District of Columbia
As D.C. upholds tipped wage law, LGBTQ bar charts its own path
Spark Social rethinks its pay strategy as lawmakers block controversial I-82 plan
Last week, the D.C. Council considered removing one of the most contentious ballot initiatives in D.C. government’s history — but for now, it stays.
In a 7-5 vote, an amendment to the D.C. budget — proposed by Ward 4 Council member Janeese Lewis George — ended the repeal of Initiative 82, keeping the incrementally rising tipped wage in the District.
In November 2022, D.C. residents overwhelmingly — at 73.94% — voted for the “District of Columbia Tip Credit Elimination Act of 2021” ballot measure (a.k.a. Initiative 82), which would slowly phase out the tipped wage in the District.
This act had a goal to increase the wages of everyone working in the District, promote wage fairness, and reduce wage theft by gradually raising the tipped minimum wage over five years. From restaurant owners’ perspectives, though, the act is doing more harm than good.
In many parts of the United States, people who earn a “tipped wage” are paid less than the minimum wage — with the expectation that the tips they earn on shift will make up the difference and ideally push them above the minimum. These tipped wages vary by state (or district), but are often significantly lower than the minimum wage.
In 2021, when this act was proposed, tipped workers made $5.05 per hour plus tips, while minimum wage workers earned $15.20 an hour. The ballot initiative passed with the hope that it would uplift those working in the service industry.
Since the initiative passed, there have been small increases to the tipped minimum wage in D.C. — rising to $6 in May 2023, $8 in July 2023, and then $10 in July 2024. Another $2 increase was scheduled for this July, but on June 3, the D.C. Council passed emergency legislation to pause the jump for 90 days.
Since the pause, there’s been pushback from both sides of the initiative picket line.
Supporters of Initiative 82 argue the measure prevents wage theft and ensures adequate income, especially as inflation and the cost of living continue to rise.
Opponents — most notably the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) — claim the initiative will prompt “44% of full-service casual restaurants in D.C. [to] close by the end of 2025.”
At Spark Social House (2009 14th St NW), D.C.’s first nonalcoholic LGBTQ bar, the management team is rethinking not just what goes in the glass, but how staff are paid behind the bar. They opened in March of 2025, with Initiative 82 affecting how they pay their tipped staff.
“We actually started out paying minimum wage at $17.50 and then found that that was not actually sustainable,” owner Nick Tsusaki explained. “We had a group staff meeting, and decided to do $12 an hour for our hourlies, and then more for our managers on duty. We don’t have bar backs or any roles like that, so everybody just kind of makes the same amount.”
Rather than follow the traditional tipped wage system, Spark implemented a more collective structure designed to promote equity, while still allowing for the business to financially work.
“We’re just focused on ourselves. The way that our tips work is we pool tips over a two-week pay period, and then portion those out evenly based on the number of hours that you’ve worked in that two-week window,” Tsusaki said.
One key aspect of this step toward equity in tipped roles is their standard automatic gratuity charge.
“For us, it felt like the fairest way to distribute the tips was to do the 20% autogratuity to make it more equitable,” he said. “I went from bar back to business owner within the past two years so I’ve been in each of these positions. When I was looking to open Spark, I tried to think of how we could reimagine the payment system within the confines of what is possible as a business. And that’s what we came up with to try to make things feel more equally distributed.”
But for Tsusaki, Spark is about much more than margins and payroll — it’s about building community and offering something that goes beyond the drink itself.
“What I want people to understand is that what you’re paying for is not what’s in your cup – you are not paying for the actual value of this cup of coffee. We know that you can make that at home for free, basically. You are paying your portion of the rent, the utilities, the labor costs, insurance– all of these other costs that go into creating one of the 20 plus LGBTQ spaces in the city. I understand being frustrated about prices or tipping, but it’s more about understanding the larger business.”
Ultimately, that sense of building a space — with a dedicated mission inherently in its pay structure to provide for its staff members rather than an arbitrary sales quota goal — is another factor that distinguishes Spark.
“I think what we value, and understand is that what we have here is not just the best coffee, which we do, but it’s that we have this space that is so unique and versatile to host different groups and events. It feels really safe to people from all parts of the LGBTQ community – that is what our ‘product’ is, more than anything.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who initially opposed Initiative 82 in 2022, proposed a full repeal of the law in her 2026 budget, which was passed in May. Bowser cited multiple reasons for backing a repeal — echoing RAMW’s concerns over rising costs for restaurants, increased closures, and job losses.
The Washington Blade reached out to D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson prior to the vote to determine the fate of Initiative 82. His message was clear — he’s siding with the vote count.
“If the votes are there to repeal the initiative, I will leave it in,” Mendelson told the Blade. “If the votes are not there, I will take it out.”
The votes weren’t there, leading to a repeal of the repeal — and a slightly higher paycheck for tipped wage workers in the District.
District of Columbia
HIV Vaccine Awareness Day set for May 18
Whitman-Walker joins nationwide recognition of efforts to develop vaccine
Whitman-Walker Health, the D.C.-based community healthcare center that specializes in HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ-related health services, will join health care advocates from across the country to support efforts to develop an HIV vaccine on HIV Vaccine Awareness Day on May 18.
“HIV Awareness Day, observed annually on May 18, was established to recognize and thank the volunteers, scientists, health professionals, and community members working toward a safe and effective prevention HIV vaccine,” Whitman-Walker said in a statement.
“Led by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the day is also an opportunity to educate communities about the critical importance of preventive HIV vaccine research,” the statement says.
It adds, “The reality is that any new vaccine discovery must be built community by community, institution by institution, and then it must reach everyone – especially the communities who have carried the heaviest burden of this epidemic.”
On its own website, the National Institutes of Health says HIV Vaccine Awareness Day also highlights its longstanding efforts, coordinated by its Office of AIDS Research, to support researchers’ efforts to develop an HIV vaccine.
“Researchers are making promising headway in efforts to develop a safe, effective HIV vaccine,” it says in a statement on its website.
A Whitman-Walker spokesperson said Whitman-Walker was not holding a specific event to observe HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, but it will recognize the day as a way of encouragement for its ongoing work to address the AIDS epidemic and support for vaccine research.
“Today, no one has to die from HIV,” said Whitman-Walker’s Health System division’s CEO, Dr. Heather Aaron in the Whitman-Walker statement. “We have the treatments, the technology, and the research to change outcomes, and yet people in our community are still dying from HIV//AIDS,” she said in the statement.
“That is unacceptable, and it is exactly why our work continues,” she added. “Here in D.C. with more focus on Southeast D.C., the Whitman-Walker Health System remains committed to making a difference through cutting-edge research, policy advocacy, and philanthropy, because fair access to life-saving treatment is not a privilege. It is a right.”
District of Columbia
Capital Stonewall Democrats endorses Janeese Lewis George for D.C. mayor
Group also backed D.C. Council, Congressional delegate, AG candidates
The Capital Stonewall Democrats, D.C.’s largest local LGBTQ political organization, announced on May 14 that it has endorsed D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4) for mayor in the city’s June 16 Democratic primary.
Lewis George along with former D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (D-At-Large) are considered by political observers to be the two leading candidates among the seven candidates competing in the Democratic primary election for mayor.
Both have strong, long-standing records of support on LGBTQ issues, indicating Capital Stonewall Democrats members, like LGBTQ voters across the city, are likely choosing a candidate based on non-LGBTQ related issues.
In a May 14 statement, the group announced its endorsements in seven other Democratic primary races, including D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, who is running unopposed in the primary. Also endorsed is D.C. Councilmember Robert White (D-At-Large), who is one of five Democratic candidates competing for the position of D.C. delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.
D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) is among the four candidates competing with White for that post, and who like White has a strong record of support on LGBTQ issues.
In the At-Large D.C. Council race for which incumbent Anita Bonds is not running for re-election, Capital Stonewall Democrats has endorsed community activist and LGBTQ ally Oye Owolewa in a nine candidate race.
For the Ward 1 D.C. Council election, in which five LGBTQ supportive candidates are competing, the group did not make an endorsement because none of the candidate received a required 60 percent of the endorsement vote cast by Capital Stonewall Democrats members, according to the group’s former president, Howard Garrett.
The statement announcing its endorsements shows that it decided to list its “Preferred Ranking” of each of the Ward 1 Democratic candidates as part of the city’s newly implemented ranked choice voting system. It lists gay candidate Miguel Trindade Deramo as first, bisexual candidate Aparna Raj second, Jackie Reyes Yanes third, Rashida Brown fourth, and Terry Lynch fifth.
In the remaining ward Council races, Capital Stonewall Democrats endorsed Councilmember Matt Fruman (D-Ward 3), who is running unopposed for re-election; Councilmember Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5), the Council’s only gay member who is being challenged by two opponents; and Councilmember Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), who is running unopposed for re-election.
The group also chose not to make an endorsement in the special election for another At-Large D.C. Council seat that became vacant when then-Independent Councilmember McDuffie resigned to enable him to run for mayor as a Democrat. Under the city’s Home Rule Charter adopted by Congress, that at large sweat is restricted to a “non-majority party” candidate, meaning a non-Democrat.
The three candidates running for the seat, all Independents, include incumbent Doni Crawford, who was appointed to the seat earlier this year; former D.C. Councilmember Elissa Silverman; and Jacque Patterson. All three have expressed support on LGBTQ related issues.
“The organization’s endorsement process included candidate questionnaires, public forums, and direct voting by active CSD members,” the statement announcing its endorsements says. “Each endorsement reflects the collective voice of 173 LGBTQ+ Democrats who voted in the process and are committed to building lasting political power in the District,” according to the statement. “Candidates that reached 60 percent support received the endorsement.”
Garrett, the group’s former president, acknowledged that with nearly all candidates running in D.C. elections expressing strong support for the LGBTQ community, many if not most of the group’s members most likely chose a candidate based on issues other than LGBTQ related issues.
He said he believes Lewis George, who he is supporting and is viewed as a progressive candidate who self-identifies as a Democratic Socialist, compared to McDuffie, who is viewed as a moderate Democrat, captured the group’s endorsement based on the view that she is the best person to lead the city going forward.
“I believe that Capital Stonewall members voted for Janeese Lewis George because we’re tired of the status quo and we need a new, bold leader to not only move our city forward but also to stand up to Donald Trump and his administration,” Garrett told the Washington Blade.
McDuffie’s LGBTQ supporters, including former Capital Stonewall Democrats presidents David Meadows and Kurt Vorndran, have argued that McDuffie’s positions on a wide range of issues, including LGBTQ issues, show him to be the best candidates to lead the city at this time and In future years.
The group’s endorsement of Lewis George comes one week after GLAA DC, a nonpartisan LGBTQ advocacy group, awarded her its highest candidate rating of +10.
District of Columbia
Pride faith services in Washington, D.C.
Almost half of all LGBTQ adults in the U.S. are religious
Are you an LGBTQ person of faith or someone exploring spirituality? It is more common than people realize. According to a Williams Institute study published in October 2020, almost half of all LGBTQ adults in the United States are religious. This may seem counterintuitive as any LGBTQ people have complicated relationships with faith because of very real histories of abuse, trauma, and violence.
This violence still continues in the United States, especially following the Supreme Court’s March 2026 decision in Chiles v. Salazar, who ruled Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors violates the First Amendment, but not everyone has encountered this violence, nor do people who have faced it, separate themselves completely from religion. Many people may seek out affirming faith traditions which are prevalent in the DMV area.
For individuals seeking out faith services during Pride 2026, please check out the list below, which will be updated as more events are publicized.
Memorial Service for SaVanna Wanzer
May 17th at 1 pm
Westminster Presbyterian Church (400 I St SW, Washington, DC 20024)
Westminster Presbyterian will host a celebration of life for legendary DC trans rights activist and founder of DC Trans Pride and Black Trans Pride SaVanna Wanzer who was a long-time member of the church. Live music will begin at 12:15 pm before the start of the memorial service. The service will be livestreamed on the Westminster DC Facebook page. A meal will follow the Sunday service.
There will also be a celebratory vigil held on Saturday, May 16th from 6:30-8 pm for friends and family at the church led by LGBTQ organizer Rayceen Pendarvis.
May 23th at 11 am
Downtown Westin (999 9th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001)
This intimate conversation is hosted by Janeé Lee, founder of Queer Ministry, between Black trans and queer people who are surviving religious trauma and navigating their relationship with the church. The workshop, hosted as part of Trans Pride DC, is a chance for people to share their stories at the intersection of queerness and spirituality and to walk away with a spiritual healing guide with affirming scriptures and inclusive theology.
DC Black Pride Worship Service
May 24th at 10 am
Remnant Christian Center (120 West Hampton Avenue, Capitol Heights, MD)
Hosted by The Community Church of Washington DC-UCC, this service will feature speakers and sessions on Black queer faith and unity, including host and speaker Robert D. Wise Jr. for a powerful Pentecost Unity Service. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in and white.
June 5th at 7 pm
Sixth & I (600 I Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001)
Join Rabbi Jenna will be leading an inclusive, musical service celebrating the diversity of Jewish life in Washington, DC. Happy Hour, which is limited to people 21 and older, will start at 6 pm. The service will start at 7 pm, with dinner at 8:15 pm. The service is free but registration is required, and the kosher-style pescatarian meal does cost money. Register online here.
June 14th at 5 pm
Black Cat (1811 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009)
Muslim Pride is a community-led and funded grassroots performance series centering queer and trans Muslim artists through music, drag and dance. The series was originally founded in 2020 as a way to create affirming spaces where faith, culture, and queerness can coexist. This year’s series features Mercedes Iman Diamond. This year, Muslim Pride expands to Washington, DC, New York City, and Los Angeles. Buy tickets here.
Pride Celebrations and Sunday Worship Service
June 14th all day
Riverside Baptist Church (699 Maine Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024)
Join Riverside Baptist Church for a day-long Pride celebration beginning with Pride Weekend/Musical Theater Sunday worship service at 10 am. Later that morning and early afternoon, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, the church will be hosting a Pride Pageant, a technicolor celebration featuring a runway showcase, line dancing, food, and refreshments.
June 22nd at 7 pm
St. Mark’s Episocpal Church (301 A Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003)
Join this interfaith service celebrating affirming faith traditions and intertradition dialogue hosted by queer and trans faith leaders. The interfaith service has been hosted annually for over 40 years, and first began back in the 1980s with faith leaders and queer people of faith coming together to mourn and pray at the site of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall. Learn more about the history of the interfaith service here.
June 23rd at 6 pm
Holy Trinity Catholic Church (3513 N St NW, Washington, DC 20007)
Holy Trinity will be hosting its 6th annual Pride Mass. After its debut this past summer, the Pride Mass choir will be singing at the Pride Mass in June, and following the Mass, there will be an annual reception with ice cream and other goodies. Learn more about attending the reception and Holy Trinity’s LGBTQ+ Ministry.
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