Local
Gay inmate says Va. jail won’t prosecute prison rape
Officials claim insufficient evidence to proceed
The Rockingham Regional Jail is in Harrisonburg, Va. (Photo public domain)
Gay former D.C. resident Ronnie Runion, who told the Washington Blade he had been raped by a fellow inmate at the Rockingham County-Harrisonburg, Va., jail on Aug. 13, said this week that a prison official informed him the jail has decided not to prosecute the alleged assailant.
Runion, 28, said he was dismayed that a lieutenant with the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the jail, told him investigators believe they have insufficient evidence to press charges against the man Runion says sexually assaulted him in his cell.
“I said what evidence do you need,” Runion told the Blade in a phone interview. “And he told me about the DNA samples and that there was a lack of physical evidence.”
At the time of the incident, Runion was taken to a hospital where doctors treated him, among other things, for rectal injuries consistent with a sexual assault. Within days he was informed that he needed to undergo a 28-day regimen of anti-viral medication to ensure that he would not contract HIV because the suspect identified as the alleged perpetrator was HIV positive.
Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson, who is in charge of the jail, told the Blade in September that the case was under investigation.
“Once that investigation is complete, we will present all findings to the Commonwealth Attorney for a full review,” he said. “That is all I can say at this time.”
Hutcheson didn’t respond to an email from the Blade this week to determine why his investigators don’t believe they have sufficient evidence to prosecute the suspect in the case.
Runion said the lieutenant who informed him that the case would not be prosecuted also told him he could file charges himself against the suspect. But Runion said jail officials have yet to provide him with the forms he was told he needs to fill out to initiate a complaint against the suspect, who has since been transferred to another jail.
“They don’t want this to turn into a big deal,” said Runion, who added that he’s concerned that jail officials don’t want to tarnish the jail’s reputation over a rape case.
Rockingham County Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Christopher Bean told the Blade in September that jail officials had not contacted his office about a reported rape. He said he would take steps to prosecute the case if investigators provided him with information sufficient to press charges.
Bean did not respond to a phone call as of Tuesday seeking to determine if the Sheriff’s Office consulted the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office before deciding not to prosecute the case.
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Congratulations to Jaime Christopher Pierce on their appointment to serve as a member of the Virginia Governor’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. Pierce was sworn in on Sept. 3 by Greg Parks, clerk of the Alexandria Circuit Court.
Pierce currently serves as vice chair of the Alexandria City LGBTQIA+ Task Force and as a member of the Alexandria Pride planning committee. They previously served on the board of directors of Equality Virginia.
Upon being sworn in, Pierce said, “Public service has been a central part of my life for more than 30 years, and this appointment gives me an opportunity to serve the Commonwealth in a different and very personal way. My career has allowed me to work with people and communities throughout Virginia, and I hope to bring that experience, along with my own lived experience and my involvement in the LGBTQ+ community, to the work of the Board.” They added, “Having Greg administer the oath makes the occasion even more meaningful because of his own historic role as Virginia’s first openly gay elected circuit court clerk.”
Pierce also serves as Circuit Court Services Manager for the Department of Judicial Services, at the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia. They began their career in Virginia’s judiciary in 1994 as a deputy clerk with the Virginia Beach Circuit Court and have since held several professional and leadership positions within the court system. Pierce is a member of the National Association for Court Management (NACM) and the Mid-Atlantic Association for Court Management. At the national level, Pierce participated in the workgroup that developed the National Association for Court Management’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Guide, a resource designed to help court professionals advance inclusive practices and strengthen access, fairness and belonging within the justice system.
Pierce earned a degree in Criminal Justice from Liberty University, and a certificate in Paralegal Studies from Norfolk State University.
Maryland
Md. groups receive state grants to fight hate crimes
Pride Center of Maryland among recipients
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy are awarding a total of $10 million in grants in the 2027 fiscal year to nonprofit organizations that work to prevent hate crimes in the state.
The funds will be used to support those who feel targeted or discriminated against because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status.
The Pride Center of Maryland is among the recipients. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and LGBTQ organizations are all eligible to receive grants
“The safety and security of all Marylanders is my top priority, so we are drawing a hard line because we have no tolerance for hate,” said Moore, according to media reports. “We are committed to protecting and ensuring safe and sacred spaces stay that way by investing in non-profit organizations, houses of worship, and community centers to protect and honor every community that makes our state so diverse and special.”
“Protection Against Hate Crime funding has strengthened the Pride Center of Maryland’s ability to protect, educate, and support the communities we serve … at a time of heightened concern associated with the Trump administration’s anti-LGBTQ/SGL (same-gender-loving) policies and pressures,” Pride Center of Maryland CEO Cleo Manago said. “PAHC funding helps us do more than improve physical security — it strengthens our community’s knowledge, preparedness, connection to resources, and ability to respond to hate with greater awareness and support.”
Maryland’s hate crimes law includes both sexual orientation and gender identity. The state’s nondiscrimination statute is also LGBTQ-inclusive.
District of Columbia
Blade welcomes fall intern
Alexis McLean is student at University of North Florida
The Washington Blade this week welcomed Alexis McLean as its fall intern.
Alexis is studying political science at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. She is interning with the Blade as part of a continued partnership with the Washington Center.
“I am looking forward to spending my time in the fall with the Washington Blade, as this is a new experience for me,” said Alexis. “I have not experienced any journalist jobs in the past so this would be my first time, and I am excited to better my writing and communications skills with this internship.”
Alexis’s internship with the Blade ends in early December.
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Md. groups receive state grants to fight hate crimes
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