Local
Gray: Obama to ‘vocally’ back gay marriage
Mayor joined others who welcomed Obama’s second inaugural address.
![Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, inauguration 2013, gay news, Washington Blade](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2013/01/Barack_Obama_and_Michelle_Obama_Oath_of_Office_2013_thumb_c_Washington_Blade_by_Michael_Key.jpg)
LGBT advocates and others who gathered inside the Wilson building in D.C. on Monday to watch President Obamaās second inauguration applauded his inaugural address.
Mayor Vincent Gray told the Washington Blade shortly after the president delivered his speech that he expects him to be “vocally supportive of marriage equality for the next four years.ā Alexandra Beninda, a transgender member of the D.C. Commission on Human Rights, said she welcomed Obamaās reference to marriage rights for same-sex couples, gays and lesbians, immigration and other issues.
āHe hit on a number of good issues,ā she told the Blade as she sat in an office overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue while awaiting the inaugural parade to begin.
When asked to comment on the lack of trans-specific references in Obamaās speech, Beninda noted an LGBT-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act and other issues remain āvery important.ā She said she does not expect Congress to act on the long-stalled measure during the presidentās second term. Beninda added, however, she does not rule out the possibility of Obama issuing an executive order that would bar employers from firing their employees based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.
āHe doesnāt have to worry about how things are going to look in terms of getting re-elected and getting various people on his side,ā she said. āIn a second term, presidents are usually looking for building their legacy and how theyāre going to be looked at in the long run. They are more inclined to want to get major accomplishments that they can. I think certainly things like ENDA should be on the forefront.ā
Gray and others also noted the White Houseās decision to place D.C. license plates with the āTaxation Without Representationā slogan onto the presidential limousine.
āItās coming together, but we also know that even with the license plates on we have a long distance to travel,ā the mayor said in response to a question WTOP reporter Mark Segraves asked about whether the move would bolster D.C. statehood efforts. āI hope that it symbolizes that he [Obama] intends to be more active on issues affecting the District and I think a great place for him to signal that further would be in the State of the Union speech.ā
Jeffrey Richardson, the mayorās former LGBT liaison who now directs Grayās Office of Volunteerism that is also known as Serve D.C., agreed.
āItās just exciting to think about democracy in action,ā he told the Blade just before Obama arrived at the U.S. Capitol. āHopefully that will translate to some democracy in action for us in the District in ending our lack of representation.ā
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.
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