DC's LGBT communities will have a tremendous impact in next week's special election. To help ensure a strong LGBT presence in the Special Election, the Gertrude Stein Club has released this guide clarifying information about voting locations, and outlining members' views on the Home Rule amendment and the At-Large City Council candidates.

View the resource below or download it here.

To aid Stein members and the larger DC LGBT community in learning more about the candidates for the At-Large City Council seat, the Stein Club is sharing below the responses to the Stein Club's questionnaire surveying candidates on their stances on LGBT equality issues. As the April 23rd Special Election draws near, DC residents are looking to better understand the candidates and issues at stake.

The Stein Club asked each of the candidates to complete the questionnaire. They represent each candidates' record and vision for improving the lives of DC's LGBT community.

Angela Peoples, Stein Club Vice President for Political and Legislative Affairs, said "The questions posed to the candidates in the questionnaire reflect only a small number of issues facing the LGBT community, but they provide a big picture view of how the candidates might represent our community once they are in office."

Stein President Martin Garcia added, "Stein Club members and DC LGBT community members should use these questionnaires as a resource to help them learn more about the candidates. We will all have an opportunity to push the candidates more on our issues at our upcoming Endorsement Forum where each of the candidates will appeal to Stein members for the Club's endorsement."

The Special Election Endorsement Forum
Thursday, March 21, 2013
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Metropolitan Community Church
474 Ridge St., NW (Mt. Vernon/Convention Center Metro)

RSVP here.

All five Democratic candidates submitted responses and they are posted here in the order they were received.

Matthew Frumin
Elissa Silverman
Paul Zukerberg
Anita Bonds
Michael Brown*

*In lieu of submitting the Gertrude Stein Club's 2013 questionnaire, Brown resubmitted an earlier version of the questionnaire for review here.

In recognition of National Black HIV/AIDS Day, the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club joins the voices of advocates calling for more resources to address this epidemic. The District of Columbia's LGBT, African American, and LGBT African American communities have been disproportionately impacted by HIV and AIDS.

Nearly three percent of the DC population lives with HIV, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The DC Department of Health found that one in 16 African American men in DC is living with HIV or AIDS, and the rate of infection among black women in DC's poorest neighborhoods has exceeded 12 percent, doubling since 2010. And a 2012 Black AIDS Institute report found that gay Black men account for one in four new HIV infections each year.

In observance of Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Gertrude Stein Club's Vice President of Political & Legislative Affairs said, "The impact of HIV and AIDS in our communities is all too real, touching many of our loved ones. During this month, when we celebrate and honor the achievements of African Americans throughout history, the need to combat and end this epidemic has never been more urgent."

The Gertrude Stein Club looks forward to working with and supporting local efforts to diminish the impact of this epidemic in all of our communities. Residents are invited to Whitman-Walker Clinic's free testing clinics throughout the District. Learn more about the hours and testing locations here.

This past weekend, Mayor Vincent Gray announced a partnership between the Mayor's Office of GLBT Affairs and the U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO) that will enhance USAO's ability to bring criminals to justice in cases where hate or bias might have been a factor in a crime committed against an individual who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).

Gertrude Stein Democratic Club Vice President for Legislative & Political Affairs Angela Peoples applauded the partnership:

"The Mayor's announcement is a positive step toward stemming the tide of hate crimes targeting the LGBT community. This kind of cooperation between the Office of GLBT Affairs, local and federal law enforcement is necessary to show the District that hate crimes perpetrated against LGBT people will not be tolerated."

Mayor Gray announced the partnership at the memorial service for Deoni Jones, a transgender woman who was killed last February at a bus stop in Washington, D.C. Gray said, "While this partnership will not bring Deoni back, it will give the LGBT community more power to affect the sentences handed down to violent criminals, helping to keep them off our streets."

"The Stein club applauds this effort and we look forward to working with elected officials, organizations and community leaders to end Anti-LGBT violence, " said Peoples.

Read Mayor Vincent Gray's full statement here.

In November 2012, we re-elected the most pro-equality president in U.S. history, and brought to Congress a groundbreaking 7 openly lesbian, gay, and bisexual lawmakers.

This week, we mark the start of their terms in office. But more importantly, we celebrate the hard work of LGBT Democrats like you that knocked on doors and raised money to ensure their victories.

Date: Saturday, January 19, 2013

Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location: Black Fox Lounge, Lower Level, 1723 Connecticut Ave., NW

Please join the Gertrude Stein Club, Transgender United for Obama and the DC LGBT Center at this cocktail reception to kick-off your Inauguration Weekend activities. Drink specials will be available for guests.

Special Guests:

Congressmember Mark Pocan (D-WI)

Congressmember Mark Takano(D-CA)

Host Committee:

Courtney Snowden

Andrew Williams & Shawn Werner

Mark Anthony Dingbaum

Jason Mida

Denis Dison

Zeke Stokes & Troy Cassel

Earl Fowlkes

Click here to learn more and purchase your ticket(s).