Local
Warner comes out in support of marriage equality
Virginia senator calls marriage equality ‘the fair and right thing to do’
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) came out for marriage equality via a Facebook posting (photo public domain)
The senior senator from Virginia on Monday joined a chorus of prominent public figures who’ve come out in favor of marriage equality.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) announced his support for marriage rights for gay couples in a Facebook message.
“I support marriage equality because it is the fair and right thing to do,” Warner said. “Like many Virginians and Americans, my views on gay marriage have evolved, and this is the inevitable extension of my efforts to promote equality and opportunity for everyone.”
Warner’s announcement is the latest in a string of announcements from public figures — including Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — indicating new support for marriage equality. The senator makes the announcement just before the U.S. Supreme Court is set to consider the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act.
Much like McCaskill, who came out for marriage equality on Sunday via a posting on Tumblr, Warner announced his new position with little fanfare via a Facebook posting. It’s also noteworthy because Virginia is a state that has a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage known as the Marshall-Newman Amendment, which Virginia voters approved in 2006.
The last public statement from Warner’s office on marriage equality was in an article in The National Journal posted on March 1. In that article, Kevin Hall, a Warner spokesperson, said his boss was considering the issue, reportedly saying, “It’s fair to say his thinking on that is evolving.”
But Warner has previously weighed in on the need for married same-sex couples to receive the federal benefits of marriage. The Virginia senator was among the 212 congressional Democrats — including 40 senators — who signed a friend-of-the-court brief calling on the Supreme Court to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act.
In his Facebook posting, Warner touts the work that he’s done on behalf of LGBT people — both as governor and a U.S. senator. Although in 2008 he campaigned in support of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” his position changed after his election and he voted for repeal.
“I was proud to be the first Virginia governor to extend anti-discrimination protections to LGBT state workers,” Warner writes. “In 2010, I supported an end to the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, and earlier this month I signed an amicus brief urging the repeal of DOMA. I believe we should continue working to expand equal rights and opportunities for all Americans.”
The Human Rights Campaign’s latest congressional scorecard gives Warner 76 points out of a possible 100 points. Warner lost points for not co-sponsoring legislation such as the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA, and the Uniting American Families Act.
Elected as a U.S. senator in 2008 at the same time President Obama was elected to his first term to the White House, Warner’s six-year term will end to an end in 2014.
Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, said he doubts Warner’s new support for marriage equality will have an impact on his 2014 re-election prospects.
“At present Warner has no opposition for reelection and most doubt he will have a truly serious opponent,” Sabato said. “So I doubt his position on gay marriage will have much impact. The ground has shifted dramatically anyway. This isn’t the intense hot button issue it once was.”
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.).
District of Columbia
D.C. Council member honored by LGBTQ homeless youth group
Doni Crawford receives inaugural Wanda Alston Legacy Award
About 100 people turned out Tuesday evening, April 7, for a presentation by D.C.’s Wanda Alston Foundation of its inaugural Wanda Alston Legacy Award to D.C. Council member Doni Crawford (I-At-Large) for her support for the foundation’s mission to support homeless LGBTQ youth.
Among those who attended the event was Japer Bowles, director of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, who delivered an official proclamation issued by Bowser declaring April 7, 2026 “A Day of Remembrance for Wanda Alston.”
Alston, a beloved women’s and LGBTQ rights activist, served as the city’s first director of the then newly created Office of LGBTQ Affairs under then-Mayor Anthony Williams from 2004 until her death by murder on March 16, 2005.
To the shock and dismay of fellow LGBTQ rights advocates, police and court records reported Alston, 45, was stabbed to death inside her Northeast D.C. house by a man high on crack cocaine who lived nearby and who stole her credit cards and car. The perpetrator, William Martin Parrott, 38, was arrested by D.C. police the next day and later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He was sentenced in July 2005 to 24 years in prison.
Crawford was among those attending the award event who reflected on Alston’s legacy and outspoken advocacy for LGBTQ and feminist causes.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to receive this inaugural award,” Crawford told the Washington Blade at the conclusion of the event. “I think the world of Wanda Alston. She has set such a great foundation for me and other Council members to build on,” she said.
“Her focus on inclusivity and intersectionality is really important as we approach this work,” Crawford added. “And it’s going to guide my work at the Council every day.”
Crawford was appointed to the D.C. Council in January of this year to replace then Council member Kenyan McDuffie (I-At-Large), who resigned to run for D.C. mayor as a Democrat. She is being challenged by four other independent candidates in a June 16 special election for the Council seat.
Under the city’s Home Rule Charter written and approved by Congress, the seat is one of two D.C. Council at-large seats that cannot be held by a “majority party” candidate, meaning a Democrat.
A statement released by the Alston Foundation last month announcing Crawford’s selection for the Wanda Alston Legacy Award praised Crawford’s record of support for its work on behalf of LGBTQ youth.
“From behind the scenes to now serving as an At-Large Council member, she has fought fearlessly for affordable housing, LGBTQ+ funding priorities, and racial justice,” the statement says. “Council member Crawford’s leadership reflects the same courage and conviction that defined Wanda’s legacy.”
Organizers of the event noted that it was held on what would have been Wanda Alston’s 67th birthday.
“Today’s legacy reception was a smashing success,” said Cesar Toledo, the Alston Foundation’s executive director. “Not only did we come together to celebrate Wanda Alston on her birthday, but we also were able to raise over $10,000 for our homeless LGBTQ youth here in D.C.,” Toledo told the Blade.
“In addition to that, we celebrated and we acknowledged a rising star in our community,” he said. “And that is At-Large Council member Doni Crawford, who we named the inaugural Wanda Alston Legacy Award recipient.”
At the request of D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) the Council voted unanimously on Jan. 20, 2026, to appoint Crawford to the Council seat being vacated by McDuffie.
Council records show she joined McDuffie’s Council staff in 2022 as a policy adviser and later became his legislative director before McDuffie appointed her as staff director for the Council’s Committee on Business and Economic Development for which McDuffie served as chair.
Calendar: April 10-16
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