Local
Catania enters race for mayor
Gay Council member reiterates call for Gray to resign


David Catania is the first serious openly gay contender for the office of D.C. mayor. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
D.C. Council member David Catania (I-At-Large) filed papers on Wednesday to become a candidate for mayor in the November general election, saying he has the āvalues and the vision and the tenacityā to tackle the challenges facing the city.
As a 16-year veteran on the Council with a long record of legislative accomplishments, including his role as author of the cityās historic marriage equality law, Catania becomes the first serious openly gay contender for the office of D.C. mayor with a shot at winning.
āThis is a city that believes strongly in equality of opportunity, a strong sense of fairness and the importance of playing by the rules,ā Catania said at a news conference outside the cityās Reeves Center municipal building, where he registered his candidacy.
āThese are the values we all share and these are the ones that have guided me since I was elected,ā he said.
In what many LGBT activists will likely view as a twist of fate, a large segment of the cityās LGBT community has already lined up behind the re-election campaign of Mayor Vincent Gray, who they consider the most LGBT-supportive mayor in the history of the city.
The potential dilemma of LGBT voters having to choose between an out gay candidate with a longstanding record of support on their issues and a pro-LGBT mayor they consider a longtime friend and ally was likely heightened on Wednesday when Catania reiterated his call for Gray to resign.
When asked by reporters at his news conference what he thought about revelations by the U.S. Attorney earlier this week that Gray was aware of an illegal āshadow campaignā orchestrated by businessman Jeffrey Thompson to benefit Grayās 2010 mayoral campaign, Catania said he believes the allegations to be true.
āI made my feelings known about the mayorās shadow campaign when it was first disclosed nearly two years ago,ā he said. āI said he should have resigned then and I believe that today.ā
Catania, however, said the timing of his declaration of candidacy for this week was set in motion over a week ago, before the revelations of the U.S. Attorney were known, when he set up a campaign bank account that required him to formally enter the race this week.
Catania said heās ready to run against Gray or any of the other seven Democrats challenging Gray in the cityās April 1 Democratic primary, including four of Cataniaās Democratic colleagues on the Council.
In response to questions by reporters, Catania said heās not at all deterred by the fact that heās an independent and former Republican running in a city with an overwhelmingly Democratic electorate. No non-Democrat has ever won election as mayor in the District of Columbia.
āI want to be as clear as I can be,ā he said. āI won more citywide races than everyone else in the race combined. Iāve won five times citywide. Iāve represented every corner of the city since 1997.ā
Catania added, āI believe I have the values and the vision and the tenacity to tackle the challenges facing the city and I have the record of accomplishments that supports it. So Iām not worried about who prevails in the Democratic primary. Iāve got a record that Iām very proud of and that Iām very excited to share, and Iām very excited to talk about my vision for the city.ā
The most recent poll on the Democratic primary, which was conducted before the latest revelations about Grayās alleged 2010 shadow campaign, show Gray leading his closest rival, Council member Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), by a margin of 28 percent to 20 percent. Council members Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), and Vincent Orange (D-At-Large), were trailing with 13 percent, 12 percent and 4 percent respectively.
Businessman Andy Shallal had 6 percent, attorney and former State Department official Reta Jo Lewis had 3 percent, and civic activist Carlos Allen had less than 1 percent.
Political observers, including Bob Summersgill, former president of the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, said that if Gray squeaks out a victory in the primary with around 30 percent of the vote or less, many of the Democratic voters that backed his rivals could turn to Catania in the November election.
When asked by the Blade where he thinks the LGBT vote would go in the general election, Catania said he believes he would be a strong contender for that vote based on his record on a wide range of issues.
āI think people are going to vote their interests and their values,ā he said. āAnd I hope we can refrain from having constituency voting blocs. I donāt think thatās good for anybody.ā
But he added, āIām happy to put my record as an LGBT advocate against anyone. I hear in these forums how everyone takes responsibility and credit for same-sex marriage. But I was there. I know members who never showed up for the hearings and never said a word on the dais,ā he said.
āI know the difference between those who have revisionist history and those who were there,ā he said. āAnd so whether itās having been the first openly gay elected member of the Council, from championing everything from HIV education and treatment to same-sex marriage to adoption to transgender rights, Iāll put my record against anyoneās.ā
When asked about a recent independent report indicating shortcomings in the D.C. Police Departmentās handling of anti-LGBT hate crimes, Catania praised Police Chief Cathy Lanier but said he would not discuss personnel issues before the election.
āI think Cathy Lanier has been an excellent chief,ā he said. āNow we can all do better and learn from our mistakesā¦[T]hereās always room for improvement both in terms of the reaction of the LGBT community, internal affairs and others,ā he said.
A partial transcript of Catania’s news conference follows:
Reporter: So you just filed your papers today to run?
Catania: Actually, this has been in the works for some time. We decided in January that this would be the week we would announce. In fact, just last Wednesday, before any of the latest revelations came out, we opened our bank account and by law we have five business days to file. And so last Wednesday we opened our bank account, always with the intention of filing this week. And of course you know what has happened in the intervening time known to all of us.
Reporter: What do you think about whatās happened with the mayor this week?
Catania: Well, I made my feelings known about the mayorās shadow campaign when it was first disclosed nearly two years ago. I said he should have resigned then and I believe that today.
Reporter: What is your path to victory at this point? Does the mayor have to win the primary?
Catania: No. I want to be just as clear as I could be. I won more city wide races than everyone else in the race combined. Iāve won five times citywide. Iāve represented every corner of the city since 1997. I believe that I have the values and the vision and the tenacity to tackle the challenges facing the city and I have the record of accomplishments that supports it. So Iām not worried about who prevails in the Democratic primary. Iāve got a record that Iām very proud of and that Iām very excited share and Iām very excited to talk about my vision for the city.
Reporter: This is a city that remains hugely Democratic.
Catania: Thatās right. And I would be delighted to put my record against any of those who have Democrat by their name as it relates to democratic values. I think my record more embodies democratic values than the field of candidates running as Democrats. If you look at what Iāve done for marriage equality, medical marijuana, smoke free D.C., cutting the rate of uninsured children and adults in half in this city, my work with HIV, and most recently my work with respect to education, including a fair funding bill which is finally going to give the resources for poor kids to catch up. And so labels are fine but I think the people are looking for a leader whoās actually delivered. And thereās one thing I can say ā Iāve delivered.
The others have talked a good game and good for them for having labels. But Iāve actually delivered.
Reporter: Youāre a former Republican and youāre also a white person. How does that play into the racial mix of this city?
Catania: Well I think the citizens of this city want a leader that shares their values. And it doesnāt matter what label you have. Clearly I do. This is a city that believes strongly in equality of opportunity, a strong sense of fairness and the importance of playing by the rules. These are the values we all share and these are the ones that have guided me since I was elected. So with respect to labels, you know, I think they may matter with some but by and large if you look at where we are in the city and if weāre going to secure our future we need a leader who shares our values, has a vision, and has the tenacity to get the job done.
Reporter: Your campaigns have actually taken money from Jeffrey Thompson and then I guess you had a really serious falling out with him. Would you give back the money you took from Jeffrey Thompson or did you give the money back?
Catania: You know, Mr. Thompson held a fundraiser for me in 2006. And so the bulk of the funds that were raised through that fundraiser were in 2006. Unfortunately, as you know, we, unlike federal campaigns, we close each of our campaigns out ā by law weāre required to ā at the conclusion of the election. So the money has simply been closed out. Now the money ā whatever was left over ā went to a constituent services fund. And so itās not like I have additional monies lying around to do that. And I think weāre prohibited by law from taking our existing campaign funds to pay back the debts of another campaign.
Reporter: Were you the chairman of the Health Committee when the agreement to give Jeffrey Thompson more money signed out? You fought that, didnāt you?
Catania: I think whatās interesting is that weāre here today because of the work of the Committee on Health when I became chairman. In 2005 when I became chairman of the committee the first thing I wanted to do was kind of survey the landscape of the area of responsibility that I had, which included the cityās three largest contracts for managed care and for Medicaid. And so I actually put the money in in 2005 to conduct an audit of our three managed care organizations, including Jeff Thompsonās. That audit is what ultimately led to Mr. Thompson having to settle with the city with $17 million in 2008. So itās not about having a falling out one way or another. I was doing my job. I wanted the cityās largest contracts to be subject to an audit. They were. It demonstrated that he was helping himself, candidly, and that resulted in him having to pay some money back. I suspect thatās part of what inspired him to try to find leaders that were more malleable. I wasnāt one of them.
Reporter: The mayor calls him a liar. He says everything he says is a lie, lie, lie.
Catania: Well I think this whole subject, this whole drama weāve had with Jeff Thompson ā this great drama ā the time has come for this to end. And you know we need to be talking about how weāre going to make sure our kids are ready to succeed. We need to be talking about an affordable housing plan and a public safety plan of action for Fire and EMS. The less we talk about Vince Gray and Jeff Thompson the better. Thatās for others to talk about. Iām talking about my vision for the city, which doesnāt include serving as a human lie detector for Jeff Thompson or Vince Gray.
Reporter: What about this settlement. Did you think that settlement that was reached with Chartered Health was good and above board or did you think —
Catania: Which settlement, the first one or the second?
Reporter: The one that was agreed to [by the city] and paid him.
Catania: This was obviously an attempt to square accounts with the shadow campaign as far as I am concerned. It was laid out as meticulously as it could be. Jeff Thompson in 2008 had to pay $12 million because he stole from the city. And then two weeks after he wins his primary his group begins putting in motion the very settlement that ultimately, that Mayor Gray advanced ā that we paid him the money from the false claims actions against the city. Do I believe the mayor knew it and participated and do I believe the city actually paid the shadow campaign money back? Yes, I believe thatā¦
Reporter: You have a reputation for being a little difficult. I wonāt even say the words that some ā [Tom Sherwood interrupts: The Rahm Emanuel of D.C.?]
Catania: Well listen, weāre not cutting the crusts off cucumber sandwiches here. This is not a garden party. This is about running a $12 billion organization where the lives of 640,000 people depend on someone being honest, having values and a vision and being faithful to those values and those visions. And so Iām not going to apologize for the passion that I take to this job. I think most of us are outraged when they have Fire and EMS officials just standing by while our citizens are in harmās way. I think most of our citizens are outraged when they see half of our African American males not graduating on time for high school. I think most of our citizens are outraged when they see our homeless in rec centers. So Iām not going to apologize for that outrage. Iām not going to apologize for the passion. Itās helped me get though some of the toughest measures in the last 15 years, 16 years on the Councilā¦
Reporter: Concerning the police department, there was an independent report that just came out saying there are some shortcomings in their handling of hate crimes and that the chief may have caused the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit to not be able to do its job as well as it could. If you were elected, have you decided whether you would retain the police chief?
Catania: Look, I think Cathy Lanier has been an excellent chief. Now we can all do better and learn from our mistakes. But I want to make clear Iām not talking about personnel decisions until after the election. It is the right of every mayor to select those individuals that he or she wishes to work with. I think that Chief Lanier has been an excellent chief but thereās always room for improvement both in terms of the reaction of the LGBT community, internal affairs and others.
Reporter: Weāre now in the primary. Will you be out campaigning or will you wait to see who wins the primary?
Catania: No, the race starts today, Tom. The race starts today.
ā¦If weāre electing leaders rather than administrators I think itās time for people to look at the record. And among those who are running for mayor if you look at what have they done in the last 15 months. I think thatās a fair subject for discussion and itās what I intend to talk about during this race. But look, it isnāt about who the Democratic nominee might be. I have an affirmed agenda that I believe is consistent with the values of our residents. I think we can do better. We have incredible fundamentals. When I look at our economy and I look at the values of our citizens and we have yet to capture the entire trajectory, the entire direction of those valuesā¦
Reporter:Ā The leading candidates in the Democratic primary are all very supportive on LGBT issues. The mayor says heās very supportive. Whoever wins the primary, how do you think the LGBT vote will go in the general election?
Catania:Ā Lou, I think people are going to vote their interests and their values. And I hope we can refrain from having constituency voting blocks. I donāt think thatās good for anybody. Iām happy to put my record as an LGBT advocate against anyone. I hear in these forums how everyone takes responsibility and credit for same-sex marriage. But I was there. I know the members who never showed up for the hearings and never said a word on the dais. I know the difference between those who have revisionist history and those who were there. And so whether itās having been the first openly gay elected member of the Council, from championing everything from HIV education and treatment to same-sex marriage to adoption to transgender rights, Iāll put my record against everyoneās or anyoneās.
Reporter:Ā Can you say something about the EMS?
Catania:Ā You know, Iām very open to the idea of separating the EMS and putting it candidly under the Department of Health because I see the EMS as the front line of the Department of Health. These are the front line deliverers of health services. The way it has been organized, specifically itās been subsumed by the Fire Department and has not been able to stand on its own. And so Iām open to the idea of separating the twoā¦
Reporter:Ā Would you retain Chief Ellerbe as fire chief?
Catania:Ā No. Iāll make an exception because thatās so glaring.
Reporter:Ā How do you assess your chances?
Catania:Ā Good.
Reporter:Ā Why do you think theyāre good?
Catania:Ā Well I think this is an election about change. I think the electorate is eager to have a leader instead of an administrator and I think the work that Iāve done touches many constituencies across the city. Who else can claim that they saved our public hospital? Who else can lay claim to a marriage equality bill that finally made all of our families equal before the law? Who else can claim that they produced the lowest rate of uninsured children in the country? Who else championed medical marijuana or the most comprehensive mental health system for young people in the country? So I think itās time to ask some of those who are running on the inertia of a label why they believe they have a chance of winning having accomplished so little.

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].Ā
Congratulations to Ryan Levi on assuming the presidency of the D.C. chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (DCNLGJA).
“I’m incredibly excited to take on this new leadership role with an organization full of incredible journalists,ā Levi said. āIn these uncertain and challenging times for many in our queer and trans community, I hope NLGJA can continue to be a space for queer and trans D.C. journalists to connect with their peers, find support, grow in their careers, and build community.”
Leviās background includes being a reporter and producer with Tradeoffs Washington, D.C., where he reported and produced podcast episodes for the national nonprofit health policy news organization. Topics included ransomware attacks on hospitals, bias and AI in health care, and bringing Medicaid to incarcerated people. He was the lead reporter on The Fifth Branch, a special three-part series on mental health crisis response. His reporting was featured on NPR, PBS NewsHour, The Marshall Project, and Slate. He was a producer for KQED News, San Francisco, where he reported and produced sound-rich feature stories, developed, and executed engagement strategy, provided editorial feedback, and mixed pieces for the weekly Bay Curious podcast. Before that he was a producer and reporter at KBIA News in Columbia, Missouri.
Levi earned his bachelorās degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and a bachelorās degree in Spanish, College of Arts and Science. He has won numerous honors and recognition for his work, including: Region 2 Edward R. Murrow Best News Series award for Three Refugees, Three Journeys to California; and second place 2017 Hearst Journalism Awards Radio Competition (reporter).
District of Columbia
LGBTQ-friendly senior living community to open near Dupont Circle
Luxury assisted living apartments located in the former Fairfax Hotel

An upscale senior and assisted living apartment building located two blocks from Dupont Circle, which is scheduled to hold a grand opening ceremony on Feb. 12, has announced it is āLGBTQ+ friendly.ā
A statement released by the new seniors home, called the Inspir Embassy Row, located at 2100 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., says it is proud to have received recognition as a SAGECare Platinum Credentialed Provider from the New York City-based LGBTQ seniors advocacy and training group SAGE.
āTo earn this prestigious credential, a minimum of 80 percent of Inspirās management and non-management staff completed comprehensive training in LGBTQ+ aging cultural competency,ā the statement says.
āThe program covered crucial topics including historical and contemporary LGBTQ+ struggles, proper terminology usage related to sexual orientation and gender identity, and strategies to address the unique challenges faced by this demographic,ā according to the statement sent to the Washington Blade.
Inspir Embassy Rowās general manager, Tim Cox, who is gay and said he lives with his husband just five blocks from the soon to open facility, provided the Washington Blade with a tour of the senior living building. He said it includes 174 apartments, including studio apartments and one and two-bedroom apartments.

Residents have signed up for about 45 of the apartments so far, Cox said, including some LGBTQ residents, who will begin moving in on Feb. 18. He said the upscale building is open to seniors who currently do not need assisted living services as well as those who need different levels of care, including memory loss care.
He said a doctor and nurse practitioner will be among the staff team providing services for residents. Although most of the apartments haveĀ a kitchenette with a refrigerator and microwave but no cooktop and a limited number have full kitchens, Cox said three meals a day will be served in the buildingās large, first floor dining room. The building also includes common areas with spaces for entertainment such as the showing of movies and a large grand piano for visiting performers.
āAt Inspir Embassy Row, weāre dedicated to creating an inclusive environment that celebrates the diversity of our residents,ā Cox said in the statement released by the building, which is the former home of the Fairfax Hotel.

āThis SAGECare certification is a testament to our commitment to providing personalized, compassionate care that respects and honors the identities and experiences of all our residents, including those in the LGBTQ+ community,ā Cox said.
He added, āOur goal is to create a home where every resident feels valued, respected and free to be themselves. The SAGECare certification is just the beginning of our journey to set a new standard for inclusive senior living in Washington, D.C.ā
But the monthly rent for residents of Inspir Embassy Row will likely place it out of reach for many potential senior residents. Cox said the monthly rent for a one-room studio apartment is $8,100, with the monthly cost of a one-bedroom apartment ranging from $11,500 to about $15,000. A two-bedroom apartment will cost $18,500 per month.
Some of those costs will be covered for residents who have long-term care insurance, Cox said.
Asked if potential residents who can afford the monthly costs at Inspir Embassy Row would be better off staying in their own homes and hiring staff and others to comfortably assist them, Cox said Inspir provides far more than just meals and a place to stay.

When remaining at your own home āyouāre isolated, youāre lonely, you donāt have activities,ā he said. āWhen you have people coming to care for you, theyāre not there as companions,ā Cox said. āSo, for this, we give them opportunities. We take them to the Kennedy Center. We have music here on a daily basis.ā
Cox added, āWe have authors come in. We have speakers that are renowned coming in. Since weāre on Embassy Row, weāll have ambassadors come in to introduce their country. So, really it is being able to get to know our community better and being social, interactive.ā
The statement released by Inspir Embassy Row says the facility will provide āLGBTQ+ specific activities, events, or support groups to allow residents the opportunity to share similar experiences with other residents,ā and there will be āpartnerships with local LGBTQ+ organizations.ā

District of Columbia
Officials praise D.C. Office of LGBTQ Affairs, raise concern over funding delays
Leaders of local advocacy groups testify at Council oversight hearing

Officials with five local LGBTQ community organizations and officials with another four groups that also provide services for LGBTQ D.C. residents testified before a D.C. Council performance oversight hearing on Jan. 30 that examined the work of Mayor Muriel Bowserās Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
The hearing, which also examined the Mayorās Office of Veterans Affairs and Office of Religious Affairs, was called by D.C Council member Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) in her role as chair of the Councilās Committee on Public Works and Operations.
Nearly all the witnesses praised what they called the LGBTQ Affairs Officeās longstanding support for the D.C. LGBTQ community through a wide range of services and programs and what they called the ādedicatedā work of its director, Japer Bowles.
Officials with at least four of the LGBTQ organizations, including the D.C. LGBTQ Budget Coalition and the LGBTQ youth advisory group SMYAL, expressed concern over what they called long delays in funding from grants awarded to LGBTQ and LGBTQ supportive groups by the Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
Several of the witnesses, including Kimberley Bush, executive director of the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center, who submitted written testimony, said the funding delays were being caused by other D.C. government agencies that administer city grant programs.
Bush stated that the delays in funding for the LGBTQ+ Community Center for a $50,000 Community Development Grant and a $50,000 Violence Prevention and Response Team (VPART) Grant, āby no faultā of the LGBTQ Affairs Office, ācaused extraordinary and substantial financial strain on our cash flow.ā
Heidi Ellis, coordinator of the D.C. LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition, raised a related issue of concern that the mayorās office, based on āshifting priorities,ā sometimes significantly lowers the level of grant funds from the Office of LGBTQ Affairs to community-based LGBTQ grant recipients.
Ellis and other witnesses at the hearing referred to this as āyo-yo funding and shifting of mayoral prioritiesā that they said makes it difficult for LGBTQ groups receiving city grants to continue their programs and services.
In his own testimony, and in response to questions from Nadeau and D.C. Council member Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5), who is the Councilās only gay member, LGBTQ Affairs Office Director Bowles said some of the delays in grant payments were due to a vacancy in the office staff position that administers the grants, which he said has now been filled.
Among other things, Bowles said the complexity of the grant approval process, which he said involves ādifferent layers of funding decisionsā by other D.C. government offices, also has caused some delays. He said that despite what he called some of his officeās challenges, the office continues to expand its role in supporting the local LGBTQ community.
āWith Mayor Bowserās leadership and support, Iām proud to have led efforts that transformed the office,ā he stated in his testimony. āWe secured the bid for WorldPride 2025, expanded our grant programs from $75,000 to over $6 million, revamped our community engagement strategy, and much more,ā he said.
āThese changes have had a direct impact on addressing public safety concerns and providing housing and support to vulnerable residents,ā he added. According to Bowles, his officeās LGBTQIA+ Community Development Grant program saw a record expansion in fiscal year 2024, with more than $1 million awarded to 29 community-based organizations. (The Washington Blade has been a recipient of a grant that funds a journalism fellow who reports on local LGBTQ community news.)
āThese grants support a wide range of LGBTQIA+ dedicated initiatives, including mental health counseling, youth leadership, and arts and culture projects,ā he said. āAs part of our broader advocacy efforts, we secured funding for the Violence Prevention and Response Team, which provides trauma-informed legal and counseling services to survivors of hate-based incidents.ā
Among the LGBTQ officials who praised Bowlesās work and the LGBTQ Affairs Office while raising concerns about the officeās ability to carry out its ambitious programs was Vincent Slatt, chair of the D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commissionās Rainbow Caucus. The caucus currently consists of 38 out LGBTQ ANC commissioners based in all eight D.C. wards.
Slatt called on Mayor Bowser and the D.C. Council to increase the number of full-time staff members for the LGBTQ Affairs Office from its current six staff members to 10 or 11 full-time staffers.
āTo address these challenges, we strongly recommend increasing the officeās staff to match the scale of its responsibilities and the growing needs of our community,ā Slatt told the committee. He added that the officeās current āchronic staffing and budget shortage disparities will become even more concerning in light of the recent and anticipated homophobic and transphobic attacks expected from the White House and Congress.ā
The other LGBTQ community witnesses who praised the LGBTQ Affairs Officeās overall work were Rebecca York, SMYALās director of Youth Development and Community Engagement; Justin Johns, director of operations for the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center; Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance; and Bo Belotti, development manager for the community services organization HIPS.
In response to a request from the Washington Blade for comment on whether the mayor and other city officials were taking steps to address the issue of grant funding delays raised at the D.C. Council hearing, the office of the mayor released this statement: āWashington, D.C. is proud to support the LGBTQIA+ community. The Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs continues to deliver impactful programs with its dedicated staff, and we are always assessing ways to enhance support across all community affairs offices.ā
The Office of the D.C. Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) responded to the Blade inquiry with its own statement: āDMPED has been working closely and collaboratively with the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center to finalize their grant agreement. We are proud to support this transformative project that is delivering a world-class services center for our LGBTQ community.ā
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