Connect with us

Local

Grosso beats Brown in ‘gay’ precincts

Both candidates strong supporters of LGBT rights

Published

on

D.C. Councilman Michael Brown (I-At-Large)
David Grosso, Washington D.C., Capital Pride, gay news, Washington Blade

David Grosso accomplished a rare feat in D.C. politics by unseating an incumbent last week. (Photo courtesy of Grosso for Council 2012)

Independent D.C. Council candidate David Grosso beat incumbent Council member Michael Brown (I-At-Large) on Nov. 6 in 15 out of 16 voter precincts with large numbers of LGBT residents.

According to final but unofficial returns from the D.C. Board of Elections, Grosso finished ahead of Brown in the so-called “gay” precincts by a significantly greater margin than Grosso bested Brown in the citywide vote.

Grosso surprised many political observers by accomplishing a rare feat in D.C. politics — unseating an incumbent Council member.

In the citywide vote, Grosso came in second place in a seven-candidate race with two at-large seats in play. Under the city’s election law, a Democratic candidate is eligible for only one of the seats.

Incumbent Democrat Vincent Orange won re-election by finishing first with 37.4 percent of the vote. Grosso finished second, with 20.8 percent, making him the winner of the second of the two seats. Brown came in third place, with 15.3 percent of the vote.

However, in 11 of the 16 precincts with high concentrations of LGBT voters Grosso came in first place. He finished second in another four of the “gay” precincts.

Brown came in second place in just one of the precincts with high concentrations of LGBT residents – Precinct 112, which is located in Anacostia.

Brown finished in sixth place in six of the precincts and finished third or lower in the remaining four.

In the citywide tally, Republican Mary Brooks Beatty finished fourth with 7 percent of the vote, independent candidates A.J. Cooper and Leon Swain tied for fifth place with each getting 6.6 percent, and Statehood Green Party candidate Ann Wilcox came in last place with 5.8 percent.

Although political insiders acknowledged that Brown was hurt by the latest in a series of personal financial problems, most pundits expected the otherwise popular Council member to survive his re-election bid.

D.C. Councilman Michael Brown (I-At-Large)

Michael Brown (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Brown has been a longtime strong supporter of LGBT rights, voting for virtually every LGBT supportive bill or amendment, including the city’s same-sex marriage bill that has come before the Council during his close to four-year tenure as a Council member.

Grosso has worked for pro-gay former Council member Sharon Ambrose (D-Ward 6) and for pro-gay Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.). He has expressed support for LGBT issues during the campaign. He and Brown also campaigned aggressively in the LGBT community.

Nearly all of the precincts with a high concentration of visible LGBT residents are in majority white sections of the city. Most of the majority white areas voted for Grosso and most of the majority black sections of the city voted for Brown and Orange over Grosso.

D.C. political consultant Chuck Theis, who has been a longtime observer of D.C. elections, said the parts of the city where Grosso finished ahead of Brown, including the gay precincts, are made up largely of liberal-progressive whites who voted overwhelmingly for President Obama’s re-election. Theis said these voters, who supported Brown four years ago, appear to have lost confidence in him due to the widely publicized reports of Brown’s financial problems, including Brown’s disclosure earlier this year that more than $100,000 in campaign funds were stolen by his campaign treasurer. The treasurer denied stealing the funds.

Most of the majority black sections of the city, especially in Wards 7 and 8, appear to have had less of a problem with Brown’s financial issues and view him as a strong supporter of the issues they deem important, such as affordable housing and efforts to curtail the high unemployment rate in the two wards.

“Michael Brown stepped into a perfect storm,” Theis told the Blade. “He had almost no money due to his missing campaign funds, and the missing funds became a scandal. This raised the issue of all his past financial problems.”

The unexpectedly strong campaign waged by Grosso, who attacked Brown on his financial problems, and the unusual at-large election system, in which voters are asked to select two candidates but close to half the voters select just one (the Democrat) – appear to have created an insurmountable problem for Brown, Theis said.

Following is a list of the 16 precincts with large concentrations of LGBT residents and the vote count, by percentage, as reported by the D.C. Board of Elections:

  • Precinct 14 (Dupont Circle): Grosso, 30.2; Orange, 23.5; Brown, 5.6
  • Precinct 15 (Dupont Circle): Grosso, 30.5; Orange, 21.9; Brown, 6.3
  • Precinct 16 (Logan Circle): Grosso, 30.8; Orange, 25.0; Brown, 8.9
  • Precinct 17 (Logan Circle): Orange, 28.8; Grosso, 26.5; Brown, 11.1
  • Precinct 141 (Logan Circle): Grosso, 29.4; Orange 24.3; Brown, 8.6
  • Precinct 22 (14th and U Street, N.W. area): Grosso, 29.4; Orange, 24.9; Brown, 10.2
  • Precinct 23 (Columbia Heights): Orange, 35.1; Grosso, 21.3; Brown, 13.1
  • Precinct 24 (Adams Morgan): Grosso, 30.1; Orange, 26.5; Brown, 9.9
  • Precinct 25 (Adams Morgan): Grosso, 33.1; Orange, 19.8; Brown, 8.8
  • Precinct 39 (Mt. Pleasant): Grosso, 30.8; Orange, 26.2; Brown, 11.3
  • Precinct 40 (Mt. Pleasant): Grosso, 33.4; Orange, 22.3; Brown, 9.1
  • Precinct 89 (Capitol Hill): Grosso, 41.3; Mary Brooks Beatty, 16.2; Orange, 13.7; Brown, 5.5
  • Precinct 90 (Capitol Hill): Grosso, 36.2; Orange 18.2; Brown, 5.0
  • Precinct 112 (Anacostia): Orange, 58.2; Brown, 23.8; Grosso, 4.8
  • Precinct 127 (Southwest Waterfront): Orange, 37.8; Grosso, 18.7; Brown, 16.4
Advertisement
FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM
SIGN UP FOR E-BLAST

Baltimore

More than 15K people attend Baltimore Trans Pride

Baltimore Safe Haven organized annual event

Published

on

(Bigstock photo)

More than 15,000 people attended Baltimore Safe Haven’s annual Trans Pride on Saturday.

“Last year we had maybe 2,500, and the year before that, we had 5,000,” Renee Lau, administrative assistant for special projects coordinator for Baltimore Safe Haven, said. “In today’s political climate, it’s absolutely amazing.”

Lau said allies and other groups “went into hiding” for about a month or two after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, but then all at once, different organizations started to reach out. 

“The community has really come together to support us,” Lau said. “It was a fun, exciting day.” 

Baltimore Safe Haven Executive Director Iya Dammons in a press release said the “historic turnout” showed the transgender community’s strength, as well as their unity to fight for justice and equality for all LGBTQ people.

At the event, attendees were seen waving flags and shouting “Trans Lives Matter,” showing their support for the community. 

On Friday, before Trans Pride, Baltimore Safe Haven opened their new building to the public, gathering notable attendees like the Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohan, Council Member Antonio Glover, and representatives from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.

“(It) was historic in itself because … we’re the only direct service providers for people in the LGBT community,” Lau said.

Providing housing for 18- to 24-year-olds, Lau said the new building also serves as a community hub and has office spaces for workers. 

With only a few hiccups of arguments between attendees and fixing street blockades during Trans Pride, Lau said the event showed what the community can do. 

“It was amazing that so many people came out and had that much fun. We were all giddy by Sunday morning,” Lau said. “(It gave) Safe Haven exposure and continuity. We are not just an LGBT organization, we are an organization that supports the entire community.”

Continue Reading

District of Columbia

Juvenile arrested for anti-gay assault in D.C.

Police say suspect targeted victim in house with Pride flags

Published

on

The gay man who was hit in the face by a rock thrown through the front window of his house, shown here, by the juvenile who was arrested told the Blade he and his husband covered the now boarded up window with a large Pride flag. (Washington Blade photo by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.)

D.C. police announced on June 16 that they have arrested a 13-year-old juvenile male on a charge of Assault With Significant Bodily Injury for allegedly throwing a rock through the window of a house in Northeast D.C. and “striking the victim in the face.”

In a statement announcing the arrest, police said the incident took place on Friday, June 6, and  “LGBTQ+ flags were displayed at the front of the home.”

A separate D.C. police incident report obtained by the Washington Blade states, “Victim 1 reports he was sitting in his living room at the listed location watching television when a rock came through the front window and struck him about his left eye. Victim 1 suffered a laceration under his left eye.”

The report adds, “Victim 1 states he observed Suspect 1 running away.”

According to the June 16 statement issued by police, “On Sunday, June 15, 2025, officers located the suspect and placed him under arrest. [A] 13-year-old juvenile male of Northeast D.C., was charged with Assault With Significant Bodily Injury (Hate/Bias).”

The statement says the house where the incident occurred is located on the 400 block of 20th Street, N.E.

Similar to statements D.C. police have issued regarding LGBTQ bias-related cases in the past, the statement announcing this case says that while the case is being investigated as being potentially motivated by hate or bias, that designation could be changed at any time during the investigation.

It adds that a hate crime designation by D.C. police may not be prosecuted as a hate crime by prosecutors. Under D.C. law, juvenile cases are prosecuted by the Office of the D.C. Attorney General. 

Since court records for cases involving juveniles are sealed from public access, the Blade could not immediately determine whether prosecutors designated the case as a hate crime.

It also could not immediately be determined if the juvenile charged in the case was being held in detention while awaiting trial at juvenile court or whether he was released to a parent or guardian and whether a judge set any conditions for release.

The police statement concludes by saying that the department’s Special Liaison Branch, which includes the LGBT Liaison Unit, is assisting with the investigation. 

Continue Reading

Delaware

Milton Pride Fest to take place Saturday

This year’s theme is ‘Small Town, Big Heart’

Published

on

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Milton, Del., will host its Pride Fest this Saturday with the theme “Small Town, Big Heart.” The town’s population of just over 3,000 is in its sixth year hosting Pride. 

The event is hosted by Sussex Pride and Milton Theatre and will take place from 4-8 p.m. in the area surrounding the theater. Admission is pay-what-you-can and proceeds will support the Milton Theatre’s education wing campaign, an initiative dedicated to expanding arts education and creating spaces for the next generation of performers and artists. 

The musical act schedule includes Goldstar at 4 p.m., Magnolia Applebottom and Friends at 5:30 p.m., and Mama’s Blacksheep at 6:45 p.m. There will be vendors, food trucks, and a Kids Fest with an inflatable obstacle course. 

“In our little corner of the world, LOVE leads the way! Milton Pride 2025 is a celebration for EVERYONE — neighbors, families, allies, and friends — because acceptance, kindness, and community belong to us all,” Milton Theatre’s website reads. “Whether you’re here to cheer, learn, or simply feel the joy … you’re welcome exactly as you are. Let’s come together and celebrate Milton, a SMALL TOWN … with a BIG HEART!”

Continue Reading

Popular