Local
Gay man to head D.C. Office of API Affairs
Appointment of David Do makes four out cabinet members
![David Do, gay news, Washington Blade](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2014/05/David_Do_460x470_courtesy_David_Do_campaign.jpg)
![David Do, gay news, Washington Blade](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2014/05/David_Do_insert_courtesy_David_Do_campaign.jpg)
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser appointed gay urban planning specialist David Do, on right,Ā as director of the cityās Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. (Photo courtesy of David Do)
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Sunday night announced she has appointed gay urban planning specialist and former D.C. government official David Do as director of the cityās Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs.
Bowser made the announcement while speaking at the 26th Annual Korean-American Grocers Association of Washington, D.C. Scholarship Award Banquet. The event was held at the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family located near Catholic University in the cityās Brookland section.
āDavid is a passionate leader who is committed to improving the quality of life for the residents of the District of Columbia,ā Bowser said in making the announcement.
āI welcome Davidās enthusiasm and am delighted to have him join our team. David will be instrumental in working with the AAPI community on behalf of my administration to deliver a fresh start for the Districtās residents,ā she said.
Doās appointment to the cabinet-level post requires confirmation by the City Council. Political observers familiar with the Council expect the Council to approve the appointment.
Do is a Vietnamese American and the child of a family that came to the U.S. as Vietnam War refugees. He finished a close second in a five-candidate race for a seat on the D.C. State Board of Education from Ward 1 in last Novemberās city election. In December he received a masterās degree in community planning from the University of Maryland.
Prior to enrolling in graduate school at Maryland, where he also served as a teaching assistant, Do served as a correspondence management specialist in the mayorās Correspondence Unit under Mayors Adrian Fenty and Vincent Gray.
A statement released by Bowserās office on Sunday says among Doās goals in his new job will be to āmove forward together by continuing to build bridges between the Districtās AAPI community and all Washingtonians.ā
The statement adds, āDo will lead OAPIA in its mission to improve the quality of life for District AAPIs through advocacy and engagement. Do will advise the mayor, the Council, and District agencies on the views, needs, and concerns of the AAPI community, provide recommendations on District programs and initiatives affecting the AAPI community, and help to coordinate programs and initiatives within District government that promote the overall welfare of the AAPI community.ā
Do becomes the fourth openly gay or lesbian appointed by Bowser to a cabinet-level position. Last week Bowser named lesbian activist, media professional and former Washington Blade vice president for strategic initiatives Sheila Alexander-Reid as director of the Mayorās Office of LGBT Affairs.
Shortly before taking office as mayor on Jan. 2, Bowser named lesbian housing and homelessness policy expert Polly Donaldson as director of the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development and gay former city official Matt Brown as director of the Mayorās Office of the Budget.
“I am excited to be appointed by Mayor Bowser to lead the Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs,” Do said in a statement. “I will bring my experience and deep understanding of various community groups and stakeholders in Washington, D.C. to my new role,” he said. “My focus will be on making sure that the Asian-American and Pacific Islander has a strong advocate and voice within the District.”
Virginia
Parades, community events held to mark Pride Month in Va.
Upwards of 30,000 people attended PrideFest in Norfolk on June 22
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/20240629_Shi-Queeta_Lee_at_Arlington_Pride_insert_c_Washington_Blade_by_Michael_Key.jpg)
Activists across Virginia last month held a series of events to mark Pride Month.
Hampton Roads Pride, a volunteer-run organization founded in 1997, held 37 different Pride events throughout the region in June.
Their biggest event, PrideFest, which is part of their larger three day event, Pride Weekend, celebrated its 36th anniversary on June 22. Pride Weekend took place from June 21-23 and began with a block party at NorVa in Norfolk.
PrideFest took place at Town Point Park, and an estimated 30,000 people attended. More than 70 venders participated, while Todrick Hall and Mariah Counts are among those who performed.
Another PrideFest event with a DJ in the afternoon and live music at night took place in Virginia Beach on June 23. Congressman Bobby Scott and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) are among those who attended Pride events in Suffolk on June 30.
Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander, along with members of the Norfolk and Virginia Beach City Councils, also attended the Pride events in their respective cities. Jamar Walker, the first openly gay federal judge in Virginia, also took part.
āYou know people all throughout Pride Month, at all of our various events, tell me all kinds of stories about their own experiences and the past of this community … and some of our older folks especially, remember when we couldn’t have this,ā Hampton Roads Pride President Jeff Ryder told the Washington Blade on Monday during a telephone interview.
āIt was a great year,ā he added. “It was a big achievement for us to have unique celebrations in each of our seven communities. Each of these cities is so different from one another, but to be able to create a Pride celebration that’s unique in each of those places was really great, and I think really well received by folks who may not have felt represented previously. We’re always trying to do better, to embrace every aspect of our community, and take a big step forward there this year.ā
State Dels. Adele McClure (D-Arlington County) and Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington County) are among those who spoke at Arlington Pride that took place at Long Bridge Park on June 29. The Fredericksburg Pride march and festival took place the same day at Riverfront Park in Fredericksburg.
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on June 10 hosted a Pride Month reception in Richmond.
Youngkin in previous years has hosted Pride Month receptions, even though Equality Virginia and other advocacy groups have criticized him for supporting anti-LGBTQ bills.
The Republican governor in March signed a bill that codified marriage equality in Virginia. Youngkin last month vetoed a measure that would have expanded the definition of bullying in the state.
Baltimore
Baltimore street named in honor of trans activist
Iya Dammons is founder of support groups Safe Haven in Baltimore, D.C.
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/07/20240629_Iya_Dammons_at_street_naming_ceremony_in_Baltimore_insert_courtesy_Iya_Dammons.jpg)
Baltimore city officials and LGBTQ activists participated in a ceremony on June 29 officially dedicating the renaming of a street in honor of transgender woman Iya Dammons, who founded and serves as executive director of the LGBTQ services organization Maryland Safe Haven.
A section of Baltimoreās 21st Street at the intersection of North Charles Street, where the Maryland Safe Haven offices are located, has been renamed Iya Dammons Way.
The ceremony took place six years after Dammons founded Maryland Safe Haven in 2018 and one year after she launched a Safe Haven operation in D.C.in 2023 located at 331 H St., N.E.
A statement on its website says Safe Haven provides a wide range of supportive services for LGBTQ people in need, with a special outreach to Black trans women ānavigating survival modeā living.
āThrough compassionate harm reduction and upward mobility services, advocacy support, and community engagement, we foster a respectful, non-judgmental environment that empowers individual agency,ā the statement says. āOur programs encompass community outreach, a drop-in center providing HIV testing, harm reduction, PrEP, medical linkage, case management, and assistance in accessing housing services,ā it says.
Among those participating in the street renaming ceremony were Baltimore City Council member Zeke Cohen, interim director of Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scottās Office of LGBTQ Affairs Alexis Blackmon, and Dominique Morgan, an official with the national foundation Borealis Philanthropy, which provides financial support for transgender supportive nonprofit organizations, including Safe Haven.
āThis is a significant achievement and historic moment for our city,ā a statement by Maryland Safe Haven announcing the ceremony says. āIya Dammons has been a tireless advocate for transgender rights and has worked tirelessly to provide safe spaces and resources for transgender individuals in our city,ā it says. āThis honor is well-deserved, and we are thrilled to see her contributions recognized in such a meaningful way.ā
Baltimore
Despite record crowds, Baltimore Prideās LGBTQ critics say organizers dropped the ball
People on social media expressed concern about block party stampede
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-29-at-18.01.33.png)
BY JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IV | This yearās Baltimore Pride Week attracted 150,000 people ā record attendance that far exceeded initial projections of 100,000.
But some see room for improvement and want organizers to address safety issues and make changes so the annual event that celebrates the LGBTQ population is better run.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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