Local

Librarian, philanthropist Jim Arshem dies at 77

Longtime supporter of Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington

Published

7 years ago

October 2, 2018

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

Jim Arshem died earlier this year. He was a longtime supporter of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington.

James A. “Jim” Arshem, a career librarian at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and a longtime supporter of LGBT causes, including the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, died June 13, 2018 at his apartment in Arlington, Va. He was 77.

His neighbor and friend, Jamie Shoemaker, said the cause of death was complications associated with diabetes.

Arshem was born and raised in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he was baptized and confirmed at First Lutheran Church and graduated from Washington High School, according to a write-up prepared by his family and published by the George Boom Funeral Home in Sioux Falls.

The write-up says he was active in high school in the Junior Red Cross, National Honor Society, drama and debate endeavors.

He graduated from Augustana College in Sioux Falls with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and later received a master’s degree in science from the University of Nebraska, the family write-up says. It says he then completed the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Librarianship.

He worked for several years at the Denver Public Library before receiving a fellowship in Washington, D.C., to learn about patents and trademarks, the write-up says. It says he later accepted a job offer from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where he worked as a librarian and carried out a number of specialized librarian related duties until his retirement.

“He enjoyed his travels with his ‘dog and pony’ show instructing libraries all over the world how to set up and use the Patent and Trademark Offices in Washington, D.C. from their own libraries,” the write-up says. “He enjoyed all the people he met along the way and all of his library friends and contacts and continued attending as many conferences as he could,” it says.

Neal Garver, one of Arshem’s D.C. friends, said Arshem was known by many in the D.C. LGBT community and was a generous financial supporter for a number of nonprofit organizations, including LGBT organizations.

“He was a major supporter of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington,” said Garver. “He attended every chorus rehearsal, performance, private and public event. He donated generously every year and bought blocks of 25 to 50 GMCW tickets to every performance as an extra means of support,” Garver told the Washington Blade.

Garver said Arshem gave tickets as gifts to his friends and others, some of whom could not afford the price of a ticket.

“Jim was a silent, humble philanthropist to several charities including many gay organizations, as well as the medical and musical community locally and elsewhere,” Garver said.

“He had several cameras and took many pictures of his work and travel,” the write-up by his family says.

Shoemaker, who says he has known Arshem for more than 30 years, said Arshem for many years took photos of Gay Men’s Chorus events and its performers.

A memorial service was held for Arshem at First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls on July 9. A private burial was expected to take place at a later date at North Preston Lutheran Cemetery in Lake Preston, S.D.

A D.C. celebration of his life hosted by his sister and brother-in-law Joyce and Don Elbert is scheduled to take place on Sunday, Oct. 7, at Trio Bistro, 1537 17th St., N.W., from 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Garver has asked that those interested in attending email him their RSVP at [email protected].

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District of Columbia

D.C. journalist, video producer Sean Bartel dies at 37

Beloved member of Gay Flag Football League found deceased on hiking trail in Argentina

Published

2 hours ago

March 17, 2026

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

Sean Christopher Bartel, 37, played a key role in the D.C. Gay Flag Football League. The League posted this message to social media on Monday. (Image via Facebook)

Sean Christopher Bartel, 37, who began his career as a television news reporter and news anchor at stations in Louisville, Ky., and Evansville, Ind., before serving as Senior Video Producer for the D.C.-based International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union from 2013 to 2024, was found deceased on a hiking trail near a glacier in Argentina on or around March 15, according to a report by an Argentine newspaper.

The newspaper Clarín reports no foul play was suspected regarding his death, and other local media reports indicate authorities believe he suffered some sort of accident while on the hiking trail.

The Clarín report says Bartel arrived in Argentina on March 3 and visited Buenos Aires and the city of El Chaltén, which is near Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park and a glacial lagoon popular with hikers. It says his body was found on the trail leading to the glacier.

“The D.C. Gay Flag Football League is heartbroken to learn of the passing of Sean Bartel, one of the most devoted members this league has ever known,” the organization said in a statement. “The story of DCGFFL could not be told without Sean.”

“He was not only a dedicated teammate and a model league member – he was our storyteller and our champion, honoring the competitive greatness, the radiant humor, and the beautiful bonds that make our community so special,” the statement says.

It adds that for years, Bartel served as “our man behind the camera, he drew our community tighter by portraying us with the skill of a professional and the care of a family member.”

Bartel’s LinkedIn page shows he most recently worked for 12 years as Senior Video Producer for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which is described as North America’s largest labor union.

Matt Spense, a spokesperson for the union, told the Washington Blade that Bartel resigned from his job there in 2024 to pursue other career endeavors, but he didn’t know what he did career wise after that time.

Bartel’s LinkedIn page shows he served as a video producer and account supervisor at the Edelman global communications firm based in D.C. from 2010-2013. Prior to that, he worked as a reporter for Sirius XM Radio, Inc. from 2007 to 2012. It shows that from a little over a year — from 2009 to 2010 — he worked as video producer and account executive for the firm North Ridge Communications, but it doesn’t give the company’s location.

He began his career in journalism, his LinkedIn page shows, as a reporter and news and sports anchor at the WHAS TV station in Louisville, Ky., from January 2005 through January 2008.

It says he received a bachelor’s degree in Sports Marketeing and Management in 1999 from Indiana University in Bloomington and a master’s degree from the School of Media and Public Affairs from D.C.’s George Washington University in 2010.

The Blade couldn’t immediately obtain information about surviving family members or funeral arrangements.

Cameroon

Gay Cameroonian immigrant will be freed from ICE detention — for now

Ludovic Mbock’s homeland criminalizes homosexuality

Published

4 days ago

March 13, 2026

Baltimore Banner

Competitive gamer Ludovic Mbock, left, with his sister, Diane Sohna. (Photo courtesy of Diane Sohna)

By ANTONIO PLANAS | An immigration judge on Friday issued a $4,000 bond for a Cameroonian immigrant and regional gaming champion held in federal immigration detention for the past three weeks.

The ruling will allow Ludovic Mbock, of Oxon Hill, to return to Maryland from a Georgia facility this weekend, his family and attorney said.

“Realistically, by tomorrow. Hopefully, by today,” said Mbock’s attorney, Edward Neufville. “We are one step closer to getting Ludovic justice.”

The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.

District of Columbia

Bowser appoints first nonbinary person to Cabinet-level position

Peter Stephan named Office of Disability Rights interim director

Published

5 days ago

March 12, 2026

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

The Wilson Building (Bigstock photo by Leonid Andronov)

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bower has named longtime disability rights advocate Peter L. Stephan, who identifies as nonbinary, as interim director of the D.C. Office of Disability Rights.

The local transgender and nonbinary advocacy group Our Trans Capital and the LGBTQ group Capital Stonewall Democrats issued a joint statement calling Stephan’s appointment an historic development as the first-ever appointment of a nonbinary person to a Cabinet-level D.C. government position.

“This milestone appointment recognizes Stephan’s extensive expertise in disability rights advocacy and marks a historic advancement for transgender and nonbinary representation in District government leadership,” the statement says.

The statement notes that Stephan, an attorney, held the position of general counsel at the Office of Disability Rights immediately prior to the mayor’s decision to name him interim director.

The mayor’s office didn’t immediately respond to a question from the Washington Blade asking if Bowser plans to name Stephan as the permanent director of the Office of Disability Rights. John Fanning, a spokesperson for D.C. Council member Anita Bonds (D-At-Large), said the office’s director position requires confirmation by the Council.

Stephan couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

“At a time when trans and nonbinary people ae under attack across the country, D.C. continues to lead by example,” said Stevie McCarty, president of Capital Stonewall Democrats. “This appointment reflects what we have always believed that our community is always strongest when every voice is represented in government,” he said.

“This is a historic step forward,” said Vida Rengel, founder of Our Trans Capital. “Interim Director Stephan’s career and accomplishments are a shining example of the positive impact that trans and nonbinary public servants can have on our communities,” according to Rangel.