the U.S. and abroad were expected to send representatives to the Summit.
The event, often referred to as an LGBT workplace summit, is set to take place at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at National Harbor located across the Potomac River from D.C.
“This turnout – and the intensive corporate sponsorship of the conference – demonstrates that large companies understand that they need to develop workplace cultures where LGBTQ employees fully belong and can thrive,” Out & Equal said in a statement.
The statement says that in addition to the large number of companies expected to participate in the event, prominent U.S. government agencies would also take part. Among them, the statement says, are the CIA, FBI, National Security Agency (NSA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, each of which signed on as sponsors of the conference.
On its website, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates describes itself as “the world’s premier nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer workplace equality.”
The summit takes place six days after the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments for three pivotal LGBT rights cases in which the plaintiffs called on the high court to interpret the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect LGBT people against discrimination.
“Out & Equal helped bring together 206 major businesses on an amicus brief in support of the petitioners in these cases,” the statement says, referring to the businesses’ support for the argument that existing civil rights law protects LGBT people from employment discrimination.
The titles of some of the numerous workshops scheduled to take place at the summit include, Transmen and Transmasculine Employees: Having Your Voices Heard; Measuring Success: LGBTQ Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace; Leading from the Bottom Up as Young, Queer Professionals; Battle for Diversity: Why You Don’t Have (Enough) LGBTQ+ Talent; and Queer Culture Project: Six LGBTQ Trends & Why They Matter.
“There are people in positions of power who want to drive LGBTQ people back into the closet,” said Erin Uritus, Out & Equal’s Chief Executive Officer.
“There are people who say that transgender Americans shouldn’t serve in the military,” she said. “Those views aren’t just narrow-minded, they are non-starters for businesses who want to recruit and retain top talent,” she continued in a statement.
Additional information about the Workplace Summit can be found at outandequal.org.
Maryland
Parents sue Anne Arundel schools, allege officials hid child’s gender transition
America First legal Foundation filed lawsuit on July 8
By CODY BOTELER | Two parents, backed by a conservative nonprofit group, are suing Anne Arundel County Public Schools over the school system’s policies related to transgender children.
The suit, filed Wednesday in Maryland’s U.S. District Court, accuses staff at an unidentified county high school of lying to the parents, identified as John Doe and Jane Doe, about their child, identified as Mary Doe.
The Does allege the school “socially transitioned” their child without notice or their consent by using a masculine name and masculine pronouns for Mary Doe.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
District of Columbia
Campaign launched to elect more LGBTQ candidates to ANC seats
Capital Stonewall Democrats behind Queering ANCs effort
The Capital Stonewall Democrats, D.C.’s largest local LGBTQ political group, announced on July 7 it has launched a campaign to help elect large numbers of LGBTQ candidates to the city’s Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.
The D.C. local government is believed to be unique among U.S. cities in currently having 46 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions consisting of 345 single-member districts in neighborhoods throughout the city in which unpaid Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners are elected for two-year terms.
The commissions are charged with considering a wide range of policies and programs impacting their neighborhoods, including traffic, parking, recreation, street improvements, liquor licenses, zoning, economic development, police protection, sanitation and trash collection, and D.C.’s annual budget, according to the ANC website.
Although the ANCs do not have authority to set or reject policies or proposals, such as applications for liquor licenses, city agencies are required to give “great weight” to ANC recommendations, according to the law creating the ANCs.
Kent Boese, a gay former ANC commissioner, currently serves as executive director of the D.C. Office of ANCs.
“We are launching the most ambitious hyperlocal LGBTQ+ candidate pipeline initiative in the country,” said Stevie McCarty, the Capital Stonewall Democrats president, in a July 7 statement that announced the Queering ANCs campaign.
“As an ANC member, I know firsthand how these seats shape our neighborhoods, from housing and public safety to sanitation,” McCarty says in the statement. “I’m proud to lead this effort to ensure more LGBTQ+ Washingtonians see themselves as leaders in their communities,” he said.
The ANC Rainbow Caucus, which was created by LGBTQ ANC members, shows on its website that there are currently 38 caucus members consisting of elected LGBTQ ANC commissioners serving in the current 2025-2026 two-year term.
The website shows there are LGBTQ commissioners who are caucus members in each of the city’s eight wards, with six in Ward 1, eight in Ward 2, one in Ward 3, six in Ward 4, five in Ward 5, three in Ward 6, eight in Ward 7, and one in Ward 8.
The Washington Blade couldn’t immediately determine how many of them will be running for re-election in D.C.’s general election in November. But McCarty said Capital Stonewall Democrats hopes to recruit many more LGBTQ candidates to run for ANC seats.
The D.C. Board of Elections website shows the deadline for filing 25 required petition signatures to be placed on the ballot is Aug. 5.
A Queering ANCs website launched this week by Capital Stonewall Democrats provides details on how to run for an ANC seat and offers help for those interested in running.
“Think of someone in your building, neighborhood, friend group, community organization, or professional network who cares deeply about D.C. and would make a strong leader,” McCarty says in his statement. “Send them QueeringANCs.org and personally ask them to consider running,” he said.
The website can be accessed at QueeringANCs.org.
Baltimore
Ron Singer, owner of popular Mount Vernon gay bar Leon’s, dies
66-year-old’s funeral to take place Friday
By CAYLA HARRIS | Ron Singer, the owner of Baltimore’s popular gay bar Leon’s Backroom, died Tuesday, the venue announced in a social media post. He was 66.
“For more than 20 years, Ron made Leon’s a place so many people were proud to call home,” the post reads. “He will be deeply missed.”
The Mount Vernon bar, typically open from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily, is still open Thursday, but doors will close at midnight so staff can attend his funeral Friday morning. Services are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. at Sol Levinson’s Chapel.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
New book reveals what we can learn from animal sex
Who might replace Lindsey Graham? The contenders and their LGBTQ records
PHOTOS: Westminster Pride
Un terremoto también se vive desde el exilio
PHOTOS: Emerald City Pride
Mr. Henry’s celebrates 60 years of proud inclusivity
It’s good to see some justices standing up to Trump
Egyptian authorities refuse to allow gay cruise to dock in country
Queer media dominates 2026 Emmy nominations
