About

2015 Gertrude Stein Officers

Every November, the Gertrude Stein Club elects officers responsible for the management, fundraising, and operations of the the organization. These officers constitute the Stein Club's Executive Committee, which helps facilitate membership activities including social and political events for Stein Club members and DC's broader community of LGBT Democrats.


The 2015 Stein Executive Committee represent both new and long time Stein members from across the District. Their vision for 2015 is to strengthen DC's voice for LGBT Democrats by expanding Stein's role in community advocacy, and ensuring that LGBT people are represented at all levels of DC government.

Earl Fowlkes - President

Earl Fowlkes serves as the President/CEO of the Center For Black Equity, Inc. (formerly the International Federation of Black Pride -IFBP). He founded the IFBP in 1999 ago as a coalition of organizers the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and South Africa formed to promote a multinational network of Black LGBT Pride and community-based organizations. There are over forty plus Black Pride events with over 350,000 attendees each year.  

Prior to working at the Center For Black Equity, Earl previously served fifteen years as the Executive Director of the DC Comprehensive AIDS Resources and Education Consortium (DC CARE Consortium) and Damien Ministries, organizations that provided services to Person Living With HIV/AIDS in Washington, DC.  Licensed as a Social Worker (New Jersey), Earl has worked on health, political and LGBTQ issues in many communities for nearly thirty years. Earl currently serves on seven on-profit boards of directors and serves as Chair of Washington, DC Mayor's GLBT Advisory Committee.  He also serves on the DC Commission on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday.

Earl has always been politically active focusing on voter registration and getting out the vote activities particularly among communities of color and LGBT Democrats.  In 2009, he was appointed by then Virginia Governor Tim Kaine as an At-Large member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).  In August 2013, Earl was reappointed, and elected Chair of the DNC LGBT Caucus.  In December 2014, he was elected President of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club which is the second oldest LGBT Democratic Club in the United States

Earl has received numerous honors and awards for his community service, and was named one of three 2013 Grand Marshalls of the Heritage of Pride (NYC Gay Pride) along with Harry Belafonte and Edith Windsor. In September 2014, Earl was given the 2014 Wanda Alston Democratic Service Award by the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club in Washington, DC.  Earl is considered an expert on LGBT and HIV/AIDS issues. He has written numerous articles and op-eds, and has  appeared on the Roland Martin and Michael Baisden shows. Earl currently resides in Washington, DC.

 ENFP.


Martín Diego Garcia - Vice President for Legislative & Political Affairs

As Director of Campaigns at the Latino Victory Project, Martín is focused on encouraging, recruiting and supporting candidates to seek public office who share Latino Victory's vision and values. He leads the organization's endorsement process and leadership development programs. 

Before joining Latino Victory's team, Martín consulted on numerous campaigns for LGBT candidates, candidates of color, independent expenditures, ballot initiatives and advocacy campaigns at The Campaign Workshop. He advised winning campaigns all over the country on strategy, messaging, direct mail and digital advertising. 

Prior to joining The Campaign Workshop, Martín was part of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Institute's political team, endorsing, supporting and training LGBT candidates running for office all over the country and at all levels of government. Martín continues to work with the Victory Institute's acclaimed candidate and campaign training program, helping to train hundreds of LGBT candidates and staff. 

Martín is a Southern California native and graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara receiving degrees in Political Science and Theatre Studies. He's also a graduate of NOI's New Media Bootcamp, a CLP New Leaders Fellow Alumni, a Congressional Chorus member and was chosen as one of IMPACT's 2014 Leaders.


Amada Fitzsimmons - Vice President for Administration

Amada Fitzsimmons is an energetic Democrat from the South Side of Chicago. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she participated in Colors of Pride - the university's LGBTQ minority club. She then went on to earn a MBA from Saint Xavier University. After SXU, Amada became active in the Chicago LGBTQ community through the Center on Halsted and a variety of intramural sports leagues. In 2012, she joined the Presidential Re-election Campaign where she served as Procurement Manager. Following the campaign, she moved to Washington D.C. to begin her current position as Technology Project Administrator for the Democratic National Committee. There, Amada has worked in database management and technology operations. She currently resides in Navy Yard and is very excited to work with the Stein Club to promote LGBTQ community and activism.


Dwayne Bensing - Secretary 

Dwayne Pic.jpg

Originally from Arkansas, Dwayne J. Bensing was President of the Young Democrats at the University of Arkansas and was a Delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention.  After graduating, he joined Teach for America and taught in inner-city Philadelphia.  After TFA, Dwayne attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School where he was President of Lambda Law.  While in Philadelphia, Dwayne was on the board of the Liberty City Democratic Club.  Since moving to DC in 2012, Dwayne was an associate at a Washington D.C. law firm where he worked on two asylum matters for gay clients and represented a transgender client in a federal discrimination lawsuit.  Dwayne is now a Trial Attorney with the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Educational Opportunities Section.  Dwayne was recognized by the LGBT Bar as one of the "Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40" in 2014.   Dwayne has been active with the Stein Democrats since 2013 and has served on the Membership Committee.  Dwayne lives in the Logan/Shaw neighborhood with his partner of 9 years, Christopher. 

Jessica Pierce - Treasurer