Maryland
Anne Arundel County school board rejects Pride flag ban
Vote was 4-3 against proposed policy
Anne Arundel County Board of Education members on Wednesday rejected a proposed ban on non-government flags on school property.
The policy would have banned flags, such as the Pride flag, Black Lives Matter flag and others from being hung or flown on school properties.
The board voted four to three, with one abstaining, against the proposed policy. The votes were as follows:
Board President Joanna Bache Tobin, District 6: No
Board VP Robert Silkworth, District 2: No
Eric Lin, Student Member: No
Gloria Dent, District 1: Abstain
Corine Frank, District 3: Yes
Melissa Ellis, District 4: Yes
Dana Schallheim, District 5: No
Michelle Corkadel, District 7: Yes
The ban, which Frank proposed, would have encouraged the display of the U.S. flag, Maryland flag and other local flags to fly at schools in the district. Any other flags displayed would have only been accepted for a “bona-fide educational purpose,” determined by the schools’ principals.
Along with banning the Pride and Black Lives Matter flags, the policy would have required school staff to get permission to hang military, college and sports team flags and pennants.
Advocates for the policy argued that the display of Pride and Black Lives Matter flags harm students whose religious beliefs do not support LGBTQ or Black Lives Matter communities. Others argued the flags themselves were political symbols, and their presence would influence students’ political beliefs.
The Anne Arundel chapter of Moms for Liberty, a far-right extremist group, was a strong supporter of the policy.
Opponents to the proposal argued a ban on flags would be one more step toward excluding LGBTQ studetns and students of color.
Lin, a senior at Severna Park High School and the only student representative on the board, was met with applause from his colleagues and those in the audience when he expressed concern over the labeling of flags as political.
“The Pride flag, for example, is not a political or social issue,” Lin said. “LGBTQ people exist in our society and their fight for continued equality is represented by the Pride flag. It is a human rights issue … in a public school system, the goal is to teach students that there are people who are different than them that exist, and teachers don’t teach students to be queer. They teach students that queer people exist and to treat them like human beings.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Thursday signed a bill that seeks to combat efforts to ban books from state libraries.
House Bill 785, also known as the Freedom to Read Act, would establish a state policy “that local school systems operate their school library media programs consistent with certain standards; requiring each local school system to develop a policy and procedures to review objections to materials in a school library media program; prohibiting a county board of education from dismissing, demoting, suspending, disciplining, reassigning, transferring, or otherwise retaliating against certain school library media program personnel for performing their job duties consistent with certain standards.”
Moore on Thursday also signed House Bill 1386, which GLSEN notes will “develop guidelines for an anti-bias training program for school employees.”
Maryland
Health care for Marylanders with HIV is facing huge cuts this summer
Providers poised to lose three-quarters of funding
BY MEREDITH COHN | By the end of June, health care providers in Maryland will lose nearly three-quarters of the funding they use to find and treat thousands of people with HIV.
Advocates and providers say they had been warned there would be less money by the Maryland Department of Health, but were stunned at the size of the drop — from about $17.9 million this fiscal year to $5.3 million the next. The deep cuts are less than three months away.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Maryland state Del. Joe Vogel (D-Montgomery County) on Friday held a “Big Gay Canvass Kickoff” event at his congressional campaign’s headquarters.
LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Vice President of Outreach and Engagement Marty Rouse and John Klenert, a member of the DC Vote and Victory Fund Campaign board of directors, are among those who participated alongside members of Equality PAC. Vogel spoke before Rouse, Klenert and others canvassed for votes in the area.
“Joe brings a fresh new perspective to politics,” said Gabri Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, deputy field director for Vogel’s campaign.
Vogel, 27, is among the Democrats running for Congressman David Trone’s seat.
Trone last May announced his bid to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) in the U.S. Senate.
The Democratic primary is on May 14. Vogel would be the first Latino, the first gay man and first Gen Zer elected to Congress from Maryland if he were to win in November.
“We need a new generation of leadership with new perspectives, new ideas, and the courage to actually deliver for our communities if we want things to get better in this country,” Vogel told the Washington Blade last month during an interview in D.C.
HHS reverses Trump-era anti-LGBTQ rule
PHOTOS: Capital Pride Pageant
Md. governor signs Freedom to Read Act
The rise of virtual home tours
Round House explores serious issues related to privilege
Catching up with the asexuals and aromantics of D.C.
Argentina government dismisses transgender public sector employees
Maine governor signs transgender, abortion sanctuary bill into law
Mexican Senate approves bill to ban conversion therapy
Bowser budget proposal calls for $5.25 million for 2025 World Pride
-
District of Columbia4 days agoCatching up with the asexuals and aromantics of D.C.
-
South America4 days agoArgentina government dismisses transgender public sector employees
-
Maine5 days agoMaine governor signs transgender, abortion sanctuary bill into law
-
Mexico3 days agoMexican Senate approves bill to ban conversion therapy