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Comings & Goings
LGBT Congressional Staff Association names new board
The ‘Comings & Goings’ column chronicles important life changes of Blade readers.
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].
Congratulations to Tom Sommers, who was elected chair of Center Global. This is the organization within the DC Center supporting LGBTQ asylum seekers who’ve arrived in the area to start their new lives.
Center Global is in its fifth year and provides a safe, stable community along with financial and housing support to help asylum seekers who are legally present as they’re going through the multi-year asylum-application process. Asylum seekers, unlike refugees, receive no government aid and must rely on friends, family and organizations like ours to sustain themselves. Sommers said, “Our goal for 2018 is to continue the great work that Matt Corso and Eric Scharf began five years ago and to increase awareness of our efforts and needs to the larger DMV, LGBTQ community.”
Sommers has been involved with the D.C. LGBTQ community for seven years most recently serving on the LGBTQ National Task Force’s initiative to host the 30th Creating Change conference. He is also a past president of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) DC/Metro chapter.
He is a principal with Explorations & Insights, an insight-based communication and data-solutions company. Prior to that he was a senior account director with GfK Custom Research, NA; sales director with MarketTools (now MetrixLab); and a communications specialist with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
Congratulations also to David Perez on his new position as senior director of Donor Relations at the Hispanic Federation (HF), which provides grants and services to a broad network of Latino non-profit agencies serving the most vulnerable members of the Hispanic community and advocates nationally with respect to the vital issues of education, health, immigration, economic empowerment, civic engagement and the environment. HF programs include Proyecto Somos Orlando founded after the Pulse nightclub tragedy to provide bilingual wrap-around services and LGBTQ community education; Immigrants Get the Job Done coalition founded with Lin Manuel Miranda, and the UNIDOS Disaster Relief and Recovery Program, which has raised $30 million to serve the immediate and long-term needs of families and communities in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
Previously, Perez served as director of development for the League of United Latin American Citizens, the largest and oldest Latino civil rights volunteer membership organization in the U.S. He co-founded the annual Unión Hace La Fuerza Latino Institute at the Creating Change Conference, which annually gathers 250 LGBT Latino grassroots activists for a full day of networking and bilingual issue and skill-based training. David currently serves as the chair of the District of Columbia Mayor’s LGBTQ Advisory Committee and is on the Community Advisory Board for ¡Empodérate! Youth Center at La Clínica del Pueblo. He has received awards from The DC LGBT Center, Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, Next Generation Leadership Foundation, Capital Pride and Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence.
Finally, congratulations also to the new board members of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association, an official, non-partisan congressional staff organization whose mission is to advance the interests of current as well as prospective members and the LGBT community at-large. The LGBT CSA is dedicated to developing the careers of its membership and advocating on behalf of the LGBT community. New board members are; President, Robert Edmonson, Chief of Staff, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA); Vice President, Christopher Cunningham, Legislative Assistant & Correspondent, Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT); Communications Director, Pablo A. Sierra-Carmona, Press Assistant, Rep. Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA); Professional Development Director, Jayson Schimmenti, Legislative Assistant, Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ); Social Events Director, Hector Colón, Legislative Correspondent, Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY); Membership Director, Sarah Jackson, Legislative Assistant, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA); At-Large Director, Christofer Horta, Policy Assistant, House Democratic Caucus; At-Large Director, Matthew Ramirez, Legislative Correspondent, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
The new board of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association. (Photo courtesy LGBT CSA)
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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Comings & Goings
Minimal version of ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ heading to Dupont Underground
