Local
D.C. police official denies rumors of GLLU overhaul
Sgt. Mahl out on sick leave
Capt. Edward Delgado told the Blade on Tuesday that no such changes would be made and that he remains in charge of the liaison units. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
A D.C. police official this week described as “totally false” unconfirmed reports that a controversial lieutenant had been named as the new head of the department’s special liaison units, including the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, and planned to dismantle the units as distinct entities.
Capt. Edward Delgado, director of the Special Liaison Division, which oversees the GLLU and the Latino, Asian-Pacific Islander, and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Liaison Units, told the Blade on Tuesday that no such changes would be made and that he remains in charge of the liaison units.
“We are looking for an affiliate sergeant to fill in while Sgt. Matt Mahl is on sick leave,” Delgado said.
He was referring to Mahl’s status as supervisor of the GLLU and who temporarily left the unit due to what sources familiar with the GLLU say is a shoulder injury that may require surgery. Delgado said he plans to designate an affiliate GLLU member with the rank of sergeant, possibly from one of the eight police service districts, to serve as acting GLLU supervisor until Mahl returns.
Sources familiar with the department said Lt. Ronald Netter appeared at the GLLU office and reportedly told some GLLU members that he had been placed in charge of each of the liaison units and would be working out of the GLLU office in Dupont Circle. According to the sources, Netter reportedly said plans were underway to merge all of the liaison units into a single “special liaison” entity and all of its officers would respond to calls from each of the four constituency groups – LGBT people, Latinos, Asian-Pacific Islander members and the city’s deaf community.
These unconfirmed reports shocked GLLU members and those familiar with the unit, prompting supporters to say such a change would destroy the effectiveness of the individual units, in part, because members of one unit were not trained to provide police service to the other constituency groups.
Those hearing the unconfirmed reports were further alarmed because of news media reports over the past several years that Lt. Netter had been under investigation by the department and transferred from the Sixth District to the Central Cellblock in what was viewed as a demotion after he lost his service pistol on three separate occasions.
Delgado told the Blade that Netter was assisting him “on various things” but that he was not in charge of the GLLU or any of the other special liaison units.
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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