Baltimore
Baltimore group to open D.C. facility to offer services discontinued by Casa Ruby
Trans advocate Iya Dammons spearheading D.C. Safe Haven
Transgender rights advocate Iya Dammons, the founder and executive director of Baltimore Safe Haven, an organization that provides emergency housing and other services for the LGBTQ community with a special outreach to the transgender community, says she plans to open a similar group in D.C. later this year to provide services that D.C.’s Casa Ruby provided before its shut down last week.
Dammons, who is originally from D.C. and has longstanding ties to D.C., said she was not prepared to comment on the issues surrounding the closing of Casa Ruby other than to say she knew Casa Ruby founder and CEO Ruby Corado and Corado’s years of work carrying out Casa Ruby’s mission.
Among other things, Casa Ruby operated as an LGBTQ community services center that provided transitional housing services for homeless LGBTQ youth and adults and support for LGBTQ immigrants. Corado, who resigned from her position as executive director last year but retained full control of the organization’s finances, was said to be in El Salvador and couldn’t be reached last week when Casa Ruby employees disclosed the organization was forced to close its operations due to a financial crisis.
“The work that she did was truly committed to the vision that we also have in our mission in Baltimore,” Dammons told the Washington Blade. “So, I wanted to be able to build the infrastructures out to continue that work,” she said. “We’re going to create a low barrier shelter for 18- to 25-year-olds. We’re going to start a drop-in center and a mobile outreach unit,” Dammons said.
She added that her plans also call for “providing services and new employment for those who lost their jobs with regard to what happened with Casa Ruby.”
Dammons said she has spoken with officials at the Wanda Alston Foundation and SMYAL, two other D.C. organizations that provide emergency housing services for LGBTQ youth in D.C., for the purpose of collaborating with them on the services that the new D.C. Safe Haven plans to provide.
Start-up funds for the opening of D.C. Safe Haven’s operations will be provided by the Okra Project, a national transgender advocacy organization, according to its executive director, Dominique Morgan.
Morgan told the Blade in a joint phone interview with Dammons on July 25 that she and her Okra Project team were impressed by Dammons’s plans for the D.C. Safe Haven. Morgan said the Okra Project, among other things, supports the work of transgender leaders like Dammons throughout the country.
“I just want to recognize that Iya is a product of D.C. and it’s extremely powerful when those from these communities are making and activating a solution like this,” Morgan said. “So, on top of all the work that she’s done, I think it is a beautiful moment for the hometown girl to come back to her community,” she told the Blade.
Dammons said she is aiming to have D.C. Safe Haven’s programs up and running by late fall or early winter of this year to ensure, among other things, that LGBTQ people facing homelessness will have a place to go in the cold weather.
Baltimore
Baltimore Pride plans to ‘take action’ in annual Pride festival
‘None of us should be sitting back and waiting for someone to come and save us’
As Baltimore Pride celebrates 50 years of LGBTQ history in their “50 Shades of Pride” events from June 9-15, they’re focused on mobilizing and taking action.
“When we think back to the history of Baltimore Pride, it is one of the most central pride movements of LGBT and black liberation, and so this year will be very different,” FreeState Justice Advocacy, Policy, and Partnerships Director Ronnie Taylor said. “In a time where federally, we are under attack and dealing with so much, I think this will be a really amazing way for our federal, state, and local individuals to be able to come together and be amongst the community we serve.”
Taylor said she’s excited to be part of the events leading up to the Baltimore Pride Parade that showcase the LGBTQ community. She said celebrating 50 years of history is a way for her to pay homage to her “transcestors” and ancestors who fought hard in Baltimore and Maryland to ensure equality for all.
“For me, personally, acknowledging, and celebrating 50 Years of Baltimore pride is monumental,” Taylor said. “And knowing that we’ve only taken two years off based on COVID-19 mandates to be able to come together … is going to be really monumental.”
For Taylor, one of her personal goals for the “50 Shades of Pride” celebration in upcoming years is to have a summit or conference where Pride is not just acknowledged, but talked about regarding policies and safety agendas.
“We need to be able to have a space to talk about legislation, and we need to be able to have a space for all to feel like (the LGBTQ community) is included in their decision-making process on the federal, state, and city-wide level,” Taylor said. “And so this will be a way for our elected officials to be able to come together and hear from community members.”
Taylor added that mobilization and activation in the community are needed now more than ever.
“We see it on a federal level. We are not protected right now in what we have,” Taylor said. “All we have is each other. And you know, none of us should be sitting back and waiting for someone to come and save us, as we are the saviors of ourselves.”
Taylor said having a space to “break bread” and party in the streets to celebrate Pride is amazing, but Pride organizations’ initiatives go beyond that.
FreeState Justice and the Pride Center of Maryland have created a trans advocacy care initiative that will be released and marketed to engage with community members throughout Baltimore’s Pride festival, according to Taylor.
“We have to stop moving in cycles,” Taylor said. “(When) we’re talking about community work and mobilization and activation … we wouldn’t be here with it without it being for each other. Overall, collectively, let’s do the work and get it done.”
Baltimore
Baltimore Pride to hold annual ‘50 Shades of Pride’ festival
Event kicks off with June 9 happy hour at EMA’s Corner
Hosting its “50 Shades of Pride” anniversary, Baltimore Pride will have various events from June 9-15 to celebrate the LGBTQ community.
Kicking off with an opening happy hour with good vibes, music, and signature drinks on June 9, community members can head to EMA’s Corner for a night of joy, community, and bold self-expression.
According to Baltimore Pride’s website, attendees from 5-9 p.m. can show off their “unique shade of Pride” by dressing down or going full glam.
Hosting another happy hour on June 11 from 5-9 p.m., the Manor in Mount Vernon allows attendees to “sip, socialize, and celebrate 50 years of Baltimore Pride in style.” Filled with Insta-worthy photo moments, signature cocktails, and feel-good Pride anthems played by a live DJ, this event will promote community, connection, and culture.
Ditching the drinks for a flag in hand, Baltimore Pride is taking over Mount Vernon for a vibrant block-style celebration June 13 from 3-8 p.m.
Mount Vernon Pride will be filled with live music, art installations and community vendors, food trucks and an outdoor bar, Pride merch, dance zones, and hangout lounges. The event is free and open to all ages, taking place on Park Avenue and Read Street.
Giving you some time to enjoy Mount Vernon Pride, Baltimore Pride’s Twilight on the Terrace will take place from 7-11 p.m. on June 13, giving attendees “a night of dancing under the stars, fine food, open bar, and great music.”
The “original Dreamgirl herself,” and Tony award and Grammy-award winner Jennifer Holliday, will grace the stage at M&T Bank Exchange at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center with her “soul-stirring vocals and electrifying presence” for an unforgettable night.
Attendees are able to mix and mingle over signature cocktails and gourmet bites before and after the show with community leaders, culture icons, and changemakers at the Gala Reception.
Limited seating is available, and attendees are expected to “dress to impress.”
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Baltimore Pride will host its annual Pride parade on Charles Street and North Avenue on June 14 at 12 p.m. Floats, dancers, DJs, and marching bands will walk along that route that “winds through the heart of Baltimore.”
Onlookers are able to cheer from the sidelines of the parade while drag queens and community organizations celebrate LGBTQ joy, history, and resistance.
The event will also feature announcers and special guest appearances.
Admission is free for all ages, and attendees are encouraged to bring flags, signs, and lots of energy.
Shutting down Charles Street once again, Baltimore Pride is hosting its annual Block Party.
From 3 p.m. until sunset on June 14, headliner and rapper Lola Brooke will perform as attendees visit local vendors, food trucks, street eats, dance zones, and more.
Giving community members a chance to interact with 10 local drag entertainers, Baltimore Pride is hosting its own Pride drag brunch at 1611 Guilford Ave. on June 15. Filled with “jaw-dropping performances” with brunch and drinks included with purchase, attendees can be prepared to “slay” their Sunday and honor the “many shades, styles, and stories” that make up the LGBTQ community.
Doors open at noon with the show starting at 1:15 p.m. with a $20 admission fee.
Ending its week of celebration, Baltimore Pride is hosting Pride in the Park from 12-6 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. Community members are invited to celebrate “a day of love, laughter, and community in the heart of nature.”
Attendees will have lots to choose from for entertainment with live performances from special guests, like singer and songwriter Durand Bernarr and gospel singer Kelly Pride, community vendors, food trucks, and a family zone with arts, games, and activities. Pet-friendly with a variety of opportunities for photo ops and giveaways, this event is free with an RSVP and open to all to celebrate the LGBTQ community authentically and unapologetically.
Baltimore
Baltimore Center Stage refuses to comply with federal anti-DEI guidelines for funding
National Endowment for the Arts has eliminated Challenge America grant program
By WESLEY CASE | The National Endowment for the Arts announced last month new guidelines and the elimination of Challenge America, a grant program that supports underserved groups and communities — moves that falls in line with President Donald Trump’s plan to reshape federal arts policy.
Now, Baltimore Center Stage, Maryland’s state theater, says it will refuse to comply with the NEA’s new guidelines — which state that applicants “will not operate any programs promoting ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’” or “gender ideology” — at the cost of its own potential federal funding in the future.
Under the new guidelines, the NEA is encouraging applicants to create projects that honor the upcoming 250th anniversary of the country’s adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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