Maryland

Director of PG County daycare center asks lesbian couple to ‘split up’

Rising Generations apologizes, says ‘employee’ was reprimanded

Published

3 years ago

March 10, 2023

(Bigstock photo)

The owners of a daycare center in Prince George’s County, Md., have apologized for one of their facility’s directors who told a lesbian couple whose child has been attending the daycare center that God instructed her to advise the couple to “split up.”

News about the action by Kimesha Munford, a director at Rising Generations Early Learning Center in Lanham, Md., was reported by D.C.’s FOX 5 News in a broadcast story in which the married lesbian couple was interviewed.

According to the FOX 5 report, Kelly Gibbs and her wife Ky Gibbs said they decided to withdraw their child from Rising Generations a few weeks ago after Munford left a “disturbing” voicemail message on Kelly Gibbs’ phone at 3:30 a.m., which the couple provided to FOX 5 News.

“Hi Mrs. Gibbs, this is Ms. Kimesha from Rising Generations,” the phone message says. “I’m so sorry to be calling you this late and to be calling you from my personal, private cell phone, but I had to call to let you know that I’m a prophet and God often speaks to me through dreams and visions,” Munford’s voice message continues.

“The word of the Lord says that God wants you and your wife to split up and I am so sorry to have to tell you this,” the voice message says, adding, “I also speak in tongues, I pray in tongues.”

Kelley and Ky Gibbs told FOX 5 that the message from Munford came as a shock because the daycare center is not a religious operation and no one from Rising Generations had given them any indication of disapproval toward their status as a same-sex married couple.

“If you don’t have the control to call me at 3:30 in the morning, especially for something that has nothing to do with my child, I just don’t trust that you have the self-control to not do something with my child during the day,” Kelly told FOX 5 in explaining the couple’s decision to withdraw their child from Rising Generations.

The Washington Blade couldn’t immediately reach a Rising Generations spokesperson for comment.

But FOX 5 posted on its website a statement by Rising Generations responding to the television news station’s report about the concerns raised by Kelly and Ky Gibbs. The statement is signed by Paulette Munford and Kelvin F. Munford. FOX 5 identified the two as the owners of Rising Generations and Kimesha Munford’s parents.

“Last night, FOX 5 D.C. aired a news report detailing concerning statements made by a staff member regarding the LGBTQIA+ relationship of a Rising Generation parent,” the statement says. “These statements were offensive and inappropriate, and they do not reflect the thoughts or beliefs of Rising Generations,” the statement continues.

“We extend our heartfelt apologies for the incident and any disappointment or frustration it may have caused,” the two Munfords say in their statement. “While it has always been our mission to provide quality care for children in a safe and loving environment, mistakes do happen and we are working diligently to address the issue.”

The statement concludes by saying, “Since becoming aware of the incident, the employee — who has served our organization for more than 30 years — has been reprimanded and acknowledged their error in judgment. We have also begun exploring ways that we as an organization can ensure that this never happens again.”

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Maryland

Supreme Court ruling against conversion therapy bans could affect Md. law

Then-Gov. Larry Hogan signed statute in 2018

Published

2 weeks ago

April 1, 2026

Baltimore Banner

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

By PAMELA WOOD, JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IV, and MADELEINE O’NEILL | The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against a law banning “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ kids in Colorado, a ruling that also could apply to Maryland’s ban on the discredited practice.

An 8-1 high court majority sided with a Christian counselor who argues the law banning talk therapy violates the First Amendment. The justices agreed that the law raises free speech concerns and sent it back to a lower court to decide whether it meets a legal standard that few laws pass.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the court’s majority, said the law “censors speech based on viewpoint.” The First Amendment, he wrote, “stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country.”

The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.

Maryland

Md. lawmakers reaffirm legislative priorities

2026 General Assembly to end April 13

Published

2 weeks ago

March 31, 2026

Sam Epner

The Maryland State House in Annapolis, Md.(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Maryland’s legislative caucuses outlined their legislative priorities heading into the final weeks of the 2026 General Assembly during a joint press conference on March 24.

The press conference was titled “We are Maryland,” where a representative for each of the legislative caucuses outlined priorities.

State Del. Kris Fair (D-Frederick County) of the LGBTQ+ Caucus opened the press conference with a statement on the unity of Maryland’s caucus.

“Together we can show our state and our community a different world, one where we mutually support one another and through that support uplift every Marylander,” he said.

In a press conference on March 5, the LGBTQ+ Caucus outlined its top legislative priorities. Fair highlighted two of those bills again during the “We are Maryland” press conference.

The first of the two highlighted pieces of legislation was Senate Bill 626 and House Bill 1589.

The bills would simplify the process of updating an individual’s birth certificate and align the Department of Health and DMV systems to reflect those changes. The bill is being led by state Sen. Clarence Lam (D-Anne Arundel and Howard Counties) and state Del. Ashanti Martinez (D-Prince George’s County).

The second piece of legislation is Senate Bill 950 and House Bill 1209, which would update and modernize laws and regulations around so-called conversion therapy. The bills have failed to pass either chamber thus far. They are being led by state Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery County) and state Del. Bonnie Cullison (D-Montgomery County).

(The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against a Colorado law that bans so-called conversion therapy for minors. Maryland is among the U.S. jurisdictions that prohibit the widely discredited practice for anyone under 18.)

Martinez and Lam have introduced bills in their respective chambers that would expand PrEP access in Maryland. Martinez did not attend the press conference, and Fair did not mention it when he spoke.

State Del. N. Scott Phillips (D-Baltimore County) represented the Black Caucus during the press conference. State Del. Dana Jones (D-Anne Arundel County) spoke on behalf of the Women’s Caucus, State Del. Teresa Woorman (D-Montgomery County) represented the Latino Caucus, and State Del. Lily Qi (D-Montgomery County) represented the Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus. State Del. Jared Solomon (D-Montgomery County) represented the Jewish Caucus, and state Del. Sean Stinnett (D-Baltimore County) represented the Muslim Caucus during the press conference.

Solomon ended the press conference by explaining the importance of all the caucuses coming out together.

“We are stronger when we’re together, and many of these issues that we have talked about, again, impact all of us,” said Solomon.

Cameroon

Gay Cameroonian immigrant will be freed from ICE detention — for now

Ludovic Mbock’s homeland criminalizes homosexuality

Published

1 month ago

March 13, 2026

Baltimore Banner

Competitive gamer Ludovic Mbock, left, with his sister, Diane Sohna. (Photo courtesy of Diane Sohna)

By ANTONIO PLANAS | An immigration judge on Friday issued a $4,000 bond for a Cameroonian immigrant and regional gaming champion held in federal immigration detention for the past three weeks.

The ruling will allow Ludovic Mbock, of Oxon Hill, to return to Maryland from a Georgia facility this weekend, his family and attorney said.

“Realistically, by tomorrow. Hopefully, by today,” said Mbock’s attorney, Edward Neufville. “We are one step closer to getting Ludovic justice.”

The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.