Local
Gray, HIV/AIDS service providers mark World AIDS Day
More than 100 people attended candlelight vigil in Dupont Circle
Chayla Daniels speaks at the World AIDS Day candlelight vigil in Dupont Circle on Dec. 1. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
“I’m looking forward to the day when we come together on World AIDS Day and say it is the last World AIDS Day because we have licked this disease, we have overcome it, there will be no more infections, we have found a cure for those who have it and people are practicing prevention techniques so they don’t contract this disease again in the future,” said D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray.
First held in 1988, this year’s World AIDS Day took place less than five months after the nation’s capital hosted the International AIDS Conference.
Gray noted nearly 12,000 Washingtonians have died from AIDS since the city’s first known case in 1983. The Department of Health’s latest epidemiological report indicates 15,000 D.C. residents – or 2.7 percent of the city’s population – were living with HIV at the end of 2010.
Even though new HIV infections in D.C. have dropped 26 percent between 2006 and 2010, Gray acknowledged the fight against the virus in the nation’s capital is far from over.
“Of course the most important goal is to end the epidemic — end it in the District of Columbia,” he said. “We know that anything above one percent is exceeding what would be epidemic levels. We are at 2.7 percent and frankly in terms of prevalence we will probably be at 2.7 or around it for a while because we are now able to extend life. But in terms of incidents… we’re going to see that number come down because people are getting better educated, they’re practicing better prevention techniques and just doing more to recognize that the best way to treat this disease is not to have it in the first place.”
Dr. Gregory Pappas of the DOH’s HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Disease and Tuberculosis Administration joined DOH Interim Director Dr. Saul Levin; Deputy D.C. Mayor Bibi Otero; Andrew Barnett, executive director of Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL) and others at the vigil. Reverend Dwayne Johnson of Metropolitan Community Church of Washington was among those who also spoke.
“With my children growing up one day into a world that could be HIV free, that generation is now. That generation is here,” said Chayla Daniels, whose two young children served as grand marshals of the annual AIDS Walk Washington in October.
A peer educator since she was in high school, Daniels said her husband’s aunt passed away from AIDS. Several of his relative learned they were living with HIV while in the military.
“This disease does not discriminate, so don’t you fail to educate,” she said.
Don Blanchon, executive director of Whitman-Walker Health, urged those who attended the vigil to get tested if they don’t know their status. He reiterated the epidemic is far from over, but stressed the fight against HIV/AIDS has made tremendous strides over the last 25 years.
“On that first World AIDS Day a quarter of a century ago; there was still much fear, great sadness and little hope in the near-term and in the long-term,” said Blanchon. “With no effective treatments, AIDS was absolutely a death sentence for many who were infected. And many family and friends had to bury a loved one after long and painful struggles and restless nights. Now we mark World AIDS Day with much less fear and sadness and with a tremendous amount of hope.”
Dr. Gregory Pappas (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Maryland
Evan Glass is leaning on his record. Is that enough for Montgomery County’s top job?
Gay county executive candidate pushing for equitable pay, safer streets, and cleaner environment
By TALIA RICHMAN | During a meet-and-greet at Poolesville Memorial United Methodist Church, Evan Glass got his loudest applause of the night with a plan he acknowledged was decidedly unsexy.
“Day one, I’ll hire a director of permitting services,” the county executive candidate said.
Doing so, he added, is a step toward easing the regulatory burdens that can stifle small businesses in Montgomery County.
The only problem? At least one of his fiercest competitors is making a similar pledge.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
District of Columbia
D.C. bar, LGBTQ+ Community Center to mark Lesbian Visibility Week
‘Ahead of the Curve’ documentary screening, ‘Queeroke’ among events
2026 Lesbian Visibility Week North America will take place from April 20-26.
This year marks the third annual Lesbian Visibility Week, run by the Curve Foundation. A host of events take place from April 20-26.
This year’s theme is Health and Wellness. For the Curve Foundation, the term “lesbian” serves as an umbrella term for a host of identities, including lesbians, bisexual and transgender women, and anyone else connected to the lesbian community.
The week kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony on April 19. It will take place in New York, but will be livestreamed for the public.
“Queeroke” is one of the events being held around the country. It will take place at various participating bars on April 23.
As You Are, an LGBTQ bar in Capitol Hill, is one of eight locations across the U.S. participating. Their event is free and 21+.
On April 24, the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center will hold a screening of “Ahead of the Curve,” a documentary about the founder of Curve, Franco Stevens. The event is free with an RSVP.
April 25, is Queer Women in Sports Day. And on April 26, several monuments in New York will be illuminated.
Virtual events ranging from health to sports will be made available to the public. Details will be released closer to the start of Lesbian Visibility Week. Featured events can be found on the official website.
Some ways for individuals to get involved are to use #LVW26 and tag the official Lesbian Visibility Week account on social media posts. People are encouraged to display their lesbian flags, and businesses can hand out pins and decorate. They can also reach out to local lawmakers to encourage them to issue an official Lesbian Visibility Week.
District of Columbia
Whitman-Walker Health to present ‘Pro Bono Excellence’ award to law firm
Health center set to celebrate 40th anniversary of legal services program
Whitman-Walker Health, the D.C.-based community healthcare center that specializes in HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ-related health services, announced it will present its annual Dale Edwin Sanders Award for Pro Bono Excellence to the international law firm McDermott Will & Schulte at a May 6 ceremony.
“This year’s award is especially significant as it coincides with the 40th anniversary of Whitman-Walker Health’s Legal Services Program, marking it as the nation’s longest running medical-legal partnership,” a statement released by Whitman-Walker says.
“As a national leader in public health, Whitman-Walker celebrates our partnership with McDermott to strengthen the health center and to enable Whitman-Walker to reach more medical and legal clients,” the statement adds.
“McDermott’s firm-wide commitment to Whitman-Walker’s medical-legal partnership demonstrates a shared vision to serve those most in need,” Amy Nelson, Whitman-Walker’s director of Legal Services, says in the statement. “Our work protects individuals and families who face discrimination and hostility as they navigate increasingly complex administrative systems,” Nelson said.
“Pro bono legal services – like that of McDermott Will & Schulte – find solutions for people who have no place else to turn in the face of financial and health threats,” she added.
“Our partnership with Whitman-Walker Health is a treasured commitment to serving our neighbors and communities,” Steven Schnelle, one of the law firm’s partners said in the statement. “We are deeply moved by Whitman-Walker’s unwavering dedication to inclusion, respect, and equitable access to health care and social services,” he said.
The statement notes that the award for Pro Bono Excellence honors the legacy of the late gay attorney Dale Edwin Sanders. It says Sanders’s pro bono legal work for Whitman-Walker clients “shaped HIV/AIDS law for more than four decades by securing key victories on behalf of individuals whose employment and patient rights were violated.”
It says the Whitman-Walker Legal Services program began during the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s at a time when people with AIDS faced widespread discrimination and often needed legal assistance. According to the statement, the program evolved over the years and expanded to advocate for transgender people and immigrants.
Whitman-Walker spokesperson Lisa Amore said the presentation of the Dale Edwin Sanders Pro Bono Excellency Award will be held at the May 6 fundraising benefit for Whitman-Walker’s Legal Services Program. She said the event will take place at the offices of the DC law firm Baker McKenzie and ticket availability can be accessed here: https://www.whitman-walker.org/gtem-2026/
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