Local
African-American LGBT charity group debuts
D.C.’s Kindred: An African American LGBT Giving Circle is scheduled to award its first grant
Aisha Moodie-Mills told the Blade that Kindred is scheduled to award its first grant or “gift” of $13,000 to D.C.’s Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL). (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
A newly launched LGBT charitable organization in D.C. called Kindred: An African American LGBT Giving Circle is scheduled to award its first grant on Monday, opening the way for what organizers say will be a unique new venue for philanthropy in the city.
“Kindred utilizes the power of collective giving to uplift the African American LGBT community in Washington, D.C.,” a statement announcing the group’s mission says.
“By pooling our time, talent, and treasure we empower our community from within, nurture ourselves as philanthropists, and honor organizations working to enhance the lives of black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the District,” the statement says.
Lesbian activist Aisha Moodie-Mills, who was among the lead organizers of the campaign to pass D.C.’s same-sex marriage law in 2009, is the spokesperson and member of the new group’s five-member “Guiding Circle” leadership team.
Moodie-Mills told the Blade that Kindred is scheduled to award its first grant or “gift” of $13,000 on Monday to D.C.’s Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL). She said Kindred selected SMYAL for the first award, among other things, because of SMYAL’s longstanding work in support of African-American LGBT youth.
According to Moodie-Mills, the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, a tax-exempt charitable group, is serving as Kindred’s fiscal sponsor, allowing all donations to Kindred to be tax deductible.
The group’s mission statement says organizers modeled Kindred on the African-American tradition of community giving and support.
“Our African American history is rich with individual philanthropists – people who provided warm meals for families in the community in need, and books and resources for young people trying to make it through school,” the statement says.
The statement says the group is recruiting inaugural members to what it calls its “giving circle,” which initially will consist of 12 to 25 people who each commit to donating $420 or more each year to Kindred.
Members of the giving circle are also asked to participate in the organization’s “collaborative grant-making process” to decide on the recipients of future grants, the statement says. It says the Gill Foundation, a Colorado based LGBT philanthropic organization, gave Kindred a $10,000 seed grant to help the group begin its work.
In addition to Aisha Moodie-Mills, the other founders of Kindred are Danielle Moodie-Mills, Aisha’s wife; who, along with Aisha, was a spokesperson and organizer for D.C.’s marriage equality campaign in 2009. Both also serve as advisers for LGBT Policy and Racial Justice at the at the D.C. based Center for American Progress.
Other founders include Anna Bavier, an event planner who assists with programs associated with the Moutner Project for Lesbian Health and D.C. LGBT Community Center; Nicole Cozier, a 13-year D.C. area resident who “has been professionally involved on issues affecting women and girls,” according to Kindred statement, and who is immediate past chair of the board for Funders for LGBTQ Issues; and Earl-Rodney Holman.
Kindred can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 202-421-5755.
Maryland
Evan Glass is leaning on his record. Is that enough for Montgomery County’s top job?
Gay county executive candidate pushing for equitable pay, safer streets, and cleaner environment
By TALIA RICHMAN | During a meet-and-greet at Poolesville Memorial United Methodist Church, Evan Glass got his loudest applause of the night with a plan he acknowledged was decidedly unsexy.
“Day one, I’ll hire a director of permitting services,” the county executive candidate said.
Doing so, he added, is a step toward easing the regulatory burdens that can stifle small businesses in Montgomery County.
The only problem? At least one of his fiercest competitors is making a similar pledge.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
District of Columbia
D.C. bar, LGBTQ+ Community Center to mark Lesbian Visibility Week
‘Ahead of the Curve’ documentary screening, ‘Queeroke’ among events
2026 Lesbian Visibility Week North America will take place from April 20-26.
This year marks the third annual Lesbian Visibility Week, run by the Curve Foundation. A host of events take place from April 20-26.
This year’s theme is Health and Wellness. For the Curve Foundation, the term “lesbian” serves as an umbrella term for a host of identities, including lesbians, bisexual and transgender women, and anyone else connected to the lesbian community.
The week kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony on April 19. It will take place in New York, but will be livestreamed for the public.
“Queeroke” is one of the events being held around the country. It will take place at various participating bars on April 23.
As You Are, an LGBTQ bar in Capitol Hill, is one of eight locations across the U.S. participating. Their event is free and 21+.
On April 24, the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center will hold a screening of “Ahead of the Curve,” a documentary about the founder of Curve, Franco Stevens. The event is free with an RSVP.
April 25, is Queer Women in Sports Day. And on April 26, several monuments in New York will be illuminated.
Virtual events ranging from health to sports will be made available to the public. Details will be released closer to the start of Lesbian Visibility Week. Featured events can be found on the official website.
Some ways for individuals to get involved are to use #LVW26 and tag the official Lesbian Visibility Week account on social media posts. People are encouraged to display their lesbian flags, and businesses can hand out pins and decorate. They can also reach out to local lawmakers to encourage them to issue an official Lesbian Visibility Week.
District of Columbia
Whitman-Walker Health to present ‘Pro Bono Excellence’ award to law firm
Health center set to celebrate 40th anniversary of legal services program
Whitman-Walker Health, the D.C.-based community healthcare center that specializes in HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ-related health services, announced it will present its annual Dale Edwin Sanders Award for Pro Bono Excellence to the international law firm McDermott Will & Schulte at a May 6 ceremony.
“This year’s award is especially significant as it coincides with the 40th anniversary of Whitman-Walker Health’s Legal Services Program, marking it as the nation’s longest running medical-legal partnership,” a statement released by Whitman-Walker says.
“As a national leader in public health, Whitman-Walker celebrates our partnership with McDermott to strengthen the health center and to enable Whitman-Walker to reach more medical and legal clients,” the statement adds.
“McDermott’s firm-wide commitment to Whitman-Walker’s medical-legal partnership demonstrates a shared vision to serve those most in need,” Amy Nelson, Whitman-Walker’s director of Legal Services, says in the statement. “Our work protects individuals and families who face discrimination and hostility as they navigate increasingly complex administrative systems,” Nelson said.
“Pro bono legal services – like that of McDermott Will & Schulte – find solutions for people who have no place else to turn in the face of financial and health threats,” she added.
“Our partnership with Whitman-Walker Health is a treasured commitment to serving our neighbors and communities,” Steven Schnelle, one of the law firm’s partners said in the statement. “We are deeply moved by Whitman-Walker’s unwavering dedication to inclusion, respect, and equitable access to health care and social services,” he said.
The statement notes that the award for Pro Bono Excellence honors the legacy of the late gay attorney Dale Edwin Sanders. It says Sanders’s pro bono legal work for Whitman-Walker clients “shaped HIV/AIDS law for more than four decades by securing key victories on behalf of individuals whose employment and patient rights were violated.”
It says the Whitman-Walker Legal Services program began during the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s at a time when people with AIDS faced widespread discrimination and often needed legal assistance. According to the statement, the program evolved over the years and expanded to advocate for transgender people and immigrants.
Whitman-Walker spokesperson Lisa Amore said the presentation of the Dale Edwin Sanders Pro Bono Excellency Award will be held at the May 6 fundraising benefit for Whitman-Walker’s Legal Services Program. She said the event will take place at the offices of the DC law firm Baker McKenzie and ticket availability can be accessed here: https://www.whitman-walker.org/gtem-2026/
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Comings & Goings
Minimal version of ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ heading to Dupont Underground
