Local
Tim Day endorses Anita Bonds
Move to back Democrat by gay Republican surprises many in his party
Gay Republican Tim Day, who was endorsed by the Washington Post last year in his unsuccessful run for the Ward 5 City Council seat, has surprised fellow Republicans by endorsing Democrat Anita Bonds in this yearās special election for an at-large Council seat.
Dayās decision to back Bonds over Republican contender Patrick Mara is expected to strain his ties with the D.C. Republican Party. He resigned as a member of the D.C. Republican Committee after informing party leaders he would be backing Bonds instead of Mara.
Bonds and Mara are strong supporters of LGBT rights. Both supported the cityās same-sex marriage law before the City Council passed it in 2009.
The D.C. Democratic State Committee, which Bonds chaired, appointed her in December to the at-large Council seat on an interim basis until the special election is held on April 23. The seat became vacant after Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) won election last year as Council chair.
Bonds and Mara are among 20 candidates competing for the seat in what many political observers say will be a low turnout election in which Mara has a shot at winning. Some political pundits say the Democratic candidates ā including former Council member Michael Brown, former City Paper columnist Elissa Silverman and D.C. voting rights activist John Capozzi ā will likely split the Democratic vote, enabling Mara to win if large numbers of Republicans and independents turn out to vote for him.
Day told the Blade he and Bonds, a Ward 5 resident, are longtime friends. He said Bonds, 67, has a wealth of experience in local government and politics and would continue to be an excellent Council member.
The deadline for the 20 candidates who entered the race to submit their nominating petitions to the D.C. Board of Elections was the end of the business day on Wednesday.
Local
Comings & Goings
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].
Some people are especially inspiring to write about, and one such person is Joseph Poduslo. He is justly proud of his āLuminary of the Yearā nomination, which is granted to survivors, caregivers, and researchers, by the Brain Industry Association of America (BIAA). I urge you to take a look at its website, and maybe help Poduslo raise some funds for this incredible organization.
āI have always wanted to share my journey to help and inspire others,ā he said. āThe brain is the most amazing creation and retraining the brain takes time and effort. But Iām doing it.ā You can read his story in his own words. You will find it as inspiring as I did.
After spending time with his family in Texas, he is now back in D.C. He is Senior Vice President, and founding agent, the Poduslo Group. His bio notes, āHis work for his real estate clients has garnered him industry-wide recognition. Joseph has been featured in the Washington Post, NBC, CNN, and in 2018, Washington Life Magazineās āMost Influential Business Person Under Forty.ā ā¦ When Joseph is not redefining the real estate industry, he has invested in numerous small businesses and restaurants in downtown D.C. over the last 17 years. He founded the D.C. Progressive Dinner, an organization that helps SMYAL, a local non-profit. Joseph formerly served on the Capital Alliance Board in the DC area.ā
Delaware
GOP candidate in Del. House race expresses LGBTQ support
Simpler says trans residents deserve protection from discrimination
Early voting is underway in Delaware and one race that has captivated the LGBTQ community is the 14th District House seat being vacated by longtime ally Pete Schwartzkopf. Claire Snyder-Hall, a lesbian, won the Democratic primary and faces Republican Mike Simpler. But Simpler says the LGBTQ community shouldn’t discount him simply because he’s a Republican.
āI was kind of upset that they would even think of me being a Republican, that I would discriminate against the LGBTQ community in general,ā Simpler told the Blade. āIt’s kind of upsetting knowing that I’m born and raised here, and I’ve had family members that way. I mean the treasurer of my campaign is a lesbian. It’s just upsetting that people feel that way about the gay community in general.ā
Simpler, a lifelong resident of Sussex County and the current president of the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company said that his experience in the role has allowed him to work alongside many different types of people, including members of the LGBTQ community.
āWe probably have the most diverse fire company in the state of Delaware, when it comes to the LGBTQ group,ā he said. āPeople need to realize that the LGBTQ [community] is no different than the rest of the people in the world.ā
Simpler also shared with the Blade that he has had firsthand experience with a unique aspect of LGBTQ culture ā drag. He dressed up in drag at a fundraiser held at The Pines, a popular gay venue in Rehoboth Beach.
āI was asked to volunteer for a fundraiser, and next thing you know, I find out Iām going to be in drag at The Pines,ā Simpler said. āWe had a ball! I mean, I had so much fun.ā
Not only did Simpler definitively say he supports the LGBTQ community in Delaware, but he added he supports legislative protections for these communities. He pointed out that providing a safe space for marginalized communities is ingrained in American history.
āProtect them,ā he said when asked about the potential of supporting pro-transgender legislation amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ state legislation being passed nationwide. āYou’ve got to. They’re trying to escape. For example, they’re trying to escape the process like the Jews did, like the Chinese when they came here. They’re trying to move away from an issue where they’re being prosecuted against to somewhere where they can be free and enjoy their life that they want to live.ā
In addition to promising LGBTQ support, Simpler says he backs smarter growth in the region by prioritizing better development and efforts to alleviate traffic. He also pledges to attract high-quality jobs to the region.
Simpler faces Synder-Hall in the Nov. 5 general election. Read the Bladeās profile of her, here: https://www.washingtonblade.com/2024/09/24/claire-snyder-hall-interview/
Early voting is already underway.
Virginia
New Virginia license plate celebrates LGBTQ diversity
450 applications needed for it to become official option
Diversity Richmond has designed a license plate that allows Virginia drivers to celebrate and raise the visibility of LGBTQ diversity. The Virginia-based LGBTQ nonprofit needs 450 applications by January for the plate to become an official state option.
The license plate design features a group of hands stacked on top of each other in the far left corner, and the Progress Pride flag runs horizontally across the bottom of the plate. The words āCelebrate Diversityā are prominently displayed over the flag.
Rev. Dr. Lacette Cross, executive director of Diversity Richmond, said the design celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ community.
ā[The design] reflects the diversity of the intersecting identities of our community,ā she said.
Applications are available on Diversity Richmondās website, and the license plate costs $25. Once completed, applicants should email the form to Diversity Richmond, not to the Virginia DMV, as Diversity Richmond will submit both the applications and fees to the DMV on their behalf.
If the organization gathers 450 applications and payments by the start of the 2025 Virginia General Assembly session in January, Del. Betsy B. Carr (D-Richmond) will sponsor the plate through the approval process to make it an official option.
The initiative also serves as a fundraiser for Diversity Richmond, which will receive a portion of the proceeds from the license plate registration fees.
āThe ultimate benefit,ā Cross said, āis the continual visibility of LGBTQ persons, our allies, and our supporters that are driving around the Commonwealth of Virginia, spreading the message of acceptance and of allyship.ā
She described Diversity Richmond as the hub of the LGBTQ community in Greater Richmond, noting the organizationās āreally dynamicā work within the community. The nonprofit runs the popular thrift store Diversity Thrift, hosts the annual Virginia Pridefest in September, and exhibits the work of LGBTQ artists in its art gallery.
Diversity Richmond is planning to celebrate its 25th anniversary with a public party at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture on Wednesday, Nov. 13.