Maryland
‘Rally for Justice’ protests prosecutors’ response to murder of Md. trans woman
Man charged with fatal shooting of Meghan Lewis released while awaiting trial
The transgender advocacy organization Safe Haven Maryland released a statement Sunday night, Jan. 7, announcing it was holding a “Rally for Justice: Demanding Accountability for Meghan Lewis,” at 8 a.m., Monday, Jan. 8, outside the Harford County, Md., courthouse to protest what the group believes to be the mishandling by prosecutors of the Dec. 27 murder of Lewis, a beloved transgender woman.
Police in Bel Air, Md., where Lewis lived, said witnesses reported she got into an altercation with a man named Brian Delen, 47, who was delivering food outside her condominium building after he reportedly misgendered her by calling her “sir.”
Police said Lewis allegedly yelled at Delen when he started to drive off in his car. WBAL TV News in Baltimore reports that court documents say Delen then got out of his car, pulled out a gun, and fatally shot Lewis.
The documents say Delen immediately after shooting called 911 and surrendered to police, who found him in possession of a semi-automatic pistol for which he had a valid permit, according to WBAL
The Maryland Safe Haven statement says the group called the rally outside the courthouse at 20 West Courthouse Street in Bel Air to protest, among other things, a decision by prosecutors with the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office not to classify the incident as a hate crime.
The statement says Safe Haven Maryland and its supporters at the rally would also be protesting a decision by Harford County District Court Judge Susan Hazlett to release Delen on his own personal recognizance until at least the time of the next court hearing scheduled for Jan. 25. The judge ordered him to be held in home detention with a GPS monitoring device.
Court records show Delen has been charged with Second Degree Murder, Assault-First Degree, and Firearm Use/Felony-Violent Crime. Some transgender activists have said he should have been charged with First-Degree murder.
“We call upon the community, local law enforcement agencies, the state’s attorney’s office, and other relevant authorities to join us in our pursuit of justice for Meghan Lewis,” the Safe Haven statement says, which was released by Safe Haven Executive Director Iya Dammons. “We request meetings with officials to discuss the case, present evidence, and express our concerns about the handling of the investigation,” it says.
In what it describes as a “Demand for Accountability,” the statement declares:
• Hold the state’s attorney’s office accountable for not charging the murder as a hate crime, despite evidence suggesting it was motivated by bias or prejudice.
• Call for transparency and an explanation from the state’s attorney’s office regarding their decision-making process.
• Demand a thorough review of the handling of the case by law enforcement agencies, including any potential mishandling or negligence in the investigation.
In response to a request by the Washington Blade for comment, the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office released a statement Monday morning saying the case remains under “thorough investigation, to examine all evidence and determine what additional charges are appropriate.”
The statement points out that the State’s Attorney’s Office requested that Delen be held without bail pending trial and questions regarding how the decision was reached to release him on his own recognizance “should be directed to the judiciary,” meaning the judge who made the release decision.
“The evidence in this case will be thoroughly evaluated in the same manner as any case presented to our office for prosecution and as always, the State’s Attorney’s Office remains committed to seeking justice,” the statement concludes.
The Harford County Office of the Public Defender, which is serving as Delen’s defense counsel, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday signed a bill that decriminalizes HIV in the state.
State Dels. Kris Fair (D-Frederick County) and Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) are among the lawmakers who sponsored House Bill 39 or the Carlton R. Smith Act, which is named after the long-time activist known as the “mayor” of Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood who died in May 2024.
Smith was a member of the Coalition to Decriminalize HIV in Maryland that advocated for the bill. FreeState Justice, a statewide LGBTQ rights group, was also part of the coalition.
“At FreeState Justice, we are proud to stand with advocates, health experts, and lawmakers who worked diligently to advance this bill. The bipartisan support for the Carlton R. Smith Act is a testament to the power of education, research, and courageous leadership,” said FreeState Justice Executive Director Phillip Westry in a statement. “It sends a clear message: Maryland is committed to evidence-based policymaking and to ending the criminalization of people living with HIV. We honor the memory of Carlton R. Smith by continuing the work of building a more just, inclusive, and informed society.”
Maryland is the fifth state to decriminalize HIV.
North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong, a Republican, in March signed a bill that decriminalized HIV in his state.
Maryland
A Baltimore theater educator lost jobs at Johns Hopkins and the Kennedy Center
Tavish Forsyth concluded they could not work for Trump
BY WESLEY CASE | Tavish Forsyth had come to a conclusion: They could not work for President Donald Trump.
So the 32-year-old Baltimore resident stripped down, turned on their camera, and lit their career on fire.
“F—— Donald Trump and f—— the Kennedy Center,” a naked Forsyth, an associate artistic lead at the Washington National Opera’s Opera Institute, which is run by the Kennedy Center, said in a video that went viral. The board of the nation’s leading cultural institution had elected Trump just weeks prior as its chairman after he gutted the board of members appointed by his predecessor, President Joe Biden.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Maryland
Md. schools plan to comply with federal DEI demands
Superintendents opt for cooperation over confrontation
By LIZ BOWIE | Deciding not to pick a fight with the Trump administration, Maryland school leaders plan to sign a letter to the U.S. Department of Education that says their school districts are complying with all civil rights laws.
The two-paragraph letter could deflect a confrontation over whether the state’s public schools run diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that the Trump administration has called illegal. The Baltimore Banner reviewed the letter, which was shared by a school administrator who declined to be identified because the letter has not yet been sent.
Maryland school leaders are taking a more conciliatory approach than those in some other states. Education leaders in Minnesota, New York, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, and Wisconsin said they will not comply with the federal education department’s order, the demands of which, they say, are based on a warped interpretation of civil rights law.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
D.C. Black Pride 2025: Events, parties, and empowerment
Cuban lawmakers to consider simplifying process for trans people to change IDs
Frank Kameny’s legacy lives on
Wes Moore signs HIV decriminalization bill
