Upcoming Speakers
In Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Director, Mayor’s Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Affairs

Japer Bowles, a local queer advocate and public affairs professional, has experience in constituent services and expertise in local and state legislative processes. He recently led a coalition of more than thirty local LGBTQ+ businesses and nonprofit organizations and over 60 elected officials to develop priorities and strategize investments and programs supportive to the LGBTQ+ community, including housing, workforce development, and a resource community center.
Director Bowles previously served as a legislative manager at Stateside, where he led a team that analyzed, monitored, and reported the political actions of state legislatures and executive leaders and reported on over 15,000 legislative and regulatory matters for corporations, trade associations, and the military. Director Bowles also previously served two terms as an ANC commissioner in service of residents in Adams Morgan.
In Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
German Ambassador/DC
Axel Dittmann is the Deputy Head of Mission, German Embassy in Washington. Prior to his appointment in 2022, he served as Director for EU Institutional Affairs Foreign Office in Berlin (2018-2022), as Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Serbia (2015-2018), as European Directorate Foreign Office, Berlin (2007-2015), and UNOSEK, United Nations in Vienna (2006-2007).
From 2004 to 2006, Mr. Dittmann was assigned to the German Embassy in Washington (State Department exchange, Political officer), and from 2001 to 2004, was part of the negotiating team EU Constitutional Treaty, Foreign Office, Berlin.
Prior to that, he was at the foreign office of the Germany Embassy Belgrade, UNMIK (Kosovo), EU negotiating team Skopje.
He began his career at the Foreign Office (Attache? training; UN Permanent Mission in NY)
Mr. Dittmann was born in Bonn, Germany, studied economics and is married with three children.
In Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Curator at the National Museum of American History
Katherine Ott has been a curator at the National Museum of American History for 20+years, spending time thinking, talking, and writing about how and why people in the past were tagged for being different—because of disease, gender, disability, sexuality, race, or just being annoying. She has led exhibitions on HIV and AIDS, the Stonewall Anniversary, Polio, and disability history, among other topics. She teaches a graduate course at The George Washington University and has authored or coedited three books.
Katherine responds to all pronouns and is energetically honing her queer superpower.
In Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
President's Final Club Assembly
Please join club President, Marilyn Nevy Cruz for her final club assembly as your president.
Upcoming Events
In Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Japer Bowles
Topic: Director, Mayor’s Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Affairs
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In Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: German Ambassador/DCM
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In Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Dr. Katherine Ott
Topic: Curator, Division of Science & Medicine, Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
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In Person/Hybrid Washington DC Weekly Club Meeting
Speaker: Club Assembly
Topic: President's Final Club Assembly
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