Pioneering D.C. gay rights advocate Frank Kameny died yesterday. He was 86.

This weekend proved to be another violent weekend for the transgendered community as the Metropolitan Police Department struggles to assess its reaction to bias crimes. Police officials suspect a transgender women found unconscious at 11th and Fairmont Streets, NW early Saturday morning and later died at Howard University Hospital may have been a victim of homicide. An autopsy is pending before a final determination of death and the woman’s identity. According to the Washington…

LGBT groups around D.C. are questioning the D.C. Police Department’s decision to omit the transgender identity of a woman killed early Wednesday morning in Northeast. In a press release after the shooting, MPD had originally identified the transgendered woman’s legal name, Myles Mclean, who had started using the name Lashai Mclean following a gender transition several years ago. Although Mayor Vincent Gray acknowledge Mclean’s transgender status in his own press release, the police department…

When legislation allowing the District to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states came to a first vote before the D.C. Council, it received unanimous support. On its second vote, Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) — a “moral politician,” or so he called himself at the time — switched sides and voted against it. Now as a battle heats up over a possible referendum on the issue and future legislation that would fully…

If you’re down on the National Mall this weekend and see, oh, 12,000 flags stuck in the ground, don’t be alarmed. The Federal Government hasn’t started an experimental flag farm, nor is the display an effort of the area’s squirrels to show their patriotism. The flags have been planted to represent the 12,000 members of the United States military who have been discharged under the practice of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The policy, which governs…

Today is National Coming Out Day, a day when gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are encouraged to be open about who they are. The annual observance began on October 11, 1988, exactly one year after the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. (The first one was held October 14, 1979.) While there aren’t usually major events to commemorate the day, there are a couple of local events that coincide with…

It’s back to school time, and that means we’re once again recruiting new writers to become part of our growing team of city bloggers. As you know, we aren’t able to pay our contributors — so please don’t apply unless you’re ready to do it for the love of exploring D.C., engaging in important debates about the direction of the city, or are just the kind of person who’s happy enough to see your name…

In their coverage of the Capital Pride Festival, which kicked off yesterday and will culminate in a parade and street festival this weekend, the Post gives an account of a town hall meeting on GLBT issues last night at Studio Theatre where Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) said he plans to introduce a bill legalizing gay marriage in the District within the next two years. Graham appeared on the panel with several other openly…

If you didn’t muster the courage to apply for the D.C. Comedy Fest back in January, then at the very least, watch the people who did. Starting tonight, the fest will feature three night’s worth of shows, including an ode to what Bush did right, finalists in a short comedy film fest and auditions for Leno and Lettermen where big-deal bookers like Bob Read of Last Comic Standing will hover in the audience, sniffing out…

Written by DCist contributor Christopher Durocher In anticipation of the September 12 District primaries, the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance (GLAA) of D.C. released its ratings for mayoral candidates last week. The ratings, which score candidates from +10 to -10 based on their support for the GLBT community and its issues, ranked D.C. Council Chair Linda Cropp the top candidate with a +9.5 rating, while Councilmember Vincent Orange found himself at the bottom of the…