February 22, 2013
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OAN INDEPENDENTU VOICE FOR THET LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES February 22, 2013 | Volume X, Issue 19 ‘Our Time’: Trans Rights Urged at Lobby Day Rally BY STEVE CHARING by telling the crowd, “We are on the verge A diverse crowd of nearly 200 gathered of this last big victory in Maryland,” noting at Lawyer’s Mall in Annapolis on Febru- that 23 senators sponsored SB449 and 24 ary 18 to rally behind SB449, the Fairness is needed for passage. “I think all of the for All Marylanders Act of 2013. The bill, stars are finally in alignment,” he said. if passed, would ban discrimination in em- Last year a similar bill was passed in ployment, housing, credit and public ac- the House of Delegates by a margin of 86- commodations based on gender identity 52 only to have the legislation die in the or expression. The Maryland Coalition for Senate. This year there is much more op- Trans Equality sponsored the event and timism given that Senate President Thom- organized the subsequent lobbying efforts as V. “Mike” Miller is supporting the bill. for individuals and groups by district. Therefore, it is likely to pass in the Senate “We must put our foot on the gas pedal as well as the House if it can make it out until there is equality all over the state,” of the Senate’s Judicial Proceedings Com- Carrie Evans, executive director of Equali- mittee. The JPR is scheduled to hear testi- ty Maryland and who emceed the rally, told mony on February 26. the hopeful crowd. Owen Smith, a trans-man who is em- Senator Rich Madaleno (D-Montgom- ployed by Equality Maryland, led the crowd ery County) who along with Senator Jamie in chants of “Our Time!” Raskin (D-Montgomery County) introduced “It’s our time because broad based or- R ally at the Statehouse for gender-identity equality the measure on January 29. Madaleno ex- ganizations have made this a priority. We credit: Steve Charing pressed confidence in the bill’s passage —continued on page 5 the NAACP was started in New York. On – Canada also does in February and the February 1, 1960, a group of black Greens- U.K. in October. boro, North Carolina, college students be- Well let’s look at the man behind the start Black History Month: gan a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth’s of all this, Dr. Carter G. Woodson – Born to lunch counter. And there are others. parents who were former slaves, he spent Met with enthusiastic response; it his childhood working in the Kentucky coal Influential Personalities prompted the creation of black history mines and enrolled in high school at age clubs, an increase in interest among teach- twenty. He graduated within two years and COMPILED BY MARY TAYLOR the birthdays of two men who greatly in- ers, and interest from progressive whites. later went on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. With February being Black History Month, fluenced the black American population: Negro History Week grew in popularity Frederick Douglass: American abolitionist, Baltimore OUTloud wants to highlight Frederick Douglass and Abraham throughout the following de- born near Easton, Maryland, the son of a some of the African-Americans who have Lincoln. cades, with mayors across black slave, Harriet Bailey, and an unknown influenced this community and country. However, if you look back in the United States endorsing white father. He learned to read and write Some in the past, some right now, but each history you will find February has it as a holiday. In 1976 Black while in the service of a kind mistress in had a hand in history. It would be a good much more than Douglass and History week was expanded Baltimore. After his second and successful start to see how and why February was Lincoln to show for its signifi- into Black History Month and attempt to escape from slavery in 1838, he picked as Black History Month. cance in black American history. was acknowledged by the found work as a day laborer in New Bed- In 1926 an historian by the name of For example, on February 3, 1870 federal government. ford, Massachusetts. Fearing capture as Carter Woodson along with the Association the 15th Amendment was passed, The first celebration of a fugitive slave, he spent several years in for the Study of Negro Life and History pro- granting blacks the right to vote, Black History Month oc- England and Ireland and returned in 1847. claimed the second week of February to be and then 22 days later the first curred at Kent State in Feb- He established the North Star and edited “Negro History Week.” Woodson chose the black U.S. Senator Hiram R. Rev- ruary 1970. The U.S. is not it for 17 years in the abolitionist cause. second week of February because it marks els took the oath of office. In 1909 D r. Carter G. Woodson the only country to celebrate —continued on page 2 NEWS // LOCAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH: lesbian leaders and a U.S. president. Since work at CNN, criticizing the state of cable INFLUENTIAL PERSONALITIES his time in the White House, Boykin has news and questioning the network publicly. – continued from front page Co-Publishers written a number of books on gay issues. In his memoir, Transparent, released in Jim Becker • Jim Williams Wanda Sykes was born in Portsmouth, May 2011, Lemon acknowledges publicly [email protected] During the Civil War he helped organize Va. and raised in the Washington, D.C., that he is gay and discusses racism in the Executive Editor Jim Becker two regiments of Massachusetts African- area. Her mother, Marion Louise worked as black community, [email protected] homophobia, and Americans and urged other blacks to join a banker, and her father, Harry Ellsworth Managing Editor the Union ranks. During Reconstruction Sykes, was a U.S. Army colonel employed the sexual abuse [email protected] he continued to urge civil rights for African at the Pentagon. She attended Arundel that he suffered Production Director Americans. High School in Gambrills, Maryland, and as a child. Bob Wellington Harriet Tubman – Born a slave in went on to graduate from Hampton Univer- Felicia Pear- Sales Director 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland, sity, where she earned a bachelor’s degree son is best Mary Taylor [email protected] Araminta Ross later adopted her mother’s in marketing and is a member of Alpha known for her role as “Snoop” Leather Columnist first name, Harriet. From early childhood Kappa Alpha. After college, her first job was Rodney Burger she worked variously as a maid, a nurse, as a procurement officer with the National on The Wire. Contributing Writers a field hand, a cook, and a woodcutter. Security Agency where she worked for five Pearson is a co- Joey Amato • Sharon Brackett • Cathy Brennan • Rodney Burger • About 1844 she married John Tubman, a years. Best known as an Emmy-award win- founder of a youth Joshua Buchbinder • Steve Charing • Jeffrey Claggett • Jeffrey Clouser • Wayne Curtis • Woody Derricks • Denise R. free black man. On learning she was about ning comedian, Wanda Sykes was praised drama organiza- Duarte • Chuck Duncan • Michael Farley • Jon Fairbanks • Gerry to be sold, Tubman fled to Philadelphia, for being one of the most entertaining tion named Mov- Fisher • Bruce Garrett • Jeff Hammerberg • Dr. Eva Hersh • leaving behind women of her generation. She is actively ing Mountains, Shirli Hughes • Sam Kunz • Michelle Lanchester, Esq. • Dana D onald Lemon LaRocca • Jessica Lemmo • Jay Loane • Rev. Meredith Moise • her husband, involved in the LGBT community since she which aims to Bill Palmer • Gregg Shapiro parents, and came out at a same-sex marriage rally stop youth vio- siblings. In De- in Las Vegas for Proposition 8 in 2006. A lence, teach performing arts, and help kids Graphics cember 1850 month earlier she married her partner Alex. who stay off the streets out of trouble. In Joe Velasquez • Bob Wellington she made her She was also her memoir Grace After Midnight, Pearson Cartoonist Bruce Garrett (www.brucegarrett.com) way to Balti- the first African- opens up about coming out and her experi- ence on the streets of Baltimore. Photographers more where American wom- Bruce Garrett • Jay W Photos she led her an and openly L.Z. Granderson is an openly gay, Web Editor sister and two LGBT featured Christian, and one of ESPN’s most popular Anja Saine children to free- entertainer at columnists, and perhaps one of the most [email protected] visible sports journalists in the nation. He Managed Web Services dom. That jour- the White House The Fusio Group ney was the Correspon- writes a weekly column for CNN.com as 866-322-7498, www.thefusiogroup.com first of some dents’ Asso- well as a senior writer and columnist for National Advertising Rep 19 increasingly H arriet Tubman ciation dinner in ESPN’s magazine and ESPN.com’s Page Rivendell Media dangerous trips 2009. 2. This one-time Detroit gang member is 908-232-2021 into Maryland, Kye Allums now a sought-after commentator on pivotal Founders Jim Becker • Joe Berg • Mike Chase • and over the next decade, she conducted was the first topics such as race, gender, and politics, Lee Mooney (1959-2007) • Jim Williams upward of 300 fugitive slaves along the openly trans- in addition to Underground Railroad to Canada. She be- gender athlete sports. Grand- Baltimore OUTloud came the railroad’s most famous conduc- to play NCAA Wanda Sykes erson was the PO Box 4887 Baltimore, MD 21211 410-244-6780 tor and was known as the “Moses of her Division 1 col- 2009 winner www.baltimoreoutloud.com people.” It has been said that she never lege basketball.