LGBTQ+ youth are invited to join thousands of youth from across the country for the NYC Youth Pride 2021 Watch party at 3 p.m. at the Eaton D.C. This free event will be hosted by the Wanda Alston Foundation in collaboration with NYC Pride. The event includes refreshments, DJ, and streaming entertainment from NYC Youth Pride. Youth up to age 24 admitted. To save a spot, visit Eventbrite.

The D.C.-based Wanda Alston Foundation, which since 2008 has provided transitional housing for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness, has announced it will open in June the first-ever D.C. housing program for transgender men of color.

Local non-profits, HIPS, SMYAL, the Wanda Alston Foundation, Casa Ruby, and many other organizations, provide critical resources to support at-risk individuals to ensure they have basic human resources to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. These non-profits also provide essential services throughout the year to uplift individuals at all stages of life, and fight to combat hate crime rates in the District. 

The Wanda Alston Foundation hosts its first virtual fundraising event supporting LGBTQ youth tonight at 7 p.m. Tiered donation tickets are available via Eventbrite. The evening event includes stories, entertainment and an auction all to support the foundation’s efforts to eradicate LGBTQ youth homelessness in DC. Visit wandaalstonfoundation.org for more information.

Wanda Alston Foundation Executive Director June Crenshaw said their mission is to improve the lives of LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness, and noted reduced public transportation routes due to the pandemic disproportionately impact minority youth trying to get to work.

The LGBTQ members appointed by Mendelson include Kent Boese, a Mt. Pleasant Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner and current president of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club; Jeffrey Richardson, former Stein Club president, former director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs under Mayor Vincent Gray, and founder and principal of Enspired Muse Coaching and Management; Sultan Shakir, executive director of the LGBTQ youth advocacy group SMYAL; and Kurt Vorndran, former Stein Club president, longtime member of the D.C. Police Complaints Board, and member of the board of the Wanda Alston Foundation.

Crenshaw said the Alston Foundation would use the grant funds, among other things, to help ensure that its clients who live in two group homes in Ward 1 and Ward 7 have the proper training and equipment to protect against the risk of coronavirus infection. In addition to providing proper equipment for clients and staff such as face masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer, Crenshaw said the funds would be used to pay for professional deep cleaning of all rooms within the group homes.

The Front Runners have bumped their annual Pride Run 5k to Oct. 10 but they still wanted to do something for Pride month so they’re planning a virtual Run for Love June 13-22 in which they’ll raise money through $30 registration fees for local LGBT charities. Last year’s Pride run had 1,600 participants and raised $40,000. This year’s charities are the Wanda Alston Foundation, Casa Ruby, Teens Run D.C., The Blade Foundation, Ainsley’s Angels and the Team D.C. Scholarship Fund. Details at runforlovedc.com. Runners will submit times by June 21 and a virtual awards ceremony will be held online.

June Crenshaw, executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, which among other things operates the Wanda Alston House for homeless LGBT youth in Northeast D.C., said the coronavirus outbreak has had an adverse impact on both the foundation’s finances and the nine youth who reside at the Alston House.

“Obviously, as a shelter we are essential and still open and doing business,” Crenshaw said, adding that new protocols had to be developed to ensure the safety of the staff and youth residing at the Alston House.

Eight groups united to submit the request — the ANC Rainbow Caucus, Capital Pride Alliance, The D.C. Center, GLAA, SMYAL, the Wanda Alston Foundation, Whitman-Walker Health and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington.

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.

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 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.

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.