Local
Willard Hotel bias case set for public hearing
Settlement efforts fail as gay chef claims discrimination
Alberto Vega claims he was subjected to a hostile, anti-gay work environment at the Willard Hotel. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
The D.C. Office of Human Rights has determined that a case in which it made a preliminary finding that the Willard Intercontinental Hotel illegally forced a gay assistant chef out of his job could not be settled between the two parties and will be certified for a trial-like public hearing.
In an April 20 letter, OHR Director Monica Palacio told the attorney representing assistant chef Alberto Vega that efforts to reach a settlement in the case through a conciliation process had failed.
“The matter is therefore being certified to the Commission on Human Rights for a public hearing,” Palacio said in her letter. “The Commission will inform all parties of the date and time of the hearing.”
Vega charges in a discrimination complaint filed with the OHR last year that Willard officials allegedly forced him out of his job after he complained that he was repeatedly subjected to anti-gay harassment and taunts by co-workers and supervisors.
A 15-page Letter of Determination of Probable Cause issued by the OHR on Dec. 17 says Vega, 43, establishes a “prima facie case” that he was subjected to a hostile work environment because of his sexual orientation and was “constructively discharged” from his job in August 2013.
The Willard has declined to comment on Vega’s complaint, saying it never discusses ongoing litigation. But it released a statement to the Washington Blade in January saying it “condemns unlawful discrimination in all forms” and has a policy of holding the “safety, comfort and well-being of our customers and employees as our top priority.”
Under the D.C. Human Rights Act, the Commission on Human Rights is authorized to make a final decision on whether discrimination occurred and what, if any, penalty should be handed down to the party found to have engaged in discrimination.
The Commission reaches its decision on such cases after it conducts an evidentiary hearing open to the public that includes testimony by witnesses.
Photos
PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony
The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
District of Columbia
Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp, Deacon Maccubbin named WorldPride grand marshals
Three LGBTQ icons to lead parade
WorldPride organizers announced Thursday that actress and trans activist Laverne Cox, powerhouse performer Reneé Rapp, and LGBTQ trailblazer Deacon Maccubbin will serve as grand marshals for this year’s WorldPride parade.
The Capital Pride Alliance, which is organizing WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C., revealed the honorees in a press release, noting that each has made a unique contribution to the fabric of the LGBTQ community.
Cox made history in 2014 as the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category for her role in Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black.” She went on to win a Daytime Emmy in 2015 for her documentary “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word,” which followed seven young trans people as they navigated coming out.
Rapp, a singer and actress who identifies as a lesbian, rose to prominence as Regina George in the Broadway musical “Mean Girls.” She reprised the role in the 2024 film adaptation and also stars in Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” portraying a character coming to terms with her sexuality. Rapp has released an EP, “Everything to Everyone,” and an album, “Snow Angel.” She announced her sophomore album, “Bite Me,” on May 21 and is slated to perform at the WorldPride Music Festival at the RFK Festival Grounds.
Deacon Maccubbin, widely regarded as a cornerstone of Washington’s LGBTQ+ history, helped organize D.C.’s first Gay Pride Party in 1975. The event took place outside Lambda Rising, one of the first LGBTQ bookstores in the nation, which Maccubbin founded. For his decades of advocacy and activism, he is often referred to as “the patriarch of D.C. Pride.”
“I am so honored to serve as one of the grand marshals for WorldPride this year. This has been one of the most difficult times in recent history for queer and trans people globally,” Cox said. “But in the face of all the rhetorical, legislative and physical attacks, we continue to have the courage to embrace who we truly are, to celebrate our beauty, resilience and bravery as a community. We refuse to allow fear to keep us from ourselves and each other. We remain out loud and proud.”
“Pride is everything. It is protection, it is visibility, it is intersectional. But most importantly, it is a celebration of existence and protest,” Rapp said.
The three will march down 14th Street for the WorldPride Parade in Washington on June 7.
2025 D.C. Trans Pride was held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, May 17. The day was filled with panel discussions, art, social events, speakers, a resource fair and the Engendered Spirit Awards. Awardees included Lyra McMillan, Pip Baitinger, Steph Niaupari and Hayden Gise. The keynote address was delivered by athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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