Media Trail

Entertainers cancel DC Pride appearances

The Washington Blade reports that two entertainers scheduled to perform at D. C.’s Capital Pride and Black Pride festivals have abruptly canceled their appearances.

Nationally recognized D.C. rapper Wale informed Black Pride organizers that he backed out of his May 30 appearance because he was uncomfortable performing at a gay event.

Singer and actress Mya canceled her June 13 performance at Capital Pride due to complications from a recent foot surgery.

“The 35th anniversary of Capital Pride has lots of fantastic entertainment planned for the main stage of the festival, including Inaya Day, Kirsten Price, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, the D.C. Cowboys and many more,” said Dyana Mason, Capital Pride executive director.

Black Pride organizers were able to book R&B singer J. Holiday as a replacement for Wale.

Transgender employee sues Macy’s

Los Angeles’ CBS 2 reports a transgender woman has filed a lawsuit against a Macy’s store in Torrance, Calif., alleging that coworkers treated her unfairly.

Jazz Araquel sued Macy’s for gender discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination in Superior Court on May 20.

Her attorney, Eric Castelblanco, said Araquel’s managers knew that she was transgender when they hired her to work in the cosmetics department in 2006.

Macy’s fired Araquel for alleged insubordination and using foul language in 2009.

Araquel claims her coworkers harassed her and physically threw her out of the women’s restroom.

School denies fake prom charge

Advocate.com reports the Mississippi high school that allegedly sent lesbian student Constance McMillen to a fake prom denies the charge.

The ACLU alleged that school district superintendent Teresa McNeece and attorney Michael Floyd attended a meeting March 29 with parent organizers, where the decision was made to hold separate proms.

The school district said McNeece and Floyd did attend a meeting, but officials deny that the parents decided to hold two proms.

McMillen sued the Itawamba County School District over its policy that banned her from bringing a same-sex date to the prom. The district canceled the event rather than allow her to attend with her girlfriend. A U.S. district judge ruled that the school district had violated her rights, but did not force it to hold the prom.

On April 2, McMillen attended a prom with a few students from Itawamba Agricultural High School. The majority of students attended a separate prom.

— Larry Nichols

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