Local
Rustin Fellowship to fund LGBT research
Albert Shanker Institute, and National Black Justice Coalition will back award
Bayard Rustin (Washington Blade archive photo by Doug Hinckle)
The National Black Justice Coalition, an LGBT advocacy organization, and the Albert Shanker Institute, which advocates for public education and labor issues, announced last week that they are joining forces to create an educational fellowship named after the late civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, who was gay.
Both organizations are based in D.C.
The two groups announced the launching of the new fellowship during a tribute to Rustin held at D.C.’s Lincoln Theater during the week of the 50th anniversary commemoration of the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, of which Rustin was the lead organizer.
“The most fitting tribute to the late Bayard Rustin is the continuation of his life’s work,” a joint statement released by NBJC and the Shanker Institute says.
“Bayard Rustin was a tireless activist, an unrivaled organizer, an extraordinary strategic thinker and a powerful advocate in struggles for human rights and economic justice,” the statement says. “His involvement in these struggles read like a roll call of 20th century historical milestones on America’s ‘freedom road,’” which the statement says includes “the fight for full civil rights for the LGBT community.”
Among other things, the statement says the Rustin Fellowship will focus on research, policy development and advocacy in the field of public education, with a concentration on three subject areas:
• the elimination of discrimination and bullying against students based on “race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation and gender expression”
• the development of educational programs that support “respect and tolerance for cultural and social difference among students”
• the “promotion of the full integration of American schools so that they will reflect and promote the full diversity of our society.”
NBJC spokesperson Michael Brewer said additional details about the fellowship, including information on who may be eligible to apply for the fellowship and who will select candidates for the Rustin Fellowship, were expected to be announced in November.
The statement released last week says those interested in making a tax-exempt donation to help fund the fellowship could so by contacting the Shanker Institute at [email protected].
Photos
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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