Local
Whitman-Walker urges gay men to get meningitis vaccine
Recommendation comes after cases in New York City, California
(Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Whitman-Walker Health on Friday urged gay and bisexual men to get vaccinated against bacterial meningitis.
The health service provider in their announcement referenced New York state health officials’ recommendations that any gay man or MSM (man who has sex with men) who is at least 18 years old of any HIV status who has had “intimate contact with a man” they met online, through an app or at a bar or a party since Sept. 1, 2012, or “plan on having such contact in the future” should receive the vaccine.
This announcement comes on the heels of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reporting four new cases of meningitis among MSM have been reported in the five boroughs since the beginning of the year. The agency said 22 meningitis cases – seven of them fatal – have been reported in the city since 2010.
Brett Shaad, an attorney from West Hollywood, Calif., died from the disease at a Los Angeles hospital last week.
Karen Ocamb of Frontiers noted on Wednesday that three other gay men in Los Angeles have reportedly contacted meningitis since December, including Rjay Spoon who died on Dec. 16.
Ray Martins, chief medical officer of Whitman-Walker, told the Washington Blade earlier this week headaches, fever and a stiff neck are the most common symptoms associated with meningitis. It is spread through respiratory droplets or oral secretions. And the incubation period is typically between three and seven days.
“It’s not a gay disease,” Martins said. “It just happens to be spreading in the gay community.”
Dr. Saul Levin, interim director of the D.C. Department of Health, said on March 25 that he “strongly” recommends people with HIV and those who frequently travel to the New York City area to “consult with their physician regarding a meningitis vaccination.”
While noting there has not been an increase in meningitis cases in the nation’s capital, Levin released his statement on the same day the New York State Department of Health expanded the list of those whom it said should receive the vaccine to include MSM with HIV/AIDS and those who have engaged in activities described in the New York City advisory.
Whitman-Walker said its patients can request the vaccine from their health care provider. Those who do not receive care from the organization should contact their physician to get vaccinated.
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PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony
The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
District of Columbia
Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp, Deacon Maccubbin named WorldPride grand marshals
Three LGBTQ icons to lead parade
WorldPride organizers announced Thursday that actress and trans activist Laverne Cox, powerhouse performer Reneé Rapp, and LGBTQ trailblazer Deacon Maccubbin will serve as grand marshals for this year’s WorldPride parade.
The Capital Pride Alliance, which is organizing WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C., revealed the honorees in a press release, noting that each has made a unique contribution to the fabric of the LGBTQ community.
Cox made history in 2014 as the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category for her role in Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black.” She went on to win a Daytime Emmy in 2015 for her documentary “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word,” which followed seven young trans people as they navigated coming out.
Rapp, a singer and actress who identifies as a lesbian, rose to prominence as Regina George in the Broadway musical “Mean Girls.” She reprised the role in the 2024 film adaptation and also stars in Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” portraying a character coming to terms with her sexuality. Rapp has released an EP, “Everything to Everyone,” and an album, “Snow Angel.” She announced her sophomore album, “Bite Me,” on May 21 and is slated to perform at the WorldPride Music Festival at the RFK Festival Grounds.
Deacon Maccubbin, widely regarded as a cornerstone of Washington’s LGBTQ+ history, helped organize D.C.’s first Gay Pride Party in 1975. The event took place outside Lambda Rising, one of the first LGBTQ bookstores in the nation, which Maccubbin founded. For his decades of advocacy and activism, he is often referred to as “the patriarch of D.C. Pride.”
“I am so honored to serve as one of the grand marshals for WorldPride this year. This has been one of the most difficult times in recent history for queer and trans people globally,” Cox said. “But in the face of all the rhetorical, legislative and physical attacks, we continue to have the courage to embrace who we truly are, to celebrate our beauty, resilience and bravery as a community. We refuse to allow fear to keep us from ourselves and each other. We remain out loud and proud.”
“Pride is everything. It is protection, it is visibility, it is intersectional. But most importantly, it is a celebration of existence and protest,” Rapp said.
The three will march down 14th Street for the WorldPride Parade in Washington on June 7.
2025 D.C. Trans Pride was held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, May 17. The day was filled with panel discussions, art, social events, speakers, a resource fair and the Engendered Spirit Awards. Awardees included Lyra McMillan, Pip Baitinger, Steph Niaupari and Hayden Gise. The keynote address was delivered by athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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