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Comings & Goings
Abolafia takes position at American Bar Association
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].
Congratulations to Paavali A. Hannikainen on the publication of his paper, “Extensive Healthy Donor Age/Gender Adjustments and Propensity Score Matching Reveal Physiology of Multiple Sclerosis Through Immunophenotyping,” in Frontiers in Neurology, his first as lead author.
Hannikainen is in his first year of medical school at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Before entering medical school he was a post baccalaureate intramural research trainee at the National Institutes of Health, where he conducted research at the Neuroimmunological Diseases Section as part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under the lead of Bibiana Bielekova, MD. During his college years he did a number of internships including as a third-year research assistant at the University of Melbourne, Department of Medicine, Melbourne, Australia and was a summer research intern at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
During his time at Emory University Hannikainen was on the crew team and served on the crew team’s board, helping to organize the team’s day-to-day operations. During his time in D.C., he joined Stonewall Kickball and as fundraising chair of his 35-person kickball team successfully raised more than $1,300 for TransLAW, a non-profit providing legal services for transgender people.
Hannikainen earned his bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and behavioral biology with a minor in Global Health, Culture, & Society from Emory University in Atlanta. He was an Undergraduate Honors Research Student at Emory University, Department of Neurosurgery, where he successfully completed and defended an honors thesis to establish a virally induced immunocompetent rat model of glioblastoma at the lab of Nicholas Boulis, MD.
Congratulations also to Luis Abolafia on his new position as senior program manager with the American Bar Association, Rule of Law Initiative. Upon accepting the position Abolafia said, “After eight wonderful years at the LGBTQ Victory Institute I accepted a position at the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative overseeing programs in the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico. While I am sad to leave such an amazing organization as the Victory Institute that allowed me to combine two of my passions, political participation and LGBTQ equality, I am excited for this new challenge.”
Abolafia served as the director of international programs for the LGBTQ Victory Institute where he developed, implemented, and monitored several projects focused on democracy and governance for LGBTQ people in Latin America, Southern Africa, the Balkans, and South Asia. He has also served as a social investment consultant to Grindr LLC in D.C., helping to develop a social investment assessment in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico for the company to positively impact the LGBTQ population in those countries. Prior to that he was a program manager with Asociación Candelita in Madrid, and a political party organizer for Equo – Spanish Green Party in Madrid. He has worked for Fundación Triángulo as an advocacy and human rights consultant, and authored a joint shadow report for the U.N. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in collaboration with 24 other NGOs.
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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