Local
DC Center, GWU partner in ‘PrEP’ HIV prevention program
$10,000 grant to encourage use of Truvada
(Photo courtesy of Gilead)
George Washington University’s School of Public Health has awarded the DC Center for the LGBT Community a $10,000 grant to provide HIV prevention activities associated with the use of the AIDS drug Truvada as a pre-exposure prophylaxis, or “PrEP” for members of the LGBT community who are HIV negative.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Center said the grant funds would be used in a “multi-pronged approach of awareness, research, and compliance in an effort to improve the lives of people living with and at risk for HIV in the District.”
Two officials with GWU’s Milken Institute School of Public Health were scheduled to present a $10,000 check to D.C. Center Board Chair Michael Fowler and Center Executive Director David Mariner at a ceremony at the Center’s offices at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 30.
The Center is located on the ground floor of the city’s Reeves Center municipal building at 14th and U Streets, N.W.
Fowler told the Blade that the Center will not serve as a dispensary for Truvada but instead will provide referrals to medical providers for those interested in going on PrEP. Fowler said the Center, among other things, would send reminders to those on the program to take the pill every day, provide educational seminars on PrEP, and develop a mobile app to help people find a PrEP provider at a location convenient to them.
The Gilead pharmaceutical company, which manufactures Truvada, received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2012 for the use of a doctor prescribed, one-pill-a-day regimen of Truvada as a pre-exposure prophylaxis to help uninfected people reduce their risk of HIV infection.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which promotes the use of Truvada as part of the PrEP program on its official government website, AIDS.gov, says the program is recommended for population groups considered at “high risk” for HIV infection. Men who have sex with men are among the groups considered at high risk for HIV, according to a write-up on the website.
However, critics of the PrEP program, including the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the nation’s largest AIDS service providing group which has offices in D.C., point to studies showing that a significant percentage of people on the PrEP program have been non-compliant in taking their daily Pravda pill, placing them at risk for becoming infected with HIV. The group’s director, Michael Weinstein, has said promoting condom use among men who have sex with men is a more effective method of HIV prevention.
In a separate development, D.C. Center spokesperson Matt Corso said the Center’s first AmeriCorps staff person began work at the Center on April 28 and will be with the Center for at least a year.
Corso said the staffer, Eric Perez, will work on the Center’s LGBT military veterans support program. He said Perez is part of AmeriCorps’ Vetcorps program, which supports veterans.
“We are the first LGBT community center to ever receive a Vetcorps volunteer, and this is Vetcorps’ first time looking specifically at the issues LGBT veterans face,” Corso said.
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Congratulations to Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-Del.) on being honored with this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health. Amy Nelson, senior director of Legal Services, said, “Congresswoman Sarah McBride is working to make healthcare accessible to all, and this award recognizes her support of healthcare as a human right. Our legal program supports families facing unprecedented challenges to stay healthy and safe – families that Congresswoman McBride champions with a deep understanding of the issues they face and the legislative expertise of how to support them.”
McBride, in a press release, said, “I am honored to accept this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health — an organization that has spent 40 years doing vital work to ensure every person can access the dignity of care. In the wealthiest and most developed nation on earth, the ability to receive care should not be a matter of luck—it should be the law of the land. I am proud to be recognized as a partner in this work and to support Whitman-Walker Health in their mission to build a healthier society for all.”
Congratulations also to Wes Drummond who will join Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach, Del., as its third artistic director. Managing Director Joe Gfaller said, “This is an exciting moment of growth for Clear Space as we welcome Wes to join our remarkable team. I am confident he will be an excellent partner as we work with our entire staff, board, and committed team of volunteers, to ensure Clear Space can achieve its full potential in pursuit of our mission to unite and enrich our community through every production on stage, and every arts-based learning program we offer throughout our community.”
On accepting the position Drummond said, “I’m honored to join Clear Space Theatre Company as artistic director, and beyond excited for what we’re about to create together. Clear Space has established itself as a vital and vibrant part of the cultural life of coastal Delaware, and I feel incredibly fortunate to step into this next chapter alongside such a passionate and dedicated team. Rehoboth Beach is a place defined by creativity and community, and I look forward to listening, learning, and building meaningful relationships across the region in the months ahead. My vision is to help Clear Space continue to grow as a bold, forward-thinking, cultural force, that champions fearless storytelling.”
Drummond served in leadership roles at Duluth Playhouse in Duluth, Minn., from 2021 to 2026, including four years as executive director followed by one year as executive producing artistic director, guiding the organization through a period of significant transformation and stability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a director, he has worked extensively in New York City, Chicago, and at regional theaters across the country, directing both musical theater and plays with a focus on storytelling that bridges classical works with contemporary perspectives. He has collaborated with leading figures in the industry, including Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus, and Tony-nominated director Michael Greif. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Wes earned his MFA in directing, Penn State University, where he studied under Tony-nominated director, Susan H. Schulman.
Virginia
Va. Supreme Court invalidates Democrat-backed redistricting plan
Voters narrowly approved new congressional districts last month
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Democrat-backed redistricting plan that voters approved last month.
Ten of 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts favor Democrats in the plan that passed by a 51-48 vote margin in last month’s referendum.
The Human Rights Campaign PAC is among the groups that support it. The court by a 4-3 majority invalidated the referendum results.
District of Columbia
Maren Morris to headline Capital Pride Concert
Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter came out as bisexual in 2024
Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride events, announced on May 7 that nationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Maren Morris, who identifies as bisexual, will be the headline performer at this year’s Capital Pride Concert scheduled for June 21.
The concert takes place as part of the annual Capital Pride Festival held on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., usually between 3rd Street near the U.S. Capitol and 9th Street.
“Morris, known for her genre-blending sound and outspoken support of LGBTQ+ rights, will be joined by a standout lineup, including acclaimed queer rapper Leikeli47, pop icon Lisa Lisa, Juno-nominated producer and DJ from the ‘Heated Rivalry’ soundtrack, Harrison, and ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 18 winner Myki Meeks,” according to a statement released by Capital Pride.
“In a moment when LGBTQ+ people are being challenged across the country, the Capital Pride Concert is a space where our community is fully seen and heard,” Ryan Bos, the Capital Pride Alliance CEO and president, said in the statement. “Bringing Maren Morris to the stage reflects this year’s theme: Exist, Resist, Have the Audacity,” Bos said.
The statement notes that the concert takes place as part of the annual D.C. Pride Festival, which is open to the public free of charge, with tickets available for purchase for specific areas listed as the Capital Stage Pit Zone and the VIP Concert Zone.
It says the festival takes place from 12 –10 p.m. and points out that in addition to the music performed by multiple other performers on several stages, festival attendees “can explore hundreds of exhibitors, community organizations, and artisans, along with multiple food courts and beverage gardens throughout the festival footprint.”
Information on the Capital Pride Alliance website shows that the festival takes place one day after the annual Capital Pride Parade, scheduled for June 20 and which is expected to travel from 14th and T Streets, N.W., to Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., where it is expected to end at 9th Street.
The statement adds that following the stage performances during the June 21 festival, which are expected to conclude around 8 p.m., “the celebration will continue with the Capitol Sunset Dance Party, closing out the evening against the backdrop of the U.S. Capitol.”
The online publication Today, which is part of the NBC “Today” television show, reported that Morris came out as bisexual in a 2024 during Pride. It reports Morris “shared several images of herself holding a Pride flag to mark the occasion, writing, ‘Happy to be the B in LGBTQ+’”
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