District of Columbia
Kimberley Bush named new D.C. Center executive director
Organization also receives $150K BHT Foundation grant

The D.C. Center for the LGBT Community announced on Tuesday it has appointed Kimberley Bush, who has been serving as its interim executive director, as its new executive director.
āI am most fortunate and truly honored to be of service to our LGBTQIA2S+ siblings and equally honored that our board of directors has the utmost confidence, belief and surety in me to continue to reside at the helm of the D.C. Center as a strong, effectual, fiercely driven, progressive and compassionate leader,ā Bush said in a statement.
āIn addition, I am extremely proud to be able to continue to guide our small yet mighty team through these extraordinarily challenging times into brighter chapters of our lives, as we provide a safe and peaceful space as well as the much-needed support, kindness, outreach, care, celebration and affirmation to our LGBTQIA2S+ community,ā Bush said.
In a Feb. 15 statement, the D.C. Center also announced it has received a $150,000 grant from the BHT Foundation as one of the foundationās last financial contributions before it ends its operations.
Formerly known as Brother Help Thyself, the BHT Foundation announced last November that its board of directors decided to dissolve the organization after it had raised more than $3.5 million for more than 200 nonprofit LGBTQ organizations in the D.C. and Baltimore area since its founding in 1978.
āWe are so grateful for all that the BHT Foundation has done for the D.C. Center, and the wider LGBTQ+ community in the DMV area during the last 40+ years,ā said D.C. Center Board President Andrew Zapfel in the Feb. 15 statement. āThe grant comes at a particularly exciting time, as we begin a new chapter in the D.C. Centerās history, searching for a new location to call home, and officially appointing Kimberley Bush as our executive director,ā Zapfel said.
Zapfel was referring to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowserās decision announced in June 2020 to demolish the city-owned Reeves Center municipal building where the D.C. Center rents its offices at 2000 U Street, N.W., and to solicit bids from private developers to build a new, larger multi-purpose building to include residential, office, and retail space at the 14th and U Street site.
Plans for the new project meant that all of the Reeves Centerās tenants, including the D.C. Center and the Mayorās Office of LGBTQ Affairs, would have to move during the demolition and construction phases of the project. City officials have not said whether community-based organizations like the D.C. Center will be able to move into the new building.
Bowser, however, has said the city would provide support for the D.C. Centerās search for a new location before the Reeves Center must be vacated.
The D.C. Center describes itself as a non-profit organization āwhose mission is to educate, empower, celebrate, and connect the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities in Washington, D.C. It says its programs focus on health and wellness, arts and culture, social and support services, and advocacy and community building.
District of Columbia
Little Gay Pub to host April 25 celebration of life for Patrick Shaw
School teacher, D.C. resident praised for āwarmth, humor, kindnessā

Co-workers and friends will hold a celebration of life for highly acclaimed schoolteacher and D.C. resident Patrick Shaw beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 25 at The Little Gay Pub 1100 P St., N.W.
Little Gay Pub co-owner and Shawās friend, Dusty Martinez, said Shaw passed away unexpectedly on April 19 from a heart related ailment at the age of 60.
āPatrick touched so many lives with his warmth, humor, kindness, and unmistakable spark,ā Martinez said. āHe was a truly special soul ā funny, vibrant, sassy, and full of life and we are heartbroken by his loss.ā
In an Instagram posting, Shawās colleagues said Shaw was a second-grade special education teacher at the J.F. Cook campus of D.C.ās Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School.
āPatrick brought warmth, joy, and deep commitment to Mundo Verde,ā his colleagues said in their posting. āHis daily Broadway sing-alongs, vibrant outfits, and genuine love for his students filled our community with energy and laughter.ā
The posted message adds, āPatrick was more than a teacher; he was a light in our school, inspiring us all to show up with heart, humor, and kindness every day. His spirit will be deeply missed.ā
The Washington Blade is preparing a full obituary on Patrick Shaw to be published soon.
District of Columbia
D.C. police seek help in identifying suspect in anti-gay threats case
Victim threatened with assault, called āfaggotā as he left Capitals game

D.C. police are seeking help from the public in identifying a male suspect whose image was captured by a video surveillance camera after he allegedly shouted anti-gay slurs and threatened to assault a man at 6th and H Streets, N.W. on March 20 at about 9:54 p.m.
A police report says the victim told police the incident took place shortly after he exited the nearby Capital One Arena where he had attended a Washington Capitals hockey game.
The police report says the incident began when the victim saw the suspect yell a racist slur at a person behind the victim and started to berate a valet operator.
āSuspect 1 then turned his attention to Victim 1 and called him a āfaggotā among other homophobic slurs,ā the report says. It says the victim then used his phone to record the suspect, prompting the suspect to walk away before returning and āsnatchingā the phone from the victimās hand.
āSuspect 1 walked several feet as Victim 1 followed, requesting his phone back,ā the report continues. āSuspect 1 stopped and turned to Victim 1 and while yelling other obscenities exclaimed āif you keep recording, Iām going to kick your ass.āā The report concludes by saying the victim was able to recover his phone.
It lists the incident as a āThreats To Do Bodily Harmā offense that is a suspected hate crime.
āAnyone who can identify this suspect or has knowledge of this incident should take no action but call police at 202-727-9099, or text your tip to the Departmentās TEXT TIP LINE at 50411,ā according to a separate police statement released April 23.
The statement says police currently offer an award of up to $1,000 to anyone who can provide information that leads to an arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible for a crime committed in D.C.
D.C. police spokesperson Tom Lynch said the case has been under investigation since the incident occurred on March 20. He said the video image of the suspect, most likely obtained from a security camera from a nearby business, was released to the public as soon as it was obtained and processed through the investigation.
District of Columbia
Wanda Alston Foundation names new executive director
Longtime LGBTQ rights advocate Cesar Toledo to succeed June Crenshaw

The Wanda Alston Foundation, the D.C.-based organization that has provided housing and support services for homeless LGBTQ youth since its founding in 2008, announced it has appointed longtime LGBTQ rights advocate Cesar Toledo as its new executive director.
In an April 22 statement, the organization said that as part of a planned leadership transition launched in November 2024, Toledo will succeed June Crenshaw, who Alston Foundation officials and LGBTQ community activists say has led the organization with distinction in her role as executive director for the past nine years.
In a statement released last November, the foundation announced Crenshaw was stepping down from her role as executive director after deciding to āto step into her next chapter.ā
āJuneās leadership has been truly transformative,ā said Alston Foundation Board Chair Darrin Glymph in the groupās April 22 statement. āWe are immensely grateful for her dedication and equally excited for the energy and experience that Cesar brings to lead us into this next chapter,ā Glymph said.
āA seasoned LGBTQ+ advocate, Cesar brings over a decade of experience leading national campaigns, shaping public policy, and building inclusive communities,ā the statement released by the group says. āMost recently, he served as the National LGBTQ+ Engagement Director for the Harris for President Campaign and has built a career focused on advancing equality and equitable education,ā it says.
Biographical information about Toledo shows that immediately prior to working for the Harris For President Campaign, he served since April 2023 as deputy director for Democrats for Education Reform DC (DFER DC), a political group that helps to elect candidates for public office committed to quality education for all students, including minorities, people of color and LGBTQ youth.
Before joining DFER DC, Toledo served as political director for the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, where he assisted in electing out LGBTQ candidates to all levels of public office across the U.S.
āIām really excited about joining the Wanda Alston Foundation,ā Toledo told the Washington Blade. āAfter a decade of working at the intersection of politics and policy and advancing political candidates and equitable education here in D.C., I wanted to shift my career to direct services to the most vulnerable folks in the LGBTQ+ family and our homeless youth,ā he said.
Among other things, he said he would push for increasing the Alston Foundationās visibility and mainlining its services for LGBTQ youth at a time when the national political climate has become less supportive.
A statement on its website says the Alston Foundation was founded in 2008 āin memory of Wanda Alston, a fierce LGBTQ+ activist, national advocate, and government official who was admired by District residents.ā
The statement adds, āThe foundation opened the first housing program in the nationās capital in 2008 providing pre-independent transitional living and life-saving support services to LGBTQ+ youth.ā
In a separate statement, the Alston Foundation announced it would hold a āthank youā celebration of appreciation for June Crenshaw from 6-8 p.m. on May 20 at Crush Dance Bar located at 2007 14th Street, N.W. in D.C.
āLetās come together to celebrate her dedication and commitment for everything she has done for the LGBTQIA homeless youth population,ā the statement says.
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