Arts & Entertainment

Best of Gay D.C. 2017: MEDIA

Winners from the Washington Blade’s annual poll

Published

8 years ago

October 19, 2017

(Photo of Jim Vance by Robin Fader; Washington Blade photo of DCist reporters by Tom Hausman; photo of a D.C. Metro stop by Peter French courtesy Flickr)

Best Local Website

DCist

News, food, arts and events.

dcist.com

Editor’s choice: Popville

(Washington Blade photo by Tom Hausman)

Best Local Social Media Channel

@unsuckdcmetro

Editor’s Choice: @alexmorash

@unsuckdcmetro has been chronicling D.C. Metro’s mishaps and disasters since January, 2009.

The anonymous founder, who says he is a journalist and LGBT ally, started using Metro as part of his commute. After experiencing problems he decided to start a blog to complain. He says he didn’t think the blog would get as popular as it did but noticed he wasn’t the only disgruntled one.

“One thing that got me thinking that it might have a chance to become useful was noticing the faces of fellow passengers when a train offloads or whatever problem it might be. Everyone just looks like, “Geez, this Metro is so bad,’” he says.

What started as a blog to vent frustrations about the daily commute evolved into Facebook and Twitter pages with thousands of followers united by their common annoyance of public transportation.

The founder recalls that one of his biggest posts on his now-defunct blog was on the June 22, 2009 metro crash. It was the first time he noticed the power of social media in the news as tweets poured in tracking the tragedy.

Now besides his own posts, other passengers tag @unsuckmetrodc their issues with Metro from offloading to uncleanliness.

While @unsuckmetro is the founder’s passion project, he says he would much rather the Metro be reliable.

“At the very foundation of the problem is the way it’s governed. Nobody is accountable. It’s set up to protect everyone involved from being accountable. People let things slide when they’re not accountable,” he says. (MC)

(Photo by Peter French; courtesy Flickr)

Best Local TV Personality

Jim Vance

Runner up: Chuck Bell, NBC 4

Many Washingtonians can recall growing up seeing Jim Vance report the news from the screens in their living rooms. The NBC4 news anchor became entrenched in D.C. culture just as much as “the Godfather of Go-Go” Chuck Brown, former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry and radio DJ Russ Parr, who all join Vance on Ben’s Chili Bowl mural wall.

Vance, who died from cancer in July at age 75, worked at NBC4 for more than 40 years making him the District’s longest serving TV anchor. Born in Ardmore, Pa., Vance was a reporter for the Philadelphia Independent newspaper and WHAT-AM radio station while also teaching English. He joined WRC-TV (NBC4) in 1969 as a reporter before moving to the anchor desk in 1972.

His coverage spanned some of the most talked about moments in D.C.’s history.

In 1977, he reported on the Hanafi Siege on three D.C. buildings by 12 gunmen which resulted in 149 hostages and the death of radio host Maurice Williams. He also covered the Air Florida Flight 90 crash in the Potomac River, which killed 78 people, in 1982.

More recently, he called out the Washington Redskins over the controversial use of their name despite being a longtime fan.

“Back in the day, if you really wanted to insult a black man, an Italian, a Jew, an Irishman, and probably start a fight, you threw out certain words. They were, and are pejoratives of the first order, the worst order, specifically intended to injure. In my view, ‘Redskin’ was and is in that same category,” Vance said during a 2013 broadcast of “Vance’s View.”

Over the course of his career, Vance received 19 local Emmy awards. In 2007, he earned the honor of being inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.

He gained recognition as a news anchor outside of D.C. thanks to a viral video that reached millions of views. In a 2006 segment on Paris Fashion Week, Vance and sports anchor George Michael couldn’t control their laughter over a model who fell twice on the runway. The Foo Fighters even paid tribute to Vance by using the video in a promo for their concert at RFK stadium.

While his professional life was widely praised, his personal life was also colorful. He went to the Betty Ford Clinic in 1984 to recover from a cocaine addiction that he battled throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. Barry asked Vance for advice when he was dealing with his own addiction to crack cocaine which led to his 1990 arrest.

“Why did he ask me? Because what he, like everyone else who’s been around Washington for a while knows, is that for more than four years I have been in recovery. The mayor thought that I might be able to advise him. I did so,” the Washington Post quotes Vance telling viewers.

He was also candid about his struggles with depression and a suicide attempt at Potomac River at Great Falls in 1987 for which he sought therapy.

Vance died at his Silver Spring, Md. home. He is survived by his wife Kathy McCampbell Vance and three children Dawn, Amani and Brendon. (MC)

Jim Vance (Photo by Robin Fader)

Best Radio Station

WAMU 88.5

Public radio station serving the D.C. metro area.

Editor’s choice: Hot 99.5

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Photos

PHOTOS: Whitman-Walker Gala

LGBTQ community health organization holds annual event at Ritz-Carlton

Published

1 day ago

November 14, 2025

Michael Key

Whitman-Walker Health CEO Naseema Shafi speaks at the Whitman-Walker 2025 Gala on Wednesday, Nov. 14. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Whitman-Walker 2025 Gala was held at the Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Out & About

Trans Day of Resilience set for Nov. 22

Leadership brunch, ‘Chat & Chew,’ fashion show and live performances planned

Published

1 day ago

November 14, 2025

Staff reports

(Photo by nito/Bigstock)

Capital Pride will host the Trans Day of Resilience Leadership Brunch on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center (1827 Wiltberger Street, N.W.). For more information and to RSVP, visit this link.

There will be a Trans Day of Resilience “Community Chat & Chew” at 5 p.m., followed by an 8 p.m. fashion show and live performances at 9 p.m. at TransMission (1353 H Street, N.E.). The event is 21+. More information about the event is available on Facebook.

Calendar

Calendar: November 14-20

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

1 day ago

November 14, 2025

Tinashe Chingarande

Friday, November 14

“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 12 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s new location at 1827 Wiltberger St., NW. To RSVP, visit the DC Center’s website or email [email protected].

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Trade. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Women in their Twenties and Thirties will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for women living in the D.C. area. For more information join the group’s closed Facebook group.

The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Daytime Docs and Dramas Screening of ‘Summer Qamp’” at 12:30 p.m. This free event will celebrate queer youth, resilience and the power of living authentically. To RSVP, visit this link.

Saturday, November 15

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 12 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

LGBTQ People of Color Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is an outlet for people of color to come together and talk about anything that affects them in a space that strives to be safe and judgement free. For more details, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.

Sunday, November 16

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Salon” at 5 p.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano. Guests are encouraged to come enjoy stimulating conversation and dining. For more details, visit Eventbrite.

Monday, November 17

“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).

“Soulfully Queer: LGBTQ+ Emotional Health and Spirituality Drop-In” will be at 3:00p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This group will meet weekly for eight weeks, providing a series of drop-in sessions designed to offer a safe, welcoming space for open and respectful conversation. Each session invites participants to explore themes of spirituality, identity, and belonging at their own pace, whether they attend regularly or drop in occasionally. For more details visit the DC Center’s website.

Tuesday, November 18

Center Bi+ Roundtable Discussion will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is a is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting. For more details, visit Facebook or Meetup.

The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Tae Kwon Do class” at 12:30. This inclusive and beginner-friendly class, led by Instructor Avi Rome, offers a light warm-up, stretching, and instruction in basic techniques, patterns, and striking padded targets. Each session is designed to be adaptable for all ability and mobility levels, creating a welcoming space for everyone to build strength, confidence, and community through martial arts. For more details, visit the Center’s website.

Wednesday, November 19

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Activism at Woman’s National Democratic Club” at 6 p.m. at The Whittemore House. Guests can join other activists at the WNDC for letter and postcard writing to get out the vote this fall in Virginia and other critical state races. Postcards will be written to women in rural VA and to members of Congress on Home Rule 101 in partnership with the D.C. Democrats Statehood Committee. There will be free pizza, cash bar, a fun raffle and camaraderie. More details are available on Eventbrite.

Thursday, November 20

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.

Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breathwork, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.