Local
Casa Ruby named ‘fiscal agent’ for Wanda Alston House
City’s only LGBT homeless youth shelter ‘stable’ after T.H.E. collapse


Wanda Alston House official Brian Watson, far left, and transgender activist Earline Budd, right, look on while the mother of the late Wanda Alston cuts a ceremonial ribbon marking the opening of the Alston House on July 8, 2008. (Washington Blade file photo by Henry Lisner)
In a little-noticed development, an organization that oversees the city’s housing programs for the homeless terminated its contract with the local group Transgender Health Empowerment to operate the Wanda Alston House, the city’s only residential facility for homeless LGBT youth.
The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness on July 1 awarded the Alston House contract to Casa Ruby, an LGBT community center on Georgia Avenue in Northwest D.C. with an outreach to the Latino and transgender communities.
The action by the Community Partnership, which is funded by the D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS), came after it determined that T.H.E. was no longer capable of overseeing the Alston House due to financial problems that forced it to lay off most of its employees in May, sources familiar with the organization said. T.H.E. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 7.
“They reached out to me and asked me if Casa Ruby could do this and, of course, I said we would,” Ruby Corado said in referring to a call she received from the Community Partnership’s executive director, Sue Marshall.
“My immediate reaction was it would be a tragedy for the clients if the Wanda Alston House was forced to close,” Corado told the Blade.
Corado is the founder and executive director of Casa Ruby
Under the new contract the Alston House will continue to operate at its current location at 804 46th St., N.E.
Dora Taylor, a spokesperson for DHS, said the contract was awarded to Casa Ruby on an interim basis and is scheduled to last until the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.
Although the contract places Casa Ruby in charge of the Alston House’s finances in the role of fiscal agent and case manager, staff members formerly associated with T.H.E. will continue to operate the house.
Corado said she is considering taking steps to have the contract extended beyond that date, saying she believes Casa Ruby provides a good fit for the Alston House and its programs.
However, Earline Budd, one of the founders and most recently a program director for T.H.E., said former T.H.E. official Brian Watson informed her he was in the process of creating a new non-profit corporation to operate the Alston House called the Wanda Alston Foundation.
Records with the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs’ Office of Corporations show that someone reserved a corporate name of Wanda Alston Foundation on July 2 but the required incorporation papers had yet to be filed.
Watson, who has been involved in the day-to-day operations of the Alston House since it opened in July 2008, was reluctant to comment two weeks ago when the Blade contacted him about the status of the Alston House in the midst of T.H.E.’s financial crisis.
“Right now the house is stable and open and occupied to capacity,” he said “I can’t comment on any changes that may have taken place.”
He didn’t respond to calls from the Blade this week seeking information about his plans for an Alston House Foundation.
A call placed to the Alston House was answered by a recorded message that identified Watson as the director of the house. A July 11 message posted on a Facebook page created by the Alston House states, “On behalf of the Wanda Alston House, we are pleased to announce its services are up and running under the Wanda Alston Foundation!”
The Facebook posting adds, “With the support of Casa Ruby, as its fiscal agent, the Wanda Alston House is moving forward with its mission, to increase the overall quality of life for LGBTQ youth in the District of Columbia.”
A message posted on the website of the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community on May 17 suggested the Alston House at that time was encountering problems meeting the basic needs of its clients.
“A collection box has been set up at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) for donations to the Wanda Alston House” for items such as shampoo, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, canned food, toilet paper, and bed sheets and pillows, among other items, the D.C. Center message said.
David Mariner, the center’s executive director, and Michael Sessa, the center’s board president, each said the center has provided assistance to the Alston House at various times since it opened in 2008. Mariner acknowledged that Watson contacted the center but said further details on the matter should be obtained from Watson.
The Alston House is named after the late lesbian activist who, among other things, served as director of the city’s Office of GLBT Affairs under Mayor Anthony Williams. Alston was stabbed to death in her home in Northeast D.C. on March 16, 2005, in what police said was a robbery attempt by a male neighbor that was not linked to her sexual orientation.
Her murder shocked the LGBT community, which recognized Alston for years of advocacy on behalf of LGBT and feminist causes, including efforts to assist LGBT youth.
Christopher Dyer, who served as director of the GLBT Affairs office under Mayor Adrian Fenty, said Watson played a key role in pushing for city funding for an LGBT youth homeless facility more than a year before the Alston House opened.
“Brian has been the one who has pushed for this from the beginning,” Dyer said. “I’m really pleased that it was able to survive.”
In a 2008 press release announcing its opening, the mayor’s office described the Alston House as a “groundbreaking housing program for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth in Washington, D.C. It is the first transitional living program dedicated to preparing GLBT youth for independent living and adulthood in the District of Columbia.”
The house accommodates eight residents and has facilities for one or more adult supervisors who are present at the house on a 24-hour basis.
Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Pride festival to take place July 19
LGBTQ-friendly resort town welcomes third year of celebrations

Rehoboth Beach Pride is back for a day of summer celebration next Saturday.
The Delaware beach town will host its Pride festival at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center on July 19 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., followed by an after-party at Freddie’s Beach Bar and a ticketed event in the evening with a film screening, comedian, and musician.
“It will be a day of community engagement, fun, celebration and learning, all sorts of things rolled into one,” David Mariner, executive director of Sussex Pride, told the Washington Blade. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us to be together, to support each other.”
Pride is organized by Sussex Pride and Gay Women of Rehoboth. The festival will include a free, family-friendly event with vendors offering information and resources, health screenings, and other activities.
Drag queen Roxy Overbrooke will host the festival, with performances throughout the day by Ivy Blu Austin, Goldstar, the cast of Clear Space Theatre, JC Pizzaz, and Kadet Kelly.
Mariner said Rehoboth Pride has not seen a decrease in corporate support this year, as some Pride celebrations have. Last year, the vendor spots were capped at 50 but increased to 60 this year.
“The main thing that’s different this year is what’s happening in the world and what’s happening in the country so it changes the tone,” Mariner said. “I go into this with strength and determination and an awareness and appreciation for the rights that we have here in Delaware. I go into this … knowing there are people in our community feeling under attack. There are a lot of things happening at the national level that impact us from healthcare to education that affect our lives in various ways.”
Funds raised from a raffle will be used to support unhoused LGBTQ youth in Delaware. Last year, the raffle raised $1,000, which was donated to the Safeguards Housing Committee, a program of PFLAG Wilmington.
In response to LGBTQ youth “increasingly targeted by harmful rhetoric and policies,” the festival will hold various workshops with topics such as supporting the LGBTQ Latinx community, suicide prevention, and an ACLU activist training.
Mariner referenced a Dan Savage quote from the AIDS epidemic that he loves. He said it reflects Pride festivals and the celebration of pride in the LGBTQ community.
“During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night. The dance kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for,” the quote reads.
Mariner said having an event like this that combines education, advocacy, and celebration is reflective of “who we are as queer people.” He said it’s important to learn and recommit to the work that needs to be done and that he is looking forward to every piece of the day.
“I would just like to see everyone leave the convention center feeling loved and connected and supported and with a renewed sense of strength and determination to face whatever challenges may come,” Mariner said.
District of Columbia
Gay ANC member announces candidacy for Ward 1 D.C. Council seat
Community leader Brian Footer seeking seat held by Brianne Nadeau

Gay Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Brian Footer, a community activist who has been involved for many years in local and national government affairs, has announced his candidacy for the Ward 1 D.C. Council seat up for election in 2026.
Footer, a Democrat, will be running in the city’s June 2, 2026, Democratic primary for the Ward 1 Council seat, but it is uncertain whether he will be running against incumbent Ward 1 Council member Brianne Nadeau (D). Nadeau has not yet announced if she plans to run for re-election for a fourth term following her 12 years on the Council.
Nadeau has been a longtime vocal supporter of the LGBTQ community.
If Footer were to win the primary and the November 2026 general election, he would become the Council’s second openly gay member. Ward 5 Council member Zachary Parker (D) is currently the 13-member Council’s only gay member.
Footer is a three-term ANC commissioner who currently serves as Chair of ANC 1E, which represents the city’s Adams Morgan neighborhood.
“Brian has worked at every level of government — federal, state, and local — building a career rooted in public service, aging policy, and inclusive urban planning,” a statement on his campaign website says.
“I’m running for Council because too many people in Ward 1 are doing everything right and still feel ignored by the city they call home,” Footer states on his website.
“I’m running because we can do better,” his statement continues. “That means making housing more affordable, addressing homelessness with real solutions, and keeping our neighborhoods safe with smart, community focused strategies.”
When contacted by the Washington Blade for comment, Nadeau said she was not ready at this time to discuss her plans about running again or about Footer’s candidacy.
“The primary is a ways away, and I’m very focused right now on the budget and the stadium deal and all the work that we’re doing at the Council,” she told the Blade. “So, I really haven’t had time to turn to my plans. So, as a result, I’m also not going to be commenting on anybody else who is determined that they’re running at this time.”
She first won election to the Council in 2014 after she defeated four-term gay Ward 1 Council member Jim Graham in the Democratic primary after Graham became embroiled in an ethics controversy.
In the 2022 Democratic primary Nadeau defeated gay challenger Salah Czapary in a three-candidate race, by a margin of 48.5% of the vote compared to Czapary’s 30.9%.
With the third candidate, Sabel Harris, receiving 20.4%, the outcome showed that the two challengers had a combined total vote count higher than Nadeau.
Further details of Footer’s candidacy can be accessed from his campaign website, brianfooterdc.com.
District of Columbia
Gay GOP group hosts Ernst, 3 House members — all of whom oppose Equality Act
Log Cabin, congressional guest speakers mum on June 25 event

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and three women Republican members of the U.S. House appeared as guest speakers at the June 25 meeting of Log Cabin Republicans of D.C., the local chapter of the national LGBTQ Republican group with that same name.
The U.S. House members who joined Ernst as guest speakers at the Log Cabin meeting were Celeste Maloy (R-Utah), Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), and Julia Letlow (R-La.).
Neither D.C. Log Cabin Republicans President Andrew Minik nor spokespersons for Ernst or the three congresswomen immediately responded to a request by the Washington Blade for comment on the GOP lawmakers’ appearance at an LGBTQ GOP group’s meeting.
“Please join us for an inspiring evening as we celebrate and recognize the bold leadership and accomplishments of Republican women in Congress,” a D.C Log Cabin announcement sent to its members states.
“This month’s meeting will highlight the efforts of the Republican Women’s Caucus and explore key issues such as the Protection of Women and Girls In Sports Act and the broader fight to preserve women’s spaces in society,” the message says.
It was referring to legislation pending in Congress calling for banning transgender women from participating in women’s sports events.
According to media reports, Ernst and the three congresswomen have expressed opposition to the Equality Act, the longstanding bill pending in Congress calling for prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations.
The Log Cabin announcement says the meeting was scheduled to take place at the Royal Sands Social Club, which is a restaurant and bar at 26 N St., S.E. in the city’s Navy Yard area.
D.C. Log Cabin member Stuart West, who attended the meeting, confirmed that Ernst and the three congresswomen showed up and spoke at the event.
“It was a good turnout,” he said. “I would definitely say probably 30 or 40 people attended.” West added, “Four women came to talk to a group of mostly gay men. That’s something you don’t see very often.”
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