Local
Judge dismisses part of gay D.C. cop’s bias lawsuit
Officer alleges anti-gay harassment
Former D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier has said the department does not tolerate anti-LGBT discrimination. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
A federal judge on Monday dismissed three of 11 counts in a lawsuit filed last year by a gay former D.C. police officer accusing fellow officers and supervisors of subjecting him to discrimination, harassment and retaliation based on his sexual orientation.
U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan dismissed the three counts in response to a motion filed in January by D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine asserting that former Metropolitan Police Department Officer Christopher Lilly failed to state a valid claim that the alleged discrimination violated his First and Fifth Amendment constitutional rights.
As part of his Sept. 26 ruling, Sullivan ordered the city to respond by Oct. 10 to the remaining eight counts of Lilly’s lawsuit that still stand. Those counts charge that the alleged discrimination, harassment, and retaliation by the MPD against Lilly violate the D.C. Human Rights Act and Title VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Lilly charges in his lawsuit filed in May 2015 that between 2011 and 2013 he was subjected, among other things, to repeated anti-gay name-calling and other forms of harassment, including the placement of AIDS stickers on his locker at the Fourth Police District, where he was stationed.
The lawsuit says the discriminatory actions began shortly after December 2010 when “without plaintiff Lilly’s knowledge or consent, his sexual orientation, homosexual, was publicized maliciously and intentionally” at the Fourth District.
“Following plaintiff Lilly’s ‘outing,’ any officer to come into contact with plaintiff Lilly subjected him to scrutiny, retaliation and ridicule by means of vulgar language, slandering his name and abilities to function as a police officer and questioning his abilities to serve due to his sexual orientation,” the lawsuit says.
Police officials and the Office of the Attorney General, which is defending the city against the lawsuit, have declined to comment, saying they never discuss pending litigation. Neither Lilly nor his attorney, Sameera Ali, responded to a request by the Blade for comment.
The city’s response to the remaining counts in the lawsuit, due by Oct. 10, would become the city’s and the MPD’s first response to Lilly’s specific allegations of discrimination.
The Attorney General’s court brief calling for dismissal of the lawsuit’s constitutional claims limited its arguments to procedural and legal issues and did not address Lilly’s claims of being subjected to anti-gay discrimination and harassment.
The Fourth District commander at the time the alleged discrimination against Lilly occurred, Kimberly Chrisley-Missouri, has since been promoted to the rank of deputy chief and is said to be among those under consideration to replace Cathy Lanier as D.C.’s next permanent police chief.
The lawsuit says Lilly filed an internal complaint with Chrisley-Missouri informing her of the discrimination and harassment he said he was encountering at the Fourth District but received no response from her.
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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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