Local
Trans activist Roberta Gills dies at 63
Active in D.C. Trans Coalition
Roberta Gills, an active member of the D.C. Trans Coalition, died June 7 after a battle with cancer. (Photo by Shannon Wyss)
Roberta “Bobbie” Gills, a longtime advocate for transgender equality and an active member of the D.C. Trans Coalition, died June 7 following a battle with cancer. She was 63.
A statement released by D.C. Trans Coalition organizer Jason Terry says Gills was born in D.C. and lived most of her life in Arlington, Va.
“Bobbie was a tireless advocate for human rights,” Terry said. “She joined the D.C. Trans Coalition in 2009 and she quickly sparked conversations that ultimately led to the successful passage of the Deoni Jones Birth Certificate Equality Act last year [by the D.C. City Council].”
Gills became a leader in D.C.’s Trans Needs Assessment Project and represented DCTC at a number of events,” Terry said.
According to Terry, Gills worked for many years in the parts department at a car dealership in Arlington before she was fired after she came out as transgender.
“Undaunted, she increased her activist efforts, enrolled at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and also began working with the Kiwanis Club,” Terry said. She served from 2012 to 2013 as co-chair of the Capital Trans Pride celebration. She later graduated from NOVA with honors, according to a write-up released by family members.
“She was one of the most generous people I knew,” said DCTC organizer Shannon Wyss. “Cancer has claimed another wonderful person, someone who found her truth, lived it despite its costs and because of its triumphs, and advocated so that others could be as true to themselves as she,” Wyss said.
Gills is survived by her mother, Clara S. Gills; her brother, George W. Gills; sister-in-law, Thu Nyugen; and sisters Suzanne J. Macinnis and Janet G. Kimble along with many cousins, aunts and friends.
A funeral service was held June 12 at Murphy’s Funeral Home in Arlington. Interment took place at Mount Comfort Cemetery in Alexandria, Va.
Family members suggest that donations in her honor be made to the D.C. Trans Coalition or the Northern Virginia Community College Education Fund.
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Congratulations to Yadiel Meléndez, on their new role as Community Associate, with the Wanda Alston Foundation. Meléndez is piloting a new role as a Community Associate at the Wanda Alston Foundation, where they support queer and trans young people in finding their footing, building independence, and experiencing a housing community where they are seen, valued, and affirmed. They are coming into this role with more than a decade of experience as a community organizer and operations specialist, supporting diverse communities through service, advocacy, and program coordination.
Previously they worked for Right Proper Brewing Shaw as a server and bartender and at Sephora, Washington, DC, and at FreshFarm, DC, in bilingual food access. They also worked freelance to build foundational structures for local queer BIPOC performance art coalitions, producing variety shows to curate space for marginalized performance artists in the community. They were a production manager for Haus of Hart Productions, a BIPOC centric performance art production. They also worked as field staff with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in Stafford, Va.
Meléndez is bilingual, Spanish and English. Their work is guided by a commitment to dignity, safety, and trauma-informed engagement, particularly within LGBTQ and BIPOC communities.
Congratulations also to Ben Rosen LICSW, on his new role as program director, with the Wanda Alston Foundation. Rosen previously worked with Fountain House’s OnRamps program, helping to build a new, innovative outreach program for individuals considered chronically homeless, and living with serious mental illness, in the Times Square area of New York. Rosen is a Psychotherapist, having worked with SG Psychotherapy, and as the psychotherapist with the Nest Community Health Center (URAM).
Rosen has a B.F.A. in Theatre Arts: Musical Theatre, Minor in Psychology (Cum Laude) from Malloy University Conservatory; and his M.S.W. in Clinical Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups, from The Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, N.Y. He is independently licensed in New York and Washington, D.C.
Rehoboth Beach
BLUF leather social set for April 10 in Rehoboth
Attendees encouraged to wear appropriate gear
Diego’s in Rehoboth Beach hosts a monthly leather happy hour. April’s edition is scheduled for Friday, April 10, 5-7 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to wear appropriate gear. The event is billed as an official event of BLUF, the free community group for men interested in leather. After happy hour, the attendees are encouraged to reconvene at Local Bootlegging Company for dinner, which allows cigar smoking. There’s no cover charge for either event.
District of Columbia
Celebrations of life planned for Sean Bartel
Two memorial events scheduled in D.C.
Two celebrations of life are planned for Sean Christopher Bartel, 48, who was found deceased on a hiking trail in Argentina on or around March 15. Bartel began his career as a television news reporter and news anchor at stations in Louisville, Ky., and Evansville, Ind., before serving as Senior Video Producer for the D.C.-based International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union from 2013 to 2024.
A memorial gathering is planned for Friday, April 10, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the IBEW International Office (900 7th St., N.W.), according to a statement by the DC Gay Flag Football League, where Bartel was a longtime member. A celebration of life is planned that same evening, 6-8 p.m. at Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.).
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