Local
Librarian, philanthropist Jim Arshem dies at 77
Longtime supporter of Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington
Jim Arshem died earlier this year. He was a longtime supporter of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington.
James A. “Jim” Arshem, a career librarian at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and a longtime supporter of LGBT causes, including the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, died June 13, 2018 at his apartment in Arlington, Va. He was 77.
His neighbor and friend, Jamie Shoemaker, said the cause of death was complications associated with diabetes.
Arshem was born and raised in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he was baptized and confirmed at First Lutheran Church and graduated from Washington High School, according to a write-up prepared by his family and published by the George Boom Funeral Home in Sioux Falls.
The write-up says he was active in high school in the Junior Red Cross, National Honor Society, drama and debate endeavors.
He graduated from Augustana College in Sioux Falls with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and later received a master’s degree in science from the University of Nebraska, the family write-up says. It says he then completed the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Librarianship.
He worked for several years at the Denver Public Library before receiving a fellowship in Washington, D.C., to learn about patents and trademarks, the write-up says. It says he later accepted a job offer from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where he worked as a librarian and carried out a number of specialized librarian related duties until his retirement.
“He enjoyed his travels with his ‘dog and pony’ show instructing libraries all over the world how to set up and use the Patent and Trademark Offices in Washington, D.C. from their own libraries,” the write-up says. “He enjoyed all the people he met along the way and all of his library friends and contacts and continued attending as many conferences as he could,” it says.
Neal Garver, one of Arshem’s D.C. friends, said Arshem was known by many in the D.C. LGBT community and was a generous financial supporter for a number of nonprofit organizations, including LGBT organizations.
“He was a major supporter of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington,” said Garver. “He attended every chorus rehearsal, performance, private and public event. He donated generously every year and bought blocks of 25 to 50 GMCW tickets to every performance as an extra means of support,” Garver told the Washington Blade.
Garver said Arshem gave tickets as gifts to his friends and others, some of whom could not afford the price of a ticket.
“Jim was a silent, humble philanthropist to several charities including many gay organizations, as well as the medical and musical community locally and elsewhere,” Garver said.
“He had several cameras and took many pictures of his work and travel,” the write-up by his family says.
Shoemaker, who says he has known Arshem for more than 30 years, said Arshem for many years took photos of Gay Men’s Chorus events and its performers.
A memorial service was held for Arshem at First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls on July 9. A private burial was expected to take place at a later date at North Preston Lutheran Cemetery in Lake Preston, S.D.
A D.C. celebration of his life hosted by his sister and brother-in-law Joyce and Don Elbert is scheduled to take place on Sunday, Oct. 7, at Trio Bistro, 1537 17th St., N.W., from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Garver has asked that those interested in attending email him their RSVP at [email protected].
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier and fireworks show returning June 8
The annual Pride on the Pier Fireworks Show presented by the Leonard-Litz Foundation will take place on Saturday, June 8 at 9 p.m.
The Washington Blade, in partnership with LURe DC and The Wharf, is excited to announce the 5th annual Pride on the Pier and fireworks show during D.C. Pride weekend on Saturday, June 8, 2024, from 2-10 p.m.
The event will include the annual Pride on the Pier Fireworks Show presented by the Leonard-Litz Foundation at 9 p.m.
Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Southwest waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older. Local DJ’s Heat, Eletrox and Honey will perform throughout the event.
3 p.m. – Capital Pride Parade on the Big Screen
3:30 p.m. – Drag Show hosted by Cake Pop!
9 p.m. – Fireworks Show Presented by Leonard-Litz Foundation
The event is free and open to the public. The Dockmasters Building will be home to a VIP experience. To learn more and to purchase tickets go to www.prideonthepier.com/vip. VIP tickets are limited.
Event sponsors include Absolut, Buying Time, Capital Pride, DC Brau, DC Fray, Burney Wealth Management, Infinate Legacy, Leonard-Litz Foundation, Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, MISTR, NBC4, The Wharf. More information regarding activities will be released at www.PrideOnThePier.com
Maryland
Trone discusses transgender niece
Blade interviewed Md. congressman, Angela Alsobrooks last week
Editor’s note: The Washington Blade last week interviewed both U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. The full interviews with both Democratic candidates for retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.)’s seat will be on the Blade’s website later this week.
Maryland Congressman David Trone last week discussed his transgender niece during an interview with the Washington Blade about his U.S. Senate campaign.
Trone, who is running to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), on May 1 told the Blade during a telephone interview that his niece transitioned when she was in her early 20s. Trone also noted she attended Furman University, a small, liberal arts university in Greenville, S.C.
“I was concerned about how she would be able to transition there,” said Trone.
Trone, who founded Total Wine & More, attended Furman University as an undergrad and is on the school’s board of trustees. Trone told the Blade he donated $10 million to the university to “build out their mental health capacity, which I felt was a way that she could have the best mental health care possible when she worked her way through (her) transition.”
Trone’s niece graduated from the university after she spent five years there.
“She had a great relationship with Furman,” said Trone.
Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks are the leading Democrats running to succeed Cardin. The winner of the May 14 Democratic primary will face former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in November.
District of Columbia
200 turn out for ’Love Fest’ Drag Story Hour at Freddie’s
Performer reads stories to kids and parents as three protest outside
Between 200 and 250 people, including parents and their children, turned out on Saturday, May 4, for a “Love Fest” Drag Story Hour brunch hosted by the Arlington, Va., LGBTQ establishment Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant.
Local drag performer Tara Hoot, who read children’s stories and handed out coloring books to the kids attending the event, was joined by members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, which sang several songs before Hoot began reading from children’s books in keeping with the tradition of drag queens conducting Drag Story Hour events across the country.
The May 4 event at Freddie’s in the Crystal City section of Arlington took place four weeks after the start of a similar event hosted by Freddie’s was delayed by a bomb threat, forcing those who had arrived to exit through a rear door and wait in a parking lot as Arlington police conducted a search of the premises with a bomb sniffing dog. No trace of a bomb was found.
All the customers, including parents and their kids, were invited back inside and the show took place as planned.
No similar threat occurred at the May 4 event. But three male protesters assembled on the sidewalk next to the parking lot behind the Freddie’s building, with one of them shouting from a bullhorn passages from his Bible that he said indicated the Drag Story Hour event was an “abomination.”
The three protesters were outnumbered by nearly a dozen counter protesters who were members of the Rainbow Defense Coalition, an LGBTQ organization. They carried bright, rainbow-colored umbrellas while chanting messages of support for the Drag Story Hour event.
Freddie Lutz, Freddie’s Beach Bar owner, called the event a “smashing success” that brought an “outpouring of love from the community.” Lutz released a flier on social media promoting the Love Fest event shortly after the earlier event interrupted by the bomb threat as a showing of love “to stop the hate.”
“Join us for the next story time brunch dressed in your favorite rainbow/hippie outfit” and “carry your favorite homemade signs of support,” Lutz said in his promotional flier. He came to the event dressed in what he called his hippie protest outfit.
Lutz said while the protesters did not interrupt the event, he was concerned that their shouting was scaring some of the kids as they and their parents walked by the protesters to enter Freddie’s.
“I went out back and tried to talk to one of them and it was kind of like talking to a brick wall,” Lutz told the Washington Blade. “He was screaming at the parents that were crossing their kids on the crosswalk,” Lutz said. “And I said, you’re screaming at those kids, you’re scaring them.”
Lutz said the man told him he was yelling at the parents, not the kids. “And I said, no you’re not. The kids are hearing you. You’re scaring them.”
Added Lutz, “And to have such a fun-loving, happy show and then walk out on the sidewalk to that is very disheartening. It’s really sad. I told him my God is a forgiving and loving God.”
One of the protesters, who declined to disclose his name, said he and his two fellow protesters came to talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“We want them to know this is an abomination to the Lord,” he told the Blade. “We want them to know those children don’t have a voice and they’re being brainwashed in there. We’re here to call out their sin.”
Stephanie Krenrich, who brought her two-year-old daughter to the event, said she strongly disputes the claims of the protesters.
“I brought my daughter here because I think that it was a beautiful and wonderful show, and it was great for her,” she said. “And I think it’s pretty offensive when people come to Arlington and tell parents what to do, especially for something so beautiful and so fun and so wholesome,” she told the Blade.
“So that’s why I brought her,” Krenrich said. “I think that it’s really important that we stand up for our values and people just being themselves, being happy and being them.”
Among those who attended the event were four elected officials from Arlington – Virginia State Sen. Barbara Favola, Virginia State Del. Adele McClure, Arlington County Board member Maureen Coffee, and Arlington and Falls Church State’s Attorney Parisa Dehgani-Tafti.
Also attending was Nick Benton, editor and publisher of the LGBTQ supportive Falls Church, Va., News Press; and Kellen McBeth, president of the LGBTQ group Equality Arlington.
“It was fantastic to see so many people come out to support Freddie’s, to support the LGBTQ+ community,” McBeth said. “It was a great event and we’re happy to be a part of it.”
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