Bet Mishpachah, Washington’s LGBTQ synagogue, on Wednesday will honor former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci with an award for his lifelong devotion to public health and service.

Dr. Fauci will receive the Harvey Milk Chesed Award on May 7 at 7 p.m. in Cafritz Hall at the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington, D.C., at 1529 16th Street, N.W.

The award is given annually to someone who has made “outstanding” contributions to the LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities that “exemplify the virtue of chesed, or ‘lovingkindness.’” Fauci’s commitment to combating infectious diseases-HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis, malaria, Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19-as well as his leadership in public health policy, embodies this value, according to Bet Mishpachah President Joseph Pomper.

“Bet Mishpachah is honored to have this opportunity to recognize Dr. Fauci for his lifelong commitment to the health and well-being of millions of people around the world,” said Pomper. “As members of the LGBTQ+ community, we are especially thankful for his courage and dedication in the fight against HIV/AIDS. He stood with us at a time when our community was often shunned and stigmatized. Today, as members of our community are again under attack, his leadership in that crisis and throughout his career serves as a shining example of the spirit of chesed (lovingkindness) that we honor with this award.”

Following the presentation, Fauci will join his longtime friend and colleague Jeff Levi — emeritus professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University and former deputy director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy — for a conversation.

Fauci advised seven presidents on key health issues, most prominently HIV/AIDS, and helped create the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has saved more than 20 million lives globally.

The event is part of Bet Mishpachah’s 50th anniversary celebration. Registration is closed, but waitlist requests can be sent to [email protected].

Less than two weeks before the first events of WorldPride 2025 in D.C. are scheduled to begin on May 17, the U.S. National Park Service has yet to officially approve the permits needed for what organizers say will be a small number of WorldPride events scheduled to take place on the National Mall and other federal park grounds.

In response to a request by the Washington Blade for information on the status of the permit applications, National Park Service Spokesperson Brian Hall said in a May 2 email only that at least one of the permits “is still being worked on and not final.”

Hall sent the Blade a chart showing what appeared to be five WorldPride events under consideration for a permit, with four of them set to take place on federal park grounds at or near the Lincoln Memorial.

Ashley Smith, president of Capital Pride Alliance, the nonprofit D.C. LGBTQ organization playing the lead role in organizing WorldPride 2025, said most of the several dozen WorldPride events expected to take place between May 17 and June 8 would be held at locations other than the National Mall and other federal spaces.

“There is really only a small number that we’re doing this with the National Park Service, because we’re not on a lot of federal land for everything,” he told the Blade. “But we have been in communication with them, and our team is consistently communicating with them,” Smith said.

Smith added, “We feel strongly that we will be able to move forward. I don’t believe there are major concerns with us not being able to move forward. We’re making sure we’re providing all the proper information we need to be successful.”

Some LGBTQ activists have expressed concern that the Trump administration, which has put in place policies hostile to the LGBTQ community, especially the trans community, might attempt to block the permits. But another National Park Service spokesperson said in a statement that the permit approval process does not take into consideration the political message of those applying for permits.

“Applications are approved provided no applications were previously submitted for the same dates and locations, and the organizers are able to ensure the preservation of park resources and the safety of all participants, park visitors, and community members,” according to NPS spokesperson Michael Litterst.

“It is a deliberate process that does not consider the content of the message presented,” Litterst added in a statement to the Blade last November after Trump’s election as president.

Sahand Miraminy, the Capital Pride Alliance director of operations, told the Blade in a statement that it is “customary” for the National Park Service to hold off on issuing a permit until about one week before an event is scheduled to begin. 

“Oftentimes, this is also tied to the agency’s cost estimates for cleanup, turf restoration, and law enforcement reimbursements,” Miraminy said. “Typically, the National Park Service also has a policy of  not sharing detailed event plans for applicants, and we certainly appreciate keeping our detailed event information secure, as it often pertains to the health and safety of our participants,” he said.

“We don’t believe it’s necessary to share with the broad public the exact permits we hold for our events as some reservations are tied to infrastructure and security measures,” Miraminy said, adding that the Capital Pride website is a “great resource” finding the numerous WorldPride events.

The website shows at least one leading event will take place on the National Mall: A June 8 International Rally and March for Freedom will begin on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and travel from there to near the U.S. Capitol Building, the website states. It says participants in the march will then join the WorldPride Festival and Concert on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. near the Capitol scheduled to take place June 7-8.   

Vincent Slatt, an official with D.C.’s Rainbow History Project, is among the lead organizers of that organization’s WorldPride exhibition called “Pickets, Protests and Parades: The History of Gay Pride in Washington, D.C.” The exhibition, scheduled for May 17 through July 7, will be held in Freedom Plaza, the federal parklands site on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., between 13th and 14th streets.  

Slatt points out that Rainbow History Project has applied for its own National Park Service permit for the exhibition and, like Capital Pride Alliance, is still waiting for the permit’s approval.

“I can share great news,” Slatt said in a May 4 message to the Blade, “Rainbow History Project had our latest meeting with NPS this morning and she stated that we are on track to receive our permit. There are no problems expected.”

Slatt added, “As of this morning, our permit is only pending the finalized copy of our insurance and safety plan. These are things my board will vote to approve at our May meeting. Everything looks GREAT for RHP and our activity.”

Miguel Ayala, president of the D.C. LGBTQ sports organization Team D.C., has expressed support for the $3.7 billion deal reached between Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Washington Commanders football team to bring the team back to D.C. in a redeveloped site on the grounds of the city’s long shuttered RFK stadium.

With the deal calling for the city to provide $1 billion in taxpayer funds for infrastructure related costs for the massive redevelopment project — and with the Commanders to provide the remaining $2.7 billion — as of this week the deal did not have majority support on the D.C. Council, which must vote to approve it.

Ayala’s support for the project on behalf of Team D.C. raises the question of whether members of the city’s influential LGBTQ community might play some role in urging the D.C. Council to approve the project.

The proposal comes at a time when the Washington Commanders team includes a message of support for the LGBTQ community on its website. The message follows its hosting last October of its 4th annual LGBTQ Pride Night Out at the Commanders game against the Cleveland Browns.

“The Washington Commanders are proud to champion the LGBTQ+ community and its allies,” the team states on its website. “Through the unifying power of sports, we aim to create a culture where all feel welcome and celebrated.”

In a statement released to the Washington Blade, Ayala points out that the Commanders are among every D.C.-based professional sports team that hosts a Pride Night Out event, which Team DC helps to organize.

“Each year, our events have grown stronger, with vibrant tailgates, on-field celebrations, and powerful moments that shine a spotlight on our community,” Ayala said. “We can’t wait to kick off our first Night Out at the Commanders Stadium in 2030.”

He was referring to plans by the Commanders organization and the D.C. mayor’s office to have the stadium deal approved by the D.C. Council in July, with construction of the new stadium to begin then, and with a planned completion in time for the 2030 professional football season.

Ayala also points out that the RFK stadium grounds currently serve as home to LGBTQ-related sports activity, including the D.C. Gay Flag Football League and the D.C. Front Runners group. He added that the RFK grounds will serve as the playing fields for this year’s WorldPride Capital Cup sports competition, where LGBTQ rugby and soccer teams from around the world will compete.

“This new stadium will be more than just a field – it will be a powerful new addition to the vibrant, diverse, and proud communities we champion every day,” he said in his statement.

At an April 28 news conference, Bowser, Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris and other city officials provided details of the stadium project, noting that it includes a massive development of the new stadium and the surrounding 180 acres of land.

In addition to the 65,000-seat domed stadium, officials said the project would include 5,000 to 6,000 residential housing units, with 30 percent designated as “affordable” for low- and moderate-income residents. They said the project would also include parks and recreation areas, hotels, restaurants, retail, and neighborhood amenities.

“As we focus on the growth of our economy, we’re not only bringing our team home, but we’re also bringing new jobs and new revenue to our city and to Ward 7,” Bowser said in a statement

Opponents of the project, including D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large), have said they don’t believe the city should use its own funds for a stadium and the related development. 

So far, just four Council members have expressed support for the project. Mendelson and two other Council members have expressed opposition, and the remaining five have not yet said whether they would vote for or against it. The project needs seven of the current 12-member Council for it to be approved.

Council member Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5), the Council’s only gay member, who initially had not taken a position on the proposal, this week said he was looking at the project more favorably, according to news media reports.