Local
Two gay Republicans join D.C. Council race
Two gay Republicans have announced they’re running for seats on the D.C. City Council this fall, with one challenging veteran gay Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1).
Marc Morgan, who’s challenging Graham, and Timothy Day, who’s challenging Council member Harry Thomas (D-Ward 5), describe themselves as moderates with progressive views on social issues and moderate-to-conservative stands on economic matters.
Both men say they’re strong supporters of LGBT rights and would have voted for the city’s same-sex marriage law had they been on the Council when it passed, 11-2. The two also oppose holding a voter referendum or initiative on the gay marriage issue, saying the matter has been decided and the city should move on to other issues.
“I support it 100 percent,” said Day said when asked about the city’s same-sex marriage law. He added that he and his partner have been together for 10 years and he considers marriage equality a basic right.
Morgan noted his own role in working on campaigns in Arizona against two ballot measures seeking to ban gay marriage. Arizona voters defeated the first one held in 2006, marking the first time any gay marriage referendum or initiative in the U.S. was defeated. But voters reversed themselves in 2008 and passed a measure banning gay marriage in the state.
“We were hit by a tidal wave from Prop 8 in California and couldn’t compete with the fundraising from our opposition,” he said, referring to the California ballot measure that overturned the state’s same-sex marriage law in 2008.
Morgan and Day said they wouldn’t challenge Graham and Thomas on LGBT issues, and would instead focus on economic development and education, among other issues.
Graham, one of the Council’s most outspoken supporters of LGBT rights, has been highly popular in the ward and among LGBT voters. In 2006, he won the Democratic primary with 86 percent of the vote and the general election with 97 percent. Graham and Thomas also enjoy the support of many local LGBT activists.
Morgan worked for 15 years as a fundraiser for non-profit organizations addressing issues related to HIV/AIDS, animal welfare and the environment, according to his campaign biography. He currently works as deputy director of development for the Carbon War Room, a non-profit group that fights climate change. He said his top campaign issue is improved economic development in Ward 1, especially for small businesses.
Day, a native Ward 5 resident, is a small business owner whose company “focuses on aiding the non-profit community,” according to his campaign biography. He’s running to boost economic development in the ward and improve the city’s fight against HIV/AIDS. He has been elected twice as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner in his ward.
Many local political observers said that the two men — like all GOP candidates — face an uphill battle in challenging Democratic incumbents in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a nine-to-one margin.
Graham must win his party’s nomination in the September Democratic primary to compete against Morgan in the November general election. Most political observers expect Graham to win the primary, where he faces a challenge from former D.C. school board member Jeff Smith.
Smith is considered supportive of LGBT issues, but received a zero rating from the Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance in his 2004 school board race because he failed to return a questionnaire and, at the time, his position on LGBT issues were unknown. The group automatically assigns such a rating to candidates that fail to return its questionnaire and whose record on LGBT issues cannot be determined. Its ratings are based both on record and questionnaire responses.
Thomas, who also has a strong record in support of LGBT issues, is facing at least three Democratic opponents in the September primary. His support and vote for the same-sex marriage bill was controversial in Ward 5, where some voters denounced Thomas for voting for the bill.
But similar to Ward 1, Ward 5 voters are overwhelmingly Democratic, making it difficult for a Republican to win there.
Although Republicans have won at-large seats on the Council, no Republican has won a ward Council seat since the city’s home rule government held its first Council election in 1974.
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Congratulations to Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-Del.) on being honored with this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health. Amy Nelson, senior director of Legal Services, said, “Congresswoman Sarah McBride is working to make healthcare accessible to all, and this award recognizes her support of healthcare as a human right. Our legal program supports families facing unprecedented challenges to stay healthy and safe – families that Congresswoman McBride champions with a deep understanding of the issues they face and the legislative expertise of how to support them.”
McBride, in a press release, said, “I am honored to accept this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health — an organization that has spent 40 years doing vital work to ensure every person can access the dignity of care. In the wealthiest and most developed nation on earth, the ability to receive care should not be a matter of luck—it should be the law of the land. I am proud to be recognized as a partner in this work and to support Whitman-Walker Health in their mission to build a healthier society for all.”
Congratulations also to Wes Drummond who will join Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach, Del., as its third artistic director. Managing Director Joe Gfaller said, “This is an exciting moment of growth for Clear Space as we welcome Wes to join our remarkable team. I am confident he will be an excellent partner as we work with our entire staff, board, and committed team of volunteers, to ensure Clear Space can achieve its full potential in pursuit of our mission to unite and enrich our community through every production on stage, and every arts-based learning program we offer throughout our community.”
On accepting the position Drummond said, “I’m honored to join Clear Space Theatre Company as artistic director, and beyond excited for what we’re about to create together. Clear Space has established itself as a vital and vibrant part of the cultural life of coastal Delaware, and I feel incredibly fortunate to step into this next chapter alongside such a passionate and dedicated team. Rehoboth Beach is a place defined by creativity and community, and I look forward to listening, learning, and building meaningful relationships across the region in the months ahead. My vision is to help Clear Space continue to grow as a bold, forward-thinking, cultural force, that champions fearless storytelling.”
Drummond served in leadership roles at Duluth Playhouse in Duluth, Minn., from 2021 to 2026, including four years as executive director followed by one year as executive producing artistic director, guiding the organization through a period of significant transformation and stability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a director, he has worked extensively in New York City, Chicago, and at regional theaters across the country, directing both musical theater and plays with a focus on storytelling that bridges classical works with contemporary perspectives. He has collaborated with leading figures in the industry, including Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus, and Tony-nominated director Michael Greif. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Wes earned his MFA in directing, Penn State University, where he studied under Tony-nominated director, Susan H. Schulman.
Virginia
Va. Supreme Court invalidates Democrat-backed redistricting plan
Voters narrowly approved new congressional districts last month
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Democrat-backed redistricting plan that voters approved last month.
Ten of 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts favor Democrats in the plan that passed by a 51-48 vote margin in last month’s referendum.
The Human Rights Campaign PAC is among the groups that support it. The court by a 4-3 majority invalidated the referendum results.
District of Columbia
Maren Morris to headline Capital Pride Concert
Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter came out as bisexual in 2024
Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride events, announced on May 7 that nationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Maren Morris, who identifies as bisexual, will be the headline performer at this year’s Capital Pride Concert scheduled for June 21.
The concert takes place as part of the annual Capital Pride Festival held on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., usually between 3rd Street near the U.S. Capitol and 9th Street.
“Morris, known for her genre-blending sound and outspoken support of LGBTQ+ rights, will be joined by a standout lineup, including acclaimed queer rapper Leikeli47, pop icon Lisa Lisa, Juno-nominated producer and DJ from the ‘Heated Rivalry’ soundtrack, Harrison, and ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 18 winner Myki Meeks,” according to a statement released by Capital Pride.
“In a moment when LGBTQ+ people are being challenged across the country, the Capital Pride Concert is a space where our community is fully seen and heard,” Ryan Bos, the Capital Pride Alliance CEO and president, said in the statement. “Bringing Maren Morris to the stage reflects this year’s theme: Exist, Resist, Have the Audacity,” Bos said.
The statement notes that the concert takes place as part of the annual D.C. Pride Festival, which is open to the public free of charge, with tickets available for purchase for specific areas listed as the Capital Stage Pit Zone and the VIP Concert Zone.
It says the festival takes place from 12 –10 p.m. and points out that in addition to the music performed by multiple other performers on several stages, festival attendees “can explore hundreds of exhibitors, community organizations, and artisans, along with multiple food courts and beverage gardens throughout the festival footprint.”
Information on the Capital Pride Alliance website shows that the festival takes place one day after the annual Capital Pride Parade, scheduled for June 20 and which is expected to travel from 14th and T Streets, N.W., to Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., where it is expected to end at 9th Street.
The statement adds that following the stage performances during the June 21 festival, which are expected to conclude around 8 p.m., “the celebration will continue with the Capitol Sunset Dance Party, closing out the evening against the backdrop of the U.S. Capitol.”
The online publication Today, which is part of the NBC “Today” television show, reported that Morris came out as bisexual in a 2024 during Pride. It reports Morris “shared several images of herself holding a Pride flag to mark the occasion, writing, ‘Happy to be the B in LGBTQ+’”
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