Sheila Bunn, Mike Austin, Salim Adofo – Photos: Facebook
Sheila Bunn, a candidate in the July 15 Ward 8 special election for D.C. Council, earned the highest score on GLAA’s issues questionnaire, outpacing two other challengers to former Councilmember Trayon White, who is seeking to reclaim the seat he lost after being expelled in February.
White was expelled from office after being indicted for allegedly accepting thousands of dollars in bribes — a charge he denies and has pleaded not guilty to. Despite that, he’s running again for his former seat.
GLAA, however, does not rate candidates who were expelled or resigned due to alleged ethical violations, including “conflicts of interest, self-dealing and malfeasance.”
The other candidates in the race are Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Salim Adofo; Sheila Bunn, a senior political strategist and former chief of staff to the late Mayor and Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray; and Mike Austin, an attorney and former ANC chair.
Each election cycle, GLAA — D.C.’s nonpartisan LGBTQ civic group and the nation’s oldest continuously active LGBTQ civil rights organization — sends questionnaires to local candidates asking about their positions on LGBTQ issues and policies that disproportionately impact the LGBTQ community.
Candidates are rated on a scale from -10 to +10, with scores based on their alignment with GLAA’s positions, the depth of their responses, and their record of advocacy.
Bunn received a +7.5 rating, the highest among the candidates. She was praised for her LGBTQ advocacy and public service while working for Gray, who also had a strong pro-LGBTQ record, as well as for her community efforts on marriage equality, transgender employment, insurance nondiscrimination, and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.
She was also commended for showing a “depth of understanding of complexity and willingness to navigate ambiguity and difficult decisions,” particularly in explaining how specific issues affect the LGBTQ community. However, she disagreed with GLAA on taxation and social work licensing, and did not take clear positions on sex work, drug decriminalization, or social housing.
Austin received a +6.5 rating, agreeing with GLAA on almost all issues, with some unclear stances on taxation and social housing. In its write-up of Austin’s responses, GLAA wrote that he “demonstrates an engagement with the issues in the policy questionnaire and their impact on Ward 8 constituents.”
Austin earned a +6.5 rating, agreeing with GLAA on most issues, though his positions on taxation and social housing were somewhat unclear. GLAA noted that he “demonstrates an engagement with the issues in the policy questionnaire and their impact on Ward 8 constituents.”
Although Austin lacked a personal record of LGBTQ advocacy, he showed strong knowledge of LGBTQ issues, offering detailed, policy-driven responses. He was praised for explicitly referencing LGBTQ and marginalized communities and for connecting his experience as an ANC chair to GLAA’s top priorities.
Adofo earned a +4.5 rating from GLAA, agreeing with the organization on most issues, but hedging on questions related to taxation, overdose revention centers, sex work decriminalization, and social
housing. While his responses were thoughtful and demonstrated deeper knowledge of some issues, he failed to garner points due to his lack of detail about the impacts of certain policies on the LGBTQ community, and his lack of a personal record of pro-LGBTQ advocacy.
Adofo received a +4.5 rating, agreeing with GLAA on most issues but hedging on topics like taxation, overdose prevention centers, sex work decriminalization, and social housing. His responses showed thoughtfulness and some subject-matter depth, but he lost points for failing to detail how specific policies affect LGBTQ people, and for lacking a personal record of pro-LGBTQ advocacy.
“Adofo doesn’t cite any direct LGBTQ advocacy or specific actions in his answers — there’s no mention of LGBTQ people or issues except in the Office of Human Rights question,” GLAA writes. “But GLAA members are aware of his engagement as a Ward 8 community leader for many years on issues important to the health and wellbeing of Ward 8’s LGBTQ+ community. He often frames his support in terms of Ward 8’s needs and talks about working with coalitions or reviewing proposals, rather than laying out specific plans.”
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating an assault in Logan Circle in which a man allegedly threatened violence against a passerby in what may have been a hate crime.
The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. on September 15 at 14th and R Streets NW. Police say the suspect, identified as 39-year-old Marshall Baxter, jumped in front of the victim -- a neighborhood resident -- and swung his fists, narrowly missing them.
According to an MPD press release, Baxter, who has no fixed address, allegedly shouted a homophobic slur at the victim.
At 56, I've seen plenty. Never, of course, have I seen the federal government so batshit bonkers, so desperate to assert itself into every nook and cranny of American life, from the critical to the comical. Take that, Colbert and Kimmel! Gotcha, plaque mentioning Transgender participation at the Stonewall Inn! We're gonna get you, sandwich guy!! We're deporting Bad Bunny! To… ahem… Puerto Rico?
What do you call this clinical level of desperation? Stephen Miller.
We've got masked federal goons playing tough in cities far and wide. Are these Proud Boys? Oath Keepers? Three Percenters? Quite likely, but who the hell knows? Aside from Kristi "Canine Killer" Noem, Tom (sub)Homan, and their colleagues, presumably.
The Center for Black Equity, the nation's leading international organization advocating for Black LGBTQ communities, will host its inaugural "BE. A Gala for Black Equity" on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The program will celebrate individuals and organizations advancing advocacy, public health, spirituality, art, and community leadership.
The evening will feature dinner, live performances, storytelling, and a red-carpet experience, complete with honorees and special guests.
Guided by the theme "The New Renaissance," the gala will be steered by a host committee reflecting the Center for Black Equity’s mission to uplift equality, representation, and liberation for Black LGBTQ communities. Committee members include Malachi Hammonds, senior sales technology manager at Bloomberg Industry Group; Carmen Neely, co-founder, president, and CEO of Harlem Pride; and Letoi Williams, deputy director of the Human Rights Campaign.
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