Local
NAPWA bankruptcy case reopened for trademark sale
D.C. group Health HIV to pay $3,000 for ‘awareness day’ name
Former President of the National Association of People with AIDS Frank Oldham, Jr.. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
In a little-noticed development, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge in Maryland last month agreed to reopen the Chapter 7 bankruptcy case of the National Association of People With AIDS three months after the court closed the case and ruled more than $750,000 owed to creditors could not be paid.
According to court documents, Judge Paul Mannes agreed to a motion by bankruptcy trustee Laura Margulies requesting that the case be reopened to allow NAPWA to sell its trademark for the name “National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day” to the recently formed organization called Health HIV, which is located at 2000 S St., N.W., near Dupont Circle.
“This asset is unlisted in the Debtor’s Petition; however, the Trustee and Buyer have agreed upon a value and entered into a purchase agreement,” according to an Oct. 3 “notice of private sale” of the trademark issued by Margulies. It lists the agreed upon purchase price as $3,000.
The notice says any party objecting to the trustee’s proposed sale must do so in writing and submit it to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Greenbelt, Md., “on or before Oct. 28, 2013.”
NAPWA shut its doors last February at the time it filed for bankruptcy after having served as one of the nation’s leading advocates for people with HIV and AIDS for 30 years. The shutdown took place after its longtime president and CEO Frank Oldham left the organization under a cloud three months earlier.
The bankruptcy filing says Oldham owed NAPWA $88,360 in an unexplained “accounts receivable claim.” Oldham and the NAPWA board members that initiated the bankruptcy have declined to comment on why Oldham owed the organization money. They also have declined to say whether the money Oldham reportedly owes was related to a decision by the board to ask the Montgomery County, Md., State’s Attorney’s office to investigate missing or unaccounted for funds from the group’s bank accounts.
Health HIV came under fire from some AIDS activists in May when news surfaced that it appointed Oldham and four other former NAPWA officials to a steering committee for a Health HIV project called Positively Healthy. At the time he joined the project Oldham said the new venture would pick up where NAPWA left off to become a key advocate for people with AIDS.
But critics argued that people who presided over the financial collapse of NAPWA should not be placed in charge of a new organization claiming to be representing people with AIDS. The criticism prompted Oldham to resign from the steering committee.
Brian Hujdich, executive director of Health HIV, said none of the people from NAPWA would have any involvement in the financial aspects of the organization and would be limited to policy-related issues.
Hujdich couldn’t immediately be reached for comment about his group’s arrangement to purchase the trademark for National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
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)
a&e features
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
Washington Blade’s unique archives chronicle highs, lows of our movement
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride in Washington, D.C., the Washington Blade team combed our archives and put together a glossy magazine showcasing five decades of celebrations in the city. Below is a sampling of images from the magazine but be sure to find a print copy starting this week.
The magazine is being distributed now and is complimentary. You can find copies at LGBTQ bars and restaurants across the city. Or visit the Blade booth at the Pride festival on June 7 and 8 where we will distribute copies.
Thank you to our advertisers and sponsors, whose support has enabled us to distribute the magazine free of charge. And thanks to our dedicated team at the Blade, especially Photo Editor Michael Key, who spent many hours searching the archives for the best images, many of which are unique to the Blade and cannot be found elsewhere. And thanks to our dynamic production team of Meaghan Juba, who designed the magazine, and Phil Rockstroh who managed the process. Stephen Rutgers and Brian Pitts handled sales and marketing and staff writers Lou Chibbaro Jr., Christopher Kane, Michael K. Lavers, Joe Reberkenny along with freelancer and former Blade staffer Joey DiGuglielmo wrote the essays.
The magazine represents more than 50 years of hard work by countless reporters, editors, advertising sales reps, photographers, and other media professionals who have brought you the Washington Blade since 1969.
We hope you enjoy the magazine and keep it as a reminder of all the many ups and downs our local LGBTQ community has experienced over the past 50 years.
I hope you will consider supporting our vital mission by becoming a Blade member today. At a time when reliable, accurate LGBTQ news is more essential than ever, your contribution helps make it possible. With a monthly gift starting at just $7, you’ll ensure that the Blade remains a trusted, free resource for the community — now and for years to come. Click here to help fund LGBTQ journalism.
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