News
Pride month comes to a close
Events took place in U.S. and around the world this weekend
From San Francisco to Denver to Chicago and then New York, cities large and small marked the end of Pride month 2023 in parades and gatherings. Across the globe there were also celebrations including the 40th anniversary of Dublin Pride in Ireland and in the true spirit of that very first Pride gathering, thousands took to the streets in Istanbul in defiance of the ban on Pride by the government of Recep Tayyip ErdoÄan.
As LGBTQ communities celebrated they were joined by elected leaders and representatives.
Here are some highlights of Pride 2023:
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker:
Iāve been marching for LGBTQ+ rights since Pride was thought of as a protest ā and Iām proud to keep marching as a celebration of hope and recommitment to the fight for equality today. pic.twitter.com/kyjhROgh3h
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) June 25, 2023
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis:
Happy Pride from Colorado State Employees! ā¤ļøš§”šššš
— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) June 25, 2023
We love celebrating a Colorado for All! pic.twitter.com/fUmLq1SckG
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul:
New York is the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ rights movement and today, thousands of New Yorkers came together to show our #StrengthInSolidarity. Happy #Pride! pic.twitter.com/GqdwuJuIAs
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) June 25, 2023
NBC Bay Area
San Francisco celebrated its 53rd annual Pride Parade Sunday, with a crowd nearing a million people. The theme of this year's parade was about ālooking back and moving forward.ā https://t.co/HTIA85kueg pic.twitter.com/dHV3ZEOIBF
— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) June 25, 2023
California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis:
Happy Pride, San Francisco šā¤ļøšššš
— Eleni Kounalakis (@EleniForCA) June 25, 2023
Proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our incredible LGBTQIA+ community today as we celebrate diversity and continue the fight for equality. California is with you! pic.twitter.com/TDJU9Mofap
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner:
In the most diverse city in the nation, we chose to continue embracing the unity, inclusiveness, and ability to express ourselves for who we are.
— Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) June 25, 2023
It was great to see many Houstonians attend this yearās @PrideHouston parade last night in @downtownhouston. #Pride pic.twitter.com/t6DO3v6mrG
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar:
We marched in Dublin's Pride parade today! #HappyPride š³ļøāš pic.twitter.com/BEpUezcbWo
— Fine Gael (@FineGael) June 24, 2023
Istanbul:
Susmuyoruz, korkmuyoruz itaat etmiyoruz! š³ļøāšš³ļøāā§ļø#Istanbulpride #OnurYĆ¼rĆ¼yĆ¼ÅĆ¼ #DƶnĆ¼yoruz pic.twitter.com/nBNnh2inbp
— š¹š· Ä°YÄ° LGBTÄ° āļøš (@IYILGBTI) June 25, 2023
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore:
In our state, no matter who you love or who you are, you are welcome and you are loved.
— Governor Wes Moore (@GovWesMoore) June 25, 2023
Happy #Pride, Maryland! pic.twitter.com/Ff6BtwOM9W
Toronto Pride:
Happy Pride! #Pride2023 #TorontoPride pic.twitter.com/y5v7B8Ax8G
— blogTO (@blogTO) June 25, 2023
Canadian MP Ryan Turnbull:
In Canada, we believe in the freedom to ālove who you love, and to be who you are!ā Happy Pride!! #cdnpoli #Whitby #Toronto #Pride2023 pic.twitter.com/I0R048VkCa
— Ryan Turnbull šØš¦šŗš¦ (@TurnbullWhitby) June 25, 2023
Mexico City (via Reuters):
Thousands of revelers crowded the streets of Mexico City to celebrate the Pride parade pic.twitter.com/5oRnAFBUIb
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 25, 2023
First Lady Jill Biden at Twin Cities Pride (via the Star Tribune):
First lady Jill Biden made an appearance at Twin Cities Pride in Minneapolis. pic.twitter.com/1eoKz82mcC
— Star Tribune (@StarTribune) June 24, 2023
Edinburgh Pride:
Happy Pride š³ļøāš #PrideEdinburgh #Pride2023 https://t.co/jaESsSOVpJ
— The City of Edinburgh Council (@Edinburgh_CC) June 24, 2023
Seattle Pride:
Organizers estimate nearly 300,000 people were out and about, proud to be part of the 49th Annual Seattle Pride Parade. https://t.co/OBvR7q2sBK
— KING 5 News (@KING5Seattle) June 26, 2023
Metro Manila Pride:
Flags, Friends, and Feathers: The 2023 Metro Manila Pride March š³ļøāšš³ļøāā§ļø
— Ralph Revelar Sarza (@walphs) June 25, 2023
FULL VIDEO: https://t.co/ITqf9d2Jnq#TAYOangKULAYAAN#JUSTICEforCHADBOOC#JUSTICEforNewBataan5#Pride2023#PrideMarch2023#PrideMonth2023 @mmprideorg
Watch in 4K: https://t.co/HtfjqMpWsi pic.twitter.com/Hr8vhN3XWK
U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.):
Happy Pride NYC! I've never missed a march in over 30 years, and with the LGBTQ+ community facing increased attacks, it's more important than ever to celebrate visibility & diversity. pic.twitter.com/zQa6pHsNST
— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) June 26, 2023
Oklahoma City Pride:
It was amazing to see our Indigenous brothers and sisters at OKC Pride today. Sending love and hugs to my Two Spirit siblings! pic.twitter.com/XOCsOzmnWp
— įŖį©įįį“ š³ļøāš (@LanceUSA70) June 25, 2023
Maryland
At Salisbury University, an alleged hate crime shakes LGBTQ studentsā sense of safety
Authorities have charged 12 men in connection with attack
BY ELLIE WOLFE | Gigi Levin said she wasnāt particularly shocked when she heard a group of her classmates had been accused of luring a gay man to an apartment and attacking him.
āThis is a problem rooted in our campus culture,ā said Levin, a 24-year-old Salisbury University student from Montgomery County. āThe administration can help, but ultimately we are responsible for our safety as LGBTQ+ students.ā
Levin was one of the first to arrive at a vigil on Monday afternoon, planned by an LGBTQ faculty group after University President Carolyn Ringer Lepre announced inĀ an email to the campus last week that several students been arrested.Ā The Salisbury Police Department chargedĀ 12 men, all students between 18 and 21,Ā with first-degree assault, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment and associated hate crimes.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Obituary
Tom Flournoy, avid cyclist and engineer, dies at 69
Celebration of life planned for Nov. 23
Tom Flournoy died in his sleep the morning of Oct. 27, 2024. He was 69.
He was born in Washington, D.C. After graduating from Woodbridge Senior High School and Old Dominion University, he launched a successful career as a professional engineer, specializing in transportation projects from planning to final design, according to a statement from his partner.
Projects he worked on included roadways, highways, bridges, transit facilities, commuter rail, and bike and pedestrian facilities. Many, if not most, were in the D.C. area, including Arlington County, which became Tomās home in 1989. In his last position as VP at STV Inc., Tom was instrumental in starting and growing STVās D.C. office, which is still thriving.
Tom was justifiably proud of his career as an engineer, during which he acted as a mentor to many younger engineers, launching them on successful careers of their own. He liked to tell stories of the time he went to Saudi Arabia to teach bridge engineering classes, and when traveling, he made sure to point out interesting bridges, some of which he had worked on. But proud as he was of it, Tomās career was not the only focus of his life, according to friends.
Upon retirement in 2015, Tom reflected, āI became rewired and self-contained, which is another great word. In bicycle touring it means you arenāt dependent. You are self-contained and not relying on SAG (support and gear). And that is how I will approach the coming years, rewired and self-contained! This is not meant to exclude my great friends, past, present and future, but more the independent spirit that I learned a long time ago when I rode solo across Italy in 1991!ā
After retirement, Tomās life focused on two passions: opera and cycling. Tomās love of opera developed somewhat late in life, but it was intense. Among his favorites were La Boheme, Lakme, Billy Budd, and, last but not least, Wagnerās Ring Cycle. He was a long-time subscriber to the Washington National Opera. Most often with his partner Laurent, he also attended performances at many of the great opera houses of the U.S. and Europe, including New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Paris, London, Vienna, and Prague. His most recent opera trip was to Berlin, to see the Deutsche Operās Ring Cycle. He was with Laurent at the Washington National Operaās Wagner tribute on Oct. 26.
First and foremost, though, Tom was an avid cyclist, especially long-distance cycle touring. A few years ago, he said, āI feel ageless, or used to. Age does creep up on us. Feeling ageless may sound like an old metaphor but I attribute that feeling to my love of cycling and, in particular, my love of long-distance cycle touring.ā
Indeed, Tom loved going on long bike tours that often lasted weeks, either on his own or with friends, especially, in the last few years, with his close friend Mark. Tomās first big bike tour was in 1988, when he first went to France with his then significant other, Doug Wolfer, and two friends. They biked from Paris to Chartres, to the Loire Valley, and onto Vichy, Lyon, Dijon, and back to Paris. As Tom put it, after that trip, he was hooked. Since then, he returned to France several times and also toured in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, and, most recently, the Balkans from Vienna to Bucharest via Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, and Bulgaria.
In the U.S., Tom toured in Montana and Wyoming (an extension of Cycle Montana), Rhode Island, and Massachusetts (Providence to Provincetown), North Carolina and Virginia (Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway), Tennessee to Louisiana (Natchez Trace Parkway and the Mississippi River Trail to New Orleans), Vermont and New York (around Lake Champlain), the entire East Coast from Key West to Halifax (Canada), and a circular loop through Canada starting in Vermont that took him through MontrĆ©al, up the Pātit Train du Nord Rail Trail, back down to Ottawa, and then around lake Ontario, across the Erie Canal, down the Hudson River to New York, and from there, through New Jersey and Delaware to home, in Arlington. Tom also did many local rides in the DMV area. Some of his favorites took him to Rock Creek Park, Hains Point, and the surrounding suburbs of Virginia and Maryland. For extended local rides, he loved to head out west to the Marshall area to enjoy the mountains.
He was also a data geek. Since 2012, when he first started recording rides on Ride with GPS, he logged 1,533 rides with a distance of over 55,439 miles. He also climbed 2,597,322 feet, including conquering two of the famed Swiss passes, Simplonpass and Grimselpass, at the ripe age of 61 on a fully loaded touring bike.
Cycling was Tomās passion; he also wanted it to be his legacy. So, in 2019, he set up the āBonsource Cyclist Fundā through the Arlington Community Foundation. Bonsource was Tomās cycling handle or nickname for many years. The goals and objectives of the Bonsource Cyclist Fund are to support and encourage access to bicycling for people of all ages through, primarily, infrastructure projects, but also through tangible and intangible programs. These could be infrastructure improvements that make a significant contribution to the bicycling network and are in need of funding in whole or in part; support for more routine but necessary infrastructure improvements; the renovation of maintenance or existing bicycle infrastructure; and programs that encourage people to enjoy bicycling or promote bicycling in general.
In the same spirit, over the last few years, Tom helped to instill a love of cycling in local youth. He volunteered as a mentor and ride leader for Phoenix Bikes, a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate youth, promote bicycling, and build community. He was also a frequent ādriverā for Arlingtonās Escuela Key BicibĆŗs (East), one of three routes that helps elementary age students get to their school by bicycle.
Tom was pre-deceased by his parents, John and Margaret Flournoy, his brother Kenneth, and his partner Doug Wolfer. He is survived by his partner, Laurent Cartayrade; close friend Mark Nguyen; and his immediate family, including his twin brother Doug, his brother John, and his sisters Mary Beth and Trudy, according to the statement from Cartayrade.
Friends and family will celebrate Tomās life on Nov. 23, 2024, starting at 1 p.m., at the Lyon Park Community Center, 414 North Fillmore St., in Arlington, Va. If you have a bicycling jersey, no matter how loud, feel free to wear it in his honor. With those who want to join, some will ride the 1.2 miles from his residence at Hyde Park, 4141 North Henderson Road, to the celebration, departing at 12:45 p.m.
Contributions in his memory can be made to the Bonsource Cyclist Fund, bit.ly/bonsource.
Federal Government
House races could decide Department of Education’s future
Second Trump administration could target transgender students
The Associated Press reports that more than a dozen races for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, including 10 for congressional districts in California, remain too close to call as of Tuesday ā a full week after voters cast their ballots on Nov. 5.
Democrats hope that if they can flip the lower chamber, which is now governed by a narrow Republican majority, it might function as a bulwark against President-elect Donald Trump, his incoming administration, and the 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate that his party secured last week.
If, on the other hand, the GOP retains control of the House, the Republican victory would clear a major roadblock that could otherwise have stymied a major plank of Trump’s education agenda: Plans to permanently shutter the U.S. Department of Education.
Congress ultimately scuttled the former president’s effort to do so during his first administration ā though, technically, the proposal then was to merge the agency with the U.S. Department of Labor.
The Wall Street Journal notes that some Republicans, at the time and in the years since, have come out against plans to abolish the 44-year-old agency, in some cases even objecting to major funding cuts proposed by Trump that they understood were likely be unpopular.
However, if the second term plans for DOE as delineated in the Trump campaign’s Agenda47 and the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 governing blueprint become a major policy priority once the incoming administration takes over in January, reluctant Republican lawmakers will face tremendous pressure to get out of Trump’s way.
Federal government will remain in schools to advance anti-trans, anti-woke agenda
Among other responsibilities, DOE disburses and manages student loans, enforces the civil rights laws in public schools, and provides funding for students with disabilities. The agency’s programs, such as Title I, offer assistance for low-achieving or high-poverty K-12 schools, while Pell Grants help undergraduates who otherwise would not be able to pay for college.
It is unclear whether or how those functions will continue if the DOE is disbanded.
Trump’s aim, at least in large part, is to give states ā rather than the federal government ā the ultimate say over how their schools are run. At the same time, perhaps paradoxically, the other cornerstone of his education policy agenda is to issue proscriptive rules governing the content, curricula, and classroom discussion that will be permitted in the country’s public schools.
Specifically, this means “critical race theory, gender ideology or other inappropriate racial, sexual or political” topics or materials are forbidden. Reasonable people are likely to disagree about what is and is not “inappropriate,” and they may well have different, even disparate, definitions for terms like “gender ideology.”
When Florida and other states enacted similar anti-LGBTQ content and curricular restrictions in their public schools, critics warned the ambiguous language in the statute and the resulting confusion would lead to censorship, or perhaps self-censorship, especially for students and staff who, by virtue of their skin color or sexual orientation or gender identity, are more likely to be targeted with targeted or overzealous enforcement in the first place.
DOE plays major role investigating alleged civil rights violations in schools
According to the National Education Association, “federal civil rights laws prohibit school boards and other employers from discriminating against or harassing staff or students based on their sexual orientation or gender identity,” which “means, for example, that a school district may not prohibit only LGBTQ+ educators from answering studentsā questions about their families, may not prohibit recognition and discussion in class only of LGBTQ+ families, and may not require that only LGBTQ+ students hide their sexual orientation or gender identity at school.”
However, the NEA warns, “some school districts, administrators, and the Florida Department of Education may nonetheless choose to do so until a court orders otherwise.”
If officials at a public high school allow heterosexual teachers to display family photos in their classrooms but warn the openly gay teacher that he must put his away or be terminated for violating restrictions on in-school discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity, the manner in which the policy was enforced against him would presumably run afoul of the federal civil rights laws, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
The teacher could assume the expense of hiring an attorney to pursue legal remedies, shouldering the burden and the risk that litigation that could drag on for months and conclude with a judgment in favor of his employer. Alternatively, until or unless Trump dissolves the agency, he could file a complaint with DOE’s Office of Civil Rights.
Alternatively, until or unless Trump dissolves the agency, the teacher could file a complaint with DOE. The agency’s Office of Civil Rights would evaluate the information he shared to determine whether there were sufficient grounds to open an investigation and, if so, would deploy “a variety of fact-finding techniques” that can include a review of documentary evidence submitted by both parties, interviews with key witnesses, and site visits.
After the investigation is complete, if a “preponderance of the evidence supports a conclusion that the recipient failed to comply with the law,” OCR will attempt to negotiate a resolution agreement. If the recipient refuses to resolve the matter in this manner, OCR can “suspend, terminate, or refuse to grant or continue federal financial assistance to the recipient, or may refer the case to the Department of Justice.”
According to the DOE’s website, the agency has 11,782 investigations that were open as of Tuesday, with complaints against institutions of all kinds operating in all 50 states, from rural elementary schools in the Deep South to prestigious medical schools, community colleges, and charter schools for students with developmental disabilities. Likewise, the six civil rights laws over which OCR has jurisdiction cover a wide range of conduct, from sexual harassment to discrimination, retaliation, and single-sex athletics scholarships.
Should Trump succeed in abolishing the department, it is not yet clear how those active investigations will be handled, nor how complaints about violations of civil rights law by educational institutions would be reported and investigated moving forward in the agency’s absence.
During his first administration, Trump passed proposed changes to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which retooled the process for reporting sexual assault on college campuses in ways that were widely seen as imbalanced in favor of the accused.
President Joe Biden in April issued new guidelines that featured “significant shifts in how institutions address sexual harassment, and assault allegations while expanding protections for LGBTQ+ and pregnant students,” the American Council on Education wrote. Specifically, the administration provided a “new definition of sexual harassment, extending jurisdiction to off-campus, and international incidents,” while “clarifying protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, and parenting status.”
The regulations sidestepped thornier questions, however, about how schools should approach issues at the intersection of gender identity and competitive sports, specifying only that they should avoid bans that would categorically prohibit transgender athletes from participating.
Shortly after the Biden administration’s guidelines were introduced, Trump vowed they would be “terminated” on his first day in office. He also pledged to enact anti-trans policies that appear to have been modeled after some of the most extreme of the roughly 1,600 anti-trans bills that conservative statehouses have proposed from 2021-2024.
Among other promises Trump made during the campaign were plans to enact a nationwide ban on trans student athletes competing in accordance with their gender identity, a federal law that would recognize only two genders, and the prosecution of health care providers who administer gender affirming care to patients younger than 18.
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