District of Columbia
White House officials, HHS secretary praise local monkeypox response
D.C. Health points to data showing sharp decline in new cases
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and two leaders of the White House monkeypox response team joined officials with the D.C. Department of Health on Thursday for a visit to D.C.’s recently opened Monkeypox Vaccine Clinic on Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., S.E. in Ward 8.
In a briefing for reporters, who were invited to join Becerra and the White House officials on a tour of the clinic, the D.C. and federal officials pointed to a sharp decline in new monkeypox cases in D.C. as a sign of a successful federal and local government partnership in dramatically boosting the number of people at risk for monkeypox who have been vaccinated.
“I welcome you all to our Ward 8 Monkeypox Vaccine Clinic,” said Dr. Sharon Lewis, Interim Director of the D.C. Department of Health, which is also referred to as D.C. Health.
“Please take note that D.C. Health was very active in initiating back in May” the city’s effort to address monkeypox, she said. “We started our planning and as soon as we were aware of the first case in June, we had actually set up vaccines and were ready to implement our plan.”
Dr. Anil Mangla, the State Epidemiologist for the D.C. Department of Health, told the gathering the number of D.C. monkeypox cases peaked during the week of July 17, and new cases in the District have declined since then by an average of over 20 percent per week.
“I would call it our success story in D.C.,” Mangla said. “So, our cases peaked nine weeks ago, the week of July 17. If you look at the national trends and statistics, the nation essentially peaked about six weeks ago, so we were already three weeks in advance,” he said.
Mangla pointed out that the clinic where the HHS and White House officials visited on Thursday at 3640 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., S.E. and the city’s two other Monkeypox vaccination clinics are walk-in facilities where D.C. residents can go for a vaccination without an appointment. The other two are located at 1900 I St., N.W. and 7530 Georgia Ave., N.W.
Becerra praised Mangla and his boss, Dr. Lewis, and their team of public health officials for aggressively reaching out to those at risk for monkeypox, including gay and bisexual men, to encourage them to get vaccinated and promptly treating those who tested positive for the monkeypox virus.
“So, let me first say to Director Lewis, Dr. Mangla, and to all your team, thank you for being affirmative in bringing in the steps to stop monkeypox,” Becerra said. “And more importantly, to go where the people are rather than waiting for the people to come to you.”
He said D.C. efforts in addressing monkeypox were among the efforts in other cities and states across the country where a joint federal-local partnership was taking place.
“We need strong partnerships,” he said. “We need your help, because you know the many trusted voices in the communities that you’ve got more of than we would,” he said. “We’ll provide the vaccine,” said Becerra, noting that the Biden administration in partnership with various federal agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, has distributed more than a million vaccine doses nationally.
Among the White House officials who spoke at the briefing and joined the tour of the Ward 8 Monkeypox Vaccination Clinic was Robert Fenton, who President Biden on Aug. 2 named as White House National Monkeypox Response Coordinator. Also speaking was Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who Biden named as White House National Monkeypox Response Deputy Coordinator.
A statement released by the White House at the time Biden appointed the two men says Fenton has served as Regional Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region 9 in the western part of the U.S. and was considered one of the nation’s most experienced emergency management leaders.
The statement says Daskalakis, a leading public health expert, is currently the Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of HIV Prevention.
“Widely known as a national expert on health issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ communities, his clinical practice has focused on providing care for the underserved LGBTQIA+ communities,” the White House statement says.
In his remarks at the briefing on Thursday, Daskalakis also praised D.C. Health officials and the communities they have reached out to for encouraging behavioral changes among the groups most at risk for monkeypox.
“So, the clear message is that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, and other gender diverse folks who have sex with men are not only getting the vaccine and testing, but also what they can do in their daily lives to be able to prevent infection,” he said. “I think that is another testament to the work you’ve done and is another example of the great partnership between federal public health and local public health.”
The D.C. Department of Health’s most recent data on monkeypox cases in the city shows that as of Sept. 15, the city had a cumulative total of 488 cases, with 19 hospitalizations and no deaths. Out of the 488 total, 97.3 percent were male, and 1.2 percent were female.
Regarding the sexual orientation of those who make up the 488 cases, 48 percent were listed as gay, 5.7 percent as bisexual, 3.9 percent as straight/heterosexual, 1 percent as “other,” and 41.4 percent as “Unknown.” The data released included an asterisk for the number of lesbian cases, which a footnote says could be four or fewer such cases.
At the briefing on Thursday, the Blade asked Dr. Mangla, the D.C. Health epidemiologist, to explain why he thought the number of D.C. monkeypox cases in gay men and other men who have sex with men were initially listed by D.C. Health officials to be over 90 percent of the total cases. But in recent weeks, the Blade pointed out, the data show the number of “gay” cases were at about 50 percent or a little lower and a new category of “unknown” sexual orientation cases was in the 40 percent to 50 percent range.
Mangla said he thought the discrepancy was due to a flaw in the data gathering during the early stage of the monkeypox outbreak in D.C. that has since been corrected. “It took us a few weeks to make that kind of adjustment and to say we are now confident enough that the data is accurate for policy decisions and anything else,” he said.
He did not say whether he or D.C. Health knows which demographic groups made up the “Unknown” category of 41.4 percent in the most recent data released.
District of Columbia
D.C. mayor honors 10th anniversary of Team Rayceen Productions
LGBTQ entertainment, advocacy organization praised for ‘vital work’
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser today issued an official proclamation declaring Monday, March 18, 2024, as Team Rayceen Day in honor of the local LGBTQ entertainment and advocacy organization Team Rayceen Productions named after its co-founder Rayceen Pendarvis.
“Whereas Rayceen, along with Team Rayceen Productions co-founder, Zar, have spent 10 years advocating for the Black LGBTQI+ community using various forms including in-person events, social media, and YouTube,” the proclamation states.
The proclamation adds that through its YouTube Channel, Team Rayceen Productions created a platform for “Black LGBTQIA+ individuals to discuss various topics including spotlighting nonprofit organizations and small businesses, voter registration and participation, the state of LGBTQIA+ rights and resources in D.C, gender equality and equity, and the amplification of opportunities to bring the community together.”
It also praises Team Rayceen Productions for its partnership with the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs in helping to produce “exciting events like the District of Pride talent showcase held each June and the iconic 17th Street High Heel Race celebrated in October.”
“Whereas I thank Team Rayceen Productions for its vital and necessary work and am #DCProud to wish you all the best as you continue to support Black LGBTQIA+ residents across all 8 Wards,” the proclamation continues.
“Now, therefore, I, the Mayor of Washington, D.C., do hereby proclaim March 18, 2024, as TEAM RAYCEEN DAY in Washington, D.C. and do commit this observance to all Washingtonians,” it concludes.
“We thank Mayor Bowser for this special proclamation, which highlights where it all began, with the Black LGBTQIA+ community of Washington, D.C,” Team Rayceen Productions says in a statement. “Starting with The Ask Rayceen Show, Reel Affirmation, and events with D.C. Public Library to Art All Night, Silver Pride by Whitman-Walker, and events with the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, we are #dcproud of what we have accomplished in the Nation’s Capital,” the statement says.
“For TEAM RAYCEEN DAY, we thank the diverse group of individuals who have made everything we have done possible by volunteering their time and talents over the past decade – as online co-hosts, event staff, performers, DJs, photographers, and more,” says the statement.
District of Columbia
GLSEN to ‘Rise Up’ in support of LGBTQ youth
Fundraiser planned for March 14 in D.C.
The LGBTQ youth advocacy organization GLSEN is hosting its annual Rise Up fundraiser in D.C. this Thursday.
The organization has worked for more than 30 years to support students and educators to ensure that educational spaces are safe for LGBTQ people.
“GLSEN really believes that every student should have the right to a safe and affirming education,” said Michael Chavez, director of events and experiences for GLSEN.
The Human Rights Campaign reported in May 2023 that more than 500 anti-LGBTQ were introduced in state legislatures.
In addition, 15 laws were enacted banning gender affirming care for transgender youth.
“Our stance at GLSEN is we know that education is the bedrock of democracy,” said Chavez.
He continued to explain that in order to protect education, GLSEN’s supporters need to get out and vote.
“Making sure everyone is aware of how critical this year is and the importance of getting out the vote, not just on the national level,” said Chavez. “Extremely local areas like their school boards and participating in what’s happening in their own communities is really important,” he said.
Chavez admitted that this task can feel overwhelming, but that prioritizing the safety of education for LGBTQ students is an ever guiding light.
This is why, he said, GLSEN is excited to bring Rise Up to D.C.
The event will be hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Jonathan Capehart. GLSEN will also honor Rocío Inclán with the Trailblazer for Justice Award.
“We want to highlight our allies who are doing the work in legislative worlds. Our policy makers, our champions,” said Chavez.
This event comes just weeks after non-binary student, Nex Benedict, died after being beaten by three older students. Their family believes that Benedict had been targeted and bullied for identifying as non-binary.
Chavez said it is important “now more than ever” to rise up in support of LGBTQ youth.
Rise Up will be held at the Hotel Washington with a cocktail reception and awards program at 6 p.m. If supporters cannot attend the event, there are multiple ways to take action available on the GLSEN website.
District of Columbia
Judge releases Ruby Corado seven days after arrest
Former Casa Ruby director charged with fraud, money laundering
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the release of Ruby Corado, founder and former executive director of Casa Ruby, into the custody of her niece in Rockville, Md., after agreeing with arguments by Corado’s defense attorney that she is not at high risk of fleeing to El Salvador.
The decision by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather to order Corado’s release at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13, came seven days after the FBI arrested Corado shortly after she returned to the U.S. from El Salvador. She has been charged with bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, among other charges, related to allegations that she embezzled at least $150,000 from Casa Ruby that the LGBTQ community services group had obtained from federal COVID-19 relief programs.
Corado had been held in jail since the time of her arrest on March 5. She appeared before Meriweather last Friday, March 8, for a detention hearing in which the judge said she was not ready to rule on whether Corado should continue to be held until the time of her trial or released.
Meriweather scheduled a second detention hearing on Tuesday, March 12, to give Corado’s defense attorney more time to submit a release proposal, which was expected to call for Corado to be released into the custody of a family member that would include conditions assuring that Corado would not be a flight risk.
The niece to whom Corado will be released, Jessica Dieguez, told the court Corado would be staying at her and her husband’s home in Rockville. After being called by the judge to the witness stand to testify, Dieguez said she would do her best to ensure that Corado complies with the terms of her release, which the judge said consists of home detention. The release terms require that while she awaits her trial, Corado must remain at Dieguez’s home except for court appearances or medical related visits to a health care facility.
“Defendant is to be released on 3/13/2024 to a 3rd party custodian,” the court docket for the Corado case states. “Defendant and custodian sworn to conditions of release,” it states. The judge said Corado will be placed on GPS monitoring and will not have access to her passport.
The docket shows Corado’s next court appearance for a status hearing is scheduled for April 12 at 1 p.m. before another judge, Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui.
“The government has failed to set forth sufficient facts to find that Ms. Corado is a serious risk of flight,” Federal Public Defender Service attorney Diane Shrewsbury stated in an amended motion in support of Corado’s pretrial release. “Ms. Corado asks the court to find that there are conditions that will reasonably ensure her appearance and ensure the safety of the community and to release her under those conditions,” Shrewsbury stated in her court memorandum.
Meriweather’s decision came after prosecutors with the Office of the U.S. Attorney for D.C. called on the judge to order Corado held in custody until the time of her trial on grounds that she would be a flight risk. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Borchert, the lead prosecutor in the case, stated in oral arguments on March 8 and in a 12-page Memorandum in Support of Pretrial Detention, which he later updated, that Corado poses “a unique and serious flight risk.”
Among other things, he said Corado fled to El Salvador in 2022 shortly before Casa Ruby shut down its operations, after news media reports surfaced that Corado was under investigation for financial improprieties at Casa Ruby that led to its shutdown. He also pointed to a criminal complaint and arrest affidavit charging Corado with Bank Fraud, Wire Fraud, Laundering of Monetary Instruments, and Failure to File Report of Foreign Bank Account – all related to allegations that she embezzled funds from Casa Ruby that came from at least two federal COVID pandemic relief programs.
“Without question, the offenses described in the complaint are serious and carry substantial penalties,” Borchert states in his memo in support of pretrial detention. “The amount of federal money stolen by the defendant – at least $150,000 – and deposited into her personal bank accounts in El Salvador is both substantial and troubling, particularly given that these funds were intended for the benefit of District youth in need of housing and other services,” he said, referring to Casa Ruby’s longstanding programs in support of LGBTQ youth.
Shrewsbury argued that a preponderance of factors shows that Corado would not be a flight risk. The attorney disclosed that Corado returned to the U.S. from El Salvador in February 2024 to remain in the D.C. area permanently after having lived in the D.C. area for 35 years. She said Corado went to El Salvador in 2022 to start an international arm of Casa Ruby and did not go there to flee from law enforcement.
“She was prepared to resume her life in the United States when she returned in February,” Shrewsbury states in her court memo. “At the time of her arrest, Ms. Corado did not have a return ticket to go back to El Salvador,” she said. “She was in the process of securing a new job in the United States. Additionally, Ms. Corado has significant family and friends in the D.C. area, including her sisters, her father, her sister-in-law and numerous friends,” the pre-trial release memo continues.
“She is married to a U.S. citizen, who grew up in the D.C. area and continues to have family here,” the memo says. “In approximately 2007, Ms. Corado received legal permanent resident status” in the U.S., it says, further confirming her intention of remaining in the U.S. Shrewsbury said at the time of her arrest, Corado’s passport from El Salvador was confiscated, further ensuring that she would not flee to another country if released.
The attorney also argued that Corado’s status as a transgender woman placed her in danger of possible sexual assault at the D.C. Jail, where she was placed in protective custody in the male housing section of the jail.
Shrewsbury’s motion and memo calling for Corado’s release, first filed in court on March 8, used the male pronouns of “he,” “him” and “his” in four separate pages of the memo to identify Corado. Court records show that on Monday, March 11, one day before the follow-up detention hearing, Shrewsbury filed a second amended version of the memorandum that changed the misgendered pronouns to female pronouns.
After the court hearing on Tuesday, Shrewsbury told the Washington Blade the misgendered pronouns were typographic mistakes as she wrote her motion late at night. She said she was sorry about the mistake, which she said was quickly corrected with the updated document.
Corado, who was escorted into court at both hearings wearing an orange prison jump suit, did not speak at the hearings.
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