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Ocasio-Cortez, Maloney call for end to gay blood ban amid COVID-19 crisis

FDA firm on policy despite shorting in blood supply

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has become the latest to call on FDA to lift its gay blood ban. (Photo by NRK Beta via Flickr)

The top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight & Reform and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday became the latest to call for an end to the policy barring gay and bisexual men from donating blood, which the Food & Drug Administration has continued despite the shortage in blood supply during the COVID-19 crisis.

The April 1 letter, signed by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Ocasio-Cortez, argues current policy, which prohibits men whoā€™ve had sex with men in the past 12 months from donating blood, is ā€œnot based on current science.ā€

ā€œThis antiquated policy is not based on current science, stigmatizes the LGBTQIA+ community, and undermines crucial efforts to increase the nationā€™s blood supply as the United States grapples with the coronavirus crisis,ā€ the letter says.

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams has made an urgent plea for blood donations amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to a shortage in the U.S. blood supply. According to the letter, more than 4,000 blood drives across the country have been canceled due to coronavirus, resulting in around 130,000 fewer donations.

In response to the Washington Blade’s request to comment on the letter, an FDA spokesperson said, ā€œThe FDA has received the letter and will respond directly to the representatives.ā€

The FDA spokesperson also reiterated the policy hasn’t changed, but added the agency is “actively considering the situation” amid the coronavirus crisis.

“At this time, the FDAā€™s recommendations regarding blood donor deferral for men who have sex with men have not changed, but we are actively considering the situation as the outbreak progresses,ā€ the FDA spokesperson said.

In 1983, the FDA implemented a lifetime ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men amid fears in the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. During the Obama administration in 2015, that policy was eased to a ban on donations from men whoā€™ve had sex with men in the past year ā€” but restrictions nonetheless remain in place.

Citing a 2014 study from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, Maloney and Ocasio-Cortez write current policy prevents 4.5 million people from being able to donate blood. Revising the ban, they write, could result in as many as 615,000 additional pints of blood each year.

ā€œIn light of the potential long-term impacts the coronavirus outbreak may have on the nationā€™s blood supply, we urge FDA to act swiftly in revising its policy so every person who can safely donate blood in the United States has the opportunity to do so,ā€ the letter says.

In addition to calling for a change in policy, the House Democrats call on the FDA to provide a briefing regarding the current blood ban, any plans to revise it and efforts to ensure adequate blood supply during the coronavirus crisis.

A growing chorus of lawmakers have joined together to call on FDA to change its policy. Just last week, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), the only out lesbian in the U.S. Senate, led a group of 17 senators renewing their call for a change in policy.

Earlier this year, Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), along with Reps. Mike Quigley (D-Ill) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), led a joint letter signed by 30 House Democrats calling for a change in policy. In March, Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) also called for a change last month in a standalone letter. Also last month, State Sen. Brad Hoylman signed a letter calling on the FDA commissioner ā€œto end the FDAā€™s longstanding policy banning gay men from donating blood.ā€

The White House hasn’t responded to multiple requests for comment from the Blade on whether President Trump, who has built an anti-LGBTQ record, will call on the FDA to lift the ban.

In his LGBTQ policy platform, former Vice President Joseph Biden has said as president heā€™d implement a blood donation policy ā€œbased on science,ā€ but has stopped short of explicitly pledging to lift the ban on donations from gay men. A spokesperson for Bernie Sanders told the Blade heā€™d ā€œend the banā€ if elected president.

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D.C. mayor to lift all restrictions on bars, nightclubs on June 11

ā€˜We will definitely be celebrating Prideā€™ next month

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Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Monday that she will fully lift capacity and other restrictions on most businesses, including restaurants and places of worship, on May 21. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced at a news conference on Monday that a continuing trend of significantly lower numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths in the city has enabled her to fully lift capacity and other restrictions on most businesses, including restaurants and places of worship, on May 21.

The mayor said bars and nightclubs will be allowed to increase indoor capacity from the current 25 percent to 50 percent on May 21, with all capacity restrictions for bars and nightclubs to be removed on June 11.

The mayorā€™s announcement came after representatives of the cityā€™s nightlife businesses, including the cityā€™s gay bars and restaurants, expressed concern that D.C. had yet to lift its capacity restrictions beyond 25 percent while surrounding jurisdictions in Maryland and Virginia had already lifted most restrictions.

ā€œOn May 21, restrictions on public and commercial activity, including capacity limits, types of activities, and time restrictions, will be lifted,ā€ the mayorā€™s directive says.

It says restrictions for bars and nightclubs would continue at a 50 percent capacity from May 21 through June 11. The directive says restrictions for large sports and entertainment venues would also continue from May 21 to June 11, which includes a requirement such events apply for a waiver of the restrictions on a case-by-case basis.

ā€œOn June 11, capacity limits and restrictions will be lifted on those venues that cannot fully reopen on May 21,ā€ the directive says.

In response to a question at the news conference, Bowser said the June 11 date would essentially end all restrictions on nightclubs and bars, including the current requirement that they close at midnight rather than the pre-epidemic closing times of 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on weekends.

In a development that could have a major impact on plans for D.C.ā€™s LGBTQ Pride events, the mayorā€™s revised health directive announced on Monday includes the lifting of all capacity restrictions on large outdoor and indoor sports and entertainment events beginning on June 11.

That change would remove restrictions that have, up until now, prevented D.C.ā€™s Capital Pride Alliance from holding its annual Pride Parade and Festival in June during Pride Month.

Capital Pride Executive Director Ryan Bos told the Washington Blade shortly after the mayorā€™s announcement that Capital Pride is assessing its options for expanding its current plans for in-person events in June.

ā€œWe will definitely be celebrating Pride in June,ā€ Bos said. ā€œWe just received this information as well. So, we will be getting further information,ā€ he said. ā€œWe have not been informed that they will be issuing any permits yet, so at this time we are moving forward with our original plans for doing things.ā€

Bos was referring to a city requirement for obtaining permits for street closings and use of other public spaces for events such as a parade or street festival. He said existing plans, among other things, call for an informal parade of cars and other vehicles on June 12 that will drive throughout the city to view homes and businesses that will be decorated with Pride displays such as signs, photos, and other symbols of Pride.

Those familiar with the cityā€™s past Pride events donā€™t think there will be enough time for Capital Pride to organize the traditional large parade and street festival in time for June. But Capital Pride officials have talked about holding a possible parade and festival in October, and the lifting of the capacity restrictions announced by Bowser on Monday would likely make that possible.

In addition to lifting all capacity restrictions on May 21 for restaurants, the mayorā€™s May 21 timeframe for lifting restrictions includes these additional venues and events:

  • Weddings and special events
  • Business meetings and seated conventions
  • Places of worship
  • Non-essential retail
  • Personal services
  • Private at-home gatherings
  • Libraries, museums, galleries
  • Recreation Centers
  • Gyms and fitness centers
  • Pools
  • Office space
  • Schools
  • Childcare

ā€œWeā€™re very pleased that over the last several days, we have seen our case spread, our community spread numbers, venture out of the red into the yellow and fast approaching the green,ā€ Bowser said in referring to a health department chart that shows the changes in coronavirus cases in the city.

ā€œYou might remember that our daily case rate peaked in January at 45.9. And today you can see itā€™s down to 6.6,ā€ she said at her news conference on Monday.

ā€œThroughout this process I have said how proud I am of D.C. residents and businesses who have responded, who have followed health guidance and have worked together to help protect our community throughout the pandemic. And we see it in these numbers today,ā€ she said.

ā€œContaining the virus will continue to require all of us to be focused on maintaining a robust health system,ā€ the mayor said, adding that while over 200,000 D.C. residents have been fully vaccinated since December 2020, ā€œmany more thousandsā€ still need to be vaccinated. ā€œVaccines are free and available on demand at walk-up sites across the District,ā€ she said.

The mayor also noted that the city will continue to require residents and visitors to use a mask in accordance with existing and updated guidance set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mark Lee, coordinator of the D.C. Nightlife Council, an association that represents restaurants, bars, nightclubs and other entertainment venues, said the mayorā€™s directive on May 10 leaves some details to be addressed but will open the way to bring nightlife businesses back to life.

ā€œWhat we do know is that on Friday, May 21, businesses begin returning to normal operations and, three weeks later, on June 11, all restrictions for all businesses in the District will end,ā€ Lee said. ā€œItā€™s a day weā€™ve long awaited and one that will save much of our community enterprise from financial ruin.ā€

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DC residents with HIV eligible for COVID vaccine

Mayor announces expanded eligibility as vaccine supply increases

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COVID-19 vaccine, gay news, Washington Blade

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced on Feb. 24 that D.C. residents between the ages of 16 to 24 who have one of 19 pre-existing medical conditions, including HIV, will now be eligible to make an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

The mayor and D.C. Department of Health Director Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt said the appointments could be made through the cityā€™s special site,Ā vaccinate.dc.gov, beginning Thursday and Friday, Feb. 25 and 26. The vaccinations themselves for the expanded group of residents, including people with HIV, would begin March 1, the mayor said in an announcement.

Abby Fenton, a spokesperson for Whitman-Walker Health, the D.C. community health center that provides services to the LGBTQ community and people with HIV, said Whitman-Walker has begun contacting its HIV patients about the availability of the COVID vaccine for them.

ā€œWe are urging people to try to make an appointment with the city because we have such a limited supply,ā€ Fenton said. She said Whitman-Walker is dispensing the vaccine for those who the city determines are eligible at its medical center locations at 1425 14thĀ Street, N.W., and at its Max Robinson Center at 2301 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., S.E.

Michael Kharfen, the DOH official in charge of the cityā€™s HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Administration, said the limited supplies of the COVID vaccine that the city has been receiving from the federal government has prevented the allocation of vaccine supplies to community health centers like Whitman-Walker until a few weeks ago.

He said supplies of the vaccine have increased in recent weeks and the Department of Health was hopeful that it will be able to provide additional supplies of the vaccine to community health centers and other facilities and health care providers.

Kharfen noted that the city has been increasing the availability of the vaccine to different groups of residents in stages as supplies have increased. Front line medical workers and nursing home residents were the first to receive the vaccine. The most recent group to become eligible prior to the mayor’s most recent expansion this week were people 65 years of age and older.

The mayorā€™s announcement on Feb. 24 listed these pre-existing medical conditions, including HIV, that would make city residents between the ages of 16 and 64 eligible for the COVID vaccine:

Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and other Chronic Lung Disease; Bone Marrow and Solid Organ Transplantation; Cancer; Cerebrovascular Disease; Chronic Kidney Disease; Congenital Heart Disease; Diabetes Mellitus; Heart Conditions, such as Heart Failure, Coronary Artery Disease, or Cardiomyopathies; HIV; Hypertension; Immunocompromised State; Inherited Metabolic Disorders; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Liver Disease; Neurologic Conditions; Obesity, BMI ā‰„ 30 kg/m2; Pregnancy; Severe Genetic Disorders; Sickle Cell Disease; and Thalassemia.

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D.C. gay bars struggling to stay open in pandemic

Mayorā€™s new rule banning liquor sales after 10 p.m. called ā€˜devastatingā€™

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gay bar, gay news, Washington Blade
Nellie’s Sports Bar (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

John Guggenmos, co-owner of the D.C. gay bars Number 9 and Trade, says he and his business partners support Mayor Muriel Bowserā€™s efforts to keep people safe as the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 continues to rise in the city.

But Guggenmos and other gay bar owners say the mayorā€™s most recent order requiring bars and restaurants to stop serving alcoholic beverages after 10 p.m. has had a devastating impact on what had already been a major decline in business since the COVID restrictions were put in place earlier this year.

ā€œWe see hope on the horizon,ā€ Guggenmos said. ā€œBut for many places itā€™s just going to be too late. It is sad because even if I am in a position that we can weather this storm better, if other places in the neighborhood donā€™t, then we all suffer.ā€

Exterior of Trade, which is working to serve customers amid new 10 p.m. cutoff for alcohol sales. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

David Perruzza, owner of the Adams Morgan gay sports bar Pitchers and its adjoining lesbian bar A League of Her Own, said gay bar customers traditionally come out to the clubs after 9 p.m. and often remain there several hours later.

Under the mayorā€™s current Phase II rules for addressing the COVID health emergency all restaurants and bars must close at midnight, two hours earlier than the pre-epidemic closing time of 2 a.m. during the week and three hours sooner than the normal 3 a.m. closing time on weekends. That restriction by itself has resulted in a significant drop in revenue for bars and nightclubs, including LGBTQ clubs, officials with the clubs have said.

The new restriction put in place last month banning liquor sales after 10 p.m. allows bars and restaurants to continue to stay open until midnight. But Guggenmos, Perruzza and other bar owners say few if any customers would likely come in to order non-alcoholic beverages. Thus they and nearly all of the cityā€™s bar and restaurant owners have decided to close at 10 p.m. until the restrictions are lifted, a development that has further curtailed their businesses.

ā€œIā€™ve had the worst two weekends of my life at the bar,ā€ said Perruzza in referring to the weekends following the ban on liquor sales after 10 p.m. ā€œI canā€™t sustain a business this way,ā€ he said.

Pitchers (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, director of the D.C. Department of Health, has said city inspectors have found that more violations of the COVID-related health restrictions at restaurants and bars, such as social distancing and mask wearing, were occurring after 10 p.m. as patrons consumed more alcohol. But nightlife advocates have disputed claims that riskier behavior occurs after 10 p.m. They say there are no studies or data to back up those claims.

Perruzza said he understands that while the mayorā€™s intention is to curtail the spread of the coronavirus he believes the 10 p.m. cutoff on alcohol service will result in large numbers of bar customers going to private parties in peopleā€™s homes where there will be fewer safeguards to curtail the virus.

ā€œBy her doing this she is going to push people to have more house parties,ā€ Perruzza said. ā€œAt least if theyā€™re in a restaurant or bar theyā€™re in a controlled environment where they take their temperature. They make sure everything is sanitized after people leave,ā€ Perruzza said. ā€œPeople are not required to wear masks when they go to house parties.ā€

Prior to the start of the pandemic, D.C. was home to at least 15 gay bars or nightclubs in which the clientele was largely LGBTQ. A number of other D.C. bars and nightclubs are considered LGBTQ friendly, according to gay D.C. nightlife advocate Mark Lee, who said those additional establishments have a significant LGBTQ clientele.

In March, Bowser issued her initial emergency health order requiring all ā€œnon-essentialā€ businesses, including bars and restaurants, to temporarily close their indoor operations to customers in an effort to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. Carryout food and drink orders were allowed, and some of the gay clubs joined other bars and restaurants in putting in place a take-out order business.

A short time later, the DC Eagle, the cityā€™s longest continuously operating gay bar, announced it was permanently closing. The Eagleā€™s majority owner filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy following longstanding financial problems, but many of the Eagleā€™s customers believe the pandemic played some role in the permanent shutdown.

At the same time, the popular LGBTQ nightclub Ziegfeldā€™s-Secrets closed its doors indefinitely after the owner of the building where it was located in the cityā€™s Buzzardā€™s Point area invoked its longstanding plan to demolish the building to make way for a new condominium and retail development. Ziegfeldā€™s-Secrets manager Steve Delurba said the club would like to reopen in a new location but efforts to reopen would have to wait until all COVID-19 restrictions on such establishments were lifted.

Among the cityā€™s remaining 13 LGBTQ bars and clubs, all but one has reopened after the mayor put in place the cityā€™s Phase II business reopening plan in June, which allowed bars, restaurants, and other businesses to resume limited indoor operations.

The Fireplace, a gay bar at 2161 P St., N.W. near Dupont Circle, decided to remain closed rather than operate under the COVID restrictions but ā€œdefinitelyā€ plans to reopen, according Larry Ray, a longtime customer who said he spoke with one of the owners.

Among the other Phase II restrictions for bars, restaurants and nightclubs put in place by Bowser in the spring was the requirement that such establishments must operate at 50 percent of their normal indoor capacity, all patrons must be seated at tables spaced six feet apart, and at least three food items must be served that are prepared on the premises regardless of whether the establishment was exempt from serving food prior to the pandemic. The Phase II order also bans the establishments from offering live entertainment.

Two weeks ago, when the mayor issued her updated order banning the serving of alcoholic beverages after 10 p.m. at bars and restaurants, she also included in the order a reduction in the capacity of customers from 50 percent to 25 percent based on concern that the number of COVID-19 cases was rising in D.C. after the case number had gone down in the spring and summer.

Perruzza told the Blade that due to the Phase II social distancing requirements and the spacing of tables and the ban on allowing customers to stand except to walk in and out and go to the bathroom, Pitchers and his adjoining bar A League of Her Own were never able to reach a 50 percent capacity. At most, he said, he was able to reach a 33 percent capacity, which now must be reduced to 25 percent.

Meanwhile, the D.C. gay bar Dirty Goose at 913 U St., N.W. is among the establishments hit with a fine for allegedly violating the Phase II food serving requirement. According to a report in the Washington City Paper, an inspector from the cityā€™s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration on Nov. 27 cited Dirty Goose for serving only cookies as a food item, saying it failed to provide at least two other types of food such as popcorn or brownies instead of just cookies.

Co-owner Justin Parker told City Paper he plans to contest the citation on grounds that the establishment serves multiple types of cookies that are prepared on the premises and that the different types should be accepted as different food types. He said that ABRA inspectors came to Dirty Goose six or seven times in November prior to citing him for the food violation and found his establishment to be in full compliance with all of the COVID related requirements.

On its Facebook page the Dirty Goose announced on Nov. 10 that it had voluntarily closed its doors after one of its employees tested positive for COVID and out of caution it would remain closed until all remaining employees were tested. On Nov. 15 it announced ā€œwe have received all our employees test results and we are ready to reopen,ā€ which happened less than a week later.

In a Nov. 25 Facebook message, Dirty Goose conveyed what appears to be the sentiment shared by the other LGBTQ bar owners and operators.

ā€œFirst, we would like to thank all of our wonderful family of patrons who have kept us going since May,ā€ the message says. ā€œWhat a crazy 8 months itā€™s been!ā€ After announcing the Dirty Goose would be closing at 10 p.m. each day due to the mayorā€™s order banning alcohol sales after that hour, the message added, ā€œWe look forward to continue serving all of you and please know we are continuously following the safety requirements set by the DOH and the safety of our staff and patrons remains our main priority.ā€

Dirty Goose was recently fined for allegedly violating rules about serving three kinds of food to remain open. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Lee, the longtime D.C. nightlife advocate who served as director of the D.C. Nightlife Council before being furloughed, said the 10 p.m. cutoff for the sale of liquor at bars and restaurants will be especially harmful coming with all the other restrictions.

ā€œThe most maddening aspect of Mayor Bowser suddenly halting all alcohol consumption after 10 p.m. at local bars, restaurants, and nightclubs operating in full compliance with public safety protocols and highly restricted service limitations is that there is no actual data or evidence-based rationale for this financially devastating roll-back curfew,ā€ Lee told the Blade.

ā€œThis arbitrary edict jeopardizes the survival of hospitality establishments by causing them to lose the major portion of revenue they had been able to generate,ā€ he said. ā€œWeā€™re getting reports that this decision is costing operators up to 60 percent or more of the little money they were making, leaving most with no choice other than to shut down two hours earlier rather than attempt to now serve only food items and non-alcoholic beverages until midnight,ā€ Lee said.

Lee noted that at a press conference on Dec. 7, Bowser acknowledged that nightlife establishments, including restaurants and bars, have done an exemplary job of complying with health requirements and providing a safe space for patrons and employees.

At that press conference the mayor also said she looks forward to being able to lift all restrictions on businesses once the COVID vaccine becomes widely available. But she said that with a resurgence of COVID cases in D.C. in recent weeks along with the rise in cases in the surrounding suburbs the city could be forced once again to order the complete shutdown of indoor operations of businesses like restaurants and bars if the local COVID situation worsens.

Perruzza, Guggenmos and Doug Schantz, owner of the gay sports bar Nellieā€™s at 900 U St., N.W., each said their establishments and others like them serve as a place where LGBTQ people can go to be themselves, which many are unable to do at work, school, or even at home in some situations.

ā€œAt some point safe human interactions are what people are craving,ā€ said Guggenmos. ā€œYou see someone on the street and how they desperately just want that interaction again,ā€ he said. ā€œIf we could do that safely, why not?ā€

D.C.ā€™s LGBTQ Bars/Restaurants

Nellieā€™s Sports Bar
900 U Street, N.W.
202-332-6355

Uproar
639 Florida Ave., N.W.
202-462-4464

The Dirty Goose
913 U Street, N.W.

JR.ā€™s
1519 17th Street, N.W.
202-328-0090

Windows/DIK Bar
Upper floor at Dupont Italian Kitchen
1637 17th Street, N.W.
202-328-0100

Annieā€™s Paramount Steakhouse restaurant/bar
1609 17th Street, N.W.
202-232-0395

Larryā€™s Lounge
1840 18th Street, N.W.
202-483-1483

Pitchers/League of Her Own
2317 18th Street, N.W.
202-733-2558

Duplex Diner
2004 18th Street, N.W.
202-265-7828

The Fireplace
2161 P Street, N.W.
202-293-1293
[Temporarily closed during pandemic]

Number Nine
1435 P Street, N.W.
202-986-0999

Trade
1410 14th Street, N.W.
202-986-1094

Green Lantern
1335 Green Court, N.W.
202-347-4533

D.C. LGBTQ-friendly Bars/Clubs

Dacha Beer Garden
1600 7th Street, N.W.
202-350-9888

9:30 Club
815 V Street, N.W.
202-265-0930

DC 9 Nightclub
1940 9th Street, N.W.
202-483-5000

Ditoā€™s Bar
Lower floor at Floriana Restaurant
1602 17th Street, N.W.
202-667-5937

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
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