Local
Brian Petro dies at 46
20-year retrospective of his work held at the Paper Gallery in Philadelphia
Brian Petro
Brian Petro, a long-time D.C.-based artist, died Dec. 2 due to liver and kidney failure related to alcoholism, according to his friend, Mark Guenther. He was 46.
Petro was a native of central Pennsylvania and was born Oct. 1, 1970. He worked in sports medicine for six years before pursuing art full-time, which he did for the last 20-plus years creating multi-media works using ink, paint, old newspapers and more. He credited his style as inspired by the dichotomy of having grown up in a supportive yet rural area and the independence required for urban life, according to a bio he used professionally. He cited global travel and urban exploration as inspirations for his artistic aesthetic.
His work was shown in galleries in New York, Hawaii, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Washington, Rehoboth Beach, Del., and more. His clients included Absolut Vodka, which commissioned an ad used in Dupont Circle; the Ritz Carlton Hotels; Saks Fifth Avenue; IBM, which commissioned a 20-foot mural; the Library of Congress and others.
Petro was gay and had been in a long-term relationship with Ricardo Zapata that ended around 2011, though they remained friends. He is survived by long-time friends David Keuler, Mark Guenther and others. Petro moved to Washington in 2000. He lived in New York from 2008-2011 after which he returned to Washington.
A 20-year retrospective of his work was held at the Paper Gallery in Philadelphia, the first professional gallery to exhibit his work.
“Brian set the example of what it means to be a good human,” Guenther said. “He loved unconditionally and accepted people for who they were, no matter what. For me, he defined what it means to be a friend simply by being the example. He was one of the most creative, kind and generous people that I have ever met and I consider it one of the greatest gifts of my life to have had the privilege to call him my best friend.”
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 4:30 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ (945 G St., N.W.). After the service, Petro’s art will be for sale at a reception. Festive attire as one would wear to an art opening is requested.
Baltimore
‘Heated Rivalry’ fandom exposes LGBTQ divide in Baltimore
Hit show raises questions about identity, cultural representation
By JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IV | “Heated Rivalry,” the surprise gay hockey romance that has captivated global audiences and become a cultural phenomenon, has inspired sold-out parties celebrating the characters from the steamy series, including in Baltimore.
For some, love of the show has exposed the loss of a once-vibrant gay nightlife in Charm City and splintered its LGBTQ community. It also brings up layered questions about identity, cultural representation, and the limits of identity politics.
In Baltimore, the majority of the parties also appear to be missing a key ingredient that has been a part of the show’s success: gay men at the helm. Last month, women hosted a dance party at Ottobar, a straight establishment.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Virginia
McPike wins special election for Va. House of Delegates
Gay Alexandria City Council member becomes 8th LGBTQ member of legislature
Gay Alexandria City Council member Kirk McPike emerged as the decisive winner in a Feb. 10 special election for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates representing Alexandria.
McPike, a Democrat, received 81.5 percent of the vote in his race against Republican Mason Butler, according to the local publication ALX Now.
He first won election to the Alexandria Council in 2021. He will be filling the House of Delegates seat being vacated by Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-Alexandria), who won in another Feb. 10 special election for the Virginia State Senate seat being vacated by gay Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria).
Ebbin is resigning from his Senate next week to take a position with Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s administration.
Upon taking his 5th District seat in the House of Delegate, McPike will become the eighth out LGBTQ member of the Virginia General Assembly. Among those he will be joining is Sen. Danica Roem (D-Manassas), who became the Virginia Legislature’s first transgender member when she won election to the House of Delegates in 2017 before being elected to the Senate in 2023.
“I look forward to continuing to work to address our housing crisis, the challenge of climate change, and the damaging impacts of the Trump administration on the immigrant families, LGBTQ+ Virginians, and federal employees who call Alexandria home,” McPike said in a statement after winning the Democratic nomination for the seat in a special primary held on Jan. 20.
McPike, a longtime LGBTQ rights advocate, has served for the past 13 years as chief of staff for gay U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and has remained in that position during his tenure on the Alexandria Council. He said he will resign from that position before taking office in the House of Delegates.
Local
Local LGBTQ groups, activists to commemorate Black History Month
Rayceen Pendarvis to moderate Dupont Underground panel on Sunday
LGBTQ groups in D.C. and elsewhere plan to use Black History Month as an opportunity to commemorate and celebrate Black lives and experiences.
Team Rayceen Productions has no specific events planned, but co-founder Rayceen Pendarvis will attend many functions around D.C. this month.
Pendarvis, a longtime voice in the LGBTQ community in D.C. moderated a panel at Dupont Underground on Feb. 8. The event, “Every (Body) Wants to Be a Showgirl,” will feature art from Black burlesque artists from around the country. Pendarvis on Feb. 23 will attend the showing of multimedia play at the Lincoln Theatre that commemorates the life of James Baldwin.
Equality Virginia plans to prioritize Black voices through a weekly online series, and community-based story telling. The online digital series will center Black LGBTQ voices, specifically trailblazers and activists, and contemporary Black queer and transgender people.
Narissa Rahaman, Equality Virginia’s executive director, stressed the importance of the Black queer community to the overall Pride movement, and said “Equality Virginia is proud to center those voices in our work this month and beyond.”
The Capital Pride Alliance, which hosts Pride events in D.C., has an alliance with the Center for Black Equity, which brings Black Pride to D.C. over Memorial Day weekend. The National LGBTQ Task Force has no specific Black History Month events planned, but plans to participate in online collaborations.
Cathy Renna, the Task Force’s director of communications, told the Washington Blade the organization remains committed to uplifting Black voices. “Our priority is keeping this at the forefront everyday,” she said.
The D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center is also hosting a series of Black History Month events.
The D.C. Public Library earlier this year launched “Freedom and Resistance,” an exhibition that celebrates Black History Month and Martin Luther King Jr. It will remain on display until the middle of March at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at 901 G St., N.W.
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Unconventional love: Or, fuck it, let’s choose each other again
McPike wins special election for Va. House of Delegates
Meet D.C.’s Most Eligible Queer Singles
Top Democrats re-introduce trans bill of rights
Local LGBTQ groups, activists to commemorate Black History Month
