LGBTQ+ Crisis Hotline: 866-488-7386 | Mental Health Crisis Hotline: 988 | Physical Emergency: 911 | Maryland Resources: 211
The Frederick Center provides critical services to youth and adults in our state. We cannot do it without your help! Please DONATE TODAY!
LGBTQ+ Crisis Hotline: 866-488-7386 | Mental Health Crisis Hotline: 988 | Physical Emergency: 911 | Maryland Resources: 211
Kris Fair is a lifelong Frederick County resident who graduated from Linganore High School in 2002, Frederick Community College in 2008, and Hood College in 2012. Kris has worked on civil rights and other community challenges for the past twenty years. He has been active with organizations including The Frederick Arts Council, The Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership (SHIP), MOM’s Demand Action, The Frederick Center, The Golden Mile Alliance, Marylanders for Marriage Equality, The Greater Frederick Advertising Federation, Frederick County Democratic Party, and Weinberg Center for the Arts. In recognition of his strategic planning abilities, leadership skills, and contributions of many volunteer hours, Kris has been honored with the Community Foundation of Frederick County’s Wertheimer Award, The Human Relations Commission’s Lord Nickens Public Service Award, and Hood College’s Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Award. He has been named the Frederick County Democratic Party volunteer of the year and was recently featured in Frederick Magazine’s People to Watch. Kris currently lives in Frederick City with his husband, Dominick.
Support Program Coordinator – Glorie is a lifelong local of Frederick and dedicated member of the queer community. Glorie graduated from Brunswick High School in 2015 and from Hood College in 2019 with a degree in Social Work and minor in the Study of Women and Gender. During their time at Hood College, Glorie served as the first Diversity Chair of the Student Government Association Executive Board and as a Resident Assistant of Meyran Hall. Glorie received the Epitome Award from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion for dedication to social justice in the Hood community. They also participated in the Hood College Improv Troupe, Feminist and Queer Student Unions, acted in ‘A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and a Prayer’, ‘The Vagina Monologues’, and was Lucy in ‘You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown’. Since graduating, Glorie has worked as a Therapeutic Mentor with children with emotional and behavioral disorders, and as a Supports Planner for people with disabilities. Glorie enjoys spending their free time in a hammock with their nose in a book, or on a hike with their partner, Anthony, and dogs, Cheech and Percy. Glorie is thrilled to join The Frederick Center and to work with other members of the LGBTQ Frederick Community.
Martin Scarborough is a returning member of the Frederick County community. Originally from Myersville, Martin graduated from Middletown High School in 2013 and later from Hood College in 2017 with a double major in Global Studies and Spanish. For the last 6 years, Martin has lived abroad in Baltimore City, where he worked in fundraising and development for programs that supported youth education and enrichment, immigration advocacy, and racial justice. He is excited to bring his experience to the Frederick Center, where he can use his talents to support fellow members of the queer community.
In his free time, Martin enjoys creative hobbies, including Dungeons & Dragons, digital artwork, and writing. He is a proud father to a fat, black cat named Mephistopheles, and an axolotl named Ninki.
Keith Pollard is an award-winning activist and advocate who has dedicated nearly a decade to advancing the rights and well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals, with a special focus on supporting queer and trans youth. Throughout his career, Keith has worked to create safe, affirming spaces and expand access to vital resources for the LGBTQ+ community.
Keith began his advocacy journey in 2015 as a volunteer with the Youth Working Group at the DC Center, where he focused on policy change and resources for LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness. His passion for service led him to volunteer with several organizations, including Empowerment Liberation Cathedral, the Human Rights Campaign, and SMYAL. In 2017, Keith joined the Wanda Alston Foundation as Operations Manager, where he strengthened youth programming through innovative approaches.
Keith’s work deepened at SMYAL, where he initially served as a Case Manager before becoming Deputy Director of Youth Housing. During his time there, he played a key role in opening three additional housing programs for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. This helped dozens of queer youth navigate their housing journeys and, in many cases, end homelessness. These achievements stand as some of the work he is most proud of.
Today, Keith is thrilled to bring his knowledge, skills, and dedication to The Frederick Center, continuing his mission of empowering and uplifting LGBTQ+ communities.
Netasha (She/They), or Tasha/Indigo, has been a community leader for more than fifteen years. They are proud to call Frederick their hometown after moving here in 2000 to attend Hood College. After graduation they pursued a career in microbiology and cryogenics, but after a successful fight defeating several cancers, they are now focused on creating positive and supportive communities, using their leadership skillset. Tasha has performed leadership duties for everything from being one of the Vice Chairs of Fur The More (a furry convention that has supported The Frederick Center), Department Head of Disability Support Services for Katsucon (anime convention), being a previous Chair for Frederick Pride, and so much more. Due to their dedication and years of volunteering, they won the “Volunteer of the Year” award from the Frederick Center in 2024. Tasha enjoys spending their free time volunteering with various fan conventions, playing Dungeons and Dragons on the weekends, throwing a house party or two, hanging out with chosen family, and taking care of her dad and infamous pet quaker parrot, Kiwi Lime Punch.
They are extremely proud and excited to be the Event Director for Frederick Pride, Frederick Pride Parade, and other various events for The Frederick Center.
Marcia Simpson is a dedicated and outspoken member of the queer community, based in Frederick, MD. She identifies as a Bipoc Trans woman and has been a resident of Frederick for over 16 years. Marcia is a prominent figure in the community as a Trans speaker, community organizer, and Trans support group facilitator. She was also instrumental in organizing Frederick’s first TDOR (Transgender Day of Remembrance) event.
When not advocating for the Trans community, Marcia enjoys spending her free time with her spouse/partner of 27 years and her children. She has a passion for record and retro game collecting, as well as music and art. Marcia’s dedication to creating a supportive and inclusive environment for the Trans community has earned her the respect and admiration of many in Frederick and beyond.
Lindsay graduated from Middletown High School in 2007 and from Towson University in 2025 with a degree in Art and Design (focusing on illustration) and minoring in Art History. Lindsay lives in Frederick with their spouse, children, and pets. They have presented at the Mid-Atlantic Popular Culture Association Annual conference in 2024 and 2025. In their free time Lindsay plays board games and table top role playing games. If time allows she also enjoys trying to pretend thats acquiring books for her TBR and reading books in her TBR are not two separate hobbies. She is ecstatic to join The Frederick Center team.
Morgan Horn has been a resident of the City of Frederick since 2016. Her background is in microbiology, with an ASCP certification and ten years of lab experience, plus a little geology and oceanography as side quests. She is currently exploring a new career in the social sciences and will hopefully be working towards a Master of Social Work in 2026. She has almost five years of weekly volunteer experience previously at Clean Needles Now, a syringe exchange program in Los Angeles, providing harm reduction services, including HIV and overdose prevention; and is currently a volunteer chaperone of a social youth group at the Frederick Center and Volunteer Coordinator.
When not at the Frederick Center or participating in the local LGBTQ community, she is usually with her teenager, feeding her teenager, listening to her teenager describe gaming stuff she doesn’t understand, working on a random project, or reading ten books at once.
Kristin is a born and raised Fredericktonian, and she has been around the town and back. She attended Frederick Community College, receiving an Associate’s Degree in Arts and Humanities with a focus in American Sign Language Studies. She has worked at numerous restaurants and volunteered with various outreach groups across town. She hopes to one day become an ASL Interpreter but generally holds an immense passion for helping those in need, especially in oppressed, under-supported groups. She received a Certificate of Accomplishment for completing the ASL classes offered by FCC and was also a member of the ASL club.
Kristin also has multiple “extra-curriculars” under her belt, playing roles in ‘Wizard of Oz’, adaptations of ‘Once Upon a Time’, and as a volunteer escape room actor, to name a few. She is a nerdy thespian at heart. Kristin usually likes to spend free time with her Fiancée, Summer, or her friends. Whether it’s at the table of a D&D party, at the Center’s various support groups, or window shopping in Downtown Frederick, she is an emerging social butterfly who loves to make new acquaintances.
She has been a regular attendee of The Center’s various events and groups and is excited, eager, and enthusiastic about joining The Frederick Center and having an opportunity to further interact with the LGBTQ+ community.
Johanna Dolan, MS, SIC, RCP, RPS, RCP-F is a visionary leader, strategist, and advocate dedicated to transforming how individuals and organizations experience recovery, belonging, and sustainable growth. As Board Chair of The Frederick Center, Johanna leads efforts to strengthen board governance, expand community engagement, and advance programs that foster safety, inclusion, and equity for LGBTQIA+ individuals across Maryland.
Beyond her work with The Frederick Center, Johanna is the Founder and Principal Advisor of Dolan Research International (www.dolanresearch.net), a consulting and advisory firm focused on building recovery-oriented, human-centered workplaces. She also serves as Co-Chair of the National Steering Committee for the Center for Addiction Recovery Support, where she champions equitable systems of care that blend lived experience with evidence-based practices.
With deep roots in organizational development, behavioral health, and leadership strategy, Johanna is known for her ability to bridge grassroots and grasstops advocacy – translating vision into measurable impact. Her leadership philosophy centers on empathy, clarity, and collaboration, grounded in the belief that “the magic is in the blend”—where knowledge, compassion, and action come together to create lasting change.
Bio Coming Soon
Vy Bownes is deeply passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of others,
with a strong commitment to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and advocating for
trans children and their families. Vy believes in creating environments where all children
can feel safe, welcomed, and valued. Vy was a member of the resource committee for
Carroll County’s Westminster PFLAG Chapter while contributing to the establishment of
Unity Center, a permanent LGBTQ center in Westminster, MD. As a non-binary person
living in a county with less support, Vy and their family have found the Frederick Center
to be central in their lives. Vy is proud to be actively involved in ensuring the center
continues to support others like themselves.
As a project manager, educator, and scientist, Vy brings a wealth of experience and
compassion to their work. Over the past five years, Vy has excelled as a project
manager, finding great fulfillment in leading teams and witnessing their collective efforts
result in meaningful achievements. Vy’s dedication to teamwork and their drive to foster
inclusivity define them both professionally and personally.
44Peter Brehm currently serves as Treasurer for The Frederick Center, Inc., a nonprofit corporation dedicated to support, educate, link, organize, and provide outreach to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer community of central Maryland. He is also a volunteer with the organization’s Community Services and Community Partnerships Committees. Brehm began his advocacy for LGBTQ issues when he was in college and served as president of the then-named Gay Student Union (GSU). He is also active with the Friends of Baker Park, the Kiwanis Club of Suburban Frederick, the Frederick HIV Coalition, Friends of Waterford Park, and serves as a coordinator for the Neighborhood Advisory Council 9. He has lived in Frederick with his husband, Jack Day, for fourteen years.
Wil X Graham (he, his, him) comes to The Frederick Center with a wealth of experience in leadership, administration, policy, and organizational development in business and nonprofits. He has led in the teaching and learning sphere, having served as principal and head of school in Washington, DC, and Maryland. An active member of the Frederick County business community as a small business owner. Previous or current experience includes or has served Frederick County Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the Frederick Community College Foundation Board of directors, Founding Board of Directors member, and Western Maryland Representative to the Maryland Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Chamber of Commerce, Co-Chair on the City of Frederick Disadvantage Business Enterprise Panel. In addition, he is a member of the Southern Frederick Rotary Club, And the Greenview HOA. He is a Large format Print Specialist and a consultant to small minority owned business and schools.
Charlene Shapiro joins the Board of Directors as a Member and is a staunch advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, volunteering with the Center’s Legal Clinic and Pride Festival Planning Committee.
She has worked in the legal field for over 30 years, spending last 20-plus years working at preeminent boutique family law firms in Montgomery County. She is currently the Office Manager at Grover & Badalian in Rockville, Maryland.
Charlene is a Maryland native having lived in Frederick County since 2002. She enjoys hiking, crafting, and exploring downtown Frederick.
Ben is a white, queer, nonbinary therapist who works with adolescents, adults, and couples. Their integrative approach to psychotherapy draws heavily from trauma-informed, narrative, and liberatory practices. They have received additional training in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, internal family systems, and EMDR, as well as population-specific trainings focused on gender, sexuality, racism and oppression.
Ben initially focused their clinical work on issues related to homelessness, substance misuse, and trauma related to combat, imprisonment, and childhood mistreatment. During this time, they became acutely aware of the ways in which these experiences disproportionately impact marginalized communities including BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals. These experiences have informed Ben’s understanding of the ways societal, economic, and political forces impact mental and behavioral health, and have reaffirmed their belief in the transformative power of community care.
Ben has spent the last several years working with individuals, families, and couples navigating challenges with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, (C)PTSD, neurodivergence, self-harm, grief and loss, life transitions, religious trauma, substance use, and issues related to sex, intimacy, and fertility. They are poly- and kink-affirming, and ascribe to Health at Every Size (HAES) and harm-reduction approaches to care.
Calvin is a white, bisexual, transgender man therapist who aims to provide a safe, welcoming, and affirming space for all of his clients and recognizes that they are experts of their own stories and lived experiences. He believes in the importance of acknowledging his positionality as it relates to those of his clients to facilitate a healthy and comfortable therapeutic relationship.
Calvin recognizes that there are structural barriers for many people, particularly those in historically marginalized groups, in approaching mental health concerns and challenges. He aims to provide an environment where his clients feel comfortable exploring these aspects of their lives with the ultimate goal of creating holistic and meaningful change. Calvin utilizes the tenants of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) as a framework to support clients’ self-awareness and personal growth, and has used Motivational Interviewing (MI) to support clients with social anxiety, anxiety, depression, and navigating alcohol and substance use.
Calvin has experience working with Queer and Trans youth, supporting them with challenges related to self-expression, interpersonal relationships, and transitional life stages, as well as adults as they navigate how their identity development and expression influences their relationships, career paths, and overall well-being. He utilizes a warm and approachable style to create a space so that clients can be their authentic selves.
Justine Kilian, LCSW-C
Youth Group & Youth Group Jr. Facilitator
Pronouns: She/They
Justine holds a BA in Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies and Social Thought & Political Economy from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Masters in Social Work from the Smith College School for Social Work. She is a Licensed Masters Social Worker under the supervision of Kate MacShane, LCSW-C.
Justine is licensed in Maryland and can provide telehealth sessions for clients physically located in Maryland. She sees clients in person in our Frederick office.
Justine is a white, queer, transfeminine therapist. Her approach to treatment is compassionate, irreverent, and strengths-based. She enjoys helping teenagers, adults, and partnerships deepen their relationships with themselves and others. As a transfeminine therapist, she considers the ways in which structural oppression impacts individual well-being. She works with people of all identities, especially LGBTQ+ individuals, non-monogamous and kinky folks, and neurodivergent people.
Justine draws upon psychodynamic, narrative, humanistic, transfeminist, and other liberatory approaches in her work with clients. Bringing enthusiasm and joy to each connection she builds in practice, she strives to create a gentle, supportive space for those who have experienced formative and ongoing traumas. Justine regards therapy as a laboratory for discerning and developing life change. She believes that by considering therapy, clients already possess the innate capacity and bravery to pursue healing and growth.
Justine brings previous experience working in special education settings and leading LGBTQ+ affirming care initiatives at Behavioral Health Network’s Empowerment Project for Gender and Sexual Minorities in Springfield, Massachusetts. Her approach is informed by her time as a community educator and organizer for gender-affirming policy in institutions of higher education. She has previous tenure in performing arts, creative and scholarly writing, and culinary arts, all of which she continues to grow and develop throughout her own journey as a therapist and a person.