'Leadership Matters'

9ÊÊ£nÊÊÓä£ÓÊÊ6"1 Ê{ÎÊÊ--1 ÊÓäÊÊU O U R C O M M U N I T Y, O U R S T O R I E S S I N C E 1 9 6 9 UÊ7- /" ° " ‘Leadership matters’ Obama inspires others Clinton on LGBT issues, said the cultural implications of Obama’s endorsement of to support marriage, as same-sex marriage are substantial because experts debate impact of it marks “a very positive” turning point on LGBT rights. announcement “I think having the president on record in favor of this goal is very important, and By CHRIS JOHNSON I think it will help shape the discussion that [email protected] we’re having as a country about this, and I think it’ll help it in a very positive direction,” President Obama’s endorsement of Socarides said. marriage equality last week has been Jeff Krehely, vice president for LGBT heralded as a milestone that inspired and programs at the Center for American exhilarated LGBT people throughout the Progress, said the social implications of country. Now, the practical implications of Obama’s announcement are huge because his words are being analyzed and debated the endorsement triggered conversations by supporters. and additional support for marriage equality LGBT advocates and political observers that otherwise wouldn’t have happened. have different views on the social, “That has a huge impact on the country political and legal ramifi cations of the on the issue, and the lives of gay people, announcement as they agreed that Obama too, who hear something that is very clear becoming the fi rst president to support and very reassuring and very welcomed,” marriage equality was historic in nature. Krehely said. President Obama’s endorsement of marriage equality has inspired other politicians Richard Socarides, a gay New York and celebrities to come out in support, including Reps. STENY HOYER and JIM attorney who advised former President CONTINUES ON PAGE 12 CLYBURN and WILL SMITH and JAY-Z. See page 14 for more. Pride Hill staffer under investigation Rep. Johnson places chief of staff on leave Ì ÊLÞÊÌ iÊ7>Ã }ÌÊ >ì° Gokcigdem wrote that he learned Crowe was among four Time after email disparaging gay colleague wÊ>ÃÌÃÊvÀÊÌ iÊ/Ài>ÃÕÀÞÊ i«>ÀÌiÌÊ«ÃÌÊ>`ÊÜ>ÃÊÃii}Ê iLÀ> Ê ÝÊÌÊ a letter of recommendation from the congresswoman. headline Festival; By CHRIS JOHNSON The chief of staff writes that Crowe had friends within the Trans and Black Pride [email protected] administration and suggests that other LGBT people helped getting underway. him in the hiring process because he wasn’t suffi ciently The chief of staff for a longtime Texas congresswoman has qualifi ed to have advanced that far otherwise. PAGES 4 & 29 LiiÊ«>Vi`ÊÊi>ÛiÊvÜ}Ê7>Ã }ÌÊ >ìÊµÕÀiÃÊ “It is my personal belief that he has contacts about an email he wrote disparaging a gay staff member. there,” Gokcigdem writes. “And they, as a group watching Eddie Reeves, spokesperson for the campaign of Rep. and supporting each other if you know what I mean.” `ìÊ iÀViÊ ÃÊ /iÝ>Ã®]ÊÃ>`ÊÕÀ>ÌÊV}ì]Ê The 29-year-old gay staffer became ill with meningitis the lawmaker’s chief of staff, has been placed on indefi nite and died of a staph infection that damaged his heart before leave effective Monday and that Johnson would pursue an he could secure the position. Back to independent investigation of his actions. Reeves said the lawmaker decided on Monday to put The announcement follows Blade inquiries about an Gokcigdem on indefi nite leave after she learned about the email from 2010 apparently written by Gokcigdem, about email as she was traveling back to Texas. the Beach a gay staffer in the offi ce, the late Christopher Crowe, who “Based on what she’s heard from different people on Summer season brings ÃÕ} ÌÊ >Ê «ÃÌÊ Ê Ì iÊ /Ài>ÃÕÀÞÊ i«>ÀÌiÌÊ >ÃÊ Ã«iV>Ê her staff, she decided the best course of action to do is put new restaurants, other assistant to the undersecretary of budget and tax. Murat on leave pending an investigation,” Reeves said. changes to Rehoboth The email, titled “Chris Crowe update,” is dated June Reeves said Johnson has already informed Gokcigdem >ÃÊi½Ê >ÞÊi>ÀÃ° 2, 2010 and was apparently intended for Johnson but accidentally sent to Crowe. It was obtained earlier this CONTINUES ON PAGE 16 PAGE 32 äÓÊUÊ9Ê£n]ÊÓä£ÓÊÊÊ ÊÊ Ê Ê Ê ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ7- /" ° " Our Stories. Our Community. June | WWH volunteer “! e women that I have met through Whitman-Walker Health lets me know that there is hope. It has forever changed my life…and I have had many women tell me that it changed their life as well. For me, Whitman-Walker will always represent a safe welcoming place.” 202.745.7000 | www.whitman-walker.org For more of June’s story, visit whitman-walker.org/mystory. WASHINGTONBLADE.COM ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Ê ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ9Ê£n]ÊÓä£ÓÊUÊäÎ washingtonblade.com ä{ÊUÊ9Ê£n]ÊÓä£ÓÊ " Ê 7- Third activist released from Kameny lawsuit Attorneys for estate Kameny, I borrowed, and held in my month, attorneys for the estate dismissed process and to make certain that Dr. possession and control, certain personal Francis and Witeck from the lawsuit. Kameny’s wishes as recorded in his Last say picket signs, other properly lawfully belonging to the Estate Similar to Rosendall, Francis and Witeck Will and Testament are carried out fully.” property still missing of Franklin Edward Kameny,” Rosendall have said they took possession of the items In his will, Kameny bequeathed his stated in a sworn affi davit submitted to the to ensure they remain safe and properly papers to the Library of Congress while court two days prior to the hearing. preserved during a period of confusion leaving all other possessions, including his By LOU CHIBBARO JR. He identifi ed in the affi davit and on the following Kameny’s death. Each has said house and car, to Clark. [email protected] witness stand the items borrowed as “a copy they planned all along to return the items In response to questions at the May 11 of Dr. Kameny’s 1961 brief for the Supreme to the estate. Witeck has said the only court hearing by Kameny estate attorney Gay activist Richard Rosendall, a Court of the United States; a letter to or from items he took were several photographs. J. Max Barger, Rosendall disputed claims longtime friend of the late gay rights [U.S. Supreme Court] Justice [Lewis] Powell; Rosendall testifi ed that he returned the by the estate that Clark believes as many leader Frank Kameny, testifi ed in court on several letters between Dr. Kameny and items he borrowed to Francis, who returned as 100 picket signs were taken from the May 11 that he has returned several items an Army offi cial concerning [the Gay and them to the Kameny estate last month. house after Kameny’s death. Rosendall he “borrowed” from Kameny’s house Lesbian Activists Alliance’s] wreath-laying “The Estate of Dr. Franklin E. Kameny told Barger he doubted that many picket shortly after Kameny died last October. ceremonies at Arlington Cemetery; a box is satisfi ed that Richard J. Rosendall has signs had been in the house. Rosendall appeared in a courtroom at of business cards; and three or four books.” returned the items that Mr. Rosendall Kameny and his fellow gay activists used the D.C. Superior Court’s Probate Division Two of the other three named in the removed from Dr. Kameny’s home the picket signs in their historic gay rights in response to a show cause order obtained lawsuit, Charles Francis and Bob Witeck, shortly after Dr. Kameny’s death,” said demonstrations outside the White House and by attorneys representing Timothy Clark, have returned items they acknowledged Glen Ackerman, one of the attorneys other government buildings in the early 1960s, the personal representative and main heir belonging to the estate. Rosendall representing Clark and the Kameny estate, the fi rst such demonstrations ever held. of Kameny’s estate. testifi ed at the May 11 hearing that he in a statement to the Blade on Monday. Barger and Ackerman told Judge John Through his attorneys, Clark has charged helped Francis carry 17 boxes fi lled with “However, there are still a number of Campbell, who presided over the hearing, in a lawsuit that Rosendall and three other papers and other items from Kameny’s important historical items still missing that the picket signs and buttons, which Kameny friends and associates removed house, which he said Francis placed in a from the Estate, including Dr. Kameny’s are inscribed with gay rights messages, without permission documents and other storage facility for safekeeping. Rosendall collection of buttons, handmade picket have an important historic value and must property belonging to the Kameny estate from has said Clark, who lived in the house signs and posters,” Ackerman said in be accounted for during the probate Kameny’s house in Northwest Washington with Kameny for 19 years, gave them the statement. “The Estate is attempting process for the estate. shortly after Kameny died last Oct. 11. permission to enter the house. to recover these missing historically “After the death of Franklin Edward Upon their return of the property last signifi cant assets as a part of the probate CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM Deborah Cox to headline Police Log Capital Pride Festival The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit participated in the following investigations: UÊ"Ê>ÞÊ££]ÊÊÌ iÊ£äääÊLVÊvÊÊ-ÌÀiiÌ]Ê °7°]Ê>ÊV«>>ÌÊÀi«ÀÌÃÊLi}ÊÌ iÊ victim of a theft in February.

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