Bishop Gene Robinson is perhaps best known for being the first openly gay, partnered bishop in historic Christianity. His election as bishop of New Hampshire caused a worldwide controversy in the Anglican Communion (of which the Episcopal Church is a part) and a provocative conversation about sexual orientation around the world within Christian denominations and other faiths.

A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Gene grew up in a rural, fundamentalist congregation of the Disciples of Christ denomination, becoming an Episcopalian in college, and being ordained a priest in 1973. For 18 years prior to his becoming bishop of New Hampshire, he served as assistant to the bishop for that diocese.

Gene “retired” as bishop of NH (though it’s difficult to use “retired” as a word to describe him) in 2013, and made Washington, DC, (and the Logan Circle neighborhood) his home. He works as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, where he works on policy and writes about issues facing the LGBT community, including marriage equality, “religious liberty” attempts to be exempted from anti-discrimination laws on the basis of religion, and the need for a broad range of social anti-discrimination policies regarding employment, public accommodation, and housing. He is especially interested in the ways LGBT issues and lives intersect with race, poverty, and immigration reform. He writes an almost-weekly column for The Daily Beast, on a variety of social justice issues, believing it is important for the LGBT community to “show up” for other movements for justice:  BlackLivesMatter, LGBT asylum seekers, Moral Mondays.

Since being in Washington, he was named one of the 21 most influential OUT Washingtonians by the Washington Post, has recently graced the cover of Metro Weekly, attends and often preaches/presides at St. Thomas Episcopal Parish, Dupont Circle, and serves as a board member for the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington. All of this while navigating the perilous waters of being single again and dating!

Alexandra (Alex) Ernst works in facilities management for a McLean-based start-up serving government and private-sector clients. As Facilities Manager at Immix Group, she manages the Disaster recovery program, real estate portfolio and the Administrative support and Facility team. Prior to her work with Immix, she spent 5 years with Bechtel Corporation.

Since 2007, Alex has also served as a volunteer and local-community advocate with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), where she has gained extensive experience in the DC metropolitan area LGBT community. She has co-chaired the HRC National Dinner twice, helping to raise over $2.5 million for the organization. She has also served as co-chair on the Greater DC HRC Steering Committee, joined the HRC Board of Governors, and the Executive Board of Governors – solidifying her role and impact as a leader for equality both in Washington, D.C. and nationwide.

Alex graduated from James Madison University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts. A Northern Virginia native, she currently resides in Arlington, Virginia, with her lovable shih-tzu, Mango.

Since 1989, Paul Akio Kawata has served as executive director of the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC), the premier organization dedicated to building leadership in communities of color to address the challenges of HIV/AIDS. Under Kawata’s direction, NMAC implemented the first HIV treatment education programs in the United States targeted to minorities, and increased its membership from 300 to more than 3,000 agencies and groups.

Kawata conceived and developed the organization’s high-profile meetings, including the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA), currently the largest annual AIDS-related gathering in the country, as well as the HIV Prevention Leadership Summit (HPLS—formerly known as the Community Planning Leadership Summit), and the National AIDS Treatment Action Forum (NATAF).

Due to Kawata’s efforts, NMAC has developed a range of international linkages and partnerships, and facilitated the first international HIV/AIDS conference, in South Africa. Kawata has helped integrate NMAC’s work with that of general minority health and human service initiatives, developing significant program collaborations with national and regional lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgendered (LBGT), women’s, African-American, Latino, Asian-Pacific Islander, and Native American advocacy, service, and professional organizations.

A leading HIV/AIDS advocate, Kawata has represented NMAC in many of the most significant legislative achievements in the fight against the epidemic. These include the passage and renewal of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act; the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) Act; the Americans with Disabilities Act; and the Congressional Black Caucus/Congressional Hispanic Caucus expansion of federal funding for HIV/AIDS programs in communities of color.

Prior to NMAC, Kawata served from 1985 to 1989 as founding executive director of the National AIDS Network. During his tenure, he planned and implemented three consecutive, annual National Skills Building Conferences—the first of their kind in the world—and recruited the Ad Council to work on the first national HIV/AIDS public service campaign. He also organized and supported the National AIDS Fund, the single largest private philanthropic partnership in the history of the epidemic.

Kawata began his professional career in 1983 in Seattle as a staff liaison in the Office of the Mayor. Kawata graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. from the University of the Pacific in Los Angeles. He has an M.A. in urban planning from Antioch University.

Justin was born and raised in northern Delaware. In 2002 he came to Washington, DC, for school. He attended the Catholic University of America and received his bachelor’s degree in architecture. In May 2006 he started his career in law enforcement with the Metropolitan Police Department in DC. Upon graduating from the police academy, he was assigned to the 6th police District. In 2010 Justin started his work with the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit (GLLU). While working with the GLLU, Justin has worked tirelessly to help improve the relationship between the LGBT community and the police department. He has also worked on training recruits and veteran officers on LGBT issues.

Anyone who knows Justin will say that whether he is on duty or off, he is always willing to help members of the community to get the assistance and support they need. Members of the GLLU, including Justin, wear many hats. The members investigate crimes by and against the LGBT community, train officers of various experience levels, investigate bias crimes, conduct follow-ups with the victims of crimes and many other activities. The GLLU would not be possible without the strong support from the community. With this continued community support, Justin and other members of the GLLU will be able to help strengthen the Metropolitan Police Department and build a strong and enduring relationship between the Department and the community.

Bobbi Elaine Strang is a relative newcomer to the District, arriving in 2011. Starting right out of the gate, she became engaged with the community with the hopes of improving the quality of life for its members. Currently, she serves on the Executive Board of GLOV and the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Community Church, and co-facilitates the Center Careers Program at the DC LGBT Center. Additionally, she regularly volunteers her services as a guitarist with the music ministry of Metropolitan Community Services. In the past, she served as an officer of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, a member of the Transgender Day of Remembrance planning committee, and a volunteer with the DC Trans Coalition.
Professionally, she was the first openly transgender individual to work at the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services where she provided case management in Project Empowerment and now serves as a claims examiner for the Office of Workmen’s Compensation. She is grateful to all the community advocates who came before her and made this possible. Additionally, she plays guitar with Gina Harlow, a pioneer of the New York City punk scene.
In her private life, she is known to share generously of her experience and knowledge in support of trans people and her openness about her experiences has helped many individuals—including her knowledge of trans medical procedures and the DC insurance rules regarding transgender healthcare. Moreover, she is proud to share her life with her partner, Elodie Huttner.