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GLCCB board president replaced after 52 days

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Bill Redmond-Palmer, gay news, Washington Blade
Bill Redmond-Palmer, gay news, Washington Blade

William Redmond-Palmer is out as president of the GLCCB. (Blade photo by Steve Charing)

After serving as president of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB) board of directors for only 52 days, William Redmond-Palmer was removed by a unanimous vote of the board. The GLCCB announced on Jan. 29 a reorganization in leadership under which Christopher Adkins, the previous vice president, will assume the role of interim GLCCB board president effective immediately.

ā€œAs our most senior Board member, Chris has been a cornerstone for the GLCCB during a period of great transition and challenge. We are confident that his sensible pragmatism, commitment to community engagement and passion for social justice will continue to steer the organization in the right direction,ā€ the board said in a statement. ā€œWeā€™d also like to thank Bill for his service to the organization and dedication to our LGBTQ community, and wish him the best in his future endeavors.ā€

The vote to remove Redmond-Palmer was prompted by the manner in which he communicated with staff and volunteers, Adkins said.

ā€œWhile we appreciate all the work and effort Bill gave to the GLCCB, the decision to part ways was in response to employee and volunteer complaints about his communications,ā€ Adkins told the Blade.Ā  ā€œSeveral conversations were held about professional expectations in attempts to address these complaints. In the end we all felt it better to go our separate ways. We thank him again for his time and service.ā€

Redmond-Palmer, who replaced outgoing term-limited president Michael McCarthy on Dec. 8, had worked in leadership and advocacy organizations in the LGBTQ community including serving on the GLCCB board of directors during the 1990s.

ā€œAfter 20 years of serving and observing the GLCCB, I believe the community wants and needs an immediate and radical cultural shift away from the status quo,ā€ Redmond-Palmer told the Blade. ā€œBecause my management and communication styles have an honesty, integrity, passion and zeal that not everyone appreciates, I was unfortunately unable to convince the board and executive director to share in that vision.ā€

Adkins is a social science researcher focused on providing individual and group services, specializing in work related to human sexuality, womenā€™s issues and social factors of disease. A native of Wichita, Kan., Adkins holds a bachelorā€™s degree in social work from Cleveland State University and a masterā€™s from Boston University. He has served on the GLCCB board since March 2013.

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Virginia

Parades, community events held to mark Pride Month in Va.

Upwards of 30,000 people attended PrideFest in Norfolk on June 22

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Shi-Queeta-Lee at Arlington Pride in Arlington, Va., on June 29, 2024. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

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.

ā€œYou 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.

ā€œIt 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. 

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Baltimore

Baltimore street named in honor of trans activist

Iya Dammons is founder of support groups Safe Haven in Baltimore, D.C.

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Iya Dammons was honored last week in Baltimore. (Photo courtesy Iya Dammons)

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 Baltimoreā€™s 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 ā€œnavigating survival modeā€ living.

ā€œThrough 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. ā€œOur 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 Scottā€™s 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.

ā€œThis is a significant achievement and historic moment for our city,ā€ a statement by Maryland Safe Haven announcing the ceremony says. ā€œIya 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. ā€œThis honor is well-deserved, and we are thrilled to see her contributions recognized in such a meaningful way.ā€

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Baltimore

Despite record crowds, Baltimore Prideā€™s LGBTQ critics say organizers dropped the ball

People on social media expressed concern about block party stampede

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Miss Gay Maryland Stormi Skye waves as she continues down the parade route at Baltimore Pride on June 15, 2024. (Photo by Kaitlin Newman/Baltimore Banner)

BY JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IV | This yearā€™s 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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