We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of a prominent community advocate and loyal friend of FreeState Justice, Lois Blum Feinblatt.
Lois leaves behind a powerful legacy of care for the local community. Her three-decade-long tenure as a sex therapist with the Johns Hopkins Sex and Gender Clinic in downtown Baltimore was impactful on so many levels. During a time when most healthcare providers were blatantly anti-LGBTQIA+ affirming care, Lois treated all of her clients — including a large number of gay and transgender Marylanders — with great dignity and compassion.
“It was a wonderful job from the beginning,” Lois shared in a 2019 interview with Baltimore Magazine. “Everybody’s needs and wants are so different.”
In addition to her 30 years as a trailblazing sex therapist, Lois’s life-changing philanthropy work included sponsoring scholarships for the Maryland Institute College of Art and co-founding Maryland’s Court Appointed Special Advocates of Baltimore (CASA) — an organization that fights for victims of child abuse and neglect. She and her family marched in the 1963 protest to desegregate Gwynn Oak Amusement Park, and she was the first woman to serve on the board of Sheppard Pratt Hospital. Lois was admitted into the Baltimore Jewish Hall of Fame in 2015 in recognition of her lifelong advocacy, along with her late husband Irvin Blum.
Lois was one of FreeState Justice’s most loyal supporters from the very beginning. She provided a strong foundation of support and community that has allowed us to successfully serve LGBTQIA+ Marylanders throughout the state. In many ways, Lois embodied the values FreeState strives to center in its work, having lived with courage, compassion, and genuine care for those in need. She made friends with everyone she met, and she had the unique ability to connect with folks across generations on a personal level. We wouldn’t be where we are today without her, and we pledge to continue pushing forward our vital work in remembrance of Lois.
“Her work helped drive our organization forward in so many pivotal ways,” said FSJ Executive Director Jeremy LaMaster. “She left a lasting impression on our community that will not be forgotten. Lois will be dearly missed.”
We offer our sincere condolences to her family during this time.
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