“This is indeed, I think, a very hopeful time,” former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said at the Capital Pride Heroes Gala on June 3. “But we should not kid ourselves. Much work really remains to be done. The fight is larger than the one solely for marriage equality. Discrimination against the LGBT community is still very real. It is still the basis for wrong-headed policies and dangerous attitudes. And so the fight for true LGBT equality must go on…. The struggle must continue.”
Holder was presented by Capital Pride with the 2015 Paving the Way Award for his courage and leadership in helping to advance LGBT rights as the Obama administration’s top law enforcement official. It was Holder who refused to defend the congressionally-approved Defense of Marriage Act — better known as DOMA — on the basis that he believed the federal law to be unconstitutional. Holder also instituted guidelines outlining how the federal government would treat and recognize same-sex couples with respect to federal spousal benefits and legal rights after DOMA was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2013.
Wednesday night’s well-attened gala, held at the stately Carnegie Auditorium on K Street NW, served as the kickoff to this year’s Capital Pride celebration.
“If only one person or one group is denied the full measure of our Constitution, all of us are diminished,” Holder told the crowd. “All those who are committed to making real the promise of our democracy must engage on all of these fronts, on all of these fronts. And all lives, all lives matter.
“Progress is indeed possible,” he continued. “But it is not a gift. It is the result of hard work, organization, and perseverance. Working together, I am fully confident we can make this great nation great.”
Speaking exclusively with Metro Weekly earlier in the evening, Holder noted that the honor meant a “great deal” to him and called the fight for full LGBT equality the “civil rights issue of our time.”
Holder also struck a personal note, explaining that his support for LGBT rights was inspired in his youth by a gay relative.
“Uncle Sonny. He was gay. He was always the coolest guy I knew. He was the first guy I knew who had a sports car, let me ride in it, let me drive it when I shouldn’t have been able to drive it — I was too young — and I always saw the gay community through him.
“And for me, it is one of the reasons why I’m so passionate about this. I think about him, and the closeted life that he had to lead, and kind of thought, in my own mind, that it was just fundamentally unfair. And coming from a civil rights background, this seems to me just a logical extension of the things we have done in the past.”
Holder was honored alongside several other people and organizations, including Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop of the Anglican Communion; Alexandra Ernst, a member of the Board of Governors for the Human Rights Campaign; Justin Markiewicz, an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department’s gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit; former Maryland delegate and gubernatorial candidate Heather Mizeur; and Paul Kawata, founder and executive director of the National Minority AIDS Council.
This year’s Engendered Spirit Awards went to Bobbi Elaine Strang, the first openly transgender employee for the District of Columbia’s Department of Employment Services, and Kaprice Williams, a volunteer at Casa Ruby, the local community and drop-in services center. Whitman-Walker Health was honored with the Larry Stansbury Award for Exemplary Contributions to Pride for their continued contributions to Capital Pride over the years, including taking the helm of the annual celebration in the late 1990s when Capital Pride encountered financial and organizational difficulties. Local transgender activist Holly Goldmann was awarded the Bill Miles Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service for her longstanding dedication to both the Pride and Capital Trans Pride celebrations.
The evening ended with a robust performance by popular performer, Steve Grand.
The sudden turn from sunny early autumn to a wintry November left us feeling more than a little light-deprived. But one sure remedy to brighten these gray days is to plan ahead for the joyful whirl of the holiday season.
Should those plans include taking in a fabulous live show here in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, or beyond, it's best to start making your list now and checking it twice. We're here to help with a LGBTQ-focused rundown of the divas, divos, and drag queens who might be jingling your bells from now through December.
Gay Men's Chorus: The Holiday Show -- The GMCW's most popular show every year brings an extravaganza of holiday carols, high-kicking reindeer, and sparkling snowflakes, which sounds like a euphemism for something festive to accompany songs like "O Holy Night," "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Let It Snow," and "Go Tell It on the Mountain" (12/13-14, 12/20, Lincoln Theatre)
Organizers of the "MAGA Invasion" meetup at Disneyland in Anaheim, California appear to have picked a date that coincides with "Mini Gay Days," an LGBTQ fan event, setting the stage for potential confrontations.
On November 19, a Southern California conservative group called 805 Patriots -- which also operates a Facebook page under the name "SoCal Patriots" -- announced a meetup of "like-minded patriots" at Disneyland as part of an unsanctioned event planned for February 28, 2026.
One organizer said the purpose of the "Patriots in the Park" event is to "go have some fun by triggering as many liberals as possible" at Disneyland.
Tyler Getchell of Jacksonville, Florida, has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting and partially paralyzing his neighbor, Kyle McFarlane, during an argument over what Getchell believed was trespassing.
McFarlane told police he was gathering discarded furniture for a bonfire on November 22 when Getchell and his girlfriend came outside and yelled at him to get off their property, First Coast News reported.
According to the police report, video footage shows McFarlane standing on a property easement -- not on his neighbors' land -- just before the shooting.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
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