Arts & Entertainment
Pointing the way
Scholarships help LGBT students achieve career and education dreams
Jorge Valencia, director of the Point Foundation, at last year's event. (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
The Point Foundation, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, boasts doctors, lawyers, filmmakers and even the nation’s youngest openly gay mayor as alumni of its scholarship program, which has connected gay college students with millions in financial support and a robust professional network for more than a decade.
Yet organizers say there remain countless LGBT students whose educations are cut short by limited funds and unsupportive families. And even as LGBT youth find more mainstream acceptance, interest in the innovative scholarship program has not dissipated.
In fact it’s growing, say organizers who will host a May 3 fundraiser meant to jumpstart donations and boost financial support for the expanding pool of scholars. The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Equality Center (1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW). Tickets are $75.
It will feature remarks from founders Bruce Lindstrom and Carl Strickland, as well as success stories shared by some of the Foundation’s growing crop of alumni.
Organizers are finalizing this year’s recipients from a field of some 2,000 applicants, up about 33 percent from last year. Scholars will be announced in June.
“We’re getting a lot more applications from geographically diverse parts of the country, also people of color and women,” says Jorge Valencia, Point’s executive director and CEO. “We’re very happy with that, a lot of that has to do with our outreach efforts.”
The Washington Cornerstone Society event — named for large gift donors — will be one of eight the foundation plans this year to help support the roughly 75 scholars it sponsors annually.
The amount of each scholarship fluctuates based on the number of scholars, but officials say the funds help cover everything from tuition to living expenses for undergraduates and graduate students at institutions across the country. The competitive qualification process involves a 10-part application and culminates with phone and in-person interviews.
Each year, Valencia said, the pile of applications gets thicker.
“That’s why these Cornerstone events are so important,” he says. “We need to be able to raise more money to support these scholars.”
The scholarship program’s continued success is bittersweet, however. Valencia says it’s evidence that there remains a lot of work to be done in boosting acceptance of LGBT youth.
“I hope one day there isn’t a need for organizations that serve underserved communities,” says Valencia, explaining that though scholarships are not limited to scholars who face rejection from their families, those students still comprise many recipients. “The opposition is fighting even harder to make these young people all over the country and all over the world really feel less than equal, so the need is just as high as ever before.”
For Ashland Johnson, rejection came not from her family, but from her employers.
“I worked at Morehouse School of Medicine, my boss found out I was gay and I was fired,” says Johnson, who channeled the messy experience — which eventually involved the American Civil Liberties Union — into a desire to practice LGBT civil rights law.
Johnson had studied English and planned on being a professor before the 2006 incident but soon found herself looking at law schools — and looking for money. In Point Foundation, she says she found both financial support and a commitment to developing fully rounded students through leadership training.
“I saw they were really more than a paycheck,” says Johnson, who graduated in 2011 and now works as policy counsel for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, in Washington.
Scholars are required to complete community service projects benefiting the LGBT community; in exchange, Valencia says they receive support through the duration of their academic career, training opportunities and mentors in their field.
The latter can be invaluable as young professionals navigate complex fields, says Daniel O’Neill, a 2011-2012 scholarship recipient and aspiring primary care physician. Through his program mentor, O’Neill says he has expanded both his knowledge of HIV treatment and his vision of where medicine can take him. He plans to spend time working in San Francisco this year to learn even more about medical issues largely impacting gay and lesbian patients.
“They’ve accelerated my ability to pay it forward and help the LGBT community,” O’Neill says of the foundation. “They’ve galvanized the passion of mine to affirm that I’m part of this large LGBT community.”
Scholars also gain access to the foundation’s large network of prestigious alumni, including one who epitomizes Point’s growing influence.
Alex Morse, mayor of Holyoke, Mass., is the nation’s youngest openly gay mayor and a Point Foundation scholar.
“The Point Foundation assisted me financially as a student at Brown University,” he said in an email. “But more importantly, it introduced me to an intergenerational network of successful members of the [LGBT] community from all across the country. It helped give me the confidence I needed to achieve my goals and set me on a strong path into the future.”
Out & About
Plan your wedding the LGBTQ way
Washington D.C. LGBTQ+ Wedding Expo scheduled for Sunday
Rainbow Wedding Network will host “Washington D.C. LGBTQ+ Wedding Expo” on Sunday, March 1 at 12:30 p.m.
Guests can meet and mingle with a curated selection of LGBTQ-welcoming wedding professionals from across the region, each ready to help bring your vision to life, and spend a beautiful afternoon exploring everything they need to create a celebration that reflects them.
There will be a relaxed, self-guided look at the Watergate’s spaces and amenities, savor signature cocktails and delicious tasting samples, and connect with other couples who are on the same journey.
Visit Eventbrite to reserve a spot.
Friday, February 27
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga and Drag Bingo will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Happy Hour Meetup” at 7 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].
Saturday, February 28
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. It’s more than just an event; it’s an opportunity to step away from the busyness of life and invest in something meaningful, and enjoy delicious food, genuine laughter, and conversations that spark connection and inspiration. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black lesbian. You do not need to be a member of the Beta Kappa Chapter or the Beta Phi Omega Sorority in order to join, but they do ask that you either identify as a lesbian or are questioning that aspect of your identity.Send an email to [email protected] to receive the zoom link.
Sunday, March 1
LGBTQ+ Community Coffee and Conversation will be at 12 p.m. at As You Are. This event is for people looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ community. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, March 2
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Tuesday, March 3
Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more details, email [email protected].
Wednesday, March 4
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.thedccenter.org/careers.
Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older LGBTQ+ women can meet and socialize with one another. There will be discussion, activities, and a chance for guests to share what they want future events to include. For more information, email [email protected].
Thursday, March 5
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
a&e features
Transmission DC breathes new life into a storied sound space
A fresh home for boundary-pushing culture on H Street
Late last year, phoenix-style, a fresh home for boundary-pushing culture arose on the H Street corridor. Transmission DC – a queer, trans, and POC-owned, operated, and centered community-focused venue – powered on in the former home to the Rock & Roll Hotel (famously, not a hotel, but very much rock & roll). Transmission (1353 H St., N.E.) arrives secure in its mandate – or even birthright – to provide a place to celebrate creativity and music through a lens of inclusivity and respect.
Transmission’s team brings experience, but also representation. Owners/partners Kabir Khanna (who is also programming director), Katii B, Ellie McDyre, and Kelli Kerrigan together previously managed 618 productions, a venue in Chinatown, crafting “some of D.C.’s freakiest parties, raves, and mosh pits” they note.
They packed up operations last fall to a space curated specifically for D.C.’s underground music and culture scene, building their efforts in Chinatown to bring in more fans in queer and POC circles.
Transmission, Khanna points out, is built on DIY values. In the music scene, DIY means that promoters and organizers – often disconnected from the mainstream and part of marginalized communities – build shows and programs collaboratively, but independently from institutions, supporting each other as smaller, independent venues close. Here, Transmission aims to ensure that those putting together these underground inclusive shows have a more permanent and stable home, can have access to resources, and can provide more sustainable income to artists. “We’re trying to get more people to support and enjoy the music, and also give artists and organizers within the DIY community more structure and a larger cut,” says Khanna.
Khanna also notes that Transmission operates “under the principles of safety, inclusivity, and respect.” McDyre added that even at venues that claim inclusivity, that statement might not take place in practice. We’re “not just pitting up a rainbow flag,” says McDyre, but as some of the owners are trans and POC, audiences can see themselves reflected at the top.
Much like the DIY nature of the music community, the Transmission owners brought a DIY ethos to turning around their space.
In March 2020 – the height of COVID lockdowns – Rock & Roll Hotel suddenly shuttered, though not due to the pandemic; instead, the venue claimed that decreasing sales and increasing competition led to the closure. For 14 years, it was the central spot for cheap beer and lesser-known and celebrated acts. The space stood vacant for more than five years, until Transmission turned the power back on.
“When we got into the space, it was effectively abandoned for years,” says Khanna. “There was a ton of mold, and paint primer covering all surfaces. It was nearly falling apart.” Khanna noted that many music venues like this one, regardless of how well it was maintained, “get the shit kicked out of it,” given the nature of shows. The team called in mold removal contractors, ripped up most of the floorboards, and started fresh.
Transmission’s first floor is styled as a stripped-down black box: the better to take in the music. “It’s minimal on purpose to act as a canvas for set design and music,” without a specific aesthetic, says Khanna. Moving upstairs, the second floor has been opened up, removing some walls, and now has a larger dance area than the first floor. Beyond the first two performance levels, and a holdover from Rock & Roll Hotel, is the rooftop. Though without a stage, the rooftop space is filled with murals splashed across the walls, with a full bar. Transmission’s current capacity is 496, but the team is looking to grow that number. Transmission will also leverage the full kitchen that Rock & Roll Hotel operated, bringing in Third Hand Kitchen to offer a variety of food, including vegan and vegetarian options.
Khanna pointed out an upcoming show reflective of Transmission’s inclusive ethos: Black Techo Matters on Feb. 27. The event is set to be “a dynamic, collaborative night of underground electronic music celebrating Black History Month.” Khanna says that techno came from Black music origins, and this event will celebrate this genesis with a host of artists, including DJ Stingray 313, Carlos Souffront, and Femanyst.
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