Photo courtesy NationalStonewall Democrats.
Last Friday, Mayor Vince Gray announced that he would be appointing Jeffrey Richardson, the current president of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, as director of the the city’s Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs. Many are hoping that Gray, who called Richardson “a respected and credible voice for the GLBT community,” will have a more robust relationship with Richardson than previous mayor Adrian Fenty had with Christopher Dyer, the last GLBT liason who admitted that he never met with Fenty face-to-face during his term to discuss issues.
As he announced Richardson as the new director, Gray said the right thing, telling the media, “I don’t think there’s any question that I will spend a lot of time with Jeff. We know each other. We have a great relationship. And I want to be a part of helping to support his efforts.”
Of course, one person who apparently doesn’t have “a great relationship” with Richardson is Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry. In his role as Stein Club president, Richardson called out Barry after he appeared at a rally with same-sex marriage opponent Bishop Harry Jackson in 2009:
Members of The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club have had a long history of support for Councilmember Barry going back to his first mayoral campaign, “but that ended today,” says Stein Club President Jeffrey Richardson.
“The Stein Club may have endorsed Mr. Barry in 2008, but we cannot and will not support him, or any other DC elected official, that is willing to use our community’s fight for equality as a divisive political game. Yesterday Mr. Barry not only voiced his opposition for marriage equality in the District of Columbia, but he stood side by side with people he proclaimed as the moral leaders of our community as they fanned the flames of hate, bigotry, and intolerance,” stated by Jeffrey Richardson, President Gertrude Stein Democratic Club.
Barry, of course, has hardly been shy in his support for the new Mayor of late. Here’s hoping that a potential political hang-up doesn’t lead the new Mayor to renege on his promise to maintain an open line of communication with the new LGBT liason.
UPDATE: And wouldn’t you know it: guess which current Councilmember has oversight over the Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs!
