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Comings & Goings
Rebranding for LUNA+EISENLA
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Congratulations to Brad Luna and Kristofer Eisenla on the rebranding of their firm as LUNA+EISENLA. Founded in 2012, the firm has been the agency of record providing strategic communications and media counsel on several historic advancements in both the public and private sectors, including: change in the U.S. Tax Code creating the standard home office deduction; repeal of the military’s transgender service member ban; announcement of a cure for “bubble boy disease,” and the personal identity of the first person ever cured of HIV/AIDS; representation of three plaintiffs in the Supreme Court’s historic Obergefell v. Hodges marriage equality ruling; and thought leadership development of world-renowned doctors and researchers, including a member of the World Health Organization’s vaccine composition team for COVID, influenza, and other infectious diseases.
With the rebranding they have added three individuals to round out LUNA+EISENLA’s full suite of strategic communications and media services. Elizabeth Curwen as director of content will work on strategic content development across platforms to better engage targeted audiences, research, and analytics to inform audience targeting strategies, digital analytics to optimize client’s communications campaigns for greater impact and real-time feedback reports on media outreach engagements. Sean Todd as creative director will be responsible for creative visual content solutions including branding, digital marketing, print design and audio/video production. Riah Gonzales King as director of digital strategies will provide services designed to harness the power of technology to develop digital advertising, e-commerce platforms, SEO optimization, and website and app creation.
The two founders of the firm have extensive backgrounds in policy, communications, and public relations. They both have extensive experience providing communications and media relations counsel to a wide range of government, campaign, non-profit and corporate institutions. They have worked on presidential and senatorial campaigns, and for members of Congress and America’s top CEOs.
Prior to founding LUNA+EISENLA, Eisenla was a vice president at Widmeyer Communications and before that was Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Director, Representative Diana DeGette (D-Colo.). He graduated from California State University, Stanislaus, with a degree in politics and economics, and has advanced degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science; and The George Washington University. He has been awarded the Bronze Anvil by the Public Relations Society of America.
Prior to joining with Eisenla to found LUNA+EISENLA, Luna was director of Communications for the Human Rights Campaign. Before that he was press secretary to Rep. Brad Carson (D-Okla.). He has guest lectured on political communications, message development and public policy at George Washington University and American University. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tulsa and attended The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management.
Maryland
Evan Glass is leaning on his record. Is that enough for Montgomery County’s top job?
Gay county executive candidate pushing for equitable pay, safer streets, and cleaner environment
By TALIA RICHMAN | During a meet-and-greet at Poolesville Memorial United Methodist Church, Evan Glass got his loudest applause of the night with a plan he acknowledged was decidedly unsexy.
“Day one, I’ll hire a director of permitting services,” the county executive candidate said.
Doing so, he added, is a step toward easing the regulatory burdens that can stifle small businesses in Montgomery County.
The only problem? At least one of his fiercest competitors is making a similar pledge.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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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Madonna announces release date for new album
Senegalese court issues first conviction under new anti-LGBTQ law
Evan Glass is leaning on his record. Is that enough for Montgomery County’s top job?
An effort to increase the number of psychiatrists of color
Comings & Goings
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