District of Columbia
Norton challengers urge LGBTQ voters to consider new leadership
The two candidates running against D.C. Congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton in the city’s June 21 Democratic primary urged LGBTQ voters to vote for them on grounds that they will provide new leadership and innovative ideas as the city’s non-voting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Rev. Wendy Hamilton, a longtime community activist and former official with the NAACP, and Kelly Mikel Williams, a former D.C. Council staff official and longtime advocate for the homeless, presented their views on a wide range of issues, including support for the LGBTQ community, during an April 28 virtual candidates’ forum organized by the Capital Stonewall Democrats.
Norton, a longtime outspoken supporter for LGBTQ rights, did not attend the forum. Jacqueline Pelt, her campaign spokesperson, said Norton informed the group that a scheduling conflict prevented her from attending.
The event was the second in a series of five LGBTQ candidate forums scheduled to take place from April 25 to May 11 organized by Capital Stonewall Democrats, the city’s largest local LGBTQ political group formerly known as the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club. The group’s next forum is scheduled for May 2, when candidates for D.C. Mayor and D.C. Attorney General were expected to participate.
In addition to hosting candidates for the D.C. Congressional Delegate race, the Thursday night, April 28, forum included the two candidates running in the primary for the position of U.S. Representative, known as the so-called D.C. “shadow” representative to the U.S. House – incumbent Rep. Oye Owolewa and challenger Linda L. Gray.
The position has no congressional powers or voting privileges and was created to serve as a non-paid lobbying post for D.C. statehood. Both Oye and Gray said they have been supportive of LGBTQ equality for many years. They said they will push hard for the passage of the Equality Act, the LGBTQ nondiscrimination bill that has passed in the House and remains stalled in the U.S. Senate.
During the April 28 forum for Congressional Delegate, neither candidate Hamilton or Williams nor the LGBTQ Democratic group’s moderators at the event, trans Democratic activist and ANC commissioner Monika Nemeth and the LGBTQ event organizer who identifies as Krylios, mentioned Norton by name.
Most political observers consider Norton, a beloved figure in D.C. politics, to be the strong favorite to win re-election to her 17th term in office in both the primary and the November general election.
Hamilton and Williams offered no criticism of Norton and instead, in response to questions asked by Nemeth and Krylios, presented proposals on both local and national issues they said would improve the lives of all D.C. residents.
Among her various career positions, which included working on Capitol Hill and serving as an adjunct professor of communications at Baltimore County Community College, Hamilton served as a part-time pastor at the Open Door Metropolitan Community Church in Germantown, Md., which is one of the nationwide churches affiliated with the LGBTQ Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. Hamilton said her service at the MCC church strengthened her role as a committed LGBTQ ally.
Williams told the forum he has helped LGBTQ people along with other population groups in need of housing, substance abuse services, and education and job training to gain access to various city programs in his role as constituent services director for former at-large D.C. Councilmember Vincent Orange.
A video recording of the April 28 virtual Capital Stonewall Democrats forum can be accessed here.
A Washington Blade transcript of the closing statements by Hamilton and Williams can be read below:
Kelly Mikel Williams
Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. And I enjoyed the conversation and the questions. And so, thank you for moderating and I thank the Capital Stonewall Democrats. As I mentioned in my opening statement, the disparities in our communities socially, economically, and politically will continue to divide us if we are not willing to address them. And what I would like to do as your representative is to address those issues from a holistic perspective, from a specific perspective, and from an economic perspective, a legislative perspective, and from a social perspective.
So, as I said earlier, the same issues that I dealt with as an individual – homeless, unemployment are the same issues intimately that I’m familiar with that I’m going to address as your elected leader. We have a real opportunity to ignite change in our city. And the question for us is when. When do we want it? And if not now, when are we going to get it and can we afford to wait that long to achieve it.
I’m a fresh voice with different ideas to try to address those issues. And my heart and passion to usher in a new generation of thinking is what I want to do. The primary issues that I’m addressing — homelessness, jobs, public safety — are issues that I’ve lived with and dealt with. And they always say that if you want someone to be able to satisfy an issue that you have, find someone who has actually lived and experienced it.
And what I’m going to do is bring together my personal and my professional experiences and merge those together. And I’m confident that when I do that, I can be the change that you want to see, and I can be the change that the District needs. So, I want to thank the Stonewall Democrats and say to you, we can’t keep doing the same things over and over again, expecting different results. We have to have the courage, and it’s time to have the courage to change course. And I’m asking you to change course on June 21 this year, Tuesday, June 21, and elect me as your next representative, Kelly Mikel Williams. And I’ll be the change and you’ll have the courage and we’ll do this together going into the next year. Thank you very much.
Rev. Wendy Hamilton
Thank you all so much. We have covered a lot of ground tonight discussing the issues that are pertinent to Capital Stonewall Democrats and D.C. and just to our country as a whole, because D.C. is a microcosm of America. What goes on in D.C. impacts the rest of the country. So, I know we barely scratched the surface. We might not have all the answers today. But my hope is to continue these discussions as your new delegate, as we work together to figure out the best way forward for D.C.
We need to end the wrongful and dangerous workplace discrimination of our LGBTQ colleagues in the workplace. I would support the LGBTQ community in passing the Equality Act, HR 5. I mentioned earlier that 40 percent of LGBTQ youth have seriously considered suicide over the past year. And over 40 percent of homeless youth in D.C. are LGBTQ+. These numbers are rising, and we need to establish robust mental health and shelter systems responsive to LGBTQ+ and GMV youth and their needs.
My inspiration for running for this role comes from my faith in God, as I mentioned earlier, my experience as a servant leader, and my deep love for D.C. Over these past 15 months on the campaign trail, that decision has only been reinforced by the thousands of conversations I’ve had with residents all over the city who want to see us thrive and succeed together.
I’m not a politician, and that’s a good thing I believe. I’m just running. I’m a regular, everyday woman. I’m not just running to represent you, I am you. So, I’m asking for your vote on June 21 for D.C. Delegate. Capital Stonewall Democrats, I believe it’s time, time for a new voice and vision and new possibilities. I’m ready. We’re ready. All I need is your vote. I believe we can do this because it’s time. Thank you.
District of Columbia
D.C. Black Pride theme, performers announced at ‘Speakeasy’
Durand Bernarr to headline 2026 programming
The Center for Black Equity held its 2026 DC Black Pride Theme Reveal event at Union Stage on Monday. The evening, a “Speakeasy Happy Hour,” was hosted by Anthony Oakes and featured performances by Lolita Leopard and Keith Angelo. The Center for Black Equity organizes DC Black Pride.
Kenya Hutton, Center for Black Equity president and CEO, spoke following the performances by Leopard and Angelo. Hutton announced this year’s theme for DC Black Pride: “New Black Renaissance.”
Performers for 2026 DC Black Pride were announced to be Bang Garcon, Be Steadwell, Jay Columbus, Bennu Byrd, Rue Pratt and Akeem Woods.
Singer-songwriter Durand Bernarr was announced as the headliner for the 2026 festivities. Bernerr gave brief remarks through a video played on the screen at the stage.
DC Black Pride is scheduled for May 22-25. For more information on DC Black Pride, visit dcblackpride.org.
In an official statement released at the reveal event Capital Pride Alliance described its just announced 2026 Pride theme of “Exist, Resist, Have the Audacity” as a “bold declaration affirming the presence, resilience, and courage of LGBTQ+ people around the world.”
The statement adds, “Grounded in the undeniable truth that our existence is not up for debate, this year’s theme calls on the community to live loudly and proudly, stand firm against injustice and erasure, and embody the collective strength that has always defined the LGBTQ+ community.”
In a reference to the impact of the hostile political climate, the statement says, “In a time when LGBTQ+ rights and history continue to face challenges, especially in our Nation’s Capital, where policy and public discourse shape the future of our country, together, we must ensure that our voices are visible, heard, and unapologetically centered.”
The statement also quotes Capital Pride Alliance CEO and President Ryan Bos’s message at the Reveal event: “This year’s theme is both a declaration and a demand,” Bos said. “Exist, Resist, Have Audacity! reflects the resilience of our community and our responsibility to protect the progress we’ve made. As we look toward our nation’s 250th anniversary, we affirm that LGBTQ+ people have always been and always will be part of the United States’s history, and we will continue shaping its future with strength and resolve,” he concluded.
District of Columbia
Capital Pride board member resigns, alleges failure to address ‘sexual misconduct’
In startling letter, Taylor Chandler says board’s inaction protected ‘sexual predator’
Taylor Lianne Chandler, a member of the Capital Pride Alliance Board of Directors since 2019 who most recently served as the board’s secretary, submitted a letter of resignation on Feb. 24 that alleges the board has failed to address instances of “sexual misconduct” within the Capital Pride organization.
The Washington Blade received a copy of Chandler’s resignation letter one day after she submitted it from an anonymous source. Chandler, who identifies as transgender and intersex, said in an interview that she did not send the letter to the Blade, but she suspected someone associated with Capital Pride, which organizes D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride events, “wants it out in the open.”
“It is with a heavy heart, but with absolute clarity, that I submit my resignation from the Capital Pride Alliance Board of Directors effective immediately,” Chandler states in her letter. “I have devoted nearly ten years of my life to this organization,” she wrote, pointing to her initial involvement as a volunteer and later as a producer of events as chair of the organization’s Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, and Intersex Committee.
“Capital Pride once meant something profound to me – a space of safety, visibility, and community for people who have often been denied all three,” her letter continues. “That is no longer the organization I am part of today.”
“I, along with other board members, brought forward credible concerns regarding sexual misconduct – a pattern of behavior spanning years – to the attention of this board,” Chandler states in the letter. “What followed was not accountability. What followed was retaliation. Rather than addressing the substance of what was reported, officers and fellow board members chose to chastise those of us who came forward.”
The letter adds, “This board has made its priorities clear through its actions: protecting a sexual predator matters more than protecting the people who had the courage to come forward. … I have been targeted, bullied, and made to feel like an outsider for doing what any person of integrity would do – telling the truth.”
In response to a request from the Blade for comment, Anna Jinkerson, who serves as chair of the Capital Pride board, sent the Blade a statement praising Taylor Chandler’s efforts as a Capital Pride volunteer and board member but did not specifically address the issue of alleged sexual misconduct.
“We’re also aware that her resignation letter has been shared with the media and has listed concerns,” Jinkerson said in her statement. “When concerns are brought to CPA, we act quickly and appropriately to address them,” she said.
“As we continue to grow our organization, we’re proactively strengthening the policies and procedures that shape our systems, our infrastructure, and the support we provide to our team and partners,” Jinkerson said in her statement. “We’re doing this because the community’s experience with CPA must always be safe, affirming, empowering, and inclusive,” she added.
In an interview with the Blade, Chandler said she was not the target of the alleged sexual harassment.
She said a Capital Pride investigation identified one individual implicated in a “pattern” of sexual harassment related behavior over a period of time. But she said she was bound by a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) that applies to all board members and she cannot disclose the name of the person implicated in alleged sexual misconduct or those who came forward to complain about it.
“It was one individual, but there was a pattern and a history,” Chandler said, noting that was the extent of what she can disclose.
“And I’ll say this,” she added. “In my opinion, with gay culture sometimes the touchy feely-ness that goes on seems to be like just part of the culture, not necessarily the same as a sexual assault or whatever. But at the same time, if someone does not want those advances and they’re saying no and trying to push you away and trying to avoid you, then it makes it that way regardless of the culture.”
When asked about when the allegations of sexual harassment first surfaced, Chandler said, “In the past year is when the allegation came forward from one individual. But in the course of this all happening, other individuals came forward and talked about instances – several which showed a pattern.”
Chandler’s resignation comes about five months after Capital Pride Alliance announced in a statement released in October 2025 that its then board president, Ashley Smith, resigned from his position on Oct. 18 after Capital Pride became aware of a “claim” regarding Smith. The statement said the group retained an independent firm to investigate the matter, but it released no further details since that time. Smith has declined to comment on the matter.
When asked by the Blade if the Smith resignation could be linked in some way to allegations of sexual misconduct, Chandler said, “I can’t make a comment one way or the other on that.”
Chandler’s resignation and allegations come after Capital Pride Alliance has been credited with playing the lead role in organizing the World Pride celebration hosted by D.C. in which dozens of LGBTQ-related Pride events were held from May through June of 2025.
The letter of resignation also came just days before Capital Pride Alliance’s annual “Reveal” event scheduled for Feb. 26 at the Hamilton Hotel in which the theme for D.C.’s June 2026 LGBTQ Pride events was to be announced along with other Pride plans.
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