Local
D.C. Jail drops policy of placing trans women in men’s facility
But ACLU proceeds with lawsuit anyway
One month after it was hit by a lawsuit from the ACLU for placing a female transgender inmate in the men’s housing facility at the D.C. Jail, the D.C. Department of Corrections announced on June 17 it has dropped its policy of placing transgender inmates in the male or female section of the jail based on their “anatomy” rather than their gender identity.
But the ACLU has said it will continue its lawsuit on behalf of trans woman Sunday Hinton despite the DOC’s announced change in policy on grounds that the new policy requires trans inmates to be placed in isolation cells, which the ACLU says are equivalent to solitary confinement, during an inmate intake period.
“The intake period can last more than a week before the individuals receive their regular housing assignment,” the ACLU said in a statement. “As the original complaint notes, ‘Placing a transgender woman in solitary confinement puts her at grave risk for suicide,’” the statement says.
The ACLU has said that days after it filed its lawsuit against the DOC on Sunday Hinton’s behalf, D.C. Jail officials transferred her from the men’s housing unit to the women’s unit. A short time later, a D.C. Superior Court Judge ordered Hinton released from jail while awaiting trial for her arrest for an alleged unarmed burglary in which she attempted to take $20.
Despite her release, the ACLU says it still has legal grounds to continue the lawsuit, which originally charged the DOC with violating the D.C. Human Rights Act’s ban on transgender discrimination by placing Hinton in the men’s housing unit at the jail.
In a brief filed in court on July 16, the ACLU, and the DC Public Defender Service, which joined the ACLU in filing the lawsuit, the two groups argue that the DOC’s new policy is still discriminatory because it forces transgender inmates into solitary confinement “simply because they are transgender.”
The court brief also says that although the DOC’s new policy claims to provide transgender inmates with the choice of deciding which housing unit they prefer to be assigned, the two groups learned that at least three trans inmates were not reassigned to the housing unit of their choice.
“Because DOC has inaugurated a new type of discrimination against transgender individuals, we continue to litigate against its new policy and seek classwide relief,” the court brief states, referring to the original lawsuit’s classification as a class action lawsuit.
DOC spokesperson Dr. Keena Blackmon didn’t immediately respond to a request by the Washington Blade for comment on the lawsuit’s new allegations.
In a 12-page revised policy document, which the DOC says applies to housing for transgender, intersex, and gender nonconforming inmates, the DOC says the policy calls for placing those inmates “in a cell by themselves during the intake process for their safety and security and the safety, security, and order of the facility.”
The document says once the safety of placing a trans, intersex, or gender nonconforming inmate in the male or female housing unit of their choice is confirmed and the DOC’s Transgender Housing Committee has a chance to review the matter, the policy calls for granting the inmate’s request for being placed in the housing unit of their choice.
Maryland
Evan Glass is leaning on his record. Is that enough for Montgomery County’s top job?
Gay county executive candidate pushing for equitable pay, safer streets, and cleaner environment
By TALIA RICHMAN | During a meet-and-greet at Poolesville Memorial United Methodist Church, Evan Glass got his loudest applause of the night with a plan he acknowledged was decidedly unsexy.
“Day one, I’ll hire a director of permitting services,” the county executive candidate said.
Doing so, he added, is a step toward easing the regulatory burdens that can stifle small businesses in Montgomery County.
The only problem? At least one of his fiercest competitors is making a similar pledge.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
District of Columbia
D.C. bar, LGBTQ+ Community Center to mark Lesbian Visibility Week
‘Ahead of the Curve’ documentary screening, ‘Queeroke’ among events
2026 Lesbian Visibility Week North America will take place from April 20-26.
This year marks the third annual Lesbian Visibility Week, run by the Curve Foundation. A host of events take place from April 20-26.
This year’s theme is Health and Wellness. For the Curve Foundation, the term “lesbian” serves as an umbrella term for a host of identities, including lesbians, bisexual and transgender women, and anyone else connected to the lesbian community.
The week kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony on April 19. It will take place in New York, but will be livestreamed for the public.
“Queeroke” is one of the events being held around the country. It will take place at various participating bars on April 23.
As You Are, an LGBTQ bar in Capitol Hill, is one of eight locations across the U.S. participating. Their event is free and 21+.
On April 24, the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center will hold a screening of “Ahead of the Curve,” a documentary about the founder of Curve, Franco Stevens. The event is free with an RSVP.
April 25, is Queer Women in Sports Day. And on April 26, several monuments in New York will be illuminated.
Virtual events ranging from health to sports will be made available to the public. Details will be released closer to the start of Lesbian Visibility Week. Featured events can be found on the official website.
Some ways for individuals to get involved are to use #LVW26 and tag the official Lesbian Visibility Week account on social media posts. People are encouraged to display their lesbian flags, and businesses can hand out pins and decorate. They can also reach out to local lawmakers to encourage them to issue an official Lesbian Visibility Week.
District of Columbia
Whitman-Walker Health to present ‘Pro Bono Excellence’ award to law firm
Health center set to celebrate 40th anniversary of legal services program
Whitman-Walker Health, the D.C.-based community healthcare center that specializes in HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ-related health services, announced it will present its annual Dale Edwin Sanders Award for Pro Bono Excellence to the international law firm McDermott Will & Schulte at a May 6 ceremony.
“This year’s award is especially significant as it coincides with the 40th anniversary of Whitman-Walker Health’s Legal Services Program, marking it as the nation’s longest running medical-legal partnership,” a statement released by Whitman-Walker says.
“As a national leader in public health, Whitman-Walker celebrates our partnership with McDermott to strengthen the health center and to enable Whitman-Walker to reach more medical and legal clients,” the statement adds.
“McDermott’s firm-wide commitment to Whitman-Walker’s medical-legal partnership demonstrates a shared vision to serve those most in need,” Amy Nelson, Whitman-Walker’s director of Legal Services, says in the statement. “Our work protects individuals and families who face discrimination and hostility as they navigate increasingly complex administrative systems,” Nelson said.
“Pro bono legal services – like that of McDermott Will & Schulte – find solutions for people who have no place else to turn in the face of financial and health threats,” she added.
“Our partnership with Whitman-Walker Health is a treasured commitment to serving our neighbors and communities,” Steven Schnelle, one of the law firm’s partners said in the statement. “We are deeply moved by Whitman-Walker’s unwavering dedication to inclusion, respect, and equitable access to health care and social services,” he said.
The statement notes that the award for Pro Bono Excellence honors the legacy of the late gay attorney Dale Edwin Sanders. It says Sanders’s pro bono legal work for Whitman-Walker clients “shaped HIV/AIDS law for more than four decades by securing key victories on behalf of individuals whose employment and patient rights were violated.”
It says the Whitman-Walker Legal Services program began during the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s at a time when people with AIDS faced widespread discrimination and often needed legal assistance. According to the statement, the program evolved over the years and expanded to advocate for transgender people and immigrants.
Whitman-Walker spokesperson Lisa Amore said the presentation of the Dale Edwin Sanders Pro Bono Excellency Award will be held at the May 6 fundraising benefit for Whitman-Walker’s Legal Services Program. She said the event will take place at the offices of the DC law firm Baker McKenzie and ticket availability can be accessed here: https://www.whitman-walker.org/gtem-2026/
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