Local
Gray enjoys LGBT support amid controversy
Mayor Vincent Gray delivering a proclamation at the D.C. Black Pride opening reception (Washington Blade photo by Blake Bergen)
Mayor Vincent Gray continues to enjoy LGBT support amid the ongoing federal investigation into his 2010 mayoral campaign that threatens to overshadow his administration.
“He has proven with actions that our issues are a priority under his administration,” said transgender activist Ruby Corado.
She spoke with the Blade a week after former Gray aides Howard Brooks and Thomas Gore pleaded guilty to federal charges that stem from allegations over the use of campaign funds to pay Sulaimon Brown to verbally attack then-Mayor Adrian Fenty ahead of the 2010 Democratic primary. Gray has not publicly commented on the guilty pleas or the ongoing investigation, but he received a warm reception at D.C. Black Pride’s opening reception on Friday night.
Jeffrey Richardson, director of the Mayor’s Office of GLBT Affairs, declined to specifically comment to the Blade on the allegations. He stressed the response to concerns over public safety, the development of employment initiatives for transgender Washingtonians and the implementation of diversity trainings in District government are proof of what he described as the administration’s continued commitment to the city’s LGBT residents.
“I hope the community remains aware of so much of the work that has happened over the last year from the mayor’s office,” said Richardson. “Our focus has not shifted in any way, shape or form.”
The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club endorsed Gray in the 2010 Democratic primary, while the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance gave the former D.C. Council chair an 8.5 out of 10 rating.
“We worked really hard to promote his campaign,” said Corado. “He was good on his word. When Fenty was in office, we did the same thing. And when he went into office it was hard to talk to him.”
Gay Democratic activist Lane Hudson, who backed Fenty in 2006, helped Gray raise money from LGBT donors. He further applauded the mayor for nominating transgender activists Earline Budd and Alexandra Beninda to the D.C. Commission on Human Rights in April.
“He has a lifelong commitment on LGBT equality, going back at least to trailblazing the fair treatment of transgender youth when he was executive director of Covenant House,” said Hudson. “There is no danger of his legacy on LGBT issues.”
While Gray supporters are quick to point out that they feel he is the most LGBT-friendly mayor in the city’s history, they continue to await the outcome of the investigation.
“The mayor is doing a great job running the District,” said gay Democratic activist Peter Rosenstein, who endorsed Gray in 2010. “I am amazed at the stupidity of what was done in the campaign, but am waiting for the U.S. Attorney to finish his investigation before I am willing to think that the mayor himself was involved. Anyone proven to be guilty, and that would include the mayor if he is, should be punished.”
Corado added she remains worried about whether Gray’s successor would respond as well to LGBT Washingtonians’ concerns if he were to leave office.
“As members of the LGBT community, I hope that we continue to support the mayor,” she said.
Baltimore
‘Heated Rivalry’ fandom exposes LGBTQ divide in Baltimore
Hit show raises questions about identity, cultural representation
By JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IV | “Heated Rivalry,” the surprise gay hockey romance that has captivated global audiences and become a cultural phenomenon, has inspired sold-out parties celebrating the characters from the steamy series, including in Baltimore.
For some, love of the show has exposed the loss of a once-vibrant gay nightlife in Charm City and splintered its LGBTQ community. It also brings up layered questions about identity, cultural representation, and the limits of identity politics.
In Baltimore, the majority of the parties also appear to be missing a key ingredient that has been a part of the show’s success: gay men at the helm. Last month, women hosted a dance party at Ottobar, a straight establishment.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Virginia
McPike wins special election for Va. House of Delegates
Gay Alexandria City Council member becomes 8th LGBTQ member of legislature
Gay Alexandria City Council member Kirk McPike emerged as the decisive winner in a Feb. 10 special election for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates representing Alexandria.
McPike, a Democrat, received 81.5 percent of the vote in his race against Republican Mason Butler, according to the local publication ALX Now.
He first won election to the Alexandria Council in 2021. He will be filling the House of Delegates seat being vacated by Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-Alexandria), who won in another Feb. 10 special election for the Virginia State Senate seat being vacated by gay Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria).
Ebbin is resigning from his Senate next week to take a position with Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s administration.
Upon taking his 5th District seat in the House of Delegate, McPike will become the eighth out LGBTQ member of the Virginia General Assembly. Among those he will be joining is Sen. Danica Roem (D-Manassas), who became the Virginia Legislature’s first transgender member when she won election to the House of Delegates in 2017 before being elected to the Senate in 2023.
“I look forward to continuing to work to address our housing crisis, the challenge of climate change, and the damaging impacts of the Trump administration on the immigrant families, LGBTQ+ Virginians, and federal employees who call Alexandria home,” McPike said in a statement after winning the Democratic nomination for the seat in a special primary held on Jan. 20.
McPike, a longtime LGBTQ rights advocate, has served for the past 13 years as chief of staff for gay U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and has remained in that position during his tenure on the Alexandria Council. He said he will resign from that position before taking office in the House of Delegates.
Local
Local LGBTQ groups, activists to commemorate Black History Month
Rayceen Pendarvis to moderate Dupont Underground panel on Sunday
LGBTQ groups in D.C. and elsewhere plan to use Black History Month as an opportunity to commemorate and celebrate Black lives and experiences.
Team Rayceen Productions has no specific events planned, but co-founder Rayceen Pendarvis will attend many functions around D.C. this month.
Pendarvis, a longtime voice in the LGBTQ community in D.C. moderated a panel at Dupont Underground on Feb. 8. The event, “Every (Body) Wants to Be a Showgirl,” will feature art from Black burlesque artists from around the country. Pendarvis on Feb. 23 will attend the showing of multimedia play at the Lincoln Theatre that commemorates the life of James Baldwin.
Equality Virginia plans to prioritize Black voices through a weekly online series, and community-based story telling. The online digital series will center Black LGBTQ voices, specifically trailblazers and activists, and contemporary Black queer and transgender people.
Narissa Rahaman, Equality Virginia’s executive director, stressed the importance of the Black queer community to the overall Pride movement, and said “Equality Virginia is proud to center those voices in our work this month and beyond.”
The Capital Pride Alliance, which hosts Pride events in D.C., has an alliance with the Center for Black Equity, which brings Black Pride to D.C. over Memorial Day weekend. The National LGBTQ Task Force has no specific Black History Month events planned, but plans to participate in online collaborations.
Cathy Renna, the Task Force’s director of communications, told the Washington Blade the organization remains committed to uplifting Black voices. “Our priority is keeping this at the forefront everyday,” she said.
The D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center is also hosting a series of Black History Month events.
The D.C. Public Library earlier this year launched “Freedom and Resistance,” an exhibition that celebrates Black History Month and Martin Luther King Jr. It will remain on display until the middle of March at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at 901 G St., N.W.
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Unconventional love: Or, fuck it, let’s choose each other again
McPike wins special election for Va. House of Delegates
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Top Democrats re-introduce trans bill of rights
Local LGBTQ groups, activists to commemorate Black History Month
