Local
Gray joins other D.C. politicians in pride parade
D.C. Council to elect Kwame Brown’s successor next week
Mayor Vincent Gray (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Mayor Vincent Gray and D.C. Congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton were among the local elected officials who took part in the city’s 37th annual pride parade on Saturday.
“I love this parade,” Gray told the Blade while marching near the Hotel Palomar as he threw beads to the crowd that had gathered along P Street, N.W. “I’m here every year. I wouldn’t miss this.”
D.C. Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) noted that this year’s pride is the 34th that he has attended.
“It’s a great day,” he said. “It’s a great day for our community in Washington.”
Councilman Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) agreed.
“You can see by the turnout how excited people are,” he said. “It really highlights the contributions of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community here in the District of Columbia.”
The parade took place one day after former D.C. Council Chair Kwame Brown pleaded guilty to bank fraud and a misdemeanor campaign finance charge. The Council is expected to elect his successor on Wednesday.
“There’s a procedure; we’ll follow it,” said Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3,) who became the body’s acting chair after Kwame Brown resigned last week. “I’ve called a meeting. The acting chair and acting chair pro tempore have to be from among the four at-large people and I think there’s a consensus that has formed around two of them and we’ll decide on Wednesday. Everything is smooth, everything will go forward.”
It is widely expected that the Council will elect Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) as it’s next chair. Councilmember Vincent Orange (D-At Large) remains the Northwest Democrat’s most serious challenger.
“We’ll see what happens on Wednesday,” Mendelson told Blade when asked about the prospect that he could succeed Kwame Brown. “But you know I’ve talked to councilmembers and I think we’re coming together.”
Councilmember Michael Brown (I-At Large) was quick to note his support of Mendelson as the two men stood among their supporters along 23rd Street, N.W., before the parade began. “He has my vote,” he told the Blade. “I hope to serve with him as chairman pro tempore as well.”
Graham said he also expects his fellow councilmembers will elect Mendelson.
“I think he has the votes,” he said. “We’ll have to see where it goes.”
Gray also attended the Capital Pride Festival on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., on Sunday.
In spite of temperatures in the low 90s, organizers said more than an estimated 250,000 people attended the annual event. The D.C. Office of Human Rights, Equality Virginia and Immigration Equality were among the hundreds of groups that participated.
Capital Pride spokesperson Missy Toms told the Blade that attendance at both the parade and the festival were “considerably higher” this year.
“We had an amazing crew of volunteers this year. They worked very hard,” she said. “The parade volunteers kept the crowds back and helped us end the parade 15 minutes early. The festival volunteers were enthusiastic and plentiful.”
Deborah Cox headlined the festival; while the first-ever Taste of Pride that featured five D.C. restaurants was among the several new features and events at this year’s pride. “We were very pleased with their success,” said Toms. “We plan to refine them and bring them back next year.”
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Congratulations to Yadiel Meléndez, on their new role as Community Associate, with the Wanda Alston Foundation. Meléndez is piloting a new role as a Community Associate at the Wanda Alston Foundation, where they support queer and trans young people in finding their footing, building independence, and experiencing a housing community where they are seen, valued, and affirmed. They are coming into this role with more than a decade of experience as a community organizer and operations specialist, supporting diverse communities through service, advocacy, and program coordination.
Previously they worked for Right Proper Brewing Shaw as a server and bartender and at Sephora, Washington, DC, and at FreshFarm, DC, in bilingual food access. They also worked freelance to build foundational structures for local queer BIPOC performance art coalitions, producing variety shows to curate space for marginalized performance artists in the community. They were a production manager for Haus of Hart Productions, a BIPOC centric performance art production. They also worked as field staff with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in Stafford, Va.
Meléndez is bilingual, Spanish and English. Their work is guided by a commitment to dignity, safety, and trauma-informed engagement, particularly within LGBTQ and BIPOC communities.
Congratulations also to Ben Rosen LICSW, on his new role as program director, with the Wanda Alston Foundation. Rosen previously worked with Fountain House’s OnRamps program, helping to build a new, innovative outreach program for individuals considered chronically homeless, and living with serious mental illness, in the Times Square area of New York. Rosen is a Psychotherapist, having worked with SG Psychotherapy, and as the psychotherapist with the Nest Community Health Center (URAM).
Rosen has a B.F.A. in Theatre Arts: Musical Theatre, Minor in Psychology (Cum Laude) from Malloy University Conservatory; and his M.S.W. in Clinical Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups, from The Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, N.Y. He is independently licensed in New York and Washington, D.C.
Rehoboth Beach
BLUF leather social set for April 10 in Rehoboth
Attendees encouraged to wear appropriate gear
Diego’s in Rehoboth Beach hosts a monthly leather happy hour. April’s edition is scheduled for Friday, April 10, 5-7 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to wear appropriate gear. The event is billed as an official event of BLUF, the free community group for men interested in leather. After happy hour, the attendees are encouraged to reconvene at Local Bootlegging Company for dinner, which allows cigar smoking. There’s no cover charge for either event.
District of Columbia
Celebrations of life planned for Sean Bartel
Two memorial events scheduled in D.C.
Two celebrations of life are planned for Sean Christopher Bartel, 48, who was found deceased on a hiking trail in Argentina on or around March 15. Bartel began his career as a television news reporter and news anchor at stations in Louisville, Ky., and Evansville, Ind., before serving as Senior Video Producer for the D.C.-based International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union from 2013 to 2024.
A memorial gathering is planned for Friday, April 10, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the IBEW International Office (900 7th St., N.W.), according to a statement by the DC Gay Flag Football League, where Bartel was a longtime member. A celebration of life is planned that same evening, 6-8 p.m. at Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.).
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BLUF leather social set for April 10 in Rehoboth
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