District of Columbia
Officials praise D.C. Office of LGBTQ Affairs, raise concern over funding delays
Leaders of local advocacy groups testify at Council oversight hearing
Officials with five local LGBTQ community organizations and officials with another four groups that also provide services for LGBTQ D.C. residents testified before a D.C. Council performance oversight hearing on Jan. 30 that examined the work of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
The hearing, which also examined the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs and Office of Religious Affairs, was called by D.C Council member Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) in her role as chair of the Council’s Committee on Public Works and Operations.
Nearly all the witnesses praised what they called the LGBTQ Affairs Office’s longstanding support for the D.C. LGBTQ community through a wide range of services and programs and what they called the “dedicated” work of its director, Japer Bowles.
Officials with at least four of the LGBTQ organizations, including the D.C. LGBTQ Budget Coalition and the LGBTQ youth advisory group SMYAL, expressed concern over what they called long delays in funding from grants awarded to LGBTQ and LGBTQ supportive groups by the Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
Several of the witnesses, including Kimberley Bush, executive director of the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center, who submitted written testimony, said the funding delays were being caused by other D.C. government agencies that administer city grant programs.
Bush stated that the delays in funding for the LGBTQ+ Community Center for a $50,000 Community Development Grant and a $50,000 Violence Prevention and Response Team (VPART) Grant, “by no fault” of the LGBTQ Affairs Office, “caused extraordinary and substantial financial strain on our cash flow.”
Heidi Ellis, coordinator of the D.C. LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition, raised a related issue of concern that the mayor’s office, based on “shifting priorities,” sometimes significantly lowers the level of grant funds from the Office of LGBTQ Affairs to community-based LGBTQ grant recipients.
Ellis and other witnesses at the hearing referred to this as “yo-yo funding and shifting of mayoral priorities” that they said makes it difficult for LGBTQ groups receiving city grants to continue their programs and services.
In his own testimony, and in response to questions from Nadeau and D.C. Council member Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5), who is the Council’s only gay member, LGBTQ Affairs Office Director Bowles said some of the delays in grant payments were due to a vacancy in the office staff position that administers the grants, which he said has now been filled.
Among other things, Bowles said the complexity of the grant approval process, which he said involves “different layers of funding decisions” by other D.C. government offices, also has caused some delays. He said that despite what he called some of his office’s challenges, the office continues to expand its role in supporting the local LGBTQ community.
“With Mayor Bowser’s leadership and support, I’m proud to have led efforts that transformed the office,” he stated in his testimony. “We secured the bid for WorldPride 2025, expanded our grant programs from $75,000 to over $6 million, revamped our community engagement strategy, and much more,” he said.
“These changes have had a direct impact on addressing public safety concerns and providing housing and support to vulnerable residents,” he added. According to Bowles, his office’s LGBTQIA+ Community Development Grant program saw a record expansion in fiscal year 2024, with more than $1 million awarded to 29 community-based organizations. (The Washington Blade has been a recipient of a grant that funds a journalism fellow who reports on local LGBTQ community news.)
“These grants support a wide range of LGBTQIA+ dedicated initiatives, including mental health counseling, youth leadership, and arts and culture projects,” he said. “As part of our broader advocacy efforts, we secured funding for the Violence Prevention and Response Team, which provides trauma-informed legal and counseling services to survivors of hate-based incidents.”
Among the LGBTQ officials who praised Bowles’s work and the LGBTQ Affairs Office while raising concerns about the office’s ability to carry out its ambitious programs was Vincent Slatt, chair of the D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commission’s Rainbow Caucus. The caucus currently consists of 38 out LGBTQ ANC commissioners based in all eight D.C. wards.
Slatt called on Mayor Bowser and the D.C. Council to increase the number of full-time staff members for the LGBTQ Affairs Office from its current six staff members to 10 or 11 full-time staffers.
“To address these challenges, we strongly recommend increasing the office’s staff to match the scale of its responsibilities and the growing needs of our community,” Slatt told the committee. He added that the office’s current “chronic staffing and budget shortage disparities will become even more concerning in light of the recent and anticipated homophobic and transphobic attacks expected from the White House and Congress.”
The other LGBTQ community witnesses who praised the LGBTQ Affairs Office’s overall work were Rebecca York, SMYAL’s director of Youth Development and Community Engagement; Justin Johns, director of operations for the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center; Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance; and Bo Belotti, development manager for the community services organization HIPS.
In response to a request from the Washington Blade for comment on whether the mayor and other city officials were taking steps to address the issue of grant funding delays raised at the D.C. Council hearing, the office of the mayor released this statement: “Washington, D.C. is proud to support the LGBTQIA+ community. The Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs continues to deliver impactful programs with its dedicated staff, and we are always assessing ways to enhance support across all community affairs offices.”
The Office of the D.C. Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) responded to the Blade inquiry with its own statement: “DMPED has been working closely and collaboratively with the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center to finalize their grant agreement. We are proud to support this transformative project that is delivering a world-class services center for our LGBTQ community.”
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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