Local
Chris Abell, popular DJ, dies at 56
Accomplished pianist also worked in gay clubs
The funeral Mass for Chris Abell will be held on Tuesday, October 7, 2014, 10 a.m. at St. James Catholic Church in Mt. Rainier, MD.
Christopher George Abell, an accomplished church organist and pianist who later became a popular disc jockey at gay clubs in D.C. and up and down the East Coast, died Sept. 24 at George Washington University Hospital from a brain injury caused by a fall. He was 56.
George Strausbough, Abell’s partner of 15 years, said Abell was born in D.C. and raised in suburban Brentwood, Md., and was the second of six children of John and Bernadette Abell.
Strausbough said Abell attended the University of Maryland before transferring to Catholic University, where he studied music on a scholarship. In the late 1970s and early ‘80s Abell’s skills as an organist and pianist landed him in jobs playing at many D.C.-area churches, including the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Strausbough said.
Beginning in the early to middle 1980s through the late 1990s Abell worked as a guest DJ in a number of East Coast clubs. He also worked as a DJ in several D.C. gay bars, including the Lost & Found, Tracks, Badlands, Mr. P’s, and JR.’s. In addition, Strausbough said Abell worked as a bartender at Mr. P’s. He was widely known as “DJ Abell.”
During his DJ days, Abell became an officer with the Mid Atlantic Record Pool, an organization that worked with record companies to arrange for DJs to receive the latest record releases from popular recording artists, according to Strausbough.
After being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS nearly 25 years ago, Abell participated in clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health, the Whitman-Walker Clinic and George Washington University’s Medical Faculty Associates, Strausbough said.
He also helped to organize benefits for AIDS-related causes and groups, including Whitman-Walker, Food and Friends and Brother Help Thyself.
Amid his many activities and job duties, Strausbough said Abell was dedicated to his family, including Strausbough’s family members.
“He and I, between us, had 15 nieces and nephews that were the joy of his life, including mine and his and everybody’s,” said Strausbough. “His family was everything to him. And his family took me in as a son and my family took him in as a son.”
In addition to Strausbough, Abell is survived by his mother, Bernadette Abell; his brothers John Abell Jr. and his partner Nancy Kimball; Tim Abell and his partner Kathy; Lawrence Abell and his wife Cindy Abell; his sister Julia Jones and her husband Jay Jones; his sister Jennifer Addis and her husband Bryan; his beloved nieces and nephews and many longtime friends.
A funeral mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7 at St. James Catholic Church, 3628 Rhode Island Ave., in Mt. Rainier, Md.
District of Columbia
Gay D.C. police lieutenant arrested on child porn charges
Matthew Mahl once served as head of LGBT Liaison Unit
D.C. police announced on April 14 that they have placed one of their lieutenants, Matthew Mahl, on administrative leave and revoked his police powers after receiving information that he was arrested in Maryland one day earlier.
Although the initial D.C. police announcement doesn’t disclose the reason for the arrest it refers to a statement by the Harford County, Md. Sheriff’s Office that discloses Mahl has been charged with sexual solicitation of a minor and child porn solicitation.
“On Tuesday, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office contacted MPD’s Internal Affairs Division shortly after arresting Lieutenant Matthew Mahl,” the D.C. police statement says.
“The allegations in this case are extremely disturbing, and in direct contrast to the values of the Metropolitan Police Department,” the statement continues. “MPD’s Internal Affairs Division will investigate violations of MPD policy once the criminal investigation concludes,” it says.
“MPD is not involved in the criminal investigation and was not aware of the investigation until yesterday,” the statement adds.
Mahl served as acting supervisor of the MPD’s then Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit in 2013 when he held the rank of sergeant. D.C. police officials placed him on administrative leave and suspended his police powers that same year while investigating an undisclosed allegation.
A source familiar with the investigation said Mahl was cleared of any wrongdoing a short time later and resumed his police duties. Around the time he was promoted to lieutenant several years later Mahl took on the role as chairman of the D.C. Police Union, becoming the first known openly gay officer to hold that position.
NBC 4 reports that Mahl, 47, has served on the police force for 23 years and most recently was assigned to the department’s Special Operations Division.
Records related to Mahl’s arrest filed in Harford County District Court, show Sheriff’s Department investigators state in charging documents that he allegedly committed the offenses of Sexual Solicitation of a Minor and Child Porn Solicitation on Monday, April 13, one day before he was arrested on April 14.
The court records show he was held without bond during his first appearance in court on April 14. A decision on whether he would be released while awaiting trial or continue to be held without bond was scheduled to be determined during an April 15 bond hearing. The outcome of that hearing could not be immediately determined.
Maryland
Evan Glass is leaning on his record. Is that enough for Montgomery County’s top job?
Gay county executive candidate pushing for equitable pay, safer streets, and cleaner environment
By TALIA RICHMAN | During a meet-and-greet at Poolesville Memorial United Methodist Church, Evan Glass got his loudest applause of the night with a plan he acknowledged was decidedly unsexy.
“Day one, I’ll hire a director of permitting services,” the county executive candidate said.
Doing so, he added, is a step toward easing the regulatory burdens that can stifle small businesses in Montgomery County.
The only problem? At least one of his fiercest competitors is making a similar pledge.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
District of Columbia
D.C. bar, LGBTQ+ Community Center to mark Lesbian Visibility Week
‘Ahead of the Curve’ documentary screening, ‘Queeroke’ among events
2026 Lesbian Visibility Week North America will take place from April 20-26.
This year marks the third annual Lesbian Visibility Week, run by the Curve Foundation. A host of events take place from April 20-26.
This year’s theme is Health and Wellness. For the Curve Foundation, the term “lesbian” serves as an umbrella term for a host of identities, including lesbians, bisexual and transgender women, and anyone else connected to the lesbian community.
The week kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony on April 19. It will take place in New York, but will be livestreamed for the public.
“Queeroke” is one of the events being held around the country. It will take place at various participating bars on April 23.
As You Are, an LGBTQ bar in Capitol Hill, is one of eight locations across the U.S. participating. Their event is free and 21+.
On April 24, the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center will hold a screening of “Ahead of the Curve,” a documentary about the founder of Curve, Franco Stevens. The event is free with an RSVP.
April 25, is Queer Women in Sports Day. And on April 26, several monuments in New York will be illuminated.
Virtual events ranging from health to sports will be made available to the public. Details will be released closer to the start of Lesbian Visibility Week. Featured events can be found on the official website.
Some ways for individuals to get involved are to use #LVW26 and tag the official Lesbian Visibility Week account on social media posts. People are encouraged to display their lesbian flags, and businesses can hand out pins and decorate. They can also reach out to local lawmakers to encourage them to issue an official Lesbian Visibility Week.
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