When a loved one has died, the shock and sorrow of their loss may quickly lead to another emotional jolt – the prospect of having to settle their estate. Being named personal representative (executor) under someone will be both an honor and a burden. The process usually takes several months. There will likely be financial accounts to marshal, real estate to deal with, bills and taxes to pay, and probate filings to prepare – all at an emotionally difficult time. For many personal representatives, their first question is “How can I get out of this?” The good news is that […]
Meet Mx Maryland Leather 2023
Since 1991, COMMAND, MC, has produced the Mr. Maryland Leather Contest each November. Last November the Baltimore-based leather club made a decision to open the contest to all genders and sashed Finn Michael Coy-Gresavage as Mx Maryland Leather 2023. It has been a busy year for Finn. I was able to sit down with them right before Finn left for Austin Kink Weekend in Austin, Texas. Growing up in rural Nanjemoy, Maryland, taught Finn about community and how people help each other in times of need. When Finn’s mother passed from cancer in 2016, a man who often hiked on […]
IMsLBB Gen 5 Weekend: A Great Success
From the technical boot competition to the hospitality suites, the 2023 International Ms Leather and International Ms Bootblack contests (IMsLBB) were held by their fifth generation this weekend in Piscataway, New Jersey. Leather women of all kinds gathered to play, learn, and compete in a space geared towards their enjoyment. The leather community gathered from Thursday to Sunday with women working hard and playing harder. Producer Mademoiselle Ceci and the crew of people that led this weekend created a hotel takeover on the East Coast. They created IMsLBB Generation Five and it was a smashing success. Top image: International Ms […]
The Absurdity of Uncertainty
I have, as of the date I am writing this piece, 30 days left of this year before summer break. If you ignore the two weeks in May that are reserved for state testing, there are four actual weeks left, and the last week where everyone does their best to not bolt for the doors as the minutes towards freedom creep by slower and slower. As I am not a contracted teacher, and instead work as a Title I liaison at my school, I don’t collect a paycheck over the summer. Usually, I work every bit of summer school I […]
Growing Attacks On Transgender Medical Care
Bills to ban best-practice medical care for transgender people are growing in number, growing in scope, and growing more extreme, according to a report released today by the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), entitled “Bans on Medical Care for Transgender People.” The report looks at the sweeping attempts to ban and restrict medical care for not only transgender youth – but also transgender adults. Just last week, Missouri became the first state to effectively ban medically necessary care for both youth and adults. MAP analyzed the more than 250 bills introduced in recent years that attack access to medical care for […]
Edgar Allen Poe comes home to Baltimore and it’s Not a Midnight Dreary
In 2006, the musical Nevermore, with music by Matt Conner and book by Grace Barnes featuring lyrics adapted from the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, made its live theatre debut. In northern Virginia. What’s wrong with this story? Ask any Baltimorean – Poe is ours. Yet somehow the musical ran in Virginia, England, and even Australia. Never Baltimore. After a 16-year wait, Stillpointe Theatre is to thank for Nevermore’s Baltimore debut. Director Ryan Haase, along with the talented cast and crew, have delivered a cryptic and immersive experience to finish their 13th season. Nevermore isn’t a full biography, but an […]
FreeState Justice Offers Free Legal Advice
FreeState Justice is excited to partner with the Pride Center of Maryland to bring pro-bono legal resources to LGBTQIA+ communities across the state. These clinics will focus on helping Marylanders with name and gender marker changes on all official documents and a chance for clients to ask our team of pro bono attorneys for legal advice. There will be monthly clinics for the next three months, with a special one at Pride in the Park in June. These clinics will be at 2601 North Howard Street, Baltimore, and are entirely free of cost. Whether you are in need of these […]
Queer Jewish Arts Festival on the Road in Baltimore
In honor of Pride month this June, the Gordon Center for Performing Arts invites the community to join for a series of programs on the road, in the gallery, and at the Gordon. The festival celebrates multiple facets of our identities – including gender, race, religion, and class – through the arts. Sponsored by the Grandchildren of Harvey M. & Lyn P. Meyerhoff Philanthropic Fund, the festival will highlight local, national, and international artists who are making art with queer and Jewish content and examine the complexity of how we present ourselves and move throughout life. “This year, we have […]
Angels in America’s Michael Kevin Darnall on Overcoming Fear and Avoiding Apathy
If you regularly attend live theatre in Washington, DC, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Michael Kevin Darnall perform onstage. Frequently spotted at the Hub Theatre and Spooky Action Theatre, Darnall recently made his Arena Stage debut in Tony Kushner’s epic play, Angels in America Part One: Millennium Approaches, which recently ended it’s run on the Fichandler Stage on April 23. Top image: Michael Kevin Darnall as Louis in Angels in America, Part One: Millenium Approaches. Photo by Margot Schulman. Darnall, who plays the role of Louis Ironson, spoke with Baltimore OUTLoud to share his thoughts on Arena Stage, the AIDS epidemic, […]
Children of same-sex couples fare as well or better
London – The Guardian reports that the children of same-sex couples fare just as well, if not better, than those of heterosexual couples, research has shown. While data on so-called “sexual minority families” is limited, the UK’s Office for National Statistics recorded 212,000 same-sex families in the UK in 2019, a 40% rise since 2015. The number of same-sex parents rose from 4,000 in 2010 to 12,000 in 2013. A new study backs up previous research, concluding that a child’s development has little to do with their parents’ sexual orientation or gender identity. “Contrary to many concerns, our review found […]