Brandon "Ric" Gordon, a member of the Greenbelt City Council who was reelected for a second term earlier this month, passed away on Sunday at the age of 41, according to an announcement from the city.
The Prince George's County native organized the Greenbelt Pride event in 2022 and added a Pride parade this year as part of his attempts to make Greenbelt a more welcoming town for both himself and others. Gordon identified as a transamorous heterosexual guy when he gave an interview to The Washington Post earlier this year.
Gordon's passing was described as "a great loss to the Greenbelt community, Prince George's County, and the State of Maryland" by Greenbelt Mayor Emmett V. Jordan in a statement.
"Ric Gordon had a strong sense of duty as a council member, politics, and the Greenbelt. He will be sorely missed, Jordan remarked.
His death's cause remained undisclosed.
Most recently, Gordon expressed his satisfaction with Greenbelt voters' indication last month that they supported allowing noncitizens to cast ballots in local elections. According to Greenbelt, this was just another indication that he was eager for change and prepared to be "on the right side of history," as he told The Post.
The FBI's future residence, Greenbelt, was intended to be a New Deal "utopia."
"This demonstrates our identity as a community. Regardless of their citizenship status, we are concerned about our neighbors," he remarked in an interview. Here in Greenbelt, we live in a melting pot. We are able to comprehend one another.
Gordon is a "dedicated public servant," according to County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) of Prince George.
She released a statement saying, "We are collectively mourning this deeply felt loss." In addition to being a respected member of the Greenbelt City Council, Councilmember Gordon was also a beloved member of the Prince George's County community. His dedication to improving everyone's quality of life in Greenbelt will live on in our memories.
Gordon earned a bachelor's degree in political science and prelaw, with a minor in psychology, from Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina, in 2004. According to his most recent candidate profile, he later earned a master's degree in public administration from Strayer University and was set to finish this fall's University of Maryland Public Policy Academy of Excellence in Local Governance certification program.
In June 2022, he received the Prince George's County Pride Award for LGBTQ+ Excellence in Government in recognition of his work as an openly LGBTQ official. Representative Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), who referred to Gordon as “a crucial advocate for Greenbelt and his fellow Prince Georgians,” was present at the ceremony with him.
"I was happy to work with my friend Ric Gordon to serve Marylanders, whether it was standing together as co-recipients of the Prince George's County Pride Award for LGBTQ+ Excellence in Government in 2022 or celebrating our successful effort to bring the new FBI headquarters to Greenbelt just the other week," Hoyer said in a statement.
According to Gordon's LinkedIn profile, he was a federal contractor working for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at the U.S. Transportation Department at the time of his death.
According to the biography, he and his spouse, Carla, have six grandkids and four grown children.
In a statement, Krystal Oriadha (D-District 7) of the Prince George's County Council, who collaborated with Gordon to advance LGBTQ rights, acknowledged his heart and dedication to his love for the city.
"His community service established a standard for upcoming leaders, motivating others to effect the change they wish to see in the world," stated Oriadha. "A generation was taught by Gordon that living life to the fullest of your authenticity is something you can do at any time."