Local
Mayoral candidates address AIDS forum
Hopefuls addressed a standing-room-only crowd
Former Mayor Sheila Dixon took part in Tuesday’s AIDS forum. (Washington Blade photo by Steve Charing)
Several candidates vying to replace outgoing Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake appeared Tuesday before a forum sponsored by the Greater Baltimore HIV Health Services Planning Council. The purpose of the annual meeting is to discuss Baltimore’s response to the White House’s national HIV/AIDS strategy.
Former Mayor Sheila Dixon, City Council member Nick Mosby, State Sen. Catherine Pugh, Conor Meek and Calvin Young addressed a standing-room-only crowd of nearly 100 in the community room in Chase Brexton Health Services’ Mount Vernon building.
While most of the candidates used the opportunity to promote their candidacies, they all indicated strong support for eradicating the disease and called for increased awareness, education and health care as principal components of the effort. Three of them—Dixon, Mosby and Young—had close relatives affected by HIV/AIDS, indicating a personal connection to further motivate them to fight the spread of the disease.
Mosby finds the stigma associated with the disease unacceptable in the community. “It’s time to end this,” he said emphatically. “It starts with leadership; it starts at the top.” As mayor, he would treat it as a top priority.
Dixon emphasized that AIDS is not just a gay disease but it also affects heterosexual people and is “intergenerational.” She pledged to “knock on doors to talk about AIDS.”
Prior to the candidates’ portion, Dr. Leana Wen, health commissioner for the Baltimore City Health Department, provided an overview of what the city is undertaking to prevent HIV/AIDS and to care for the 16,000 residents of Baltimore living with AIDS.
“There is a plan to end AIDS by 2030. We can do it,” she said, noting that one in five Baltimore residents have HIV and are not aware of it.
Jeffrey Hitt, a director from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, pointed out the behavioral aspects of treating HIV. This includes people taking the prescribed medication as directed.
He pledged support from the state whereby a comprehensive coordinated response is needed to include a recommitment to needle exchange strategies, promoting safer sex practices, self-determination and harm reduction.
Hitt promised, “HIV will be rare and when it does occur, people will have unfettered access to care.”
Maryland
Parents sue Anne Arundel schools, allege officials hid child’s gender transition
America First legal Foundation filed lawsuit on July 8
By CODY BOTELER | Two parents, backed by a conservative nonprofit group, are suing Anne Arundel County Public Schools over the school system’s policies related to transgender children.
The suit, filed Wednesday in Maryland’s U.S. District Court, accuses staff at an unidentified county high school of lying to the parents, identified as John Doe and Jane Doe, about their child, identified as Mary Doe.
The Does allege the school “socially transitioned” their child without notice or their consent by using a masculine name and masculine pronouns for Mary Doe.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
District of Columbia
Campaign launched to elect more LGBTQ candidates to ANC seats
Capital Stonewall Democrats behind Queering ANCs effort
The Capital Stonewall Democrats, D.C.’s largest local LGBTQ political group, announced on July 7 it has launched a campaign to help elect large numbers of LGBTQ candidates to the city’s Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.
The D.C. local government is believed to be unique among U.S. cities in currently having 46 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions consisting of 345 single-member districts in neighborhoods throughout the city in which unpaid Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners are elected for two-year terms.
The commissions are charged with considering a wide range of policies and programs impacting their neighborhoods, including traffic, parking, recreation, street improvements, liquor licenses, zoning, economic development, police protection, sanitation and trash collection, and D.C.’s annual budget, according to the ANC website.
Although the ANCs do not have authority to set or reject policies or proposals, such as applications for liquor licenses, city agencies are required to give “great weight” to ANC recommendations, according to the law creating the ANCs.
Kent Boese, a gay former ANC commissioner, currently serves as executive director of the D.C. Office of ANCs.
“We are launching the most ambitious hyperlocal LGBTQ+ candidate pipeline initiative in the country,” said Stevie McCarty, the Capital Stonewall Democrats president, in a July 7 statement that announced the Queering ANCs campaign.
“As an ANC member, I know firsthand how these seats shape our neighborhoods, from housing and public safety to sanitation,” McCarty says in the statement. “I’m proud to lead this effort to ensure more LGBTQ+ Washingtonians see themselves as leaders in their communities,” he said.
The ANC Rainbow Caucus, which was created by LGBTQ ANC members, shows on its website that there are currently 38 caucus members consisting of elected LGBTQ ANC commissioners serving in the current 2025-2026 two-year term.
The website shows there are LGBTQ commissioners who are caucus members in each of the city’s eight wards, with six in Ward 1, eight in Ward 2, one in Ward 3, six in Ward 4, five in Ward 5, three in Ward 6, eight in Ward 7, and one in Ward 8.
The Washington Blade couldn’t immediately determine how many of them will be running for re-election in D.C.’s general election in November. But McCarty said Capital Stonewall Democrats hopes to recruit many more LGBTQ candidates to run for ANC seats.
The D.C. Board of Elections website shows the deadline for filing 25 required petition signatures to be placed on the ballot is Aug. 5.
A Queering ANCs website launched this week by Capital Stonewall Democrats provides details on how to run for an ANC seat and offers help for those interested in running.
“Think of someone in your building, neighborhood, friend group, community organization, or professional network who cares deeply about D.C. and would make a strong leader,” McCarty says in his statement. “Send them QueeringANCs.org and personally ask them to consider running,” he said.
The website can be accessed at QueeringANCs.org.
Baltimore
Ron Singer, owner of popular Mount Vernon gay bar Leon’s, dies
66-year-old’s funeral to take place Friday
By CAYLA HARRIS | Ron Singer, the owner of Baltimore’s popular gay bar Leon’s Backroom, died Tuesday, the venue announced in a social media post. He was 66.
“For more than 20 years, Ron made Leon’s a place so many people were proud to call home,” the post reads. “He will be deeply missed.”
The Mount Vernon bar, typically open from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily, is still open Thursday, but doors will close at midnight so staff can attend his funeral Friday morning. Services are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. at Sol Levinson’s Chapel.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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