Local
Va. activists, legislators gearing up for 2019 legislative session
Majority of the House of Delegates supports pro-LGBT bills
Equality Virginia Executive Director James Parrish says outlawing anti-LGBT discrimination in housing and public employment is one of his organization’s top legislative priorities in 2019.
For the past five years, the Republican-controlled Virginia Senate has passed legislation banning discrimination in government employment. For the past three years, the state Senate has passed the Fair Housing Law prohibiting similar discrimination in housing. However, none of the legislation has gotten past the Virginia House of Delegates.
This year, Parrish says a majority of delegates in the House support both proposals.
For the past few years, resistance from Republican leadership has prevented the bills from becoming law. In 2018, House Speaker Bill Howell (R-Stafford County) moved the bills to a special committee where they died.
Parrish believes this move from the Republicans “backfired because there ended up being over an hour of testimony from community members on why we need these protections.”
For the pieces of legislation to get past committee this year, they need the backing of one of three Republican delegates representing Virginia Beach. Parrish is optimistic the bills will receive this support given that state senators and city council members from the Virginia Beach area have signaled their approval of the bills.
“We feel like that gives all the necessary support to those delegates to show that their constituents are supportive of these two issues,” he said.
“We know we have a pro-equality majority in the House to pass both of those measures if we can get them to the House floor,” state Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) emphasized.
If these bills were to pass, Virginia would become the first Southern state to have statewide LGBT protections.
Outside of the housing and public employment nondiscrimination proposals, Equality Virginia and pro-LGBT legislators are also looking to reduce barriers to healthcare access for transgender people and remove the same-sex marriage ban from the Virginia constitution. Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2014 in Virginia, but its ban remains in Virginia constitution. State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria), the most senior LGBT official in the state Senate, says removing the ban would be “a symbolic gesture but one that we need to take.”
To successfully repeal the constitutional amendment, a bill would need to pass both this year and next year with identical language. Voters would then have the final say on whether or not to redact the mention of marriage from the constitution. “It’s a lot to go through,” Ebbin told the Washington Blade.
Beyond codifying equal marriage rights for LGBT Virginians, Ebbin is hopeful about the chances of a package of LGBT protections supported by Attorney General Mark Herring. The legislation will designate attacks on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity as hate crimes.
Ebbin applauds the work Herring has done thus far with the LGBT community. The attorney general, who refused to defend the marriage ban earlier in his career, has held roundtables across the state on hate crimes this past year. “He’s really a pro-equality attorney general who has gone out of his way to try and understand the concerns of our community along with the entire public,” said Ebbin.
Ebbin says he’s optimistic about the prospect of passing protections for LGBT people this session largely because he believes LGBT equality is beginning to gather bipartisan support.
“We’re seeing people with good voting records according to the Family Foundation being willing to depart from their preconceived notions about how they might vote,” Ebbin told the Blade. “There are some Republican legislators in Virginia now who are now voting pro-equality while at the same time maintaining their pro-life and pro-gun stance.”
District of Columbia
Gay D.C. police lieutenant arrested on child porn charges
Matthew Mahl once served as head of LGBT Liaison Unit
D.C. police announced on April 14 that they have placed one of their lieutenants, Matthew Mahl, on administrative leave and revoked his police powers after receiving information that he was arrested in Maryland one day earlier.
Although the initial D.C. police announcement doesn’t disclose the reason for the arrest it refers to a statement by the Harford County, Md. Sheriff’s Office that discloses Mahl has been charged with sexual solicitation of a minor and child porn solicitation.
“On Tuesday, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office contacted MPD’s Internal Affairs Division shortly after arresting Lieutenant Matthew Mahl,” the D.C. police statement says.
“The allegations in this case are extremely disturbing, and in direct contrast to the values of the Metropolitan Police Department,” the statement continues. “MPD’s Internal Affairs Division will investigate violations of MPD policy once the criminal investigation concludes,” it says.
“MPD is not involved in the criminal investigation and was not aware of the investigation until yesterday,” the statement adds.
Mahl served as acting supervisor of the MPD’s then Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit in 2013 when he held the rank of sergeant. D.C. police officials placed him on administrative leave and suspended his police powers that same year while investigating an undisclosed allegation.
A source familiar with the investigation said Mahl was cleared of any wrongdoing a short time later and resumed his police duties. Around the time he was promoted to lieutenant several years later Mahl took on the role as chairman of the D.C. Police Union, becoming the first known openly gay officer to hold that position.
NBC 4 reports that Mahl, 47, has served on the police force for 23 years and most recently was assigned to the department’s Special Operations Division.
Records related to Mahl’s arrest filed in Harford County District Court, show Sheriff’s Department investigators state in charging documents that he allegedly committed the offenses of Sexual Solicitation of a Minor and Child Porn Solicitation on Monday, April 13, one day before he was arrested on April 14.
The court records show he was held without bond during his first appearance in court on April 14. A decision on whether he would be released while awaiting trial or continue to be held without bond was scheduled to be determined during an April 15 bond hearing. The outcome of that hearing could not be immediately determined.
Maryland
Evan Glass is leaning on his record. Is that enough for Montgomery County’s top job?
Gay county executive candidate pushing for equitable pay, safer streets, and cleaner environment
By TALIA RICHMAN | During a meet-and-greet at Poolesville Memorial United Methodist Church, Evan Glass got his loudest applause of the night with a plan he acknowledged was decidedly unsexy.
“Day one, I’ll hire a director of permitting services,” the county executive candidate said.
Doing so, he added, is a step toward easing the regulatory burdens that can stifle small businesses in Montgomery County.
The only problem? At least one of his fiercest competitors is making a similar pledge.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
District of Columbia
D.C. bar, LGBTQ+ Community Center to mark Lesbian Visibility Week
‘Ahead of the Curve’ documentary screening, ‘Queeroke’ among events
2026 Lesbian Visibility Week North America will take place from April 20-26.
This year marks the third annual Lesbian Visibility Week, run by the Curve Foundation. A host of events take place from April 20-26.
This year’s theme is Health and Wellness. For the Curve Foundation, the term “lesbian” serves as an umbrella term for a host of identities, including lesbians, bisexual and transgender women, and anyone else connected to the lesbian community.
The week kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony on April 19. It will take place in New York, but will be livestreamed for the public.
“Queeroke” is one of the events being held around the country. It will take place at various participating bars on April 23.
As You Are, an LGBTQ bar in Capitol Hill, is one of eight locations across the U.S. participating. Their event is free and 21+.
On April 24, the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center will hold a screening of “Ahead of the Curve,” a documentary about the founder of Curve, Franco Stevens. The event is free with an RSVP.
April 25, is Queer Women in Sports Day. And on April 26, several monuments in New York will be illuminated.
Virtual events ranging from health to sports will be made available to the public. Details will be released closer to the start of Lesbian Visibility Week. Featured events can be found on the official website.
Some ways for individuals to get involved are to use #LVW26 and tag the official Lesbian Visibility Week account on social media posts. People are encouraged to display their lesbian flags, and businesses can hand out pins and decorate. They can also reach out to local lawmakers to encourage them to issue an official Lesbian Visibility Week.
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