District of Columbia
Gay men make up 82% of D.C. monkeypox cases
Mayor calls on at-risk residents to apply for vaccinations
D.C. Department of Health Director Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt told reporters at a Monday press conference that as of Sunday, July 17, there were 122 reported cases of monkeypox in the District of Columbia and that 82 percent of those cases involved individuals who identify as gay.
Nesbitt joined D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser at the press conference to provide an update on the city’s response to the monkeypox outbreak. They each urged city residents to visit a newly released Department of Health website at PreventMonkeypox.dc.gov to obtain the latest information about the viral illness and whether they may be eligible for the vaccine that can prevent people from becoming infected.
“It is important to note, it is extremely important to note that while the majority of the cases during this outbreak are occurring in individuals who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community, this is not a disease of the LGBTQ+ community,” Nesbitt said.
“Anyone can contract monkeypox, and it is important that we do not create a stigma at this time and that we encourage individuals to be on the lookout for symptoms,” she told the news conference.
Based on monkeypox case numbers reported nationwide by the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, D.C.’s 122 cases represent the highest number of monkeypox cases per capita compared to any of the 50 states.
“We do have 122 cases as of yesterday,” Nesbitt said at the press conference. “The average age or the median age, rather, is 32. And the age range is 18 to 64,” she said. “The majority of cases are occurring in individuals who are 30 to 34 years old. Sixty-three [percent] of the cases are occurring in individuals who identify as white,” she continued.
“Ninety-six percent of the cases are occurring in individuals who identify as males,” Nesbitt said. “And 82 percent are occurring in individuals who identify as gay.”
In response to a question from the Blade, Department of Health spokesperson Kimberly Henderson said on Tuesday that Nesbitt was referring specifically to individuals who self-identified and self-reported their sexual orientation as “gay” when Nesbitt stated that 82 percent of the D.C. monkeypox cases were among people who identified as gay.
A joint statement released on Monday by the mayor’s office and the DOH says monkeypox is a potentially serious but rarely fatal viral illness “that can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids.” The statement says the virus is often spread during “intimate physical contact between people, including sex, kissing, and hugging.” It says it also can be spread when a person touches fabrics, such as bedding, or towels used by a person with monkeypox.
“The initial symptoms of monkeypox often include flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes followed by a rash and lesion on the skin,” the statement says. “The rash can look like pimples or blisters that appear on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus,” according to the statement.
Monday’s press conference took place on the sidewalk outside the headquarters building on 14th Street, N.W. of Whitman-Walker Health, the LGBTQ supportive heath care clinic that is among the community-based organizations partnering with the city to address the monkeypox outbreak.
“I’m pleased to be here with Whitman-Walker,” Bowser told the press conference after she was introduced by Whitman-Walker Health CEO Naseema Shafi. “I want to thank you and your entire staff for working with D.C. Health and for continuing to work with D.C. Health in the coming weeks and months,” Bowser told Shafi.
The mayor said that as of Monday, about 2,600 people in the city had been vaccinated with their first dose of the two-dose vaccine regimen. She urged residents to go to the newly created website to determine how best to apply for an appointment for the vaccine if they believe they could be at risk for monkeypox.
“We are especially working with reaching out to members of the LGBTQ+ community, specifically to gay and bisexual men, because those are the communities most affected by the virus at this moment,” Bowser said. “But we also want the public to understand that this is not something that can only affect the LGBTQ+ community,” she said. “And we should all understand the basics of the virus and what we need to look out for.”
Nesbitt said the Department of Health was also working on monkeypox services with the D.C. group Us Helping Us, People Into Living, which has provided AIDS related services and other healthcare services for Black gay men and Black transgender women for the past 30 years, according to its website.
Dr. Sarah Henn, Whitman-Walker’s Chief Health Officer, told the Blade that Whitman-Walker began taking steps to test and treat its patients and others for monkeypox as soon as the first case in the U.S. was diagnosed in Massachusetts earlier this year. When asked if the LGBTQ supportive health clinic has had monkeypox patients, Henn said, “Oh yes, we’ve had quite a few.”
She added, “We have quite a few in treatment. And we have others that we’re watching who have more mild disease and we’re watching to see how they do. And we’re testing anywhere from two to seven patients daily for monkeypox.”
The statement released by the mayor’s office and the DOH says the city has so far received 8,300 doses of the monkeypox vaccine and has administered approximately 2,600 doses.
It says that currently, to be eligible for the vaccine in D.C., a person must be a D.C. resident, 18 years of age or older, and fall into one of these categories:
• Gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men and have had multiple (more than one) or any anonymous sexual partners in the last 14 days.
• Transgender women or nonbinary persons assigned male at birth who have sex with men.
• Sex workers (of any sexual orientation or gender).
• Staff (of any sexual orientation or gender) at establishments where sexual activity occurs such as bathhouses, saunas, or sex clubs.
“All residents are invited to pre-register for a vaccination appointment, and those who are not currently eligible will be contacted if eligibility changes and appointments are available,” the statement says.
District of Columbia
Campaign launched to elect more LGBTQ candidates to ANC seats
Capital Stonewall Democrats behind Queering ANCs effort
The Capital Stonewall Democrats, D.C.’s largest local LGBTQ political group, announced on July 7 it has launched a campaign to help elect large numbers of LGBTQ candidates to the city’s Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.
The D.C. local government is believed to be unique among U.S. cities in currently having 46 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions consisting of 345 single-member districts in neighborhoods throughout the city in which unpaid Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners are elected for two-year terms.
The commissions are charged with considering a wide range of policies and programs impacting their neighborhoods, including traffic, parking, recreation, street improvements, liquor licenses, zoning, economic development, police protection, sanitation and trash collection, and D.C.’s annual budget, according to the ANC website.
Although the ANCs do not have authority to set or reject policies or proposals, such as applications for liquor licenses, city agencies are required to give “great weight” to ANC recommendations, according to the law creating the ANCs.
Kent Boese, a gay former ANC commissioner, currently serves as executive director of the D.C. Office of ANCs.
“We are launching the most ambitious hyperlocal LGBTQ+ candidate pipeline initiative in the country,” said Stevie McCarty, the Capital Stonewall Democrats president, in a July 7 statement that announced the Queering ANCs campaign.
“As an ANC member, I know firsthand how these seats shape our neighborhoods, from housing and public safety to sanitation,” McCarty says in the statement. “I’m proud to lead this effort to ensure more LGBTQ+ Washingtonians see themselves as leaders in their communities,” he said.
The ANC Rainbow Caucus, which was created by LGBTQ ANC members, shows on its website that there are currently 38 caucus members consisting of elected LGBTQ ANC commissioners serving in the current 2025-2026 two-year term.
The website shows there are LGBTQ commissioners who are caucus members in each of the city’s eight wards, with six in Ward 1, eight in Ward 2, one in Ward 3, six in Ward 4, five in Ward 5, three in Ward 6, eight in Ward 7, and one in Ward 8.
The Washington Blade couldn’t immediately determine how many of them will be running for re-election in D.C.’s general election in November. But McCarty said Capital Stonewall Democrats hopes to recruit many more LGBTQ candidates to run for ANC seats.
The D.C. Board of Elections website shows the deadline for filing 25 required petition signatures to be placed on the ballot is Aug. 5.
A Queering ANCs website launched this week by Capital Stonewall Democrats provides details on how to run for an ANC seat and offers help for those interested in running.
“Think of someone in your building, neighborhood, friend group, community organization, or professional network who cares deeply about D.C. and would make a strong leader,” McCarty says in his statement. “Send them QueeringANCs.org and personally ask them to consider running,” he said.
The website can be accessed at QueeringANCs.org.
District of Columbia
Mary’s House founder, CEO retires
Dr. Imani Woody played leading role in opening DC’s first home for LGBTQ seniors
The board of directors for Mary’s House for Older Adults, DC’s first official home dedicated to providing affordable housing for LGBTQ seniors, announced on July 7 that its founding president and CEO, Dr. Imani Woody, has retired.
Woody, who holds a PhD in Human Services, is credited with playing a leading role over many years in arranging both city and private funding needed to construct and operate the Mary’s House three-story building located at 401 Anacostia Road, S.E., in the city’s Fort Dupont neighborhood.
The house, which opened in March 2025, with a grand opening ceremony held in May 2025, includes 15 single-occupancy residential units and more than 5,000 square feet of shared communal living space.
“It is with profound gratitude and hearts full of celebration that the board of directors of Mary’s House for Older Adults, DC (MHFOA) announces the retirement of our visionary founder, Dr. Imani Woody, from her role as president and CEO,” the Mary’s House board says in a statement.
“Dr. Woody’s journey with Mary’s House began with her vision and a kitchen table gathering of women with a bold, urgent, and loving vision: to create safe, affirming, affordable housing for LGBTQ/SGL older adults in Washington, DC,” the statement says.
It adds, “What started as a dream has grown into DC’s first affordable LGBTQ+/SGL affirming communal living space for adults 60 and over, a 15-room community residence at 401 Anacostia Road in Southeast Washington.”
The statement says Woody will continue to serve on Mary’s House board.
“The board will be sharing information about the leadership transition process in the coming weeks,” the statement continues. “We are committed to honoring Dr. Woody’s legacy by ensuring Mary’s House continues to thrive and grow in faithful service to LGBTQ/SGL elders experiencing housing insecurity and isolation.”
District of Columbia
SMYAL receives $25,000 award for ‘courageous acts’
D.C. group provides support services for LGBTQ youth
The D.C.-based organization SMYAL, which provides services for LGBTQ youth in the D.C. metro area, including housing for homeless LGBTQ youth, announced on June 30 that it received a $25,000 award for its “courageous acts” in support of the community it serves.
The award was a monetary grant from The Courage Project, which describes itself as a “national initiative investing in acts of courage and compassion that strengthens our communities and democracy.”
A statement on its website says it was launched in May 2025 and is funded and backed by leading national foundations in the U.S.
“At SMYAL, we are deeply grateful to receive support from The Courage Project and are inspired by their bold investment in LGBTQ+ youth at such a critical moment,” SMYAL CEO Erin Whelan said in a statement. “For queer and trans young people, simply showing up as themselves each day requires immense courage, and that courage is strengthened when organizations like The Courage Project stand behind them loudly, proudly, and without hesitation,” Whelan said.
In its statement announcing the award SMYAL says The Courage Project will recognize SMYAL and other awardees and their work on July 3 at the Washington National Cathedral as part of a special interfaith service marking the U.S. 250th anniversary.
“The Courage Project is a bold initiative honoring everyday acts of bravery – the quiet, often unseen acts of heroism that reflect the best of the American spirit and strengthen democracy at the community level,” the project states on its website.
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