District of Columbia
Former Council member Brown running for D.C. congressional delegate
Says he will be more ‘proactive’ in supporting LGBTQ issues than Holmes Norton
Michael A. Brown, who served as an independent At-Large member of the D.C. Council from 2009 to 2013 and emerged as a strong supporter of LGBTQ rights, says he is running in the city’s June Democratic primary for D.C.’s non-voting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Brown and five other lesser-known candidates are challenging incumbent Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), who has held the seat since 1991 and announced she is running for re-election for her 18th two-year term in office.
Norton has been a longtime outspoken supporter of LGBTQ rights, and her supporters say she has done all she could to fight anti-LGBTQ amendments and other hostile initiatives introduced by Republican House members in recent years.
Brown told the Washington Blade in an interview last week he has picked up nominating petitions to begin the process of obtaining a required 2,000 signatures to get on the primary ballot. He said he has no disagreements with Norton on the issues facing D.C. in Congress.
“And I have a great amount of respect for her,” he said. “I just think it’s time for a new voice, a new, more aggressive and proactive voice that wants to get into the fight against people that are trying to harm the LGBT community” and the city, he told the Blade
“So, my respect for her, again, is tremendous,” he said. “I just think it’s time for a new voice. And with the track record I have with the LGBT community, I look forward to that fight. And I look forward to their support.”
He points out that he was among those who pushed for D.C. Council legislation legalizing same-sex marriage and strengthening the city’s hate crimes law.
Brown, 57, an attorney, currently works as Senior Adviser for the D.C.-based international law firm Potomac International Partners, Inc., which specializes in lobbying on behalf of both nonprofit advocacy organizations and corporations. Prior to his term on the D.C. Council, he worked for three other law firms that engage in lobbying and prior to that he worked as a legislative assistant to former U.S. Rep. Peter Rodino (D-N.J.).
He told the Blade that his longtime experience as a lobbyist on Capitol Hill gives him the inside knowledge of the workings of Congress that he will use for D.C.
Most D.C. political observers have said Norton is highly regarded among most D.C. voters, who have re-elected her by lopsided margins and she is expected to win another term once again in office. Some observers say that now, those who run against her most likely want to build name recognition for a future race for the non-voting delegate seat after Norton, who is 86 years old, retires.
In response to a request from the Blade for comment on Michael A. Brown’s decision to run against her, Norton released a short statement.
“I’m running again to represent my District of Columbia constituents for Congress,” she said. “I will be using my valuable seniority to continue to bring home benefits and to make progress on D.C. Statehood where it has passed twice in the House of Representatives.”
Among other things, Brown said he would take a more aggressive approach to fighting efforts by far-right Republican House members to introduce amendments to federal spending bills targeting LGBTQ rights, including those targeting transgender-related issues.
“We as a city seem to sit back and we’re always reactionary,” he said. “I would love to be more proactive about these particular issues. So, maybe these amendments never get put in in the first place,” Brown said, adding, “I would continue to work with Sen. Schumer to block these amendments.” He was referring to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who currently serves as Senate Majority Leader.
Brown also acknowledged that his conviction on a federal bribery charge in 2014 after pleading guilty to accepting $55,000 in cash payments from undercover FBI agents posing as officials with a company trying to do business with the D.C. government will surface as an issue in his campaign for the congressional delegate seat. He was sentenced to a 39-month federal prison term before being released in 2017.
The Washington Post has reported Brown’s attorney attributed Brown’s illegal actions to personal financial challenges, including expenses related to a 2011 divorce. At the time of his sentencing Brown apologized for his actions and said he was “caught up in a culture of corruption running rampant in our city,” according to the Post.
“Obviously, people are aware of my history,” Brown told the Blade. “I’ve taken full responsibility for it and paid a price,” he said. “But you know, I’m not perfect. But I’m perfect for this job,” he said, referring to his run for the D.C. congressional delegate seat.
“And obviously I’m looking forward to really fighting hard for statehood and to keep these amendments from popping up related to the LGBT community,” Brown said.
District of Columbia
D.C. police seek help in identifying suspect in anti-gay threats case
Victim threatened with assault, called ‘faggot’ 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.
“Suspect 1 then turned his attention to Victim 1 and called him a ‘faggot’ among other homophobic slurs,” the report says. It says the victim then used his phone to record the suspect, prompting the suspect to walk away before returning and “snatching” the phone from the victim’s hand.
“Suspect 1 walked several feet as Victim 1 followed, requesting his phone back,” the report continues. “Suspect 1 stopped and turned to Victim 1 and while yelling other obscenities exclaimed ‘if you keep recording, I’m going to kick your ass.’” The report concludes by saying the victim was able to recover his phone.
It lists the incident as a “Threats To Do Bodily Harm” offense that is a suspected hate crime.
“Anyone 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 Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411,” 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 “to step into her next chapter.”
“June’s leadership has been truly transformative,” said Alston Foundation Board Chair Darrin Glymph in the group’s April 22 statement. “We are immensely grateful for her dedication and equally excited for the energy and experience that Cesar brings to lead us into this next chapter,” Glymph said.
“A seasoned LGBTQ+ advocate, Cesar brings over a decade of experience leading national campaigns, shaping public policy, and building inclusive communities,” the statement released by the group says. “Most 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,” 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.
“I’m really excited about joining the Wanda Alston Foundation,” Toledo told the Washington Blade. “After 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,” he said.
Among other things, he said he would push for increasing the Alston Foundation’s 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 “in memory of Wanda Alston, a fierce LGBTQ+ activist, national advocate, and government official who was admired by District residents.”
The statement adds, “The foundation opened the first housing program in the nation’s capital in 2008 providing pre-independent transitional living and life-saving support services to LGBTQ+ youth.”
In a separate statement, the Alston Foundation announced it would hold a “thank you” 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.
“Let’s come together to celebrate her dedication and commitment for everything she has done for the LGBTQIA homeless youth population,” the statement says.
District of Columbia
New DC LGBTQ Center to celebrate grand opening
Permanent location in Shaw debuts with Saturday celebration
After more than 20 months of demolition, construction, and development, Washington finally has a brand new LGBTQ Center. On Saturday, April 26, the doors will officially open at the DC LGBTQ Center for the first time following the groundbreaking in June 2023.
The new DC LGBTQ Center, located one block from the Shaw Metro station, aims to educate, empower, uplift and celebrate Washington’s LGBTQ community. Spanning 6,671 square feet of intentionally designed space, the center will offer a wide range of resources for LGBTQ individuals in need – including mental health services, job readiness programs, cultural events and community support groups, all under one roof.
The space, located in The Adora building at 1828 Wiltberger St, N.W., has a food pantry, STD and HIV testing space, therapy room, boutique with a clothing closet, an ADA-accessible shower, a mailroom to help those without an address receive mail, and a large kitchen.
The new DC LGBTQ Center will also house office space for nine local LGBTQ organizations. Groups like SMYAL, which supports and uplifts LGBTQ youth, and the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides transitional housing and support services for homeless or at-risk LGBTQ youth, are central to the center’s mission: to educate, empower, uplift, celebrate, elevate and connect Washington’s LGBTQ community. The center will also become the new home of the Capital Pride Alliance, the organization behind Capital Pride and this year’s WorldPride celebration.
The Reeves Center, the former home of the DC LGBTQ Center, is slated for redevelopment. Located at 14th and U streets, N.W., the building is expected to become a mixed-use hub featuring the NAACP’s national headquarters, a hotel, restaurant, comedy club, housing and more.
On Saturday, the new DC LGBTQ Center will celebrate its grand opening with a full day of events designed to showcase the space’s potential and mark its long-awaited return. The “Friends & Family Day” celebration begins with a brunch at 10 a.m., followed by an open house featuring tours, team introductions, and a look at how the center came to life. The day concludes with a “Honey, I’m Home” cocktail celebration at 5 p.m.
Some events are open to the public, while others, such as the brunch, require an RSVP. To RSVP, visit this link or email [email protected] with any questions.
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