Local
Jim Graham’s Sunday night show to go on
Nightclub owner says male strip shows will continue
Jim Graham died on June 11. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
The House nightclub on Georgia Ave., N.W., where for the past two years former D.C. Council member Jim Graham managed nude male dancers who performed on Sunday nights, will continue the Sunday night male dance shows in Graham’s honor, according to the club’s owner.
“We’re going to keep it going, definitely, every Sunday,” said Daryl Allen, whose family has owned and operated The House since 1979.
“We’re going to have a huge [party], a real big thing, next Sunday [June 25]” in a celebration of Graham’s life, Allen said.
He said the dancers and employees will wear bowties in honor and memory of Graham, whose colorful bowties became his trademark as a public figure in D.C.
Graham died on June 11 from complications associated with an intestinal infection that landed him in the hospital for more than a month.
Allen said he and his wife, who became good friends with Graham, and his employees were stunned and deeply saddened when they learned of Graham’s passing on Thursday.
He credited Graham with helping him learn the likes and customs of the gay male customers who have frequented The House on Sunday nights at a club that, up until Graham came into the picture, featured nude female dancers for mostly straight customers every night. The club continues to feature female dancers on all nights but Sundays.
According to Allen, Graham convinced him to try a “gay night” at the club when Allen wasn’t sure it would work in a place known for years as a female nude dance club.
“He said we can have a gay night,” Allen said. “I said I don’t know anything about the gay community. And he said don’t worry. I’ll do everything.”
After a learning curve of about six months, Allen said things began to work well.
“He actually brought about a different take on the club,” Allen explained. “And I actually like the people that come in there on Sunday. I had more fun on Sunday nights. I made new friends. I saw neighbors that I never knew [were gay] come in with Jim. He became a good friend.”
Allen said Graham was aware that some people he worked with and who knew him during his years in politics may not approve of his role in working at a strip club.
“He was like a kid excited to do something,” said Allen. “He said I don’t want to go back into politics. He said I want to have fun. I want to be me. I want to be free.”
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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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BLUF leather social set for April 10 in Rehoboth
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