Local
Wheelchair theft prompts support for D.C. gay man
Social media fundraiser yields $7,300
D’Arcee Neal (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
A 28-year-old gay man who is wheelchair bound due to cerebral palsy became the beneficiary of an outpouring of community support last week after his custom-made, lightweight wheelchair was stolen outside the Logan Circle home of a friend.
D’Arcee Neal, who works for the national disability group United Cerebral Palsy and sings with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, said the theft of his wheelchair effectively left him immobilized, unable to perform basic daily tasks and unable to travel to and from work at his downtown D.C. office.
He said the customized wheelchair, which gave him both mobility and the dignity of being self-sufficient, would cost about $5,000 to replace.
Knowing the predicament he faced, his friend Nicole Marissa Yates took it upon herself to create a page on the fundraising website GoFundMe without telling Neal she had done so.
“I don’t know what it feels like to have your mobility taken away from you, but I imagine that even though he’s a strong, vibrant individual, he feels violated,” Yates wrote in a message posted on the fundraising site. “As his friends and family, we can come together to show him that we love and support him by funding his new chair,” Yates wrote. “Thank you for your contribution – anything helps!”
According to a report on the website, 155 people contributed a total of $7,300 in five days. Yates said the effort received a boost when Channel 4 News reporter Jackie Benson did a story about the wheelchair theft that included an interview with Neal on the evening news.
Neal told the Blade he’s grateful for the support he received from members of the community along with friends who contributed to the fund. He said the funds enabled him to purchase a temporary $400 wheelchair for his immediate use while he arranges for another custom made, lightweight and high-speed chair to be made. That could take as much as a month or more, he said. He plans to donate the temporary chair to a local charity.
He said he left the chair that was stolen in what he thought was an inconspicuous spot near the steps to the basement apartment at his friend’s place while apartment sitting for the friend. He isn’t able to drag or move the chair up or down steps, he said, in a world in which very few private residences are wheelchair accessible.
According to Neal, he prides himself on keeping in good physical shape by crawling up and down entrance steps – both at his friends’ homes and his own basement apartment in Anacostia, where he keeps his wheelchair outside in a concealed location.
“There are handicapped accessible apartments and homes but the rent is thousands of dollars a month more than I can afford,” he said.
District of Columbia
Blade welcomes fall intern
Alexis McLean is student at University of North Florida
The Washington Blade this week welcomed Alexis McLean as its fall intern.
Alexis is studying political science at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. She is interning with the Blade as part of a continued partnership with the Washington Center.
“I am looking forward to spending my time in the fall with the Washington Blade, as this is a new experience for me,” said Alexis. “I have not experienced any journalist jobs in the past so this would be my first time, and I am excited to better my writing and communications skills with this internship.”
Alexis’s internship with the Blade ends in early December.
Rehoboth Beach
SUNFESTIVAL takes center stage as Rehoboth Beach closes out summer
Labor Day Weekend bustling with events, including David Archuleta performance
Labor Day Weekend marks the unofficial end of summer in Rehoboth Beach, but there will be no shortage of LGBTQ events, with CAMP Rehoboth’s annual SUNFESTIVAL taking over town this weekend.
Thursday (9/3)
Get your Labor Day Weekend started early Thursday night with happy hour from 5-7 p.m. at Diego’s Bar & Nightclub, followed by Naughtee Bingo hosted by Magnolia Applebottom at 8:30 p.m.
After bingo, the party continues with Dancing at Diego’s from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Aqua Bar & Grill will also kick off its Labor Day Weekend festivities Thursday with a DJ spinning from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Friday (9/4)
The weekend ramps up Friday night at Aqua, where DJ Matt Bailer will keep the dance floor moving from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Over at Diego’s, DJ Steve Sidewalk will then take over Diego’s for Freedom Friday from 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m.
Saturday (9/5)
The main event of the weekend arrives Saturday with the opening night of CAMP Rehoboth’s SUNFESTIVAL.
Billed as the ultimate party to close out the summer, SUNFESTIVAL has become one of Rehoboth’s signature Labor Day Weekend events. The annual celebration sells out each year, with proceeds benefiting CAMP Rehoboth.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments available at the cash bar while attendees are invited to socialize and find their seats.
Saturday night will feature local singer Ashley Williams as the opening performer, followed by headliner David Archuleta. The event will also feature a live auction.
Back across town Saturday, Aqua will continue its Labor Day Weekend DJ lineup from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Diego’s will also have plenty happening, with ‘Splash Party’ hosted by Magnolia Applebottom at 5 p.m., followed by a Saturday Dance Party with Brett Oosterhaus from 9 p.m.- 1:30 a.m.
The Blue Moon hosts its popular Legends Show at 9 p.m. It’s an all-live singing show by the Blue Moon cast of celebrity impersonators.
Etienne Pilon has taken Rehoboth by storm this summer. Check out the talented singer/pianist at The Pines from 7-10 p.m.
Sunday (9/6)
Sunday’s SUNFESTIVAL event will shift the focus to the dance floor, with globally renowned DJs Robbie Leslie and James Anthony scheduled to perform. Doors open at 7 p.m., with dancing continuing until 1 a.m.
On Sunday, Aqua will throw its annual White Party, with DJs spinning from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Guests are encouraged to dress in white for the holiday weekend celebration.
Diego’s will host its Sunday High T-Dance with Pamala Stanley at 5 p.m. Later that evening, DJ Tannr will be spinning at 9 p.m.
John Flynn is on the piano from 6-8 p.m. at the Blue Moon.
Monday (9/7)
The final day of Labor Day Weekend brings one last chance to hit the dance floor before summer officially winds down.
Aqua will close out its five-day Labor Day Weekend celebration with DJ Biff from 3-7 p.m.
Maryland
Anne Arundel schools now need parent permission to call trans students by preferred names
Conservative groups challenged system’s policy
By JESSICA CALEFATI | Anne Arundel County Public Schools staff cannot use transgender students’ preferred names if their parents oppose it, according to an internal document reviewed by the Banner, a change that comes after conservative groups challenged the school system’s approach to gender identity.
Teachers union president Kristina Korona told members in an Aug. 20 email that the new guidance undermines district policy on acceptance and inclusivity and “will begin harming affected students immediately.”
Previously, the district didn’t require parental permission to use a high school student’s chosen name and pronouns corresponding to their gender identity, the internal document says. Now it does. The change comes as parents challenge the suburban school system’s gender identity policy and regulation in court and the Trump-Vance administration threatens the district’s funding.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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