Local
Activists protest ‘Kill the Gays’ bill outside Ugandan embassy
Ugandan lawmakers are expected to potentially vote on the measure before Dec. 14
![Uganda, Kill the Gays bill, gay news, Washington Blade](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2012/12/Uganda_Embassy_protest_thumb_c_Washington_Blade_by_Michael_Key.jpg)
![Uganda_Embassy_protest_insert_2_c_Washington_Blade_by_Michael_Key Uganda, Kill the Gays bill, gay news, Washington Blade](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2012/12/Uganda_Embassy_protest_insert_2_c_Washington_Blade_by_Michael_Key.jpg)
Protesters gather outside the Ugandan embassy in Northwest D.C. on Saturday to protest the country’s “Kill the Gays” bill. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
More than a dozen people gathered outside the Ugandan embassy in Northwest D.C. on Saturday to protest the African countryās so-called āKill the Gaysā bill that would impose the death penalty upon anyone convicted of repeated same-sex sexual acts.
Members of the Maryland Light Brigade, which placed illuminated signs in support of last monthās referendum that upheld the stateās same-sex marriage law on interstate overpasses, organized the protest. They held lighted black panels along the sidewalk in front of the 16th Street, N.W., compound that read āReject Ugandan Homophobia.ā
Several motorists honked their horns in support of the protesters as they drove past the embassy.
āThose lawmakers are better than what theyāre doing,ā D.C. resident Moses Shaba, who is originally from Uganda, told the Washington Blade. āThey are absolutely better than what theyāre doing. I am so surprised to see that they are going on with this bill and the kind of articles and provisions that are in that bill because in the long run when this bill if itās passed they will see their friends, their kids, their daughters, their brothers all going to jail. Thatās how bad it is.ā
Shaba and other protesters also sought to highlight the role they feel Scott Lively and other American evangelicals have played in exploiting homophobic attitudes in the East African country before Parliamentarian David Bahati introduced the bill in 2009. Sexual Minorities Uganda, an LGBT advocacy group, accused Lively of violating international law when he allegedly conspired with the countryās political and religious leaders to further promote these sentiments in a lawsuit it filed in a Massachusetts federal court in March.
āNormally I might say that I wouldnāt push my way into a foreign countryās internal affairs, but one of the big problems here is thereās a lot of American support for this bill,ā Charles Butler said. He specifically referred to the Foundation, the group also known as the Family that organizes the annual National Prayer Breakfast, as one organization to which Bahati and other anti-gay Ugandan lawmakers and religious leaders have ties. āI just feel that itās our responsibility to fight the Americans who are trying to export homophobia to Africa.ā
Advocates expect Ugandan parliamentarians could potentially vote on the āKill the Gaysā bill before the legislative session ends on Dec. 14. The Associated Press and other media outlets have reported Bahati has removed the death penalty provision from his measure, but activists and even the U.S. State Department officials have questioned these reports.
Both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have spoken out against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill ā they also condemned Ugandan LGBT activist David Katoās 2011 murder. Clinton also honored SMUG Executive Director Frank Mugisha and other Ugandan human rights advocates at the U.S. Embassy in Kampala, the countryās capital, in August.
The White House and British Prime Minister David Cameron have also suggested the allocation of international aid should hinge upon a countryās record on LGBT rights.
Back in D.C., Maryland resident Deb Friedman described the āKill the Gaysā bill as āa horrific policy.ā
āItās taking the whole human community a step backwards,ā she told the Blade. āI happen to be a lesbian. Even if I wasnāt I would consider it worth of protesting. Whether or not itās going to do any good in terms of the government of Uganda and who they listen to, but I feel you have to stand out no matter what the outcome or the results are. You canāt just let it happen and not take a stand.ā
Rockville resident Steve Brooks, who continues to advocate on behalf of LGBT activists in Zimbabwe in southern Africa, agreed.
āOur brothers and sisters in Africa are facing the prospect of losing their lives and their livelihoods so iām out here to support them,ā he said.
Virginia
Parades, community events held to mark Pride Month in Va.
Upwards of 30,000 people attended PrideFest in Norfolk on June 22
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/20240629_Shi-Queeta_Lee_at_Arlington_Pride_insert_c_Washington_Blade_by_Michael_Key.jpg)
Activists across Virginia last month held a series of events to mark Pride Month.
Hampton Roads Pride, a volunteer-run organization founded in 1997, held 37 different Pride events throughout the region in June.
Their biggest event, PrideFest, which is part of their larger three day event, Pride Weekend, celebrated its 36th anniversary on June 22. Pride Weekend took place from June 21-23 and began with a block party at NorVa in Norfolk.
PrideFest took place at Town Point Park, and an estimated 30,000 people attended. More than 70 venders participated, while Todrick Hall and Mariah Counts are among those who performed.
Another PrideFest event with a DJ in the afternoon and live music at night took place in Virginia Beach on June 23. Congressman Bobby Scott and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) are among those who attended Pride events in Suffolk on June 30.
Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander, along with members of the Norfolk and Virginia Beach City Councils, also attended the Pride events in their respective cities. Jamar Walker, the first openly gay federal judge in Virginia, also took part.
āYou know people all throughout Pride Month, at all of our various events, tell me all kinds of stories about their own experiences and the past of this community … and some of our older folks especially, remember when we couldn’t have this,ā Hampton Roads Pride President Jeff Ryder told the Washington Blade on Monday during a telephone interview.
āIt was a great year,ā he added. “It was a big achievement for us to have unique celebrations in each of our seven communities. Each of these cities is so different from one another, but to be able to create a Pride celebration that’s unique in each of those places was really great, and I think really well received by folks who may not have felt represented previously. We’re always trying to do better, to embrace every aspect of our community, and take a big step forward there this year.ā
State Dels. Adele McClure (D-Arlington County) and Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington County) are among those who spoke at Arlington Pride that took place at Long Bridge Park on June 29. The Fredericksburg Pride march and festival took place the same day at Riverfront Park in Fredericksburg.
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on June 10 hosted a Pride Month reception in Richmond.
Youngkin in previous years has hosted Pride Month receptions, even though Equality Virginia and other advocacy groups have criticized him for supporting anti-LGBTQ bills.
The Republican governor in March signed a bill that codified marriage equality in Virginia. Youngkin last month vetoed a measure that would have expanded the definition of bullying in the state.
Baltimore
Baltimore street named in honor of trans activist
Iya Dammons is founder of support groups Safe Haven in Baltimore, D.C.
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/07/20240629_Iya_Dammons_at_street_naming_ceremony_in_Baltimore_insert_courtesy_Iya_Dammons.jpg)
Baltimore city officials and LGBTQ activists participated in a ceremony on June 29 officially dedicating the renaming of a street in honor of transgender woman Iya Dammons, who founded and serves as executive director of the LGBTQ services organization Maryland Safe Haven.
A section of Baltimoreās 21st Street at the intersection of North Charles Street, where the Maryland Safe Haven offices are located, has been renamed Iya Dammons Way.
The ceremony took place six years after Dammons founded Maryland Safe Haven in 2018 and one year after she launched a Safe Haven operation in D.C.in 2023 located at 331 H St., N.E.
A statement on its website says Safe Haven provides a wide range of supportive services for LGBTQ people in need, with a special outreach to Black trans women ānavigating survival modeā living.
āThrough compassionate harm reduction and upward mobility services, advocacy support, and community engagement, we foster a respectful, non-judgmental environment that empowers individual agency,ā the statement says. āOur programs encompass community outreach, a drop-in center providing HIV testing, harm reduction, PrEP, medical linkage, case management, and assistance in accessing housing services,ā it says.
Among those participating in the street renaming ceremony were Baltimore City Council member Zeke Cohen, interim director of Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scottās Office of LGBTQ Affairs Alexis Blackmon, and Dominique Morgan, an official with the national foundation Borealis Philanthropy, which provides financial support for transgender supportive nonprofit organizations, including Safe Haven.
āThis is a significant achievement and historic moment for our city,ā a statement by Maryland Safe Haven announcing the ceremony says. āIya Dammons has been a tireless advocate for transgender rights and has worked tirelessly to provide safe spaces and resources for transgender individuals in our city,ā it says. āThis honor is well-deserved, and we are thrilled to see her contributions recognized in such a meaningful way.ā
Baltimore
Despite record crowds, Baltimore Prideās LGBTQ critics say organizers dropped the ball
People on social media expressed concern about block party stampede
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-29-at-18.01.33.png)
BY JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IV | This yearās Baltimore Pride Week attracted 150,000 people ā record attendance that far exceeded initial projections of 100,000.
But some see room for improvement and want organizers to address safety issues and make changes so the annual event that celebrates the LGBTQ population is better run.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
-
Canada1 day ago
Toronto Pride parade cancelled after pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt it
-
Theater4 days ago
Stephen Mark Lukas makes sublime turn in āFunny Girlā
-
Baltimore3 days ago
Despite record crowds, Baltimore Prideās LGBTQ critics say organizers dropped the ball
-
Sports4 days ago
Haters troll official Olympics Instagram for celebrating gay athlete and boyfriend