Local
Heather Mizeur congressional campaign raises more than $1M
Former Md. delegate challenging Andy Harris
Heather Mizeur has raised more than $1 million in her campaign against anti-LGBTQ Republican Congressman Andy Harris in Maryland’s 1st Congressional District.
āNo candidate in #MD01 of either party, incumbent or challenger, has ever hit the $1M milestone this early in the election cycle,ā Mizeur tweeted on Oct. 6.
The Victory Fund in an Oct. 8 press release said 80 percent of this $1 million came from Maryland-based donors, āa sign the district is ready for new representation.ā And Mizeur continues to outpace Harris, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission that say she raised $717,445 for the cycle ending June 30, while Harris raised $425,288.
āAndy Harris has taken every opportunity to attack and vilify trans individuals, trying to score political points with his base at the expense of the safety of some of his constituents,ā Mizeur told the Washington Blade.
In 2014 Harris made the Human Rights Campaignās āHall of Shameā for proactively working āto undermine existing legal protections and promote anti-LGBT discrimination.ā
āIn contrast, the LGBTQ community knows me for my record,ā Mizeur said. āAnd knows I’ll always lead with compassion and stand up for civil and human rights. I think the 1st District will respond to my message of respect and understanding.ā
Mizeur, who now lives on the Eastern Shore with her wife, served on the Takoma Park City Council. Mizeur was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for eight years.
In 2014, she launched a long-shot, grassroots campaign for governor where she finished a strong third in the Democratic primary, despite being outraised by better-known opponents.
But Mizeur also said she is aware of the challenges her team faces in taking on a well-entrenched Republican in a solidly conservative district.
The Cook Partisan Voter Index in 2017 rated the district as R +14, meaning the previous two presidential election results in the district skewed 14 percentage points more Republican than the national average.
āWe have over $760,000 in the bank, and weāve outraised him during our time in the race,ā Mizeur said. āWeāre raising the money we need to go toe-to-toe with Andy Harris next year.ā
The Baltimore Sun in February reported Harris was āflush with campaign cashā mostly due to a 2010 redistricting that āpackedā the area with Republican voters to increase Democratsā chances in other district races.
āYes, Andy Harris has over $1 million in the bank, stockpiled over a decade in office,ā Mizeur said. āBut in the short time Iāve been in the race, weāve cut significantly into his cash on hand advantage.ā
Harris has represented the 1st Congressional Districtāwhich includes Marylandās Eastern Shore and parts of Baltimore, Carroll and Harford Countiesāsince 2011 and easily fended off most challenges with at least 60 percent of the vote. These challengers include Mia Mason, a transgender military veteran, who ran against him in 2020.
The 2010 redistricting made Harrisā seat safe enough not only to donate nearly a third of his war chest to conservative groups and candidates, such as U.S. Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), but to openly court controversy himself.
Harris last year openly defended then-President Trumpās discredited efforts to overturn the 2020 election. And in December he signed onto an amicus brief supporting a failed lawsuit contesting the presidential election results.
This year he downplayed the violence of the Jan. 6 insurrection in which numerous police officers were attacked, members of Congress were threatened, and the U.S. Capitol was vandalized.
Mizeur told the Blade that while Harrisā actions regarding the Jan. 6 insurrection were the catalyst for her challenging his seat, she feels the district is changing and he no longer represents their interests.
āOur supporters know he’s been embarrassing Maryland in Congress for far too long, and that some of his actions have shown he’s completely unfit to serve in public office, regardless of ideological views,ā Mizeur said. āThey want someone who will bring compassionate leadership and innovative thinking back to the first district. And thatās appealing to people across party lines.ā
Marylandās primary election is June 28, 2022, and its general election follows on Nov. 8.
District of Columbia
D.C. mayorĀ honors 10th anniversary of Team Rayceen Productions
LGBTQ entertainment, advocacy organization praised for āvital workā
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser today issued an official proclamation declaring Monday, March 18, 2024, as Team Rayceen Day in honor of the local LGBTQ entertainment and advocacy organization Team Rayceen Productions named after its co-founder Rayceen Pendarvis.
āWhereas Rayceen, along with Team Rayceen Productions co-founder, Zar, have spent 10 years advocating for the Black LGBTQI+ community using various forms including in-person events, social media, and YouTube,ā the proclamation states.
The proclamation adds that through its YouTube Channel, Team Rayceen Productions created a platform for āBlack LGBTQIA+ individuals to discuss various topics including spotlighting nonprofit organizations and small businesses, voter registration and participation, the state of LGBTQIA+ rights and resources in D.C, gender equality and equity, and the amplification of opportunities to bring the community together.ā
It also praises Team Rayceen Productions for its partnership with the Mayorās Office of LGBTQ Affairs in helping to produce āexciting events like the District of Pride talent showcase held each June and the iconic 17th Street High Heel Race celebrated in October.ā
āWhereas I thank Team Rayceen Productions for its vital and necessary work and am #DCProud to wish you all the best as you continue to support Black LGBTQIA+ residents across all 8 Wards,ā the proclamation continues.
āNow, therefore, I, the Mayor of Washington, D.C., do hereby proclaim March 18, 2024, as TEAM RAYCEEN DAY in Washington, D.C. and do commit this observance to all Washingtonians,ā it concludes.
āWe thank Mayor Bowser for this special proclamation, which highlights where it all began, with the Black LGBTQIA+ community of Washington, D.C,ā Team Rayceen Productions says in a statement. āStarting with The Ask Rayceen Show, Reel Affirmation, and events with D.C. Public Library to Art All Night, Silver Pride by Whitman-Walker, and events with the Mayorās Office of LGBTQ Affairs, we are #dcproud of what we have accomplished in the Nationās Capital,ā the statement says.
“For TEAM RAYCEEN DAY, we thank the diverse group of individuals who have made everything we have done possible by volunteering their time and talents over the past decade ā as online co-hosts, event staff, performers, DJs, photographers, and more,ā says the statement.
Local
D.C. jury finds AARP Services illegally fired gay man
Former employee awarded $2.1 million in damages
A D.C. Superior Court jury on March 15 handed down a verdict finding that the D.C.-based AARP Services, Inc., an arm of the AARP that interacts with businesses supportive of the nationās seniors, illegally fired a gay manager because of his sexual orientation.
The juryās verdict, which it said was based on a āpreponderance of evidence,ā came six years after Richard A. āRickā Deus Jr., who worked for AARP and AARP Services for 11 years, filed a lawsuit against his former employer in May 2018. The lawsuit charges that AARP Services violated the D.C. Human Rights Act by firing him after falsely accusing him of accepting gifts for travel from businesses affiliated with AARP that violated AARP employee ethics policies.
His lawsuit says he was fired in February 2018. At that time, he held the title of director of program management at AARP Services.
The lawsuit says AARP Services cited the alleged travel violations as the reason for its decision to fire him. The lawsuit named AARP Services and its then chief executive officer, Lawrence Flanagan, as the two defendants responsible for Deusās firing.
But the juryās verdict only named AARP Services as being at fault in the firing. It did not find Flanagan at fault and did not hold him responsible for damages, even though Flanagan testified at the trial that he made the final decision to terminate Deus on grounds that Deus violated the travel policy.
The jury also chose not to hold AARP Services responsible for paying punitive damages to Deus, whose lawsuit called for $5 million in compensatory damages and an additional $5 million in punitive damages.
In its verdict, according to online court records, the jury awarded Deus $1,612,916.18 in compensatory damages and $578,351 in damages for emotional distress that AARP Services is required to pay Deus. The court records show the jury awarded Deus another $1,118.89 to be paid by AARP Services for its alleged breach of contract with him in its decision to fire him.
An attorney representing AARP Services immediately following the verdict filed a motion requesting that Superior Court Judge Shana Frost Matini, who presided over the trial, issue a ādirected verdictā overturning the juryās verdict.
Such a motion is often filed by individuals or organizations on the losing side of a lawsuit, but such requests are rarely approved. Matini said she would schedule a hearing to consider the motion in May.
āIām thrilled that the jury found that I was treated differently from my co-workers and discriminatorily fired,ā Deus told the Washington Blade after the jury handed down its verdict. āThatās clearly what they found, and they awarded emotional pain and suffering,ā he said. āBut overall, Iām elated. Itās been six years of my life that Iāve been fighting and telling people that I was treated differently than anybody else and today I got my vindication.ā
Laura Segal, AARPās Senior Vice President for External Affairs, told the Blade in a statement, āAARP is pleased with the juryās verdict that Lawrence Flanagan lawfully terminated Richard Deusās employment.ā She added, āAARP Services, Inc. (ASI) disagrees with the remainder of the verdict and is exploring all options for further legal review. We remain committed to an inclusive culture and warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome.ā
Attorneys representing AARP Services argued at the trial and presented witnesses denying Dues was fired because of his sexual orientation. They asserted that AARP Services had and still has gay and lesbian employees and managers and that the company has a longstanding policy of prohibiting discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or marital status.
Deusās lawsuit accused AARP Services of targeting Deus for discrimination based on his marriage to another man as well as for his sexual orientation. The jury did not find that AARP Services engaged in discrimination against Deus based on his marital status.
Flanagan was among the lead defense witnesses who testified at the nine-day-long trial. He testified that he has worked for many years with gay colleagues, has a gay relative who he admires, and would never have allowed his staff to engage in discrimination while he served as AARP Services CEO.
He noted in his testimony that his decision to fire Deus was based, in part, on the recommendation of AARP Servicesā human resources or personnel director, Michael Loizzi, who is an openly gay man. Loizzi, who also testified at the trial, said that as a gay man he would never have called for Deus or anyone else to be fired because of their sexual orientation. He stated in his testimony that he recommended to Flanagan that Deus be fired because Deus violated AARP Services travel policy and lied to his supervisor about the details of the travel to get his supervisorās approval under false pretenses.
Deus, during his own testimony, strongly disputed claims that he obtained permission for his travel by providing false information to his supervisor. His lawsuit states that both his supervisor and AARP Servicesā legal counsel cleared him for the two trips that he has been accused of taking in violation of policy.
His lawsuit identifies heterosexual AARP and AARP Services employees who have taken business trips like the two taken by Deus that allegedly violated travel policy who were not fired or disciplined. A few faced disciplinary actions but were allowed to retain their jobs, the lawsuit says.
āThis case is about the unequal treatment of a gay man when juxtaposed to the treatment of our heterosexual comparators,ā Darrell Chambers, Deusās lead attorney, told the Washington Blade after the verdict. āThis is not a case about an organization or a group of people who hate gay people and decided that they were going to fire this man because they hate him,ā Chambers said.
āInstead, itās a case where the punishment that they consistently applied to gay employees, re Mr. Deus and Mr. Sanders, was harsher, far harsher than the punishment they applied to heterosexual employees who committed the same or similar acts.ā
Chambers was referring to former AARP Services employee Jack Sanders, who is gay and who testified on video played at the trial that he was summarily fired on grounds that he allegedly sent pornographic photos or video images to another AARP Services employee, who complained about receiving the pornographic images.
Sanders has said the pornographic images in question were sent to the employee by his ex-boyfriend who wanted to portray Sanders in a negative light. Through telephone and wire transmission records Sanders was able to show that the images in question were sent from a device in Washington, D.C. at a time that Sanders was in Chicago, proving that Sanders could not have been the person who sent the images.
Deusās attorneys brought out at the trial that AARP Services failed to give Sanders a chance to defend himself, prompting him to file his own lawsuit against AARP Services for which a settlement was reached. The terms of the settlement have not been publicly disclosed. But Deusās attorneys cited Sandersās case as yet another example of how AARP Services has treated gay employees differently from heterosexual employees.
AARP Services attorney Alison Davis argued during the trial that discrimination based on Deusās sexual orientation had nothing at all to do with the decision to fire him. Davis told the jury that the two trips that Deus took that led to his firing, one to New York City and the other to New Orleans to attend the Sugar Bowl football game, were financed in part by companies that do business with AARP in violation of AARP and AARP Services policies for travel. Among other things, she said the Sugar Bowl is considered a championship game that has a value higher than smaller gifts that AARP employees are allowed to accept.
Deus testified that his reason for accepting an invitation to the Sugar Bowl game was to spend time with the new account director at the Allstate insurance company, which paid for the Sugar Bowl game ticket. āIn 2019, we were going to be negotiating a new contract with Allstate and we wanted to establish a good relationship with her before the contract negotiations began,ā he told the Blade. āThatās how you do business.ā
Deus said he was referring to Allstateās business relationship with AARP Services, which he said, similar to its interaction with other businesses, helps AARP provide support and services to the nationās senior citizens.
In her cross examination of Deus on the witness stand, Davis also raised AARP Servicesā claim in contesting the lawsuit that the emotional distress and depression that Deus says he suffered because of his firing could have been caused by issues unrelated to the firing. Davis asked Deus if his emotional distress was caused by stress that Deus has said he experienced years earlier when he came out as gay to his parents, who are ordained ministers, and in his interaction with his sister, who had been diagnosed as being bipolar.
Deus said that while his coming out to his conservative parents nearly 30 years ago and his sisterās mental health issues were a concern years earlier, he and his parents had long since reconciled over his sexual orientation and his sisterās mental health issues played no role whatsoever in the emotional distress he experienced after being fired by AARP Services.
In her cross examination of Deus on the witness stand, Davis also asked him if his decision to be interviewed by the Washington Blade last year for a Blade story about his lawsuit could have contributed to the difficulty, he said he encountered in finding employment after he was fired by AARP Services. Deus, who testified that he was hired by at least one other company that later laid him off, said he did not believe a Blade story about his lawsuit would have an adverse impact on him.
Baltimore
Power Plant Live! opens Club 4, its first LGBTQ bar
Ryan Butler, known by his drag persona Brooklyn Heights, helped launch venue
BY JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IV | Ryan Butler wanted a place where all members of the LGBTQ community could enjoy drag, drinks and fellowship in a safe space. He found it by the Inner Harbor.
Butler jumped at the opportunity to help open Club 4, the first LGBTQ-themed bar to occupy the popular Power Plant Live! venue.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.