Local

Police expect arrests soon in shooting of gay man

3 incidents of anti-LGBT violence in 2 days said to be unrelated

Published

14 years ago

March 16, 2012

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

Assistant Police Chief Peter Newsham (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

A D.C. police official said on Thursday that an investigation into the March 11 shooting of a gay man at a Columbia Heights restaurant, which police listed as a hate crime, is “progressing very well” and an arrest in the case is expected soon.

At a news conference outside police headquarters, Assistant Police Chief Peter Newsham, who heads the department’s Investigational Services Bureau, said the severe beating and robbery of a gay man and an assault that knocked a transgender woman unconscious one day later were unrelated to the shooting incident.

Newsham said the March 12 beating and robbery incident at Georgia Avenue and Irving Street, N.W., in which a 29-year-old gay man was hospitalized with a broken jaw and head injuries, is listed as an anti-gay hate crime. But he said no evidence could be found to classify the March 12 assault against the transgender woman at West Virginia Avenue and Mt. Olivet Road, N.E., as an anti-trans hate crime.

“It’s unclear what the motive was,” he said of the transgender assault, which resulted in the woman being hospitalized, according to a police report.

“It’s unfortunate that we’ve had members of this community that have been the victims,” said Newsham, when asked if the LGBT community was being targeted.

“The only thing I can really point out to people is that they don’t appear to be related. So it doesn’t appear to be a group of folks that’s targeting or a specific group of people that’s targeting this community,” he said.

Police have said the shooting incident, involving a 31-year-old gay male victim, began after the victim and at least three suspects in the case got into an argument that escalated into a physical altercation.

A witness who identified himself as the victim’s cousin said he, the victim and another cousin were sitting at a table at the International House of Pancakes restaurant on 14th Street, N.W. in Columbia Heights when he overheard the suspect and two people seated with him refer to the people sitting at the victim’s table as “faggies.”

The cousin told the Blade the altercation began when the victim got up to pay the restaurant bill and the suspect and the two people with him blocked his path, prompting him to push his way past the three people. Witnesses heard a gunshot during the scuffle that broke out between the parties, and the victim quickly discovered he had been hit, a police report says.

He was taken to a hospital and remains under treatment for what Newsham said was a non-life threatening injury. The cousin said the gunshot wound injured the victim’s liver.

“The investigation into that case is progressing very well at this point in time,” Newsham said at the news conference. “Investigators have been working on it since the incident occurred and we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to bring that matter to closure.”

Asked if any of the incidents were captured by video cameras that police and private businesses often install on utility poles, Newsham said, “We will not be releasing video at this time…We do have video in a couple of the cases but we don’t feel we need any help with the video at this time,” he said. “We’ve identified most of the people that were involved.”

Jeffrey Richardson, director of the Mayor’s Office of GLBT Affairs, who accompanied Newsham at the news conference, said his office was working closely with police officials to combat hate crimes against all groups.

“We begin to think about the broader implications of why these things are happening,” Richardson said. “We continue to work very closely with community groups and to think about what type of outreach we can do to really begin some culture shifting work around some of these issues.”

Richardson’s comments came after Mayor Vincent Gray issued his own statement denouncing the three incidents of violence against members of the LGBT community.

“All crime is horrific and destructive to the fabric of our community, but especially violent behavior that targets people because of their ethnic background, sexual orientation, faith or other identifying characteristics,”Gray said.

“These kinds of crimes are particularly insidious, because they are designed to instill fear in an entire community,” he said. “This cannot and will not stand in the District of Columbia, where all of our residents have the right to walk the streets of our neighborhoods free of fear, regardless of their identities, beliefs or characteristics. The Metropolitan Police Department and I will not rest until the perpetrators of these brutal crimes are arrested, tried and safely locked away.”

Gay D.C. Council member Jim Graham, a Democrat representing Ward 1, where the shooting and beating-robbery took place, said he was closely monitoring the police investigation into the incidents.

“Such crimes clearly will not be tolerated. And we are all agreed on that,” Graham said in a statement. “As to the shooting inside IHOP at 6:30 AM, the video camera footage has been obtained, and police are confident of a closure on this.”

Graham said police officials told him an off-duty D.C. police detective had been eating at the IHOP at the time of the incident and intervened immediately, a development that provides police with an important advantage in their investigation of the incident.

Gay activist Peter Rosenstein, president of the Campaign For All D.C. Families, which advocated for the city’s same-sex marriage law, praised Gray and Graham for denouncing the latest incidents of violence against GLBT people but expressed concern that other elected officials had yet to speak out on the incidents.

“While DC has taken great steps forward in areas such as marriage-equality, we are still seeing too much violence against the LGBT community,” he said. “We must demand that our elected Council members and the mayor speak out and work to educate people to prevent these crimes in the future. The punishment for these crimes needs to be swift and severe and people need to know there will be major repercussions for this senseless violence against our community.”

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Rehoboth Beach

HISTORIC: Susan Stewart elected Rehoboth’s first out mayor

Thanks LGBTQ supporters and vows to protect city’s small town charm

Published

1 day ago

August 11, 2026

Thomas Weaverling

Susan Stewart easily won election as Rehoboth Beach’s new mayor on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Susan Stewart)

Residents of Rehoboth Beach elected City Commissioner Susan Stewart with 61% of the vote on Aug. 8, making her the city’s first openly gay mayor.

Stewart beat fellow commissioners Craig Their and Suzanne Goode in the race, as well as newcomer Jake Raak.

The final mayoral vote results were:

Susan Stewart: 632
Craig Their: 203
Suzanne Goode: 177
William “Jake” Raak: 23

“I’m very grateful because the LGBTQ+ community not only voted for me, but also supported me,” said Stewart.

Stewart said that she is particularly grateful for the support she received on social media from members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“I’ve had incredible support,” said Stewart.

Stewart said that her campaign showed her just how much residents of Rehoboth are engaged and care about the city.

“They really want to see what’s best for the community,” said Stewart.

Stewart spoke about the master planning initiative she has been working on as a commissioner, which she plans to continue as mayor.

“We’ve undertaken rewriting the commercial zoning code, and that’s foundational to the next step of the initiative,” said Stewart.

She said that she was proud of the results of charette week that was held last month where residents and business owners had the opportunity to speak with hired urban planners to give feedback for a zoning code update.

Stewart said that Rehoboth is at a tipping point as the city must find a way to balance the growth of the commercial district while improving the quality of life for residents.

“I don’t believe there needs to be tension between the business community and the residential experience,” said Stewart.

“I’m excited about a new master plan because we have a couple hotels coming, and we also have Clear Space Theatre looking for a new home, and we’re working with them,” said Stewart. “We want businesses to stay here.”

Stewart also said that she aims to embrace the concept of a ‘15-minute city,’ making the city much more accessible in terms of transportation in the downtown area for residents.

“The goal is to protect the small town charm and natural beauty of Rehoboth,” said Stewart. “I want to keep the momentum going.”

The Blade asked Stewart about any concerns she might have working with Commissioner Goode, whom she has criticized for sending inappropriate and offensive emails to city staff. Goode finished a distant third in the mayoral race and her husband fell short in his bid for a Commissioner’s seat. In that race, Jeffrey Goode received 239 votes; Patrick Gossett, who’s gay, received 813 votes and Mark Saunders 852. Saunders and Gossett will be sworn in next month.

“I’m really eager to move past this issue with Commissioner Goode,” said Stewart.

She said that she’s heard ‘loud and clear’ from the city that they want to move past this situation as best as they can while Goode remains in her seat as commissioner.

“There are no mechanisms for us to remove a sitting commissioner. Our laws don’t allow it,” said Stewart.

Stewart clarified that she has always focused on Goode’s behavior toward city staff.

“One thing I feel really passionate about is that the city employees have to know that they are heard. They are real people with real jobs, real professional reputations, and they’ve been harmed,” said Stewart.

The Blade also asked if Stewart had made a final decision on whom she plans to nominate to fill her Commissioner seat.

“I’m considering who to appoint and I have not made any final decisions,” said Stewart.

She noted that, as mayor, she only has the power to nominate a candidate and that the board of commissioners will have the final vote on whom to appoint to the board.

Stewart shared that she has received interest from a number of people and finds that to be a good sign.

“I think that’s a great sign because people want to serve. I’m eager to have someone in that seat who’s smart and has the best interests of the city,” said Stewart.

Stewart will be sworn in during the Board of Commissioners meeting on Sept. 18.

District of Columbia

D.C.’s Mary’s House For Older Adults names new executive director

Charlene Leach to succeed Imani Woody as leader of LGBTQ-supportive seniors home

Published

6 days ago

August 6, 2026

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

Mary's House for Older Adults Executive Director A. Charlene Leach (Photo via LinkedIn)

The board of directors of Mary’s House for Older Adults, the D.C.-based home dedicated to providing affordable housing for LGBTQ seniors, has announced it has named longtime nonprofit organization leader A. Charlene Leach as its new executive director.

Leach, who is now serving in the executive director’s position, is succeeding Dr. Imani Woody, the Mary’s House founding president and CEO, who announced her retirement from her official leadership role at Mary’s House on July 7.

Woody, who holds a PhD in Human Services, is credited with playing the lead role over many years in arranging both city and private funding needed to construct and operate the Mary’s House three-story building located at 401 Anacostia Road, S.E., in the city’s Fort DuPont neighborhood.

“With over three decades of nonprofit experience and 15 years serving as an executive director, Charlene brings a wealth of knowledge in organizational leadership, program development, and community engagement,” the Mary’s House board says in a statement.

“Her proven track record of building impactful programs and leading mission-driven organizations makes her uniquely suited to guide Mary’s House into its next phase of growth,” the statement continues. “Charlene is deeply aligned with the mission of Mary’s House and is committed to advancing its work to provide safe, inclusive housing and supportive services for LGBTQ+ older adults,” it says. “Under her leadership, the organization will continue to expand its impact while remaining grounded in the values that define our community.”

Leach’s LinkedIn page shows she has most recently served since 2022 as executive director of the African American AIDS Task Force in Minneapolis. Prior to that, it shows she served as executive director of the Fredericksburg Area Health and Support Services organization in Fredericksburg, Va., and before that as director of development for the D.C.-Baltimore area Women’s Collective.

Her LinkedIn page says she has been involved with Mary’s House as a volunteer and grant writer since 2016.

The newly built and enlarged Mary’s House, which opened in March 2025, with a grand opening ceremony held in May 2025 attended by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, includes 15 single-occupancy residential apartments and more than 5,000 square feet of shared communal living space.

An earlier statement released by the Mary’s House board announcing Woody’s retirement said Woody would continue to be involved with the organization as a member of the board. The earlier statement and board’s more recent statement on July 29 announcing Leach’s appointment as executive director did not say whether the board plans to name someone else as president and CEO, the title that Woody held before her retirement. But the latest statement says Leach will be running Mary’s House’s day-to-day operations as Woody did.

Virginia

Doug Ollivant to face Eugene Vindman in Va. 7th Congressional District

Republican defeated challengers in Tuesday’s primary

Published

7 days ago

August 5, 2026

Staff reports

<strong.Doug Ollivant (Screen capture via @DougForVirginia/YouTube)

Republican Doug Ollivant will face off against incumbent U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District.

Ollivant defeated his Republican opponents in Tuesday’s primary. Vindman ran unopposed.

Vindman in 2024 ran to succeed then-Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger in the U.S. House of Representatives after she ran for governor. Spanberger succeeded Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2025.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) on Tuesday easily won his primary. All other Democratic incumbent members of Congress from Northern Virginia also won their respective primaries.