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O’Malley addresses Lobby Day rally
First sitting Md. Governor to appear at gathering
About 500 LGBT rights supporters turned out for the annual Lobby Day in Annapolis this week. For the first time, Gov. Martin O’Malley addressed the gathering. (Washington Blade photo by Steve Charing)
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Gov. Martin O’Malley on Monday became the first sitting Maryland governor to appear before the annual pro-LGBT Lobby Day rally in Annapolis. The event, which was held at Lawyer’s Mall, attracted a raucous and diverse crowd of more than 500 with many representing religious and political organizations from all over Maryland.
They cheered enthusiastically as several speakers made the case for same-sex marriage. The crowd roared its approval at the news that Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a same-sex marriage bill into law earlier in the day. While gender identity non-discrimination was addressed during the rally, marriage was clearly the focus.
Sultan Shakir, campaign manager for Marylanders for Marriage Equality, the umbrella organization for a coalition of organizations that is spearheading the marriage effort in the state, and Carrie Evans, executive director of Equality Maryland, were the event’s emcees.
Speakers included Del. Keiffer Mitchell (D-Baltimore), Del. Ben Barnes (D-Anne Arundel, Prince George’s), Candace Jones-Gingrich, and Sen. Allan Kittleman (R-Howard, Carroll). Kittleman remains the sole Republican in the Senate who is supporting the legalization of marriage for same-sex couples.
“I’m a proud Republican who supports marriage equality,” Kittleman said. “It’s not a partisan issue. There are thousands of Republicans in Maryland who support the principles of freedom, liberty and equality.”
The governor was introduced to loud cheers and chants of “O-Mal-ley!, O-Mal-ley!”
“We are united in our belief in the dignity of every individual,” he said. “It is not right that the children of lesbian and gay parents have lesser rights than the children of other parents.” The governor also expressed frustration with the animus from opponents. “I had enough of the division.”
As the crowd broke up to lobby their respective legislators on each of the two major LGBT legislative issues, the governor expressed cautious optimism concerning the votes in the House of Delegates.
“I think we’re doing a little better this week than we were last week, and we need to do better still,” O’Malley told the Blade. “We need to get a couple more.”
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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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