Local
TransAAction Maryland to hold picnic
April 29 event to support trans families
(Image courtesy transAAction Maryland)
TransAAction Maryland, a year-old non-profit, will host a picnic on April 29 at Centennial Park, Pavilion D, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The park is located at 10000 Clarksville Pike in Ellicott City. Organizers promise a family-friendly day of food, live music, a silent auction and raffle drawing.
The organization’s mission is to positively support, uplift and bring fulfilling opportunities to transgender individuals and their families through philanthropy, arts and science.
Members are committed to advocating personally for the trans community by becoming involved with local issues and supporting advocacy groups such as HRC; the National Center for Transgender Equality, and PFLAG; legal protective groups, such as Lambda Legal; and suicide and social hotlines and networks, such as The Trevor Project.
“With our goal of Educate, Connect and Support in mind, our Transgender Day of Resilience Picnic, will hopefully do just that,” Cathy Landfried, board president of TransAAction Maryland, told the Blade. “In addition to hosting representatives at educational tables and motivational speakers, our keynote speaker is Margaret Morris, who will share some of her inspiring journey.”
Guests are requested to bring a dish to share. PFLAG of Howard County is sponsoring a hot dog station, and the Hammond High School GSA will provide cupcakes for the event. Various picnic items such as salads, side dishes, cookies and beverages will also be provided at no cost.
The event is free but attendees should being “fun money” to participate in the silent auction. Donations are also welcome.
For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
Photos
PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony
The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
District of Columbia
Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp, Deacon Maccubbin named WorldPride grand marshals
Three LGBTQ icons to lead parade
WorldPride organizers announced Thursday that actress and trans activist Laverne Cox, powerhouse performer Reneé Rapp, and LGBTQ trailblazer Deacon Maccubbin will serve as grand marshals for this year’s WorldPride parade.
The Capital Pride Alliance, which is organizing WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C., revealed the honorees in a press release, noting that each has made a unique contribution to the fabric of the LGBTQ community.
Cox made history in 2014 as the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category for her role in Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black.” She went on to win a Daytime Emmy in 2015 for her documentary “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word,” which followed seven young trans people as they navigated coming out.
Rapp, a singer and actress who identifies as a lesbian, rose to prominence as Regina George in the Broadway musical “Mean Girls.” She reprised the role in the 2024 film adaptation and also stars in Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” portraying a character coming to terms with her sexuality. Rapp has released an EP, “Everything to Everyone,” and an album, “Snow Angel.” She announced her sophomore album, “Bite Me,” on May 21 and is slated to perform at the WorldPride Music Festival at the RFK Festival Grounds.
Deacon Maccubbin, widely regarded as a cornerstone of Washington’s LGBTQ+ history, helped organize D.C.’s first Gay Pride Party in 1975. The event took place outside Lambda Rising, one of the first LGBTQ bookstores in the nation, which Maccubbin founded. For his decades of advocacy and activism, he is often referred to as “the patriarch of D.C. Pride.”
“I am so honored to serve as one of the grand marshals for WorldPride this year. This has been one of the most difficult times in recent history for queer and trans people globally,” Cox said. “But in the face of all the rhetorical, legislative and physical attacks, we continue to have the courage to embrace who we truly are, to celebrate our beauty, resilience and bravery as a community. We refuse to allow fear to keep us from ourselves and each other. We remain out loud and proud.”
“Pride is everything. It is protection, it is visibility, it is intersectional. But most importantly, it is a celebration of existence and protest,” Rapp said.
The three will march down 14th Street for the WorldPride Parade in Washington on June 7.
2025 D.C. Trans Pride was held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, May 17. The day was filled with panel discussions, art, social events, speakers, a resource fair and the Engendered Spirit Awards. Awardees included Lyra McMillan, Pip Baitinger, Steph Niaupari and Hayden Gise. The keynote address was delivered by athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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