District of Columbia
Most LGBTQ ANC candidates win races in D.C. election
Official outcome of four write-ins delayed until Nov. 15
At least 35 of the known roughly 44 LGBTQ Advisory Neighborhood Commission candidates running in the Nov. 8 D.C. election have won their races, according to voter returns released by the D.C. Board of Elections.
Another four LGBTQ ANC contenders who ran unopposed as write-in candidates were expected to emerge as winners when the election board discloses on Nov. 15 the names of winning write-in candidates, whose names did not appear on the ballot.
Whether the total number of LGBTQ ANC candidates who win remains at 35 or reaches 39 should the write-in candidates win, the number will surpass the 33 LGBTQ candidates who won election to ANC seats in 2020.
Twenty-two of the winning candidates this year ran unopposed.
Just five of the LGBTQ candidates appear to have lost their races. One of them, James Tandaris, an incumbent commissioner in ANC district 3F05, was trailing his opponent by just eight votes with a vote count of 210 to 202. With an undetermined number of mail-in ballots still to be counted it was possible that Tandaris could surpass his opponent, Andrew Koval, and win the election.
Among the LGBTQ write-in candidates believed to have won their races are Christopher Dyer in Logan Circle ANC 2F05 and Matt Fouracre in neighboring Logan Circle ANC 2F06. Board of Elections vote count returns show that an unnamed write-in candidate in Dyerās district received 53 votes making up 100 percent of the write-in votes cast. In Fouracreās district an unnamed write-in candidate received 39 votes comprising 100 percent of the write-in votes cast.
The unnamed candidates are believed to be Dyer and Fouracre, although voters could have cast their vote for other write-in candidates.
Another LGBTQ write-in candidate whose outcome was uncertain is Bradley Gallagher, who ran in ANC 1E01, which is the Park View neighborhood seat held by gay longtime ANC member Kent Boese. Boese withdrew his candidacy for re-election in October after he was nominated by the D.C. Council and later confirmed to be appointed as executive director of the D.C. Office of ANCs.
Board of Elections spokesperson Nicholas Jacobs said it was too late to remove Boeseās name from the ballot, but he said the board posted notices informing voters that Boese had withdrawn his candidacy. However, the election returns show that Boese received 412 votes and 87 write-in votes were cast. It wasnāt expected to be confirmed whether Gallagher will be declared the winner until Nov. 15, when the election board discloses the names of write-in candidates.
Elections board spokesperson Jacobs told the Washington Blade the board requires all write-in candidates to submit an Affirmation of Write-In Candidacy form by Nov. 15 to be certified as the winner of their respective race. Jacobs said the board will disclose the names of winning write-in candidates at that time.
Following is a list of the confirmed LGBTQ ANC candidates who won their election on Nov. 8:
1A04 Jeremy Sherman* (unopposed) ā Columbia Heights
1A05 Stephen Coleman Kenny* (unopposed) ā Columbia Heights
1A09 James Turner (unopposed) ā Columbia Heights
1B01 Larry Handerhan (incumbent/unopposed) ā LeDroit Park
1B02 Sean Holihan (Unopposed) ā U Street/Shaw
1B03 Jamie S. Sycamore* (unopposed) ā Columbia Heights/U Street
1C01 Howard Bauleke* (incumbent/unopposed) ā Adams Morgan
1/e03 Michael Wray (incumbent/unopposed) ā Park View/Pleasant Plains
1E07 Brian Footer * ā Howard University/Pleasant Plains
2A04 Ed Comer * ā Foggy Bottom
2B02 Jeffrey Rueckgauer (incumbent/unopposed) ā Dupont Circle
2B03 Vincent E. Slatt* (unopposed) ā Dupont Circle
2B06 Matt Johnson (unopposed) ā Dupont Circle
2B09 Christopher Davis (unopposed) ā Dupont Circle/U Street
2C01 Michael D. Shankle (incumbent/unopposed) ā Penn Quarter
2C02 Rebecca Strauss* ā Downtown
2F04 Brian McCabe* (unopposed) ā Logan Circle
2F07 Brant J. Miller (unopposed) ā Logan Circle
2G02 Alexander M. āAlexā Padro (unopposed) ā Shaw
2G04 Steven McCarty * ā Shaw
3C01 Hayden Gise* (she/her) (unopposed) ā Woodley Park
3F01 Ryan Cudemus-Brunoli* (unopposed) ā Cleveland Park
4B04 Evan Yeats (incumbent/unopposed) ā Takoma
5A01 Duvalier Malone* (he/him) ā Lamond Riggs
5A09 Zachary Ammerman* (unopposed) ā Lamond Riggs
5B02 Nandini Sen* (unopposed) ā Brookland
5B04 Ra Amin* (incumbent) ā Brookland
5D05 Salvador Sauceda-Guzman (incumbent/unopposed) ā Trinidad
5F06 Joe Bishop-Henchman* (unopposed) ā Eckington
6A06 Robb Dooling (incumbent/unopposed) ā H Street/Capitol Hill
6B03 David Sobelsohn* (unopposed) ā Capitol Hill
6D02 Ronald Collins (incumbent) āSouthwest
7B02 Jamaal Maurice McCants-Pearsall* (he/him) (unopposed) ā Good Hope
7B03 Travis Swanson* (incumbent/unopposed) ā Randle Highlands
7C04 Anthony Lorenzo Green (incumbent/unopposed) ā Deanwood
These LGBTQ write-in ANC candidates were expected to be certified as winners when they submit a required Affirmation of Write-In Candidacy to the D.C. Board of Elections by Nov. 15 if they have not already done so:
1E01 Bradley Gallagher (write-in/unopposed) ā Park View
2F05 Christopher Dyer (write-in/unopposed) āLogan Circle
2F06 Matt Fouracre* (write-in/unopposed) ā Logan Circle
6E02 Charles Panfil* (write-in/unopposed) ā Mt. Vernon Square
District of Columbia
Whitman-Walker names new CEO for Health System unit
Heather Aaron credited with advancing LGBTQ health for seniors
Whitman-Walker Health, D.C.ās longtime LGBTQ and HIV health services provider, announced on March 26 that it has appointed Heather Aaron, a health care educator and executive for more than 30 years, as the new CEO for Whitman-Walker Health System.
Whitman-Walker Health System, a division of Whitman-Walker, among other things, advances the mission of Whitman-Walker through expanding its financial and fundraising capacity through the Whitman-Walker Foundation; the Whitman-Walker Institute, which conducts HIV-related research; and the Whitman-Walker Health System Real Property Holdings, according to a write-up on the Whitman-Walker website.
In a press release announcing the appointment, Whitman-Walker Health System Board Chair Ann Bonham called Aaron a ādynamic and collaborative leader that will help us to realize the vision and full potential of our health system ā¦ building revenue and growth opportunities that will further Whitman-Walkerās care, advocacy, education, and research goals in partnership with Naseema Shafi, CEO of Whitman-Walker Health.ā
The Whitman-Walker Health System CEO position became open in April 2023 when former Health System CEO Dr. Ryan Moran left the position to become Deputy Secretary of Health and Healthcare Finance for the State of Maryland. Whitman-Walker named Cindy Lewin, a healthcare specialist with nonprofit organizations, as interim CEO while it conducted a national search for a permanent CEO.
āHeather has spent her entire career in health care, making a difference for the communities where she has served as Health Care Executive and Educator for more than thirty years,ā the Whitman-Walker announcement of her appointment says. āShe has worked tirelessly to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion in all her work,ā it says, adding that her work experience includes services for members of the LGBTQ community and people with HIV/AIDS.
āIn Connecticut, she operated the only continuum of care model which included a nursing home, independent living apartments and case management in one centralized community,ā the announcement continues. āThe care model was specifically designed for people living with HIV and AIDS,ā it says.
āIām thrilled to be joining the Whitman-Walker family in service to the community,ā Aaron said in the announcement press release. āI look forward to getting to know staff, patients, and engaging with D.C. in a meaningful way,ā she said.
District of Columbia
Howard University, Gilead working to encourage HIV prevention
āA strategic, community-centered approach to address systemic disparitiesā
Howard University earlier this month hosted an event to support efforts in the Washington, D.C. area to spread HIV/AIDS awareness.
The event highlighted a collaboration between Howard University and Gilead Sciences’ new Setting the P.A.C.EĀ (Prevention ā Arts and Advocacy ā Community ā Education)Ā initiative, which addresses HIV prevention, health equity and anti-stigma efforts for both cisgender and transgender Black women and girls.Ā
āBy taking a strategic, community-centered approach to address systemic disparities and improve overall health outcomes, Gilead continues its commitment to advancing health equity for Black cisgender and transgender women and girls in the U.S. who continue to be disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic,ā said Deborah H. Telman, executive vice president of Corporate Affairs and General Counsel, Gilead Sciences.
Gilead’s Setting the P.A.C.E. Initiative is a three-year, $10 million commitment to increase HIV prevention, anti-stigma and health equity efforts for Black cisgender and transgender women and girls in the United States. Howard is one of Setting the P.A.C.E.ās grantees and through the program, it conducts HIV prevention training and informational resources, arts and advocacy, community and nonprofit capacity building, and education.
In 2021, Black women accounted for 53% of new HIV diagnoses among women aged 16 and older in the United States, despite comprising only 14% of the women living in the country, according to the Centers for Diseases Control & Prevention. Additionally, Black transgender women are likelier to be diagnosed with HIV and are likelier, more than their peers, to go undiagnosed and untreated.
Through Setting the P.A.C.E., high-impact organizations and projects working to improve the HIV landscape receive specialized help that assists them in tackling barriers to equitable HIV health outcomes, and in receiving funding to support a variety of impactful projects to expand programs that provide culturally responsive HIV care training and leverage arts and media to engage local communities and address stigma.
Because of the urgency of HIV awareness in the Black queer community, more than 75% of the organizations selected for P.A.C.E grants are led by Black women. Funding is directed toward initiatives spearheaded by Black women.
āGileadās Setting the P.A.C.E. initiative will help empower organizations to expand custom programs tailored toward fighting stigma and expanding access to HIV care in their communities,ā said Telman.
District of Columbia
D.C. Council member proposes LGBTQ senior housing in Ward 2
Calls on mayor to include funding for project in FY 2025 budget
D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) is calling on Mayor Muriel Bowser to include $22.9 million in the cityās Fiscal Year 2025 budget to establish what Pinto calls the cityās āfirst affordable housing for LGBTQQIA+ seniors in Ward 2.ā
In a Feb. 27 letter to Bowser proposing specific amounts of city funding on a wide range of issues, including the Councilās recently passed crime bill, Pinto told Bowser the need for affordable housing for LGBTQ seniors is pressing.
āHaving faced decades of workplace and healthcare discrimination and been barred for most of their lives from marrying or having children, our LGBTQQIA+ seniors are more likely to face financial and health challenges and need housing and social supports as they age,ā Pinto states in her letter.
āAs the Council-funded task force meets to identify a site for a Ward 2 Senior Center, we should endeavor to locate a building that serves a dual purpose: a Ward 2 Senior Center as well as LGBTQQIA+ senior housing,ā Pinto states. DHCD [D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development] should leverage federal Community Development Block Grants funding to produce at least 80 affordable units for low-and-moderate-income seniors and provide meals and other supportive services,ā she wrote.
Pinto was referring to legislation passed by the D.C. Council and signed by the mayor creating a Wards 2 and 3 Senior Wellness Center Feasibility and Planning Task Force, which is assigned to āadvise and guideā the mayor, the Council, and other city government agencies in the development of senior wellness centers in Wards 2 and 3.
The task force, whose members are appointed by the mayor and the Council, has already met twice and has discussed one possible building in the Dupont Circle area that could be considered for a seniors wellness center and residence for seniors, according to John Fanning, a member of the staff of D.C. Council member Anita Bonds (D-At-Large). Bonds serves as chair of the Councilās Committee on Executive Administration and Labor, which oversees city programs pertaining to senior citizens.
Fanning, who is gay and a longtime D.C. LGBTQ rights advocate, and gay D.C. civic activist and former Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Mike Silverstein, are among those who have been appointed to the senior wellness center task force.
Silverstein said LGBTQ community members in the Dupont Circle area are suggesting the task force and the mayor consider arranging for the city to purchase a building owned by Baltimoreās Johns Hopkins University at 1740 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., for the senior facility.
The university used the building for many years for its various educational programs before it moved its programs and offices into a newly renovated building on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., near the U.S. Capitol.
āSince the mayorās budget hasnāt been released yet, thereās no telling whether thereās dedicated funding included for the purchase of this property,ā Fanning told the Washington Blade.
A spokesperson for Johns Hopkins Universityās D.C. office couldnāt immediately be reached to determine the price the university is asking for the building, which it announced last year it was planning to sell. The D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue states on its website that the 8-story building has been assessed for 2024 at a value of $35,894,220.
āCouncil member Pintoās request to the mayor is a vitally important first step toward establishment of LGBT+ affirmative housing in the historic epicenter of our community,ā Silverstein told the Blade. āThe need is clear, as so many of our seniors are struggling to age in place with soaring rents and inflation eating away at savings or just dealing with the effects of social isolation that comes with the loss of a partner or close friends,ā Silverstein said.
āThereās no question the Districtās budget is very tight and this project as envisioned would be a very heavy lift,ā Silverstein added. āBut just putting this request on the table and perhaps setting up a task force to seek a way forward is a giant step forward,ā he said.
Silverstein noted that a city-funded senior housing facility under existing law would have to be open to all city seniors, not just LGBTQ seniors, but he said it would be āLGBT+ affirmative,ā making it an important and welcoming place for LGBTQ seniors.
News surfaced this week that Bowser, who had planned to release her budget proposal to the Council this week, needed more time to finalize the budget and it would be released sometime later.
Mayoral spokesperson Daniel Gleick told the Blade last week that ideas like the Pinto LGBTQ-supportive housing proposal would be part of the budget process discussions by the mayor and the Council in the coming weeks.
Pintoās proposal for an LGBTQ-supportive senior housing facility in Ward 2 comes six months after Mayor Bowser and other city officials participated in a groundbreaking ceremony launching the construction of Maryās House for Older Adults, which is expected to be the cityās first home for LGBTQ seniors. The Maryās House facility, which is located in the cityās Fort Dupont neighborhood in Ward 7, will include 15 single-occupancy residential apartments, compared to the 80 apartments that Pintoās proposal calls for.
LGBTQ rights advocates nevertheless have called the Maryās House Project, which is receiving city funds as well as support from private donors, an important project organized and founded by longtime LGBTQ community advocate Imani Woody, who is expected to operate the facility when it opens.
-
Florida3 days ago
Professor at Baptist university in Virginia found dead in Florida gay saunaĀ
-
Movies5 days ago
Neo-noir āFemmeā offers sexy, intense revenge fantasy
-
California3 days ago
First lady highlights attacks on LGBTQ rights at HRCās Los Angeles dinner
-
The White House3 days ago
White House responds to Pride flag ban in spending bill