Muriel Elizabeth Bowser (born August 2, 1972) is an American politician serving as the eighth Mayor of the District of Columbia since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented Ward 4 as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia from 2007 to 2015. She is the second female Mayor of the District of Columbia after Sharon Pratt, and the first woman to be reelected to that position.
Lesbian-owned gift shop among recipients of D.C. business grants
Femme Fatale, an upscale gift shop and event space on Connecticut Avenue in Northwest D.C. that’s owned and operated by a lesbian couple, is among 41 small businesses to receive a total of $7 million in city grants aimed at supporting businesses that sell or produce their products in the city.
Cee Smith, who co-owns Femme Fatale with her partner Adriana Mendoza, said the funds from the $261,300 grant they received will be used, among other things, to enable them to manufacture many of the items they sell.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the 2024 business grant recipients at a Dec. 12 ceremony held at the D.C. Arts Center, a nonprofit organization in the city’s Adams Morgan neighborhood that received one of these grants last year and that is operated by gay executive director Sean Elias. “With every grant awarded, we’re fueling innovation, creating opportunities, and building stronger communities across all eight wards,” Bowser told attendees at the Dec.
12 ceremony. “These investments don’t just help businesses thrive, they uplift our neighborhoods, create jobs, and ensure that D.C.
