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| Revs. Dennis & Christine Wiley, Covenant Baptist Church |
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HOME > LOCAL LIFE > BEST OF GAY DC
COMMENTS
 
The Blade’s annual roundup of the Best of Gay D.C. includes many perennial favorites, like Annie’s and JR.’s, along with a few fresh faces that help keep this city lively and dynamic.
In a year marked by disappointments on the gay rights front — from anti-gay marriage amendments winning approval in 11 states on Election Day to the untimely death of activist Wanda Alston to a push by the Catholic Church to bar gay seminarians — it is refreshing to read the story of Revs. Dennis and Christine Wiley, two pro-gay ministers who preside at Covenant Baptist Church. The Wileys are our pick for best straight ally.
Blade readers voted for the best of gay D.C. in our online poll, while the editors debated choices that frequently diverged from the readers’ picks. Chris Crain, Kevin Naff, Rhonda Smith, Ken Sain, Brian Moylan, Lou Chibbaro Jr., Eartha Melzer, Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg, Katherine Volin, Jorge Valencia and Patrick Folliard contributed to this year’s guide.
It’s one thing to turn out a dance floor with the latest house music, but it’s a whole different challenge running the city’s most successful retro night. Cobalt’s Jason Royce, who also serves as the bar’s promotions manager and books its DJs, plays every other Saturday night to a packed crowd and every Tuesday night for those who come out to hear all the classics from the ’70s and ’80s at the venue’s retro night. Though he only started behind the turntables in 2001, Royce quickly learned what the crowd reacts to and delivers tunes that are as danceable as they are distinctive. His vision has certainly made Cobalt one of the city’s premier venues for gay dance music.
Jason Royce
www.djjasonroyce.com
This is Harris’ third appearance in this survey, and it’s not by mistake. No one mixes it up like this former military boy, who spins regularly in town at both Cobalt and Apex and the annual Cherry circuit party, but also in places like Baltimore, Philadelphia, Rehoboth Beach, Del. and Provincetown, Mass. D.C.-based party promoter Don Turner selected him to co-headline his annual “Soaking Wet” summer party in New York City because of Harris’ fun sound and choice of music that will always keep the crowd moving. With a track record like his, don’t be surprised to find Harris on more “best of” lists.
Rob Harris
www.djrobharris.com
Gay organizations and activist leaders have praised Robert York, the longtime director of Capital Pride who resigned from the post in July, for his skills in coordinating D.C.’s Gay Pride event since 1999.
Last October, the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce presented York with its Excellence in Community Service Award, saying his leadership on behalf of Capital Pride has had a positive impact on the community.
York resigned this summer as director of Capital Pride as well as from his role as director of the Clinic’s AIDS Walk, which took place on Oct. 1. He did not publicly disclose a reason.
It followed the resignation of the Clinic’s development director and chief fund-raiser, Tim Turnham, and a series of resignations of upper- and middle-level managers at Whitman-Walker earlier in 2005.
Longtime gay civil rights advocate Phil Pannell’s highly vocal and visible efforts this year to get organizers of the Millions More Movement to include black gay men and women in organizing the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March seems to be paying off in various ways.
During a planning meeting earlier this year at D.C.’s Union Temple Baptist Church, Pannell asked Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan whether black gay people would be welcome to take part in all aspects of the Millions More Movement. Farrakhan said yes, according to Pannell.
Subsequently, black gay supporters of the upcoming event were not invited to attend a May 2 news conference announcing the massive rally geared toward empowering African Americans.
Pannell and ...
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