News
O’Malley to lay out comprehensive vision for LGBT rights
2016 hopeful set to address Iowa Safe Schools event
Martin and Katie O’Malley (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade obtained from his campaign prepared remarks the candidate intends to make at the Iowa Spirit Awards in Des Moines, an event hosted by Iowa Safe Schools that celebrates LGBT youth and educators in the early caucus state.
“I am proud to say that we are finally — and rightfully — having a real debate about how to ensure equality for all LGBTQ Americans, in every part of public life,” O’Malley says. “But as you know, we owe you more than words. We owe you action.”
O’Malley’s speech has two major components: Touting his record on LGBT rights and laying out his plan for the future with a strong emphasis on anti-bullying efforts and federal non-discrimination protections.
The candidate recalls as mayor of Baltimore signing the state’s first transgender non-discrimination ordinance and in 2014 adding transgender protections to the state’s civil rights law. But O’Malley adds “what I’m most proud of is standing up for marriage equality as a human right.”
“And almost exactly three years ago today, we won that fight — becoming the first state to successfully defend marriage equality at the ballot box,” O’Malley says.
Critics of O’Malley on LGBT issues say he wasn’t on board with marriage equality until later during his tenure as governor and initially favored civil unions at a time when LGBT advocates were pushing for full marriage rights.
On the issue of bullying, O’Malley invokes statistics on the challenges faced by LGBT students and says “often the most frequent victims of bullying are transgender kids.” The candidate pledges to require all schools to implement anti-bullying policies and to face penalties when they don’t provide safe environments.
“Schools that allow for unlawful discrimination should risk losing federal funding — and students who experience harassment, bullying, intimidation, and violence should have a legal cause of action under the law,” he says.
O’Malley will deliver the speech following news a panel on the Republican-controlled state legislature would investigate the host organization of the event for teaching LGBT youth about safe-sex practices. The candidate rejects the effort as a “witch hunt.”
“The leaders of Iowa Safe Schools came together to educate students and teachers,” O’Malley says. “They joined hands to promote diversity, equality, and social justice. And now, they’re being attacked for trying to make Iowa a more welcoming and inclusive place. In a nation where all of us are entitled to equal rights and protections, this cannot be tolerated.”
On the federal non-discrimination protections, O’Malley takes note he was the first presidential candidate to endorse the Equality Act, saying “first and foremost we must fight” to pass the legislation.
“I was proud to be the first presidential candidate to endorse this critical legislation because I saw how important our comprehensive non-discrimination legislation had been in Maryland,” O’Malley says. “It is time to end discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and education, credit and more as a nation once and for all.”
O’Malley also decries the recent wave of anti-transgender violence, the treatment of LGBT undocumented immigrants in detention and the high rate of LGBT homeless youth. Among his other pledges are improving the Runaway & Homeless Youth Act to include LGBT youth, eliminating abstinence-only sex education programs, banning “ex-gay” conversion therapy, ending immigration detention and repealing HIV criminalization laws.
Following a dispute that erupted last week after Hillary Clinton called the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act a “defensive” act against worse discrimination and Bernard Sanders criticized her for rewriting history, O’Malley seeks to rise above the disagreement.
“The other candidates might talk about who supported DOMA when – but I’m talking about what we must do, together, tomorrow,” O’Malley said.
But in the very next line, O’Malley makes a veiled criticism of the candidates for their histories, saying he’s “actually gone to the mat for LGBTQ rights.”
“I didn’t just believe in marriage equality, I achieved marriage equality,” O’Malley said. “And when I tell you today that we need to provide better and more equitable healthcare to our transgender neighbors, that we must fight for the Equality Act – it’s because I’ve done it, as an executive, and I know that it is necessary and that it is possible.”
The candidate faces an uphill battle in winning the Democratic nomination — let alone the White House in 2016. Many national polls indicate O’Malley has support from 1 percent of Democrats, although polls for the Iowa caucuses alone peg him slightly higher at around 3 percent.
O’Malley seems to acknowledge the challenge of his campaign toward the end of his remarks, describing the “tough fight” ahead for progressive values at large in a way that could easily reflect his presidential aspirations.
“I kind of like the tough fights,” he said. “I’ve always been drawn to the tough fights. Perhaps the toughness of the fight is the way the hidden God has of telling us we are fighting for something worth saving. The American Dream is worth saving. Our children’s future is worth saving. Our country is worth saving. It’s time to join the fight. Together, you and I can and will rebuild the American Dream.”
Federal Government
Senate Democrats press DOJ over anti-trans prison directives
Markey joins other lawmakers in demanding reversal of policies
U.S. Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) is urging acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and William Marshall III, director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, to reverse a policy affecting transgender inmates that lawmakers say is “endangering” their “health and safety.”
Markey, along with U.S. Sens. Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-Ore.) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), sent the letter that the Washington Blade verified on Monday.
The letter is a direct response to a change in prison policy that went into effect in February 2025, rolling back Biden-era protections for trans inmates. The senators described how President Trump’s Executive Order 14168, titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” forced a policy shift they argue is rooted more in political rhetoric than in medical research or evidence-based correctional practices.
In the letter, the lawmakers wrote “On Feb. 21, 2025, the BOP issued a memo to implement President Trump’s EO, requiring BOP staff to ‘refer to individuals by their legal name or pronouns corresponding to their biological sex,’ banning the use of funds for any ‘items that align with transgender ideology,’ and suspending clothing accommodations, pat search accommodations, and support programs offered to transgender individuals.”
“In a second memo, issued one week later, the BOP banned the use of federal funds for ‘any medical procedure, treatment, or drug for the purpose of conforming an inmate’s appearance to that of the opposite sex.’ These changes have resulted in the denial — or threatened denial — of hormone treatment and gender-affirming accommodations for transgender individuals in BOP custody.”
“On Feb. 19, 2026, the BOP escalated its attacks, issuing a program statement titled, ‘Management of Inmates with Gender Dysphoria.’ It prohibits incarcerated people from receiving gender-affirming care, even if paid for with private funds. This practice forces incarcerated people to discontinue care, regardless of medical recommendations.”
The senators continued, “The agency has repeatedly enacted policies that strip transgender individuals of their gender identity and dignity. This includes requiring staff to refer to transgender individuals by pronouns that ‘align with their biological sex’ rather than gender identity and to confiscate gender-affirming items, such as undergarments, clothing, cosmetics, and wigs.”
“These policies risk triggering mental health crises, including increased suicidality, among incarcerated people with gender dysphoria. The BOP’s repeated guidance to roll back gender-affirming protections — despite a federal court order finding that the BOP’s actions to discontinue gender-affirming care are likely unlawful — generate confusion about the current state of regulations and convey the BOP’s indifference to court orders and the rule of law.”
“By stripping away appropriate medical and psychiatric care, safety protections, and measures to provide dignity, the BOP is exposing transgender individuals to significant harm.”
The Marshall Project, a nonprofit newsroom focused on the U.S. criminal justice system and immigration enforcement through data-driven reporting, also reported on the policy change. The outlet spoke with Shana Knizhnik, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, about the impact of the changes.
“It’s clear that this new policy is a ban on gender affirming healthcare,” Knizhnik, who works for the nationwide chapter of the ACLU said. “This is a policy that disregards the medical needs of our plaintiffs.”
The letter also asked the BOP and the DOJ specific questions regarding why the policy went into effect, as lawmakers suggested the changes appear politically motivated rather than based on new medical evidence regarding treatment for trans inmates.
The senators requested answers to these trans policy-specific questions by May 21, including:
“Does the BOP plan to monitor and assess the impacts of recent policies that eliminate gender-affirming medical and psychiatric care?”
“Since January 20, 2025, how many transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and gender-diverse individuals have been transferred to a different facility to meet the EO’s goal of housing individuals ‘according to their biological sex?’”
“Given that the BOP has stopped enforcing Prison Rape Elimination Act regulations related to gender identity and collecting data on gender identity, how will the BOP protect the physical and emotional health and safety of incarcerated transgender individuals?”
“How does the BOP plan to monitor and assess the impact of eliminating protections against sexual violence for this population?”
“Does the BOP plan to institute a specific process by which transgender individuals may seek assistance or lodge complaints regarding harms they experience from the recent BOP policies and actions implementing President Trump’s EO?”
“Describe the specific criteria the BOP intends to use to determine whether it will allow a ‘social accommodation’ for gender dysphoria.”
Markey also included a personal statement to the Blade explaining why he is using his position on Capitol Hill to push for more information and advocate for reversing the policy.
“This administration continuously shows their contempt for trans people and a total disregard for their rights and humanity. As part of this cruel campaign, the Bureau of Prisons has systematically stripped health care access and basic protections from trans people, abandoning its duty to the people in its custody. I won’t stop fighting until this administration’s hateful anti-trans policies are reversed and trans people’s rights are secured.”
The Blade reached out to the DOJ and the BOP for comment but had not received a response at press time.
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
Hungary
New Hungarian prime minister takes office
Péter Magyar’s party defeated anti-LGBTQ Viktor Orbán last month
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar took office on Saturday.
Magyar’s center-right Tisza party on April 12 defeated then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP coalition. Vice President JD Vance less than a week before the election traveled to Budapest, the Hungarian capital, and urged Hungarians to support Orbán.
Orbán had been in office since 2010. He and his government faced widespread criticism over its anti-LGBTQ crackdown.
The European Commission in 2022 sued Hungary, which is a member of the EU, over the country’s anti-LGBTQ propaganda law. The European Union’s top court, the EU Court of Justice, on April 21 struck down the statute.
The EU while Orbán was office withheld upwards of €35 billion ($41.26) in funds to Hungary in response to concerns over corruption, rule of law, and other issues.
Hungarian lawmakers in March 2025 passed a bill that banned Pride events and allowed authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify those who participate in them. MPs later amended the Hungarian constitution to ban public LGBTQ events.
Upwards of 100,000 people last June defied the ban and marched in Budapest’s annual Pride parade.
“Congratulations to [Péter Magyar] on becoming prime minister of Hungary,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on X.
“This Europe Day, our hearts are in Budapest,” she added. “The hope and promise of renewal is a powerful signal in these challenging times.”
“We have important work ahead of us,” noted von der Leyen. “For Hungary and for Europe, we are moving forward together.”
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