Local
Gay man to head D.C. Office of API Affairs
Appointment of David Do makes four out cabinet members
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser appointed gay urban planning specialist David Do, on right, as director of the city’s Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. (Photo courtesy of David Do)
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Sunday night announced she has appointed gay urban planning specialist and former D.C. government official David Do as director of the city’s Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs.
Bowser made the announcement while speaking at the 26th Annual Korean-American Grocers Association of Washington, D.C. Scholarship Award Banquet. The event was held at the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family located near Catholic University in the city’s Brookland section.
“David is a passionate leader who is committed to improving the quality of life for the residents of the District of Columbia,” Bowser said in making the announcement.
“I welcome David’s enthusiasm and am delighted to have him join our team. David will be instrumental in working with the AAPI community on behalf of my administration to deliver a fresh start for the District’s residents,” she said.
Do’s appointment to the cabinet-level post requires confirmation by the City Council. Political observers familiar with the Council expect the Council to approve the appointment.
Do is a Vietnamese American and the child of a family that came to the U.S. as Vietnam War refugees. He finished a close second in a five-candidate race for a seat on the D.C. State Board of Education from Ward 1 in last November’s city election. In December he received a master’s degree in community planning from the University of Maryland.
Prior to enrolling in graduate school at Maryland, where he also served as a teaching assistant, Do served as a correspondence management specialist in the mayor’s Correspondence Unit under Mayors Adrian Fenty and Vincent Gray.
A statement released by Bowser’s office on Sunday says among Do’s goals in his new job will be to “move forward together by continuing to build bridges between the District’s AAPI community and all Washingtonians.”
The statement adds, “Do will lead OAPIA in its mission to improve the quality of life for District AAPIs through advocacy and engagement. Do will advise the mayor, the Council, and District agencies on the views, needs, and concerns of the AAPI community, provide recommendations on District programs and initiatives affecting the AAPI community, and help to coordinate programs and initiatives within District government that promote the overall welfare of the AAPI community.”
Do becomes the fourth openly gay or lesbian appointed by Bowser to a cabinet-level position. Last week Bowser named lesbian activist, media professional and former Washington Blade vice president for strategic initiatives Sheila Alexander-Reid as director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs.
Shortly before taking office as mayor on Jan. 2, Bowser named lesbian housing and homelessness policy expert Polly Donaldson as director of the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development and gay former city official Matt Brown as director of the Mayor’s Office of the Budget.
“I am excited to be appointed by Mayor Bowser to lead the Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs,” Do said in a statement. “I will bring my experience and deep understanding of various community groups and stakeholders in Washington, D.C. to my new role,” he said. “My focus will be on making sure that the Asian-American and Pacific Islander has a strong advocate and voice within the District.”
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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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