washingtonblade.com, volume 47, issue 15, april 8, 2015

8/18/2019 Washingtonblade.com, Volume 47, Issue 15, April 8, 2015

1/64

Ignoring backlash in N.C., Gov. Bryant signs anti-LGBT bill

By CHRIS [email protected]

Despite calls from LGBT advocates urging him to veto the measure, Mississippi Gov.Phil Bryant wasted little time in signing into law a “religious freedom” bill that enablessweeping anti-LGBT discrimination.

“I am signing HB 1523 into law to protect sincerely held religious beliefs and moralconvictions of individuals, organizations and private associations from discriminatoryaction by state government or its political subdivisions, which would include counties,cities and institutes of higher learning,” Bryant said in a statement. “This bill merely

Sanders, Clinton court trans voteahead of East Coast primaries


After Sen. Bernard Sanders’s shellacking of Hillary Clinton inWisconsin this week, the candidates are shifting their focus toNew York, the site of the next big primary contest on April 19.And in a historic first, both campaigns are aggressively reachingout to the transgender community for support.

Andrea Zekis, policy director for Basic Rights Oregon,introduced Sanders on stage at an April 25 rally in Oregon.Meanwhile, on the Transgender Day of Visibility, the Clintoncampaign made public a Q&A with 12 transgender advocateswho support the candidate.

Zekis, an Arkansas native, spoke at the rally about thediffi culties she faced coming out as t ransgender, noting

discrimination in her home state is legal under state law.“Seven years ago, I took the bold step to live in my truth,” Zekis

said. “I accepted myself as a transgender woman, and for that I

CONTINUES ON PAGE 17

A P R I L 0 8 , 2 0 1 6 V O L U M E 4 7 I S S U E 1 5 • A M E R I C A ’ S G A Y N E W S S O U R C E • W A S H I N G T O N B L A D E . C O M

Gov. PHIL BRYANT (R-Miss.) signed a sweeping ‘religious freedom’ bill into law thisweek.CONTINUES ON PAGE 16

Sen. BERNARD SANDERS won big inWisconsin this week.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY


2/64

02 • APRIL 08, 2016 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

New Odefsey® is now available

_ - _ _ - - _ . -


3/64

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM APRIL 08 , 2016 • 03

Please see Brief Summary of

Patient Information with important

warnings on the following pages.

Actual Size

(15.4 mm x 7.3 mm)

Ask your healthcare provider

if ODEFSEY is right for you.

To learn more visit

ODEFSEY.com

One small pill contains

rilpivirine, emtricitabine, and

tenofovir alafenamide (TAF).

:


4/64

04 • APRIL 08, 2016 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

Brief Summary of Patient Informationabout ODEFSEY

ODEFSEY (oh-DEF-see)(emtricitabine, rilpivirine and tenofovir alafenamide) tablets

Important: Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines thatshould not be taken with ODEFSEY.

There may be new information about ODEFSEY. This information is only a summaryand does not t ake the place of t alking with your healthcare provider about your medicalcondition or treatment.

What is the most important informationI should know about ODEFSEY?

ODEFSEY can cause serious side effects, including:

• Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis may happenin some people who take ODEFSEY or similar medicines. Lactic acidosis is a seriousmedical emergency that can lead to death. Lactic acidosis can be hard to identifyearly, because the symptoms could seem like symptoms of other health problems.Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the followingsymptoms which could be signs of lactic acidosis:

– feel very weak or tired

– have unusual (not normal) muscle pain

– have trouble breathing – have stomach pain with nausea or vomiting

– feel cold, especially in your arms and legs

– feel dizzy or lightheaded

– have a fast or irregular heartbeat

• Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems may happen in people who take ODEFSEY.In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large andyou may develop fat in your liver. Call your healthcare provider right away if youget any of the following symptoms of liver problems:

– your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice)

– dark “tea-colored” urine

– light-colored bowel movements (stools)

–

loss of appetite

– nausea

– pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area

• You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if youare female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking ODEFSEY or a similarmedicine for a long time.

• Worsening of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. ODEFSEY is not approved to treatHBV. If you have HBV and take ODEFSEY, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stoptaking ODEFSEY. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worseway than before.

– Do not run out of ODEFSEY. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcareprovider before your ODEFSEY is all gone.

–

Do not stop taking ODEFSEY without first talking to your healthcare provider. – If you stop taking ODEFSEY, your healthcare provider will need to check your

health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your HBVinfection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms youmay have after you stop taking ODEFSEY.

What is ODEFSEY?

ODEFSEY is a prescription medicine that is used to treat HIV-1in people 12 years of age and older:

• who have not received HIV-1 medicines in the past and have an amount of HIV-1 intheir blood (“viral load”) that is no more than 100,000 copies/mL, or

• to replace their current HIV-1 medicines in people who have been on the same HIV-1medicines for at least 6 months, have a viral load that is less than 50 copies/mL, andhave never failed past HI V-1 treatment.

It is not known if ODEFSEY is safe and ef fective in children under 12 years of age or whoweigh less than 77 lb (35 kg).

When used to treat HIV-1 infection, ODEFSEY may help:

• Reduce the amount of HIV-1 in your blood. This is called “viral load”.

• Increase the number of CD4+ (T) cells in your blood that help fight off other infections.

Reducing the amount of HIV-1 and increasing the CD4+ (T) cells in your blood may helpimprove your immune system. This may reduce your risk of death or getting infectionsthat can happen when your immune system is weak (opportunistic infections).

ODEFSEY does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. You must keep taking HIV-1medicines to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses.

Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passingHIV-1 to others. Do not share or re-use needles, injection equipment, or personal itemsthat can have blood or body fluids on them. Do not have sex without protection. Always

practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexualcontact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood.

Who should not take ODEFSEY?

Do not take ODEFSEY if you also take a medicine that contains:

• carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®, Tegretol-XR®, Teril®)

• dexamethasone (Ozurdex®, Maxidex®, Decadron®, BaycadronTM)

• dexlansoprazole (Dexilant®)

• esomeprazole (Nexium®, Vimovo®)

• lansoprazole (Prevacid®)

• omeprazole (Prilosec®, Zegerid®)

• oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®)• pantoprazole sodium (Protonix®)

• phenobarbital (Luminal®)

• phenytoin (Dilantin®, Dilantin-125®, Phenytek ®)

• rabeprazole (Aciphex®)

• rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®)

• rifapentine (Priftin®)

• the herb St. John’s wort or a product that contains St. John’s wort

What should I tell my healthcare providerbefore taking ODEFSEY?

Before taking ODEFSEY, tell your healthcare provider if you:• have liver problems including hepatitis B or C virus infection

• have kidney and bone problems

• have had depression or suicidal thoughts

• have any other medical conditions

• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if ODEFSEY can harm yourunborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking ODEFSEY.

_ - _ _ - - _ . -


5/64


Pregnancy registry: there is a pregnancy registry for women who take HIV-1medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information aboutthe health of you and your baby. Talk with your healthcare provider about how you cantake part in this registry.

• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take ODEFSEY.

– You should not breastfeed if you have HI V-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1to your baby.

– At least one of the medicines in ODEFSEY can pass to your baby in your breast milk.It is not known if the other medicines in ODEFSEY can pass into your breast milk.

– Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescriptionand over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Some medicines may interact with ODEFSEY. Keep a list of your medicines and showit to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

• You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines thatinteract with ODEFSEY.

• Do not start a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. Your healthcareprovider can tell you if it is safe to take ODEFSEY with other medicines.

How should I take ODEFSEY?

• Take ODEFSEY exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. ODEFSEY is

taken by itself (not with other HIV-1 medicines) to treat HIV-1 infection.• Take ODEFSEY 1 time each day with a meal.

• Do not change your dose or stop taking ODEFSEY without first talking with yourhealthcare provider. Stay under a healthcare provider’s care when taking ODEFSEY.

• Do not miss a dose of ODEFSEY.

• If you take too much ODEFSEY, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearesthospital emergency room right away.

• When your ODEFSEY supply starts to run low, get more from your healthcare provideror pharmacy. This is very important because the amount of virus in your blood mayincrease if the medicine is stopped for even a short time. The virus may developresistance to ODEFSEY and become harder to treat.

What are the possible side effects of ODEFSEY?

ODEFSEY may cause serious side effects, including:

• See “What is the most important information I should know about ODEFSEY?”

• Severe skin rash and allergic reactions. Skin rash is a common side effect ofODEFSEY. Rash can be serious. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get arash. In some cases, rash and allergic reaction may need to be treated in a hospital. If you get a rash with any of the following symptoms, stop taking ODEFSEY andcall your healthcare provider right away:

– fever

– skin blisters

– mouth sores

– redness or swelling of the eyes (conjunctivitis)

–

swelling of the face, lips, mouth or throat – trouble breathing or swallowing

– pain on the right side of the stomach (abdominal) area

– dark “tea-colored” urine

• Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you haveany of the following symptoms:

– feel sad or hopeless

– feel anxious or restless

– have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself

• Change in liver enzymes. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus infectionor who have certain liver enzyme changes may have an increased risk of developingnew or worsening liver problems during treatment with ODEFSEY. Liver problemscan also happen during treatment with ODEFSEY in people without a history of liver

disease. Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your liver enzymesbefore and during treatment with ODEFSEY.

• Changes in body fat can happen in people who take HIV-1 medicine. Thesechanges may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalohump”), breast, and around the middle of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs,arms and face may also happen. The exact cause and long-term health effects ofthese conditions are not known.

• Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happenwhen you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger andbegin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell yourhealthcare provider right away if you start having any new symptoms after startingyour HIV-1 medicine.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare

provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before you start andwhile you are taking ODEFSEY. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop takingODEFSEY if you develop new or worse kidney problems.

• Bone problems can happen in some people who take ODEFSEY. Bone problemsmay include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Yourhealthcare provider may need to do tests to check your bones.

The most common side effects of rilpivirine, one of the medicines in ODEFSEY, aredepression, trouble sleeping (insomnia), and headache.

The most common side effect of emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide, two ofthe medicines in ODEFSEY, is nausea.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or thatdoes not go away.

• These are not all the possible side effects of ODEFSEY. For more information, askyour healthcare provider or pharmacist.

• Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects toFDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about ODEFSEY. Ifyou would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask yourhealthcare provider or pharmacist for information about ODEFSEY that is written forhealth professionals.

For more information, call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.ODEFSEY.com.

Keep ODEFSEY and all medicines out of reach of children.

Issued: March 2016

ODEFSEY, the ODEFSEY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and GSI are trademarksof Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other trademarks referenced hereinare the property of their respective owners.

© 2016 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. ODEC0005 03/16

:


6/64

Military denied Seefried’srequest to resign

By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

[email protected]

Gay U.S. Air Force Lt. Joshua Seefried, whois facing sexual assault charges, confirmedthat he waived his right to a pre-courtmartial evidentiary proceeding known as anArticle 32 hearing at an arraignment on April4 at Andrews Air Force Base.

The arraignment followed a decisionby Air Force prosecutors last year toreinstate charges that Seefried engagedin wrongful and abusive sexual conductand forcible sodomy. The charges stemfrom allegations by a gay U.S. Marinelieutenant that Seefried performed sexualacts on him in a New York hotel room in2012 while the Marine was intoxicatedand unable to give consent.

A military investigator who presidedover two previous Article 32 hearings inthe Seefried case concluded following

both proceedings that there wasinsuffi cient evidence to prove theallegations against Seefried and that acourt martial would most likely result inSeefried’s acquittal.

The investigator, Col. Robert Preston,recommended against a court martial

and called for the charges to be dropped.Preston’s second recommendation cameafter a U.S. Coast Guard offi cer, who hadbeen with Seefried and the Marine at theNew York hotel room when the sexualassault allegedly occurred, testified thatthe Marine had consented to a three-waysexual encounter with him and Seefried.

Despite this testimony and Preston’srecommendations, Maj. General DarrylBurke, commander of the Air ForceDistrict of Washington, overruled Preston’srecommendations both times and orderedthat the case go to court martial.

At the April 4 arraignment, Seefried’smilitary attorney, Capt. Allen Abrams,confirmed that Seefried also hadrequested that he be allowed to resignfrom the Air Force in lieu of a court martial

and that the request was denied. Abramsdidn’t say who denied the request.

But two sources familiar with thecase have told the Washington Bladethat Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee

James denied the resignation request inDecember after it had been approved by

Air Force prosecutors and Burke.At the time Air Force prosecutors agreed

last year to allow Seefried to resign in lieu ofa court martial, they dropped the chargespending against him to facilitate theresignation agreement, even though underAir Force regulations such an agreementcannot be finalized unless it is approved bythe Air Force Secretary.

An Air Force spokesperson has declinedto confirm or deny that the resignationrequest and its denial by Air Force Secretary

James had taken place, saying suchdevelopments were personnel mattersthat are not part of the public record. Thespokesperson, Lt. Col. Joel Harper, said thesexual assault charges were dropped andreinstated in Seefried’s case as part of an“administrative matter” for which he could

not provide further details.The judge presiding over the Monday,

April 4 arraignment, Lt. Col. AndrewKalavanos, set a tentative date of July 18for a pre-court martial motions hearing.He noted that the court martial has beenscheduled to begin on Aug. 22.

Air Force observers familiar with thecase have said they expect Seefried’scivilian attorney to reintroduce a motioncalling for dismissal of the case ongrounds of unlawful command influence.The attorney, Richard Stevens, hadintroduced a similar motion last year,which became null and void when thecharges against Seefried were droppedto pursue the resignation in lieu of courtmartial option.

Stevens argued at the time he firstintroduced the motion that Maj. Gen.Burke appeared to be under pressurefrom members of Congress andPentagon offi cials who have cr iticizedthe military in recent years for not beingaggressive enough in prosecuting sexualassault cases.

Shocked friends watchas guards placeOldham in handcuffs

By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

[email protected]

A Montgomery County, Md., CircuitCourt judge on Monday sentenced FrankOldham Jr., the former executive directorof the National Association of People withAIDS, to six months in jail two monthsafter he pleaded guilty to embezzlingmoney from the organization in 2012.

During a hearing at the Rockville-basedCircuit Court building, Judge Steven G.Salant sentenced Oldham to five years’incarceration but suspended all but sixmonths of time to be served. He alsosentenced Oldham to three years ofsupervised probation upon his releaseand ordered that he undergo alcohol-

related testing and treatment if needed.As a condition for probation, Salant ordered

that Oldham be prohibited from taking a jobor providing services in a “fiduciary capacity”during the term of his probation.

In a development that startled friendsand former colleagues who attended thesentencing hearing, guards placed Oldhamin handcuffs and escorted him out of thecourtroom after Salant ordered that hebegin serving his sentence immediately.

Last week, as part of a plea agreementwith prosecutors, Oldham paid

$11,238.08 in restitution for money hewas accused of embezzling from NAPWAin 2012 shortly before the group declaredChapter 7 bankruptcy and closed its doors30 years after it was founded in 1983.

“The defendant committed multipleacts in this embezzlement scheme,”according to a sentencing memorandumsubmitted to the court by MontgomeryCounty State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

“With each individual act, the defendantviolated the trust put in him by NAPWA,”the sentencing memo states.

“The State believes that punishmentmust go beyond a period of probationand should include a period of executedincarceration,” it says.

Oldham’s attorney, Thomas Degonia,submitted to the court more than a dozenletters and statements by colleaguesand activists recognizing and praisingOldham’s long career as an advocate forpeople with AIDS and AIDS preventionand treatment policies.

One of the letter writers was A.Cornelius Baker, a longtime AIDS andLGBT rights advocate who served asNAPWA’s policy director and executivedirector from 1992 to 2000.

“His efforts have resulted in comfortfor those who were dying, policiesand programs to bring longer life topeople living with HIV, and critical policy

decisions to prevent new HIV infections,”Baker states in his letter.

“I hope that the court will recognizeFrank’s life of good work and recognizethat he has already carried the burdenof the incidents involved in NAPWA’s finaldays,” Baker wrote. “Justice would notbe served by any further punishment inthis case and it would only serve to causemore harm to Frank and those who havebenefited from his work.”

During the sentencing hearing twoformer NAPWA board members and

friends of Oldham, Judy Billings andThomas Petty, testified on Oldham’s behalf,urging the judge to limit his sentence toprobation rather than incarceration.

A third former NAPWA board member,Bruce Hoffmeister, testified as a victim’sadvocate, saying he represented the NAPWAboard and the organization’s supporterswho he said were wronged by Oldham’sactions. He called on Salant to sentenceOldham to some period of incarceration.

The sentencing came seven monthsafter a grand jury handed down a six-countindictment against Oldham, accusing himof stealing between $10,000 and $100,000from NAPWA in November 2012.

Oldham served as executive director ofNAPWA from January 2006 to November2013, when he resigned followingunconfirmed reports that thousands ofdollars of the organization’s funds weremissing or unaccounted for.

Degonia, Oldham’s attorney, points

out that the plea agreement offered byprosecutors doesn’t present evidencethat Oldham misappropriated fundsover and above the $11,238 that Oldhamadmitted taking by using a NAPWA creditcard for personal use.

He said Oldham is remorseful forhis illegal actions but notes that theyoccurred, in part, because Oldhamneeded the money to survive personallyat a time when NAPWA’s financial crisisthat led to the bankruptcy resulted in hisworking without pay.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

06 • APRIL 08, 2016 LOCAL NEWS

FRANK OLDHAM was led away in handcuffsafter a judge sentenced him to begin a six-

month sentence immediately.WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Former NAPWA director sentenced to six months in jail

Gay Air Force lieutenant faces August court martial


7/64


Hurry! Only a few townhomes remain at Chelsea Heights, the EYA neighborhood that’s steps from

Silver Spring Metro, Whole Foods, AFI Silver, and some of the area’s best restaurants and entertainment venues.

Visit today and discover luxury features and wide open living spaces inside and out.

New Townhomes with Rooftop Terraces from the $800s

OVER 80% SOLD OUT!

Model Homes Open Daily 11am–6pm | 301-565-670025 Ellsworth Heights Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910

EYA.com/Blade

DIRECTIONS: From the District, travel north on Georgia Avenue toward Silver Spring.Turn right onto Colesville Road. Turn right onto Spring Street. Spring Street becomes

Cedar Street. Turn left onto Ellsworth Drive. Turn right on Ellsworth Heights Street.

MHBR 7092 PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. EYA MARKETING LLC.

The Home You’ll Lovein the neighborhood you can’t wait to explore


8/64

Randy Brewster dies at 54Randy Dewain Brewster died on March 27 at

his home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., accordingto clergy at his church. He was 54. No cause ofdeath was given.

Brewster was born July 19, 1961. A nativeof Washington, Brewster moved to RehobothBeach 15 years ago.

He worked for nearly 30 years as a financialspecialist. Over the last decade, he worked forRight Property Management.

He was active in choral singing and wasa member of the parish choir of All SaintsChurch and St. George’s Chapel, the MixedBlessing chorus and formerly the SouthernDelaware Choral Society, the Clear SpaceChorus and other choirs in Washington. Healso enjoyed entertaining at local restaurants.

Brewster is survived by friends Joe Pintoand John Klenert, business partners Martha and Jerry Wright and other parishioners atAll Saints. He was preceded in death by his dog, Baxter.

A service is planned on Saturday, April 9 at 11 a.m. at All Saints Church (18 Olive Ave.,Rehoboth Beach, Del.). A reception will follow in the parish hall. Donations to the churchmusic fund may be contributed in Brewster’s memory.

Singers who wish to sing at his service may contact Jackson Borges, director of music,at 302-227-7202, ext. 108 or [email protected] for details.

JOEY DiGUGLIELMO

D.C. Council passessuicide prevention bill

The D.C. City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a bill that

requires the city’s public schools to adopt suicide prevention policies thatspecifically address the needs of LGBT youth.

The legislation, the Youth Suicide Prevention and School Climate SurveyAmendment Act of 2015, among other things, requires that all school-basedpersonnel receive at least two hours of suicide prevention, intervention andpost-intervention training each year.

Bill 21-361 also calls for the D.C. Offi ce of the State Superintendent ofEducation to develop and publish a model suicide prevention, intervention and

post-intervention policy and to develop “research-based school climate surveys”related to potential causes of youth suicide.

The Trevor Project, a national organization that provides crisis intervention andsuicide prevention efforts for LGBT youth, calls the newly approved legislation“the first law in the nation to require a school suicide policy to specifically addressthe needs of LGBTQ youth.”

D.C. Council member David Grosso (I-At-Large) is the author of the legislation,which he co-introduced with nine of his fellow Council members, includingCouncil Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large).

“The Trevor Project is proud to have played a key role in helping this bill pass,which will help not only LGBTQ youth, but also foster and homeless youth,as well as those living with mental illness, substance use and disorders, self-harming behaviors, and those bereaved by suicide,” said Abbe Land, the Trevor

Project’s CEO and executive director.Mayor Muriel Bowser was expected to sign the bill. Under the city’s Home Rule

Charter, the legislation must then go to Capitol Hill for a 30 legislative day reviewby Congress before it becomes law.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM


D.C. Council member DAVIDGROSSO authored the YouthSuicide Prevention and SchoolClimate Survey Amendment Actof 2015.


D.C. considers ban on city travelto states with anti-LGBT laws

D.C. Council member David Grosso (I-At-Large) and six of his Council colleaguesintroduced a bill on Tuesday that would prohibit city government funding for travel toany state that adopts a law sanctioning discrimination against LGBT people.

The bill, the Government Travel and Human Rights Act of 2016, declares that theMayor, Council, Attorney General, an Advisory Neighborhood Commission, or Districtagency shall not do either of the following:

• “Require any of its employees, offi cers, or members to travel to a state with a lawin effect that affi rmatively sanctions or requires discrimination on the basis of sexualorientation or gender identity or expression.”

• “Use District funds to travel to a state, or approve a request for District-fundedor District-sponsored travel to a state with a law in effect that affi rmatively sanctionsor requires discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity orexpression.”

The bill says these restrictions “shall not apply to travel that is necessary for theenforcement of District law, to meet contractual obligations in existence prior to theeffective date of this Act, or for protection of public health, welfare, or safety.”

Grosso and his Council colleagues introduced the bill less than a week after MayorMuriel Bowser issued a mayoral order prohibiting city-funded travel to North Carolina.

Bowser said her order was in response to a bill approved by the North Carolina Legislatureand signed by the state’s governor that would allow businesses to discriminate againstLGBT people on religious grounds.

Grosso praised Bowser for issuing the travel ban directed against North Carolina.“The bill I am introducing now would enshrine such policy as D.C. law,” he said. “[T]

he North Carolina law is part of a wave of attacks on the human rights of LGBT peopleacross the country,” he said. “Indeed, the Governor of Mississippi has just this morningsigned similarly awful legislation into law.”

A Grosso aide said at least four more Council members signed on as co-sponsors ofthe bill shortly after it was introduced at the Council’s legislative session on Tuesday,April 5, indicating it is strongly favored to pass in the 13-member Council when it comesup for a vote.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Gay Republican to challenge Norton in 2018

D.C. gay Republican activist Craig Smith announced on Feb. 4 that he has filed aStatement of Candidacy with the U.S. Federal Elections Commission that he will runin 2018 for the congressional delegate seat currently held by Eleanor Homes Norton(D-D.C.).

Smith said his decision to run for the seat came too late for the filing deadline to geton the Republican Party ballot to challenge Norton this year. However, he said he’sconsidering whether to run this year as a write-in candidate for Norton’s seat.

Regardless of what happens this year, he said he’s committed to run for the seat in2018 and D.C. Republican Party leaders have pledged to support him at that time.

“Craig is running to be the congressional delegate to make sure the voices of

Washington are heard and their vote counts without being sidelined by progressivepolitics,” a Feb. 4 statement announcing his candidacy says. “Even though the Districtisn’t a state, we need equal representation set fourth within the guidelines of our U.S.Constitution,” the statement says.

The statement says Smith served in the U.S. Army for 10 years and worked on CapitolHill as a congressional field representative before assuming his current job as presidentand CEO for About Face 4 Vets, Inc., a non-profit veterans’ advocacy organization basedin Fairfax, Va.

He told the Washington Blade he would be a strong advocate for LGBT equality ifelected to the D.C. congressional delegate seat.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

RANDY BREWSTER


9/64


WASHINGTON, DC | TYSONS GALLERIA | MGBWHOME.COM


10/64

Meghan Trainor, Charlie Puthto headline Pride

Meghan Trainor and Charlie Puth will headline the 2016 Capital Pride Concert,the organization announced Wednesday.

The Capital Pride Concert, presented by Hot 99.5, will be held Sunday, June12 starting at 1 p.m. on Pennsylvania Avenue at Third Street during the Capital

Pride Festival.“The 2016 Capital Pride Festival and Capital Pride Concert will be remembered

as one of the best on record. We will have more exciting entertainment thanever, and expect more exhibitors and attendees than ever,” Ryan Bos, executivedirector of the Capital Pride Alliance, said in a statement.

Trainor’s single “All About That Bass” landed her on the Billboard Hot 100 withher debut album “Title” earning a Grammy for Best New Artist. Her sophomorealbum “Thank You,” which will be released in May, features her hit single “No”which debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Puth’s breakout was on Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” featured on the “Furious7” soundtrack earning Golden Globe and Grammy nominations. Puth’s debutsingle “Marvin Gaye” featured guest vocals from Trainor and is on his album“Nine Track Lives” along with his latest single “One Call Away.”

MARIAH COOPER

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM


MEGHAN TRAINOR is slated to play Pride in June.

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF YOUTUBE

Probation for trans woman in D.C. armed stando

A D.C. Superior Court judge on March 18 handed down a sentence of 12 months’probation for a transgender woman arrested last November for repeatedly firing a gunon the roof of a downtown offi ce building that led to a 10-hour standoff with D.C. police.

The sentencing came three months after Hyattsville, Md., resident Sophia Dalkepleaded guilty to separate charges of carrying a pistol without a license and the unlawfuldischarge of a firearm as part of a plea bargain deal offered by prosecutors.

In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Offi ce dismisseda more serious charge of assault with a dangerous weapon and agreed to recommenda sentence at the lower range of court sentencing guidelines.

At the time of her arrest, police reported that Dalke stated she initially intended tocommit suicide by jumping off the building and was suffering from a mental healthcrisis.

A police arrest affi davit says Sgt. Jessica Hawkins, a transgender woman who servesas supervisor of the department’s LGBT Liaison Unit, played an important role inpersuading Dalke to surrender peacefully. Court records state that Dalke entered theupscale offi ce building at 1999 K St., N.W., sometime before 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov.15.

Dalke’s LinkedIn page said she worked as an IT support specialist for a companylocated in the building, which enabled her to gain access to the building after normalbusiness hours.

The arrest affi davit says Dalke began firing shots from the roof of the building andshot out several windows of adjacent buildings, causing police who arrived on the sceneto take cover. No one was hurt during the incident, according to court records. Butthe incident lasted through the morning rush hour, prompting police to close nearbystreets and sidewalks, which caused a massive downtown traffi c jam.

Court records show Dalke was held since the time of her arrest. At the time of herguilty plea, Judge Anita Josey-Herring agreed to a request by Dalke’s attorney that shebe transferred to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital for psychiatric evaluation to help the defensedevelop an appropriate sentencing recommendation. The judge also agreed to arequest by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Earnest, the lead prosecutor in the case,that Dalke remain incarcerated after her evaluation at St. Elizabeth’s on grounds thatshe was a danger to herself and the community.

Josey-Herring sentenced Dalke on March 18 to 12 months’ incarceration for theunlawful discharge of a firearm charge and six months incarceration for the chargeof carrying a pistol without a license. She then suspended both sentences andordered that Dalke undergo 12 months’ probation with several conditions, including arequirement that she enter an alcohol treatment program and undergo a “substanceabuse assessment.” Another condition includes ongoing mental health screening andevaluation.

The judge ordered her released following the sentencing, court records show. Therecords show that Josey-Herring also scheduled a probation review hearing for April 26.

“I think she was very lucky that she got a judge who would look at the big pictureand understand the human story that brought her to this event,” said D.C. attorneyCheryl Stein, who is not Dalke’s attorney but who has represented clients in D.C.Superior court for more than 30 years.

Stein noted that a conviction for carrying a pistol without a license carries a possiblemaximum sentence of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Under her sentence, Steinsaid, Dalke could receive no more than the one year in jail should she violate the termsof her probation.

“Do I think this is an appropriate sentence? Yes,” said Stein. “I think it’s always a goodidea to treat someone’s issues rather than just punishing them. This clearly was adefendant with a lot of needs, and I think it’s wonderful that we’re trying to meet those

needs instead of just locking her up.”LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Maryland appeals court to hear parental rights case

Maryland’s Court of Appeals will hear arguments on April 5 in an appeal thattests whether Maryland law will give full recognition to the families of LGBT people.Maryland’s parental recognition law has remained unsettled for same-sex couples, evenas Maryland established civil marriage equality for same-sex couples in 2012 and theU.S. Supreme Court ruled last summer in favor of marriage equality nationwide.

In the case being argued on Tuesday, Conover v. Conover, lower courts ruledthat Michael Conover, who is a transgender man, is not legally a parent of his son.

Before Conover’s gender transition, he and his female partner had a child by artificialinsemination of his partner. They married after marriage equality became legallyrecognized for same-sex couples, but the lower courts have ruled that Conover is alegal stranger to the child he raised from birth.

Conover is represented by attorneys with recently merged FreeState Legal andEquality Maryland, the state’s advocacy organizations for the civil rights of the LGBTcommunity.

“We’re looking forward to making our case to the Court of Appeals that it needs torevisit our state’s parentage law in the era of marriage equality and put all Marylandfamilies, whether headed by same-sex or opposite-sex couples, on an equal footing,”said Jer Welter, deputy director and managing attorney for the merged organizationsand one of the attorneys representing Conover, in a statement.

The Court of Appeals, which hears arguments in Annapolis, is Maryland’s highestcourt. Its seven judges decide appeals from courts throughout Maryland in casesraising important and unresolved legal issues. The court agreed to hear the Conovercase in December 2015. A decision in the case is expected before the end of the Court’scurrent term in August.

More information about the case is available at freestatelegal.org.STEVE CHARING


11/64


W W W . H A M I L T O N S O F A G A L L E R Y . C O M

NEW STORE! TYSONS CORNER (Next to Chick-fil-A/Chipolte) 8461 Lee sburg Pike ......... 703-556-3900ROCKVILLE 11711 Parklawn Dr. N. of White Flint Mall at Nicholson Ln. .........................301-881-3900FALLS CHURCH 5857-B Leesburg Pike (Next to Panera) ............................................. 703-820-8000CHANTILLY SHOWROOM & CLEARANCE CTR. 4060 Walney Rd. ..............................703-766-8000

PLEASE BRING THIS AD TO RECEIVE SALE PRICES.* Savings from MSRP, does not apply to other promotions

Follow us on

PROMO CODE: 48 Sale prices good thru 4/11/16

IF YOU WANT A FRESH LOOK FOR YOUR HOME, COME IN TO HAMILTON SOFA AND LEATHER GALLERY, INCLUDING OUR NEWEST BEAUTIFUL STORE IN TYSONS CORNER, TO SEE THE AREA’S LARGEST SELECTION OF LIVING AND FAMILY ROOM FURNITURE FROM WELL-KNOWN BRANDS SUCH AS BERNHARDT, VANGUARD, NATUZZI, ROWE, LANE, BROYHILL, THOMASVILLE AND

MANY MORE. CUSTOMIZE IN YOUR CHOICE OF HUNDREDS OF FABRICS AND LEATHERS OR GET QUICK DELIVERY ON ALL IN-STOCK FURNITURE.

GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

R e c l i n e i n

s t y l e w i t h t h i s s

l e e k

l e a t h e r s e c t i o n a

l. F a b r i c

o r L e a t h e r, e n d l

e s s c o l o r s

a n d c o n fi g u r a

t i o n s, a l s o

a v a i l a b l e a s a

s o f a,

l o v e s e a t, a n d c

h a i r. A s

s h o w n, l e a t h e r

6 p c.

s e c t i o n a l. R E T A I L : $ 6 4

9 9

S A L E : $395

9

I M AG I N E Y O U R S T Y LE W E ’ LL M AK E I T H AP P E N !

SAVE 40% ON ALL IN-STOCK OR CUSTOM ORDERS!*

Keep your promise to protect each other.

Wills & TrustsPowers of Attorney • Living Wills

Partnership & Prenuptial Agreements

Lawrence S. Jacobs/McMillan Metro, PC

(240) 778-2330 • (703) 536-0220www.PartnerPlanning.com

Serving the LGBT Community

in DC/MD/VA since 1983

S O C

3 0 1 . 8 9 1 . 2 2 0 0 • S P - L aw. C o m6 9 3 0 C a r r o L L a v e , S u i t e 6 1 0 • t a k o m a Pa r k m d

attorNeYS at Law • dC|m d|va

a d v i C e • m e d i a t i o N • L i t i G a t i o N • a P P e a L S • C o L L a B o r a t i o N

Silber, Perlman, Sigman & Tilev, P.A.

FamiLY | eState PLaNNiNG | emPLoYmeNt | immiGratioNComPLeX LitiGatioN | CiviL riGHtS | LGBt | adoPtioN | BuSiNeSS

2141 P STREET NW SUITE 103WASHINGTON DC 20037

E-MAIL [email protected] IN DC, MD AND VA

SERVING OUR COMMUNITY

FOR 33 YEARS

ATTORNEY AT LAW

Steve Weinberg

202-861-0077

PERSONAL INJURY • PROBATE

WILLS/ POA’s • CIVIL LITIGATION

CONSERVATORSHIPS • GUARDIANSHIPS


12/64

Lynch notes trans rights in speech

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Loretta Lynch made a reference totransgender rights in a speech she delivered at the White House.

“The Department of Justice as a whole is remaining vigilant in protectingthe rights of transgender women in American prisons,” she said on March 30in remarks she delivered at a conference that focused on women and criminal

justice. “In the past, being trans has too often meant a life of intolerance andisolation, not just in prison, but in life.”

“Even recently, we have seen state and local efforts to impose on trans peoplean identity that they do not recognize as their own,” added Lynch. “But I want

to make clear that the Department of Justice and the Obama administrationis determined to ensure that transgender individuals can live the lives theywere born to lead — fully, without discrimination and with the support of theircommunity and their country.”

Lynch’s remarks come two days after LGBT North Carolinians and advocacygroups filed a lawsuit against the state’s law that prohibits people from usingpublic restrooms based on their gender identity and bans local governmentsfrom enacting anti-LGBT nondiscrimination measures.

Gay tourist attacked in Miami Beach

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — A gay man claims he was attacked last month in Miami

Beach because of his sexual orientation. Jordan Schaeffer told WTVJ, a Miami television station, that he and his partner

were inside the Burger King Whopper Bar on Washington Avenue on March 14when he was attacked.

A surveillance camera shows a man attacking Schaeffer and holding him onthe floor. Pictures that Schaeffer provided WTVJ show swollen lips and otherinjuries to his face.

“It was just a simple kiss with my boyfriend,” Schaeffer, who lives in LosAngeles, told WTVJ. “Then right after that kiss, I started walking over and that’swhen I was approached by this gentleman.”

“’Why don’t you show if you’re tough or not you little faggot,’” said the man,according to Schaeffer.

WTVJ reported that police in Miami Beach are looking for two men in

connection with the attack who were seen in the surveillance video.

U.S. Marine’s sentence reduced in trans murder

OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines — A Philippine judge has reduced the sentenceof a U.S. Marine who was convicted of killing a transgender woman.

The Philippine Star reported that Judge Roline Jines-Jabalde of the OlongapoCity Regional Trial Court Branch 74 on March 29 reduced Lance Cpl. JosephPemberton’s sentence from 12 to 10 years in prison. The newspaper said thatthe court rejected his appeal of his conviction.

A court late last year found Pemberton guilty of killing Jennifer Laude in 2014.Prosecutors contend that Pemberton met Laude at a nightclub while his ship

was docked at the Subic Bay Freeport, which is adjacent to Olongapo City on thePhilippines main island of Luzon. The court convicted him of strangling Laude ina motel room and forcing her head into a toilet bowl.

Laude’s death sparked outrage among Philippine LGBT rights advocates. It alsohighlighted opposition to the U.S. military presence in the island archipelago.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

12 • APRIL 08, 2016 NATIONAL NEWS

Attorney General LORETTA LYNCH

LPAC endorsesDuckworth for U.S. SenateHRC backs Kirk in race,igniting controversy


Amid controversy over the Human RightsCampaign’s endorsement of Sen. Mark Kirk(R-Ill.) for re-election to the U.S. Senate,a political action committee for lesbianactivists has endorsed his Democraticchallenger, Tammy Duckworth.

LPAC, or the Lesbian Political ActionCommittee, announced Thursday itssupport for Duckworth, who lost both

her legs and damaged her right arm as ahelicopter pilot during the Iraq war, for aseat in the U.S. Senate.

Beth Shipp, LPAC’s executive director,said her organization endorsedDuckworth because reproductive andLGBT rights hang in the balance in theupcoming election.

“Tammy Duckworth has proven,through her actions in Congress, thatshe will work hard for women’s equality,LGBT rights and social justice – the coretenets upon which LPAC was founded,”

Shipp said. “Her support for our valuesis real, actionable, and comprehensive;Tammy is the candidate who will be aforceful advocate for LGBTQ women andour allies in the U.S. Senate. This year,it’s more about actions than words whenit comes to supporting candidates. Weneed leaders like Tammy who will standwith us after the election when the realwork begins.”

According to LPAC, the organizationmade the decision to support Duckworthin her race for a U.S. Senate seatWednesday night. A LPAC spokespersonsaid the organization doesn’t shareinformation about board votes, butindicated there was no opposition to theendorsement.

Duckworth, who’s currently serving

in the U.S. House representing Illinois’s8th congressional district, said she’s“honored” to receive the endorsement

from LPAC.“It’s more important than ever that

we safeguard basic civil rights for allAmericans, especially for women andminorities within the LGBTQ communitywho face unequal treatment in theworkplace, housing market and educationsystem,” Duckworth said. “I am proudof the work I have done in Congress toinstitute protections for LGBTQ federalworkers, lobby equal pay for equal workand protect a woman’s right to choose.”

LPAC’s endorsement of Duckworth

comes after the Human Rights Campaignendorsed Kirk for re-election to the U.S.Senate. Although Kirk was one of the firstSenate Republicans to endorse same-sex marriage and is a co-sponsor of theEquality Act, some LGBT Democrats havecriticized the decision because Kirk wouldcast a vote for Republican leadership inthe Senate and has said he’d supportDonald Trump if he were the Republicanpresidential nominee.

Shipp hinted at the confusion about theHuman Rights Campaign endorsing Kirk

over Duckworth in a separate statementto the Washington Blade.“Given the controversy around the

race, we, at LPAC, felt it was critical toannounce that a meaningful segmentof the LGBTQ community - that beinglesbian and queer women - is supportingCongresswoman Duckworth as shecampaigns to unseat her Republicanincumbent opponent,” Shipp said. “Witha perfect 100 point rating on LGBTQissues and reproductive rights - TammyDuckworth was the clear choice for LPAC.Moreover, with the Senate in play, and

the stakes so high with all that couldcome before a Supreme Court (unable toget a nominee through the obstructionistGOP Senate), races like this demand ourcommunity’s attention.”

LPAC has endorsed TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-Ill.) for U.S. Senate.


13/64



14/64

Trans United Fund todistribute questionnaireto 2016 hopefuls


As advocates seek to beat back anti-

trans measures in state legislatures,a new political action committee haslaunched seeking to build political powerfor transgender people.

The committee, called the Trans UnitedFund, was announced on Monday withthe goals of building political leadershipfor transgender people and endorsingcandidates committed to transgender rights.

Hayden Mora, a founding memberof the Trans United Fund, said in astatement the creation of the committeeis essential at a time when lawmakers

across the country debate measures thatwould impact transgender people.

“The transgender community is nostranger to adversity but what we facetoday is a new challenge, a coordinated,national and vicious attack from the farright at municipal, school district andlegislative levels,” Mora said. “TransUnited Fund will fill a crucial gap inour movement, creating a space fortransgender people and our allies.”

Trans United Fund, which bills itselfas “a bipartisan 501(c)(4) organization,”

arrives in the aftermath of enactment of alaw in North Carolina that undoes all pro-LGBT city non-discrimination ordinances,including one recently passed in Charlotte,and prohibits transgender people fromusing public restrooms in schools andgovernment buildings consistent withtheir gender identity.

Mora told the Washington Blade thecommittee had been in developmentfor some time because it sought to be“inclusive of many voices,” but is beingannounced at this time because aconsensus was reached on the detailsand the multitude of anti-trans attacks bylawmakers across the country.

“The mounting and ongoing attacks atthe state legislatures, but also at the ballot,municipalities and schools districts really

just made us feel like we needed to moveand we needed to act now,” Mora said.

In addition to fighting anti-trans attacksin legislatures, Mora said the committeewill address other issues impacting thetransgender community, such as HIV/AIDS,homelessness, treatment in immigrationdetention and anti-trans violence.

“We need candidates to understandthat being supportive of transequality begins with supporting non-discrimination but also must proactivelyaddress the issues that impact the most

vulnerable in our community,” Mora said.“I’m exhausted and profoundly saddenedevery day I hear about another young

trans person that has taken their lifebecause the bullying and discriminationwas too much, another trans womanof color murdered senselessly and themyriad other forms of discrimination weface. Education is crucial but so is action,there is simply too much at stake.”

On the agenda for the Trans UnitedFund this year, according to a statement,is a presidential candidate questionnairethat has been developed and will bedistributed to all 2016 presidentialhopefuls. Additionally, the committee plans

a legislative scorecard program and otherefforts related to educating supporters andbuilding transgender political power.

It remains to be seen which candidateTrans United Fund will endorse in thepresidential race or which politicalcontenders running for other politicaloffi ces the group will support.

The committee didn’t announce anyendorsements upon its launch, butMora said the upcoming presidentialendorsement will be the first priority,along with establishing a presence in ahandful of states.

One state under consideration isNorth Carolina, where Gov. Pat McCrory,who signed HB 2, is up for re-election,and Attorney General Roy Cooper,who’s challenging him, has refused todefend the law in court. Other potentialendorsements are openly transcandidates, like Danny Askini, who’srunning for the 43rd legislative district inthe Washington State House.

“As the legislative season continuesto unfold, as our analysis continues todeepen, and as more and more fantastic

champions arrive, we’ll be making thosedecisions and folks should stay tuned forendorsements,” Mora said.

Mora declined to disclose monetarygoals for the Trans United Fund, but said

fundraising would be an intensive goal forthe next few weeks in addition to “gettingour name out there, and building our listand building the depth of Trans United atthe state level.”

Bamby Salcedo, executive director ofthe Trans Latin@ Coalition, said she’s partof the Trans United Fund because “transpeople need a strong political voice tosupport the activism, legal, policy and

direct service work already happening.”“I fight every day to address the

consequences of inhuman immigrationpolicies, the disproportionate impactof HIV on our community, violence anddisenfranchisement particularly of themost vulnerable in our community —young people, black and brown people,particularly women — and immigrants,”Salcedo said. “We save lives every daybut we can’t reach everyone with directservices. We need to move from beingprimarily reactive to more proactive, going

to the root of institutionalized transphobia,and that requires a stronger political voice.”

The 12 members of the Trans UnitedFund advisory committee include BrynnTannehill, a Virginia-based trans activistand Navy veteran; Ruby Corado, a D.C-based trans activist who founded the non-profit Casa Ruby; and Monica Roberts, atransgender activist based in Houston.

The Human Rights Campaign, thenation’s largest LGBT group, also has a

political action committee and legislativescorecard for candidates. Mora told theBlade efforts like those are crucial, but theTrans United Fund is needed “for transfolks to ensure that we can build our ownpolitical power and speak with our voices.”

JoDee Winterhof, the Human RightsCampaign’s senior vice president forpolicy and political affairs, said the TransUnited Fund is a welcome addition to

efforts to elect pro-LGBT candidates.“If we want to have candidates and

incumbents who support the LGBTcommunity, we must help elect them,”Winterhof said. “That’s why we firststarted funding candidates through ourPAC decades ago, and we believe theexpansion of resources and additionalefforts to elect pro-equality candidates isa very positive thing.”

Robert Raben, a gay D.C.-based politicalconsultant and former assistant attorneygeneral under President Bill Clinton,

in a statement called the Trans UnitedFund “the next example of sophisticationwithin this movement.”

“As long as we have a privately raisedfinance system, participating in it is crucialto achieve the progress we need,” Rabensaid. “Few in the nation have faced thechallenges transgender Americans face;kudos that despite the discrimination, theyare still willing to engage in the politicalprocess to make this country stronger.”

Court strikes down Miss. adoption ban

A federal court has struck down the Mississippi ban on same-sex couplesadopting in the state based on the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Jordan III, an appointee of former President GeorgeW. Bush, issued a preliminary injunction against the law in a 28-page decisionThursday.

Invoking the Supreme Court decision in favor of same-sex marriage, Jordanwrites it “seems highly unlikely” a high court that struck down state marriagebans on the basis they deny benefits to gay couples, including the right to adopt,would “then conclude that married gay couples can be denied that very samebenefit.”

“Obergefell obviously reflects conflicting judicial philosophies,” Jordan writes.“While an understanding of those positions is necessary for this ruling, it is notthis Court’s place nor intent to criticize either approach. The majority of theUnited States Supreme Court dictates the law of the land, and lower courts arebound to follow it. In this case, that means that section 93-17 3(5) violates theEqual Protection Clause of the United States Constitution.”

Jordan accuses state offi cials defending the ban of making “a tepiddefense of the statute itself.” He concluded that Mississippi’s adoption ban isunconstitutional because it contravenes the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution.

Enacted in 2000, the gay adoption ban in Mississippi state code consisted

of nine words: “Adoption by couples of the same gender is prohibited.” It’sconsidered the last remaining state law in the country to explicitly prohibitsame-sex couples from adopting.

CHRIS JOHNSON

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM


New PAC aims to build trans political power

RUBY CORADO, a D.C-based trans activist, isone of 12 members of the Trans United Fundadvisory committee.



15/64


In the place we call home, you won’t find any borders. Not between D.C., Maryland and Virginia,

not between natives and newcomers, not between those just cutting loose and those who grew up to

“Bustin’ Loose.” Here, there is only one allegiance that matters:

NATIONALS BASEBALL.

We come together in the pursuit of happiness. We hop the Green Line to make

the 7:05 game time. We celebrate our inalienable right to hot dogs and high fives. We cheer for the

MVP on Opening Day — and share the hopes of a child, dreaming of becoming him one day.

We wear the red, white and Curly W, pursuing a championship, writing our team’s history, together.

THIS IS OUR PURSUIT.

NATIONALS BASEBALL. ONE PURSUIT.

nationals.com/promotions

NIGHT OUT // 6.14.16

- - - . :


16/64

reinforces the rights which currently existto the exercise of religious freedom asstated in the First Amendment to the U.S.Constitution.”

The governor signed HB 1523 themorning after Mississippi lawmakerstabled a motion late Monday to reconsiderthe measure, eliminating the last remaininghurdle for approval in the legislature and

sending the bill to Bryant’s desk.Titled “The Religious Liberty

Accommodations Act,” HB 1523 isconsidered the most sweeping law in thenation to enable anti-LGBT discriminationin the name of “religious freedom.”

The law prohibits the state from takingaction against religious organizationsthat decline employment, housing orservices to same-sex couples; familieswho’ve adopted a foster child and wish toact in opposition to same-sex marriage;and individuals who offer wedding

services and decline to facilitate a same-sex wedding. Additionally, the bill allowsindividuals working in medical services todecline to afford a transgender persongender reassignment surgery.

The bill also allows state governmentemployees to opt out of issuing licensesto same-sex couples, but the person mustissue prior written notice to the stategovernment and a clerk’s offi ce must notdelay in the issuing of licenses.

Critics say HB 1523 would allowdiscrimination against single mothers,

same-sex couples and their families,transgender people, and children, suchas denying them housing in homelessshelters, important medical care oremployment. Moreover, critics say thebill would authorize conversion therapyfor LGBT young people in foster care.

Jennifer Riley-Collins, executive directorof the American Civil Liberties Union ofMississippi, said Bryant’s signature of HB1523 marks a “sad day” for Mississ ippi.

“This is a sad day for the state ofMississippi and for the thousands ofMississippians who can now be turnedaway from businesses, refused marriagelicenses, or denied housing, essentialservices and needed care based on whothey are,” Riley-Collins said. “This billflies in the face of the basic Americanprinciples of fairness, justice and equalityand will not protect anyone’s religiousliberty. Far from protecting anyone from‘government discrimination’ as the billclaims, it is an attack on the citizens ofour state, and it will serve as the MagnoliaState’s badge of shame.”

Chad Griffi n, president of the Human

Rights Campaign, slammed Bryant onTwitter for signing the measure, saying itdemonstrates the governor’s “ignorance”and accusing him of refusing to meet withbusiness and LGBT leaders.

Tony Perkins, president of the anti-LGBTFamily Research Council, crowed in victoryover Bryant’s signature, saying the law“gives fresh momentum” to stop what hecalled efforts on behalf of the governmentto discriminate against people who believe

in one man, one woman.“We applaud Gov. Bryant, Lt. Gov. TateReeves, and House Speaker Philip Gunn,for standing up for the fundamentalfreedoms of the people they represent,”Perkins said. “No person should bepunished by the government with cripplingfines, or face disqualification for simplybelieving what President Obama believed

just a few years ago, that marriage is theunion of a man and a woman.”

Mississippi has no state law against anti-LGBT discrimination that the “religiousfreedom” bill would compromise, nordoes any municipality in the state havean ordinance against anti-LGBT bias, sothe discrimination afforded under HB1523 is already legal under state law. Themeasure could undermine a future statelaw or city ordinance prohibiting anti-LGBT discrimination.

In 2014, Bryant signed into law “religiousfreedom” legislation seen to enableanti-LGBT discrimination, but the newmeasure allows even broader discriminationagainst LGBT residents.

Bryant signed HB 1523 into law despite

growing criticism of North Carolina Gov.Pat McCrory for signing into law a differentanti-LGBT measure that undoes pro-LGBTcity non-discrimination ordinances andprohibits transgender people from using

the public restroom consistent with theirgender identity. It remains to be seenwhether a similar clamor will grow urgingBryant to repeal the “religious freedom”bill in Mississippi.

Companies doing business in Mississippi

have spoken out against the bill, includingNissan, Toyota, Tyson Foods and LeviStrauss. The Mississippi ManufacturersAssociation urged a veto, saying the billis contrary to corporate policies of itsmembers “expressly providing for aninclusive workplace environment thatsupports diversity.” Also making hisopposition known is Mississippi native andformer N*SYNC singer Lance Bass, whocame out as gay in 2006.

White House Press Secretary JoshEarnest said Tuesday state laws enablinganti-LGBT discrimination like the “religiousfreedom” measure in Mississippi can be“outright mean-spirited.”

Earnest addressed the Mississippilaw in response to a question from theWashington Blade immediately after newsbroke early Tuesday afternoon Bryant hadsigned House Bill 1523 into law.

“I have to acknowledge this is the firsttime I’m hearing about the Mississippilaw, but if it is as you described, thepresident and the administration haslong been on the side of justice andequality, and some of the laws that we’ve

seen passed that target LGBT Americansare not consistent with those values offairness and equality,” Earnest said. “Andin some cases, those laws are outrightmean-spirited, and it’s not something that

most Americans are comfortable with.”Top Democrats also denounced the

law. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi(D-Calif.), House Minority Whip StenyHoyer (D-Md.) and Democratic NationalCommittee Chair Debbie WassermanSchultz each issued statementscondemning House Bill 1523.

Similar to the comments she made aboutNorth Carolina’s anti-LGBT law, Pelosi saidthe Mississippi law is “going against the

tide of progress” and called for passage offederal LGBT non-discrimination legislationknown as the Equality Act.

Wasserman Schultz said the Mississippilaw is “embarrassing, shameful and trulyperplexing” for Republicans and equaltreatment for LGBT people is a necessity.Hoyer said the Mississippi law “gives legalcover to discrimination” against LGBT people.

Meanwhile, the White House hintedthis week that North Carolina’s law raisesquestions about the status of federalfunding for the state.

Earnest said Monday North Carolina’sHouse Bill 2 raises “policy and legalquestions” that federal agencies are nowinvestigating.

“There are some both policy and legalquestions that are raised by the passageof this law and there are a number ofgovernment agencies that are thinkingthrough those questions now and takinga look at what impact it may have onexisting law,” Earnest said.

Last week, the New York Timesreported various agencies within the

Obama administration — includingthe Departments of Education,Transportation and Housing & UrbanDevelopment — are evaluating whetherpassage of House Bill 2 will impact federalpolicy in North Carolina, such as loss offederal funds. Critics of the law have saidit contravenes Title VII of the Civil RightsAct of 1964 and Title IX of the EducationAmendments of 1972, which both prohibitgender discrimination under current law.

In the aftermath of jurisdictions rangingfrom San Francisco to Seattle to D.C. toNew York instituting bans on non-essentialgovernment travel to North Carolinafollowing enactment of the anti-LGBT law,Earnest said he’s “not aware of a policydecision like that that’s been reached”in terms of the federal governmentinstituting a travel ban to the state.

Asked for more details on what kindof federal penalties North Carolina couldface as a result of enacting the anti-LGBTlaw, Earnest declined to be more specificfrom the podium.

“There are a range of individualagencies that are taking a look at this, and

so obviously you can ask them if they’vereached any determinations about howthis particular law would have an impacton their interactions with the state ofNorth Carolina,” Earnest said.

White House hints at federal penalties for anti-LGBT laws

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM


CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

White House spokesman JOSH EARNEST this week hinted that North Carolina’s anti-LGBT lawcould jeopardize some forms of f ederal funding for the state.



17/64

received a lot of support. But I was scared.At the time, I lived in a state where I could befired from my job, denied housing, deniedhealth care. In essence, I lived in a statewhere I could be denied an opportunity.”

Zekis said she took comfort in knowingthere are lawmakers seeking to put anend to anti-trans discrimination, which iswhy she’s supporting Sanders.

“We need a leader who is committed toeconomic justice for all people, regardlessof their race, gender, sexual orientationor gender identity,” Zekis said.

Sanders is a co-sponsor of the EqualityAct, a federal bill that would prohibit anti-trans discrimination in all areas of civilrights law, and pledged in an interviewwith the Washington Blade to be atransgender advocate.

Last week, the Clinton campaignpublished a Q&A titled, “Meet 12transgender Americans who are proud

to support Hillary Clinton.” Written bySarah McBride, a transgender Clintonsupporter, the introduction to the Q&Asays Clinton “has a record of results forthe trans community and has outlined themost detailed plan for trans equality everproposed by a presidential candidate.”

McBride is among the 12 transgenderpeople in the Q&A and explains that shesupports Clinton for president because ofher record as secretary of state and theproposals she has outlined to advancetransgender rights.

“She’s the only candidate running tohave delivered tangible progress forthe transgender community when shereformed passport policies at the StateDepartment and added gender identity tothe department’s employment policies,”McBride writes. “She’s laid out a detailedand life-saving platform on LGBT equality,and has routinely and proactively spokenabout our needs as a community to LGBTand non-LGBT audiences alike. Morethan anything else, I’m supporting Hillarybecause, like she says, she’s not a singleissue candidate, because we do not live ina single issue country.”

In a policy paper on LGBT rights madepublic in December, Clinton pledgedto help protect transgender peoplefrom violence, streamline the processfor changing identity documents fortransgender people and invest in lawenforcement training on interactions withtransgender people.

Others who took part in the Q&A areBlossom Brown, a Jackson, Miss.-basedtransgender advocate; Barbra Siperstein,a New Jersey activist and member of the

Democratic National Committee; MeghanStabler, a board member of the HumanRights Campaign; and Diego Sanchez,director of policy for PFLAG.

The trans outreach comes weeks

before the New York primary on April 19,when a mother lode of 277 delegates willbe up for grabs. According to a Quinnipiacpoll published on Thursday, Clinton leadsSanders, 54-42, in the state where sheserved as U.S. senator.

That stands in contrast to an EmersonCollege poll last month that showed

Clinton with a 48-point lead in the state,prompting speculation that Sanders isnow surging.

Melissa Sklarz, a New York-basedtransgender advocate and Clintonsupporter, said she thinks trans outreachwill benefit Clinton in the Empire State’sprimary in addition to rallying transgenderand gender non-conforming people.

“It will remind New York voters thatHillary Clinton has been the face andvoice for gay and lesbian and transgendercivil rights around the world as secretaryof state,” Sklarz said. “She has seen firsthand how trans women are subjectedto poverty and violence, and I believe, aspresident, Hillary will stand with trans andGNC people as strongly as Barack Obama.”

Given his deficit in delegates, Sanderswould need a whopping victory in NewYork much like his wins in WashingtonState, Alaska and Hawaii to overtakeClinton in reaching the 2,383 delegates towin the Democratic nomination.

Pauline Park, a New York-basedtransgender activist and Clinton critic,said transgender endorsements are

unlikely to benefit the candidate becauseendorsements in general aren’t influentialand too few members of the transgendercommunity vote.

“The outreach to the transgender

community from the Clinton and Sanderscampaign is also not likely to be effective,simply because it’s extremely diffi cult toreach members of the community, and alltoo many of those who can be reached donot vote,” Park said. “At this point in time,it is extremely diffi cult even to measurethe size of the transgender community let

alone the proportion of it that is politicallyactive, and no activist or celebrity, nomatter how prominent, should be believedif s/he claims to speak for the entirecommunity, especially when it comes toelectoral politics and party primaries.”

Sanders, Cruzwin big in Wis.

Shaking things up for the presidentialfront-runners of their respective parties,Sanders and Sen. Ted Cruz emerged asthe winners in the Wisconsin primarieson Tuesday.

Media major outlets declared Sandersthe winner over his rival Clinton and Cruzthe winner over his competitors DonaldTrump and Gov. John Kasich soon afterpolls closed.

On the Democratic side, Sanders won theWisconsin Democratic primary with 56.6percent of the vote compared to 43.1percent won by Clinton. Meanwhile, on theRepublican side, Cruz won 48.2 percentof the vote, followed by Trump with 35.1

percent and Kasich with 14.1 percent.At at campaign rally in Laramie,

Wyo., Sanders celebrated his Wisconsinwin by emphasizing the momentumhis campaign has enjoyed since its

beginnings a year ago.“With our victory tonight in Wisconsin,

we have now won seven out of eight ofthe last caucuses and primaries, andwe have won almost all of them withoverwhelming landslide numbers,”Sanders said.

Clinton wasn’t expected to speak later inthe evening in Wisconsin. As pointed out bythe Huffi ngton Post’s Sam Stein on Twitter,

she was attending a high-dollar fundraiseras Sanders spoke and the candidatearticulated his familiar refrain the averagedonation to his campaign was $27.

“Bernie touts his $27 average donationduring his victory speech while Clinton isoff at a private, $10k-a-plate fundraiser,”Stein tweeted.

But to win the Democratic nomination,Sanders will have to continue racking upwins by significant margins in states that’llbe more challenging for him. Among theupcoming major states are Pennsylvania,

where polls show Clinton in the lead, andNew York, where Clinton has an advantagebecause she served there as U.S. senator.

Sanders will also have to overcome awidely panned interview with the editorialboard of the New York Daily News inwhich he seemed unaware of the detailsof his own proposed policies, such aswhere he’d place terrorist suspects afterclosing Guantanamo Bay, the process forbreaking up big banks and whether bankexecutives can be jailed under current law.

In a speech in Milwaukee, Cruz also

celebrated his victory after he wasintroduced on stage by Wisconsin Gov.Scott Walker, who endorsed him beforethe primary.

“Tonight, Wisconsin has lit a candleguiding the way,” Cruz said. “Tonight, weonce again have hope for the future.”

Cruz also recommitted himself toupholding “religious liberty” as president,which is considered code for enablinganti-LGBT discrimination.

“Catholic schools, and Jewish dayschools, Brigham Young, and the LittleSisters of the Poor will see a SupremeCourt that protects their religious liberty,”Cruz said.

The win by Cruz in Wisconsin jeopardizes the expectation Trump will bethe Republican presidential nominee andincreases the possibility the candidatecould be selected at an open convention.

Trump won at least three delegatesin Wisconsin. On the Republican side,some delegates are awarded on the basisof which candidate wins each of the statecongressional districts. Trump was doing wellin early returns in rural areas of the state.

According to the Associated Press,voter turnout in the Wisconsin primarywas estimated to be 40 percent of theelectorate, which is the highest ever for aprimary in the state since 1980.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01Sanders, Cruz triumph in Wisconsin primary

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

NATIONAL NEWS APRIL 08, 2016 • 17

Sen. TED CRUZ won the Wisconsin primary this week, complicating the delegate math forfrontrunner Donald Trump.

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER HALLORAN; COURTESY OF BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM


18/64

Pride coordinator pleads guilty to theft

Just as leaders from the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender CommunityCenter of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB) are gearing up to host Pride2016, the 2015 Pride Coordinator, Paul Liller, accepted a plea deal in a case inwhich he had been accused of theft by GLCCB’s board president Jabari Lyles.

Following three postponements that began in Baltimore’s District Court lastDecember, Liller signed an Alford plea agreement in Baltimore Circuit Courton March 30. He pled guilty to a misdemeanor (theft; less than $1,000 value)without admitting guilt and maintaining his innocence but admitting that theprosecution could likely prove the charge based on the evidence.

Liller, 33, was charged, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Toi Mason, with“taking property” from the GLCCB in the amount of $704.58. Sources told theBlade that it was a result of his using the GLCCB’s debit card to buy non-GLCCB-

related items.These purchases allegedly occurred between Aug. 15-Sept. 15 based on

a complaint filed by Lyles on behalf of the GLCCB. According to the originalcharging documents, they included such items as various art supplies, craftingsupplies and offi ce supplies.

Since becoming GLCCB’s Pride coordinator in late 2014, Liller was appointedthe GLCCB’s development coordinator and ultimately deputy director and actingexecutive director after the resignation of Joel Tinsley-Hall effective July 6, 2015.

Liller resigned suddenly on Oct. 13 amid rumors concerning missing fundsfrom Pride. The GLCCB then initiated a review of its financial transactions whosefindings led to the complaint.

As a result of the plea deal, Liller received an 18-month suspended sentence,two years supervised probation and restitution to the GLCCB in the amount

charged.GLCCB president Lyles did not respond to requests from the Blade forcomment.

Chase Brexton launches trans youth program

Chase Brexton Health Care has launched a new program offering a full rangeof health care services for transgender and gender-diverse youth. The program,Gender Journeys of Youth, or Gender JOY, is the first program in the Baltimorearea to provide comprehensive support to transgender youth, who have healthcare needs that are often overlooked by conventional health care organizations.Gender Joy assists children, adolescents and young adults with questions orconcerns about gender and identity, offering pediatric care along with individualand family therapy.

Chase Brexton’s LGBT Health Resource Center, which opened last year, willhelp connect Gender JOY patients to additional services and resources.

“There are many children and adolescents who experience an internal feelingof gender that does not match their assigned gender, and they and their familiesoften need extra support and care,” said Dr. Elyse D. Pine, Chase Brexton’s leadphysician for transgender youth.

Transgender individuals face heightened risks of harassment and violence atschool and at home. Also, nearly 75 percent of transgender patients worry thatmedical personnel will treat them differently as a result of their identity.

Gender care is offered for youth and adolescents at Chase Brexton’s Columbia,Mount Vernon and Randallstown Centers, and behavioral health services areavailable at the Columbia and Randallstown Centers. The staff of the LGBT

Health Resource Center can explain the types of services available and helpschedule appointments. Appointments may also be made via the Chase Brextoncall center at 410-837-2050.

STEVE CHARING

PAUL LILLER receiveda suspended sentenceand two years ofprobation in a theftcase.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO

BY STEVE CHARING

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

18 • APRIL 08, 2016 BALTIMORE NEWS

.

. ..

.

-.

.

..

JOSEPH MICHAELS, MDBoard Certified Plastic Surgeon11404 Old Georgetown Rd. #206Rockville, MD 20852Phone: (301) 468-5991

3620 Joseph Siewick Dr #301Fairfax , VA 22033Phone: (703) 957-8610

www.JosephMichaelsMD.com

Exceeding expectations,one patient at a time.

AWARDS

15% OFFBotox and fillersfor new patients

with this ad.

M a l e

b r e a s t

r e d u c t i o n •

l i p

o s u c t i o n •

b o t o x

• F a c i a l F i l l e r s

• t u M M y

t u c k

• F a t

t r a n s F e r

breast augMentation • skin care • eye liFt • brow liFt • kybella • Face liFt • breast liFt c he Mi c a l p e e l s

• ne

c k

l i F t

• b ody

l i F t

• Mi c r ode rMa b ra s i on •

a rM l i F t

• b re a s t

re d u c t i onACTUAL SMARTLIPO PATIENT OF DR. MICHAELS

W E N O W O F F E R K Y B E L L A T H E LA T E S T

N O N - I N V A S I V E F A T

R E M O V A L T R E A T M E N T

F O R T H E N E C K .

MODEL

There’s nobody like me to protect the

things we all value. Like a good neighbor,

State Farm is there.® CALL ME TODAY.

Love, hope,success,family,security.

1101022.1 State Farm, Home Ofce, Bloomington, IL

Some things we all have incommon.

Jonna S Wooten, Agent

Bus: 703-560-7804

www.jonnawooten.com

Indra Mustapha DDS, MS

Jeanette SuhDMD

Maria HodasDDS

John TsaknisDDS

Call Today • Weekend Hours • MulTilingual

DentalBug.comCosmetic, Implants, Sleep Apnea, Sedation

1221 M. av, nW • 202.628.7979 • (F P)703 d stt, nW • 202.628.1288

l’eft Pz,sW • Pm #325 • 202.628.2177

“We believe we can make thedental experience better.”

l rdH Ptt-f-th-W C


19/64


The project described was supported by Grant Number 1C1CMS331343 from the Department

of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The contents ofthis advertisement are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily representthe ofcial views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or any of its agencies.

Test Yourselfat Home

HIV / STD Free / No CoPay

1 844 8MY TEST


20/64

FDA approves new combo HIV drug

NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration has approved Descovy, acombination HIV drug developed by Gilead Sciences, the Associated Pressreports.

The daily pill includes two already-approved drugs for treating the virus. Thecombination is the backbone of Gilead’s newest HIV medicines, and is part ofGilead’s HIV pill Genvoya, approved in 2015, the AP reports.

Gilead, of Foster City, Calif., is a top maker of HIV and hepatitis treatments.Descovy carries FDA’s strictest warnings about side effects, including

potentially fatal buildup of lactic acid in the blood and worsening of hepatitis B,immune system problems and kidney damage, the AP reports. It’s approved fortreating patients aged 12 and older with the HIV-1 subtype.

Gilead says Descovy is as effective as its blockbuster Viread at a much-lowerdose. It hasn’t disclosed the price, the AP article said.

Grant to seed study on gay/bi mental health

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The Yale School of Public Health has received a $3.9million grant to study the effi cacy of a mental health intervention they developedfor gay and bisexual men, the school announced.

It targets young gay and bisexual men and helps them cope with stigma-related stress to reduce their risk of mental-health disorders, including alcoholand drug abuse and HIV-risk behaviors. The National Institute of Mental Healthawarded the grant.

The research team has already conducted a multi-year pilot study.They consulted community health providers and at-risk gay and bisexual men

to create an intervention that teaches skills to counteract the harmful effectsof stigma-related stress. Sixty-three young men received the intervention, andthe findings indicate that participants experienced improved mental and sexualhealth. With the new grant, researchers are planning to launch a larger trial witha higher level of control, school offi cials said.

“If this next stage of testing works as we expect it to, we will have strongevidence about how to effectively treat gay and bisexual men’s mental healthproblems and their associations with HIV risk,” said John Pachankis, Ph.D.,associate professor and the study’s principal investigator.

The 10-session intervention designed by Pachankis and his group includescognitive-behavioral techniques that teach men skills to counteract the effects of

stigma-related stress. For example, men who internalize negative lessons aboutthemselves might avoid romantic connections with other men, Yale offi cials said.“We helped these men learn to recognize the origin of these behaviors, tolerate

strong emotions, and engage in more personally meaningful and rewardingbehavior,” Pachankis said.

Study finds PrEP under-prescribed

LONDON — Out of a pool of more than 1,000 gay and bisexual men, a new UKstudy found that only 83 — fewer than one in 10 — reported PrEP use, Reutersreports.

But 42 percent of those who do use it said they had not skipped a single dosein the previous 90 days, and only 6 percent had skipped more than two doses

per week, the investigators reported at the annual meeting of the Society ofBehavioral Medicine in Washington, Reuters reports.

The lesson for care providers is that men are willing and able to take a dailypill, so it is important to talk to those who could benefit and increase prescriptionrates, study leader Jeffrey Parsons, a professor of psychology at Hunter College,City University of New York, told Reuters Health by email.

“The majority of gay men who are . . . good candidates for PrEP are not on themedication, and many haven’t spoke

washingtonblade.com, volume 47, issue 15, april 8, 2015

Documents