District of Columbia
Final push to raise funds, fill D.C. hotels as WorldPride nears
‘We would have liked to see the city fully sold out at this point’
A final push to raise money and fill D.C. hotel rooms is underway with WorldPride 2025 just over a month away.
The Capital Pride Alliance, the D.C.-based group that’s organizing WorldPride 2025 in the nation’s capital that’s scheduled to take place May 17-June 8 launched what it says is one of several fundraising campaigns in a full-page ad in the Washington Post on April 1.
With a large headline declaring, “Hate Is No Joke,” a message in the ad states, “Decades of progress in human rights are under coordinated, systematic attack. Today it’s focused on gender, sexual orientation, and race. But what’s next?”
The message then states, “Take Action. Take a stand. Donate now at WorldPrideDC.org/give.”
That site says its goal is to raise $2 million. As of April 14, the site says $12,041 had been raised from 69 donors.
In response to a request by the Washington Blade for comment on what prompted this particular fundraising campaign, Capital Pride Alliance released a statement saying the campaign was part of its ongoing effort to promote WorldPride and its multiple events.
“The Hate Is No Joke campaign is one of multiple fundraising campaigns that have been planned around the lead-up to WorldPride 2025,” the statement says. “Similar to CPA’s annual Giving Tuesday campaign and the current Taste of Pride citywide initiative, this campaign is intended to raise awareness for and funds to support WorldPride.”
The statement says the “Hate Is No Joke” campaign is being led by the local event planning company Linder Global Events, which D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser retained to work with Capital Pride Alliance in organizing WorldPride 2025.
Capital Pride Alliance Executive Director Ryan Bos told the Blade last month that CPA had set up a budget of between $15 million and $20 million for WorldPride 2025, with much of the funding coming from corporate donors. At the request of Mayor Bowser, the D.C. Council approved $5 million in city funding for WorldPride.
“And like we do every year for an organization like ours, which is event based, we do our best every year to come under budget,” Bos said in referring to the city’s annual Capital Pride celebration and events. “So, we are doing our best to save whenever we can and to ensure that we have a safe and successful WorldPride,” he said.
In its statement responding to the Blade’s inquiry about the Hate Is No Joke fundraising campaign, Capital Pride Alliance said it has learned through the international LGBTQ advocacy organization InterPride, which plays a role in organizing WorldPride events, that visitors from at least 20 countries were expected to come to D.C. for WorldPride 2025.
Among those countries were Canada, Mexico, and several others from Europe, Asia, and Africa, including Uganda and Zimbabwe, as well as India, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, China, and Thailand.
Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination D.C., an organization that promotes tourism, visitation, and events in D.C., including events like WorldPride, said he is seeing signs that hotel reservations are increasing from visitors planning to come to D.C. for WorldPride. But he said he cannot predict whether as many as 2 million or more visitors will come as WorldPride organizers had predicted earlier this year.
At Capital Pride Alliance’s suggestion, Ferguson spoke with the Blade to address the question of whether the controversial statements and policies of President Donald Trump on world trade issues and tariffs involving longtime U.S. allies like Canada and Mexico as well as the Trump administration’s hostile policies targeting the transgender community would prompt people, especially those from foreign countries, to choose not to come to D.C. for WorldPride.
“I’m not sure,” Ferguson told the Blade in an interview. “You know, I think that’s the gray area in terms of how many people will come,” he said.
“But reservations are being made. We’re seeing more of an uptick,” he told the Blade. “And we remain optimistic as WorldPride organizers and Capital Pride organizers are really focusing on the celebration of the community that’s happening in the city,” he said.
Ferguson said he and Destination D.C. were joining WorldPride organizers in putting out the message that if people disagree with the Trump administration’s policies on LGBTQ-related issues or any other issues, they should turn out for WorldPride to protest those policies.
Capital Pride officials have pointed out that among the many events planned for WorldPride is a national LGBTQ rights march on Washington that will begin at the Lincoln Memorial and travel to the U.S. Capitol.
“There’s a lot of consternation and concern about a lot of issues that have been brought to our attention by a lot of international travelers, including those that were looking at coming for WorldPride,” Ferguson said.
“What we’ve said to them is, you know, coming to WorldPride from a global perspective focusing on freedom of speech and First Amendment rights here in the U.S. is a huge part of why you should be here,” he added.
“So, as we talk to hotels, we would have liked to see the city fully sold out at this point,” he said. “But we are seeing momentum in terms of reservations being made and people coming to Washington.”
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/
LGBTQ Catholic groups slam Trump over pope criticism
Grindr to host first-ever White House Correspondents’ Dinner party
Charlie Kirk Act advances in Tenn.
Belarusian president signs bill to allow LGBTQ rights crackdown
‘The Pitt’ stars discuss what season two gets right about queer representation
Trump budget targets ‘gender extremism’
Viktor Orbán ousted in Hungarian elections
How to navigate shifting tenant expectations
Court orders Pride flag to return to Stonewall
