Miscellaneous
Queery: Aaron Anson
The local author answers 20 gay questions
Author Aaron Anson (Blade photo by Michael Key)
Aaron Anson had no dreams to become an author but during the process of journaling through his later-in-life coming out process, he thought perhaps his story could help others.
“I realized others may be suffering in the same way I was in the process of loving and accepting myself,” the 49-year-old Merritt Island, Fla., native says. “So from there it evolved to others. Particularly in the black community, there’s still so much taboo and so much is swept under the church rug or the rug at home. I was at a point financially and otherwise where I could say what I want and what I feel. Others want to talk about this but they’re never given an avenue to do so.”
Anson calls his book — “Mind Your Own Life: the Journey Back to Acceptance” (Balboa Press) — “semi-autobiographical.” In it, he uses his story as a jumping-off point to offer advice to others oppressed by religion-based anti-gay bigotry. It came out in June. He’s having a release party, open to the public, at Cobalt Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event is free. Copies of the book — $20 in paperback or $35 hardcover — will be available. It’s also available on Amazon and in e-reader editions (aaronanson.com).
Anson was married for 15 years to a woman and has two now-grown children, Aaron and Kesha and six grandchildren. He worked most of his adult life in construction and insurance and came out to his ex-wife at age 35. A phrase he happened upon while channel surfing one day about finding one’s “own destiny” resonated with him in a way in which no religious teaching ever had. He grew up Baptist but had explored several faiths in an effort to find peace.
“It was really an epiphany,” he says. “I started really questioning my life and realizing how much of it had been laid out for other people.”
A longtime Atlanta resident, he met his partner Oliver in 2007. They had a commitment ceremony that year in Atlanta and consider that their wedding date but got married legally upon moving to Washington in 2008. They run a Mac repair business together and live in Dupont Circle.
Anson enjoys construction, art, reading and traveling in his free time. He also enjoys yoga, hiking, biking and theater.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
Fourteen years. The hardest was telling my wife at that time I was gay.
Who’s your LGBT hero?
James Baldwin
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Hanks Oyster Bar
Describe your dream wedding.
Bora Bora, at an over-the-water honeymoon hut.
What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about?
The environment and homelessness
What historical outcome would you change?
Church and state. Government should not be sanctioning marriages of any kind and should be solely a personal commitment between two people.
What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?
Drive-in movies and double feature matinees.
On what do you insist?
On empowering people to find their own truth and identity amidst the excessive religious and political rhetoric.
What was your last Facebook post or Tweet?
“Do I love you because you’re beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you”?
If your life were a book, what would the title be?
“No Regrets”
If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?
I would flat-out reject any attempt to change what makes us unique and the core of our being.
What do you believe in beyond the physical world?
That we are spiritually connected to a sovereign universe by our minds, and our bodies are the physical outcropping of it, just like the rest of nature: plants, animals and clouds.
What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders?
To spend time celebrating and appreciating the achievements they’ve already made and not focus as much on the fighting aspects, which only leads to more resistance.
What would you walk across hot coals for?
My amazing and supportive husband.
What gay stereotype annoys you most?
That being gay is only about sex and being labeled gay no matter what your contributions are to society.
What’s your favorite gay movie?
“Mambo Italiano”
What’s the most overrated social custom?
Compulsory schooling and degrees that teach us what to think opposed to how to think.
What trophy or prize do you most covet?
World Peace Prize for promoting inter-religious understanding.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
That religion was being handed down to me by those who had it handed down to them and was not as tested as I was led to believe.
Why Washington?
Proximity to airports and many cool cities. Great weather with lots of theater, diversity, art and museums.
Miscellaneous
SMYAL receives $25,000 award for ‘courageous acts’
D.C. group provides support services for LGBTQ youth
The D.C.-based organization SMYAL, which provides services for LGBTQ youth in the D.C. metro area, including housing for homeless LGBTQ youth, announced on June 30 that it received a $25,000 award for its “courageous acts” in support of the community it serves.
The award was a monetary grant from The Courage Project, which describes itself as a “national initiative investing in acts of courage and compassion that strengthens our communities and democracy.”
A statement on its website says it was launched in May 2025 and is funded and backed by leading national foundations in the U.S.
“At SMYAL, we are deeply grateful to receive support from The Courage Project and are inspired by their bold investment in LGBTQ+ youth at such a critical moment,” SMYAL CEO Erin Whelan said in a statement. “For queer and trans young people, simply showing up as themselves each day requires immense courage, and that courage is strengthened when organizations like The Courage Project stand behind them loudly, proudly, and without hesitation,” Whelan said.
In its statement announcing the award SMYAL says The Courage Project will recognize SMYAL and other awardees and their work on July 3 at the Washington National Cathedral as part of a special interfaith service marking the U.S. 250th anniversary.
“The Courage Project is a bold initiative honoring everyday acts of bravery – the quiet, often unseen acts of heroism that reflect the best of the American spirit and strengthen democracy at the community level,” the project states on its website.
Miscellaneous
LA-based TransLatin@ Coalition leads in time of attacks
Members of Congress ‘calling us a radical organization’
As ICE raids intensify across Southern California and anti-immigrant sentiment resurfaces in Orange County, transgender and immigrant communities are once again being targeted. These crackdowns go beyond enforcement — they’re designed to instill fear. At the same time, a coordinated right-wing smear campaign is attempting to discredit the very organizations working to keep these communities safe.
Last month, the TransLatin@ Coalition, a cornerstone in the fight for trans, queer, and immigrant rights in Los Angeles, was publicly named by members of Congress. But this was no recognition. It was a calculated attack.
“They’re calling us a radical organization,” said Bamby Salcedo, president and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition. “They’re spreading lies, saying we’re using government funding to abolish ICE and the police and to provide abortion access. We do believe in those things, but the funding we receive is used to serve our people.”
Now, that funding is being stripped away.
In the face of state violence, political backlash, and economic sabotage, TLC is responding the way it always has: by organizing, celebrating, and building a better world. Because when our communities are under attack, we show up — stronger, louder, and more united than ever.
Salcedo, herself a proud trans Latina immigrant, has spent decades fighting for those living at the margins. “I always say I am an intersection walking,” she said with a smile. “Our organization is made up of the people most impacted — and we are the ones leading the work.”
In Los Angeles County, roughly one-third of residents are immigrants, the majority of whom are Latino. Unsurprisingly, trans Latinas represent the largest segment within the local trans community.
Yet even within immigrant justice spaces, trans people are often sidelined.
“It’s a very hetero-centric space,” Salcedo said. “Most of the time, they don’t even consider the lives and experiences of trans and queer immigrants.”
The TransLatin@ Coalition is actively changing that. As a key member of a broad alliance of more than 100 immigrant-serving organizations across Los Angeles, including CHIRLA and the Filipino Workers Center, the TransLatin@ Coalition helped secure over $160 million in American Rescue Plan funds for immigrant housing, internet access, and legal services.
They also co-created the groundbreaking TGIE (Transgender, Gender-Nonconforming, Intersex Empowerment) initiative, which allocates $7 million in Los Angeles County’s annual budget to support trans-led service providers.
“We don’t just want symbolic policies,” said Salcedo. “We fight for resources. We analyze the budget. We make it real.”
Despite these victories, the TransLatin@ Coalition is now confronting devastating federal cuts.
“Our work has been defunded,” Salcedo said bluntly. “Multiple programs are gone. And we’re not alone — trans-led organizations across the country, especially in the South, are facing the same.”
She pointed to a broader backlash against anything associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). “The private sector is pulling back. Philanthropy is scared. Even the same corporations that fund us during Pride are investing in our opposition the rest of the year. It’s hypocrisy.”
Rather than retreat, the TransLatin@ Coalition is calling for bold, collective action.
“Now’s the time for people to step up,” said Salcedo. “We have the strategy. We’re doing the work. But we need resources — and we need real solidarity, not just statements.”
To respond to the crisis and raise urgently needed funds, the TransLatin@ Coalition is organizing its Walk for Humanity on Saturday, Aug. 24. The event will begin at 9 a.m. in Silver Lake and march to Sunset and Western, featuring live performances, a resource fair, and a unified call for justice.
And yes — it will be joyful.
“This is a call for all people to stand in solidarity with one another,” said Salcedo. “We want to bring together 1,000 people, each raising $1,000. It’s going to be a beautiful day of community and resistance.”
In a surprise announcement, Salcedo also revealed she will debut her first single — a cumbia track inspired by the movement. “It’s about movement in both senses: our political movement, and moving our bodies,” she laughed. “We can’t let them take away our joy. Joy is how we survive.”
When asked what more local leaders can do, Salcedo didn’t hesitate. “Elected officials are public servants. That means serving all people,” she said. “We may be a small population, but we are deeply impacted — and we contribute so much to this city.”
She pointed to data from LA’s most recent homelessness count, which identified over 2,000 trans and gender-expansive people experiencing homelessness. That number exists thanks in large part to years of advocacy demanding the city count and name trans lives. “We have the data now. There’s no excuse not to invest in our people.”
She also uplifted allies like Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and newly appointed City Council member Isabel Urado, the first openly LGBTQ person to hold her seat. “They’ve seen our work and are fighting to invest in it,” Salcedo said. “We’re hopeful we’ll see another $10 million in city funding. But we need the community behind us.”
At the end of our conversation, I asked Salcedo what she would say to undocumented, queer, and trans Angelenos who are feeling afraid right now.
Her answer was clear, powerful, and full of love:
“You are a divine creation. You deserve to exist in this world. Walk your path with dignity, love, and respect — for yourself and for others. You belong. You are part of me. You are part of us.”
If standing with trans immigrants, resisting federal rollbacks, and dancing in the streets sounds like your kind of solidarity, join the TransLatin@ Coalition on Aug. 24. Because when we show up together, we protect each other. And when we dance together — we win.
Watch the full interview with Salcedo:
Miscellaneous
LGBTQ cruise ship rescues 11 migrants between Cuba and Mexico
Rescue took place in Yucatán Channel on Wednesday
A cruise ship chartered by an LGBTQ travel company on Wednesday rescued 11 Cubans from a boat that was adrift between their country and Mexico.
Vacaya in a press release said the Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, which had left from New Orleans, discovered the migrants’ boat in the Yucatán Channel, a strait between Mexico and Cuba that connects the Gulf of Mexico (the Trump-Vance administration now refers to the body of water as the Gulf of America) and the Caribbean Sea.
A video that Vacaya provided shows the migrants’ boat before the rescue. Other videos show the rescue taking place.
MTV’s Downtown Julie Brown, who was performing on the ship, described the rescue in a video she posted to social media.
“We are in the middle of a live rescue operation right now,” she said. “The captain of the ship, while we were hauling so fast the other way, thought he saw a boat in distress. So, we looped around … and it was indeed a boat in distress.”
“Nothing speaks more to VACAYA’s values than providing comfort in a moment of need,” said Vacaya CEO Randle Roper in the press release. “I’m so happy we were able to bring these 11 refugees onboard safely and provide medical care, dry clothes, food, and, most importantly, water.”
“It’s sad that some people have to put themselves through such trauma in hopes of finding a better life, but that’s where we are today,” added Roper. “I’m so proud of our LGBT+ guests rallying to collect clothes for these fellow humans in need.”
The ship is scheduled to return to New Orleans on Saturday.
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