Maryland
Federal judge rules Montgomery County parents cannot opt children out of LGBTQ-specific lessons
2023-2024 school year to begin on Monday
A federal judge on Thursday ruled a group of Montgomery County parents cannot “opt out” their children from classes in which lessons or books on LGBTQ-related topics are taught.
The parents in May filed a federal lawsuit against Montgomery County Public Schools that alleges the policy violates their religious beliefs.
They asked for a temporary injunction to halt the policy before Aug. 28, which is the first day of school in the county. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ruled against them.
“Members of the LGBTQ+ community are our neighbors, coworkers and friends,”Ā tweetedĀ Montgomery County Council President Evan GlassĀ on Friday. “This ruling validates the right for everyone to be seen for who they authentically are, but it also shows that we have a lot of work to do opening hearts and minds so everyone is welcomed and accepted.”
A federal appeals court on Aug. 14 dismissed a separate lawsuit against a policy that allows Montgomery County schools to create plans to support transgender and nonbinary students without their parents’ knowledge or consent.
Isabelle Kravis contributed to this article.
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 āthat 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.ā
Moore on Thursday also signed House Bill 1386, which GLSEN notes will ādevelop guidelines for an anti-bias training program for school employees.ā
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 ā 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. ā 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.
āWe 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,ā Vogel told the Washington Blade last month during an interview in D.C.
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