In conjunction with our special exhibition, LGBTJews in the Federal City, hear from members of the LGBTQ+ Jewish Washington community as they reflect on their personal experiences with coming out. With Civil Rights advocate Dana Beyer, Councilmember Evan Glass, and community organizer Danielle Pasekoff, the panel will be moderated by Eric Goldberg, policy advisor and the 2025 winner of the NJB+ Pageant. Includes access to LGBTJews in the Federal City. Come early to see the exhibit! In partnership with Bet Mishpachah.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Dana Beyer is a retired eye surgeon who was a candidate for the Maryland state House and Senate from 2006-18. She was Executive Director of Gender Rights Maryland, the state’s trans political organization which led the campaign to pass Maryland’s gender identity legislation in 2014, as well as multiple county laws from 2007-2012. She was chair of the national board of Freedom to Work, and wrote a weekly column for six years on political and social issues for the Huffington Post before its restructuring in 2018. She served on the Rules Committee of the national Democratic Party in 2012, was Vice Chair of the Civil Rights Coalition of Maryland, and a member of the Montgomery County Committee Against Hate/Violence, and is a member of the Montgomery County Human Rights Hall of Fame. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, she was awarded the 2020 Women in Medicine Award. She splits her time since retiring between traveling and spending time with her three granddaughters.
Dana has been an advocate on public health issues, including research on the effects of DES and endocrine disruptors on human sexuality and reproduction. Dana has been VP of Equality Maryland and Maryland NOW, a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Governor, a board member of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), the national Jewish LGBT education and advocacy organization, Keshet, and the global Jewish LGBT organization, A Wider Bridge. She helped write the Gender Dysphoria text for the DSM 5 of the American Psychiatric Association, declassifying transsexualism as a mental disorder.
Evan Glass is an At-Large member of the Montgomery County Council. He is the first openly LGBTQ+ individual to serve on the Council and chairs the Transportation & Environment Committee.
Since his election to the County Council in 2018, Councilmember Glass has passed the Montgomery County Pay Equity Act, the Housing Justice Act and the Safe Streets Act.
As an environmental and social justice leader, he successfully led the initiative to make public buses free for everyone 18 and expanded food composting for residents.
Prior to joining the Council, Evan spent 12 years as a CNN journalist.
Evan and his husband Jason live in Silver Spring with their two rescue beagles, Daisy and Poppy.
Eric Goldberg has an extensive background, through his time working across the public and private sector, analyzing, monitoring, and investing in the U.S. financial sector. He currently serves as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Financial Institutions Policy at the U.S. Department of the Treasury ("Treasury"), where he focuses on monitoring the banking sector and covers a broad range of macroprudential regulatory and industry policy matters. Prior to joining Treasury, Eric spent over a decade analyzing and investing in the financial sector as a Partner at Basswood Capital Management, a Managing Director of EJF Capital and Vice President of West Potomac Capital. During his time at Basswood, he also served as a director of multiple community bank portfolio companies. Strengthening the Jewish and queer communities is central to his identity. He currently serves on the Community Leadership Council for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. He previously served on the boards of PRISM, Treasury's LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group, GLOE, the Kurlander Program for GLBTQ Outreach & Engagement at the EDCJCC, and the Hebrew Free Loan Association of Greater Washington. He is also the 2025 winner of the NJB+ Pageant.
Danielle Pasekoff (she/her) is a queer Jewish community organizer based in Washington, DC. She works full time in digital fundraising and is the founder of Capital Sapphics, a grassroots network for LGBTQ+ women, nonbinary, and trans people in the DMV. Danielle is passionate about building inclusive spaces that celebrate both Jewish and queer identities.
Our new Voices series uses storytelling to create opportunities for diverse Greater Washington area residents to examine and share their experiences.
Photo credit: Mr. Nice Jewish Boy Pageant held at the U Street Music Hall, 2019. Gift of Ben Rosenbaum, Capital Jewish Museum Collection.
