PHOTOS: Transgender Day of Remembrance — Blade
The D.C. observance of the Transgender Day of Remembrance was held at the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington on Nov. 20. Speakers included Ms. Monroe Alise, Kymberly Gordon of Damien Ministries, Alphonso Davis of the Human Rights Campaign, June Crenshaw of the Wanda Alston Foundation and Tiara Moten of No Justice, No Pride.
The D.C. observance of the Transgender Day of Remembrance was held at the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington on Nov. 20. Speakers included Ms. Monroe Alise, Kymberly Gordon of Damien Ministries, Alphonso Davis of the Human Rights Campaign, June Crenshaw of the Wanda Alston Foundation and Tiara Moten of No Justice, No Pride.
Helping LGBTQ Youths Facing Homelessness — U.S. News & World Report
In her role as executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, a transition housing program serving homeless LGBTQ people ages 16 to 24 in Washington, June Crenshaw has seen firsthand how vulnerable queer youth are to homelessness, and how programs like hers can make a difference.
When the Washington, D.C., officials conducted its homeless youth census in 2017 with the nonprofit Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, they found nearly a third, or 31%, of the 394 unaccompanied homeless youths under the age of 24 identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.
In her role as executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, a transition housing program serving homeless LGBTQ people ages 16 to 24 in Washington, June Crenshaw has seen firsthand how vulnerable queer youth are to homelessness, and how programs like hers can make a difference.
Homeless LGBTQ youths are more at-risk than other parts of the city's homeless population. "They become the target of hate crimes or bias crimes, they are more vulnerable to domestic violence and sexual assault, they are more vulnerable to drug use and sex work," she says. "Their vulnerability is much higher than their heterosexual counterparts."
In LGBTQ-focused programs, however, "sometimes these youths are seeing positive role models for the first time, and are able to congregate with other individuals that are like them, that have undergone the same journey," she explains. "And that's empowering, to connect with others that are experiencing something similar, and to be supported, and to support folks."
In an interview with U.S. News, she discusses the services Wanda Alston and other groups provide, why queer youth are more likely to become homeless and the resources the nation's capital needs to help the homeless LGBTQ youth population.
"On any given night, there's probably 200 to 300 individuals that are actually sleeping on the streets, or couch surfing, or trading sex for a place to live," Crenshaw says. "And the city has roughly 75 beds committed to this population. So we know that there's a big disconnect right there."
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Tell me a little bit about Wanda Alston. What does the foundation do?
We've been in operation since 2008. So we're in our 11th year of our program, we provide 18 to 20 months of transitional or group housing, or shelter to LGBT youth between the ages of 18 and 24, who are experiencing homelessness. We provide full wraparound services. So as soon as they join our program, we connect them to medical services, behavioral health, and mental health services. We support them around life skills development, so we will help them with learning how to write a resume, interviewing for a job, how to shop for food, how to prepare a meal, how to balance a bank account -- those types of life skills that are typically learned in the home. We also connect them to some support around either finding or maintaining work, or staying in school or returning to school. So our goal is essentially to stabilize them.
Why do LGBTQ homeless youth need their own shelters and housing programs?
There is a lot of hostility and discrimination that occurs, and that is directed at the community overall. The LGBT community is oftentimes under attack by society. That really trickles down to programs, creating services that really don't meet our needs. And so there are a number of youth that come to our facility from other agencies and organizations where they have reported to us that they've been attacked, or abused, or refused services, or kicked out, or that even the staff has encouraged other homeless individuals to attack them. They've been bullied and ostracized, particularly if we are talking about some of the faith-based organizations that are required to provide services to everyone that comes through their door but oftentimes don't provide those services in a culturally competent or welcoming way. We find that the most vulnerable individuals are trans men and trans women of color, gender nonconforming individuals.
What have you noticed about intersectional groups, such as trans youth or LGBTQ people of color, within the homeless population?
I would say that 99.9% of our youth (at the Wanda Alston Foundation) are black and brown. I would say probably 60-plus-percent are trans or gender non-conforming. D.C. has some of the most progressive and protective laws for LGBT folks. But there are multiple lived experiences in the D.C. area, there are very affluent individuals. And then there's a population of LGBT youth and mostly youth of color that has not had the same access to services, access to education, access to jobs -- really, a path out of poverty. Racism plays into that, particularly when you are dealing with a minority population, and there are cultural challenges with that. So, to deal with a society that is racist, or a society that is sexist, or a society that is really capitalistic or homophobic or transphobic -- you've got all those 'isms' to navigate through, without a system of support. I think it creates tons of obstacles, both emotional and literal challenges to them being successful.
Does Washington, D.C., have a bigger homelessness problem among LGBTQ youths than other parts of the U.S.?
D.C. has the highest number of LGBTQ individuals per capita. So, higher than New York, higher than Houston, higher than (cities in) California. … There's this huge disconnect around what services we can or are providing, and the services that are needed. I think our numbers are pretty consistent with other large cities. But what feels different is that we have less services and support for our LGBTQ folks. This is an affluent area that has a high number of LGBT folks here. And so, the fact that we don't have a coordinated response to the homelessness epidemic is not OK.
What do you think Washington needs to do better to help queer homeless youth?
I think that there are a patchwork of programs, and a coordinated effort by the city is needed to make sure that every not just youth, but every person that's experiencing homelessness is taken through a system of connecting them to resources. A piece of it is happening, but we've got a big epidemic here. There needs to be more resources and infrastructure and programming. … There has to be support and education and training for families around acceptance and love. There needs to be conversation with faith-based organizations on how to deal with and how to be welcoming to their LGBT congregation. In the city, there's just a lot that needs to happen that isn't happening.
Why do so many LGBTQ youth end up homeless?
The highest percentage is from family rejection. And there are youth living in rural areas, or areas in the country where they don't feel safe or seen or supported, so they leave those areas to come to the city and then find themselves not able to compete with jobs or pay the rent, and then they become homeless as a result of that. And then, there are individuals born into circumstances of poverty, or born into circumstances where parents are incarcerated or can't take care of them. But there's also some youth that say, aged out of foster care and find themselves homeless, so I think it's, it's a number of different paths, but overwhelmingly (it's because) the youth are rejected by their family.
How as working at the Wanda Alston Foundation affected you?
When I first started, I thought it was really important to spend a lot of time at the facility to learn from the youth, to learn from the staff that was there. To get a perspective that was different from someone coming from the corporate world and didn't know a lot of the process. And I had many conversations with the youths, one of which still sort of sticks with me. It was a young person of color, a woman, who said to me, "I have never seen someone like you before. I didn't know my own possibilities, because it's never been modeled."
And so I say, visibility matters. And particularly vulnerable black and brown trans and non-conforming LGBT youths need to see people like that -- that helps them to visualize a future for themselves. And so I feel like I learned a lot more about the community, more about the vulnerability, more about what I can do to make one person's life a little better.
Slain trans woman remembered at service — Blade
June Crenshaw, executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing and services for LGBT youth; and Charmaine Eccles, an executive assistant at Casa Ruby, a D.C. LGBT community services center that also provides housing and services for LGBT youth, each spoke of their interaction with Spears. They noted that Spears was a client of their respective organizations.
June Crenshaw, executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing and services for LGBT youth; and Charmaine Eccles, an executive assistant at Casa Ruby, a D.C. LGBT community services center that also provides housing and services for LGBT youth, each spoke of their interaction with Spears. They noted that Spears was a client of their respective organizations.
“She continued to drop by the Wanda Alston Foundation because she was loved,” said Crenshaw. “She was funny and sarcastic. She would send me emails in the middle of the night,” Crenshaw continued. “She had a plan. She taught me every day is an opportunity to live as yourself.”
Business of Pride: June Crenshaw — Washington Business Journal
June Crenshaw quit her job in 2012 to focus on her volunteer work as a member of the advisory board of the D.C. Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, chair of the board of Whitman-Walker Health and chair of the board of Rainbow Response Coalition.
June Crenshaw quit her job in 2012 to focus on her volunteer work as a member of the advisory board of the D.C. Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, chair of the board of Whitman-Walker Health and chair of the board of Rainbow Response Coalition.
Comic Hank Chen performs a stand-up set to raise money for the Wanda Alston Foundation
It’s why Chen agreed to perform stand-up at a fundraising tea dance for the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing and related support services to LGBTQ youth. The tea dance will also feature a musical performance by D.C.-area indie soul band Oh He Dead.
“Growing up in D.C. was hard,” says actor and comedian Hank Chen. “I went to a Christian elementary school, and when I entered sixth grade, I was called ‘gay’ or ‘fag’ every day. I remember thinking, ‘How long can I get through the day without hearing that word?’ I distinctly remember third period was the longest I could go without being name-called.”
Raised in a conservative religious household in the Glenmont-Silver Spring area, Chen’s upbringing and his naiveté about D.C.’s LGBTQ community left him deeply closeted throughout much of his college years. As such, he empathizes with struggling LGBTQ youth whose families kick them out.
“While I was never homeless or thrown out on the street, that certainly was a fear of mine,” he says. “So I have compassion for kids who find themselves in that situation. I know exactly what it’s like to feel unwanted in your own community, to disappoint your parents, to not live up to the expectations of the culture you were brought up in.”
It’s why Chen agreed to perform stand-up at a fundraising tea dance for the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing and related support services to LGBTQ youth. The tea dance will also feature a musical performance by D.C.-area indie soul band Oh He Dead.
“We’re thrilled with Hank’s involvement,” says June Crenshaw, executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation. “[He’s] been really super engaged and excited about coming back to the area, and we’re hoping we’ll be able to raise a lot of money for our work.”
Crenshaw says many of Wanda Alston’s clients often require additional services, including mental and behavioral health care, treatment for substance abuse, or life skills counseling. Providing those services can be expensive, so Chen hopes to draw in as many donors as possible with a witty, current, but decidedly “non-Beltway” routine.
Wanda Alston Foundation honored at 10th anniversary gala — Blade
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, former Mayor Anthony Williams and at least three members of the City Council joined more than 200 people who turned out on Oct. 10 for the 10th Anniversary Gala Celebration and fundraiser for the Wanda Alston Foundation.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, former Mayor Anthony Williams and at least three members of the City Council joined more than 200 people who turned out on Oct. 10 for the 10th Anniversary Gala Celebration and fundraiser for the Wanda Alston Foundation.
Bowser, Williams and D.C. Council member Brandon Todd (D-Ward 4), who were among the speakers at the event held at Ajax catering hall in Northwest D.C., hailed the group for its groundbreaking work in support of homeless LGBT youth through various programs, including its Wanda Alston House.
The foundation and house are named in honor of the life and legacy of the late Wanda Alston, a veteran D.C. LGBT rights advocate who served as the first director of the city’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs during Williams’ tenure as mayor.
“Wanda, as we know, left us too soon,” Bowser told the gathering. “She dedicated her life to building a fairer and more equal Washington, D.C.,” the mayor said.
“We know that our LGBTQ youth have special needs,” Bowser continued. “We know they’ve been bullied in school, bullied at home, bullied out in the world. And they don’t more than any other group have a safe place to live,” she said. “So, our focus on the Wanda Alston House is so critical to a very vulnerable group of people.”
In recognition of his strong support for the Alston Foundation, the foundation’s board this year named Williams the recipient of its 2018 Distinguished Service Award. Bowser presented the award to Williams on behalf of the foundation at the Oct. 10 gala.
Among those who discussed the work of the Alston Foundation at the gala were attorney Darrin Glymph, who serves as chair of the foundation’s board; June Crenshaw, the foundation’s executive director; and public relations firm executive Everett Hamilton, who served as the gala’s co-chair.
In addition to Todd, D.C. Council members Robert White (D-At-Large) and Kenyon McDuffie (D-Ward 5) also attended the gala.
Glymph surprised many in the audience when he recounted how financial problems the Alston Foundation was encountering two years ago prompted the board to consider shutting the organization down. He praised Crenshaw for playing an important role, along with the board and staff, to help navigate the group out of what had become a crisis.
“First of all, I want to thank June Crenshaw,” Glymph told the gathering. “She is amazing. And she’s been a blessing to us,” he said. “But tonight she was very kind because what she didn’t tell you is that when she was hired about two years ago, she was hired as an interim executive director. And she was tasked with closing down the Wanda Alston Foundation,” he said.
Glymph said the board a short time later decided to put in place a stepped-up fundraising plan to keep the doors open and move past earlier funding shortages that brought about a $120,000 deficit.
“I am just overwhelmed by the support we have received this evening from the community,” Glymph told the Washington Blade in discussing the wide range of contributions made by corporate supporters, small businesses, and individual donors.
“I just knew that there was love for Wanda Alston and the work that we’ve been doing to help the homeless youth,” he said. “But tonight, the community responded and its’ just been amazing.”
He said the gala raised about $65,000 for the foundation and its work.
Glymph, Crenshaw, and other Alston Foundation officials and those attending the gala said they were moved by an Alston House resident identified as Rene who spoke at the event and who, according to Crenshaw, exemplifies how the Wanda Alston Foundation has helped change people’s lives.
In brief remarks that included singing and poetic verse, Rene told of her experiences as a homeless “gay girl” on the streets of D.C. and her transformation into a life of hope through her stay at the Alston House.
“Imagine you are opening your eyes and you’re covered in baggage,” she told the gathering. “Totally laying on your chest a duffle bag that’s filled with your belongings; a travel pack of confusion in your heart; a satchel of depression on your shoulders,” she recounted.
“I never thought I would be here today singing these lyrics with such passion in the full knowledge of what it means to be a bag lady, dragging my life behind me with no way to safely lay my burdens,” she continued.
“I finally found a place of peace within this foundation that I’ve been searching for,” she said. “They say home is where the heart is. And Wanda Alston became my heart. The director, the staff, the residents there, they all became my family,” she said weeping and sobbing.
“I built, I made, I thrived within this foundation — something I never thought I could do on my own. This foundation opened their heart to me and told me the world is yours…And that’s all the foundation has been to me — unimaginable support.”
The audience responded with a tumultuous, prolonged round of applause and cheers when she completed her remarks.
Alston Foundation to celebrate 10 years — Blade
The Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides transitional housing and support services for homeless LGBT youth, is inviting members of the LGBT community and its allies to attend its 10th anniversary celebration and fundraiser scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 10.
The Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides transitional housing and support services for homeless LGBT youth, is inviting members of the LGBT community and its allies to attend its 10th anniversary celebration and fundraiser scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 10.
The event, called Health Housing Hope: An Evening of Cocktails and Dancing, will be held at Ajax D.C. nightclub at 1011 4th St., N.W. from 6:30-10 p.m.
Among those scheduled to attend is D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, a longtime supporter of the Alston Foundation. The foundation is named in honor of the late Wanda Alston, a vocal LGBT rights supporter who was appointed by Williams as the first cabinet-level Director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
“For the past 10 years, the Wanda Alston Foundation has provided housing, health, and hope to the most vulnerable LGBTQ homeless youth in the District of Columbia,” a statement released by the foundation says. “Join us to celebrate our legacy, history, and achievement of creating a safe and welcoming home for D.C.’s most at-risk population – its homeless children!”
Among other things, the Alston Foundation operates the Wanda Alston House, which provides temporary housing of up to 18 months to LGBT youth in need along with life skills development training, case management, and connections to medical and mental health care services.
Cherry Fund to donate more than $50,000 to local D.C. nonprofits
Cherry will present over $23,000 in checks from its Direct Grant Fund to organizations offering HIV services, including $10,000 to the Inova Juniper Program, which is the largest provider of HIV/AIDS care in Northern Virginia. $4,000 will go to the TransLatin@ Coalition, with smaller awards benefitting the Wanda Alston Foundation, Metro DC PFLAG, TransLAW, and Casa Ruby.
Cherry will present over $23,000 in checks from its Direct Grant Fund to organizations offering HIV services, including $10,000 to the Inova Juniper Program, which is the largest provider of HIV/AIDS care in Northern Virginia. $4,000 will go to the TransLatin@ Coalition, with smaller awards benefitting the Wanda Alston Foundation, Metro DC PFLAG, TransLAW, and Casa Ruby.
SPOTLIGHTING LGBT HOMELESSNESS: Alston House celebrates a decade in operation — Blade
The first LGBT youth-focused shelter in D.C. is continuing its legacy of serving one of the most vulnerable demographics.
The Wanda Alston House and Foundation, now in its 10th year of service, serves LGBT individuals ages 16-24. The residential home-turned-shelter currently houses eight people, and hundreds have been through its doors over the last decade. The house is named after the late Wanda Alston, a D.C.-based LGBT activist who was murdered near her home in 2005.
The first LGBT youth-focused shelter in D.C. is continuing its legacy of serving one of the most vulnerable demographics.
The Wanda Alston House and Foundation, now in its 10th year of service, serves LGBT individuals ages 16-24. The residential home-turned-shelter currently houses eight people, and hundreds have been through its doors over the last decade. The house is named after the late Wanda Alston, a D.C.-based LGBT activist who was murdered near her home in 2005.
Individuals enter the program based on their level of vulnerability and what kind of care the city’s homeless management providers think will best fit that person’s circumstances. The facility provides 24-hour support for residents through counseling, mental and medical health services. Tuition assistance and professional development is provided and other life skill services such as learning how to balance a checkbook, shop for groceries and manage a credit score are also offered. Residents receive three meals a day, clothing and toiletries as well as other necessities like Metro cards.
Full-time staff is trained, culturally competent and trauma-informed to ensure that all residents are supported. The operations manager and case manager work full-time at the house to make sure that everything runs smoothly and a clinical supervisor is also full-time to provide assessments and connect residents with the support they need.
The staff works together as an agency and as individuals to connect with the youths and help them cope, give support and help them navigate their lives. Sometimes that can be difficult and residents can respond by acting out.
“We are dealing with homeless youth that are isolated and rejected by the community,” says June Crenshaw, executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation. “They’re forced to survive some unspeakable situations. Most, if not all, arrive having experienced some severe trauma. This can show up in less-than-positive ways like addiction, inability to cope with stress or not being able to navigate positive communication skills. But they’re human and they’ve had to endure circumstances that most of us couldn’t survive.”
Crenshaw, a self-identified “old-fashioned” lesbian and woman of color, says most youth in the program are women of color.
“When I started in this role two years ago, a resident came to me and said she never saw a person that looked like me in a leadership role. That stuck with me,” she says. “I’m proud to be a brown woman of the community that’s working hard to make things better.”
The program at the Wanda Alston House is slightly different from the programs at other LGBT shelters, she says. There are certain requirements that the residents must participate in that help them accomplish their personal goals within the 18-24 months they live there.
“We provide connections and care in all the ways that a person would need,” Crenshaw says.
After leaving the house, individuals stay connected to the care at the facility for 90 days-six months. Staff continues to support them however they need it — like buying groceries, clothes or Metro cards and finding housing and employment as well as providing case management to help them navigate other support and services available.
Crenshaw says there’s an “epidemic of LGBT homelessness.” Around 50 percent of the homeless youth in D.C. are LGBT-identifying. At the Wanda Alston House, residents “talk and share experiences around being treated differently, misgendered, disrespected, attacked and discriminated against.”
She says the city is committed to the youth but that in homeless centers that are not culturally sensitive to LGBT people, “grave mistreatments” can occur.
“Our population is trending as the most affected by homelessness and mental health issues,” she says. “We have a responsibility to do better by our youth, make sure they stay safe and are allowed to thrive. Facilities like ours are needed as long as these circumstances exist.”
The facility costs slightly over half a million dollars to run each year and most comes from local government offices such as the Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs. Grant dollars are used to run the shelter and pay staff, but that doesn’t cover all the expenses. They also rely on fundraising and the LGBT community and allies to support them. Donations amount to 25 percent of the budget.
Although D.C. has some of the most progressive laws in the nation and has been widely noted as one of the U.S. cities LGBT individuals can feel most open and supported, the competitive job market and high cost of living creates difficulties for LGBT people. LGBT people of color are more likely to be unemployed and represent a large portion of impoverished individuals and victims, Crenshaw says.
D.C. has the highest number per capita of LGBT individuals compared to other American cities. Crenshaw says not enough of the resources the city provides for homeless people are going to LGBT organizations and there is a lot of work yet to be done to resolve this epidemic.
The Wanda Alston House, however, has survived the turbulence of 10 years of operation and Crenshaw says they are ready and looking forward to at least another 10.
PHOTOS: Wanda Alston Gala — Blade
The Wanda Alston Foundation held its 10th anniversary celebration at a gala at AJAX on Wednesday. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser presented former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams with an award. The Wanda Alston Foundation supports the Wanda Alston House which provides housing and support for homeless LGBTQ youth. (Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Wanda Alston Foundation held its 10th anniversary celebration at a gala at AJAX on Wednesday. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser presented former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams with an award. The Wanda Alston Foundation supports the Wanda Alston House which provides housing and support for homeless LGBTQ youth. (Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Your one-stop spot for 2018 D.C. Pride events
D.C. Front Runners hosts its sixth annual D.C. Pride Run 5K at Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St., S.E.) on Friday, June 8 at 7 p.m. After the race, there will be a Finish Line Party with beer for race participants, a live DJ, entertainment and awards for the race’s top performers. This year’s race benefits the Team D.C. Student-Athlete Scholarship, the Wanda Alston Foundation, Casa Ruby LGBT Community Center and SMYAL. For registration details, visit dcfrpriderun.com.
Brother Help Thyself awards $75,000 in grants — Blade
In addition to awarding the grants, BHT issued four annual community service awards: The Anthony J. Bachrach Award for Outstanding Service to an individual to Baltimore activist Rik Newton-Treadway; the Billy Collison Award “to an underdog and grantee” to the D.C. Latino GLBT History Project; the George Dodson Business Award to a business supportive of the LGBT community to the Baltimore Eagle; and the Founders Award to a non-profit to the D.C. Wanda Alston Foundation.
The LGBT charitable group Brother Help Thyself on Jan. 20 presented grants totaling $75,000 to 34 non-profit organizations serving the LGBT and HIV/AIDS communities in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore region.
In addition to awarding the grants, BHT issued four annual community service awards: The Anthony J. Bachrach Award for Outstanding Service to an individual to Baltimore activist Rik Newton-Treadway; the Billy Collison Award “to an underdog and grantee” to the D.C. Latino GLBT History Project; the George Dodson Business Award to a business supportive of the LGBT community to the Baltimore Eagle; and the Founders Award to a non-profit to the D.C. Wanda Alston Foundation.
Bowser announces 2018 LGBTQ grant awards — Blade
The LGBT groups receiving the grants are the Metro D.C. Center for the LGBT Community; the Wanda Alston Foundation; and Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced on Oct. 30 that the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs has awarded a combined $75,000 in grant funding to six community-based organizations for services to LGBT homeless youth and families in the District.
The LGBT groups receiving the grants are the Metro D.C. Center for the LGBT Community; the Wanda Alston Foundation; and Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc.
Get your Pride on — Blade
18th & U Duplex Diner (2004 18th St., N.W.) hosts its D.C. Pride kickoff party on Saturday, June 3 from 2-6 p.m. Brock Thompson, Jonathan Shields and Beaumont Brackeen will guest bartend for the night. All tips benefit the Wanda Alston Foundation.
D.C. gets into the spirit of Pride early with events occurring all over the city.
18th & U Duplex Diner (2004 18th St., N.W.) hosts its D.C. Pride kickoff party on Saturday, June 3 from 2-6 p.m. Brock Thompson, Jonathan Shields and Beaumont Brackeen will guest bartend for the night. All tips benefit the Wanda Alston Foundation.
Brother Help Thyself awards $75,000 in grants — Blade
Other D.C.-based LGBT or LGBT supportive groups receiving BHT grants included New Ways Ministry, Inc., PFLAG – Metro D.C., Rainbow History Project, SMYAL, Wanda Alston Foundation, and the Washington Renegades Rugby Football Club, Inc.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser joined more than 100 people who turned out on Jan. 28 at the D.C. Eagle for the LGBT charitable group Brother Help Thyself’s annual grant awards reception.
Brother Help Thyself officials presented checks totaling $75,170 in grants during the event to representatives of 30 nonprofit organizations serving the LGBT HIV/AIDS communities in the D.C. and Baltimore regions.
Other D.C.-based LGBT or LGBT supportive groups receiving BHT grants included New Ways Ministry, Inc., PFLAG – Metro D.C., Rainbow History Project, SMYAL, Wanda Alston Foundation, and the Washington Renegades Rugby Football Club, Inc.
Trump order threatens D.C. charities — Blade
Other LGBT community organizations that receive various amounts of D.C. government funds and that could be impacted by the Trump executive order include Casa Ruby, a bilingual LGBT community services center that assists LGBT Latino immigrants among other LGBT clients; SMYAL, which provides services for LGBT youth; and the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing services for homeless LGBT youth.
LGBT community service organizations like Whitman-Walker Health, Casa Ruby, and SMYAL could face a sharp cutback or loss of D.C. government funds under an executive order issued on Jan. 25 by President Donald Trump aimed at so-called sanctuary cities.
Other LGBT community organizations that receive various amounts of D.C. government funds and that could be impacted by the Trump executive order include Casa Ruby, a bilingual LGBT community services center that assists LGBT Latino immigrants among other LGBT clients; SMYAL, which provides services for LGBT youth; and the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing services for homeless LGBT youth.
June Crenshaw: Dear President Trump — Metro Weekly
Dear President Trump,
Sixty nine days ago, you were elected to become our next president. Since then, I have experienced a lot of feelings, but the main one has been that of dismay. This election has changed the way I look at my neighbors, family and friends. I am suspicious of who would have voted against my very existence. I am scared and unsettled. I don’t know what to expect or what to do to ensure my safety or well-being.
Dear President Trump,
Sixty nine days ago, you were elected to become our next president. Since then, I have experienced a lot of feelings, but the main one has been that of dismay. This election has changed the way I look at my neighbors, family and friends. I am suspicious of who would have voted against my very existence. I am scared and unsettled. I don’t know what to expect or what to do to ensure my safety or well-being.
June Crenshaw — Photo: Todd Franson / File photo
My trust in the very process that I have participated with since I was 18 doesn’t feel reliable or trustworthy. The really horrible thing about my situation, Mr. President, is that I am probably one of the privileged ones. Yes, I am black and lesbian. Yes, your campaign rhetoric targeted me as a woman, as a person of color and as an LGBTQ person. Yes, your hateful and hurtful platform directly undermined the work around equality, diversity and inclusion that I have personally been dedicated to for many, years. Your cabinet selections have shown that you are committed to doing harm to a large portion of the American population.
Despite this, your presidency will probably have the least impact on my life and well-being. You see, sir, my fear is not for me. It is for our most vulnerable population. I am outraged and dismayed by the harm that will be caused to our LGBTQ youth, especially our LGBTQ homeless youth. I am afraid for our undocumented sisters and brothers — especially our undocumented LGBTQ sisters and brothers.
I am afraid for the many black and brown kids that have to live in a country that currently doesn’t honor or respect their existence. I have so many friends and family with little or no hope in the system, with little or no hope in their future. I am so worried about how to continue to make progress towards full equality for us all. It feels as though this election has taken away my ability to be effective in my community.
“This election has changed the way I look at my neighbors, family and friends. I am suspicious of who would have voted against my very existence.”
You know, Mr. President, I have to be honest. I am not being completely forthright. Although everything I have shared is true, it’s not the complete story. My fear is also for me. I have been sent into a tailspin and I don’t know what to do to stop the panic within me. I have been stunned and silenced for sixty nine days, and that scares me more than anything you can threw at me. My silence has shown me just how vulnerable I really am and it has been shocking to me. I am holding my breath and bracing for the worst. Fortunately, I can’t stay in the position for much longer. In fact, sixty nine days has been too long.
Mr. President, I don’t want to fight you for the next four years. I don’t want to be on heightened alert or scrutinize every word you say or every action you take. But, sir, that is exactly what I plan to do.
June Crenshaw
Interim Executive Director
The Wanda Alston Foundation
@junecrenshaw
LGBTQ Job Fair slated for Jan. 17 — Blade
According to the announcement, many employers will be available at the event to discuss job opportunities. Among them, it says, will be the Wanda Alston Foundation, SMYAL, Whitman-Walker Health, and St. John’s Community Services, a non-profit organization that provides services to people with disabilities.
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs announced this week it will host a Fresh Start LGBTQ Job Fair on Tuesday, Jan. 17, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the city’s Reeves Center municipal building at 2000 14th St., N.W.
According to the announcement, many employers will be available at the event to discuss job opportunities. Among them, it says, will be the Wanda Alston Foundation, SMYAL, Whitman-Walker Health, and St. John’s Community Services, a non-profit organization that provides services to people with disabilities.
Glymph to chair Alston Foundation board — Blade
Congratulations to Darrin Glymph who has been named the chair of the board of directors at the Wanda Alston Foundation (WAF). Glymph succeeds Chris Hartmann, who remains a member of the board. The Wanda Alston Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that LGBTQ youth have access to services that improve their overall quality of life through advocacy and programming. The WAF advocates for increased resources for youth while providing programs including: housing, life skills training, linkages to other social services, and capacity building assistance for other community allies.
The Wanda Alston Foundation opened its doors in 2008 as the only housing program in Washington, D.C., solely dedicated to offering pre-independent transitional living and support services to homeless or at-risk LGBTQ youth ages 16 to 24 in all eight wards. Thanks to the Foundation’s donors and benefactors, scores of youths have passed through its doors before going on to find permanent housing.
Wanda Alston Foundation Executive Director June Crenshaw said, “Darrin is a mover and a shaker with a deep passion for LGBTQ homeless youth and the work of the Wanda Alston Foundation. We are excited to welcome him to the board. We know his vision, his phenomenal energy and his expertise in so many areas will be extremely valuable as the Wanda Alston Foundation continues to grow and expand both our organization and the work we do.”
A friend and associate of the late Wanda Alston, for whom the foundation is named, Glymph worked with her when she served as Mayor Anthony Williams’ Special Assistant for LGBT Affairs to build public support for a transitional housing residence for LGBTQ homeless youth.
Glymph said, “I am very proud to join the board and lead the important efforts of the Wanda Alston Foundation. Wanda always thought about our community and what she could do to help – to change it – to make it better, especially for our LGBTQ youth. I am honored to be a part of her legacy and continuing her work.”
Glymph has been active in the LGBT community for many years lending his legal expertise and leadership to a myriad of issues concerning the community. He has served as an officer of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club and has been honored by DC Black Pride. Glymph is partner and head of the Public Finance team in the D.C. office of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. He is a member of the District of Columbia and Virginia Bars and attended Williams College and Tulane University School of Law. For more information on the WAF and how you can help, go to wandaalstonfoundation.org.
20 black LGBT leaders discuss the new African American history museum — Metro Weekly
On any given night in Washington, D.C., on the streets of the Nation's Capital, there are 200 to 300 LGBTQ homeless youth sleeping on sidewalks and weather grates and under bridges and overpasses. Despite the bone-chilling cold of winter and the suffocating summer nights, these young people are attempting to survive the overwhelming odds of the elements in a city that allocates only 75 beds to LGBTQ homeless youth. These youth are already facing heartbreaking marginalization, rejection and trauma solely because of their gender identity and sexual orientation. For over a decade, the Wanda Alston Foundation has been providing shelter and supporting LGBTQ youth ages 16 to 24 who are experiencing homelessness. In my four years of leading this organization, which provides life-saving and transformative services, I have never been more concerned about the future of our young people with the Trump-Pence administration proposing federal regulations to intentionally enable discrimination against LGBTQ youth in need and other vulnerable communities in federally funded programs.
“I love American history. When I visit a town, the first thing I do is find the local museum.”
For months, Earl J. Fowlkes drove past the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, watching as the building slowly took shape. And now, on the cusp of its official opening, Saturday, Sept. 24, he’s overjoyed.
“This is our museum,” he says. “It’s our history.”
That history — over 400 years of oppression, liberation, struggle, recognition, pain, joy, achievement, and one incredible dream — is compressed into the 400,000-square-foot museum, at the intersection of Constitution Ave. NW and 14th St. NW. It has taken more than a decade to complete, and if there is one sentiment nearly universal among members of D.C.’s black LGBT community, it’s that the museum’s launch is long overdue.
JUNE CRENSHAW (55, Executive Director of Wanda Alston Foundation): I am really looking forward to experiencing it with my 7-year-old granddaughter. She and I spend a lot of time at the National Museum of the American Indian, Air and Space, and Natural History. I can’t wait to see her reaction to touring the museum and being surrounded by history and people that look like her.
CRENSHAW: It’s very important. When I first started in my position as Executive Director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, I had an African American lesbian resident of the Wanda Alston House come to me to say she had never seen or known a lesbian like me before, and that she wanted to be just like me. I am not special, but what that experience emphasized for me is that we don’t have enough LGBTQ role models that our youth can connect with. We don’t have a place to learn our LGBTQ history. Covering LGBTQ issues and history will fill a gap in our community.