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| The Dupont Circle House Tour attracts many with its opportunity to view the nicest homes in the neighborhood, but critics, including Lambda Rising bookstore, say the proceeds are going to protest liquor licenses by restaurants and bars, including many popular with gays. |
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HOME > NEWS > LOCAL
By: LOU CHIBBARO J COMMENTS
 
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an outdoor seating area. The decision by DCCA to drop its protest came after many nearby residents expressed outrage over what they said appeared to be an attempt to block Leeds from opening the type of restaurant they had long sought for the neighborhood.
“It’s crazy,” said gay activist and nearby resident Peter Rosenstein at the time. “We’re all waiting for a nice place like this to open, and these people are looking for any excuse to stop it.”
In recent years, DCCA has filed protests against liquor license applications for the Dupont Circle area gay bars J.R.’s, Cobaltand Fab Lounge and for DIK, a gay bar operated by the 17th Street restaurant Dupont Italian Kitchen. The group also has opposed the license renewal for Cada Vez, a U Street, N.W. restaurant that serves as home to the Saturday night weekly gay Latino dance party Fuego.
Lee said former DCCA treasurer Bruce Frishman disclosed about three years ago that DCCA had a special fund of about $175,000 that it used to challenge liquor licenses of businesses and that most of the fund came from the Dupont Circle House Tour revenue.
Contacted this week by the Blade, Frishman disputed claims that most of the money raised by the house tour goes to liquor license fights, but he refused to provide information on how much money the house tour raises and the percentage of house tour funds earmarked for liquor license protests. He said such information would have to come from the group’s current officers.
Hartsock said she would provide those figures but could not do so by Blade deadline. DCCA president Halligan did not respond to a request for the financial information by press time.
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