Rest in Power: Kim Tova Wirtz
 On February 25, Kim Tova Wirtz, a 43-year-old Black transgender woman was found unresponsive in a single male cell at the central booking facility in Baltimore. She was later pronounced dead at Mercy Hospital.
The family continues to seek answers and details surrounding Kim's death. At this time, no official report has been released from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, a state agency responsible for investigating deaths from injury, homicide, suicide, under unusual or suspicious circumstances, or when a person is not attended by a physician.
We have been assisting with coordinating efforts between Kim's family, community groups and state agencies. We stand in solidarity with the family as they seek answers, and share in their pain, grief and disgust at the news of Kim's passing.
STAR TRACK is offering "THAT Box" for at-home HIV and STI testing for youth and young adults
STAR TRACK Adolescent Health Program at the University of Maryland is offering free, at-home HIV and STI testing kits for youth and young adults. Inside the box, recipients will find: 1. an at-home HIV and/or STI test with instructions, 2. customized information about where you can receive sexual health care, 3. details on how to report your results and access peer support, and 4. freebie items to thank you for committing to yourself and your health! Result reporting is not required, however there are gifts available in exchange for all results reporting. To get your box, or to share with others who might be interested, call 443-500-2335 or fill out a form online at bit.ly/THATBox.
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Upcoming Passover events for LGBTQ community and Jews of Color
March 21, 2021 5pm – 6:30pm: Baltimore’s Annual LGBTQ Seder
Hosted by: Chizuk Ammuno Congregation, Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, Beth El Congregation of Baltimore, Beth Israel Congregation of Owings Mills MD, Chevrei Tzedek Congregation, Eshel, Gordon Center for Performing Arts, JPride Baltimore, Beth Am Synagogue, Hinenu: Baltimore Justice Shtiebl, Repair the World Baltimore, Bolton Street Synagogue.
Monday, March 22, 2021 7:15pm – 8:45pm: How We Left; How We Arrived: A Night of Storytelling in Anticipation of Pesach. Hosted by: Baltimore Jewish Council, Repair the World Baltimore
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Available Now: The Baltimore Queer Paper by Jamie Grace Alexander
The Baltimore Queer Paper draws on primary source materials from the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland Records housed at the University of Baltimore’s Special Collections Department, linking LGBT history to today’s queer landscape and community. Offering an intersectional perspective, the project returns Jamie Grace Alexander’s historical findings to today’s queer community. The Baltimore Queer Paper is available for PDF download on a sliding scale between $5 and $8. Get it here.
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American Idol Contestant Ada Vox and Baltimore's 2020 Drag Performer of the Year Evon Dior Michelle to host Never Judge a Queen by the Cover: Spring Edition
Kick off Pride Month early! On Tuesday, May 18 at 7:00PM, sing along to some of your favorite songs with Ada Vox, a top 3 finalist on Season 18 of American Idol, local performers Jasmine Blue and Kedra Lattimore. Hosted by Baltimore's 2020 Drag Performer of the Year Evon Dior Michelle, in partnership with Baltimore City LGBTQ Affairs in the Office of the Mayor. Find out more here.
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Call for Volunteers and Board Members: Unmatched Athlete
Unmatched Athlete is a new, Maryland-based non-profit that encourages youth who identify as LGBTQ+ to participate in sports and fitness. They are looking for volunteers and board members. To sign up, visit bit.ly/umavolunteer.
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LGBTQ Cultural Humility Training for City Agencies and Schools
What does 'pansexual' mean? How do I ask about someone's pronouns? What best practices should we employ to ensure we are affirming all of our LGBTQ staff and City residents? We all have questions. Let Baltimore City LGBTQ Affairs provide the answers! We offer free training and internal consulting to all Baltimore City offices, agencies, departments, quasi-agencies and K-12 schools. We also offer these free trainings for residents, in partnership with Enoch Pratt Free Library. To schedule a training for your agency or school, click here.
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Share: Study opportunity for UrbanHealthMentor: An App for Mentors and African American Male Mentees
The goal of this study is to develop and test a mobile app to assist mentors and mentees with discussions about HIV and other sensitive health topics. The study is especially focused on improving such discussions for African American male youth (ages 15-24) who have a sexual interest in men. A full FAQ document can be found here. If interested, please reach out to the Study Coordinator, Kate Wright, by email at kwrigh41@jhu.edu or by phone at 410.929.5047. This study is being conducted by Dr. Michelle Kaufman at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with funding from the National Institutes of Health through the Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research.
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Share: Needs Assessment Survey for those Living With or At-Risk for HIV
Download flyers here: (ENG/ESP1/ESP2)
Participants are eligible to receive a $20 gift card, delivered directly via courier service. Feedback will be used to improve health and social services. Survey is administered remotely and responses are anonymous. To schedule an appointment, call (443) 915-4848 or e-mail keri.geiger@baltimorecity.gov.
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