AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES OUT August 21, 2015 | Volume XIII, Issue 8 Jury Convicts Man in Mount Vernon Double Murder BY STEVE CHARING hearing a wisecrack from one of the men. Although both Three years after a botched robbery led to A third unidentified man was also involved victims were gay, the murder of two men in Mount Vernon, a in the robbery but identified Bass from a police ruled out a Baltimore jury convicted Quinton Decarlo photo lineup, according to the Baltimore hate crime as they Bass, 28 where he faces two life sentenc- Sun. determined that the es plus 140 years for fatally shooting Law- Three weeks after the shooting, po- motive for the attack rence Peterson, 56, and Joseph Alexander lice said that Bass, a drifter from Raleigh, was robbery. Ulrich, “Alex” Ulrich, Jr., 40. North Carolina, was ar- an actor who Ulrich died from gunshot wounds that rested on gun charges on had worked day. Peterson died in May 2014 following August 31, 2012. Officers ‘A case of with special- multiple surgeries and rehabilitation as a took Bass, who had a pre- senseless needs chil- result of shots to his torso. vious criminal record, into dren, had re- Larry Peterson and Alex Ulrich The victims were standing on the front custody after they found violence’ cently moved steps of a bed and breakfast – Empire him and four others drink- to Baltimore to start a photography as well as robbery and handgun counts. House, an historic 1874 brownstone – that ing alcohol in East Mount career. Peterson was a popular The Sun stated that Assistant State’s Peterson owned next to the Belvedere Ho- Vernon Park. Bass was carrying a hand- neighborhood activist and was dubbed the Attorney Tonya LaPolla told jurors that it tel on East Chase Street just before 4 a.m. gun. “Unofficial Mayor of Mount Vernon.” was a “case of senseless violence on the on August 10, 2012, when Bass attempted The Sun reported that one of the men Bass’s trial had been delayed by sev- streets of this city.” to rob them. When he netted nothing in who was with Bass told police that the gun eral postponements including one when She praised lead Detective Joshua the robbery, Bass had left the scene but he was carrying was a replacement for the Peterson eventually died. However, jurors Ellsworth, who has since left the Baltimore returned and fired seven shots. A witness 9mm. Bass had disposed of the gun fol- required just two hours to convict Bass on Police Department and returned from out testified that Bass fired the shots after lowing the shooting of Ulrich and Peterson. all charges, including two counts of murder of state to testify. t opinion explains: “In our view, this conclusion is compelled not only AG Clarifies Law on Adultery, Divorce by the broad purposes behind the an attorney. Del. Clippinger concept of adultery in the family law con- for Same-Sex Couples stated, “As a sponsor of the text, but also by the respect and dignity 2012 legislation that estab- owed to same-sex marriages as equal to Maryland advocates in the areas of fam- lished marriage equality for opposite-sex marriages under State law. ily law and LGBT rights welcomed a formal same-sex couples in Maryland, I am very We see no reason either to define adultery opinion of the state’s attorney general, Bri- pleased with the attorney general’s con- so narrowly as to ignore ‘the sexual reali- an E. Frosh, which concludes that sexual clusion that extramarital sexual conduct ties of our world’ ... or to deny same-sex intimacy between a married person and a should be treated the same for all married couples the ability to divorce on the same person who is not their spouse qualifies as couples in Maryland, regardless of sexual terms as other married couples.” adultery, for purposes of Maryland divorce orientation.” Statewide advocates applauded the law, regardless of the gender of the par- In the opinion, the attorney general re- opinion. Jer Welter, managing attorney ties. views Maryland law dating back to 1650, and deputy director of FreeState Legal, re- The 15-page opinion, dated July 24, as well as judicial decisions in other states, marked: “This thoroughly researched opin- 2015, comes in response to a February to determine that “the term ‘adultery’ in- ion will be very helpful to Maryland judges 2015 request from Del. Luke H. Clippinger cludes a spouse’s extramarital sexual infi- and lawyers, as well as divorcing couples, (D-Baltimore City, Dist. 46), who is also delity with a person of the same sex.” The —continued on page 3 2 t BALTIMORE OUTLOUD AUGUST 21, 2015 • BALTIMOREOUTLOUD.COM NEWS // LOCAL Adul TERY, DIVORCE FOR Civil War Expert to Speak at Prime Timers SAME-SEX COUPLES “Especially in the era of nationwide BY STEVE CHARING acclaimed five-year project titled “The War – continued from page 1 marriage equality, this opinion is an im- Daniel Carroll Toomey, a leading authority Came by Train,” commemorating the 150th portant clarification that marriage equality on the Civil War in Maryland, will be the anniversary of the Civil War. The title of who might otherwise assume incorrectly means equal treatment in all aspects of guest speaker at the Prime Toomey’s lecture is “The that Maryland’s legal definition of ‘adultery’ marriage,” said attorney P. Lindsay Parvis, Timers of Baltimore meet- First Front,” in which he is limited to opposite-sex relations.” co-chair of the legislative committee of the ing on September 13 at 6 presents a very convincing “We’re glad the attorney general has Maryland State Bar Association’s Family & p.m. It will take place at St. case that the first military clarified that the law applies equally to Juvenile Law Section Council. Mark’s Lutheran Church, and political objective of same- and opposite-sex couples. This In June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court which is located at St. Paul the Civil War was the Bal- common-sense opinion dispels outdated ruled in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges & 20th Streets. timore and Ohio Railroad. notions with thoughtful reasoning that af- that all states in the nation must legally Toomey is the author Following the lecture, firms the dignity of all couples regardless recognize marriage between same-sex or co-author of ten books he will be available for a of gender,” said Keith Thirion, acting direc- couples, as Maryland has done since 2013. relating to that subject in- book signing and book tor of Equality Maryland. The Maryland attorney general issues cluding The Civil War in purchases Adultery is one of several long-recog- formal opinions, representing the consid- Maryland, Baltimore Dur- Prime Timers of Balti- nized “fault-based” grounds for divorce ered views of the attorney general on sig- ing the Civil War, and The more is a chapter of Prime under Maryland law (married couples may nificant questions of Maryland law, in re- Maryland Line Confeder- Timers World Wide, a also divorce on certain “no-fault” grounds, sponse to questions from Maryland public ate Soldiers Home. He has group of older gay or bi- such as a one-year separation). According officials. Opinions of the attorney general lectured for a number of sexual men (and younger to the attorney general’s opinion, a mar- are ordinarily considered strongly persua- colleges and institutions men who admire mature ried person may obtain a divorce from an sive to Maryland judges and lawyers. including Johns Hopkins men). Their members are unfaithful spouse on the ground of adul- The full text of the Attorney General’s University and the Smith- men who have chosen to tery, regardless of whether their spouse’s July 24, 2015 opinion can be reviewed sonian Institution. Daniel Carroll Toomey have their social lives en- infidelity is committed with someone of the online at Oag.state.md.us/Opinions/2015/ Toomey has won numerous awards riched by the many diverse activities in same or the opposite sex. 100OAG105.pdf. t for his historical research and exhibits. which the members engage. For further He is the guest curator at the Baltimore information, call 410-252-7239, or contact & Ohio Railroad Museum for their highly Prime Timers at [email protected]. t F.T. Burden to Leave AIRS F.T. Burden, the head of AIDS Interfaith HIV-positive ex-offenders Residential Services (AIRS) and Empire • Un Nuevo Comienzo (A New Begin- Homes of Maryland (EHM) is leaving Sep- ning) supportive housing program in Balti- tember 4 after 15 years to take over the more City and leadership of Family and Children’s Ser- County serving HIV+ immigrant clients vices of Central Maryland. with limited English profi- “During Mr. Burden’s ciency, of mainly tenure with the organiza- Hispanic/Latino origin tions, AIRS and its sub- • People on the Move sidiaries have grown sig- (POTM) a client operated nificantly,” the group said workforce development in a statement. “Under his program that trains and leadership, Mr. Burden employs 10 AIRS resi- raised the awareness and dents who provide shuttle credibility of AIRS and transportation service for EHM, establishing solid the Baltimore City relationships with govern- shelter and homeless ment officials, foundation F .T. Burden overflow providers. heads and civic leaders. credit: Bob Ford • City Steps, a consor- He is credited with helping tium of supportive transi- to grow the organization’s annual operat- tional and permanent housing programs ing budget from $1 million to $8 million and for homeless and unstably housed youth with tripling the number of persons housed ages 18-24.