Local
Levin: Momentum behind Md. same-sex marriage law continues to grow
Marylanders for Marriage Equality campaign director Josh Levin spoke at Baltimore fundraiser

The head of the campaign to defend Marylandās same-sex marriage law stressed on Wednesday that he remains confident that voters will support nuptials for gays and lesbians in the likely November referendum.
āWe feel pretty good,ā said Josh Levin, campaign director for Marylanders for Marriage Equality, told the Blade in an exclusive interview during a fundraiser for his organization at Bay CafĆ© in Baltimore. āThe story since the beginning of the year has been momentum growing; whether that was passing the bill, signing it into law, the presidentās announcement [in support of marriage rights for same-sex couples,] the NAACP nationally coming out in our favor. Weāre just trying to build upon that as we go forward.ā
Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin, Equality Maryland executive director Carrie Evans and state Dels. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City) and Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) were among the roughly 175 people who attended. Marylanders for Marriage Equality spokesperson Kevin Nix told the Blade after the fundraiser that it raised āa few thousand dollars,ā but he did not have an exact figure as of deadline.
Levin stressed he remains confident that he can run what he described as a āwinning campaignā with between $5 and $7 million. Marylanders for Marriage Equality earlier this month opened two campaign offices in Baltimore and Silver Spring, and plans to have several others across the state in the coming weeks and months.
The campaign recently hired 12 new staffers and promoted Manley Calhoun to deputy field director.
āWe feel like weāll be able to do the things we need to do thanks to the efforts of our coalition and our partners who are going to be talking to voters,ā said Levin.
A Public Policy Polling survey in May found that 57 percent of Marylanders would support nuptials for gays and lesbians in the referendum. The same poll found that 55 percent of the stateās black voters back marriage rights for gays and lesbians.
āOur poll numbers are probably the best in the country of the states where we are looking at this issue on the ballot right now,ā noted Levin in reference to Maine, Minnesota and Washington voters who will consider same-sex marriage referendum and constitutional amendments in November. āThatās thanks to the effort that the president made with his announcementāreinforced last night here in Baltimore. Thatās the work on the ground of our partners, our staff and all the people who worked so hard to get the bill passed.ā
Levin further highlighted the contributions that he said Equality Maryland, the ACLU of Maryland, the Service Employees International Union and other organized labor groups have made to the campaign.
āThe work that they bring to the table is incredibly valuable,ā he said.
An unofficial count posted to the Maryland State Board of Electionsā website earlier on Thursday shows that officials have validated 109,317 of the 113,000 signatures that the Maryland Marriage Alliance submitted late last month. The organization needed to collect 55,736 signatures by June 30 to prompt a referendum on the issue.
āWe can be the first state in the country to pass this on the ballot,ā said Levin in response to a question about whether he feels other statesā marriage referendums and Obamaās re-election campaign will prompt donors not to give to the Maryland effort. āWe need help to get there and we want to make sure that we can be successful here and in other states. I hope that Maryland can help chart the way.ā
Virginia
Youngkin calls on gay Va. GOP LG candidate to exit race over alleged ‘porn’ scandal
John Reid denounces ‘fabricated internet lie’ as anti-gay smear campaign

Less than a week after John Reid, the conservative gay radio talk show host from Richmond secured the Republican nomination for the office of lieutenant governor in Virginia, sensational allegations have surfaced, which he strongly denies, that he allegedly posted pornographic photos on social media.
According to the Virginia Mercury newspaper, the allegations surfaced when Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkinās office released a statement saying Youngkin contacted Reid on Friday, April 25, and asked him to withdraw his candidacy over reports that a social media account with Reidās username included āpornographic contentā that was āsharedā with others.
āThe governor was made aware late Thursday of the disturbing online content,ā the Virginia Mercury quotes a Youngkin spokesperson as saying. āFriday morning, in a call with Mr. Reid, the governor asked him to step down as the lt. governor nominee,ā the spokesperson is quoted as saying.
Reid responded to the allegations in an early Friday evening video he posted on his campaignās Facebook page, calling the allegations āa totally fabricated internet lieā motivated by anti-gay bias.
āI can tell you thatās not my account and anyone on the internet can open accounts with the same or similar names as other people,ā he stated in his video. āItās predictable,ā he added.
āBut what I didnāt expect was the governor I have always supported to call and demand my resignation without even showing me the supposed evidence or offering me a chance to respond,ā Reid states in his video.
He said he will not drop out of the lieutenant governorās race and called the allegations against him just the latest in what he said was an ongoing effort by some in the Republican Party, especially conservative Christians, to force him out of politics.
āLetās be honest,ā he said. āitās because Iām openly gay. And I have never backed down to the establishment, and will not,ā he continued in his video message. āWhat happened today is another coordinated assassination attempt against me to force the first openly gay candidate off of a Virginia statewide ticket.ā
Reid added, āItās shameful, and I wonāt back down, even though I know the plan is for the attacks to continue in this overt effort to make me toxic.ā
Reid secured the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor last week after his only rival in the Republican primary, Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity, dropped out of the race for health reasons.
By securing the nomination Reid became the first known openly gay candidate, Republican or Democrat, to be nominated for a statewide office in Virginia.
In an interview with the Washington Blade earlier this week Reid pointed out that he came out as gay in 1996 or 1997 on National Coming Out Day in his role as TV news anchor in Richmond, where he worked for 10 years.
Following that, Reid worked as a radio talk show host for the next eight years, promoting his ideas as a gay conservative Republican, up until shortly before he announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor, he told the Blade.
Reidās video responding to the accusations against him can be accessed here.
Reidās campaign website and statements he has released to the media acknowledge his status as a gay candidate but point out he has a long record of support for conservative Republican positions on a wide range of issues that are against the positions of most mainline LGBTQ rights organizations.
āIām not a diversity hire,ā he stated in a press release issued at the time he announced his candidacy in January. āIām the most conservative and proven candidate running, and Iāve boldly stood up for our beliefs in a way that should make my personal life a total nonissue,ā he stated.
A statement on his campaign website states āJohn is uniquely positioned to take the fight to the radical progressives head on as he continues his fight against boys in girlsā sports and the extreme trans agenda being forced upon our children.ā
His campaign website statement on transgender issues concludes by saying, āAnd we must be blatant in saying that it is factually impossible for biological men or women to personally decide to change their gender. John believes in the right for grown adults to live their lives as they see fit, but not if they impose restrictions and obligations on others and not if any of their behavior sexualizes or grooms children.
Maryland
A Baltimore theater educator lost jobs at Johns Hopkins and the Kennedy Center
Tavish Forsyth concluded they could not work for Trump

BY WESLEY CASE | Tavish Forsyth had come to a conclusion: They could not work for President Donald Trump.
So the 32-year-old Baltimore resident stripped down, turned on their camera, and lit their career on fire.
āFāā Donald Trump and fāā the Kennedy Center,ā a naked Forsyth, an associate artistic lead at the Washington National Operaās Opera Institute, which is run by the Kennedy Center, said in a video that went viral. The board of the nationās leading cultural institution had elected Trump just weeks prior as its chairman after he gutted the board of members appointed by his predecessor, President Joe Biden.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
District of Columbia
Little Gay Pub to host April 25 celebration of life for Patrick Shaw
School teacher, D.C. resident praised for āwarmth, humor, kindnessā

Co-workers and friends will hold a celebration of life for highly acclaimed schoolteacher and D.C. resident Patrick Shaw beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 25 at The Little Gay Pub 1100 P St., N.W.
Little Gay Pub co-owner and Shawās friend, Dusty Martinez, said Shaw passed away unexpectedly on April 19 from a heart related ailment at the age of 60.
āPatrick touched so many lives with his warmth, humor, kindness, and unmistakable spark,ā Martinez said. āHe was a truly special soul ā funny, vibrant, sassy, and full of life and we are heartbroken by his loss.ā
In an Instagram posting, Shawās colleagues said Shaw was a second-grade special education teacher at the J.F. Cook campus of D.C.ās Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School.
āPatrick brought warmth, joy, and deep commitment to Mundo Verde,ā his colleagues said in their posting. āHis daily Broadway sing-alongs, vibrant outfits, and genuine love for his students filled our community with energy and laughter.ā
The posted message adds, āPatrick was more than a teacher; he was a light in our school, inspiring us all to show up with heart, humor, and kindness every day. His spirit will be deeply missed.ā
The Washington Blade is preparing a full obituary on Patrick Shaw to be published soon.
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