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Gay attorney elected head of Rehoboth marriage bureau

Anti-gay mailers attacked losing gay candidates in Delaware

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Andy Staton, Delaware, gay news, Washington Blade
Andy Staton, Delaware, gay news, gay politics dc

Andy Staton was the target of anti-gay emails by a conservative group in advance of Election Day last week. (Photo courtesy of prugallo.com)

In a little noticed development, an openly gay attorney won election on Nov. 6 as Clerk of the Peace in conservative, Republican leaning Sussex County, Del., where the liberal enclave of Rehoboth Beach is located.

John Brady, a Democrat, defeated a Republican opponent by a margin of 54 percent to 44 percent, winning in parts of the county where gay Democrats Andy Staton and Marie Mayor lost their bids to become the first openly gay members of the Delaware Legislature.

As Clerk of the Peace, Brady, among other things, will issue marriage and civil unions licenses as well as perform civil marriages and civil unions in his role as head of the Sussex County Marriage Bureau.

Staton lost in a newly created State Senate district and Mayor lost in a newly created State House of Representatives district that most political observers believed to be favorable to Democrats.

But Staton, a Rehoboth Realtor, and Mayor, a farmer and businesswoman in the town of Milton, became the target of attack mailings and emails generated by the anti-gay Delaware Family Policy Council.

“Did you hear? The largest gay activist group in the country, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, just endorsed – and is fully backing – two Delaware candidates: Andy Staton for Senate in the new 6th district and Marie Mayor for Rep. in the new 20th district (Georgetown, Milton, Lewis, Rehoboth),” says an Oct. 17 email to voters from Nicole Theis, president of the Delaware Family Policy Council.

Theis’ email quotes from a Victory Fund statement supporting Staton and Mayor that says the two “understand that Delaware is only 1 or 2 votes away from passing same-sex ‘marriage.’” Theis implies in her email — printed copies of which reportedly were distributed in dozens of churches — that Staton and Mayor’s election could result in the approval of a gay marriage bill by the Delaware Legislature.

“We also uncovered from sources on the ground that hundreds of out-of-state gay activists with a radical agenda are in Delaware door knocking by twos for Mayor and Staton,” Theis said in her email.

Republican Ernesto “Ernie” Lopez beat Staton by a 56.1 percent to 42.7 percent margin. GOP opponent Stephen Smyk defeated Mayor by a margin of 53.2 percent to 46.8 percent.

The Cape Gazette, a newspaper that covers Delaware’s eastern shore communities, including Sussex County, reported that Lopez beat Staton in 15 of the 17 precincts in the district where the two ran, with Staton winning only one precinct in his home base of Rehoboth Beach and one in Milton.

Smyk beat Mayor in 8 of the 10 precincts in the 20th House district, in which the two competed, according to the Cape Gazette.

“It just wasn’t in the cards for a Democrat down here in Sussex County,” Staton told the Blade. “I’m told there was an 80 percent Republican turnout in this part of the county and a much lower Democratic turnout.”

Sussex was the only one of Delaware’s three counties to give Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney a win over President Obama in the Nov. 6 election.

However, other popular state Democrats who are strong supporters of LGBT rights did win in Sussex. Among them were Gov. Jack Markell, U.S. Sen. Thomas Carper, U.S. Rep. John Carney, and state Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, whose district includes Rehoboth Beach. All four won their re-election bids.

Brady, who’s been openly gay in the county for more than 10 years, said the Family Policy Council did not target him, possibly because the group knew he’s widely known and respected by many Republicans and Democrats.

Brady, 53, changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat in 2009. He’s been praised as a good government advocate during his tenure as an elected and appointed official in offices that include county Recorder of Deeds and solicitor, or attorney, for the towns of Milton, Dewey Beach and Ellendale.

“I flew by the wire,” he said in explaining his Nov. 6 victory, which made him the only non-incumbent Democrat to win a county-wide race in Sussex.

“I have a record that people know about,” he said. “When you run the land office you don’t run on gay or straight issues, you run on getting the job done and saving the taxpayers money.”

Brady ran against 23-year-old security guard Brooks Witzke, a Republican who stated in campaign appearances that he’s a conservative Christian who opposes same-sex marriage and would lobby the state legislature to repeal the civil unions law, which lawmakers passed in 2011.

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District of Columbia

Adams Morgan queer bar broken into and vandalized

Sinners and Saints targeted Thursday night

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Homophobic vandalism left in Sinners and Saints following the break in. (Photo courtesy of Sinners and Saints' Instagram page)

On Thursday night, Sinners and Saints, a popular queer bar in Adams Morgan and the only QTBIPOC (queer, trans, Black, Indigenous and people of color) bar in D.C., was broken into and vandalized with homophobic slurs, according to a recent Instagram post from the establishment.

The iron gate and glass door of Sinners and Saints smashed. (Photo from Sinners and Saints’s Instagram page)

“Last night, our bar — the only QTBIPOC bar in DC — was broken into and hate-crimed during DC Black Pride, a time meant for celebration, resilience, and joy — and on the eve of WorldPride 2025. We are heartbroken, but we are not broken,” the post read.

The statement was accompanied by a slideshow showing the damage: the front iron gate door and its glass counterpart shattered, glass strewn across the floor, and the word “FAGGOT” scrawled in black ink on the wall.

“This space exists to protect and celebrate queer and trans BIPOC communities, and this attack only strengthens our resolve,” the post continued. “We will NOT be silenced. We will NOT be intimidated. We will NOT back down.”

“To those who tried to harm us: hate fuels our defiance. To our community: we see you, we love you, and we will continue fighting for you. Sinners and Saints is resistance. We will rebuild. We will STAY OPEN. And we will keep our doors — and hearts — wide open for all who need refuge.”

They ended the message with a call to action: “Stand with us. Share this. Show up. We keep us safe.”

“What happened was truly disheartening, but we won’t be silenced,” co-owner Fazeel Ashraf told the Washington Blade. “QTBIPOC spaces are so important in this current political climate. I’d love to do a phone interview with one of my fellow partners.”

Despite the heartbreak surrounding the break-in and what Ashraf described as “a hate crime,” the LGBTQ community quickly rallied in the comments, offering support and assistance.

“Please let us know how we can help!” wrote Nik Battaglia. “I’m a handy queer with handy queer friends — I can fix shit, paint shit, and am happy to stand guard outside.”

Even national figures chimed in.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Laganja Estranja commented, “Incredible response! I believe in you. Sending so much love and strength.”

The Blade reached out to the Metropolitan Police Department regarding the break-in but has not received a response.

To view the damage, and some of the LGBTQ community’s supportive statements, visit the Sinners and Saints’s Instagram page.

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Comings & Goings

Freedman-Gurspan takes role in Mass. governor’s administration

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Raffi Freedman-Gurspan

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected]

The Comings & Goings column also invites LGBTQ college students to share their successes with us. If you have been elected to a student government position, gotten an exciting internship, or are graduating and beginning your career with a great job, let us know so we can share your success. 

Congratulations to Raffi Freedman-Gurspan on being appointed Associate Director, Federal Funding & Infrastructure Office, at the Massachusetts Executive Office for Administration & Finance. Freedman-Gurspan will be returning to her hometown of Boston and joining Gov. Maura Healey’s Administration. Freedman-Gurspan served in both the Obama and Biden administrations as well as worked in LGBTQ and redistricting advocacy during her 11 years in D.C. 

Freedman-Gurspan was the first openly transgender person on the White House staff when she worked for President Obama. She most recently served at the U.S. Department of Transportation in former Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s office, as Deputy Director of Public Engagement. Previously she worked with the National Redistricting Action Fund/The All On The Line Campaign, as Deputy States Director.  She worked for the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) as Director of External Relations. In the Obama White House, she worked in the Office of Public Engagement, as Senior Associate Director. She was the White House Liaison to the LGBTQ community responsible for management of all public inquiries on matters regarding LGBTQ people, including recommending public responses to senior leadership, assisting in drafting administration talking points, and coordinating stakeholder engagement with the White House offices.  She worked with the White House, Presidential Personnel Office (PPO), as Outreach and Recruitment Director.  

Prior to that she was on the staff of Commonwealth of Massachusetts, House of Representatives Office of State Rep. Carl Sciortino, as legislative director, and worked for the City of Somerville, Health Department, Office of Commissions, Somerville, Mass., as LGBTQ Liaison.  

Freedman-Gurspan served on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, the Presidentially Appointed Council; and as a member, and Board Member, Boston University, College of Arts and Sciences, Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Norwegian, concentration in Nordic Studies, from St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.  

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District of Columbia

Murdered Israeli embassy officials were supporters of D.C.’s LGBTQ synagogue

Bet Mishpachah calls fatal shooting outside Capital Jewish Museum ‘devastating’

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Bet Mishpachah members march at the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, Oct. 11, 1987. (Photo courtesy of Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum Collection. Gift of Bet Mishpachah with thanks to Joel Wind & Al Munzer)

The two Israeli embassy officials who were shot to death outside D.C.’s Capital Jewish Museum Wednesday evening, May 21, were strong supporters of Bet Mishpachah, D.C.’s LGBTQ supportive synagogue, according to a statement it released.

“We are especially devastated by the loss of our dear colleague and friend of Bet Mishpachah, Sarah Milgram, and her soon to be fiancé, Yaron Lischinsky,” the LGBTQ synagogue said in a May 22 statement.

“Sarah was the liaison between Bet Mishpachah  and the Israeli Embassy, working closely with our staff and clergy,” the statement says. “Her warmth, professionalism, and deep commitment to building bridges within the Jewish community made her not only a trusted partner but a beloved part of our extended congregational family,” according to the statement.

A statement also released on May 22 by the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia says Chicago resident Elias Rodriguez, 30, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder along with other weapons related charges in connection with the shooting deaths of Milgram and Lischinsky. 

Officials with the D.C. police and the FBI, which has joined D.C. police in continuing to investigate the case, have said Rodriquez arrived in D.C. from Chicago one day prior to the shooting and appears to have targeted an event taking place at the Capital Jewish Museum for violence at the time it was hosting an event called “Young Diplomats Reception,” in which Israeli Embassy officials were in attendance.

Police and FBI officials have said Rodriguez allegedly shot Milgrim and Lischinsky after they left the Capital Jewish Museum at the conclusion of the event. The museum is located at 575 3rd Street, N.W.

“Surveillance footage reportedly shows Rodriquez walking past the victims before turning and firing multiple rounds,” the U.S. Attorney’s statement says. “After the victims fell, he allegedly continued firing at close range, including as one attempted to crawl away,” it says, adding, “Investigators recovered a 9 mm handgun and 21 spent shell casings at the scene.”

Police have said Rodriguez walked into the Capital Jewish Museum after the shooting and was detained by security guards until D.C. police arrived. Witnesses said he began to shout, “free, free Palestine” before police took him into custody. 

“Make no mistake, this attack was targeted, antisemitic violence,” said Steven Jenson, an FBI assistant director working on the investigation. “The FBI will continue to pursue all leads and use all available resources to investigate this heinous murder,” he said in the statement. 

The fatal shooting took place five days after the Capital Jewish Museum opened a special exhibition called “LGBT Jews in the Federal City” on May 16. “This landmark exhibition explores a turbulent century of celebrations, activism, and change in the nation’s capital by D.C.’s LGBTQ+ Jewish community,” the museum said in a statement announcing the exhibition.

Photos and documents related to Bet Mishpachah make up a prominent part of the exhibition.

During a May 22 press conference organized by the U.S. Attorney for D.C., Jeanine Pirro, to provide an update on the investigation into the two murders, Pirro and FBI official Jensen referred to the two murders as a hate crime and terrorist act. 

In response to a question from the Washington Blade asking if investigators were looking into whether the LGBTQ exhibition at the Capital Jewish Museum might have played some role in Gonzales’s motive for targeting the museum, Pirro responded to the question.

“So, we are looking into absolutely everything,” she said. “There is so much information we’re looking at. And I must tell you, coming from New York, I’ve never seen the cooperation and coordination that I’m seeing here. It was immediate. It was instant. It was coordinated. And my hat’s off to this area. We’re going to clean it up, thank you,” she said in ending the press conference.

Josh Maxey, Bet Mishpachah’s executive director, said he and Israeli Embassy official Milgram became friends during their two-and-a-half-year interaction working on joint events between the embassy and Bet Mishpachah.

“This became a wonderful two and a half years journey of putting events together, of hosting events together, doing different programs for the community,” Maxey told the Blade. Among the activities the two worked on, he said, was the embassy’s annual LGBTQ Pride event.

Maxie said his own grieving over the death of Milgram and her boyfriend Lischinsky was heightened by the fact that he spoke with her by phone on the day of the shooting shortly before she arrived at the Jewish Museum over plans about this year’s LGBTQ Pride events.

“Sarah really championed us to be included in Israeli events,” Maxey said. “And so, I am just devastated that this true embodiment of an ally was so viciously and violently taken away from us.”

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