District of Columbia
Buttigieg attends opening of As You Are bar
Soft opening of Capitol Hill LGBTQ space while owners await final city approvals
Gay U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband were among several dozen people who turned out on Tuesday for the surprise opening of As You Are, the Capitol Hill LGBTQ bar and café that faced initial delays in obtaining city permits to open at 500 8th St., S.E.
Lesbian activists and businesswomen Jo McDaniel and Rachel Pike, the owners of As You Are, said they decided to delay their planned expansion of a second-floor bathroom, which is needed under city regulations to allow them to have an occupancy capacity of 180 people. Instead, by opening now prior to the completion of the bathroom expansion, they can open with an occupancy capacity of 149.
Earlier this year, McDaniel and Pike told LGBTQ community supporters as well as supportive neighbors that the bathroom renovation was being delayed by what they thought was bureaucratic red tape by the city’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, which must approve permits for various aspects of bars, restaurants, and other small businesses.
According to McDaniel, earlier this month a DCRA official told them that design plans for the expanded bathroom that an architect they hired had already prepared would have to be redone by an engineer, which McDaniel said would cost at least $2,000 or more for the hiring of the engineer. That prompted her and Pike to decide to temporarily postpone the bathroom expansion to give them time to generate revenue by opening the bar and café now, McDaniel said.
The two said that without the expanded bathroom they will have to hold off on their plans for a second-floor dance bar with a DJ and live entertainment such as drag shows. They said they expect to complete the bathroom expansion sometime later this year that will enable them to offer dancing and entertainment.
The two women told the Washington Blade concerns over obtaining permits were put aside on Tuesday, March 22, when supporters and others came in on opening day to order a drink or a lunch or dinner from the menu in As You Are’s first floor café.
“It really filled up here last night,” McDaniel said during a Blade visit on Wednesday afternoon. “It was wonderful. It was like a salon of people who sat together and chatted, and many stayed the whole night.”
McDaniel said she and Pike decided not to have an official grand opening ceremony and instead decided to have a less formal soft opening to give their staff a chance to adjust to the operation of the bar, kitchen, and other aspects of the place. She said they put out the word of the opening on social media.
“And it was really just sort of a word of mouth,” said McDaniel, who added that she, Pike, and many of the customers were delighted when Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten Buttigieg showed up.
“They wanted to show their support,” she said. “They live in the neighborhood. And he took a lot of pictures with people, which was nice,” McDaniel said in referring to Pete Buttigieg.
McDaniel and Pike, who are business and life partners, have said As You Are will welcome people of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, and gender identities as well as drinkers and non-drinkers as customers. The two have called As You Are an inclusive space that “welcomes anyone of any walk of life that will support, love, and celebrate the mission of queer culture.”
Under an agreement reached with the Advisory Neighborhood Commission that has jurisdiction over As You Are’s location, the establishment will be open Tuesdays through Thursdays from noon to midnight and on Fridays and Saturdays from Noon to 3 a.m. McDaniel and Pike said they decided the bar and café will be closed on Mondays.
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.
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.
District of Columbia
Whitman-Walker Health to present ‘Pro Bono Excellence’ award to law firm
Health center set to celebrate 40th anniversary of legal services program
Whitman-Walker Health, the D.C.-based community healthcare center that specializes in HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ-related health services, announced it will present its annual Dale Edwin Sanders Award for Pro Bono Excellence to the international law firm McDermott Will & Schulte at a May 6 ceremony.
“This year’s award is especially significant as it coincides with the 40th anniversary of Whitman-Walker Health’s Legal Services Program, marking it as the nation’s longest running medical-legal partnership,” a statement released by Whitman-Walker says.
“As a national leader in public health, Whitman-Walker celebrates our partnership with McDermott to strengthen the health center and to enable Whitman-Walker to reach more medical and legal clients,” the statement adds.
“McDermott’s firm-wide commitment to Whitman-Walker’s medical-legal partnership demonstrates a shared vision to serve those most in need,” Amy Nelson, Whitman-Walker’s director of Legal Services, says in the statement. “Our work protects individuals and families who face discrimination and hostility as they navigate increasingly complex administrative systems,” Nelson said.
“Pro bono legal services – like that of McDermott Will & Schulte – find solutions for people who have no place else to turn in the face of financial and health threats,” she added.
“Our partnership with Whitman-Walker Health is a treasured commitment to serving our neighbors and communities,” Steven Schnelle, one of the law firm’s partners said in the statement. “We are deeply moved by Whitman-Walker’s unwavering dedication to inclusion, respect, and equitable access to health care and social services,” he said.
The statement notes that the award for Pro Bono Excellence honors the legacy of the late gay attorney Dale Edwin Sanders. It says Sanders’s pro bono legal work for Whitman-Walker clients “shaped HIV/AIDS law for more than four decades by securing key victories on behalf of individuals whose employment and patient rights were violated.”
It says the Whitman-Walker Legal Services program began during the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s at a time when people with AIDS faced widespread discrimination and often needed legal assistance. According to the statement, the program evolved over the years and expanded to advocate for transgender people and immigrants.
Whitman-Walker spokesperson Lisa Amore said the presentation of the Dale Edwin Sanders Pro Bono Excellency Award will be held at the May 6 fundraising benefit for Whitman-Walker’s Legal Services Program. She said the event will take place at the offices of the DC law firm Baker McKenzie and ticket availability can be accessed here: https://www.whitman-walker.org/gtem-2026/
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Minimal version of ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ heading to Dupont Underground
