Nov 06, 2009  |  By: Lou Chibbaro Jr.  | COMMENTS     

The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, the city’s largest local LGBT political organization, presented its annual leadership awards Oct. 29 to six people it named as community champions.

One of the awards was given posthumously to Desi Deschaine, a club member and local activist who died earlier this year in a boating accident. The club designated another of the awards in Deschaine’s name for special recognition for service and leadership.

Among those attending the awards reception, held at the National Women’s Democratic Club in Dupont Circle, were D.C. City Council members Kwame Brown (D-At Large), David Catania (I-At Large), Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and Harry Thomas (D-Ward 5). Thomas last week became the 11th Council member to announce he would vote for the same-sex marriage bill introduced last month by Catania.

The honorees included:

• Hilary Rosen with the Wanda Alston Democratic Service Award. Rosen, a veteran advocate on behalf of LGBT rights, is editor-at-large for The Huffington Post and a CNN political contributor and commentator. She has served on the board and as acting president of the Human Rights Campaign.

• D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) with the Justice Award. As chair of the Council’s Committee on Public Safety & Judiciary, Mendelson has shepherded sweeping domestic partnership legislation and a bill recognizing same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions. More recently, he has presided over hearings on a bill to allow same-sex marriages to be performed in the District.

• Mario Acosta-Velez with the Heil-Balin Community Service Award. Acosta-Velez is a former club president who also served as a member of the D.C. Commission on Human Rights. He now serves on the local American Civil Liberties Union board and is a member of the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce board.

• Courtney Snowden with the Richard Rausch Equality Award. Snowden is a principle at The Raben Group, a public policy and lobbying group. She has formerly held lobbying and public policy positions with the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network and HRC.

• Desi Deschaine with the Desi Deschaine Young Democrat of the Year Award. In addition to serving as Evans’ communications director, Deschaine did communications work for the Washington National Opera. He served under former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, as a national committeeman for the D.C. Young Democrats, and as a member of the D.C. Democratic State Committee.

• Brian Watson with the Special Recognition Award for Services & Leadership In Memory of Desi Deschaine. Watson is credited with playing a key role in the opening of the Wanda Alston House, D.C.’s only housing program exclusively serving LGBT homeless youth. The program is operated by Transgender Health Empowerment, for which Watson serves as director of programs.