Global Pride by Metro Weekly

June 25, 2020

Contents

Volume 27 Issue 7

CLOSET COMES OUT Heidi N Closet takes her rightful place among the dazzling queens reigning over Pride Castle. By André Hereford

PRIDE GOES GLOBAL

When the pandemic shut down hundreds of Prides worldwide, organizers created a massive online streaming Pride celebration for the ages. Welcome to Global Pride, Saturday, June 27, 2020. By Rhuaridh Marr and John Riley

DARK MODE

The third and final season of Netflix’s Dark is a masterful example of jaw-dropping, emotionally shattering storytelling. By Randy Shulman

SPOTLIGHT: UNDECIDED p.5 MAKING TROUBLE p.8 LOVE’S INSPIRATION p.10 THE FEED: BESTING BIGOTRY p.13 ELECTING HISTORY p.14 LOUSY LEGISLATION p.15 ROAD RAGE p.16 DEMANDING ACTION p.17 DEFENDING HATE p.18 POWERFUL PROTEST p.19 VILE OFFENSE p.20 THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS p.21 SUPREME NONSENSE p.22 DEFENDING EQUALITY p.24 PRIDE OF NEW YORK p.30 FILM: BREAKING FAST p.33 TELEVISION: WELCOME TO CHECHNYA p.34 SELFIE SCENE p.36 LAST WORD p.37 Washington, D.C.’s Best LGBTQ Magazine for 26 Years Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Online Editor at metroweekly.com Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley Contributing Editors André Hereford, Doug Rule Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrators David Amoroso, Scott G. Brooks Contributing Writers Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield Webmaster David Uy Production Assistant Julian Vankim Sales & Marketing Publisher Randy Shulman National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media Co. 212-242-6863 Distribution Manager Dennis Havrilla Patron Saint Marsha P. Johnson During the pandemic please send all mail to: Metro Weekly PO Box 11559 - Washington, D.C. 20008 • 202-638-6830 All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publishers. Metro Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials submitted for publication. All such submissions are subject to editing and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Metro Weekly is supported by many fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for materials provided by advertisers or their agents. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising in Metro Weekly is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such person or organization.

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MITCHELL HAASETH/HULU

Spotlight

Undecided

Love, Victor star Michael Cimino wants to show that authenticity always wins the day — even if it takes time to get there.

HE GOAL FOR ME IS TO BE IN A SHOW THAT REAL- a better medium by which to tell a story that is more complicatly affects young people in a positive way,” says Michael ed. You don't get everything tied up with a bow at the end of two Cimino. “Something that gives them a new perspective, hours. In fact, you have an entire season — and then hopefully to walk a life where they can finally be themselves. I think we're additional seasons — through which your characters can come past the point of hiding who we are. People have every right to to terms with ideas, grow, and learn. The TV series allows us to be who they are truthfully, and have no shame about it. That’s tell a more complex, nuanced story.” In writing episodes for the series, Tanen tapped into his own the message I want younger audiences to receive.” Cimino currently stars as Victor Salazar, the teenage pro- experiences as a gay teen. “I was reminded of how deeply felt all tagonist of Hulu’s new LGBTQ-themed series, Love, Victor, a my own emotions were in high school,” he says. “The smallest spinoff of the popular movie Love, Simon from two summers interactions had the absolute deepest impact on me. The stakes back. As with Simon, the new show is set in the Atlanta suburb feel so high when you're that age and are experiencing first of Creekwood, maintaining narrative connectivity to its prede- loves, first crushes, familial strife. All these things that, as you cessor. (Nick Robinson, who played Simon in the movie, is gently become an adult, are less new to you and don't have the same threaded into the plot in a shrewd way.) Victor has moved to power to shake you, but as a teen are everything.” The show presents Victor with two possible, appealing love the sleepy haven with his family, and on top of adjusting to his new life — and coping with familial unrest — is interests: Mia (Rachel Hilson) and Benji (George secretly and trepidatiously coming to terms with Watch the Trailer Sear). “I think Victor does need to make a decihis sexual awakening. Unlike the character of for “Love, Victor” sion to finally be who he is as a person,” says Cimino. “That's an important message to be sent, Simon, however, who grappled only with coming out, Victor is uncertain where he lands on the spectrum — is he because ultimately everyone eventually needs to make the decision as to who they want to be in their life. Sometimes it's not an attracted to guys? Girls? Both? “The film, for a lot of LGBT people, including myself, was a easy realization to come to. wonderful representation of wish fulfillment,” says showrunner “I've always just been the type of person where it's like Brian Tanen. “It was a coming-out story, a romantic comedy. It you should just be who you are authentically,” continues the was all these things we want to see happen for young gay people. 20-year-old. “I've always wanted to get to a place where I wasn't “Still, there was feedback that this wish-fulfillment version judged for being who I was. And I think everyone should have might not be the most reflective of reality. The television series is the right to just be who they are.” —Randy Shulman Love, Victor is now streaming exclusively on Hulu. JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

BIRD LAMBRO (INSTAGRAM @BIRDLAMBRO)

Spotlight

Closet Comes Out

Heidi N Closet takes her rightful place among the dazzling queens reigning over Pride Castle.

NDOUBTEDLY A BRIGHT SPOT IN THIS LONG, Race fandom’s hearts. But lockdown has left her unable to strange 2020, RuPaul’s Drag Race season 12 also deliv- share the love with a live audience. “I've done a lot of virtual ered the unexpected pleasure of getting to know Heidi shows, which is just as good,” says Heidi. “I do it at home in N Closet, a charismatic queen from rural North Carolina. Heidi my basement, where the ceiling is six feet and I'm right there — otherwise known as Trevien Anthonie Cheek — caught a lot bumping up against it. So it's definitely been an adjustment for of shade for her punny drag name, but stayed “soft and supple” spacing, and you don't get that same rush of energy from the episode after episode, placing fifth and earning the title of Miss crowd when you're performing in your basement.” But just in time to celebrate Pride, Heidi will emerge from Congeniality. No stranger to snatching titles, Heidi currently reigns as her basement to join sister Drag Race favorites Raja, Naomi North Carolina’s Entertainer of the Year F.I., a crown she Smalls, Kim Chi, Plastique Tiara, season 11 winner Yvie Oddly wears proudly. (“I just polished it yesterday, so it's looking and season 12 winner Jaida Essence Hall for a new drag specgorgeous,” she says.) It was a mere two weeks after landing tacle, Werq the World: Pride Castle. For the event, hosted by that pageant win that the performer learned she would be choreographer and trans activist Candis Cayne, each of the competing on Drag Race, and she was ready. seven queens will take over a room at palatial Pride Castle to “I feel like competing for [Entertainer of the Year] was a serve up a solo performance, before they all come together lot more relaxed and laid-back, because it was my second time for a grand live ball. Net proceeds from ticket sales, and 100% competing,” she says. “The first year I was very all over the of viewer tips, will be donated to the National Black Justice place, getting stuff done last minute, and this time around... Coalition. only thing I had to do the day of the pageant was stoning a pair Heidi, a Drag Race viewer from season one, admits she’ll of heels. So I was like, ‘Okay, I'm cool. I'm laid-back.’ be fangirling over her own favorite queens in the castle. And “But the whole time at Drag Race,” she continues, “you perhaps they’ll be won over by this country charmer, who’s can't be laid-back and feel comfortable with become the pride of Ramseur. The reality show sensation was just recently added your spot in the competition. You have to be Click Here to on your toes the whole competition, and it's a to her hometown’s “notable people list Visit Voss Events long period of time that you're on your toes if on Wikipedia, so I felt important,” Heidi you last long, so it was like, ‘Uff.’ It's a high-pressure cooker.” enthuses. “I don't think it's really been much of an adjustment Quarantining in her hometown of Ramseur, the performer — I feel like I've always been a star. At the end of the day, just watched along with viewers everywhere as she stole the Drag more people notice me.” —André Hereford Werq the World: Pride Castle streams live on Saturday, June 27, at 8 p.m. ET, and will be available for replay for 48 hours after the live event. Pre-sale tickets are $9.99 for a limited time. Please visit www.vossevents.com.

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Spotlight

John Lewis with fellow protestors at Edmund Pettus Bridge

Making Trouble

John Lewis: Good Trouble traces the leader’s march towards equality directly to a new generation of activists.

“John Lewis' life and legacy is about service,” says Porter. IFTY-FIVE YEARS SINCE JOHN LEWIS AND DOZens of other peaceful protesters were beaten by Alabama “It is about what is good for all people. It's like that phrase, state troopers in Selma, Lewis still likes to say that as a you're only as happy as your unhappiest child. I think that John sharecropper’s son who always was told to stay out of trouble, Lewis has always understood that. And that is why his message, he believes in making “good trouble” when the cause calls for it. I think, is so, so critical today. If we don't understand our his“When I first heard Mr. Lewis explain what good trouble tory, we repeat it.” Despite good people waging decades of necessary trouble, meant to him, I thought, ‘Oh, that's nice,’” recalls filmmaker Dawn Porter (Bobby Kennedy for President), whose documenta- history does repeat itself constantly. Lewis and his fellow ry John Lewis: Good Trouble surveys the activist and congress- marchers in Selma were demonstrating for equal voting rights, man’s life of stirring up change. “Now I think I see it a little still in peril today. And they marched across the Edmund Pettus more urgently. I'm focusing as much on the word good as on the Bridge that day partly to commemorate the shooting death, phrase trouble. And what he's saying is, upsetting people and a week prior, of unarmed Black activist Jimmie Lee Jackson, possibly causing a ripple and causing a stir can really be good. killed by a state trooper. So the world still needs crusaders for It can really be necessary. He usually pairs ‘good trouble’ with justice and equity, and Good Trouble shows Lewis expanding ‘necessary trouble.’ And I think he's right. I think that being his crusade to amplify the voices of younger generations of silent is not helpful. And now I think what we're seeing is it's liberal leaders, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, dangerous. So I think good trouble is kind of a rallying cry for and Beto O’Rourke. “It was really important to me to show that AOC, Ayanna all of us who cannot be complacent.” Arriving at a time when people, especially young people, Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, that John Lewis sought them out in addition to them seeking him out,” all over the world are rallying and marching says Porter. “And he is joyfully looking to the for justice and change, Porter’s film captures Click Here to how Lewis stepped into his purpose as a very next voices, the next generation. He underWatch the Trailer young man. Inspired by the Martin Luther stands that the torch will have to be passed King, Jr.-led bus boycott of 1955, Lewis joined the movement and that we need to have people who are given the grace of for civil rights as a student, and by 1963, as chair of the Student being mentored the way that he was mentored. You have to Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the 23-year old was help- stand for something besides yourself, besides your own political power.” —André Hereford ing to organize the March on Washington. John Lewis: Good Trouble is available on VOD on Friday, July 3. Visit www.johnlewisgoodtrouble.com.

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HEIDI GUTMAN-GUILLAUME

Spotlight

Love’s Inspiration With her new memoir, Loni Love aims for inspiration and levity in relating an unexpected journey.

AST MONTH, LONI LOVE MADE HER DRAG DEBUT “the only daytime talk show without a white co-host.” Love hopes younger readers find her memoir to be inspiraon RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race. “I do think that they cheated me because they put me up against a pageant tional and instructive. “When I was growing up,” she says, “I queen — that damn Vanessa Williams,” she jokes, adding “[it] didn't have this type of advice [or] someone that I could relate to on this type of level.” She dispenses her wisdom with a healthy was the most fantastic experience.” In fact, Williams, the former Miss America, did win, beating dose of humor. “We need to escape and we need to laugh, and this both Love and Tami Roman in dance and lip-sync challenges book is a comedy book, as well. At the end of each chapter there's to earn $30,000 for her charity of choice, the Trevor Project. some type of life lesson that is hilarious or ridiculous or silly.” Meanwhile, Love earned $10,000 for her chosen charity, Dress Love is presently focused on getting out the vote. “Voting is so important,” she says. “We risk [losing] all of our for Success, and has also received an unexpected, lasting supply of compliments from many viewers about the “joy” of her per- rights — whether LGBTQ or civil rights — if we don't get out and formance. “That’s what I want to do as an entertainer: I want to vote for the right people who are going to preach equality for all. bring joy to people. And sometimes that means stepping outside I work with an organization called When We All Vote, which is of your comfort zone.” trying to register as many people as we can to vote. “I'm not trying to tell you who to vote for, I'm just trying to get It’s also one of the life lessons Love shares in I Tried to Change So You Don’t Have To. The newthe message out to vote,” she says. “It’s our right to get that one vote, no matter your class, your color, ly-published memoir documents her unexpectClick Here to your culture, your sexual status, it doesn't matter. ed journey from inner-city Detroit to success Buy the Book in Hollywood as an Emmy-winning co-host on You get that one vote. I'm asking people to make Fox’s nationally syndicated The Real. One of four co-hosts, sure that they have their vote, that it's the vote that they want, all women of color, Love describes The Real in her book as and they're able to do it.” —Doug Rule I Tried to Change So You Don’t Have To: True Life Lessons by Loni Love is available from the Hachette Book Group in hardcover, e-book, or audiobook formats. Visit www.hachettebookgroup.com. Loni Love is a co-host of The Real, airing weekdays at noon on FOX. Check local listings. 10

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Torres

Besting Bigotry Gay Bronx congressional candidate Ritchie Torres leads anti-gay rival. By John Riley

CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE IN THE SOUTH Bronx is poised to become the first gay Afro-Latino elected to Congress, having seemingly defeated a fellow politician known best for his anti-LGBTQ views and his praise of President Donald Trump. As of Wednesday morning, openly gay New York City Councilmember Ritchie Torres is leading in the race for New York's 15th Congressional District. Torres is ahead of State Assemblyman Michael Blake, who was backed by the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Rev. Ruben Díaz, Sr., a fellow City Councilmember, Pentecostal minister, and former state senator, as well as nine others seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. José Serrano, who is retiring. With 100% of precincts reporting, but tens of thousands of mail-in ballots yet to be counted, Torres leads with 31% of the vote, to Blake's 19% and Díaz's 15%. Samelys Lopez, a progressive activist backed by U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, was in fourth, with 13% of the vote. Prior to Tuesday's initial results, there had been fears among some Democrats that the presence of several progressives in the race — specifically Torres and Lopez, who are more left-leaning than most of the other candidates — would splinter the vote and allow Díaz, who was endorsed by the National Organization for Marriage the day before the primary, to win with a plurality of the vote. Whoever won the primary was favored in the general election, as the district is considered the most Democratic in the nation. Mindful of the implications of the primary should Díaz win, a coalition of LGBTQ political groups, including the LGBTQ

Victory Fund — which endorsed Torres — even called on some of the more left-leaning candidates to drop out and support Torres, whom pre-election polls showed trailing frontrunner Díaz by only two points. Díaz is a larger-than-life figure with near-universal name recognition — both from his own political career spanning decades, as well as his son Ruben Díaz, Jr.'s influential position as Bronx Borough President. He has become famous among New York political circles for his socially conservative views on abortion and LGBTQ rights, his friendliness to Republicans, including Trump and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and his penchant for inflammatory remarks, such as when he lamented that the City Council was "controlled by the homosexual community." Unsurprisingly, Díaz has even said he's not sure he'll vote for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in November's election. If Torres' lead holds, he would likely become the first openly LGBTQ Afro-Latinx person elected to the U.S. Congress, due to the district's heavily Democratic nature. While he declined to declare victory until all mail-in votes were counted, Torres told Spectrum News NY1 that it would "be the honor of my life to represent this borough" in Congress. "I would not be here were it not for my mother," Torres said, tearing up. "And the South Bronx is full of mothers like mine who have suffered, and struggled, and sacrificed so that her baby boy can have a better life than she did. The opportunity to represent the essential workers of this borough, to represent the powerful mothers of this borough, it's the culmination of a dream. But we have to count every ballot." But while Torres may have been more cautious about declarJUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

theFeed constituents." Torres was also endorsed by CHC BOLD PAC, the campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. "While final votes are still being counted, Ritchie's overwhelming support and vote lead in NY-15's primary election make it clear that Ritchie Torres will be the Democratic Party's candidate in this race," CHC BOLD PAC Chairman, Tony Cárdenas said in a statement. "Ritchie's victory is a testament to the diverse coalition his grassroots campaign has built and his years of service to his community on the New York City Council, where he has demanded accountability for NYPD's misuse of force on peaceful protesters, advocated for better public housing conditions, and stood up for taxi drivers — many of them immigrants — cheated by a predatory medallion system that left them bankrupted. His victory is a reflection of BOLD PAC’s commitment to continue expanding the Hispanic Caucus with diverse and strong voices in Congress. Tonight we celebrate, but tomorrow we get right back to work because come November, we can't wait to see Ritchie make history as the first LGBTQ+ Black Latino Member of Congress."

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ing victory, Dave Wasserman, the U.S. House editor of the Cook Political Report, said he believes trends indicate Torres will ultimately be victorious. "I've seen enough: NYC Councilman Ritchie Torres (D), 32, has won the Dem primary for #NY15, the most Democratic seat in the country. In 2013, Torres became the first out LGBT person ever elected in the Bronx. He's a potential national star." The LGBTQ Victory Fund celebrated Torres' win in a statement. "Voters in the Bronx rejected the politics of bigotry and instead put Ritchie on track to become the first openly LGBTQ Afro-Latinx member of Congress. At a time when our country is divided and we confront the realities of racism and police brutality, it is essential we have a voice like Ritchie’s fighting to turn the demands of protesters into legislative change at the federal level," Annise Parker, the president and CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund said in November. "While he will make history in November, we know Ritchie runs not to put his name in the record book, but to continue his work to expand and improve affordable housing and secure criminal justice reform for his

Jones

Electing History Mondaire Jones poised to make history as one of the first openly gay Black members of Congress. By John Riley

ONDAIRE JONES, A LAWYER WHO RAN ON A progressive platform, appears to have won the Democratic primary for the seat of retiring U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, putting him on track to become one of the first openly gay Black members of Congress. Jones, who was endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign in his bid for the party’s nomination for New York’s 17th Congressional District, defeated seven other candidates, leading his closest challenger by a 2-1 margin. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are several thousand mail-in votes yet to be counted in the district. But as of Wednesday morning, Jones led the field with 45% of the vote, 14

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ahead of former federal prosecutor Adam Schleifer, who won 21% of the vote. State Sen. David Carlucci, the leader of the Independent Democratic Conference, a breakaway group of Democratic state senators who for several years swung power in Albany’s upper chamber to the Republicans in an effort to block progressive legislation, came in third with 13% of the vote. The winner of the Democratic primary is favored in the district, which covers parts of the suburbs of Westchester and Rockland counties, just north of the city, and leans seven points more Democratic than the nation as a whole. Jones will likely be joined by Ritchie Torres, an openly gay

theFeed Afro-Latino who is the apparent winner in the nearby 15th Congressional District, as the first openly gay Black members of Congress. Dave Wasserman, the U.S. House editor for the Cook Political Report, called the race for Jones, even before the remaining mail-in ballots are counted. “I’ve seen enough: Mondaire Jones (D) has won the Dem primary for #NY17. Jones, an AOC-backed progressive, is now virtually guaranteed to be the next member from Chappaqua,” Wasserman tweeted, referring to the New York residence of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Two other openly LGBTQ candidates from the Empire State also won their primaries on Tuesday, with U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney winning renomination in the 18th Congressional District, and Tracy Mitrano winning the Democratic nomination in the 23rd Congressional District, which covers much of upstate New York’s southern tier, stretching from the Buffalo exurbs in

the west to the city of Ithaca in the east. If all four are successful in November, New Yorkers could potentially constitute one-third of all out LGBTQ members of Congress. The LGBTQ Victory Fund, which endorsed Jones, praised his success in a statement. “LGBTQ people and African Americans are severely underrepresented in the U.S. Congress, but Mondaire’s victory gives hope that we are moving toward a federal government that is more representative of the people it serves,” Annise Parker, the president and CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, said. “Mondaire’s unique experiences and perspectives as well as his work in criminal justice reform makes him an essential voice for this moment. When he wins in November, he will make history as one of the first openly LGBTQ Black members of Congress. But more importantly, he can be an influential member in the coming debates to address racism and police brutality, and in passing the Equality Act.”

Lousy Legislation HRC President Alphonso David calls Senate Republicans’ policing “reform” bill “offensive” By John Riley

TODD FRANSON

HE PRESIDENT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN called a Republican-sponsored Senate bill aiming to reform policing “offensive” and the “wrong solution” for addressing the issues of racial bias, systemic racism, and the use of excessive force by officers. Speaking on a conference call with other civil rights organizations, HRC President Alphonso David deemed the Senate version of a police reform bill unacceptable and predicted it would be ineffective at dealing with the underlying racial issues that have plagued policing for years and the tension that often exists between police and the communities they police, particularly Black people and other individuals of color. Those issues have been thrust front and center in the national debate over reforming policing, which has grown out of the protests held in cities throughout the nation and the world decrying systemic racism and the officer-involved deaths of Black individuals in several cities, most notably the death of George Floyd, who was killed after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck. “Right now, Black communities in this country face disproportionate levels of policing, which of course leads to more interactions with law enforcement, more

arrests, and, often, less trust,” David said. David noted that a key component of the problem of over-policing communities of color is rooted in the large sums of money budgeted for police, some of which could be better spent on other priorities, particularly programs designed to deal with social issues that police officers lack the training to deal with, such as addiction, mental health problems, joblessness — particularly for formerly incarcerated individuals — and poverty. “We have to transform the system, not provide a system with more money and more power. Real, transformative change is vital to LGBTQ people all over this country,” David said. “Real, transformative change in policing is vital to Black people. Transformational changes to policing are vital to the future of our country.” HRC, along with The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the NAACP, the Center for American Progress and close to 450 other organizations, have signed onto a letter urging Congress to take effective action on police violence. To that end, they have also endorsed a set of principles required to completely overhaul the system of policing and the mindset of law enforcement. David Congressional Democrats and JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

theFeed Republicans have introduced competing legislation on the issue. Both House and Senate Democrats seek more sweeping reforms, such as restricting the use of qualified immunity for police officers, restricting the use of military equipment by police departments, ending “no-knock” warrants, and prohibiting chokeholds. Senate Republicans, meanwhile, support more limited restrictions regarding the use of force, increased use of body cameras, and more oversight of police departments. Senate Democrats have indicated they will vote against a motion to proceed to debate on the Republicans’ bill when it is brought to the floor on Wednesday, on the grounds that it is insufficient in tackling the problems surrounding policing, and failed to include any input from Democrats, according to The New York Times. “I want to make sure we’re not mincing words,” David said. “The Senate’s proposal is a non-starter. The Senate’s proposal simply restates and funds the existing system, which is untenable. What [the Senate] should do is engage with the House leadership on a proposal that we have been working with them on for several weeks now, that does provide a runway for meaningful change moving forward. “The Senate bill does nothing on qualified immunity. It does nothing on racial profiling. It refuses to ban chokeholds and

‘no-knock’ warrants. It fails to address militarization of police,” he added. “The bill the Senate is advancing is an offensive piece of legislation that does not address the problem.” Other civil rights organizations have also panned the Republican Senate bill, and urged Democrats to vote against starting debate on it. “Instead of taking meaningful action, the Senate chose to put forth a bill that falls woefully short of the comprehensive changes needed to address the current policing crisis,” Vanita Gupta, the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said on Tuesday’s conference call. “It is deeply problematic to meet this moment with a menial incremental approach that offers more funding to the police, and few policies to end state-sanctioned violence against Black and Brown people. That is why we and over 135 other organizations are calling on senators to reject this bill and the motion to proceed.” “The lack of police accountability and enforceable policies put forth in this bill fails to answer the problems faced by many people of color across this country,” Hilary Shelton, the director of the NAACP’s Washington Bureau, said in a statement. “If we are going to solve the myriad of issues with policing in this country, we need a multi-faceted approach.”

Road Rage

Lyft passenger caught in racist, homophobic rant after refusing to wear mask. By Rhuaridh Marr

IDESHARE SERVICE LYFT HAS CRITICIZED THE — asks him if he has a mask or can put his shirt over his mouth. “Do you believe in that shit?” Richard responds. “despicable” behavior of a passenger who was filmed engaging in a racist, homophobic rant after being asked Edgar says yes, as he has “family that is sick of that,” presumto wear a face mask. Lyft currently requires both drivers and ably referring to COVID-19. passengers using its service to wear face coverings during the Richard puts his hand over his mouth and says something COVID-19 pandemic, a policy it announced in early May. about the “government,” and then adds, “I’ve never heard of But in footage posted to YouTube, one passenger, named someone asking me to wear a mask.” Richard, took particular exception when his driver, Edgar, “It’s because we’re really close in the car,” Edgar says. After Edgar starts to head to the freeway, requested that he wear a mask. The incident, Click Here to which occurred in late May, led to Richard threatrather than the passenger’s preferred route home, ening to crush Edgar’s “fucking skull” and calling Watch the Video Richard starts to get confrontational and says, “I don’t like you.” him a “candy ass faggot.” After Richard enters the car, Edgar — who is wearing a mask “You don’t like me? You want to get out?” Edgar asks. Richard 16

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theFeed After they argue about the trip and Edgar tells Richard he’s on camera, Richard follows his homophobia with racism by mocking Edgar saying he “got video” of him. “You got video? You got video? You ever take English class?” he says, before asking Edgar, “Where are you from, boy?” He again emphasizes “boy.” After Edgar says he is “from here,” Richard responds, “No you’re not, you’re a fucking wetback,” before finally getting out of the car. Lyft told TMZ that the passenger’s actions were “despicable” and he has been banned from the platform. It also said it was working with the driver to make sure he is okay. “The behavior shown by the rider in this video is despicable and has no place on the Lyft platform,” the company said. “Lyft is committed to maintaining an inclusive and welcoming community, and discrimination is not tolerated.”

KOIN

refuses, instead telling Edgar to “take my ass home” so he “can give you a shitty review.” Rather than comply, Edgar stops the car and tells Richard he can “get out right now,” as his ride is over. “I’m not getting out,” Richard says. “I’ve got a contract with you and I’ve got a ride with you.” “The contract ends right now,” Edgar responds. Richard’s responds by complaining about free speech and his four-mile walk home, and calls Edgar a “candy ass faggot with white glasses.” He then says he could crush Edgar’s “fucking skull right now.” After Edgar finishes the ride, he asks Richard to get out of his car, adding “please.” “Get out of your car? How about a ‘please,’ boy,” Richard responds, emphasizing “boy.”

Gulley

Demanding Action M

More than 670,000 people sign petition calling for release of hanged trans woman’s autopsy. By John Riley

ORE THAN 670,000 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED A petition calling for the Portland Police Bureau and the Oregon State Medical Examiner to release the autopsy paperwork surrounding the death of a transgender women found hanging from a tree in a public park last year. Tete Gulley, 31, who was homeless at the time of her death, was found on May 27, 2019 at Rocky Butte Park in Northeast Portland. A medical examiner later ruled her death a suicide — a finding that her friends and family contest, claiming there is evidence of foul play. Records of Gulley’s autopsy haven’t been released publicly, despite open records requests from two media outlets, and the Oregon State Medical Examiner has said there isn’t sufficient public interest, according to CBS affiliate KOIN. But Gulley’s family points to a recent Change.org petition signed by more than 670,000 people calling on the Portland Police Bureau and the Oregon State Medical Examiner to pursue

the investigation further and release the autopsy paperwork. “We, the people of Portland and/or Oregon, demand that you take immediate action for the safety of the community and for Tete Gulley’s family,” the petition reads. “The family and the community believes there is foul play in the death of Tete Gulley and that it was not a suicide.” The petition accuses both the Portland Police Department and the Oregon State Medical Examiner of “negligence,” alleging that the police never contacted Gulley’s family, who found out about her death through social media; that they have been unreceptive to tips about a possible suspect; and that they failed to question key witnesses or pursue leads that might lead to finding a possible killer. Specifically, the petition alleges that some transient people witnessed Tete being murdered by a person who had a history of violence, especially toward transgender women, and that the attack may have been caught on video. According to the petition organizers, JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

theFeed to the family.” A spokesperson for the Medical Examiner’s Office did not respond to a request for comment as of press time. The PPB spokesperson noted that, based on outcry from the Portland community, the investigation into Gulley’s death was reopened and assigned to a “cold case” homicide detective last June. But based on the detective’s interviews with other transient individuals and potential witnesses, “[t]here was no evidence uncovered which would indicate Ms. Gulley’s death was suspicious in any way. “Some of the community members who were contacted by the detective were originally reported to have direct knowledge of the event, but they turned out only to now of unsubstantiated rumors,” the PPB spokesperson added. “Additionally, a public request for information was put out in the media and social media, and there were no responses from the community.... In this case, there is simply no evidence that this was anything other than a suicide. “We remain supportive of Ms. Gulley’s family and request anyone who has any information about this death to contact us.”

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Gulley’s family and friends claim she gave no indication that she was suicidal, which is why they’re suspicious about how she died. “We write this petition to demand clear and precise action be taken under the failure to properly investigate the death of Tete Gulley,” the petition concludes. In response to an inquiry from Metro Weekly, a spokesperson for the Portland Police Bureau said the department understands that “there are many questions about the death of Tete Gulley, especially given that Ms. Gulley was African-American, transgender and was found hanging from a tree.” According to the spokesperson, officers who arrived on scene to find Gulley’s body at Rocky Butte Park spoke to two people who had discovered her body, with neither witness reporting anything suspicious. “Based on the observations of all present, there were no signs of a struggle or any suspicious circumstances. The Oregon State Medical Examiner performed an autopsy and made the determination that Ms. Gulley died by suicide,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “The Medical Examiner is the custodian of the records regarding the autopsy. That autopsy was released

Barr

Defending Hate

The Trump administration defends Idaho’s anti-trans athlete law. By John Riley

HE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS FILED A “statement of interest” with a federal court in Idaho urging it to uphold a state law that prohibits transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. In its filing, the DOJ, on behalf of the Trump administration, argued that the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho should find that the law, which bans transgender students at the high school and collegiate levels from competing on female sports teams based on their gender identity, does not violate the U.S. Constitution. The law does not apply to transgender males seeking to compete in men’s sports. The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, signed into law by Gov. Brad Little (R) in March, has been challenged in court by 18

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the American Civil Liberties Union and Legal Voice on behalf of Lindsay Hecox, a transgender athlete wishing to compete in cross-country for Boise State University next year, and Jane Doe, a cisgender 17-year high schooler who worries about being subjected to invasive testing to “prove” her female identity. That lawsuit claims that the Idaho law, which is scheduled to take effect on July 1, is discriminatory and violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. As a result, it asks the court to issue a preliminary injunction to prevent the law from being enforced. But the Trump administration disagrees with that contention, with the DOJ writing in its filing that the “Equal Protection Clause does not require states to abandon their efforts to pro-

theFeed has harmed their ability to advance to regional championships, win awards, and potentially earn scholarships by attracting the attention of college coaches and recruiters. Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative legal firm representing the cisgender athletes, praised the Department of Justice for defending the Idaho law. “Idaho passed the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act because it seeks to protect equal athletic opportunities for girls and women across Idaho,” ADF Legal Counsel Christina Holcomb said in a statement. “By protecting all-girls’ sports, the state is ensuring that female athletes continue to enjoy equal opportunities to compete for and enjoy the life-long benefits that flow from school athletics. That’s good news for our clients and all female athletes who simply seek fairness in sports.” But Ritchie Eppink, the legal director for the ACLU of Idaho, told the Associated Press that the DOJ’s filing simply doubles down on past arguments seeking to justify disparate treatment of transgender student-athletes, which will ultimately fail in court. “The Trump administration has been attacking trans folks in the United States since basically inauguration day,” Eppink said. “It’s not surprising they made this a part of their anti-trans agenda as well.”

OFFICE OF THE CALIFOPRNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL

vide biological women with equal opportunity to compete for, and enjoy the life-long benefits that flow from, participation in school athletics in order to accommodate the team preferences of transgender athletes.” “Allowing biological males to compete in all-female sports is fundamentally unfair to female athletes,” Attorney General William Barr said in a statement accompanying the filing. “Under the Constitution, the Equal Protection Clause allows Idaho to recognize the physiological differences between the biological sexes in athletics. “Because of these differences, the Fairness Act’s limiting of certain athletic teams to biological females provides equal protection. This limitation is based on the same exact interest that allows the creation of sex-specific athletic teams in the first place — namely, the goal of ensuring that biological females have equal athletic opportunities. Single-sex athletics is rooted in the reality of biological differences between the sexes and should stay rooted in objective biological fact.” The DOJ previously expressed its support for a similar lawsuit, brought by a group of cisgender female student-athletes in Connecticut, who claim that the state’s policy allowing transgender athletes to compete based on their gender identity

Becerra

Powerful Protest O

California bans official state travel to Idaho in protest of anti-transgender laws. By John Riley

N MONDAY, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL Xavier Becerra (D) added Idaho to a list of 11 other states where state-funded travel is prohibited because those states have laws that discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community. Becerra’s office objected to two recently passed laws targeting the transgender community. The first prohibits transgender student-athletes from competing on athletic teams consistent

with their gender identity, and the other prohibits transgender people from amending birth certificates to reflect their gender identity. “Where states legislate discrimination, California unambiguously speaks out,” Becerra said in a press release. “The State of Idaho has taken drastic steps to undermine the rights of the transgender community, preventing people from playing sports in school or having documentation that reflects their identity. JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

theFeed for travel. According to the Wichita Eagle, San Diego State used private funds to travel to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in Wichita, Kansas, in 2018. Idaho’s Boise State University is currently scheduled to host the first- and second-round games in the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but that status could be jeopardized due to the transgender athlete law, which runs afoul of NCAA policy and has been condemned by the college sports organization. A coalition of collegiate and professional athletes, as well as civil rights groups, is currently calling for the NCAA to relocate the tournament from Idaho, just as the NCAA pulled seven sports championships from North Carolina in 2016 after that state passed its infamous HB 2 “bathroom bill.” The NCAA Board of Governors is scheduled to discuss the Idaho law and determine a course of action in August. Idaho House Minority Leader Rep. Ilana Rubel (D-Boise), told the Mercury News in a statement that the law could have disastrous economic consequences for the Gem State, much in the way that North Carolina experienced an economic backlash post-HB 2. “It was extremely foreseeable that Idaho’s new anti-transgender laws would create a cascading financial disaster for our state,” Rubel said. “Now, our reeling businesses and workers must pay the price.”

FACEBOOK

Let’s not beat around the bush: these laws are plain and simple discrimination.” Becerra argues that the laws passed in Idaho — and in other states on the list — violate a 2016 California law that restricts state agencies from requiring employees to travel to any state that has enacted a law that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, and prohibits agencies from approving state-funded travel to those same states. The travel ban will take effect July 1. But Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) objected to Becerra’s classification of the law, saying in an email to the Idaho Statesman: “I do not believe that protecting the rights of women and girls to participate in athletics or recording objective facts constitute discrimination.” The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a statement of interest calling on the federal courts to uphold Idaho’s law, with Attorney General William Barr issuing a public statement calling the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports “fundamentally unfair” to cisgender women. The American Civil Liberties Union is currently suing over the law, arguing that it violates equal protection under the law. It’s unclear how the addition of Idaho to the list might affect athletic competitions between California and Idaho schools, although some schools have opted to use private funds to pay

Cullinan and Bouvier

Vile Offense

Florida man spat on gay bartender’s face after being told to wear mask. By Rhuaridh Marr

OLICE IN WILTON MANORS, FLORIDA, ARE INVESTIgating after a local business owner allegedly spat in the face of a gay bartender who asked him to wear a face mask. Shane Cullinan, who bartends at LGBTQ bar The Pub, posted on his Facebook earlier this month claiming that a man had spat in his face after being repeatedly told to follow the bar’s face mask policy. Local business owner Gary Bouvier, who owns the Wilton Wings restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, later issued an apology on Facebook, blaming his “out-of-character behavior” on alcohol, WSVN reports. The Pub has signs outside the bar telling patrons that face 20

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masks must be worn, in addition to social distancing, but Bouvier reportedly refused to wear a mask inside the premises. Cullinan said on Facebook that Bouvier also tried to “come behind the bar looking for a restroom.” “I told him it was on the other side and he needed to put his mask on while walking around,” he wrote. “[Bouvier] said, ‘You don’t know who I am, and fuck off.'” Cullinan continued: “I followed him to near the bathroom and told him the masks [were] to protect others and he needed to wear one while walking about. Again, he said ‘you don’t know who I am and to fuck your mom.'”

theFeed in the environment we live in today, and especially that a local business owner on the drive would stoop that low to do that. Whatever Shane’s decision is to go forward with prosecution, and I will tell you the case is still open.” Bouvier posted an apology to his Facebook page after news broke of the incident, blaming alcohol consumption for his behavior. “I consumed too much alcohol and engaged in out-of-character behavior for which I profoundly regret,” he wrote. “I hope that I may demonstrate that one moment of poor judgment does not define who I am. I deeply apologize to Shane.” According to WSVN, local police are reviewing surveillance footage from The Pub, and will be submitting any evidence to the state attorney’s office. Since Cullinan shared his account of the incident, a boycott of Bouvier’s restaurant has been organized, led by the Facebook page “Boycott Wilton Wings & Stop Gary Bouvier from Assaulting Others.” Cullinan ended his Facebook post by urging people to take COVID-19 seriously and respect the health and wellbeing of hospitality workers. “I need people to know that we are doing are best to protect people and keep people safe. You may have had [COVID-19] or think it’s not a big deal. However, If you don’t want to follow guidelines, then stay the fuck home,” he wrote. “Don’t get mad at others because they are trying to protect others. Use common sense. This virus is not going anywhere and the numbers are skyrocketing. It’s up to us to protect our community. Wear a fucking mask and treat your hospitality industry with respect.”

INSTAGRAM

Bouvier reportedly accused Cullinan of assaulting him in the bathroom while continuing to shout profanities and saying “you don’t know who I am.” “Probably about 7 minutes later he comes in from outside, actually has a mask on, pulls it down and spits in my face,” Cullinan wrote. “He says, ‘Fuck off and you messed with the wrong person.'” Cullinan said he was “completely in shock,” as was Bouvier’s wife. “This man spit in my face and put my life at risk and other patrons who were around the area. Spit stays in the air for a while.” Bouvier reportedly fled the scene after bar staff called police. “It’s crazy to me that someone would do that to another human being, let alone someone in the business,” Cullinan wrote. “It’s been emotional and the most disrespectful/disgusting thing I have ever experienced in my lifetime in this business. I have been in this business [for] almost 25 years.” Cullinan said the alleged attack “hit home” for him because he had a close friend with no preexisting conditions who died after contracting COVID-19. Mike Connell, owner of The Pub, corroborated Cullinan’s account in an interview with WSVN, noting that the bar is “very strong on protecting our customers and our associates, and we have very strict rules.” Of the interaction between Cullinan and Bouvier, Connell said, “Shane, a bartender, who said, ‘You can’t be walking around without your mask.’ He got very, very arrogant, started swearing, et cetera.” He continued: “He] pulls his mask down and comes directly and spits in Shane’s face. Terrible disrespect to him, especially

Thoughts and Prayers Game

Prominent “ex-gay” conversion therapy ministry disbands after leader came out as gay By John Riley

OPE FOR WHOLENESS, A NATIONAL “EX-GAY” ministry network that advocated for conversion therapy, is disbanding. It comes after the organization lost two of its most recent directors, and a year after its

original founder, McKrae Game, came out as gay. Widely debunked and declared ineffective by former “ex-gay” leaders, conversion therapy seeks to forcibly change an LGBTQ person’s sexuality or gender identity. Such efforts can take the JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

theFeed form of talk therapy, or more extreme measures such as aversion or electroshock therapy. “It has been a tumultuous several years for us. We lost the founding director, searched for two years for his replacement, hired a new director and then lost that director as well,” the board of directors for Hope for Wholeness wrote in a memo sent to supporters. “After much prayer and discussion, we have made the difficult decision to dissolve the organization. This was not an easy decision. But we do believe it is the right decision.” The decision to disband coincided with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last week finding that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects LGBTQ employees from workplace discrimination. According to the board’s email, the organization’s discussion groups on Facebook — which are set to private — will have their names changed and leadership will be removed “once we’ve given time for people to respond to this news.” Any of the organization’s remaining finances will be donated to Abba’s Delight, another ex-gay ministry based in Louisville, Ky., in hopes of rebuilding a similar ministry network in the future, reports Newsweek. The Spartanburg, S.C.-based organization, originally founded as Truth Ministries in 1999, was centered around the idea that homosexuality was not consistent with “God’s design” and that those who struggle with same-sex attraction could repress their desires and live virtuous lives. Over the years, it expanded to incorporate several satellite ministries in at least 15 different states, most of which located in the American South, becoming one of the nation’s most prominent conversion therapy advocates. The organization underwent a name change in 2013, following the dissolution of Exodus International, its parent organization, which was previously known as the world’s largest “ex-gay” ministry. That organization’s former president, Alan Chambers, later apologized to those who had attempted to change their sexual orientation or gender identity unsuccessfully, telling Metro Weekly in 2016 that he is sorry for having been

a polarizing figure whose work pushed LGBTQ-identifying people away from religion, and advocating for a ban on youth conversion therapy. Currently, 20 states, plus the District of Columbia, ban the practice of conversion therapy on minors, as do several dozen cities and counties throughout the United States. There have even been bills introduced in Congress attempting to classify conversion therapy as a form of consumer fraud because it promises a product or service — a change in one’s orientation — that critics say it cannot deliver. When Game, the founder of Hope for Wholeness, came out last year, he admitted that the central premise of conversion therapy — that one can change their sexual orientation or gender identity by repressing their feelings is “a lie,” “very harmful” and “false advertising.” Game said at the time he had met with people who had undergone conversion therapy through Hope for Wholeness and saw the damage it had done. “I was a religious zealot that hurt people,” he said. “People said they attempted suicide over me and the things I said to them. People, I know, are in therapy because of me. Why would I want that to continue?” He also said that he’d like to see all “ex-gay” ministries and organizations that promote conversion therapy shut down. Mathew Shurka, a co-founder of the Born Perfect project at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which seeks to ban conversion therapy in all 50 states, told NBC News that the disbanding of Hope for Wholeness is “enormous,” given the number of people who subjected themselves to conversion therapy by following the organization’s guidance. He noted that conversion therapy is based on a financial model, in which those who wish to change their identity will pay large sums of money to undergo it. “Conversion therapy is an industry, and whether those individuals are licensed professionals or they’re nonprofits, there’s still money to be made,” Shurka said. “So the fact that Hope for Wholeness has reserve funds that’s going to go somewhere else speaks to that fraud. It’s a vicious cycle.”

Supreme Nonsense Gay Trump supporters complain about Supreme Court giving them more rights. By Rhuaridh Marr

GROUP OF GAY TRUMP SUPPORTERS HAS CRITIcized a recent Supreme Court decision that protects them against employment discrimination nationwide. LGBTrump, formerly known as Gays for Trump, said the court’s landmark ruling this week –which affirmed that the Civil Rights Act protects workers against discrimination based on sexuality and gender identity — undermines democracy. “This decision is a political win but a win attained by directly undermining the separation of powers and our democratic system of government,” Joseph R. Murray, II, civil rights attorney and founder of LGBTrump, said in a statement. “If anyone believes that [former President Lyndon B. Johnson] thought he was protecting the employment of the LGBT community when he put pen to paper, I 22

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have a bridge up in Brooklyn.” In particular, Murray took issue with the court’s decision that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act’s prohibition on sex discrimination applies to sexuality and gender identity. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the decision for the majority, noted, “Those who adopted the Civil Rights Act might not have anticipated their work would lead to this particular result.... But the limits of the drafters’ imagination supply no reason to ignore the law’s demands.” Murray argued that such limits are the reason why Title VII should not have been expanded, and, presumably, why he should not now be protected against discrimination in employment. “Make no mistake; I am all for the protection of LGBT Americans in the workplace but not at the expense of our

GLAAD

theFeed

democratic process,” Murray said. “By taking a legislative role and amending Title VII, the Supreme Court took Congress, especially Democratic lawmakers, off the hook. Democrats are always claiming to be the party of the LGBT community, but, just like with marriage equality, Congressional Democrats let the Supreme Court do all the heavy lifting.” Murray failed to note that Congressional Democrats have introduced the Equality Act in both chambers of Congress — and passed it last year in the House of Representatives — but have met resistance from Senate Republicans. If passed, the bill would amend the Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, public education, federal funding, credit, and the jury system. Murray concluded by saying that judicial activism has “produced some of the nation’s most nightmarish decisions and, frankly, is a two-way street.” “While some might be celebrating today, there is always a chance a decision might come down that will have you crying tomorrow,” he said. “You can fire your Congressman, but you are

stuck with your Justice.” Supreme Court Justices are appointed to lifetime tenures, and are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The court currently has a conservative majority, after Donald Trump nominated Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. After Trump’s inauguration in 2017, Murray argued that concerns about his presidency and its potential impact on LGBTQ people were “not based upon...reality.” “I think you have some LGBT folks who are reading and listening to some of this coverage, and becoming genuinely concerned,” he told Metro Weekly at the time. “And that concern is not based upon what I would call reality, it’s based upon a media narrative that’s being cultivated.” The Trump administration has since repeatedly attacked LGBTQ rights, including this month revoking health care protections for transgender people during a global pandemic. LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD estimates that Trump’s administration has attacked LGBTQ people and LGBTQ rights at least 150 times during his first term in office. JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

DAVID MADISON

theFeed

Whitman-Walker’s Liz building

Defending Equality

Whitman-Walker Health and others sue Trump administration for stripping LGBTQ health care protections from ACA. By John Riley

HITMAN-WALKER HEALTH, IN CONJUNCTION with Lambda Legal and a host of other LGBTQ groups, has sued the Trump administration for a recently published rule in the federal register that effectively eliminates LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections contained in Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. The rule, published on Friday in the Federal Register, redefines the ACA’s prohibitions on discrimination on the basis of “sex” as pertaining only to instances where a person is denied treatment or insurance coverage because of their biological sex at birth. Under the Obama administration, the provision was interpreted more broadly, applying to cases where a person is discriminated against based on several other characteristics, including their gender identity or pregnancy status. Unless a court blocks it from going into place, the revised rule is expected to take effect on Aug. 18. In addition to Whitman-Walker, other plaintiffs in the case being represented by Lambda Legal include: the TransLatin@ Coalition, its members and affiliated organizations, the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown, Pa., the Los Angeles LGBT Center, GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality, AGLP: The Association of LGBTQ Psychiatrists, and four medical providers who work for either Whitman-Walker or the Los Angeles LGBT Center. The lawsuit, filed on Monday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that the Department of Health and

JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

Human Services’ issuance of the rule violated the Administrative Procedure Act, the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection and due process, and the free speech and establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit claims the rule is arbitrary and capricious, shows animus toward the LGBTQ community, and that the justification for it is based on a flawed analysis. The lawsuit also argues that the revised rule creates “immediate and irreparable” harms on two fronts: first, against LGBTQ people, who will be denied care or coverage for various health services, especially transgender people seeking gender-affirming care; and second, in terms of the burden it places on the organizations that serve the LGBTQ community, as their resources will be stretched thin and costs will increase as they attempt to provide care to LGBTQ people who are turned away elsewhere. This impact will be especially severe for people with health disparities or those with limited English proficiency, who already face barriers to obtaining care that meets their needs. Lastly, the plaintiffs contend — using the same rationale used in the Supreme Court’s recent decision regarding LGBTQ employment — that anti-LGBTQ discrimination is, by its nature, a form of sex-based discrimination, and are asking that the revised rule be overturned and enjoined so the federal government cannot enforce it. “While HHS’s health care discrimination rule cannot change the law, it creates chaos and confusion where there was once clarity about the right of everyone in our communities, and

theFeed specifically transgender people, to receive health care free of discrimination,” Omar-Gonzalez-Pagan, a senior attorney and health care strategist for Lambda Legal, said in a statement. “Today, Lambda Legal, a broad coalition of LGBTQ groups, and the people our clients serve say ‘enough’ to the incessant attacks from the very agency charged with protecting their health and well-being. For years, the Trump administration has utilized HHS as a weapon to target and hurt vulnerable communities who already experience alarming rates of discrimination when seeking care, even now, during a global pandemic. Their actions are wrong, callous, immoral and legally indefensible. We will fight back.” Naseema Shafi, the CEO of Whitman-Walker Health, which specializes in LGBTQ-competent care, called the revised rule “antithetical” to the federal qualified health center’s mission and core values. “Health care systems should be safe places for everyone to seek care; where people’s identities are affirmed, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, national origin, or other characteristics,” Shafi said in a statement. “The federal government should be a partner in addressing the repeated violence perpetrated against Black and brown communities, against immigrants, and against transgender people, and today’s action is about holding the administration accountable for the safety, well-being and civil rights of our communities.” “The health care discrimination rule will hurt marginalized communities who already experience barriers to care, but especially those of us who are transgender, non-English speakers, immigrants, people of color and people living with disabilities, and will have an even more serious impact on those of us who hold intersectional identities,” Bamby Salcedo, the president

and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition, said in a statement. “The TransLatin@ Coalition and its affiliated organizations such as Arianna’s Center in Florida and Puerto Rico and the Fundación Latinoamericana de Acción Social (FLAS) in Texas exist because of the already present challenges in our communities and because everyone deserves easy access to care that is respectful of who we are, compassionate and competent. Our lives depend on it and we’re going to fight for it.” “The Trump Administration’s final rule would have you think that decades of healthcare bias against LGBTQ people never happened. But not so,” Adrian Shanker, the executive director of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, added in a statement. “Health care non-discrimination protections are essential to ensure that LGBTQ people can receive the health care we need to survive…. Healthcare is a human right and LGBTQ people deserve non-discriminatory health care.” Other organizations also previously promised to sue once the revised rule was published in the Federal Register. The Human Rights Campaign has threatened legal action, with President Alphonso David promising to sue the Trump administration “for exceeding their legal authority and attempting to remove basic health care protections from vulnerable communities.” The American Civil Liberties Union also weighed in on a potential lawsuit. “The Supreme Court has said that discrimination against people for being LGBTQ is discrimination because of sex. The Affordable Care Act also prohibits discrimination because of sex, and Trump cannot rewrite the statute or overrule the Supreme Court,” Gabriel Arkles, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU, said in a statement. “We’re confident that Trump’s attempt to undermine protections for LGBTQ people in healthcare will fail.

JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

Todrick Hall

Pride Goes Global

JUNE 25, 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ METROWEEKLY.COM

HEN COVID-19 STRUCK HARD IN MID- Pride online,” said Kristine Garina, President of the European March and it quickly became apparent that Pride Organisers Association and Chair of Baltic Pride in Riga, more than 500 Pride celebrations global- Latvia. “We’re tremendously excited for the potential for Global ly would be forced to cancel their in-person Pride to bring people together in the biggest Pride there has ever events, Pride organizations around the world been.” She added in her statement that the ongoing COVID-19 pooled their resources to create Global Pride, an online-only pandemic “won’t stop us from coming together as a united, celebration spanning every time zone over a 26-hour time peri- strong LGBTQIA+ community to celebrate who we are and what od. Hosted by Todrick Hall, and scheduled we stand for. Global Pride will to begin on Saturday, June 27, at 1 a.m. ET, show the LGBTQIA+ movement CLICK TO FIND OUT WHEN Global Pride is using a digital platform to for the very best it can be, show“deliver a Pride in which everyone can par- GLOBAL PRIDE STARTS FOR YOU ing solidarity at a time when so ticipate, wherever they are in the world.” many of us are mourning and The event is a livestream and will feature musical perfor- strength when so many of us are feeling isolated and lonely. mances, speeches, and messages from key human rights activ- Above all, we will show our resilience and determination that ists. It’s organized by InterPride, the European Pride Organisers Pride will be back bigger and stronger than ever before.” Association, and national organizations from the U.S., Canada, Julian Sanjivan, Co-President of InterPride, added that “by U.K. and other nations. taking Pride online, not only are we making sure that LGBTQIA+ “We need community and connection more than ever,” J. people everywhere can still experience the joy and community Andrew Baker, Co-President of Interpride, said in a statement of Pride, but we also for the first time are enabling people to at the time of the event’s announcement in May. “This gives us take part in Pride wherever they are. This means people who an opportunity to both connect and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ aren’t out, or who are living in socially conservative countries, community’s resilience in the face of this pandemic and the true can take part. The support of these incredible world leaders spirit of Pride. Pride 2020 represents a milestone for Pride events, with many honoring the 50th anniversary of their first gatherings and marches, such as New York to the first Gandhinagar Pride this year and we would not let that pass without recognition and celebration.” “Annual Pride events in the United States engage and unite 20 million people who gather to celebrate the strength and resilience of the — Natalie Thompson LGBTQIA+ community and to raise awareness for social justice and equal rights of all individuals,” said Ron deHarte, Co-President of the United States and performers will mean so much to marginalized LGBTQIA+ Association of Prides. “Through the pain and disruption caused people everywhere.” by the novel coronavirus, we will deliver a virtual message of Since the original announcement, there have been massive hope, comfort, love and we will have an opportunity to show our demonstrations in cities throughout the world, sparked by the appreciation to first responders everywhere.” murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died after “Every Pride organizer in the world can tell you a story of a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for almost someone whose life changed when they visited Pride, and so nine minutes. The protests are calling for an end to systemic with so many Prides being cancelled or postponed, as organizers racism, racial profiling, and police brutality. Accordingly, the we felt we had a responsibility to come together and deliver organizers of Global Pride adjusted the theme of their event to

"We must confront the systemic racism and violence facing my Black brothers, sisters, and nonbinary siblings, in the larger culture and within the LGBQIA+ community. I COULD NOT THINK OF A LARGER PLATFORM THAN GLOBAL PRIDE TO DO THIS.”

The Village People

JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

focus on the importance of racial justice and uplifting the Black Human Rights Campaign, former U.S. Congressman Barney Frank, Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, and Lives Matter movement. The event will help to amplify Black voices, acknowledge the European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli, among hundreds of others. international response to the Artists who will be performing and/or speakdeaths of Floyd and other CLICK FOR THE FULL ing include Laverne Cox, Adam Lambert, Alex Black individuals, and follow GLOBAL PRIDE SCHEDULE Black Lives Matter’s calls for Newell, Big Freedia, Kesha, Rita Ora, The Village People, Betty Who, The Kinsey Sicks, Deborah racial justice. “As a Black woman in the LGBTQIA+ community, I feel Cox, Leslie Jordan, Martha Wash, Pussy Riot, the Pussycat we must confront the systemic racism and violence facing Dolls, Courtney Act, Pabllo Vittar, Jake Shears, Ava Max, Olivia my Black brothers, sisters, and nonbinary siblings, in the Newton John, Kristine W, The Dixie Chicks, Thelma Houston, larger culture and within the LGBQIA+ community,” Natalie Bright Light Bright Light, Steve Grand, Scarlet Skylar Rae, Thompson, co-chair of the Global Pride organizing commit- Rachel Sage, LeAnn Rimes, Russell Tovey, and Calum Scott, and tee, said in a statement. “I could not think of a larger platform dozens more. “I am proud to work than Global Pride to do this.” beside so many diverse colAmong the public figures scheduled to speak CLICK FOR GLOBAL PRIDE leagues from around the are former Vice President and Democratic presSTREAMING OPTIONS idential nominee Joe Biden, Speaker of the world,” Thompson said. “Our community knows well U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Irish Prime Minister that we must confront hate and prejudice head-on. We have Leo Varadkar, Icelandic President Guðni Jóhannesson, London been watching an epidemic of violence against trans people of Mayor Sadiq Khan, the United Nations’ Independent Expert color — mostly women — in the past decade and this larger dison protection against anti-LGBTQ violence and discrimina- cussion must be inclusive and all-encompassing. All Black Lives tion Victor Madrigal Borloz, Alphonso David, President of the Matter.” 28

JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

COURTESY OF GLOBAL PRIDE

Adam Lambert

“Fifty years ago, grassroots organizations came together to plan the first Gay Liberation Day that changed the world, incuding the Daughters of Bilitis, Gay Liberation Front, Mattachine Society and Lavender Menace,” Michelle Meow, the executive producer for Global Pride, said in a statement. “The production of Global Pride has been planned in the same grassroots manner, but with a 21st century technological twist. LGBTQIA+ people from around the world will come together virtually during this crisis of racial injustice and a pandemic. “A 24-hour production like this wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the incredible and diverse contributions of people who understand the revolutionary impact of our visibility. From the support of folks like Daniel Cloudt and the YouTube/Google team to our talented queer siblings like Todrick Hall to the many international leaders to the Prides where it is not only a political act but a dangerous one to come together in community, I believe our LGBTQIA+ ancestors would be proud of what we are creating together.” On the east coast in America, Global Pride commences at 1 a.m. on June 27. But no matter where you are in the world, you can determine the event’s starting time by visiting www.globalpride2020.org/watch. The site also lists where you can stream Global Pride, whether it be through their website or via YouTube, Facebook,

Leslie Jordan

Revry, or iHeartRadio. An updated schedule of more than 800 performers, speakers, and their appearance time relative to your timezone is available at www.globalpride2020.org/schedule. For full, up-to-the-minute information, visit www.globalpride2020.org. JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

Pride of New York

A guide to how to participate in the virtual New York Pride Weekend Celebration. The following events are virtual and free, though some may require registration. All times are Eastern Standard.

THURSDAY, JUNE 25

FRIDAY, JUNE 26

HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE 9:30am-6:30pm A virtual day of conversation focused on activism and issues impacting the community. It offers a variety of panels including “Be The Change: Driving Intersectional Equality and Inclusion,” “Anti-trans Violence and the Role of Guns,” curated by Everytown for Gun Safety, “How Employee Resource Groups Contribute to Corporate Diversity and Inclusion Efforts,” and music by Shea Diamond and Cristal Ramirez. The daylong event is moderated by Mitchell Kuga. A special set by DJ BMAJR will stream on the homepage of the NYC Pride website starting at 7 p.m. The event is free. Register at https:// nycpridehrc2020.eventbrite.com.

RALLY Streaming on Facebook and YouTube 5pm-8pm A nontraditional Rally hosted by trans journalist Ashlee Marie Preston and trans actor Brian Michael Smith. Featuring community activists, organizers, politicians, and more. The community is invited to take a virtual stand against police brutality and discrimination. Registration for the Rally is available on Eventbrite at http://nycpriderally2020.eventbrite.com

DJ TRACY YOUNG NYC Pride’s Instagram @nycpride 9pm Performing live.

DJ TWIN NYC Pride’s Instagram @nycpride 9pm Performing live.

SUNDAY, JUNE 28

CLICK HERE TO BROWSE THE 2020 NYC PRIDE GUIDE Kressley

For up-to-date information, visit NYC Pride’s Instagram Page @nycpride or website at www.nycpride.org. 30

JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

RAINER HOSCH

NYC PRIDE SPECIAL BROADCAST EVENT Streaming on WABC Channel 7 Noon-2pm The entire community is invited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Pride March held in 1970. The day’s Grand Marshals include Dan Levy, The Ali Forney Center, Yanzi Peng, and Victoria Cruz. With scheduled performances by Janelle Monáe, Billy Porter, Deborah Cox, Rufus Wainwright, Michael James Scott, Monet X Change, and more. Featuring special appearances by Wilson Cruz, Angelica Ross, Gloria Estefan, MJ Rodriguez, Margaret Cho, Kelly Ripa, Ryan Seacrest, and others. WABC’s Ken Rosato, Lauren Glassberg, and Sam Champion host the event, joined by special guest co-host Carson Kressley. Also streaming on www.abc7ny.com.

JUNE 25, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢ METROWEEKLY.COM

Movies

long enough to make it through the holy month. There are no guarantees they’ll end up on the same page. Expanding his 2015 short of the same name, Mosallam sketches out a straightforward rom-com structure that leans heavily A light, gay romance with a deep cross-cultural bent, Breaking Fast towards the romantic side of the equajuggles love, family, friendship, and religion. By André Hereford tion. Laugh-out-loud jokes and sequences are few and far between, although Aline AAZ SLEIMAN PLAYS SLIGHTLY AGAINST TYPE AS ENDEARINGLY Elasmar does a lot with a little bit of screen neurotic Mo, an observant Muslim doctor living in West Hollywood, in writ- time as a gossipy cousin at a funeral. Sassy er-director Mike Mosallam’s engaging gay romantic comedy Breaking Fast best friend Sam is perhaps too familiar a (HHHHH). Mo marks the handsome Lebanese star’s first romantic lead among a character to be that funny, but he offers a plethora of film and TV roles following his big-screen breakthrough opposite Richard pointed contrast to Mo’s sober spirituality Jenkins in the poignant 2008 drama The Visitor. Paired here with equally easy-on-the- by fully embracing a WeHo life of drinkeyes Michael Cassidy, as Kal, the all-American actor who wins Mo over with his sweet ing, partying, hooking up, and ignoring disposition and proficient Arabic, Sleiman carries the film with aplomb. religion. Mo and Kal meet at a birthday party that the shy doctor attends only out of a sense Having grown up in Lebanon — as of obligation to his busybody best friend Sam (Amin El Gamal). The fete happens to opposed to Mo, who was raised in L.A. coincide with the start of Ramadan, which means that regardless of Mo and Kal’s by accepting immigrant parents — Sam strong mutual attraction, Mo (short for Mohammed) is determined to believes that Islam too Click Here to maintain his religious discipline. There will be no kissing, no cuddling, often is used to justify and definitely no sex. Mo must avoid impure thoughts — a hard stance Watch the Trailer harsh mistreatment of to take in the face of Kal’s disarming smile. Their courtship, should Kal LGBTQ people back home choose to proceed, will be a chaste one, as they get to know each other over shared and elsewhere. The friends’ conflict, like evening meals after Mo has spent each day fasting. the romance between Mo and Kal, is comThe movie wisely underplays the joke of Mo’s struggle to abstain from all restricted pelling and nuanced, as is the cultural activities. Comedy and suspense don’t hinge on whether he can hold out from jumping specificity Mosallam applies to his solid Kal’s bones, but on whether he and Kal can keep lines of honest communication open feature directing debut.

Heart & Soul

Breaking Fast is not rated, and screens virtually through the Reel Affirmations online portal beginning Friday, June 26. Virtual tickets are $12, and are good for 72 hours. Visit www.reelaffirmationsfilmfestival.vhx.tv. JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

Television

begins with meeting Isteev’s undercover extraction team at a fast-food restaurant. Before a concerned viewer has time to wonder about the safety of these courageous rebels exposing their operations and identities on camera, an onscreen title clarifies that “people fleeing for their lives Welcome to Chechnya offers a riveting look inside the republic’s have been digitally disguised.” The digital shocking anti-gay purge. By André Hereford faces are passable, though they pose some hindrance to reading the flurry of emoHERE ARE NO QUEER PEOPLE IN CHECHNYA — OR THAT IS WHAT tions expressed by subjects like Grisha Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the insular Russian republic, would have the world and Bogdan, a gay couple who are reunitbelieve. He also denies having launched a brutal anti-gay purge in the nation ed in Moscow after Grisha is released of nearly 1.5 million, but the startling HBO Films documentary Welcome to Chechnya from a Chechen prison. Isteev plans the (HHHHH) presents considerable evidence to affirm stories of LGBTQ people there pair’s escape to an unspecified location being blackmailed, harassed, detained, tortured, maimed, and killed because of their in the EU, although they’ll have to bring sexuality. along Grisha’s frightened mother, sister, Director David France, Oscar-nominated for his 2012 AIDS documentary How to and nephew. Survive a Plague, deploys a fascinating clip from an interview with Kadyrov in full Even the refugees who escape aren’t denial mode on HBO’s own Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. Asked about the “alleged free, and neither are their families. As roundup, abduction, and torture of gay men in the republic,” the strongman’s body lan- long as they can testify to the truth of guage is as dismissive and petulant as his response. “We don’t have such people here,” what’s happening, they pose a severe he says, before emphasizing his point. “We don’t have any gays.” Numerous LGBTQ risk to the regime’s campaign of denial. Chechens and other Russians in the film disagree, with nearly all attestOne of the refugees coving that those captured are pressured to turn in ten others. ered here does go public, Click Here to The film gains a thriller-tense momentum tracking the efforts of a Watch the Trailer though, taking their case network of resisters and refugees. Trans activist David Isteev, a crisis before the Committee response coordinator working to get Chechens to a safe house in Moscow, ultimately Against Torture in the hopes of triggering hopes to shepherd his charges outside the borders of the Russian Federation. Under an official investigation by the Russian potentially deadly circumstances, he strategizes and carries out daring escapes, with Federation. At that point, the film drops the help of lesbian mom Olga Baranova, who oversees the safe house in the Russian their digital disguise, at last revealing capital. One of their clients, Anya, 21, had received an ultimatum from her uncle: the person’s true identity, and the brave, sleep with him or be outed to her entire family. Her suspenseful journey to freedom unmasked face of a hero.

Heroes Welcome

Welcome to Chechnya premieres Tuesday, June 30 on HBO. Visit www.hbo.com or www.welcometochechnya.com. 34

JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

Television

For all its complexities, there’s an efficiency and clarity to the storytelling in Dark that is a testament to bo Odar’s meticulous and expertly crafted direction. The design of the show — and in particular its transfixing, kaleidoscopic opening The third and final season of Netflix’s Dark is a masterful example of jaw-dropping, emotionally shattering storytelling. By Randy Shulman credits — is one of pure Germanic gloom, with persistent rainfall, drained, desaturated colors, and looming, ominous icoCAME LATE TO DARK. THE PANDEMIC HAD JUST BEGUN, AND I WAS nography: a nuclear power plant, a nefarcasting about for something to distract me. A friend suggested I try the Netflix- ious bunker, a tantalizing, gaping opening produced German series, noting that its two seasons would blow my mind. He was to a cave that no one in their right mind not wrong, and it wasn’t long before I was hooked, a sworn disciple of the sci-fi tinged should ever wander into. drama, pushing it on nearly anyone who would listen. “Watch Dark” became my catchHoffman is a master at combining phrase. It still is. resolve with anguish, and his portrayal Now, it’s true that I happen to prefer shows with complex, puzzle-like narratives of Jonas is the show’s anchor. But season designed to surprise and startle, shows that are enshrouded by a sinister fog of mystery. three truly belongs to Lisa Vicari’s Martha, Dark (HHHHH) fits that profile perhaps better than any show in television history who exhibits a stunning emotional range, since Lost. And it does what Lost ultimately failed so miserably at: It makes perfect and Julika Jenkins as Claudia, a woman sense out of the seemingly impossible. who becomes central to just about everyDark tells the story of Winden, a small German town with a metric ton of unspoken thing that occurs. Several new characters angst generated by unseen forces that exist in a realm occupied by quantum science. are introduced, including a trio of men, Dark takes the notion of time travel and spins it on its axis. There is no chicken and egg each a different age, who are every bit as in Dark. There is only scrambled. evil as they appear. (Or are they?) At the show’s core lie four interconnected, conflicted families who are the dynamite There are times in the early parts of seato the show’s long fuse, one ignited at the series onset by the disappearance of several son three where you might feel as though children. When a tragic suicide forces a teenager named Jonas (Louis Hoffman) on an your brain is being crushed. You may even impossible journey through time, it opens a pathway to a destiny that want to stop. But trust and straddles a precarious line of malevolence and munificence. perseverance are key. And Click Here to For those who have not yet experienced the jaw-dropping reveWatch the Trailer by the time the eighth and lations of seasons one and two, just start watching. For those eagerly final episode has played anticipating the third and final season, debuting this Saturday, June 27, a key date in out, the narrative hasn’t just landed, it’s Dark’s mythology, it’s not a spoiler to reveal that creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo done so both perfectly and brilliantly, with Odar provide a brilliant endgame that is as deeply satisfying and emotionally resonant as a profound emotional richness that not any fan could possibly hope for. even a clairvoyant could see coming.

Dark Mode

Dark is available for streaming exclusively on Netflix. JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

SelfieScene

Be Scene! Take a selfie, and make it fun if you like, and TEXT to 202-527-9624. Be sure to include your name and city. YOU could appear in next week’s Selfie Scene!

Andreas (Washington DC)

Elsayed (Washington, DC)

Fritz (Washington, DC)

Chad (Washington, DC)

JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

Urooj (Washington, DC)

LastWord. People say the queerest things

“Donald Trump has sullied our Constitution and he is seeking to destroy our democracy.” —Human Rights Campaign president ALPHONSO DAVID, speaking to The Advocate about the importance of standing up to Trump’s attacks on LGBTQ rights and peaceful protesters in Washington, D.C., and of voting him out in November. “We cannot accept what he is trying to do. We have to fight back.”

“Mel Gibson was smoking a cigar, and we’re all talking and he said to my friend, who’s gay, ‘Oh wait, am I gonna get AIDS?’” —WINONA RYDER, speaking to the Sunday Times about attending a party in the ’90s which Gibson attended, after she was asked if she’d ever experienced antisemitism in the film industry. Ryder continued, “And then something came up about Jews, and he said, ‘You’re not an oven dodger, are you?’” The offensive term is a reference to the Holocaust, and Ryder has previously said that she lost family during the genocide.

“We now must ask for your help to save one of the LGBTQ+ communities most iconic institutions and to keep that history alive.” —THE STONEWALL INN, site of the 1969 Stonewall riots that helped launch the modern LGBTQ rights movement, in a GoFundMe fundraiser asking for donations to help the iconic landmark avoid closure. “Stonewall is the place the community gathers for celebrations, comes to grieve in times of tragedy, and rally to continue the fight for full global equality,” the GoFundMe states. “Today, we are asking you to help Save Stonewall!”

“I’ve been in the closet all my life — deep in the closet, behind rows and rows of clothing. I’m way back there. ” —KENNETH FELTS, 90-year-old Colorado resident, coming out publicly to The Denver Post. Felts said that working on his autobiography while in lockdown led him to think about a man he met and loved in the ’50s, before hiding his sexuality and starting a family with a woman. He decided to open the closet door and “finally be who I really was.”

“Maybe some white filmmaker will be able to do it. Maybe they’ll give it to a white guy.” —Oscar-nominated filmmaker LEE DANIELS, talking to Insider about a gay superhero movie he has been trying to make for “quite a while,” but has struggled to make it happen. “Anything I want done, I do it myself. It’s not like I rely on anybody to do a film. It takes time. I’ve learned,” he said, adding, “That’s the journey that I’ve had as a gay Black filmmaker. So, I will get it done, but in my own way and in my own time.” JUNE 25, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM