Maryland
Md. gubernatorial candidates face off in July 19 primary
Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s term ends in January
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2022/07/2022_MD_gubernatorial_candidates_Gansler_and_Perez_c_Washington_Blade_by_Michael_Key_King_and_Franchot_coutesy_campaigns_split_insert.jpg)
The Washington Blade this week details the LGBTQ-specific positions of the candidates who hope to succeed Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.
The primary election will take place on July 19.
DEMOCRATS:
PETER FRANCHOT
State Comptroller Peter Franchot has served in his current position since 2007. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates for more than two decades before ousting his Democratic predecessor in 2006.
Alongside his running mate, former Prince Georgeās County Council member Monique Anderson-Walker, Franchot has campaigned on promises of enacting a more efficient, transparent and equitable state government that will be prepared to champion multiple progressive causes.
When asked about his approach to issues surrounding LGBTQ rights in Maryland, Franchot told the Blade that providing equitable opportunities for underserved groups like the LGBTQ community was a focus of his bid for the governorās office.
āI am committed to ensuring that all Marylanders have the resources to thrive and enjoy all the benefits our state has to offer,ā Franchot told the Blade. āI was the first candidate to publish an agenda dedicated to addressing injustices and supporting historically marginalized communities.ā
Should he succeed, a Franchot administration, he said, would be ready to implement a number of plans his campaign has already drafted.
āI will ensure our curriculums educate students on our modern world and ensure that all of our public schools will be equipped with mental health professionals,ā Franchot said. āI will also appoint a Secretary of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This person will be responsible for identifying bias, disparate impacts, or inadequate attention to existing inequity and will issue a public report with action items to hold our government responsible for addressing these challenges. I am committed to ensuring that members of the LGBTQ+ community are part of my administration, and I will also increase funding for grassroots organizations that are filling in the gaps to provide support and care for the LGBTQ+ community.ā
DOUG GANSLER
Former Attorney General Doug Gansler served in his statewide role from 2007 to 2015.
Running alongside former Hyattsville Mayor Candace Hollingsworth, Gansler has consistently pointed to his progressive record on issues of social justice and environmental protection.
In fighting for what he sees as social justice for constituents, Gansler has garnered a well-recorded history of using his governmental power to advocate for the LGBTQ community.
Gansler in 2010 affirmed his support for LGBTQ rights by issuing an opinion that Maryland would recognize same-sex marriages performed outside the state that, at the time, did not allow such. In response, some state lawmakers in Annapolis initiated an unsuccessful attempt to impeach him from his position.
āI am and always have been [an advocate] and I donāt waver, and I will always do that going forward as governor,ā Gansler said.
As he pursues his partyās nomination for the governorship, Gansler told the Blade that representation of the LGBTQ community in his administration as well as experience in using government pathways to protect them would be key components of addressing LGBTQ issues ā components, he says, he is willing and able to pursue.
āI think having folks in government who are representative, I think, is important,ā Gansler said. āI think making sure we enforce the laws and donāt let any abridgement of the laws occur and pass more protective laws and make sure that, should hate crimes and hate speech and behavior targeted toward the LGBTQ community get enhanced that we lead.ā
RALPH JAFFE
Retired educator Ralph Jaffe has centered his campaign around a promise to root out corruption in Maryland government.
āMy real goal ā Iām in this to win ā but thereās a more important objective and that is I want to create a new standard of behavior for politicians in the future,ā Jaffe said.
As part of his campaign alongside running mate Mark Greben, Jaffe has campaigned on a set of five principles: Refusing all campaign contributions, only serving one term in office if elected, serving without pay, being truthful with constituents and having no dealings with or connections to professional lobbyists.
Jaffe has proposed the elimination of the Public Service Commission, the Maryland Department of Education, the Maryland Stadium Authority and the Maryland Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program in favor of fiscal responsibility and more localized control as well as opposing all attempts by the stateās General Assembly to raise residentsā taxes.
Jaffe told the Blade that his involvement in such change, spanning back three decades, was one that he characterized as a movement ā one that has taken time to cultivate and has allowed for.
āIt takes time. We have made a lot of progress and Iām pleased with the progress we have made,ā he said.
When addressing his support for matters of LGBTQ equality, Jaffe told the Blade that he believes members of the community deserve equal respect and status.
āI believe that any person in this country who is a human being in this country should be treated equally, thatās it,ā Jaffe said.
TOM PEREZ
Former Democratic National Committee Chair and U.S. and Maryland Labor Secretary Tom Perez has sought to use his profile to establish himself as a top contender in the Democratic primary.
Perez, alongside his running mate, former Baltimore City Council member Shannon Sneed, has branded himself as a āget stuff doneā Democrat. Perez, who is leaning on his experience as a civil rights attorney, now seeks to enact, among other things, reforms in areas that include police reform, voting rights, marijuana laws and gender equity.
A spokesperson for the Perez campaign told the Blade that as LGBTQ rights have come under greater uncertainty, Perez is looking forward to doing more to continue being a champion for the community.
āThroughout June we celebrate the amazing achievements of our LGBTQ+ communities and recommit ourselves to protecting the rights of our LGBTQ+ family, friends and neighbors so we can build stronger, more inclusive communities across Maryland ā and beyond,ā Perez wrote on Twitter on June 1.
WES MOORE
Combat veteran, small business owner and former Robin Hood Foundation CEO Wes Moore has sought to use his campaign to call into focus equity gaps in Maryland in hopes of becoming the Democratic nominee.
Through his campaign, Moore has leaned on his experiences of humble beginnings as well as military and entrepreneurial experience to influence his policy stances on issues affecting veterans and others.
Moore has expressed his support for the LGBTQ community and his intention to address related issues should he be elected to office.
Mooreās plans, should he become the next governor, include collaboration with the Maryland LGBTQ Affairs Commission and the community in future discussion, identifying LGBTQ businesses for the state to more easily contract, supporting and implementing prospective and newly-enacted legislation like the Safe Schools Act and Trans Health Equity Act and denying harmful legislation from being enacted or enforced.
Moore and his running mate, former state Del. Aruna Miller, reaffirmed their support for LGBTQ rights in a policy statement their campaign released.
āThe only way to make Maryland truly inclusive and welcoming is to ensure we fiercely support and advance the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, especially at a time where this community remains under attack,ā Moore and Miller said in the statement. āThe Moore-Miller administration will always be champions for LGBTQ+ Marylanders, protecting their rights and ensuring they have access to the tools and resources they need at all intersections of life to prosper and thrive.ā
ASHWANI JAIN
Former Obama administration official and federal government staffer Ashwani Jain has operated a gubernatorial campaign founded in grassroots principles reminiscent of those that U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and others have implemented.
Refusing campaign contributions from political action committees (PACs) and what the campaign defines as ādevelopers, businesses ā¦ or polluters,ā Jain has sought to define the campaign using resident-exclusive organizing and detailed policy plans released early in the campaign cycle.
At 32 years old, Jain would be the youngest governor in the nation if he were elected alongside running mate LaTrece Hawkins Lytes.
On LGBTQ issues, Jain issued a policy statement affirming his commitment to fighting anti-LGBTQ discrimination if he were to win.
āTo those who feel marginalized for their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, I want to assure you that you are welcome in Maryland ā and you make us stronger!ā Jain wrote.
Jainās policy on LGBTQ issues includes proposals including a prohibition on discrimination in housing and jury selection and introducing legislation to protect individualsā and couplesā access to surrogacy, adoption, foster care, health insurance application. Jain has also called for state non-discrimination laws to be reformed to omit religious exemptions.
āWe as a society must ensure we always provide equal access to all state-run services; protect all from any type of discrimination; and provide appropriate training to all state agencies and departments,ā Jain wrote.
JON BARON
Jon Baron has previously served as a congressional staffer and an official in the Clinton, Bush and Obama White Houses, drafting programs and policies related to issues that include technology companies and social spending.
Running alongside Maryland Business Roundtable for Education Senior Director of Communications and Public Affairs Natalie Williams, Baron has sought to bring his experience in crafting policy and programs on various issues to the role of Maryland governor.
While he did not respond to request for comment regarding policies LGBTQ-related policies he would implement if elected governor, Baron has previously expressed support for the community as part of his campaign platform.
āThis month and every month, we celebrate the enormous contributions the LGBTQ+ community has made to our state ā and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring LGBTQ+ rights are protected in Maryland and across the country,ā Baron wrote on Twitter on June 1.
JOHN KING
Former U.S. Secretary of Education and current University of Maryland Professor John King has sought to make his plans for and experience in education a cornerstone of his campaign.
With his running mate, Womenās Law Center of Maryland Executive Director Michelle Siri, King has leaned on such educational experience as he has crafted education proposals and plans to implement expanded student debt relief in the state. King has also publicly spoken to his support of the LGBTQ community.
In an op-ed the Blade published last month, King described his plans to support the LGBTQ community in his state should he be elected. These included expanding LGBTQ-related health services, implementing anti-discrimination policies in education and long-term care facilities, introducing further violence prevention and intervention programs aimed at protecting LGBTQ individuals and investment in LGBTQ-owned businesses.
āThis Pride Month and beyond, LGBTQ+ Americans need more than empty allyship from politicians, governments, and corporations ā they need someone who will stand with them and provide tangible support,ā King wrote. āIām running for governor to be a real defender, ally, and advocate for LGBTQ+ Marylanders, and to make our state a safe place for all Americans to live.ā
JEROME SEGAL
Jerome Segal, author and founder of the organization Bread and Roses, has used his candidacy to emphasize what he sees as the importance of understanding national history and the power the governorās office in Maryland.
Running alongside Galena Town Councilman Justinian Dispenza, Segal has proposed guaranteed paid, basic employment of at least 32 hours per week, intergovernmental personnel sharing programs between Maryland and foreign countries, progressive tax transformation and introducing legislation for a four-day work week. Segal told the Blade that with regards to LGBTQ rights he respects an individualās right to privacy and is willing to support both statewide and national codification of the right to privacy to protect the community.
āMy view is actually that what we should do is amend the Constitution,” he said. “We should put in there a specific right to privacy and expand on it if we want to but just having an explicit right to privacy in the Constitution will mean that right-wing people on the court canāt say that you guys just invented the right to privacy and itās not in the Constitution because weāll make it explicit and weāll put it in the Constitution.ā
REPUBLICANS:
KELLY SCHULZ
Former Labor and Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz has received Hoganās endorsement in the Republican primary and has cemented her status in recent polling as a top contender for the partyās nomination.
Schulz and her running mate Maryland Air National Guard Col. Jeff Woolford, have vowed to advocate for statewide tax cuts and resist any effort made by the state legislature to raise residentsā taxes.
A cornerstone of Schulzās campaign is her parental bill of rights, aimed at increasing parental involvement in the operations and functioning of Maryland schools.
āWe need to be able to make sure that every public school is working regardless of the zip code our children live in,ā Schulz said at a debate on education on Monday. āWe need to be able to make sure that itās functioning. Thatās why, several months ago, I introduced the parental bill of rights to be able to make sure that parents are empowered in their educational options for their children.ā
Schulz has not responded to requests for comment about her campaign’s LGBTQ-specific platform.
DAN COX
Endorsed by former President Donald Trump, state Del. Dan Cox has represented District 4 in the House of Delegates since 2019.
Running alongside Naval Academy Law Professor Gordana Schifanelli, Coxās policy stances have mirrored much of those championed by the former president and his allies on the national stage. Cox has used his staunchly right-wing policy stances to attempt to separate himself from Schulz.
Cox as recently as last October has sought to amend an education bill to restrict what he has referred to as āclassroom indoctrinationā regarding gender identity instruction in grades K through 3.
āThe intent of protecting our children from classroom indoctrination is something we should all agree on at that age,ā Cox said.
ROBIN FICKER
Realtor Robin Ficker has been politically active in recent years through the proposal of multiple ballot initiatives in Maryland. He also practiced law as a defense attorney prior to his disbarment earlier this year.
Alongside running mate LeRoy Yegge, Jr., Fickerās campaign has rested heavily on the promise of eliminating two cents from the stateās sales tax. The ticket has also proposed the creation of a jobs strike force that would aim to respond to the expansion of large companies and induce them into relocating new operations and employment openings to Maryland.
āWe should have those jobs here, but the Maryland Department of Commerce has been asleep,ā Ficker said in a debate Monday night. āIām not going to be asleep as your governor; Iām going to be helping you get jobs.ā
Ficker has not publicly commented about LGBTQ issues.
JOE WERNER
Joe Werner practices as a family law attorney in D.C. He has also run for the House of Delegates in previous elections.
With running mate Minh Thanh Luong, Werner has expressed support for charter schools and a number of conservative initiatives, including opposing abortion access after 15 weeks of pregnancy and reducing economic regulation. He has also called for a temporary suspension to gas taxes following sharp increases in global oil and gas prices.
While Werner had previously identified as a Democrat in past elections, he has said he feels his ideological moderation is a positive aspect for Marylanders to consider when evaluating his candidacy.
āI feel Iām more of a Marylander moderate,ā Werner said in an interview with the Maryland State Bar Association on Tuesday. āI feel like I represent the people right, I will think about whatās helping the people, not just whatās helping the special interests and thatās why I think I would be the best candidate.ā
Werner has not publicly commented about LGBTQ issues and did not respond to a request for comment.
Maryland
Bethesda church hosts transgender, nonbinary photo exhibit
Photographer Gwen Andersen showcases community members of all ages, backgrounds
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/MoCo_exhibit_insert_courtesy_Gwen_Andersen.jpg)
Amid the spate of anti-transgender legislation, the bullying of trans students and lack of gender-affirming care for young people across the country, photographer Gwen Andersen’s photo exhibit seeks to portray the trans and nonbinary community in a positive light.
Andersen’s āBecoming Ourselvesā exhibit that documents trans and nonbinary people will be on display at the Bethesda United Church of Christ (10010 Fernwood Road) this summer.
Andersen spearheaded the exhibit along with the Rev. Dr. Jill McCrory from Bethesda UCC. The church paid for the project with a donation it received from Stevie Neal, a trans woman who passed away and left part of her estate to McCrory.
McCrory herself has been a pillar in the LGBTQ community for decades, including while pastor at Twinbrook Baptist Church.
The congregation that McCrory closed dispersed more than $1 million to various ministries and LGBTQ organizations, founded the MoCo Pride Center, and married a same-sex couple on the rainbow stage of Capital Pride in 2010.Ā Bethesda UCC has also marked the Transgender Day of Remembrance, and hosted a renaming ceremony for a trans baptized member.Ā
āI happen to have access to a wonderful transgender womanās (Stevie) donation that she left me to do something for the transgender community,ā said McCrory over a Zoom interview. āAndersen came to Rev. McCrory in November of 2023 with the idea. āGwen knew Stevie. I thought this would be perfect because this is something that would benefit the transgender community.ā
āWIthout Stevie, this surely would not have happened. And I say that with great confidence,ā Andersen said in a Zoom interview.
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Stevie_Neal_insert_courtesy_Gwen_Andersen.jpg)
āBecoming Ourselvesā debuted at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockville in March.
The exhibit features photos of trans and nonbinary people from across the country that Andersen and a number of other photographers took.
The photos feature people from all ages ā from preteens to elders from all walks of life that include teachers, community leaders, and athletes. Andersen’s exhibit also showcases people who are proudly showing their top surgery scars. It also shows trans and nonbinary people in a variety of ways, from enjoying music, playing sports, and working.
The exhibit most importantly shows them being happy.
Andersonās exhibit has two main goals: Give a space for trans and nonbinary people to see others in their community in a positive way, and to shift the narrative on how people see trans and nonbinary people.
āIt was an emotional issue that won hearts and minds.ā said Andersen in reference to the LGBTQ movement to legalize same-sex marriage. āI believe we will reduce the hostility against transgender people by winning hearts and minds.”
“One of the most effective messages is to protect trans kids,” she added. “Right now the hostility has not just gone against adults, it has gone against children, and children are being harassed, beaten up, and killing themselves. In much the same way as gays and lesbians were killing ourselves 30 years ago. I think what will be effective is tugging on hearts and minds and reclaiming the narrative from hate and fear, to love.ā
Andersen wants to eventually get a more permanent location for the exhibit rather than bringing it to different venues. But until then, she plans to bring it to other churches that are interested in hosting it.
Anyone interested in supporting Andersen’s exhibit can log onto the “Becoming Ourselves” website, or directly help any of the photographers whose work is showcased. Andersen has directed folks to support photographer Liam Woods, whose online name is Analogue Papi.
Maryland
Moore pardons more than 175,000-plus cannabis-related convictions
Governor signed executive order at State House on Monday
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2023/01/Wes_Moore_insert_via_Twitter.jpg)
BY BRENDA WINTRODE and PAMELA WOOD | Gov. Wes Moore pardoned more than 175,000 cannabis-related convictions Monday, nullifying guilty verdicts decided when carrying small amounts of the drug or paraphernalia was illegal.
The Democratic governor signed an executive order during a State House ceremony, granting clemency to thousands of people convicted in Maryland. The convictions to be pardoned include more than 150,000 misdemeanors for simple possession and more than 18,000 for possession of drug paraphernalia with an intent to use.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Maryland
Silver Spring Pride sign rebuilt in memory of beloved neighbor
GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $4,000
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Tony_Brown_neighbors_repainting_LOVE_sign_in_Silver_Spring_Maryland_insert_courtesy_Molly_Chehak.jpg)
Residents of Silver Springās Rosemary Hills neighborhood have come together to rebuild a Pride sign.
The sign was constructed in June 2020, and was meant to stay in place throughout Pride Month. Neighborhood residents, however, requested it stay up past its intended month-long display, and has remained in place for more than four years.
The sign spelling LOVE is at the neighborhoodās entrance between Sundale and Richmond Streets. It was made from plywood and the O was painted in the colors of the Pride flag.
āWe wanted to take it down, but we just felt it was not ours anymore and belonged to the neighborhood.ā Tony Brown told the Washington Blade during a telephone interview. āIt was a positive thing for the neighborhood and began to take on a life of its own.ā
Brown and his partner, Mike Heffner, designed the sign and said the Black Lives Matter movement inspired them to create it as a strong symbol of an accepting community.
The sign was vandalized numerous times last fall, resulting in neighborhood residents taking turns repairing it. Brown and his partner could not do the repairs themselves because Heffner was fighting Stage 4 lung cancer.
Heffner passed away on Oct. 6, 2023.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help raise funds for the replacement Pride sign, and it has raised more than $4,000. The replacement sign is more permanent and made of metal.
āI canāt speak for the neighborhood overall, but people who knew Mike I think are happy that we were able to honor his memory with this sign because this sign is so him,ā Molly Chehak, a friend who lives next door to Brown, told the Blade. āHe (Heffner) was an outgoing super social (person) who just made you feel good the way this sign does. Itās a perfect tribute to him.āĀ
Chehak and other neighbors created the GoFundMe account.
Heffnerās family and his neighbors are still working to rebuild the Pride sign. It has become a memorial to Heffner.
āWe wanted to do one that was clearly a Pride reference,ā said Brown, noting the L is a fully painted Pride flag that spirals across the entire letter.
āFor the O we wanted to do something reminiscent of times in the past, a throwback to the 60ās and 70ās so itās a hippie montage of flowers and butterflies,ā he said.
Brown described the V as being colorful, nonbinary people hugging each other with the idea that love is more than what one may see.
āDuring COVID, he had started painting rocks and putting kind and fun messages on them leaving them around places as sort of a pay it forward Karma and so the E is basically that stylized writing and to embrace a bunch of ways we embrace love,ā he said.
The final letter had the phrase ālove is loveā written repeatedly in various handwritings to pay homage to Heffner and what he did for his neighborhood during the pandemic.Ā Brownās four daughters ā one of whom is a professional artist ā and their friends designed it.
The landscape around the sign has also been transformed with rocks that honors Heffnerās love for Rosemary Hills and his passion for rocks.
Chehak also said Heffner always wanted a bench, and neighbors are looking to install one soon next to the Pride sign.
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