Local
Rapper Wale appears at Black Pride, apologizes
Booking agent fired for ‘miscommunication’
In an unexpected turn of events, rapper Wale appeared for a brief performance at Sunday’s D.C. Black Pride festival and apologized for an earlier decision to cancel his scheduled booking as the event’s lead entertainer.
The nationally recognized rapper and D.C. native told Black Pride organizers through a spokesperson May 28 that his decision to cancel his appearance for Sunday’s festival at the Washington Convention Center was due to a “miscommunication” on the part of one of his agents.
“The one thing I stand for is hip-hop music, and hip-hop music knows no race, no color, no age, no gender, no sexual orientation — none of that,” he told a cheering crowd after arriving on the festival stage.
“So the most important thing about it is the music, and it makes the people happy. That’s why we’re here.
“But I will say sometimes in this business you’re aligned with people who don’t understand that and don’t necessarily have the same beliefs as you do. And I apologize for not having my best foot forward … and I’m going to do better, as we all do.
“Every day we’ve got to do better. So I apologize on behalf of my team for not being the way they are supposed to be. Now with that said, can we have some fun right now?”
In response, people in the audience shouted, “Yea!”
Wale’s appearance was followed by J. Holiday, an R&B singer who was booked after Wale’s announcement that he had cancelled his appearance at Black Pride.
Holiday said he was pleased to be performing at the event and welcomed his fans from the LGBT community.
Earlier in the day, other local entertainers performed at the festival as several dozen local and national LGBT organizations and various commercial vendors interacted with attendees in booths set up in the convention center’s large exhibit hall, where the festival was held.
Among those attending the event was D.C. City Council Chairman Vincent Gray (D-At Large), who is challenging Mayor Adrian Fenty in the September Democratic primary. Fenty did not attend the event, but his Office of LGBT Affairs set up a festival booth.
Other officials to attend were Council members Kwame Brown (D-At Large), who is running for Gray’s Council chairman seat, and Harry Thomas (D-Ward 5). Council members Phil Mendelson (D-At Large), David Catania (I-At Large), and Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) attended a separate reception May 28 kicking off Black Pride weekend.
Longtime participants in the event noted that attendance was down this year compared to previous Black Pride festivals.
Earl Fowlkes, a board member and spokesperson for Black Pride, said the drop in attendance might have been due to the economic downturn, which likely made it harder for people to attend from throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Out-of-town participants have long made up a large percentage of D.C. Black Pride’s crowds.
Fowlkes, who is president of the International Association of Black Prides, said the recent trend of holding Black Pride festivals in other cities, including Atlanta, also was a factor in the lower attendance at D.C.’s event. D.C. was the first U.S. city to hold a Black Pride celebration.
Wale had initially been billed as the lead entertainer at the 20th annual D.C. Black Pride Legacy Festival & Wellness Expo.
But Fowlkes said event organizers were startled last month when they received two e-mails from Wale’s agent, one saying the rapper had to cancel due to “family obligations,” and another saying he didn’t know Black Pride was a gay-related event when he agreed to appear.
According to Fowlkes, Black Pride organizers made it clear from the start that Black Pride is an LGBT event and most of the attendees would be LGBT people.
“Black Pride now believes that as a result of failed communications between the booking agent and the artist, Wale was booked for an event after notifying management that he would be taking a few weeks off to focus on family issues,” says a statement Black Pride organizers released May 28.
“D.C. Black Pride regrets that these communications (or lack thereof) resulted in the community perception that the artist did not appreciate nor want to perform for his gay and lesbian fans,” says the statement. “The principal agent responsible for the miscommunication has been terminated.”
Upon learning that Wale had cancelled his appearance at Black Pride, organizers arranged for Holiday to replace Wale as the headliner performer. Holiday took to Black Pride’s stage after Wale delivered his remarks to the crowd and performed two songs.
As planned after the mix-up surrounding Wale’s appearance, Holiday gave a full performance as the day’s lead entertainer, including some of his songs that rose to the top of the Billboard Top 100 Chart.
Wale became a nationally recognized rapper in 2006, when his song “Dig Dug (Shake It)” led to his record company contracts and appearances on MTV.
“It was very apparent that Wale was sincere about wanting to clear up any misconceptions that he was homophobic,” said Jimma Elliott-Stevens, a D.C. Black Pride board member and attorney who represented Black Pride in its negotiations with Wale’s representatives.
“This experience was very important for the LGBT community as it showed that we will not be invisible within and outside the black community,” said Fowlkes.
District of Columbia
JR.’s hosts meet & greet for mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George
Event organized by Capital Stonewall Democrats, Queers for Janeese
D.C. mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George spoke to a crowd of LGBTQ supporters on June 1 at a meet & greet event held at JR.’s on 17th Street in the Dupont Circle neighborhood.
The event, organized by Capital Stonewall Democrats, which has endorsed Lewis George for mayor, with support from a group called Queers for Janeese, was followed by a “get out the vote” canvassing endeavor in which several of those attending the meet & greet visited the homes of nearby residents known to be Lewis George supporters.
The purpose of the canvassing was to remind Lewis George supporters to return their mail-in ballots or go to the polls on June 16 to elect Lewis George as the city’s next mayor, according to Matthew Kavanagh, one of the leaders of Queers for Janeese who attended the meet & greet event at JR.’s.
Local political observers consider Lewis George, a Ward 4 D.C. Council member, and former At-Large D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie, to be the two leading candidates in this year’s race for mayor. The two are among seven mayoral candidates competing in the city’s June 16 Democratic primary.
Lewis George told those attending the meet & greet, which was held on the JR.’s outdoor patio, that she has a long record of advocating for and initiating city polices and laws in support of the LGBTQ community. She said large corporate donors were backing her opponents and urged her LGBTQ supporters to help raise funds for her in the remaining days of the campaign.
Among those attending the meet & greet was gay longtime Dupont Circle civic activist Randy Downs who last November opened a nearby eatery called Protest Pizza. “I am queer and I am a Janeese supporter,” Downs told the Blade.
Stevie McCarty, president of Capital Stonewall Democrats, who also spoke at the meet & greet event, said his group would organize events in support of Lewis George in the remaining days of the campaign. Among them, he said, was an LGBTQ bar crawl in which supporters of Lewis George, including the candidate herself, would visit LGBTQ bars to promote her candidacy.
Virginians for Marriage Equality on Monday launched a campaign in support of repealing Virginia’s constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
Equality Virginia Executive Director Narissa Rahaman, former state Sen. Adam Ebbin, former state Del. Mark Sickles, and American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia Executive Director Mary Bauer are among those who spoke at the launch that took place in Richmond. State Del. Kirk McPike (D-Alexandria), who co-chairs the campaign, also participated.
“This amendment is about making clear that the government has no business deciding which marriages or which families are worthy of recognition,” said Bauer. “The ACLU of Virginia has been fighting for Virginians’ right to marry who they love since the landmark case, Loving v. Virginia, which struck down the ban on interracial marriage. Now we are proud to carry that legacy forward by standing with our coalition partners in the fight to pass this amendment and finally enshrine the right to marriage equality in the commonwealth’s constitution.”
Voters in 2006 approved the Marshall-Newman Amendment.
Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in Virginia since 2014. Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is a Republican, in 2024 signed a bill that codified marriage equality in state law.
Two successive legislatures must approve a proposed constitutional amendment before it can go to the ballot.
Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger in February signed a bill that finalized the referendum’s language.
The referendum will take place on Nov. 3.
Rehoboth Beach
CAMP Rehoboth’s new director shares plans for busy summer
Dr. Robin Brennan on joyful approach to leadership role
Dr. Robin Brennan, CAMP Rehoboth’s new executive director, has been getting adjusted to her role and connecting with the Rehoboth community.
In March of this year, Brennan took on the role of executive director of CAMP Rehoboth, an LGBTQ+ community center in Delaware working to Create A More Positive (CAMP) environment, following the retirement of Kim Leisey.
When asked about her first few months with CAMP, Brennan said that she’s “in the listening and learning phase.”
“The first few months have been overwhelmingly beautiful, with such warm wishes from so many really diverse groups,” said Brennan.
“The more time that I’ve been at CAMP, it’s almost like I have more questions and more admiration for the solid foundation that it has,” said Brennan. She explained that she is taking her time to listen and connect with the Rehoboth community during these crucial first months.
She spoke to the stressful nature of this work, saying, “This work takes a lot of resiliency, especially being in a front-facing position as executive director of an organization. There’s so much pressure on this to be successful.”
Brennan is no stranger to high-pressure work environments, having worked in the public health field during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brennan earned a doctorate in public health from Drexel University and has spent nearly two decades working in higher education, which she says greatly influences her approach to her work.
“I am always giving back to and mentoring students, that’s always been a part of who I am,” said Brennan. She said that the adaptability and flexibility she practiced during her time as a professor influences her work, noting, “I think that to be flexible is a key to success.”
Aside from her tenure in academia, Brennan has worked for nonprofits, including with organizations such as Redeemer Health and Nemours Children’s Health.
Leslie Ledogar, president of CAMP’s board of directors, said that Brennan’s joyful approach to this work made her stand out in the search for a new executive director.
“I think that I’ve always naturally been positive and joyful because if I don’t, I will burn out,” said Brennan.
For Brennan, honoring CAMP’s legacy remains a top priority in her role at CAMP. “For me, legacy is so critical, so I want to honor the legacy that this foundation was built on.”
When asked about DEI funding cuts by the Trump administration, Brennan shared how she is navigating an administration that is targeting organizations like CAMP.
“This administration doesn’t open doors for opportunities. As a nimble nonprofit organization, we have always had to be creative,” said Brennan.
She said that she “would never want CAMP Rehoboth to rely on federal dollars, regardless of what type of political administration we’re in. I think relying on any kind of dollars or funding is problematic.”
“We need to stay creative and innovative, not chase money, and also our ears need to be listening to what our community needs,” said Brennan.
As younger members of the LGBTQ+ community grow disheartened by the growing attacks on queer rights, Brennan shared her thought process behind helping younger members of the community.
“I think my number one thing is to listen to them, to ensure that they know their voice is valuable. That’s the most important thing before giving advice is to listen to their concerns, their needs, their fears, their struggles,” said Brennan.
“They may not be your struggles, but ultimately, as a human being, they’re all of our struggles.”
Brennan brought up PRISM, CAMP’s social group for young LGBTQ+ adults to gather in community and experience new activities with likeminded young adults. This group offers a safe space where members can form connections with one another to build a sense of belonging.
Throughout the interview, Brennan reiterated her admiration for CAMP and the community it has brought to Rehoboth for decades.
“There is no place like CAMP Rehoboth, and what it has done for Rehoboth or what it has done for countless individuals who see it as an escape and a place of freedom, visibility, belonging, and hope,” said Brennan.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Brennan said that she first visited Rehoboth in 1996 as a young gay person. “I felt at home. I could breathe,” said Brennan. She said that she has been a frequent visitor ever since and bought a house in town three years ago.
Brennan shared how happy she is to have her teenage daughter growing up with Rehoboth in her life. She said that her ideal day in Rehoboth involves going to the beach, trying new food, and enjoying time with her friends and family that live in the area.
As the summer season commences, Brennan shared that there is a plethora of upcoming events for members of the community to attend and enjoy.
Brennan highlighted the CAMP Women’s Golfing League, which is getting started on June 4 with tickets on sale now for CAMP Rehoboth members.
The CAMP Rehoboth Chorus is singing to honor the 250th anniversary of the U.S. on June 19 with tickets on sale now.
This year also marks the 35th anniversary of CAMP, which will be celebrated with Pride in the Courtyard on June 26.
Brennan was excited to promote CAMP’s new partnership with Beebe Healthcare starting this summer. The partnership is designed to expand access to patient-centered health services in downtown Rehoboth Beach.
“Relying on this partnership will be critical to the success of the health of our community,” said Brennan.
Brennan also talked about SUNFESTIVAL, which will be held during Labor Day weekend and will feature David Archuleta as the headliner.
Lastly, Brennan highlighted CAMP’s annual Block Party, which is held each October. “We shut down several streets, we have 100 vendors, and it’s a beautiful way for the whole community to come together to wrap up the summer,” said Brennan.
JR.’s hosts meet & greet for mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George
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CAMP Rehoboth’s new director shares plans for busy summer
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