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Losing Sight of Freedom






Dear Senator Alsobrooks: I want my vote back.

I didn’t expect to wake up to this news as I scanned Bluesky this morning, but: there it was. 

Here are the 28 Dem Senators who voted to advance the first federal ban on trans athletes & a federal definition of sex that would make trans & intersex people non-existent: Angela Alsobrooks (MD), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Chris Coons (DE)…

I noticed a comment:

Angela Alsobrooks, grand marshal of the 50th baltimore pride parade

Really? 

Really???

Yup.


Image from Angela Alsobrooks social media accounts


The photo above was accompanied by these words:

I was so honored to lead Baltimore's 50th Pride Parade as Grand Marshal and celebrate with our community in love and appreciation for our LGBTQ neighbors.

We must never lose sight that everyone deserves the freedom to be who they are and love who they love.

I am livid. 

When did Ms. Alsobrooks “lose sight that everyone deserves the freedom to be who they are?” Is it possible that she never truly had it in the first place? Or that it was convenient to say until it was put to the test?

I had the opportunity to meet Ms. Alsobrooks and hear her speak when she was running for this senate seat. There were a lot of good reasons to support her and wrote about them at the time. 

This summer I had an opportunity to attend a meet and greet event for Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, who is running for the Senate seat which will open when Benjamin Cardin retires. I found her to be experienced, confident, capable, and more than ready to take on the responsibilities of the job. In addition, I’ve been pretty vocal on the blog that Maryland needs more women, especially Black women, in positions of elected leadership. 

Why? Because representation matters. Different perspectives matter. When voices are missing then all too often needs and aspirations are overlooked, or worse - - seen and yet still neglected. 

- - Making Choices and Honoring Voices in Maryland’s Senate Race, October 25, 2023

One thing I didn’t write about was her response to my question during the Q & A portion of the evening.

She hadn’t spoken about LGBTQIA rights during her speech, so I asked what her plans were to protect their rights and be responsive to their concerns. I was, honestly, disappointed in her response. It didn’t show much thought or commitment. 

How to characterize it - - lame? Anemic? Weak sauce?

The fact that she wasn’t ready with a well-thought out response that showed passion and commitment concerned me. 

There were plenty of good reasons to support Ms. Alsobrooks at the time. This stayed with me like a nagging worry. I hoped I was wrong.

It looks like I wasn’t.

To clarify, this is something that was tacked on to a defense appropriations bill. As such it may only apply to military academies. Nonetheless, it is a governmental codification of people who must be banned or excluded. To me, such a vote is inexcusable. We are living through a time where we see forces determined to extinguish the rights of trans Americans in every area of life. Democrats should be fighting this, loudly. At the very least they should not be helping.

Let me rephrase that. Any decent human being should be fighting this. 

I am left this morning with my own words and a deep regret that my Senator, when push comes to shove, doesn’t represent my values and the people I care about.

Representation matters. Different perspectives matter. When voices are missing then all too often needs and aspirations are overlooked, or worse - - seen and yet still neglected. 


Village Green/Town² Comments 


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  1. Julia A. McCreadyDecember 16, 2025 at 4:50 AM

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