District of Columbia
L’Enfant: First statue of gay figure in U.S. Capitol?
Book explores ‘male friendships’ of man who designed D.C.
The unveiling at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 28 of a statue of Pierre L’Enfant, the French American architect and civil engineer credited with designing the city of Washington, D.C., took place just under 20 years after the publication of a little-noticed book speculating that L’Enfant may have been gay.
The book, “Peter Charles L’Enfant: Vision, Honor and Male Friendship in the Early American Republic,” is written by George Washington University history professor Kenneth R. Bowling, who states in the book that L’Enfant had “intense emotional friendships” with at least two prominent male figures in the late 1790s and early 1800s that could have been romantic in nature.
“Even for its time, L’Enfant’s life was unusually male-centric,” Bowling writes, adding, “readers may wonder if any of L’Enfant’s relationships with men had a sexual expression.” Bowling points out that while the terms “homosexual” and “heterosexual” didn’t exist until the late 19th century, “sexual activity among people of the same gender, and awareness of it, did.”
But Bowling states in his book that because human sexuality during L’Enfant’s lifetime had not acquired the cultural emphasis that it gained in the 20th century it was not documented in writing in a way on which historians can rely.
“Consequently, we will probably never have smoking-gun proof as to whether any of L’Enfant’s relationships with men had a sexual component,” Bowling writes. “And if they did, that fact in no way disputes the claim that while he was living with Richard Soderstrom in 1797, L’Enfant fathered a child named Mary, mother unknown.”
Bowling was referring to L’Enfant’s longtime and often contentious friendship and business relationship with Richard Soderstrom, the Swedish Consul General to the newly formed United States in the late 1790s and early 1800s.
According to Bowling’s book, Soderstrom filed and won what today would be considered a lawsuit against L’Enfant requiring L’Enfant to reimburse Soderstrom a large sum of money for “rent” and operating expenses for the large house that Soderstrom owned and in which L’Enfant lived with Soderstrom for many years before L’Enfant moved out. Bowling states in his book that L’Enfant, who became embittered over the legal action, argued that Soderstrom never before indicated L’Enfant had to pay for living in the house.
A Nov. 8, 2002, press release issued by George Washington University announcing a talk that Bowling was scheduled to give on campus about his then newly published book about L’Enfant, describes Soderstrom’s legal action against L’Enfant as a “palimony” suit. The book itself makes no mention of the word “palimony,” but it suggests that the bitter falling out between L’Enfant and Soderstrom could have been based on emotions beyond just a business relationship.
The L’Enfant statue unveiling ceremony at the Capitol on Feb. 28, meanwhile, was a celebration of L’Enfant’s widely recognized contribution to the design of the nation’s capital city and of D.C.’s right to place the second of two statues in the Capitol just like each of the 50 states.
D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who arranged for the statue to be installed at the Capitol, said she and other D.C. officials consider the placement of the statue as a symbolic further step in pushing for D.C. to become the nation’s 51st state. D.C.’s first statue installed in the Capitol in 2013 is of African-American abolitionist Frederick Douglas.
Among those joining Norton in the L’Enfant statue unveiling ceremony were Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.).
District of Columbia
Owner of D.C. gay bar Green Lantern John Colameco dies at 79
Beloved businessman preferred to stay ‘behind the scenes’
John Colameco, owner of the popular D.C. gay bar Green Lantern, has died, according to a March 7 announcement posted on the bar’s website and Instagram account. The announcement didn’t provide a date of his passing or a cause of death.
Green Lantern manager Howard Hicks said Colameco was 79 at the time of his passing.
“It is with great sadness that Green Lantern announces the death of our beloved owner, John Colameco,” the announcement says. “Most of our patrons might have heard John’s name, but might not have known his face,” it says.
“He was a ‘behind-the-scenes’ kind of guy who avoided the limelight,” the announcement continues. “He preferred to stay in the back of the house with staff and team ensuring everything was running smoothly so that everyone out front was having a good time.”
The announcement adds, “As a veteran and businessman, John wasn’t a member of the LGBTQ + community, but he was one of the best damn allies our community has ever had.”
It says he “long provided spaces for the queer community to come together” since the 1990s when he owned and operated a popular restaurant on 17th Street, N.W. called Peppers.
According to the announcement, Colameco and his then business partner Greg Zehnacker opened the Green Lantern in 2001 in an alley off of 14th Street, N.W., between Thomas Circle and L Street, N.W.
The announcement points out that the Green Lantern first opened in the same location in the early 1990s before it later closed when the original owners decided to purchase and open other bars, one of which was the gay bar Fireplace near Dupont Circle. Colameco and Zehnacker were able to reopen the bar with the Green Lantern name.
“When Greg died unexpectedly in February 2014, John remained steadfastly committed to carrying on their vision and ensuring that Green Lantern remained part of the fabric of D.C.’s queer community,” the announcement says.
“Over the years, through Green Lantern, John has provided support to many community organizations, most notably Stonewall Sports, the Gay Men’s chorus of Washington, and ONYX Mid-Atlantic with Green Lantern serving as a gathering hub for their activities,” it states.
The announcement adds that Colameco’s family was planning a memorial for him in his hometown of Philadelphia.
“His Green Lantern family will celebrate his life by operating the bar as usual and we encourage you to stop by and join us,” it says. “Community coming together and having a good time – it’s exactly what John would want.”
District of Columbia
D.C. Black Pride theme, performers announced at ‘Speakeasy’
Durand Bernarr to headline 2026 programming
The Center for Black Equity held its 2026 DC Black Pride Theme Reveal event at Union Stage on Monday. The evening, a “Speakeasy Happy Hour,” was hosted by Anthony Oakes and featured performances by Lolita Leopard and Keith Angelo. The Center for Black Equity organizes DC Black Pride.
Kenya Hutton, Center for Black Equity president and CEO, spoke following the performances by Leopard and Angelo. Hutton announced this year’s theme for DC Black Pride: “New Black Renaissance.”
Performers for 2026 DC Black Pride were announced to be Bang Garcon, Be Steadwell, Jay Columbus, Bennu Byrd, Rue Pratt and Akeem Woods.
Singer-songwriter Durand Bernarr was announced as the headliner for the 2026 festivities. Bernerr gave brief remarks through a video played on the screen at the stage.
DC Black Pride is scheduled for May 22-25. For more information on DC Black Pride, visit dcblackpride.org.
In an official statement released at the reveal event Capital Pride Alliance described its just announced 2026 Pride theme of “Exist, Resist, Have the Audacity” as a “bold declaration affirming the presence, resilience, and courage of LGBTQ+ people around the world.”
The statement adds, “Grounded in the undeniable truth that our existence is not up for debate, this year’s theme calls on the community to live loudly and proudly, stand firm against injustice and erasure, and embody the collective strength that has always defined the LGBTQ+ community.”
In a reference to the impact of the hostile political climate, the statement says, “In a time when LGBTQ+ rights and history continue to face challenges, especially in our Nation’s Capital, where policy and public discourse shape the future of our country, together, we must ensure that our voices are visible, heard, and unapologetically centered.”
The statement also quotes Capital Pride Alliance CEO and President Ryan Bos’s message at the Reveal event: “This year’s theme is both a declaration and a demand,” Bos said. “Exist, Resist, Have Audacity! reflects the resilience of our community and our responsibility to protect the progress we’ve made. As we look toward our nation’s 250th anniversary, we affirm that LGBTQ+ people have always been and always will be part of the United States’s history, and we will continue shaping its future with strength and resolve,” he concluded.
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