Local
Personnel executive, volunteer Patrick Bruyere dies at 62
Served on board of Whitman-Walker’s N. Virginia facility
Patrick Richard Bruyere
Patrick Richard Bruyere, a longtime D.C.-area resident who worked as a high-level human resources official for several prominent organizations and companies and devoted years of volunteer work for LGBT and AIDS related causes, died Dec. 28 of esophageal cancer at a hospice in Arlington, Va. He was 62.
Friends who knew him, including Kate Mattos, who became friends with him during their years at Arlington’s Washington Lee High School, describe him in a write-up about his life as an intellectually engaged individual who embraced life and his friendships to the fullest.
Mattos said the write-up was based on information Bruyere left for his close friends shortly before his death. Among other things, it says he loved and collected art, enjoyed dance and the theater, was an avid runner who completed three marathons and a triathlon, and closely followed the news and current events.
“He delighted in engaging in debates about the wisdom and follies of political leaders,” the write-up says.
Mattos said Bruyere was born and raised in Arlington as an only child. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1977 with a degree in Human Resources and Labor Relations, according to the write-up.
Among the companies and organizations for which he worked after completing college as a personnel and human resources executive included the Columbia, Md.-based W.R. Grace & Company, which manufactured chemical and household products; Westin Hotels; the World Wildlife Fund, and the American Red Cross.
“He was proud that his last position was at the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C., where he worked for 15 years before retiring in 2016,” the write-up says.
It says he was proudest of his volunteer work, including his tenure as a board member of the then Northern Virginia facility of the Whitman-Walker Clinic. Among other endeavors, he helped in fundraising efforts for AIDS prevention and assistance programs with Doreen Gentzler of NBC4 and with the CEO of the National Retail Federation through it’s “Shopping for Life” program.
He also became involved in fundraising efforts to acquire art books for children in D.C. as part of a program organized by the D.C. LGBT film festival Reel Affirmations, the write-up says. In addition, it says he helped build homes in D.C. as part of a 2014 project organized by the volunteer home building charity Habitat for Humanity called the Rainbow Build. The D.C. group Capital Pride was among the local LGBT organizations involved in the project, according to a Habitat for Humanity statement.
“Through the years, Patrick battled illnesses, including a rare blood cancer, aggressive squamous cell carcinoma, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” the write-up says. “He fought against the odds and survived each one. Even through his final struggle with esophageal cancer, he persisted in doing all he could to maintain his health and ability to love life,” it says. “His will was remarkable.”
His friend Steve Wunder said Bruyere was a longtime HIV survivor.
“I feel he should take pride in his HIV battle, which he won the fight in,” said Wunder.
A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, March 3 from 1-3 p.m. at Friends Meeting of Washington, D.C., 2111 Florida Ave., N.W.
“His friends urge that donations in Patrick’s name be given to the charity of your choice,” the write-up concludes.
Maryland
Federal officials launch Title IX probe into Md. schools over trans athletes
Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Frederick Counties named in probe
On June 23, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced it is launching a Title IX investigation into three Maryland school districts and the Maryland State Department of Education for failing to enforce sex-based protections guaranteed by federal law.
The districts include Montgomery County Public Schools, Prince George’s County Public Schools, and Frederick County Public Schools.
According to the department, these districts require schools to allow boys to compete in girls’ athletics, to use girls-only locker rooms, restrooms, and overnight accommodations alongside female athletes.
According to Bethesda Today, Montgomery County Public Schools spokesperson Liliana Lopez said “MCPS remains committed to providing safe, welcoming and inclusive learning environments for all students and to complying with applicable federal and Maryland laws and regulations. As the matter is now under review by the Office for Civil Rights, we have no further comment at this time.”
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey states that allowing students access to sex-separated programs and facilities based on gender identity is “deeply troubling.”
“54 years after Title IX was signed into law, the Trump administration remains steadfast to enforce its promise to protect women and girls. We will fully investigate these allegations and take appropriate action to ensure compliance with federal law,” Richey said in a statement.
According to the press release from the Department of Education, the violation falls under a Trump-Vance administration rewrite of Title IX, which aligned the sex-based protections “with biological reality, not ideological fantasy.”
This comes after the NCAA released a statement in February stating that people assigned male at birth cannot participate in women’s sports teams. The NCAA stated, “The policy is clear that there are no waivers available, and students assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team with amended birth certificates or other forms of ID.”
The U.S. Supreme Court is also currently deliberating on a case regarding transgender athletes in youth sports and their ability to play on teams that align with their gender identity, with the decision expected in the coming days.
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Congratulations to Paul Marengo who has been appointed the new executive director of the Equality Chamber of Commerce.
The Equality Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to advancing economic opportunities, business growth, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, professionals, and allies. Through networking, education, and community engagement, the Chamber works to create a thriving and inclusive business environment for all.
On behalf of the Chamber, Edmund Morris said, “We are thrilled to welcome Paul Marengo as executive director. His passion, vision, and dedication to fostering inclusive business environments make him the ideal leader to guide the Chamber into its next phase of growth and success.”
Marengo has been a nonprofit fundraising executive for more than 30 years. He is the founder and CEO of Promethean Fundraising, a grassroots consulting firm that provides assistance, tools, and empowers emerging nonprofits to become competitive fundraisers. His clients have included The Chamber, Ragtag Film Society, and The Cherry Fund. He has served as a grant reviewer for the Maryland State Arts Commission, Virginia Commission for the Arts, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
District of Columbia
Nearly 6,000 turn out for Pride Night Out at the Nationals
Gay Men’s Chorus sings National Anthem
“Just shy of” 6,000 people purchased tickets for the Wednesday, June 24, 21st annual Pride Night Out at the Washington Nationals baseball stadium, which the Nationals said is the longest running LGBTQ Pride event in Major League Baseball, according to a Nationals spokesperson.
The event was organized with the Nationals by Team D.C., the local LGBTQ sports group that organizes similar Pride Nights for other professional D.C. area sports teams.
“It was a good time had by all as the Nationals celebrated the LGBTQ+ community during the Nationals 21st Pride Night Out, presented by Team D.C.” the Nationals said in a statement.
Nationals spokesperson Erica George said the overall game attendance was 27,200.
Similar to recent past years, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington sung the National Anthem at the start of the game, drawing loud cheers from people throughout the stadium.
The Nationals lost the game to the Philadelphia Phillies by a score of 5-4. Although most of the LGBTQ attendees of the event, held in the right-field mezzanine section of the stadium, were cheering for the Nationals, a sizeable number also cheered for the Phillies.
Miguel Ayala, one of Team D.C.’s lead organizers, said he noticed fans displaying Pride flags and recognized LGBTQ people in all parts of the stadium, indicating significantly more LGBTQ people and their supporters attended the game beyond the close to 6,000 or more who purchased the specific Pride Night Out tickets.
“It was a great excitement last night,” he told the Washington Blade on the day following the event. “I saw a lot of big crowds of our people, I saw everybody I can think of in the community. And it was really great to see the turnout.”
Also, like in previous years, Team D.C. along with the Nationals helped to organize a pre-game show on the large concourse platform area next to the stadium seating area involving a drag show led by local drag performer Shi-Queeta Lee.
“During pregame ceremonies, the Nationals Pride employee resource group was recognized on the field,” the statement released by the Nationals says. “Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, a physician and public health leader who has had a profound impact on the LGBTQ+ community and those living with or vulnerable to HIV, threw out the ceremonial first pitch as the guest of Team D.C.,” the statement says.
It adds that Team D.C.’s scholarship recipient Spencer Doll made the ceremonial call to “Play Ball.”
As if all that were not enough, a Nationals employee who entertains during the Nationals pre-game shows on the field dressed as a giant eagle named “Screech” wearing an eagle’s head mask appeared in the seating area where the Pride Night Out crowd was seated and mingled with the LGBTQ fans, many of whom posed for photos with Screech.
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