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James Rees, former president of George Washington estate, dies at 62

Virginia resident survived by his husband

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James Rees, gay news, Washington Blade
James Rees, gay news, Washington Blade

James Rees (Photo courtesy of the George Washington Estate at Mount Vernon)

James C. Rees, IV, the nationally acclaimed president and CEO of the George Washington house and estate in Mount Vernon, Va., died Sept. 9 at his home in nearby Markham, Va. He was 62.

Kirk Blandford, his partner of 29 years whom he married last year, said the cause of death was multiple system atrophy, a neurological disorder, according to the Washington Post.

Information posted on the website of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, a non-profit organization that has owned and managed the George Washington estate since 1853, credits Rees with playing a key role in greatly expanding the estate’s mission to educate the public about the “unparalleled legacies” of the nation’s first president.

“Preserving the estate and promoting the enduring legacy of George Washington comprised the centerpiece of Jim’s life,” Barbara B. Lucas, regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, said in a statement posted on the website.

“The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association benefited beyond measure from his vision, energy and leadership,” she said.

The association says that during his term as president from 1994 to 2012, Rees “oversaw fundraising efforts totaling more than a quarter billion dollars for projects designed to bring George Washington back into the national spotlight.”

It was Rees’ vision that led to the development and opening of the “cutting-edge $60 million, 66,700-square-foot Ford Orientation and Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center buildings in 2006,” the association says in its web statement.

Rees has also been credited with leading efforts to restore and reconstruct George Washington’s Distillery & Gristmill as part of a four-acre exhibition farm site and “countless other important restorations on the 500-acre property,” the statement says.

The association’s write-up notes that before his retirement in June 2012, Rees secured $83 million out of $100 million needed to build and endow Mount Vernon’s newest addition — the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington. The library opened in September 2013.

Prior to becoming president of the estate Rees served as director of development and associate director beginning in 1983. The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association write-up says that during his 29-year tenure at Mount Vernon the staff nearly doubled and the Mount Vernon endowment grew from $4 million to more than $100 million.

Rees worked previously for the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the College of William and Mary and served on the board of directors for the Fairfax County Convention and Visitors Corporation and the Piedmont Environmental Council of Virginia.

He received his undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree in public administration from George Washington University. Among the many honors and awards he received were the George Washington University President’s Medal for outstanding leadership and service and the Ann Pamela Cunningham Medal — the highest honor awarded by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.

Rees is survived by his husband and life partner Kirk Blandford; a brother, George and his wife Cindy of Atlanta; and two nieces, Cameron Rees of Virginia and Courtney Rees of Germany. He was predeceased by his parents, Conway and Kitty Rees of Richmond, Va.

Memorial contributions can be made in his honor to the Multiple System Atrophy Coalition at www.multipleystematropy.org; and the James C. Rees Memorial Fund, c/o Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, P.O. Box 110, Mount Vernon, Va., 22121, 703-799-8647.

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District of Columbia

Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp, Deacon Maccubbin named WorldPride grand marshals

Three LGBTQ icons to lead parade

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Deacon Maccubbin attends the 2024 Capital Pride Parade. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

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.

Laverne Cox (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

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.

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PHOTOS: D.C. Trans Pride

Schuyler Bailar gives keynote address

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D.C. Trans Pride 2025 was held at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on May 17. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

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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Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C

Washington Blade’s unique archives chronicle highs, lows of our movement

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Gay Pride Day 1976 (Washington Blade archive photo)

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride in Washington, D.C., the Washington Blade team combed our archives and put together a glossy magazine showcasing five decades of celebrations in the city. Below is a sampling of images from the magazine but be sure to find a print copy starting this week.

D.C.’s Different Drummers march in the 2006 Capital Pride Parade. (Washington Blade archive photo by Adam Cuthbert)

The magazine is being distributed now and is complimentary. You can find copies at LGBTQ bars and restaurants across the city. Or visit the Blade booth at the Pride festival on June 7 and 8 where we will distribute copies. 

Thank you to our advertisers and sponsors, whose support has enabled us to distribute the magazine free of charge. And thanks to our dedicated team at the Blade, especially Photo Editor Michael Key, who spent many hours searching the archives for the best images, many of which are unique to the Blade and cannot be found elsewhere. And thanks to our dynamic production team of Meaghan Juba, who designed the magazine, and Phil Rockstroh who managed the process. Stephen Rutgers and Brian Pitts handled sales and marketing and staff writers Lou Chibbaro Jr., Christopher Kane, Michael K. Lavers, Joe Reberkenny along with freelancer and former Blade staffer Joey DiGuglielmo wrote the essays. 

The 1995 Lesbian and Gay Freedom Festival was held on Freedom Plaza on June 18. (Washington Blade archive photo by Clint Steib)

The magazine represents more than 50 years of hard work by countless reporters, editors, advertising sales reps, photographers, and other media professionals who have brought you the Washington Blade since 1969.

We hope you enjoy the magazine and keep it as a reminder of all the many ups and downs our local LGBTQ community has experienced over the past 50 years.

I hope you will consider supporting our vital mission by becoming a Blade member today. At a time when reliable, accurate LGBTQ news is more essential than ever, your contribution helps make it possible. With a monthly gift starting at just $7, you’ll ensure that the Blade remains a trusted, free resource for the community — now and for years to come. Click here to help fund LGBTQ journalism.

The D.C. Black Gay Men & Women’s Community Conference table at Gay Pride Day in 1978. (Washington Blade archive photo by Jim Marks)
A scene from 1985 Gay and Lesbian Pride Day. (Washington Blade archive photo by Doug Hinckle)
A scene from the 1988 Gay and Lesbian Pride Day. (Washington Blade archive photo by Doug Hinckle)
A scene from the Capital Pride Block Party in 2018. (Washington Blade photo by Daniel Truitt)
Keke Palmer performs at the 2024 Capital Pride Festival. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
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