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Aquaria, winner of season 10 of "RuPaul's Drag Race" will appear at Baltimore Soundstage June 15.
Q&A with ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ winner Aquaria, who’s coming to Baltimore for Sweet Spot Pride Party
Aquaria, best known for winning the 10th season of "RuPaul’s Drag Race" in 2018, will be coming to Baltimore on Thursday to DJ for a Sweet Spot Pride Party at Baltimore Soundstage.
Izzy Turner and Brittany Dixon show off their outfits at Trans Pride in Baltimore on June 3, 2023.
Photos: Baltimore Trans Pride festivities draw thousands
Thousands of people attended the two-day celebration, which was produced by Baltimore Safe Haven, the city’s only trans-led drop-in wellness center.
Marquis Clayton, 35, poses for a portrait around Mount Vernon, in Baltimore, Wednesday May 31, 2023.
People of Pride: A look at Maryland’s LGBTQ community
The Banner asked LGBTQ Marylanders what Pride Month means to them and what are the biggest challenges facing the community? Here are some of their answers.
File photo of the Inner Harbor and downtown Baltimore as seen from the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel.
Erie Insurance discriminated against Black-owned brokerage in Baltimore, state finds
Pennsylvania-based Erie Insurance discriminated against a Black-owned insurance brokerage firm and ultimately against Black Baltimoreans, according to a recent opinion by the Maryland Insurance Administration.
Patrick Chin, 42, Rockville. Chin has been playing Chinese Volleyball since he was 15. (In green) John Chin, Patrick’s father is a former cyc (Chinese Youth Club) player.  Chin says that 9-man volleyball has helped to provide a sense of community a pride. *in blue) John Mon, also a former cyc player and former business partner to John chin, share a laugh as they watch the boys practice.
Excitement building for Chinese volleyball tournament coming to Baltimore in late summer
Chinese volleyball comes to Baltimore on Labor Day weekend, with the 78th NACIVT, which will be held in the Baltimore Convention Center. One hundred fifty teams and 2,500 athletes are expected to participate. The event is expected to attract 5,000 people.
Model Isis King attends the GLSEN 2018 Respect Awards at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 21, 2018 in New York City.
Barrier breaker: Isis King prepares for coming season of Amazon Prime’s ‘With Love’
When the second season of “With Love” premieres June 2 on Amazon Prime, Isis King will continue to make history as one of the few transgender actresses to have a leading role in a major studio-backed romantic comedy.
Imani Robinson, a 30-year-old Baltimore native,  will have her short film “3 Blind Mice,” which she wrote and produced, starring fellow “The Wire” actors Tristan Wilds and Jermaine Crawford, shown at Cannes Film Festival
Baltimore native Imani Robinson’s short film to be shown at Diversity in Cannes event
Imani Robinson, a 30-year-old Baltimore native, will have her short film “3 Blind Mice,” which she wrote and produced, starring fellow “The Wire” actors Tristan Wilds and Jermaine Crawford, shown in Cannes this month.
Derrick Chase, left, and LaRian Finney, right, organizers of AfroPreak Lounge at Pimlico on May 16, 2023.
Many Black residents haven’t felt the Preakness was for them. That’s starting to change.
The Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the famed Triple Crown, attracts tens of thousands of people to Pimlico Race Course in Northwest Baltimore. But the racial optics of the big day have reflected a noticeable divide between the city’s white and Black populations. Initiatives such as AfroPreak Lounge and other efforts to help draw more diverse crowds are starting to pay off, according to organizers.
Photo collage showing cropped photographs of a woman’s eyes, statue of the Virgin Mary, and two elderly hands holding one another, with a red background and the silhouette of a rosary and crucifix layered on top.
John Merzbacher, ex-Catholic schoolteacher who abused dozens of Baltimore children, has died
John Merzbacher, a former teacher at Catholic Community School of Baltimore who was convicted of sexual abuse and the repeated rape of a student in the ’70s, has died.
Kai Hammond, Dr. Camille Hammond, Dr. Tinina Cade, Simone Hammond and Aaron Hammond all poses together for a portrait outside their home in Reisterstown, March 25, 2023.
A mother’s love allowed Camille Hammond to have triplets. Now those kids are preparing for college.
Eighteen years ago, Camille Hammond’s mother, Tinina Cade, gave her the ultimate gift and carried her triplets 32 weeks to birth. She was 55 at the time.
Jermaine Stone, known as the Wolf of Wine, has made quite a name for himself in the wine world through his podcast "Wine & Hip Hop."
Jermaine Stone: Q&A with host of ‘Wine & Hip Hop’ podcast
In an industry that suffers from a lack of racial equity and representation, the Bronx native knows that the two industries pair perfectly.
Carlos Raba, co-owner and head chef of Clavel, pictured on April 26, 2023.
Cinco de Mayo kickoff collaboration honors Black and Mexican cultures
To mark Cinco de Mayo, the owner of a Mexican-themed Baltimore restaurant and a couple who are both Black chefs and food historians will collaborate to celebrate Mexican and Black cultures.
Q and A in this week’s The Baltimore Banner with Chrissy M. Thornton, President & CEO, Associated Black Charities.
‘We are assertively and unapologetically addressing structural racism,’ says nonprofit’s new leader
Chrissy M. Thorton, the new president and CEO of Associated Black Charities, believes that her organization provides an invaluable role for Baltimore residents.
Realtor Donnell Spivey poses for a portrait in one of the homes he’s selling on Thursday, April 20.
Black real estate professionals say systemic racism remains a problem in industry
Many agents, brokers say they battle low expectations, stereotypes and discriminatory practices in an industry in which they are disproportionately underrepresented and often earn less than their white counterparts.
Adam Bencomo, 36, is a art professor and bartender who wrestled and ran cross country in high school, but he's never been allowed to give blood because he's gay. He is pictured here on April 11, 2023.
LGBTQ community awaits new federal policy relaxing blood donation rules for gays
Many advocates believe the restrictions on gay men giving blood, put in place when HIV emerged in the 1980s, are outdated and need to better reflect medical advances.
Actress Mimi Fletcher, who was raised in Columbia, has appeared in “Ozark,” “Shrinking,” “Shameless,” or “Better Call Saul.” Her next role, jury member Lori Rae on the drama Waco the Aftermath, starts streaming Friday on Showtime. It airs on television at 10 p.m. Sunday.
Q&A: Actress Mimi Fletcher talks about her roles, admiring Viola Davis and wanting to play a TV mom someday
Raised in Columbia, the actress will next appear as jury member Lori Rae on the drama “Waco: The Aftermath,” which starts streaming Friday on Showtime. It airs on television at 10 p.m. Sunday
Rhonda Carr, a member of the Peabody Ballroom Experience Board and Peabody Ballroom Experience coordinator, Dr. Joseph Plaster, both pose for a portrait at George Peabody Library in Baltimore, Monday, April 11, 2023.
Posing at the library: Baltimore’s ballroom scene werks The Peabody again
More than 300 people are expected at the third Peabody Ballroom Experience, a celebration of the ballroom scene in Baltimore.
Scenes of the newly renovated CFG Bank Arena, set to open in April 2023.
High hopes for newly renovated CFG Bank Arena
The newly renovated CFG Bank Arena has its public debut tonight with the return of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which first played the venue 50 years ago. The arena has a rich history, from serving as the home of the NBA's Baltimore Bullets to hosting concerts by Elvis, Aretha, Sinatra and The Beatles.
Shawna Stepp-Jones poses for a portrait next to her creation, the Spundle, a fast, no-heat hair dryer for wigs and extensions, in Baltimore, Tuesday, March 28, 2023.
Black woman bets on invention to more efficiently dry wigs, hair extensions
Shawna Stepp-Jones, who has degrees form Morgan State and Johns Hopkins, has created Spundle, a fast, no-heat hair dryer for wigs and extensions. She’ll debut the product April 4 at Demo Day for Techstars Equitech Accelerator, a program for members of underestimated communities or developing technologies that increases access and equity across society.
A group vandalized the Baltimore chapter offices of the NAACP—including throwing a piece of concrete through the building’s front window door—while the organization’s president was working inside Tuesday evening, according to the civil rights organization.
Vandals damage offices of NAACP’s Baltimore chapter
Kobi Little, the president of the Baltimore chapter of the NAACP, was not injured during the attack, but was shaken up, according to Joshua Harris, spokesperson for the organization.
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