Joyful Democrats celebrate historic nomination of Kamala Harris, PAGES 06 & 08
LGBTQ Los Angeles prepares for potential mpox outbreak
Deadlier strain in Africa sparks global concerns, local health officials remain vigilant
By TROY MASTERS
The World Health Organization Wednesday again declared mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, a global health emergency.
In summer 2022, mpox reached the U.S. Thousands of recorded cases left people quarantined with minimal guidance as the medical world worked to understand the virus.
It was the first health crisis litmus test following the COVID-19 pandemic.
A swift vaccination effort mitigated public concern, though it was a slow start. Vaccine was quickly and sufficiently made available on the East Coast though far less vaccine was made available on the West Coast.
The vaccination efforts were successful, however, and the number of cases dropped quickly.
Now, a deadlier mpox strain, known as Clade 1b, has emerged.
It has in recent weeks killed more than 500 people in Africa. And with an alarming 4 percent mortality rate that means infection rates are extreme.
On Aug. 15, Sweden reported the first case outside of Africa.
Though the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says the new mpox strain has not yet been detected in the U.S, there is grave concern.
“Cases of the more virulent clade I mpox cases have not been detected in Los Angeles County or anywhere in the United States,” it said in a statement. “However, if health care providers encounter a patient with mpox-like symptoms who has recently traveled to affected countries in Africa, they should contact Public Health to arrange for clade-specific testing at the public health lab. This will help us identify any clade I cases in Los Angeles County if they arise.”
The less severe Clade II mpox was responsible for the 2022 outbreak. According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, mpox is “spread through close contact with body fluids, sores, shared bedding or clothing or respiratory droplets.” Sexual contact is an effective means of transmission. The most noticeable symptoms are pimples or blisters on the face, body and genitals. This is often accompanied by fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches or swelling of the lymph nodes.
“With the recent declaration of mpox as a global health emergency and reports of the more virulent Clade subtype outside Africa, there is a clear risk of such outbreaks reaching the U.S.,” said Jake Collins, a physician assistant who works with a large LGBTQ clinic in Los Angeles. “This is concerning especially since this Clade 1b subtype is linked to more severe illness and higher mortality. Among my patients, I’ve seen an increase in mpox cases this year
compared to last, even among vaccinated individuals, but these cases have been mostly mild with no deaths or hospitalizations.”
One Los Angeles resident, who asked to remain anonymous, described his 2022 bout with mpox as “one of the most painful experiences” he’d ever had.
“[It] came with so much shame and guilt – self-hatred,” he said. “So, it definitely does scare me, but it also makes me more aware that last round I didn’t think it could happen to me, so I wasn’t smart or careful [or] educated on it because it was so new. I think there is always fear for something like this to hit our community again, because in general we can be risky in sexual practices, so I think we just need to be very cautious as a community and be mindful [in] taking care of our sexual health.”
Since August 2022, the federal Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response has procured and distributed more than 1 million vials of the JYNNEOS vaccine across the U.S., agency spokesperson Spencer Pretecrum told reporters in an email.
But 75 percent of at-risk populations in the U.S. not fully vaccinated against mpox, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
People who got their first shot of the mpox vaccine but who did not return for their second dose, are at risk. Full protection requires both doses.
During the height of the 2022 mpox epidemic, health professionals advised caution in sexual practices. A twodose vaccine, however, was quickly distributed, and fears died down.
“I received two vaccines when mpox was initially spreading back in 2022, so I’m hoping guidance comes out soon as to the effectiveness of these vaccines against the current strain,” West Hollywood resident Gabe Perkins said. “I am worried but not enough to change my behaviors or social activities unless I hear otherwise. The queer community came together to get vaccines quickly and early which I think helped prevent the previous outbreak from becoming too widespread, so I’m hoping it remains that way.”
While the LGBTQ community was the epicenter of the previous outbreak, so far the strain in Africa, which appears to be more contagious, has not concentrated on a single demographic. It affects both adults and children. How it spreads beyond the cases so far identified is yet to be seen.
“Any outbreak freaks me out,” West Hollywood nightlife employee Eric Evans said. He added that while he thinks the fear will rise “when it gets closer to home,” he doubts it will reach the level of panic in 2022. “Kind of like when COVID rose again recently, but the reaction from people
wasn’t as extreme.”
Evans also said he believed the LGBTQ community, in general, vaccinates at a higher rate than the general population.
“Hearing about the mpox outbreak in Africa and now Europe makes me even more grateful for the response of the LGBTQ community — specifically gay men — who when faced with this disease here in the U.S. immediately got vaccinated, modified our sexual behaviors for a few weeks and essentially nipped it in the bud,” nonprofit consultant and LGBTQ activist Adam Crowley said. “It’s still a threat to the unvaccinated anywhere, but our community knew how to protect ourselves. Community health is so important, and it’s our responsibility to get vaccinated. We can be a model of how to address a public health issue. I don’t live in fear, but I think it’s important to be aware and to understand how we can prevent outbreaks.”
To protect against mpox, health officials advised limiting physical contact and sexual partners, as well as wearing masks, washing hands and other prevention methods similar to COVID-19. The CDC recommends the JYNNEOS vaccine for at-risk populations.
“Getting the two-dose vaccine series remains the best way to reduce the severity of infections and curb the spread of mpox, even with the Clade 1b subtype,” Collins said. “At this time, a booster isn’t being recommended, but I have been informing my patients to continue checking for updated recommendations from trusted organizations like CDC and WHO.”
“Currently, the existing monkeypox vaccines have shown efficacy against multiple strains of the virus,” said Michael Dube, national medical director of AIDS Health Foundation’s Public Health Division. “At this time, there is no recommendation for re-vaccination for those who have already completed their series. However, we urge anyone who has not been fully vaccinated and is at higher risk to strongly consider doing so, following public health guidelines … As more information becomes available about this strain, we will better understand any new transmission dynamics. For now, general precautions like good hygiene and avoiding close contact with infected individuals remain essential.”
For up-to-date information, visit who.int/health-topics/ mpox.
(Public domain photo)
Gloria Allred at the DNC:
Harris is ‘more than ready for this
job’
Trailbla ing attorney spoke exclusively with the ashington Blade
CHICAGO — Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominee for president, is “more than ready for this job,” Gloria Allred told the Washington Blade on the sidelines of an LGBTQ caucus meeting during the Democratic National Convention on Monday.
“I met [Harris] when she was running for District Attorney of San rancisco, and she came to my office to seek my support, which, of course, I gave her,” Allred said. “I was extremely impressed with her at the time.”
“ sually I don t make time to meet with political figures, frankly, because I m so busy with the cases,” she said. “And I ust, you know, can t. But for some reason, I said, Okay, I ll meet her in my office, and I did, and I ust had a feeling about her. And I’m so happy.”
Allred stressed that “we have to work to make it happen because it’s not going to happen just if we hope for it, we wish for it, we pray for it. e have to work for it.”
She also pointed out the dangers of Donald Trump’s candidacy for a second term in the White House, warning, “The Trump administration was just a disaster and a catastrophe for the country. And what they are doing now, Project 2025 in terms of pro-choice, in terms of gay and lesbian and transgender rights, is just a disaster.”
The former president, Allred said, “wants to distance himself from it” but “he can’t because so many of his employees, or former employees, I should say, from the administration, were involved in writing it — and also, of course, he’s on video talking about how great it was and is.”
An attorney whose career has spanned five decades, Allred has argued some of the most high profile civil rights cases in America, with a particular focus on LGBTQ and women’s rights, often representing some of the most famous public figures, from politicians to entertainers.
“I ust want to say, my law firm and I have been involved in advocating and litigating for gay, lesbian, and transgender
By CHRISTOPHER KANE
| ckane@washblade.com
rights since the late 19 s,” Allred said. “I know what going back means when they we say we won t go back, because I’ve been saying that at pro-choice marches and gay and lesbian protests since that time.”
“No one has ever given women our rights. We’ve always had to fight for women. And this is the same for gay, lesbian, transgender, you know, bisexual, the whole community — no one’s giving us anything. No one ever gave us anything. e always have to fight to win it.”
At the DNC, “that’s what we’re doing here, is organizing, and I’m just really proud of the community that they’re here, educating people and helping to mobilize them,” Allred said. “Because we have to mobilize, we have to organize, and we have to help raise money to win.”
Trump, she said, has “billionaires supporting him,” and while Harris and the Democrats can win, Allred cautioned “we have to be really committed. There are not many days left to do it.”
“ e have a real commitment, and we know how much more this election can make in terms of a difference for the community and equal rights for all,” Allred added.
Allred told the Blade about several landmark cases that she litigated on behalf of LGBTQ clients, going back several decades, including one involving two gay men who attended their high school reunion in the 1980s and were told their photo would not be published in the book because “the publisher felt it was against his religion to publish a photo of two gay men together.”
“We sued them, and after 16 years of litigating it all the way up to the California Court of Appeals, we won,” Allred said. The matter earned media attention, as the publisher “took out advertisements in the newspapers” arguing that “he had a right of free speech and religious expression to not publish” the photo.
“Well, we won the case in California decades ago,” she said.
Allred noted that apart from the role of the California Unruh Civil Rights Act in her case, analogous legal disputes were at issue in the .S. Supreme Court s asterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (2018).
California was, and is, at the vanguard of LGBTQ civil rights movements. So was, and is, Allred and her firm, Allred, aroko Goldberg. “ e did the right to marry case,” she said, “I did AIDS discrimination cases that we also won up in the California Court of Appeals” which ruled that “you can’t discriminate against someone” because of their HIV/AIDS status.
“We represented Robin Tyler and Diane Olson and Reverend Troy Perry and Phillip ay De Blieck, his partner, the four of them in our right to marry case in California,” Allred said. “And we were the first in the state to challenge the family code law that essentially said that two people of the same sex could not marry. We challenged that. We went all the way to the California Supreme Court and we won.”
Here, too, Allred s work crossed paths with Harris s efforts in the public sector, aided by other allies like California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) who was, during this time, mayor of San Francisco.
“Because we were the first, obin and Diane were the first, to be allowed to marry in LA County, a day before everyone else, we know that Newsom — actually, the same day that we announced we’re challenging the constitutionality of the law [he] started marrying gay and lesbian couples.”
The attorney — who in 2022 was awarded the highest honor of the LGBTQ+ Lawyers Association of Los Angeles — noted her and her firm s ongoing work on behalf of transgender clients, which she considers “part of what we think should be always a teaching moment for what happens so that if people see the injustice and the unfairness, then they will join with us in wanting to right the wrongs.”
Allred highlighted another landmark case in the 19 s in which she represented “two lesbian life partners, wonderful women, businesswomen, very articulate” who were “not going to be in the closet” about their relationship when they celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday at Papa Choux, a fine dining establishment in Los Angeles.
“One was Latina, the other one was African American,” she said. “They were a couple, and they made a reservation for the romantic booths, which were like a few steps up from the main restaurant” with “sheer curtains, and violinists [who] came in to play” by the tables.
The couple was told that they were welcome to sit elsewhere but “two people of the same sex can’t sit in this romantic section” as a matter of restaurant policy and also per a city ordinance. “They weren t kissing, they weren t hugging, they weren’t even holding hands,” Allred said, and they did not want to move. As they would later say publicly, “ we thought to ourselves, what would artin Luther ing Jr. want us to do? And we decided he would want us to call Gloria Allred.’”
“They came to us,” she said, and “we took the case. e had to decide, is this sexual orientation? Is it sex discrimination? Is it important? Or is it not important? Is it ridiculous? And then we decided, if you think that osa Parks sitting in the back of the bus was important, even though the bus would still get there, but she was treated in a way that was not respectful of her right to be treated in a dignified, respectful way, so this is the same thing.”
“So we fought at the lower court,” Allred said. “The trial court said, the udge said, I want to go see the restaurant, which was not necessary. It’s a legal issue. But he did, and then he ruled against us, and we went up to the Court of Appeals, and we won, and they reversed, and we set a legal precedent that we’re able to cite in other cases and other attorneys were able to cite that you can’t discriminate against people because they’re lesbian or gay or of the same sex.”
That was 1984. “It’s still a legal precedent in California,” Allred added.
(Blade photo by Michael Key)
Joyful DNC includes queer voices, addresses LGBTQ rights
Speakers at convention in Chicago denounce discrimination
By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com
CHICAGO — For the second consecutive night on Tuesday, the Democratic National Convention in Chicago’s United Center made reference to LGBTQ rights, including in the context of the nominee s record of expanding freedoms and protections for the community.
Vice President Kamala Harris “has always done the right thing, a champion for voting rights, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, the rights for women and girls,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said during the ceremonial roll call Tuesday night, whereupon she was officially made the nominee.
Leading the roll call was gay Democratic National Committee Secretary Jason ae, who in interned at the LGBTQ Victory Fund (which at the time was called the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.)
hen Vermont pledged votes for Harris, the state’s first LGBTQ representative in Congress, Becca Balint, was highlighted as an exemplar of its commitment to public education, as she previously served as a middle school history and social studies teacher. Speeches were kicked off Tuesday by Senate a ority Leader Chuck Schumer D-N.Y. .
The night was headlined by former President Barack Obama, who said, “We believe that true freedom gives each of us the right to make decisions about our own life, how we worship, what our family looks like, how many kids we have, who we marry, and we believe that freedom requires us to recognize that other people have the freedom to make choices that are different than ours.”
“Shutting down the Department of Education, banning our books, none of that will prepare our kids for the future,” former irst Lady ichelle Obama said. “Demoni ing our children for being who they are and loving who they love — look, that doesn’t make anybody’s life better.”
“Americans with LGBTQ kids don’t want them facing discrimination at school because the state sanctioned it,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said.
onday night saw two LGBTQ speakers, .S. ep. obert Garcia and .S. Sen. Laphon a Butler, Democrats of California.
ichigan state Sen. allory c orrow, who is widely considered a rising star in Democratic politics, stepped on stage with a printout of the Heritage oundation s Pro ect 5 right-wing and socially conservative governing agenda.
Then, when President Joe Biden took the stage to close out the evening with a rousing and emotional address to his party, he discussed “the freedom to love who you love” among the liberties that are at stake in November.
Rep. Garcia previews LGBTQ priorities of a Harris administration
CHICAGO — U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) addressed LGBTQ-focused legislative priorities Democrats are likely to push for in a Harris-Walz administration during a Democratic National Convention and Harris for President press briefing on Tuesday.
Responding to a question from the Washington Blade, the congressman, who’s gay, referenced Vice President Kamala Harris s record of fighting for rights and protections for the community throughout her career in public service. He said that by contrast, Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, is “attacking LGBTQ+ people every single day.”
“So I think you can see not just the Equality Act, which we support, but also ensuring we’re not banning books and that we’re not doing horrible things to attack the community,” Garcia said.
“Remember that the Biden-Harris administration has been the most pro-LGBTQ+ administration in history” and
the vice president is “a big part of that,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve ever had any presidential candidate who understands the LGBTQ+ community or has advocated for that community as much as Vice President Harris.”
“LGBTQ equality, actually, she has said herself, is a top legislative priority; she’s spoken to it many times,” the congressman said, “but I also believe that her administration will be reflective of the diversity of this country, including within the LGBTQ+ community.”
“When she was D.A. in the Bay Area, she was one of the first people in the country to marry same-sex couples and started that whole revolution across the country,” Garcia added.
Trump, on the other hand, “has been incredibly homophobic and has been incredibly, I think, shameful in his attacks on the community,” Garcia said.
CHRISTOPHER KANE
PRESIDENT OBAMA delivered a rousing speech on Tuesday night in Chicago. (Blade photo by Michael Key)
A scene from the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 20. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
DNC at the United Center in Chicago (Blade photo by Michael Key)
U.S. contributes more than $90 million to fight mpox in Africa
The .S. has contributed more than 9 million to the fight against the mpox outbreak in Africa.
The .S. Agency for International Development on Tuesday in a press release announced “up to an additional” 5 million “in emergency health assistance to bolster response efforts for the clade I mpox outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa, pending congressional notification.” The press release notes the Biden-Harris administration
previously pledged more than 55 million to fight the outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
“The additional assistance announced today will enable SAID to continue working closely with affected countries, as well as regional and global health partners, to expand support and reduce the impact of this outbreak as it continues to evolve,” it reads. “ SAID support includes assistance with surveillance, diagnostics, risk communication
and community engagement, infection prevention and control, case management, and vaccination planning and coordination.”
The orld Health Organi ation and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week declared the outbreak a public health emergency.
The ashington Blade last week reported there are more than 1 , suspected mpox cases across in Congo, ganda, enya, wanda, and other African countries. The outbreak has claimed more than 5 lives, mostly in Congo.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
Santos pleads guilty to wire fraud, identity theft
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos of Long Island, N.Y., who was the first out gay non-incumbent epublican to win election to Congress in and whose congressional colleagues voted to expel him last year, pleaded guilty on Aug. 19 to felony charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors.
His guilty plea came a little over a year after a federal grand ury indicted him in ay on 1 counts of defrauding campaign donors and falsely claiming unemployment benefits. Last October prosecutors obtained another indictment that included the charge of aggravated identity theft on grounds that he falsified campaign donation information with the ederal Election Commission. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.
CBS News reports that a udge at the .S. District Court in Central Islip, N.Y., which is on Long Island, set a sentencing date for eb. , 5, and said Santos faces an estimated sentencing range of between six and eight years in prison. nder the plea agreement, Santos will be re uired to repay at least , , according to CBS News.
Had he not accepted the plea deal he was expected to go
on trial in September.
“I understand that my actions betrayed my supporters and constituents,” the ashington Post uoted Santos as saying during the court hearing in which he pleaded guilty to the two charges. “I am committed to making amends and learning from this experience,” the Post uoted him as saying.
Santos, , who was expelled from Congress last December, is one of only five members of Congress who have been expelled in .S. history. The ashington Post reports that three were expelled in 1 1 for supporting the Confederacy during the .S. Civil ar, and two others, one in 19 and the other in , were expelled after being convicted of bribery.
In his race for New York s Third Congressional District
seat, which includes part of Nassau County on Long Island and part of the New York City Borough of Queens, Santos defeated another gay candidate, Democratic businessman obert immerman. Political observers have said the two appeared to be the first two openly gay .S. House candidates to run against each other in a general election.
Santos won the election in what is considered a swing district by a margin of 5 . percent to . percent. ollowing Santos s expulsion, Long Island Democrat Tom Suo i emerged as the winner in a special election on eb. 1 of this year.
The ashington Post reports that from among the total of felony charges that Santos faced before his guilty plea he was alleged to have defrauded campaign donors and used their money for personal expenses, including the purchase of designer clothing he allegedly stole his donors identities and made thousands of dollars of purchases on their credit cards received unemployment benefits when he was employed lied to Congress about his finances and falsified campaign finance reports.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
Hawaii elects first openly trans state lawmaker
In a stunning upset, transgender human rights activist im Coco Iwanoto knocked out one of Hawaii s most powerful politicians, state House Speaker Scott Saiki, in the Democratic primary election last Saturday.
Because there is no epublican in the race, Iwanoto has been elected to represent House District 5, making her Hawaii s first openly trans state legislator.
This was Iwanoto s third attempt to win the urban Honolulu district, after close finishes against Saiki in and , when she lost by less than votes each time. In Saturday s primary, she won with a margin of 5 votes, according to the latest results posted by the secretary of state — a margin of more than 5 percent.
Iwanoto says she was motivated to challenge Saiki for the seat due to a lack of transparency in Hawaiian politics, and out of concern that everyday issues were being ignored by Democratic Party leadership.
She says a key motivating issue for her was the state s minimum wage. Although the wage is currently scheduled to rise to 1 per hour in , following a bill passed in , she says Saiki refused to consider a bill to raise the wage from 1 .1 per hour in .
“ Saiki met with the Chamber of Commerce before the session
and he held a press conference stating the legislature will not be taking up the issue of raising the minimum wage. I asked my friends who are representatives, did he ask you guys how you felt about not raising the minimum wage from a poverty wage to a living wage And they said no,” Iwamoto tells the Los Angeles Blade.
“That made me very angry. He should ve met with people who are living paycheck to paycheck to learn how their lives are impacted.”
Iwamoto says Hawaiians are tired of politicians siding with moneyed interests over their constituents.
“Pay to play politics is rampant, and it s blatant and obvious,” Iwamoto says. “It s an open festering wound on the face of democracy in Hawaii. Through the fact of ust sheer people-powered campaigning, I was able to get above Saiki s vote.”
Iwamoto describes herself a fourth generation American of Japanese descent. Her great-grandparents worked on the sugarcane plantations of auai. She studied at the ashion Institute of Technology in New York and earned a BA in creative writing at San rancisco State niversity and a law degree at the niversity of New exico.
Her experiences as a foster parent and raising her 11-year-old daughter led her to run for the state board of education in . That run also made history, as she became the first openly trans
person to win statewide office in the .S.
“Back in , it was international news when Hawaii elected me to that statewide position. I got re uests for interviews around the world. That election did trigger a lot of people of trans experience to see that they could run for office, where their gender identity and experience is ust one aspect of who they are,” she says.
“ ore importantly, I think the lesson here is listen to the voters. It s what the voters are concerned about. In my case, it was consumer protections for condo owners, safer streets for pedestrians and bicyclists, resources for homeless people who are sleeping in our sidewalks.”
Hawaii has long been held as one of the most progressive states when it comes to legislation to protect the LGBTQ community, a fact that Iwamoto appreciates.
“ y opponent was there for years, and he was an ally to the LGBT community,” she says. “ hat he ignored was the overrepresentation of the LGBT people within the homeless community, within the working community.”
“ e are part of every marginali ed experience. hether it s minimum wage earners, the homeless population, LGBT are overrepresented in youth homelessness, and that persists in cycles.”
ROB SALERNO
Former U.S. Rep. GEORGE SANTOS faces years in prison. (Blade photo by Christopher Kane)
The U.S. has contributed more than $90 million to the fight against the mpox outbreak in Africa. (Photo courtesy of the CDC)
Out in the World: LGBTQ news from Europe and Asia
Man arrested in Qatar during Grindr sting operation released, back in UK
By ROB SALERNO
QATAR
A British-Mexican man who was arrested in a Grindr sting operation in Qatar has been released and has returned to the U.K., following more than six months in and out of prison while his case was heard and appealed.
Manuel Guerrero Aviña, who had lived in Qatar for seven years, was arrested in February after arranging to meet a man on the Grindr app. When he went down to his lobby to meet the man, he was detained by police, whom he says planted meth amphetamines on him and charged him with drug possession.
Guerrero says his arrest was due entirely to his being a gay man — gay sex is illegal in Qatar and carries a possible penalty of up to three years imprisonment, with a death sentence possible if the accused is a Muslim. However, Qatari authorities say that the arrest was strictly due to the alleged possession of drugs.
While in detention, Guerrero says was denied access to a lawyer or translator and was pressured into naming other gay men with whom he had relations.
He was also kept in solitary confinement once authorities learned he is HIV positive, and denied regular access to his medication.
His case generated international headlines and saw intervention by politicians from both the UK and Mexico, as well as several human rights and civil society groups.
In June, he was given a 6-month suspended sentence and ordered deported, a decision that Guerrero appealed unsuccessfully.
On Aug. 11, a group lobbying for Guerrero’s release posted a statement to X, saying that Guerrero was “flying free” to London.
“As we write these letters, anuel flies free to London, far from the Qatari dictatorship that tortured and criminalized him for being gay and living with HIV,” the statement from QatarMustFreeManuel says.
“To the people of Mexico and the people of the United Kingdom, to the LGBT community, to the media, to the solidarity and hearts that accompany us, the Manuel Guerrero Committee, Manuel and his family thank you for your tireless support in this emblematic struggle against injustice, against homophobia, and in favor of human rights for all people.”
Guerrero is in London undergoing medical treatment for the abuse he suffered in Qatari prison, including possible complications related to being denied his HIV medications. After that, he plans to return to Mexico.
BULGARIA
President Rumen Radev has signed a controversial bill banning “LGBT propaganda” in schools into law, sparking international condemnation and multiple protests across the country.
The bill, which was rushed through parliament with minimal consultations earlier this month, bans “propaganda, popularization, and encouragement, directly or indirectly, of ideas and views connected to nontraditional sexual orientation or to gender-identifying different from the biological,” in Bulgarian schools. The law does not prescribe any specific punishment
for infractions.
The new law has clearly been inspired by similar laws enacted in Russia, Lithuania, and Hungary in recent years, and was pushed by a political party with strong ties to Moscow.
The law has drawn criticism from NGOs and multinational organizations, including the Council of Europe, the UN Human ights Office, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, and ILGA-Europe.
Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, has seen multiple protests against the law since it was passed on Aug. 7. Including from LGBTQ groups, feminist organizations, health organizations, and human rights groups.
Some activist groups opposed to the bill are calling on the European Union to take action against Bulgaria over the bill, calling it a violation of the fundamental rights and values of the union. They’re seeking to have the EU freeze funds that would normally go to Bulgaria, including for education and culture.
“This law is not ust a Bulgarian issue — this is a ussian law that has found its way into the heart of Europe,” my Bonny, executive director of the LGBTQ rights group Forbidden Colours, told Politico. “The European Commission must step in and hold Bulgaria accountable.”
Last year, 15 E countries oined a lawsuit against Hungary over its similar anti-LGBTQ law.
So far, the European Commission — the executive branch of the EU — has requested more information on the law from the Bulgarian minister of education.
Friction with the EU could also stall Bulgaria’s long-hoped dream of joining the Eurozone, which it was hoping to do next year.
Bulgaria is heading to new parliamentary elections in October, after politicians elected in June were unable to form a government. It ll be country s fifth election in three years.
RUSSIA
A Russian artist who was released during the Aug. 1 prisoner exchange between Russia and Western countries has announced plans to marry her long-term partner now that they are settled in Germany, where same-sex marriage is legal.
Sasha Skochilenko, 33, was arrested in St. Petersburg weeks after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, for replacing price tags in stores with anti-war messages. She was charged with extremism and making false statements about the military and eventually sentenced to 7 years in prison.
At the beginning of her detention, she was denied visitation or communication with her partner Sofya Subbotina. As they weren’t married, Russian authorities deemed her a witness to Skochilenko s supposed crimes.
Eventually, she was allowed brief visitation rights, which became a lifeline for Skolichenko, who suffers from several medical conditions that were exacerbated by her stay in prison. Skolichenko has celiac disease and couldn’t digest the food she was given in prison.
Skolichenko was finally convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison in November . She had filed an appeal and a request for a presidential pardon but made no progress with either.
In July, she was suddenly transferred to a prison in Moscow, and then on Aug 1, she was flown to Ankara, Turkey, where the prisoner exchange was made.
In all, Russia and Belarus released 16 people, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, U.S. Marine Paul helan, and several of ussia s opposition figures. In turn, eight Russians were released by the United States, Germany, Poland, and Norway, most of whom were known ussian spies. rom Turkey, Skolichenko was flown to Germany. Subbotina followed the next day, as soon as she heard the news.
The pair are settled for now in Koblenz but have not yet decided where in Germany they d like to settle permanently.
Skolichenko plans to return to making art, while Subbotina wants to join a human rights organization to continue to work for political prisoners in Russia.
They had talked about getting married back in Russia, but that wasn’t possible as Russia does not recognize same-sex unions and has led a severe crackdown on LGBT rights advocacy in recent years.
Now that they live in Germany, they finally plan to tie the knot.
“We don’t know how or in which city we will do it, but that’s the plan,” Skochilenko told The Associated Press.
CHINA
In what some are hailing as a historic decision, a Chinese court for the first time recogni ed that a child can have two mothers in awarding visitation rights to a child born to a lesbian couple that since broke up.
The two women married in the U.S. in 2016 and conceived two children via IVF the following years. The embryos were made from one of the women’s eggs and donor sperm, and each woman carried one of the children.
When the couple broke up in 2019, the woman who is the children’s genetic mother denied her former partner, Didi, visitation rights and moved from Shanghai to Beijing.
Didi, sued for custody in . She finally won a partial victory in May.
Chinese law does not recognize same-sex couples or samesex parents, so children of same-sex parents are generally only recognized as belonging to the biological parent. But because Didi gave birth to her daughter, she was recognized as her mother, even though she has no genetic link to her.
The court granted her the right to make monthly visits to her daughter, and she made her first visit to her in more than four years this month.
But because she shares no genetic link to the child her former partner carried – her daughter’s brother – she was denied any visitation rights to him.
While the decision is bittersweet, LGBTQ activists have hailed the decision as a big step forward in recognizing the possibility of same-sex parents.
Didi says she hopes the legal system will catch up to the growing social acceptance of queer people in China by recognizing that same-sex couples exist and have children.“It’s very simple, other families have one father and one mother. We have two mothers,” she told the Guardian.
CHARLES FRANCIS
is president of the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C. and author of ‘Archive Activism: Memoir of a ‘Uniquely Nasty’ Journey.’
Project 2025: A time machine to send us back to invisibility
LGBTQ Americans a prime target of Trump’s blueprint
A think tank in Washington has built a time machine, an invention right out of H.G. Wells’s science fiction. They call their Time Machine a “transition plan for the next conservative President.” In fact, this plan is an invention designed to transport LGBTQ Americans back six decades to an unrecognizable landscape of isolation and invisibility.
The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 is a policy and personnel database for MAGA warriors ready to take over all federal departments and agencies. LGBTQ Americans are nailed in “Promise #1.” Out of 992 pages, “sexual orientation” is introduced on page four — ahead of global threats, national sovereignty, the U.S. border and immigration issues, the economy, and “God-given individual rights”.
“The next conservative President must make the institutions of American civil society hard targets for woke culture warriors,” the Time Machine plan begins. “This starts with deleting the terms sexual orientation and gender identity, diversity, equity and inclusion, gender, gender equality, gender awareness, gender-sensitive….out of every federal rule, agency regulation, contracts, grant regulation and piece of legislation that exists.”
Big government’s “purpose is to replace peoples’ natural loves and loyalties with unnatural ones,” according to the Time Machine that will enforce what is “natural law” in politics and religious morality. It is ready to transport us back in time to Federal policy and personnel issues before sexual orientation, before gender awareness and our identity itself.
The fight for gay and lesbian civil equality began on the battlefield of the U.S. Civil Service Commission. Decades of investigations and ruined lives were rooted in the language of federal personnel policy. Words like “revulsion,” “notorious,” and “nasty” morphed into the numbing regulatory-speak of “proper metonyms,” “suitability” and “overt conduct.” Prior to Stonewall, the struggle for equality began in Washington with hard-fought litigation and individual plaintiff’s challenges to federal personnel policy preserved today in the briefs, opinions, activists’ letters and declassified memos in the National Archives. For gay men and lesbians in the day, it was a brutal fight to build a new world of equality and shared legal status.
The Civil Service Commission Chairman John W. Macy (19171986), Lyndon Johnson’s “personnel man,” in 1966 cut to the core of the federal ban on gay and lesbian employment in a three-page letter written to the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C. Macy’s letter can be summarized as follows: you don’t exist.
“We do not subscribe to the view, which indeed is the rock upon which the Mattachine is founded, that “homosexual” is a proper metonym for an individual. Rather we consider the term “homosexual” to be properly used as an adjective to describe the nature of overt sexual relations or conduct… We see no third sex, no oppressed minority or secret society, but only individuals, and we judge their suitability for Federal employment in the light of their overt conduct.”
The world of John Macy is where the Heritage Time Machine will land. Homosexual is not the right “metonym” (oh, please), his figure of speech for human beings. You are not a noun. You are an adjective! You are a conduct, not an “oppressed minority.” There is no such thing as “sexual orientation.” The significance of the formal apology of the United States government delivered in 2009 by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director to Mattachine Society President Frank Kameny, would be deleted. “I am writing today that this policy (of discrimination) which was at odds with the bedrock principles underlying the merit-based civil service, has been repudiated by the U.S. Government, due in large part to your determination, life’s work, and to the thousands of Americans whose advocacy your words have inspired.” John Berry, OPM Director, continued, “I am happy to inform you that the memorandum signed by President Obama directs the OPM to issue guidance to all executive departments and agencies regarding their obligations to comply with these rules and regulations.”
For LGBTQ Americans, our greatest achievement was the establishment of identity. We are a community, a people with a shared legal status facing discrimination and hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills from state legislatures nationwide. There is a moment when the Time Traveler in Wells’s story “The Time Machine” is terrified to find himself stranded in another era. “At once like a lash across the face, came the possibility of losing my own age, of being left helpless in this strange new world.” With the Project 2025 Time Machine, we face that real possibility.
“History is written by the winners,” said Donald Trump’s Attorney General William Barr after the Justice Department’s decision to drop charges against Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn for lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian Ambassador. It was actually George Orwell who wrote, “history is written by the winners.” Barr knows his Orwell. “So it largely depends upon whom is writing the history,” concluded Barr.
Will that be Heritage, or us?
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PETER ROSENSTEIN
is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.
‘size matters’ to
Donald Trump
Harris continues to electrify Democrats and pile up endorsements
Funny to read the debate about who has the bigger one. Trump keeps saying he does. Clearly it matters to him. Then you hear Democrats saying no, Harris does. One has to remember they are both referring to political rallies. Democrats are right, Harris has the bigger ones.
Again, we can laugh at this, but the reality for Democrats is this is screwing with Trump’s mind, and the size of the Harris/Walz rallies is a clear sign of the renewed energy that has consumed the party since Harris became the candidate and named Walz her running mate. This kind of joyful energy has clearly been missing.
Democrats now have their work cut out for them to ensure it continues for the next two and a half months. The result will be large numbers coming out to vote on Nov. 5. And all this was happening even before the Democratic convention began. It started with Harris s first rally in Atlanta after Biden dropped out, and endorsed her. Then it continued in Philadelphia after she named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her choice for vice president, and did a joint rally with him. Since then, the large crowds have kept coming. Democrats saw them as they moved on to Michigan and then Wisconsin. What is really promising are the endorsements Harris is getting as she travels to her rallies. The first one came before her rally in Ari ona. or the first time in its history, the League of nited Latin American Citi ens L LAC , the oldest organi ation representing Latinos, founded in 19 9, has endorsed a presidential candidate, Harris. L LAC s mission “is to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of the Hispanic population of the nited States.” They clearly see Harris as the person to help them achieve their mission.
Then just before Harris and Walz appeared at another huge rally in Nevada, Harris won the endorsement of the Culinary nion, in existence for nearly 9 years. It’s the largest organization of working women in Nevada, and as the endorsement noted, “the chance to elect the first Black and South Asian woman president of the SA is both energi ing and historic, and we are ready to make history together.” The union represents , workers in Las Vegas and eno. The Culinary nion is Nevada s largest Latinx Black AAPI immigrant organi ation
with members who come from 1 countries and speak more than different languages.
All this energy is clearly making a difference. The respected Cook Political eport moved Georgia, Nevada and Ari ona, from leaning epublican, to toss-up. Then the NY Times Sienna poll showed Harris up by in ichigan, isconsin, and Pennsylvania. All of this is a huge change in just a few weeks. Harris then campaigned in aleigh, N.C., on riday, Aug. 1 where she outlined some basic economic proposals. Greeting her there was a new Cook Political eport poll, which showed she had a one-point lead in North Carolina, putting the state squarely back in the swing state category.
Then on Monday, the Democratic National Convention, being held in Chicago, began. Its first day honored President Joe Biden. He was honored for more than 5 years of public service, which began when he was first elected to the New Castle County Council, Delaware, in 19 . He will leave a positive legacy not matched by many in our country’s history. In his gracious speech, he turned the party, and the mantel of leadership, over to Kamala Harris. In doing so he continues to serve the country. e heard from the incredible Hillary odham Clinton, who received a well-deserved lengthy standing ovation, as she talked about finally seeing amala Harris break that glass ceiling. Over the next few days, two more presidents will endorse Harris. Trump couldn’t even get his own vice president to endorse him. The Democrats’ only problem is how to schedule so many great speakers for prime-time TV coverage. There is a wealth of talent wanting to speak for Harris and Walz. Democrats will be speaking directly to young people, to women, to the LGBTQ community, to African Americans, Latinos, and Asians and to every American.
I have been to five conventions. The first as a 1 -year-old in Atlantic City in 19 that nominated Lyndon Johnson. The last, the history making one in Philadelphia in 1 , where the first woman to lead a ma or party ticket, Hillary Clinton, was nominated. This one I will watch on TV, but it is no less exciting. hile Trump continues to worry about si e, amala Harris will win this election. Then on Jan. , 5 she will be sworn in as the th president of the nited States of America.
Miss Major is committed to defeating Trump, electing Harris
Activist joins Task Force Action Fund at DNC before hitting campaign trail
By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com
Before traveling to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention as an honored guest of the National LGBTQ+ Task Force Action Fund, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy connected with the Washington Blade by Zoom for an interview from her home in Little Rock, Ark.
Raised in the South Side of Chicago during the 1940s and 50s, the author, activist, and community organizer has been at the forefront of queer and trans liberation movements for decades, a witness to the 1969 Stonewall Riots who then had a front row seat to the scourge of HIV/AIDS in San Francisco in the 1980s and 90s.
“And right now,” she said, the trans community is “facing the same bullshit they tried in ’69, ’65, ’64.”
Before Thursday’s call, Miss Major had received a letter from Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R), a White House press secretary during the Trump administration and one of the conservative officials who objected to the Biden-Harris administration’s policy of allowing U.S. citizens to select “X” as a gender marker on official documents, including passports and other forms of identification.
A few months ago, Miss Major’s assistant Muriel Tarver explained, Sanders “issued a proclamation saying that anyone that had an ‘X’ on their driver’s license or state-issued ID, that it would have to come off. She said that they would not be harassed, that just when you went to renew your identification, it would be changed at that time.”
The letter, Tarver said, certainly seems like harassment. “They didn’t wait for her to go and get her new ID. And her ID has not expired. It’s not getting ready to expire. But here’s the letter.”
Those who are familiar with Miss Major’s brand of activism might be surprised by her work with the Task Force Action Fund, her appearance at the DNC, and perhaps especially her commitment to criss-crossing the country to talk voters out of supporting Donald Trump and into supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’s historic bid for the White House.
As shown in “Major!” the 2015 documentary about her life, and a 2023 memoir comprised of interviews with journalist Toshio Meronek called “Miss Major Speaks: Conversations with a Black Trans Revolutionary,” the activist’s foremost concerns have always been centered around providing for her trans brothers and sisters. Her work on this front is never ending: Tarver gave the Blade a virtual tour of Miss Major’s property, which she has used as a refuge for trans folks who are free to stay and relax on the well-kept grounds, which are complete with a guest house and a pool.
Where she may have sidestepped electoral politics in the past, however, there is “so much happening to whereby you had to get involved in it now,” Miss Major said. “But before it was just — my community has suffered so bad for so long, so often, that you’ve got to do something to help them navigate the bullshit that goes on in the world.”
This usually means ensuring that basic needs are met. “And I don’t feel as if politics helps that,” she said, because “it’s got to be people and the relationships you build and what you build together with another person that makes it better.”
Miss Major added, “I want things to be better for all of us. You know, transgender and non transgender people.” And as society has begun to make space for those with non-cisgender identities, the backlash has been vicious. “They’re so afraid of opening up to us,” she said.
When it comes to political candidates, she said, “As an ordinary person, you know, I’m concerned about food and gas and clothing and shit like that. And, you know, who else cares about this? I need to know the person who’s in charge cares and is going to do something to alleviate the stress on me to get it.”
By the time President Joe Biden announced his decision to step aside on July 21 — well before that pivotal moment, Tarver stressed — Miss Major and the Task Force Action Fund were ready to spring into action.
“It was quite a service act that he did for the country,” Miss Major said. “Because I really believe that he could have gone further, but he just didn’t have what it took. And so when he stepped out and made her the nominee, he invigorated, and he poured such joy to this country, and hope, and belief that it can be done, that [Trump] can be stopped.”
“As we all heard about the potential for Biden stepping down and putting aside his personal and political interests for the sake of democracy, which is a pretty historical and brave thing, we all wanted to be ready to respond to what would happen,” Task Force Action Fund Communications Director Cathy Renna told the Blade by phone.
Issuing a joint endorsement of Harris was historic for both Miss Major and the Task Force Action Fund, Renna said. “We have not endorsed anyone since Jimmy Carter, which was shortly after our founding, right? So, we’re talking about almost 50 years ago.”
“We wanted a bold choice,” she said, “and we also understand what’s at stake in this election.”
Miss Major sees the contrast between the two candidates as clear and compelling; the difference between sanity and insanity, competence and chaos. “Do you want someone who lies to you? Or do you what someone who tells the truth?”
Trump spreads filth and disorder like the character from Charles M. Schulz’s “Peanuts” comic strip who is perpetually surrounded by a cloud of dust and detritus, she said.
Harris, on the other hand, represents the future. “She’s breaking the ceiling. There’s
MISS MAJOR speaks at the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Creating Change conference in 2018. lade file photo by ichael ey
a glass ceiling. And when she breaks through, she’s gonna go on,” Miss Major said. “And after this, something like 10s of 1000s of people are gonna go through that, too. It’s just going to be phenomenal.”
By the time Harris was first elected to serve as San Francisco District Attorney in 2004, Miss Major for years had worked in food banks and in other roles providing direct services to the trans community and home health services to those living with HIV/AIDS. That year, she was tapped to lead the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project.
Reflecting on Harris’s tenure, Miss Major said, “We became people to her. We weren’t some oddity that she reached for. She accepted the whole bunch, all of us. It was just a marvelous thing to be a part of. You know, finally, find somebody that believed in us.”
Along with her leadership on marriage equality — as one of the earliest and most strident public figures who advocated for same-sex marriage — as district attorney, Harris fought against the so-called gay and trans panic defenses, courtroom arguments used to seek lesser penalties for violent crimes against LGBTQ people.
“For us, it’s incredibly important to get behind the candidate who is already an ally to our community and who we know, no matter what, is going to have an administration where we’ll have a seat at the table,” Renna said.
She added, “We may not always agree, but it’s an administration that will be willing to listen to us and hear us out and try to hopefully better understand the variety of issues, especially from the perspective of the Task Force Action Fund, which is very intersectional and will bring to the table not just the siloed queer issues.”
“For us,” Renna said, “it’s about more than marriage equality and trans affirming care. It’s about reproductive justice. It’s about climate. It’s about disability rights. And racial equity. So for us, you know, this [Harris-Walz] ticket really represents all the issues we care about.”
Harris is unflappable, Miss Major said. “They can’t shake her up or piss her off or anything to disturb her. She knows exactly what she’s going to do. She knows how she’s going to do it. And if you get in the way, I pity you.”
“Miss Major has been part of the family and orbit of the Task Force and Task Force Action Fund for years,” Renna said. “She was honored at Creating Change many years ago, she participated in Creating Change this year in New Orleans, and so many of the staff and folks who are at the Task Force love, respect, and are connected to her.”
So, Miss Major’s participation in the DNC is “not just a unique opportunity to partner and collaborate with her, but a really important piece of work to do for for our community, particularly for trans people of color,” Renna said.
“We are also giddy with anticipation,” she added. “Everyone we’re talking to is so excited she’s going to be there. She’s an icon. She is a pioneer. She’s an inspiration, but she’s also someone who speaks to the moment that we’re living in right now, because she’s lived through it in the past. And so, for, especially, younger folks to hear from her, I think it will give them context and hope and inspire them to be more engaged in the process.”
“I have a feeling we’re going to blow the roof off the United Center and all the oth-
er venues at the convention, because there’s so much positive energy around this,” Renna said.
“You can’t help but be excited” about Harris’s candidacy, Miss Major agreed.
The energy and enthusiasm, Renna said, are “what you need to counteract the level of lies, misinformation, and hate that’s coming at us, that has been coming at us from the other side” particularly since Trump’s emergence as a national political figure.
“I plan on going to every place Trump goes and speak to the tender loving people in those places and tell them what a liar he is and how insane he is and that they just shouldn’t vote for him,” Miss Major said. “So wherever it is from now till November, I will be there. Wherever he goes.”
“I’m gonna explain to the people that he not only lies, but he doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” she said. “And that we can feel safe and warm and secure in the fact that Harris is going to lead this country into the future.”
“We’re not going back — you know, I lived back there,” Miss Major said. “No, we’re not going there, because it hurts to think about that shit, you know, and it’s aggravating to have lived through it already, you know, I don’t want to go through it a second time.”
iss a or ri n racy iss a or at the 0 ational T Task Force reating hange onference in ew rleans hoto courtesy ational T Task Force
Restored ‘Caligula’
is still no
classic Sumptuous
trash that’s worth seeing on the big screen
By JOHN PAUL KING
Anybody who loves movies knows the thrill of returning to an old favorite for a repeat viewing; it allows us to appreciate things we missed before. Alternatively, re-watching a bad movie or at least, one you disliked can help you find a new perspective on it but that comes with the risk of discovering that it’s still bad, and then you’ve wasted a couple of hours that you’ll never get back.
But what if it’s a “bad” movie that is technically not the same movie anymore? Does it deserve another chance?
No, that’s not a riddle. It’s something to ponder before deciding to experience the newly re-edited and re-constructed 4K re-release of 1979’s “Caligula,” the notorious historical epic about the famously unhinged titular Roman emperor, which featured a boldly stylized reconstruction of its ancient Roman setting, a youthful Malcolm McDowell in the title role, and a roster of distinguished British actors adding their prestige in support. Controversial even before the cameras started rolling, it was an ambitious multi-national production that spared no expense in bringing the despot’s personal rise and fall to the screen in all its lavish and debauched glory conceived by none other than porn magnate Bob Guccione, the founder and editor of Penthouse magazine.
As in its original form, helmed by Italian filmmaker Tinto Brass, the movie opens as Caligula heir to the throne of his increasingly deranged great uncle, the oman Emperor Tiberius, who rules from a private island sanctuary and spends most of his time satisfying his perverse sexual appetites fears that the old man views him as a threat to his power and decides to get ahead of the problem by disposing of him first. This, of course, makes Caligula the new emperor, and from there the tale depicts a chronology of his reign, in which his own lust for power and other things transforms him into a depraved tyrant. That s not great for ome, of course, but it ends up even worse for Caligula. e won t spoil what happens, but you can look it up in any history book about the oman Empire if you want to know.
The production was, to put it mildly, a mess. Guccione hired Brass to direct, and contracted renowned author Gore Vidal to write the screenplay, only to wrangle with both over creative differences. Vidal was eventually fired, and Brass assigned to adapt his script but in the end, conflicts over the approach to sexual content led Guccione to remove Brass from the process and hire a team of editors to assemble a final cut according to his own specifications. He also snuck into the studio after-hours to film additional scenes of un-simulated sex featuring several hand-picked “Penthouse Pets,” which were then insert-
ed into the movie to provide the flavor of softcore eroticism he assumed audiences would expect from his “brand.”
He may have been right about the audiences “Caligula” was a box-office hit, a status no doubt fueled by international outrage from conservatives who decried it as “pornographic.” The most expensive independent film in history, it made back its cost and then some but critics largely tore Guccione s long-in-the-works pet pro ect apart legendary film reviewer oger Ebert famously walked out on it , and though it had its defenders, it uickly achieved status as a notably embarrassing “flop.”
Cinema lovers, however, have a habit of favorably reassessing the film failures of previous generations, and inevitably, “Caligula” gained a reputation over the years as ust such a movie. Enter Thomas Negovan, a film historian who discovered nearly 1 hours of unused footage - re ected takes, deleted scenes, and other material abandoned in Guccione s final vision for the film and undertook a full re-creation of the originally conceived “Caligula” as far as was possible, replacing every frame of footage from the 1979 release with alternate takes and reincorporating abandoned elements to create a stunningly restored new version in an effort to reali e screenwriter Vidal s original conception as closely as possible.
The resulting film, dubbed the “ ltimate Cut,” premiered at s Cannes ilm estival, where it earned praise from critics who cited its success in restoring both the movie’s artistic integrity and thematic cohesion, as well as its expanded showcase of the strong performances from McDowell (fresh from his breakthrough “Clockwork Orange” role when cast here and future Oscar-winner Helen irren, as Caligula s wife Caesonia. It restores at least some of Vidal s intended theme highlighting the corruption that comes with absolute power though not the openly gay author s stronger emphasis on ueer sexuality, a ma or point of contention with Guccione despite his willing inclusion of explicit same-sex and bisexual intimacy. Those moments largely take place as part of the background, a scenic element establishing the moral decadence of its title character’s reign and presenting a fetishi ed representation of ueer coupling that like all of the movie s sex seems more performative than passionate.
Even so, it s a better film than it was, particularly in a restored print that emphasi es the rich color of Silvano Ippoliti’s cinematography and the “seventies chic” re-imagination of Ancient Rome by production designer Danilo Donati. McDowell’s performance, seen in its fleshed-out entirety for the first time, reclaims a coherent arc that was lost in the original cut, while Mirren’s work is similarly expanded to reveal a layered nuance that somehow anchors the movie’s extremities to a recognizable humanity. Additionally, Negovian’s work in de- and re-constructing the original film is praiseworthy for its meticulous devotion to delivering a unified whole.
At the same time, there are missteps that alternative footage can’t correct. “Caligula” still plays like a confused art house costume drama duped into becoming an exploitation film. Gratuitous sex and over-the-top violence are still the predominant tactics for eliciting audience response, and while the “star” performances even legendary ham Peter O Toole s Tiberius, a case study in untethered-yet-irresistible overacting and an elegantly trashy visual aesthetic lend it a semblance of artistic dignity, it can t uite overcome the disingenuousness inherent in its blend of “serious” themes with blatantly exploitative underpinnings.
All of which begs the same uestion presented by the classic thought experiment called “The Ship of Theseus,” which asks us to contemplate whether a vessel that has had all of its parts replaced over time can still be considered the same vessel. It’s a moot point, however, because “Caligula” disavowed even in its new incarnation by director Brass is still plagued by the creative conflicts that marred its production. Its various elements seem to work at confused cross purposes, undermining any effort to impose a genuine sense of depth or artistic unity and leaving us with something that, despite the earnest contributions of many of its participants, still feels like a cynical effort to pass off porn by dressing it up as art.
Not that we re udging that in fact, we re encouraging you to catch “Caligula the ltimate Cut” during its road show rollout in theaters, which commenced earlier this month, before it releases on VOD and streaming platforms later on. It might still be trash, but it s sumptuous trash, and that’s always worth seeing on the big screen.
MALCOLM MCDOWELL and HELEN MIRREN in ‘Caligula.’
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Two books to read when your child comes out as trans
Explaining what science knows about genetics and sexuality
By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
Your child has recently told you a secret that they can’t hold tight anymore.
You’ve suspected what they’re about to say for a long time. When they were small, they weren t like other children. They may have even told you what they were thinking, even before they knew it themselves. But now you know, for sure, and so, going forward, you’re the loving parent of a child who’s trans, and there’s a learning curve.
These two books might help.
Surely, you must think that there has to be some science behind gender and identity, right In “ ree to Be nderstanding Kids & Gender Identity” by Jack Turban, D Atria, 9.99 , you ll follow the lives and struggles of three trans and gender diverse kids, Kyle, Sam, and Meredith, as Turban explains what science knows about genetics and sexuality.
‘Free to Be: Understanding Kids & Gender Identity’
By Jack Turban,
MD c. , Atria | $29.99 | pages
‘My Child is Trans, Now
To gain a basic understanding of the subject, says Turban, we need to look back in history to see how gender identity was perceived in the past and the attitudes that our ancestors held. He then touches upon language and “misnaming,” how social constructs attempt to set a child’s gender identity before it’s fully known, and why mothers often catch “blame” for something that s never anyone s “fault.” urther information on biology, puberty blockers, gender reassignment surgery for young trans people, and the “politics” of gender diversity round out this book nicely.
or the parent who wants a deeper dive into what makes their child tick and what they can do to make that kid’s life easier, this compassionate book is the one to read.
If you re ust finding out that your child is trans, then “ y Child is Trans, Now hat ” by Ben V. Greene owman Littlefield, .95 is a book to reach for now.
Beginning with the things you ll want to know and understand immediately, this book is assuring and soothing look, and you ll see the word “ oy” in its subtitle. Greene calls trans kids “VIPs,” and he means it, which sets a relaxing tone for what s to come here.
In sharing his own experiences, Greene stresses that every trans experience is different, and he touches often upon his coming out. This launches discussions on topics like bathrooms, therapy if you or your VIP want it , finding support, the politics of being trans, the stressors of medical treatment, and what it might be like to have even brief regrets. Greene finishes his book with advice on getting an education and living as a trans person.
“ y Child is Trans, Now hat ” is truly more of a book for parents and loved ones of trans teens or young adults. What’s in here goes well beyond childhood, so be aware before you reach for it on the shelf.
And if these books aren t enough, or don t uite fit what you need, be sure to ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for more. In recent years, more and more authors have been willing to share their own journeys, making the transition one that doesn’t have to be so secret anymore.
2024 Democratic National Convention
Multiple LGBTQ organizations hold events throughout week in Chicago
The 2024 Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago from August 19-22. The Human Rights Campaign joined with other LGBTQ organizations to hold a “We Show Up” event on Monday at the McCormack Place Convention Center with celebrities Sophia Bush and Wilson Cruz as well as movement leaders.
The convention was held in the United Center. Among the thousands of attendees were local politicians Gov. Wes Moore (D-Md.) and openly-gay D.C. Council member Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5).
(Blade photos by Michael Key)
