Maryland
Gay, lesbian Md. county incumbents, candidates fare well in primary
Krystal Oriadha ahead of two challengers for PG County Council race
The gay and lesbian incumbents who ran for re-election in local Maryland races and candidates who are seeking office fared well in Tuesday’s primary.
With 246 of 258 precincts reporting, Montgomery County Circuit Court Clerk Karen Bushell led the race for re-election to that same seat with almost 69 percent of the vote.
With all precincts reporting, community organizer and non-profit executive director Krystal Oriadha held a firm lead over the two other candidates in the race for the Prince George’s County Council seat in District 7 with more than 57 percent of the vote.
Howard County Register of Wills Byron Macfarlane ran unopposed in his primary, securing the nomination and re-election the position.
With 246 of 258 precincts reporting, Montgomery County Council Vice President Evan Glass remained atop the pack of seven other Democrats in the race for the Council’s at-large seat.
“Thank you Montgomery County Democrats,” Glass wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. “While there are still votes outstanding, I’m honored to be leading the At-Large Council race to represent all 1.1 million residents for another 4 years.”
Prince George’s County Public Schools Board of Education member Pamela Boozer-Strother, who represents District 3, will face off against Varinia Sandino in the general election.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Thursday signed a bill that seeks to combat efforts to ban books from state libraries.
House Bill 785, also known as the Freedom to Read Act, would establish a state policy “that local school systems operate their school library media programs consistent with certain standards; requiring each local school system to develop a policy and procedures to review objections to materials in a school library media program; prohibiting a county board of education from dismissing, demoting, suspending, disciplining, reassigning, transferring, or otherwise retaliating against certain school library media program personnel for performing their job duties consistent with certain standards.”
Moore on Thursday also signed House Bill 1386, which GLSEN notes will “develop guidelines for an anti-bias training program for school employees.”
Maryland
Health care for Marylanders with HIV is facing huge cuts this summer
Providers poised to lose three-quarters of funding
BY MEREDITH COHN | By the end of June, health care providers in Maryland will lose nearly three-quarters of the funding they use to find and treat thousands of people with HIV.
Advocates and providers say they had been warned there would be less money by the Maryland Department of Health, but were stunned at the size of the drop — from about $17.9 million this fiscal year to $5.3 million the next. The deep cuts are less than three months away.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Maryland state Del. Joe Vogel (D-Montgomery County) on Friday held a “Big Gay Canvass Kickoff” event at his congressional campaign’s headquarters.
LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Vice President of Outreach and Engagement Marty Rouse and John Klenert, a member of the DC Vote and Victory Fund Campaign board of directors, are among those who participated alongside members of Equality PAC. Vogel spoke before Rouse, Klenert and others canvassed for votes in the area.
“Joe brings a fresh new perspective to politics,” said Gabri Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, deputy field director for Vogel’s campaign.
Vogel, 27, is among the Democrats running for Congressman David Trone’s seat.
Trone last May announced his bid to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) in the U.S. Senate.
The Democratic primary is on May 14. Vogel would be the first Latino, the first gay man and first Gen Zer elected to Congress from Maryland if he were to win in November.
“We need a new generation of leadership with new perspectives, new ideas, and the courage to actually deliver for our communities if we want things to get better in this country,” Vogel told the Washington Blade last month during an interview in D.C.
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Md. governor signs Freedom to Read Act
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