The DC Center

Join the Center at the CAGLCC November Networking Event

2009-11-09T03:56:49Z

CAGLCC, the Capital Area's LGBT Chamber of Commerce, will be holding their November Networking Event at the Beacon Bar and Grill on Thursday November 12th starting at 6:30 PM. Networking Thursdays are a good way to meet fellow LGBT professionals and catch up with old friends.

We will be on hand to share information about the many programs and services available at the Center.

The Beacon Bar & Grill is located at 1615 Rhode Island Avenue, NW where 17th and Rhode Island Streets cross. This event is free to CAGLCC members, Non-Members pay $20 at the Door.

Elder Think Tank Meeting November 16th

2009-11-09T02:08:26Z

The Elder Think Tank monthly meeting will take place on Monday, November 16th, from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at The DC Center, 1111 14th Street NW , Suite 350. The group usually meets on the fourth monday of every month, but is meeting on the 16th due to Thanksgiving.

The Elder Think Tank, a program of The DC Center, is the intergenerational and inclusive organization that provides appropriate education, advocacy and services to the LGBT aging population in the Metro DC area. Join us!

World AIDS Day Luncheon: HIV Vaccine Research

2009-11-09T00:16:44Z

Free World AIDS Day Luncheon
HIV Vaccine Research: A New Chapter

Scientists have been searching for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection since the virus was first identified in 1983. Each clinical trial brings us one step closer to finding an effective vaccine. More than 25,000 HIV-negative individuals have participated in both government- and privately sponsored HIV vaccine trials.

This event will discuss current HIV vaccine research including the results of the 'Thai Study', and outcomes of the recent Paris HIV Vaccine Conference. Speakers will be announced shortly.

This Luncheon event is free and open to the public.

Sponsors: AIDS Action, AVAC, IAVI, NMAC, Prevention Works, The DC Center, Us Helping Us, US Military Research Program, Vaccine Research Center, Whitman Walker Clinic.

Memorial Service to Celebrate the Life of Desi Deschaine

2009-11-07T23:09:50Z

Council Member Jack Evans invites you to a Memorial Service to Celebrate the Life of Desi Philip Deschaine.

The service will take place Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 1:00 PM at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 619 10th, St, NW.

Please join us at Tony Cheng's Seafood Restaurant following the service.

For inquiries, please call:
* Jeff Coudriet at jcoudriet@dccouncil.us
* Lee Brian Reba at lbreba@dccouncil.us

Socialite Saturday November 7th

2009-11-07T00:44:44Z

Socialite Saturdays, a new monthly ladies-only event, benefits two local organizations, The DC Center and Women in The Life Association. Socialite Sundays takes place Saturday November 7th and the first Saturday of every month starting at 10:30 PM, at Mezza Luna Lounge, 1140 19th Street NW. For more information visit the LIVE OUT Events Website.

The Women in The Life Association (WITLA) is a social justice organization advancing the rights of lesbians of color through cultural affirmation, education and advocacy.

The Center works to celebrate, strengthen, and support community among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) residents and organizations of Metropolitan Washington, DC.

Surviving the Holidays After A Loss

2009-11-05T21:08:47Z

This workshop is for members of the LGBT community who have experienced the death of a loved one in the past year. We will discuss strategies for coping with grief and loss during the holiday season.

Dr. Gabrie'l J. Atchison has been a support group facilitator for over 10 years. Having experienced the loss of her partner six years ago, she understands how difficult the holiday season can be.

Surviving The Holidays After A Loss
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
6:30 - 8:00 pm
The DC Center
1111 14th Street NW, Suite 350
Washington DC
Free
RSVP/Info?: atchison71@gmail.com
Please RSVP soon, space is limited.

Dia de los Muertos - Heroes Latinos LGBTQ

2009-11-04T16:55:28Z

The Latino GLBT History Project, the Office on Latino Affairs and the Historical Society of Washington, DC invite all our community to the opening reception of "Heroes Latinos LGBTQ" a collection of 60 photos of Kevin Kenner at the Historical Society of Washington, DC (801 K St. NW, Metro Convention Center). Admission Free - Entrada Gratis.

Saturday, November 7, 2009
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Historical Society of Washington, DC - 801 K St. NW,

Free Adoption 101 Class for LGBT Community

2009-11-04T16:01:22Z

A free educational event for the LGBT community to learn about the children and youth in foster care, the adoption process, and to explore specific issues of interest for LGBT individuals and same-sex couples considering adoption. Presenters include professional staff from Adoptions Together, the DC Child and Family Services Administration, and HRC's Family Project, as well as LGBT parents who built their families by adopting children from foster care.

WHEN: Thursday, November, 12, 2009 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Human Rights Campaign, 1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C.

To Register: visit: http://www.glbt.dc.gov

Footage from Marriage Equality Hearings on Monday

2009-10-29T17:24:00Z

On Monday, October 25th, the District of Columbia City Council held a public hearing on the subject of the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009, which would grant legal marriage to same sex couples. Prior to the hearing for this hotly contested issue, for which 269 people registered to testify, opponents of marriage equality held a protest in D.C.'s Freedom Plaza. The group seeks a referendum on the bill, which would likely violate D.C.'s Human Rights Act, which forbids ballot initiatives on issues of civil rights. Footage taken and at an earlier event and edited by the People for the American Way sums up the points, spirit, and clear homophobia of the group.

Assertions that religion was necessarily tied to opposition to the bill were disputed again and again during Monday's testimonies. Over the course of the hearings, religious leaders of many faiths testified on behalf of marriage equality. Reverend Robert Hardies of All Souls Church testified that he was firmly committed to marriage equality. "My faith teaches me that where love is present, God is also present," said Hardies. "I urge you to do the right thing and to stand on the side of love." Hardies also applauded the council's legislation for its broad religious liberties clause, which would allow those churches who disagreed with same sex marriage to refuse to perform ceremonies.

Georgetown professor, Catholic priest, and organizer for Catholics United for Marriage Equality Rev. Dr. Joseph Palacios, spoke of what he viewed as the essential separation of church and state, especially as concerns marriage. Palacios also cited statistics indicating that, when told that churches would not be forced to perform same sex marriages, as is provided in the bill, Catholics are in favor of civil marriage equality.

Testimonies in favor of marriage equality swept across a broad range of demographics. Patrick Mara, who identified himself as a "straight Republican who unequivocally supports marriage equality in the District of Columbia," spoke of a large contingency of local Republicans that favored the bill, and said that the city must not "penalize citizens that are gay or lesbian because of their birth."

DC for Marriage organizer Michael Crawford spoke briefly about the contingent of African American voters in D.C., which he said have been wrongly characterized as uniformly opposed to marriage equality. "My group, DC for Marriage, has been having literally thousands of conversations with residents across the District," said Crawford, "and overwhelmingly we have had people who have said to us 'we are with you on marriage equality.'" Crawford said that he wants marriage in the District in part because he wants his 92-year-old grandmother to see her oldest grandson get married.

Bishop Harry Jackson asked the city council members to respect the rights of the people of D.C. to have a referendum, describing at length the District's milestones in voting. David Catania had a history lesson of his own (3:17), saying that the last advisory referendum vote involving the rights of a particular community was in 1865, when the mayor feared efforts of radical Republicans to give the right to vote to recently freed slaves. The vote was 6591 to 35 to deny the right to freed African American males. "There is an opportunity," said Catania, "to have tyranny at a ballot box."

Also notable in the history of D.C. voting is that Jackson has not participated in at least the last ten years, as he was a Maryland resident. Final witness Ernestine Copeland captured the tone of opposition to marriage equality by wrapping up Monday's hearings, at approximately 10:50 p.m., by reading from words scrawled on a sheet of notebook paper that "the devil has showed up here today," and that "the prophecy has never gone unfulfilled." "My god is about reproduction," said Copeland, who felt confident that this legislation (which would help grant equal rights to all District residents) would destroy our society, as "we serve a just god." Copeland also saw fit to refer to one councilman as Demon Wells. "You allowed me to be fired over the telephone, working for the D.C. government," said Copeland on the apparent subject of marriage equality. "Shame on you demons."

The second and final hearing on marriage equality will be held next Monday at 3 p.m. ALSO OF INTEREST: In three videos, the council members discuss with Catholic Charities their rights as a group funded 75% by public money.

Bookreading at Lambda Rising

2009-10-29T17:02:00Z

Lambda Rising will be holding a free author event at the bookstore, 1625 Connecticut Ave. NW, with author and leader in the deaf LGBT community Raymond Luczak, on November 4th at 6:30. An ASL interpreter will be onsite throughout the event. Luczak will be reading from his book Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life, in which he shares stories from his days growing up as a deaf gay man in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and learning signs in secret, trying to follow the music on the radio in order to be cool like his hearing classmates, and feeling clueless whenever gay cultural icons like the Village People, Queen, and Bette Midler were promoted in his small hometown. After he graduated from high school and enrolled at Gallaudet University, the world's only university for Deaf people, he discovered gay literature and came out soon after. He eventually got involved with Deaf theater collaborators, educators, and sign language interpreters, from which his worldview is substantially reshaped on issues of identity, literacy, technology, and family. Assembly Required offers a rare in-depth glimpse into what it means to be a Deaf gay man who lives between the Deaf and hearing worlds. Raymond Luczak is the author and editor of ten books, including the Lambda Literary Award-nominated anthology Eyes of Desire: A Deaf Gay & Lesbian Reader and Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life. Number seven in a hearing family of nine children, he lost most of his hearing at the age of seven months due to a bout of double pneumonia. After high school graduation, Luczak went on to Gallaudet University, in Washington, DC, where he earned a B.A. in English. He learned American Sign Language (ASL) and became involved with the deaf community. Sixteen of his stage plays have been performed in three countries. His tenth book, Men with Their Hands: A Novel will publish later this year. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The event is free and open to the public. Contact Linsey Pecikonis at 202-462-6969 for any more information, or check out the Facebook page.

GLOV Forum with US Attorneys Office

2009-10-27T18:34:00Z

Representatives from the United States Attorney's Office (USAO) in the Department of Justice have will participate in a community forum with members of the DC LGBT community on November 5th. The purpose of this forum is to share ideas and information, to learn how cases are handled by the USAO, and -- most importantly - to begin an important dialogue that I hope will lead to better trust and communication between the DC LGBT community and the USAO, which prosecutes cases where we are victims. The Forum will take place on Thursday, November 5 at 6 pm at the Foundry United Methodist Church, 1500 16th St., NW. Attendees from the USAO will include (subject to last-minute availability issues) Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Kevin Flynn (lead prosecutor in the Tony Hunter case), AUSA George Eliopoulis (the Hate/Bias Crimes Case Coordinator for the DOJ), AUSA Kim Her (Chief of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit), and Albert Herring (Executive Assistant US Attorney for External Affairs and Chair of DC's Hate Crimes Task Force, of which GLOV is a member).

Women Over Fifty Outing to Oriental East

2009-10-26T16:59:00Z

Women over 50 will be meeting at the Oriental East Restaurant for lunch on Wednesday November 18th, at 12:00 PM. Oriental East is located at 1312 East-West Highway in Silver Spring. The restaurant is in the Blair Shopping Center walking distance from the Silver Spring Metro Station.

For more information visit the Oriental East Website. Women over Fifty is a social group for lesbian, bi, and trans (LBT) women over fifty. For more information join the Women over Fifty Yahoo Group. For more information about this event, e-mail Patti.

October 29th: Raise a Soulful Voice for Marriage Equality

2009-10-23T17:56:00Z

We invite you to join with people of faith from across DC for Soulful Voices for Marriage Equality, an inspiring night of music and worship in support of marriage equality for the LGBT community. As you know, the DC Council is currently considering a marriage equality bill, and the media continues to portray people of faith as opposed to this bill. We know this isn't true.

Nearly 200 DC clergy, including Catholics, have signed a Declaration of Religious Support for Marriage Equality, and now its time for you to lend your voice to this important struggle. Please join us this Thursday at 7:00 pm at Asbury United Methodist Church, on the corner of 11th & K Sts, NW. Asbury is located just 3 blocks from Metro Centro Station, and there is ample parking nearby.

WHAT: Soulful Voices for Marriage Equality: A Faith Celebration

WHERE: Asbury United Methodist Church, 11th & K Sts., NW

WHEN: Thursday, October 29, from 7-9 pm WHO: People of faith from across DC who support marriage equality for the LGBT Community.

Volunteer Night November 2nd

2009-10-22T18:51:00Z

Bring your friends and join us for Volunteer Night. Monday, November 2nd from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM. Volunteer Nights now take place at the Center the first Monday of Every Month.

Pizza and soda will be provided, activities include: - Safer Sex Kit assembly for HIV Working Group - Data Updates for DC For Marriage - Other activities TBA Bring your friends and meet new ones while making a difference for LGBT rights in DC!!

RSVP on Facebook

A Journey to Stress Relief Through Meditation

2009-10-22T18:14:00Z

Do you need a little sweetness in your life? Come and taste the ancient candy of meditation done up (LGBTQ) style. This workshop is for persons of all and no spiritual traditions. We will have fun while learning the fundamentals of a gentle meditation technique. No religious background or interest is required! Interest in cultivating your own well being is encouraged.

Classes will take place at the DC Center for three consecutive Saturdays: November 7th, November 14th, and November 21st. Classes will take place from 2:00 PM to 3:15 PM. $40.00 per person with pre-registration by November 2nd, 2009 and $50 per person 11/3 and after. Space is limited. Send an e-mail to queenrah2000@yahoo.com.

Your Instructor, Rebecca A. Helem, M.S.W.

Rebecca A. Helem is a certified meditation teacher (CMT). She received her certification to teach the Hong-Sau meditation technique, from the Ananda Expanding Light Retreat Center, in NevadaCity California. Prior to this, Rebecca, received a fellowship from Vallecitos Mountain Refuge toattend a 10 day silent Vipassina Meditation retreat for long-time activist, in the Mountains of Taos, New Mexico. She holds her MSW from the University of Pennsylvania, her LICSW, and has over 28 years health and human services work experience in challenging work settings to include an urban high school, prisons, and the District of Columbia's child welfare system. Her organizing work in the sexual minority community in DC includes serving as the co-founder and President of CLOAVE Inc. (Collective Lesbians of African-Descent Voices Everywhere), from1997-2005. In 1991, Rebecca received a LAMBDA Award for Emerging Leader from thePhiladelphia Gay News. She playfully reports, "Meditation saved my life"! She has been a resident of the District of Columbia for over a decade where she currently resides with her"Sweetie" of 12 years.

Due to the understandable need for quiet and concentration while learning this new skill, we will not be able to allow entry into the class beyond 5 minutes after the scheduled starting time.Please be advised that the practice of the Hong-Sau technique is not recommended for those who are depressed.