Here is a sample of what’s going on around the country. Please be kind to yourself and use your discretion while reading this section. You can share news from your state with [email protected] for possible inclusion in a future newsletter. Maryland: Salisbury University hosts vigil for LGBTQ+ community after hate crime incident. The Salisbury University Community gathered Monday to denounce a recent hate crime and show support for the LGBTQ+ community and their safety. 12 students have been arrested, but police are looking for as many as 15 suspects involved in luring a gay man to an off-campus apartment on false pretenses and assaulting him. New Jersey: School district hit with multiple lawsuits after firing gay superintendent. In a lawsuit filed in May, John Berenato, the former superintendent of the Manchester Township School District, accused the district of sexual orientation discrimination that led to his firing in November of last year. New York: LGBTQ Groups Invited To March In Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade. LGBTQ groups will be allowed to march in Staten Island’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade for the first time ever this year, organizers announced Tuesday — ending a long-running controversy over the annual event’s anti-gay stance. Ohio: School bathroom ban passes state Senate, heads to Governor for signing. The bill applies to public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education, and requires schools to designate separate bathrooms, locker rooms and overnight accommodations “for the exclusive use” of either males and females, based on one’s gender assigned at or near birth, in both school buildings and facilities used for a school-sponsored event. Oklahoma: Oklahoma school district adding anti-harassment policies after nonbinary teen's death. The U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into the district in March after the Human Rights Campaign asked the department to look into the district's “failure to respond appropriately to sex-based harassment that may have contributed to the tragic death.” Virginia: House committee votes to remove same-sex marriage ban from state constitution. The Privileges and Elections Committee voted to approve a resolution to repeal a 2006 state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage with a bipartisan 16-5 vote. | 
