District of Columbia
D.C. to celebrate LGBTQ History Month
Mayor Bowser says city is proud to be in forefront of progress
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser released a statement on Tuesday, Oct. 8, announcing she and her administration would be celebrating LGBTQ History Month 2024, which takes place each year in October, among other things, by hosting at least three LGBTQ events.
“Washington, D.C. is proud to be in the forefront of LGBTQIA progress,” the mayor said in a press release announcing the city’s support for LGBTQ History Month.
“As we celebrate the history of the LGBTQIA+ community and prepare for World Pride 2025, we stand united in our D.C. values and our dedication to creating a city where everyone can thrive,” she said.
The mayor was referring to D.C. being selected as the host for the LGBTQ World Pride celebration in June 2025, which came about after her administration worked closely with the Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes most of D.C.’s LGBTQ Pride events, in submitting a bid to the international LGBTQ group that selects the host city for World Pride.
“This event will coincide with 50 years of Pride celebrations in D.C., reinforcing the city’s commitment to visibility and economic development for all,” the mayor’s press release says.
It says under Bowser’s leadership, the D.C. Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs “has become one of the nation’s most well-resourced offices dedicated to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.” It points out that the office “has awarded over $1.3 million in community grants, provided housing choice vouchers to LGBTQIA+ residents, and hosted a range of impactful events and programs.”
Japer Bowles, the LGBTQ Affairs Office director, says in the mayor’s press release that he is “proud to serve with leadership that empowers our LGBTQIA+ community and acknowledges our contributions to the District and our national movement for human rights.”
Bowles adds in his statement, “This month, we are reflecting on our progress while also shaping our present and building our future. D.C. is the District of Pride, and our community is integral to our D.C. values.”
The three LGBTQ events the press release announced included an online virtual LGBTQIA+ Estate Planning seminar held on Tuesday, Oct. 8, the day the mayor’s press release was issued. LGBTQ Affairs Office official Gaby Vincent said about 15 or 20 people participated in the event, which was facilitated by Rebecca Geller of The Geller Law Group.
The next event planned is a two-day World Pride Workshop scheduled for Monday, Oct. 21, and Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at 901 G St., N.W. “This two-day event will unite government agencies, local businesses, and community leaders to lay the groundwork for an unforgettable celebration,” the mayor’s statement says.
The statement adds, “Whether you’re an ANC Commissioner, business owner, or event organizer, this workshop will help you plan impactful, legal, and licensed events for World Pride 2025.”
The third event announced is the city’s 37th Annual 17th Street High Heel Race scheduled for 6 p.m. on Oct. 29, which takes place on 17th Street between P and R Streets, N.W. The event was initiated by one of the gay bars located on 17th Street as a Halloween costume event, but in recent years, under the Bowser administration, it has been organized by the mayor’s office.
“The Annual 17th Street High Heel Race is a time to celebrate the diversity of D.C.’s LGBTQIA+ community and join thousands of spectators cheer on costumed drag queens, drag kings, and community members as they race down 17th Street, N.W,” the press release says. “Filled with local drag entertainment and much more, you won’t want to miss this lively D.C. tradition!”
District of Columbia
Two D.C. LGBTQ rights advocates stepping down from jobs
Crenshaw leaving Alston Foundation; Czapary departs mayor’s office
Longtime D.C. LGBTQ rights advocate June Crenshaw announced she is stepping down from her position for the past nine years as executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, the local organization that provides housing and support services for homeless LGBTQ youth.
Around the same time, fellow LGBTQ rights advocate Salah Czapary announced he is stepping down from his position for the past two years as director of the D.C. Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture.
Meanwhile, a third longtime local LGBTQ rights advocate, David Meadows, was unanimously confirmed on Nov. 1 by the D.C. Council for an appointment by Mayor Muriel Bowser as a member of the city’s Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board, which is responsible for administering, enforcing, and adjudicating the city’s alcoholic beverage and medical marijuana laws.
Neither Crenshaw nor Czapary disclosed in announcing their departure from their jobs what their future career plans are, and the two didn’t immediately respond to a question from the Washington Blade asking about career plans going forward.
Crenshaw currently serves as co-chair of the committee organizing D.C. World Pride 2025, the international LGBTQ Pride celebration expected to draw a million or more visitors to the city for a wide range of World Pride events in late May and early June 2025.
“After over nine years of unwavering dedication and visionary leadership, our beloved Executive Director, June Crenshaw, has decided to step into her next chapter,” a statement released by the Wanda Alston Foundation board of directors says. “While we will miss June’s daily presence, we are grateful that she will stay on through the transition to ensure a warm, seamless handover as we actively search for our next executive director,” the statement says.
It adds, “Her unwavering commitment to our mission, clients, and team has helped build a foundation of compassion, resilience, and excellence. This transition reflects her readiness to explore new paths and her belief in the bright future of the Wanda Alston Foundation.”
In his own statement, Czapary said he appreciated the opportunity his job gave him to serve the city and its residents and visitors.
“October marked my last month in the Mayor’s Office and I’m grateful to Mayor Bowser for giving me the opportunity to serve as the District’s Nightlife and Cultural Director, supporting our hospitality sector – the sector that makes the city a great place to live and visit,” he said.
“I’m proud of positioning the office as a responsive entry point for industry and residents to interact with government,” he said in his statement. “The role deepened my understanding and love for D.C. in ways I couldn’t have imagined two years ago.”
Czapary added, “As for me, I’m excited about what’s next.” But he gave no indication of his future career plans.
In the past 20 years or longer D.C. mayors have appointed an LGBTQ member of what used to be called the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board or ABC Board before its role was expanded to include marijuana regulations. It currently still uses the name ABC Board to denote Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board.
LGBTQ rights advocates have called for at least one LGBTQ member of the board to provide representation for the important role that gay bars and other LGBTQ establishments licensed to sell or serve liquor have historically played in the community.
The board’s previous gay member, Edward Grandis, left the board earlier this year. In a statement released at the time of his confirmation by the Council, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration, which works with the ABC Board on liquor and cannabis related regulations, issued a statement introducing Meadows as its new board member.
“Mr. Meadows is a long-time Ward 8 LGBTQIA+ community advocate with 30 years of extensive experience serving in leadership roles in District government and civic organizations,” the statement says. “Most recently, Mr. Meadows ran day-to-day operations in the Office of At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds as her Chief of Staff and Senior Adviser,” the statement continues.
It says Meadows previously has served as executive director of the D.C. Democratic Party and notes he began his career in the hospitality industry, including serving as events manager for the D.C.-based National Democratic Club. His appointment on the ABC Board is for a four-year term.
District of Columbia
D.C. to conduct first-of-its-kind LGBTQ veterans’ survey
Forum on trans, gender diverse service members set for Nov. 15
As Veterans Day is celebrated in D.C. and across the nation, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of Veterans Affairs announced it has recently drawn up an LGBTQIA+ veterans’ survey that it will begin distributing in the next few months.
“This attempt to survey the LGBTQIA+ veterans population in D.C. will be the first of its kind,” according to Pip Baitinger, who serves as LGBTQIA+ Veterans Outreach and Relation Specialist in the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs.
“Barriers have existed in surveying this population due to issues of trust and neglect of the community by institutions in the past,” Baitinger told the Washington Blade. “However, this survey will attempt to accurately represent the number of LGBTQIA+ veterans in D.C. and better understand their needs,” she said.
Baitinger pointed out that in addition to working on the survey, the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs is hosting a special forum on Nov. 15 called Empowering Voices: Health and Wellness for Transgender and Gender Diverse Veterans.
The forum, which will be held from 1-3:30 p.m. at the D.C. Veterans Administration Medical Center at 50 Irving St., N.W., will include discussion, workshops, and provide resources on topics such as gender affirming care and support from experts, a flyer announcing the event says.
The D.C. LGBTQ veterans survey and the Nov. 15 forum follow a Sept. 20 LGBTQ veterans event hosted jointly by the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs and the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs called “Voices of Courage: Reclaiming the Legacy of LGBTQIA+ Inclusion in the Military.”
The event, which was held at the D.C. LGBTQ Crush Dance Bar, was not open to the press because organizers wanted to ensure that LGBTQ veterans could discuss issues that may be sensitive or private that could impact their ability to obtain certain veterans’ benefits.
Baitinger provided the Blade with a summary of the issues discussed and raised at the event and identified some of those who spoke at the event. Among them was U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel And Readiness Shawn G. Skelly, who is the highest-ranking transgender official in the Department of Defense.
Others participating in the event, Baitinger said, were U.S. Air Force member MaKayla Starr, who performed in drag; Charlette Woodward, an official with the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs; Japer Bowles, director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs; and Baitinger herself.
The mayor’s office noted at the time that the event was scheduled to take place on the 13th anniversary of the repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law that banned LGBTQ people from serving openly in the U.S. military. Mayor Bowser issued an official mayoral proclamation declaring the day LGBTQIA+ Veterans Day in the District of Columbia.
“Discussions during the event included the need for greater LGBTQIA+ representation in the military and the progress that has thus far been achieved,” Baitinger said.
“One of the primary areas of concern is that of transgender and nonbinary veterans and service members, who are in vital need of gender affirming care and resources, such as hormones, surgeries, and just general affirming care from doctors who will use correct pronouns during routine doctor visits,” Baitinger said in describing the issues discussed at the Sept. 20 event.
She said an additional issue deemed important at the event was ongoing efforts to upgrade the discharges of LGBTQ veterans, many of whom received so-called “undesirable” discharges under the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law before it was repealed. President Joe Biden earlier this year issued a presidential pardon that enabled veterans discharged under the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law to apply for an upgrade of their discharge to the status of honorable discharge.
A list of resources for LGBTQ veterans offered by the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs can be accessed at the department’s website.
District of Columbia
Gay man found unconscious near D.C. gay bar dies
Police release video of suspects in incident listed as robbery
D.C. police have confirmed that a gay man who worked as a hairstylist and a DJ and who was found unconscious about 5 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, at the intersection of 5th and T Streets, N.W. near the gay bar Uproar has died.
Friends who knew the victim, Bryan Smith, stated in a GoFundMe message seeking support for his medical expenses that he was hospitalized for a severe head injury. His family members told Fox 5 News that he was in a coma.
A D.C. police spokesperson confirmed that Smith died on Nov. 7 and the cause and circumstances surrounding his death were pending with the Northern Virginia Medical Examiner’s Office. “Once we have more information, we’ll be putting that out,” D.C. police spokesperson Thomas Lynch told the Washington Blade.
The information released by D.C police indicates Smith at some point was transferred from a D.C. hospital where he was taken by ambulance at the time he was found unconscious to a Virginia hospital, most likely at the request of family members.
Police also released a video showing two suspects and a vehicle they believe the suspects used in committing the robbery of Smith.
“The ongoing investigation has determined that the man was robbed by two suspects while walking on the block,” according to an Oct. 30 police statement released before Smith died. “Detectives are still working to determine how the victim sustained his injuries,” the statement says.
The statement adds that the suspects have been linked to three other offenses that took place that same morning, two of which were attempted robberies and one of which was a robbery of victims on nearby streets.
Smith was found unconscious on Oct. 27 about five hours after another gay man, Sebastian Thomas Robles Lascarra, 22, was reportedly attacked and beaten by as many as 15 men and women at the McDonald’s restaurant at 14th and U Street, N.W., according to a D.C. police report and information provided by Lascarra’s husband.
D.C. police announced they made an arrest Nov. 5 of a 16-year-old juvenile male in connection with the McDonald’s case. The arrest came on the same day police released photos of seven suspects in the McDonald’s assault case taken from video cameras at or near the McDonald’s.
In their release of the video showing the two suspects in the Smith case, police are asking that anyone who may recognize the two individuals should contact police at 202-727-9099 or text their tip to the department’s TEXT TIP Line at 50411.
“Anyone who may have seen or heard something suspicious in the 500 block of T Street, NW, or the surrounding area around 5:00 a.m. Sunday [Oct. 27] is asked to call the police or text police,” the statement accompanying the release of the police video says.
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