Local
Mayor promises greater visibility in LGBT community
Says hate crimes ‘being taken more seriously’
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty pledged to be more visible in the LGBT community if elected to a second term. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series featuring exclusive interviews with the two leading Democratic candidates for mayor. Next week, an interview with City Council Chairman Vincent Gray.
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty said his administration has a strong record of support on a wide range of LGBT issues, including marriage equality, but acknowledged he has not done “as good a job as I should have” in speaking out in public forums on issues of concern to that community.
In an exclusive interview Tuesday with the Washington Blade, Fenty promised to be far more visible in his approach to the LGBT community as well as other constituency groups.
“I’ve got to do a much better job being more visible in my second term, and I will,” he said. “I’ve got to get out in people’s doorsteps, at community events. You name it. I did not do as good of a job as I should have in my first term as mayor in getting out to the community.”
But on the substance of his administration’s policies and actions on LGBT issues, Fenty cited his signing of an historic same-sex marriage equality law, policies supportive of LGBT businesses, the cabinet-level work of his Office of GLBT Affairs, and a commitment to LGBT youth by his public schools chancellor, Michelle Rhee, as just some of his administration’s accomplishments.
“So it’s been a great four years and we’re really looking forward to the next four years in a second term after the Democratic primary,” he said.
When asked about complaints by some LGBT activists that Police Chief Cathy Lanier’s reorganization of the department’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit has made it less responsive to the community and that police were not investigating hate crimes as aggressively as they should, Fenty said he has full confidence in Lanier’s leadership and strategies.
Citing a sharp drop in overall crime in the city, including homicides, during his term, Fenty said crimes targeting LGBT people and others are “being taken more seriously, handled more professionally and we’re getting better results.”
Although he did not mention by name City Council Chairman Vincent Gray, his chief opponent in the Sept. 14 primary, the mayor said police officials such as Lanier rather than “politicians” should be setting strategies for fighting hate crimes. In campaign appearances, Gray has attacked Fenty for not taking a strong enough stand against hate crimes.
“You want law enforcement putting together strategy for keeping people safe,” Fenty said. “You don’t want civilians and you especially don’t want politicians to be the ones who are developing those strategies. And I believe Chief Lanier has done a great job doing that.”
Shortly after his interview with the Blade, Fenty joined New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a news conference in a downtown restaurant in which Bloomberg gave a ringing endorsement of Fenty’s re-election bid. Bloomberg cited the drop in D.C.’s crime rate as being among Fenty’s most significant accomplishments.
Bloomberg also defended Fenty’s decision to support and sign the city’s same-sex marriage law, saying government should not stand in the way of any citizen’s right to marry.
“They have a right to believe what they want to believe,” Bloomberg said of same-sex marriage opponents. “But just as with religious freedom, I do not believe it’s the government’s business to get involved in family lives, particularly when no one gets hurt. And I think you should have a right to marry anybody you want, love anybody you want. It seems to me it is just as basic a right as everybody else. Period. End of story.”
Following are excerpts of the Blade’s interview with Fenty. Visit washingtonblade.com for the full transcript and a video of the interview.
Washington Blade: What do you see as some of your main accomplishments in addressing issues of concern to the LGBT community?
Adrian Fenty: I think gay marriage and marriage equality is the biggest thing to happen over the past three-and-a-half years. When the bill was introduced, I think it meant a lot to the people who introduced it and to the community that I expressed my full support and that I said I would sign it as soon as it came to my desk. I think that left a lot of people feeling very certain that it would move fast through the local government, which I think helped prevent naysayers in the federal government and Congress from being opposed to it.
We’ve also been very supportive of GLBT businesses. We’ve been very supportive of equality in the workplace, in hiring. The chief [D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier] has done a fantastic job in really trying to address some of the hate crimes that are sometimes being committed against our GLBT neighbors. So it’s been a great four years and we’re really looking forward to the next four years in a second term after the Democratic primary.
Blade: Some of your critics in the LGBT community who are backing Vincent Gray say you have not been as visible as they would prefer in speaking out on a number LGBT-related issues, including hate crimes, and that you haven’t attended many LGBT events. Is that a fair criticism?
Fenty: Yes, it is a very fair criticism. It’s actually probably extremely fair. I’ve got to do a much better job being more visible in my second term, and I will.
Blade: Do you mean going to more events?
Fenty: Doing everything. I mean I have got to get out into the community. I’ve got to get out in people’s doorsteps, at community events. You name it; I did not do as good of a job as I should have in my first term as mayor in getting out to the community. And I should be held responsible for that, to do it better in the second term.
Blade: You’ve been praised for appointing Chris Dyer as head of the Mayor’s Office of GLBT Affairs.
Fenty: I like Chris. He’s great.
Blade: But some in the LGBT community have expressed concern that while Chris appears before and speaks at a lot of community meetings, he’s not allowed to speak to the press, including the LGBT press. Under the administration of your predecessor, Mayor [Anthony] Williams, the GLBT office director was allowed to speak to the media as a spokesperson for the administration on LGBT issues.
Fenty: Well, to the extent that any of our directors have not spoken directly to the media, it’s pretty much part and parcel of either our general communications strategy or it may just be a particular issue. It depends. But we don’t treat the director for GLBT any different than we treat any of our other cabinet directors. Most things go through communications. There are certain issues that become very high profile and we just allow the communications office to handle them out of the EOM [Executive Office of the Mayor]. And that’s true of Public Works, Motor Vehicles, and of anything.
Blade: In terms of LGBT-related crimes, you and Police Chief Cathy Lanier held a press conference last Saturday on Mozart Street, N.W., to announce arrests in two recent homicides. One of the victims was a gay man.
Fenty: We sure did. We sure did have a press conference. The police department did a fabulous job closing a crime on Mozart in less than 72 hours after it occurred. And this is part and parcel of the police department, which under our administration has raised the homicide closure rate to about 80 percent. There was a time in the District of Columbia government where our homicide closure rate was abysmally low, way below the national average. And now it sits very comfortably somewhere in between 15 and 25 percentage points above the national average. Our homicides are down to where they were in 1966, and that was last year. This year we’re actually 17 percentage points where we were last year in terms of our homicides. So we’re talking about Chief Lanier for crimes that are involving our GLBT community — or crimes that involve just about anybody in our city — that they’re being taken more seriously, handled more professionally and we’re getting better results.
One of the reasons why we’re excited about another four years is because people like Chief Lanier are going to have an opportunity to use everything they’ve learned and all their accomplishments in the first term to do an even better job in the second term.
Blade: Didn’t Chief Lanier bring up at the same news conference the arrest of someone linked to the homicide of a gay man?
Fenty: Yes she did.
Blade: That case followed a string of anti-gay assaults mostly in the Dupont Circle area. The local group Gays & Lesbians Opposing Violence said that although there may be an overall drop in the crime rate, we may be facing an increase in crimes targeting LGBT people at this time. Do you have any thoughts on that?
Fenty: I thought the chief said at that press conference that she did not believe that one was a hate crime.
Blade: That’s correct. However, the police have said the man may have been targeted for a robbery in what they call a crime of opportunity. The other five were listed as hate crimes.
Fenty: Do you have a question?
Blade: The question, as some of the activists put it, is can your office and the police department more actively and aggressively fight hate crimes targeting the LGBT community?
Fenty: Well, you know, as I said at that press conference, I am not the policing expert. The chief and I have met with members of all different communities in Washington, D.C. We want to hear their issues and concerns. But it’s up to the chief of police to develop the proper policing strategies, not just for hate crimes involving the GLBT community but hate crimes in general and crime in general. You want law enforcement putting together a strategy for keeping people safe. You don’t want civilians and you especially don’t want politicians to be the ones who are developing those strategies. And I believe that Chief Lanier has done a great job doing that.
Blade: Concerning the city’s HIV/AIDS Administration, you and others have pointed out the reforms and improvements at that agency under the direction of Dr. Shannon Hader, who you appointed to head it. Have you had a chance to assess how the AIDS administration is doing since Dr. Hader resigned earlier this year to take another job?
Fenty: I think that most of the reforms that Hader has put in place continue, pretty seamlessly so far.
Blade: What’s the status of the search for a new permanent director of the AIDS administration? Has a decision been made on whether to retain the current interim director?
Fenty: There hasn’t been a decision yet. That will happen after the election.
Blade: Turning to the campaign, some of the more outspoken leaders of the LGBT community are supporting your main opponent, Vincent Gray. The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club endorsed him. What message do you have for the LGBT voters who may still be undecided?
Fenty: That the city is working fantastically and that my team should be re-elected so that we can continue the progress.
Blade: Going back to police issues, Chief Lanier’s changes to the Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit have been controversial with some in the LGBT community. She decentralized the unit and arranged to have officers from all of the police districts become affiliates with the GLLU, but she downsized the GLLU’s central headquarters located in Dupont Circle. Do you have any problems with that? Do you think it’s working as well as it should?
Fenty: Well, I think the results speak for themselves. The chief has done a great job addressing crime. And again, civilians should have a role in communicating to the government what results they would like to see. But on matters of subject matter expertise as serious as public safety and law enforcement, you’ve got to trust and enable the police department under a great chief to be able to make the right decisions. I believe we have a great chief. I believe we have the greatest chief in the country. So if we have the greatest chief in the country, then let’s support her in her decision making. She obviously cares a tremendous amount. And I think she’s obviously, she’s gotten more results as police chief than anybody in a long time.
Blade: The city has some financial issues because of the economy. You’re faced with less revenue and you’re putting in place some budget cuts. Will you have enough resources to keep the budget at a level that’s needed for the HIV/AIDS Administration and the Office of Human Rights, among other offices, which the LGBT community relies on for the enforcement of non-discrimination laws?
Fenty: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Blade: You don’t see any budget cuts in those agencies?
Fenty: I don’t see any service reductions.
Blade: On the same-sex marriage issue, if the opponents succeed in court to force a voter initiative to decide whether the same-sex marriage law should be overturned, would you campaign against overturning the law? Members of the LGBT community are wondering whether the city’s leaders would stand up and take a stand on that.
Fenty: Yes. Yes I would.
Blade: Have you seen any significant opposition to you because you signed the same-sex marriage bill?
Fenty: I think most people in Washington, D.C. are extremely supportive of equality, not just in marriage but in all issues in D.C. There’s nothing that we do that’s unanimous. But from what I can tell, there’s great support for the legislation that was introduced by [City] Council member [David] Catania, passed by the Council and signed by me as mayor.
Blade: Do you have any sense of if it goes before the voters whether they would support it or overturn it?
Fenty: Well as I just said, I think that it enjoys broad support in the community, that the majority support it.
Blade: Can you explain in your own words what went wrong when the mayor’s office earlier this year issued the proclamation supporting PFOX, Parents & Friends of Ex-Gays [& Gays], which is an anti-gay group?
Fenty: Our office issued a proclamation without doing a thorough enough investigation of who we were issuing the proclamation to and for. And it was a mistake. And I should be blamed for the mistake because it is my office.
Blade: Have steps been taken to prevent that from happening again?
Fenty: Yes they have. We have taken steps to do everything humanly possible to prevent something like that from ever occurring again.
Blade: In the area of economic development and small business, there’s been an ongoing concern by some in the LGBT community about over regulation and restrictions on nightlife venues and entertainment venues. Some of that came to light when the new baseball stadium displaced five or six or more adult-oriented businesses, with some catering to the gay community, that have been unable to relocate due to zoning restrictions. Are the existing liquor board and zoning regulations tilted too much against small business ventures like these, whether they are gay or straight?
Fenty: I believe that the laws and regulations are within the range that is necessary to promote small businesses and to allow them to thrive and prosper. As in any other laws and regulations, one of the big X-factors is how they are enforced and how they are administered. I’m sure that my administration can do a better job in administering and enforcing the laws and we will look forward to doing that as we move forward in this term and in the next term. And of course, just like any other law and regulation, the whole purpose of having a City Council and experts in the executive branch is because, from time to time, if those laws need to be adjusted, tweaked or modified — if we find that needs to happen, we will absolutely work with the community to make the necessary changes.
Blade: Concerning the Office of GLBT Affairs, do you meet regularly with Chris Dyer of that office on matters dealing with the community?
Fenty: Yes. Yes I do. It is not on a regular interval but they are regular meetings.
Blade: Is that considered a cabinet level position?
Fenty: Yes. The director of the Office of GLBT Affairs is at every one of my cabinet meetings, which happens once a month. And I would say, to expand on the first question, the director of the Office of GLBT Affairs meets with us as much as any director for the most part in the government.
Blade: Is it safe to assume that you’re planning to keep that office as it is?
Fenty: It’s a fantastic office and we absolutely will keep it and find ways to strengthen it.
Blade: Looking to the public schools, you’ve pushed through policies and changes that are highly controversial. Would it be too controversial for you to go a step further to see that the schools address head-on LGBT sensitivity-related issues? Experts have said that some of the root causes of anti-LGBT hate crimes and prejudice are a lack of understanding and education in the schools about minorities and diversity.
Fenty: So you’re asking whether we’re going to do more?
Blade: That’s right. There’s some of this in the existing curricula on health-related issues, including HIV and AIDS. But would it be too controversial to include more on LGBT-related issues in the schools?
Fenty: I don’t think it would be too controversial at all. And I think the [schools] chancellor [Michelle Rhee] is just in concert with all of her other groundbreaking and nationwide leading reforms of education and her ability to tackle tough issues and be a real leader for urban school system improvement. I believe she will continue to make the types of adjustments that are needed to make sure that our school system is the most inclusive school system in the country. I was very glad that the chancellor accepted the invitation of the organizers of the Gay Pride parade to walk in the parade at the front with a sign that said “DCPS supports all of our kids.” And that obviously includes some of our young people who are GLBT.
Blade: On a personal level, do you know any LGBT people as friends or relatives that have had an impact on you in your public policy positions?
Fenty: Well, of course I do. But I believe that as mayor what’s important is to take from your personal experiences and to take from the experience of your constituents in developing great policy and being a really great administrator.
Blade: Is there any other message that you want to conclude with to the LGBT voters who will be deciding on who to support for mayor?
Fenty: Sure. We want to ask all of your readership and viewership to support us on Sept. 14. The city has moved forth fantastically. Crime is down. The schools are finally being improved. City services have never been greater. There’s tons of economic development — fantastic things. Services for the poor are improving. And all this is happening in the midst of [a] recession, which I think goes to show it’s not just our strong ability to get things done for the people of the city but also to do it with less revenue and with more bang for the buck.
Blade: Thank you.
The year 2025 brought unprecedented challenges to D.C. as President Trump initiated a takeover of local police operations and implemented ICE raids in the city. Below are our picks for the top 10 LGBTQ news stories of the year.
10. Man gets 15 years for drug sale that led to deaths of two gay men
A D.C. man was sentenced by a federal judge on June 26, 2025, to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty three months earlier to conspiracy related charges that he distributed large amounts of fentanyl and cocaine in the D.C. area, including the sale of fentanyl that resulted in the December 2023 deaths of two D.C. gay men.
A statement released by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for D.C. said Jevaughn Mark, 33, was charged, among other things, with selling fentanyl rather than the requested ketamine, known as “Special K,” to one of the two gay victims who shared the drug with his gay friend. Police identified the men as Brandon Roman, 38, a prominent D.C. attorney and LGBTQ rights advocate, and Robbie Barletta, 28, a home renovation business owner and historic preservationist.
An official with the D.C.-based group HIPS, which provides services to drug users, called the deaths of the two men a poisoning rather than an overdose because they unknowingly consumed the highly toxic fentanyl rather than the ketamine they thought they had.
9. Drag queens, protesters denounce Trump’s Kennedy Center takeover
D.C. drag performer Tara Hoot was among other drag queens and about 100 supporters who marched in February from Washington Circle to the Kennedy Center to protest President Donald Trump’s Kennedy Center “takeover” by his appointment of Trump supporters to the performing arts facility’s board of directors.
Hoot and three other local drag performers followed up with their own Kennedy Center protest in June by attending the Kennedy Center’s opening night performance of “Les Misérables” while Trump himself was in attendance. Among the concerns raised by the protesters was the Kennedy Center’s decision in February to cancel a performance by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington scheduled for May to celebrate the upcoming WorldPride 2025 DC events. A Kennedy Center spokesperson said the performance was canceled because of “financial” and “scheduling” factors and not by the Trump initiated management changes.
8. D.C. LGBTQ Center celebrates opening of new, larger offices
The D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center officially opened its new expanded offices on April 26 at 1828 Wiltberger St., N.W., located one block from the Shaw Metro station.
Spanning 6,671 square feet of intentionally designed space, Center Director Kimberley Bush said the new space would offer a wide range of resources for LGBTQ individuals in need – including mental health services, job readiness programs, cultural events and community support groups, all under one roof.
7. Deaths of five key local LGBTQ advocates in 2025
The LGBTQ community took note of the passing of at least five highly regarded local LGBTQ advocates in 2025. Among them were Jeri Hughes, 73, a longtime local transgender rights activist; Dale Sanders, 75, a highly acclaimed D.C. attorney for more than 40 years who played a leading role in providing legal services to people with HIV/AIDS; Patrick Shaw, 60, a highly regarded D.C. public schools teacher; Thomas Mangrum, 61, an acclaimed advocate for people with disabilities and LGBTQ rights activist involved in the city’s Capital Pride events; and Loraine Hutchins, a nationally known and acclaimed advocate for bisexual and LGBTQ rights, and co-author and editor of a groundbreaking book on bisexuality.
6. Pro-LGBTQ Spanberger elected Va. governor
Former congresswoman and longtime LGBTQ rights supporter Abigail Spanberger (D) won her race for governor of Virginia on Nov. 6, defeating the state’s Republican lieutenant governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, who expressed strong opposition to LGBTQ equality. Spanberger, who will succeed incumbent GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin in January, becomes Virginia’s first female governor.
Meanwhile, John Reid, a gay conservative radio talk show host in Richmond for many years, lost his race as the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in Virginia, falling short of becoming the state’s first openly gay person to win a statewide office. Reid lost to Democrat Ghazala Hashmi, a member of the Virginia State Senate, who became the first Muslim woman to win election to a statewide office in any state.
5. Trans erasure hits D.C.
The National Park Service, which owns and maintains Dupont Circle as a federal park, in February removed all references to transgender people from its website devoted to Dupont Circle history. In a development believed to be linked to one of President Trump’s early executive orders banning federal support for trans related issues, the Park Service removed all mention of trans people from its website but left on the site multiple references to the “GLB community.”
In yet another act of what LGBTQ activists are calling “trans erasure,” D.C.’s Children’s National Hospital in July announced it would discontinue beginning Aug. 30 gender transition medical care it has provided for juvenile patients for at least the past 20 years. In a statement posted on its website, the highly acclaimed pediatric hospital said the change was made “in light of escalating legal and regulatory risks to Children’s National.” Most observers interpreted that to mean the risk of federal funding cuts linked to the Trump administration’s animus toward trans supportive programs or policies.
4. D.C. Mayor Bowser announces she will not run for re-election
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a longtime vocal supporter of the LGBTQ community, announced on Nov. 25 that she will not run for a fourth term. Since first taking office as mayor in January 2015, Bowser has been an outspoken supporter on a wide range of LGBTQ-related issues, including marriage equality and services for LGBTQ youth and seniors.
LGBTQ activists have pointed out that Bowser’s record of support on LGBTQ issues dates back to her tenure as the Ward 4 D.C. Council member from 2007 through January 2015, when she took office as mayor. They also credit her with expanding and significantly increasing funding for the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs and appointing the largest number of openly LGBTQ officials to D.C. government jobs than any prior D.C. mayor.
“It has been the honor of my life to be your mayor,” Bowser said in a statement.
3. D.C. LGBTQ bars ‘hanging in there’ amid tough economy
The owners of several of D.C.’s at least 25 LGBTQ bars told the Blade in November they had been negatively impacted by a series of developments and issues impacting most other D.C. bars, restaurants, and nightlife venues. Among the lead issues impacting them, they said, were the deployment by President Trump of National Guard troops on city streets, the nearly two-month-long federal government shutdown that ended in late November, and skyrocketing prices of food and other supplies brought about by the Trump administration’s tariff program.
Other factors cited were a decline in tourist visits to D.C. due to alienation from the Trump administration and a large increase in the number of LGBTQ bars in recent years that some observers said has resulted in fewer people going to each of the LGBTQ bars, the latest one, Rush at 14th and U Street, N.W., having opened in December.
2. At least 1.2 million turn out for WorldPride D.C.
At least 1.2 million people turned out from throughout the U.S. and internationally for WorldPride D.C. 2025, which took place from mid-May through June. It included hundreds of events held across the city. Among them were an international human rights conference, a March on Washington for LGBTQ Equality, sporting events with LGBTQ athletes, concerts by LGBTQ choral groups and nationally acclaimed pop musicians.
The events culminated with a six-hour-long WorldPride Parade on June 7 that drew hundreds of thousands of participants and bystanders and included a 1,000-foot long rainbow flag that led the parade. The WorldPride street festival and concert took place that same day and the following day, on June 8, along Pennsylvania Ave, N.W. that included hundreds of booths.
The 1.2 million attendance and the a $310 million economic impact it had on the city were significantly less that what had been initially predicted by city officials, who, along with LGBTQ activists, said the lower attendance and economic impact was due in part to the anti-LGBTQ policies and alienation of many potential foreign visitors by the Trump administration.
1. Trump takes control of D.C. police, deploys National Guard
LGBTQ rights advocates joined community leaders across the city in condemning President Donald Trump’s decision in August to take control of the D.C Metropolitan Police Department and deploy 800 National Guard troops to address what he called a crime wave caused by “bloodthirsty criminals” and “roving mobs of wild youth.”
A coalition of local LGBTQ advocacy organizations joined other community leaders, including gay D.C. Council member Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5), in calling Trump’s action a “power grab” aimed at eliminating D.C.’s locally elected government that would adversely impact people of color, the LGBTQ and immigrant communities.
In a development that captured national attention, a gay man was arrested on Aug. 10 on a misdemeanor assault charge for tossing a hero sandwich into the chest of a uniformed U.S. Customs and Border Control agent on a street near several gay bars in what he called an act of protest and defiance of the Trump deployment of federal troops and agents in D.C. In what some observers called a gesture of support for gay sandwich thrower Sean Charles Dunn, a federal court jury handed down a verdict of not guilty for the assault charge.
District of Columbia
Reasons to be optimistic about 2026
Local thought leaders offer hope for the New Year
It was a year like no other. It began with Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025 and included a takeover of D.C. police, ICE raids, challenges for the local economy, and other events that have many queer Washingtonians ready for 2026.
As we prepare to welcome the New Year, the Blade asked a range of local thought leaders about what makes them optimistic for 2026. Here are their responses.
June Crenshaw
Deputy Director, Capital Pride Alliance
What gives me optimism for 2026 is the way our LGBTQIA2S+ community supports one another – across identities, neighborhoods, and movements – and because we continue to build our collective powers; we demand and create safer, more inclusive spaces.
Zachary Parker
Ward 5 DC. Council member
I’m optimistic about the upcoming elections and the District’s continued fight for local autonomy. One thing I know for sure is that Washingtonians are tough and persistent, and we’re ready to face any challenge as we keep fighting for D.C. statehood.
Sister Jeannine Gramick
Co-founder of LGBTQ supportive New Ways Ministry
As a nun who thinks politically about the Catholic Church, I’m extremely optimistic that Pope Leo XIV will continue to welcome LGBTQ people. At the conclave, most cardinals knew Pope Francis had (then) Cardinal Proost in mind!
Adam Ebbin
Virginia State Senator representing parts of Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax Counties
I am excited about 2026 bringing the return of the pro-equality governor to Virginia. I believe that Abigail Spanberger will be a champion for LGBT people and it will also be the year that we can finally pass the necessary legislation to send a constitutional amendment to the voters that would guarantee marriage equality in the Virginia Constitution.
Howard Garrett
President, Capital Stonewall Democrats
In 2026, our community can be optimistic because we’ve proven, again and again, that when we organize, we win: at the ballot box, in the courts, and in our neighborhoods. Even amid challenge, LGBTQ+ Washingtonians and our allies are building stronger coalitions, electing champions, and advancing real protections that make daily life safer and more affirming for everyone.
Paul Kuntzler
D.C. LGBTQ activist since the early 1960s, co-founder of Capital Stonewall Democrats
Last Nov. 4, 11 states held elections and Democrats won almost all of the elections. Next Nov. 3, 2026, Democrats will win control of both the House and Senate …An Economist poll reported that 15 percent to 20 percent of those who voted for Trump no longer support him. The results of the elections of Nov. 3, 2026, will be the beginning of the end of Trump and his racist and criminal regime.
Kelley Robinson
President, Human Rights Campaign
This past year has brought relentless attacks against the LGBTQ+ community, but it has also shown the resiliency of queer folks. While this administration has worked tirelessly to oppress us, we’ve met that oppression with courage. As we step into 2026, my hope is that we carry that energy forward and continue protecting one another, fighting back against injustice, and celebrating queer joy. If 2026 is anything like 2025, we know the challenges will be intense, but our community is more determined than ever to meet hate with resilience, and to turn struggle into strength.
Freddie Lutz
Owner, Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington and Rehoboth Beach
I am optimistic that the current president will fulfill his promise to boost the economy. We are all suffering – businesses in D.C. I just read it is 17 to 18 percent down. And I’m hoping the president will boost the economy. I always try to remain optimistic.
Nicholas F. Benton
Owner & Editor, Falls Church News-Press
My optimism stems from my belief in the human capacity and generosity of spirit. Those who are committed to those qualities will find a way.
Richard Rosendall
Former president, D.C. Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance
MAGA efforts to demonize LGBTQ people are dangerous but will fail overall because understanding and acceptance have grown and endured. The blue wave in November 2026 will show this.
TJ Flavell
Organizer, Go Gay DC
Hope springs eternal. Nurturing your own wellness is vital to the New Year, including enjoying social and cultural activities through such groups as Go Gay DC – Metro DC’s LGBTQ Community. Also, 2026 ushers in a new tax deduction for charitable giving. Check the IRS website for details. You can make a positive impact in the New Year by supporting good charitable causes like the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center, a safe, inclusive, and affirming space where all members of our community can thrive.
Rayceen Pendarvis
Leader of Team Rayceen D.C. LGBTQ support organization
I have experienced many trials and tribulations in my lifetime, throughout which my spirit has enabled me to find peace despite the turbulence around me. Being optimistic allows me to be a beacon of light for those who may be lost in the darkness.
Zar
Team Rayceen organizer
My reason for optimism is this: death. Life is a cycle of time, change, and destruction. Everything is impermanent; the time any person rules is finite and eventually all empires end.
DJ Honey
Team Rayceen supporter
Despite the noise, I see 2026 as a year where queer people continue choosing community over isolation. Even when challenged, our culture keeps evolving. We are more visible, more creative and intentional about building spaces that protect each other and center joy without asking permission.
Nick Tsusaki
Owner, Spark Social House, D.C. LGBTQ café and bar
I’m optimistic for 2026 because it feels like the tide is turning and we’re coming together as a community.
District of Columbia
Rush reopens after renewing suspended liquor license
Principal owner says he’s working to resolve payroll issue for unpaid staff
The D.C. LGBTQ bar and nightclub Rush reopened and was serving drinks to customers on Saturday night, Dec. 20, under a renewed liquor license three days after the city’s Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board suspended the license on grounds that Rush failed to pay a required annual licensing fee.
In its Dec. 17 order suspending the Rush liquor license the ABC Board stated the “payment check was returned unpaid and alternative payment was not submitted.”
Jackson Mosley, Rush’s principal owner, says in a statement posted on the Rush website that the check did not “bounce,” as rumors circulating in the community have claimed. He said a decision was made to put a “hold” on the check so that Rush could change its initial decision to submit a payment for the license for three years and instead to pay a lower price for a one-year payment.
“Various fees and fines were added to the amount, making it necessary to replace the stop-payment check in person – a deadline that was Wednesday despite my attempts to delay it due to these circumstances,” Mosley states in his message.
He told the Washington Blade in an interview inside Rush on Saturday night, Dec. 20, that the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) quickly processed Rush’s liquor license renewal following his visit to submit a new check.
He also reiterated in the interview some of the details he explained in his Rush website statement regarding a payroll problem that resulted in his employees not being paid for their first month’s work at Rush, which was scheduled to take place Dec. 15 through a direct deposit into the employees’ bank accounts.
Several employees set up a GoFundMe appeal in which they stated they “showed up, worked hard, and were left unpaid after contributing their time, labor, and professional skills to Rush, D.C.’s newest LGBTQ bar.”
In his website statement Mosley says employees were not paid because of a “tax related mismatch between federal and District records,” which, among other things, involves the IRS. He said the IRS was using his former company legal name Green Zebra LLC while D.C. officials are using his current company legal name Rainbow Zebra LLC.
“This discrepancy triggered a compliance hold within our payroll system,” he says in his statement. “The moment I became aware of the issue, I immediately engaged our payroll provider and began working to resolve it,” he wrote.
He added that while he is the founder and CEO of Rush’s parent and management company called Momentux, company investors play a role in making various decisions, and that the investors rather than he control a “syndicated treasury account” that funds and operates the payroll system.
He told the Blade that he and others involved with the company were working hard to resolve the payroll problem as soon as possible.
“Every employee – past or present – will receive the pay they are owed in accordance with D.C. and federal law,” he says in his statement. “That remains my priority.”
In a follow-up text message to the Blade on Sunday night, Dec. 21, Mosley said, “All performers, DJs, etc. have been fully paid.”
He said Rush had 21 employees but “2 were let go for gross misconduct, 2 were let go for misconduct, 1 for moral turpitude, 2 for performance concerns.” He added that all of the remaining 14 employees have returned to work at the time of the reopening on Dec. 20.
Rush held its grand opening on Dec. 5 on the second and third floors of a building at 2001 14th Street, N.W., with its entrance around the corner on U Street next to the existing LGBTQ dance club Bunker.
With at least a half dozen or more LGBTQ bars located within walking distance of Rush in the U Street entertainment corridor, Mosley told the Blade he believes some of the competing LGBTQ bars, which he says believe Rush will take away their customers, may be responsible along with former employees of “rumors” disparaging him and Rush.
The year in photos
D.C.’s 10 best theater productions of 2025
A look back at the best books of 2025
A dangerous precedent on trans rights in Texas
Top 10 international LGBTQ news stories of 2025
The 25 greatest queer movies of the 21st century so far
Top 10 LGBTQ local news stories of 2025
Kazakh president signs anti-LGBTQ propaganda bill
Looking back at the 10 biggest A&E stories of 2025
