Washingtonblade.com, Volume 49, Issue 4, January 26, 2018 by Washington Blade

JANUARY 26,

2018

VOLUME 49

ISSUE 04

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AMERICA’S LGBTQ NEWS SOURCE

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Dems seen as caving after shutdown ‘We need leaders with the moral courage to act’ By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com

JOSH ROGERS, a bartender at Nellie’s, pours a Bloody Mary on Monday for a customer watching the government shutdown debate on TV. See story on page 14. WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Democrats are widely viewed as having caved on their pledge to fight for young, undocumented immigrants to remain in the country, after agreeing this week to end a U.S. government shutdown shortly after supporting it. Although LGBT groups blamed President Trump for the impasse over DREAMers at the start of the government shutdown, those same organizations made veiled assertions Democrats refused to stick to their guns after the vote getting the government up and running. Tyrone Hanley, policy counsel for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said the Senate vote to restore government funding for three weeks was disappointing to supporters of recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. “We are dismayed and deeply concerned by the failure to secure a firm commitment on DACA, which should not be held hostage to partisan politics,” Hanley said. “We urge everyone who cares about this country to let your congressional representatives know that their failure to take action and secure a firm commitment on DACA is wreaking havoc in the lives of real people. We need leaders with the moral courage to act and to stand up to this administration’s CONTINUES ON PAGE 14

D.C. fares well in HQ2 pursuit Amazon may be considering LGBT laws as criteria for new headquarters

Amazon CEO JEFF BEZOS is looking for a second headquarters and three area jurisdictions are ﬁnalists. PHOTO BY STEVE JURVETSON;PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com LGBT rights advocates in the three D.C.area jurisdictions named by Amazon last week as being among 20 ﬁnalist cities or regions in contention for the corporate giant’s second headquarters have been touting their jurisdictions’ strong record in support of LGBT rights. Amazon announced on Jan. 18 that D.C., Northern Virginia, and Montgomery County, Md., were among 20 ﬁnalist jurisdictions that made the cut from 238 cities and regions in North America that submitted bids to become the high tech company’s second

world headquarters referred to as HQ2. Amazon’s record as a strong supporter of nondiscrimination protections for its LGBT employees and its overall support for LGBT equality has prompted the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, to assign the company a perfect 100 percent rating for its annual Corporate Equality Index. This has prompted speculation that Amazon would likely consider a state, city, or region’s laws and policies on LGBT issues as a factor in choosing the location of the new multi-billion dollar headquarters, which is expected to bring with it 50,000 high-paying jobs. Among the 20 cities Amazon named in its list of ﬁnalists for the new headquarters, 11 have received a 100 percent rating in HRC’s 2017 Municipal Equality Index that assesses LGBT related laws and practices. The 11 CONTINUES ON PAGE 16

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Brother Help Thyself awards $75,000 in grants

State Del. DANICA ROEM (D-Manassas) is HB 1466’s chief co-sponsor. WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Va. bill would ban anti-trans health insurance bias Virginia state Del. Debra Rodman (D-Henrico County) has introduced a bill that would ban health insurance providers from discriminating against transgender policyholders. House Bill 1466 — which Rodman introduced on Jan. 17 — states insurance companies must “provide coverage under the health benefit plan without discrimination on the basis of gender identity or status as a transgender individual.” The measure would mandate that insurance companies “shall not deny or limit coverage or impose additional cost sharing or other limitations or restrictions on coverage under a health benefit plan for health care services that are ordinarily or exclusively available to covered individuals of one sex” to a trans person “on the basis of the fact that the individual’s sex assigned at birth, gender identity, or gender otherwise recorded is different from the one to which such health services are ordinarily or exclusively available.” HB 1466 would also prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage of “medically necessary transition-related care.” “I put forward HB 1466 because I care about the transgender community and know they deserve access to the same medical care I have,” said Rodman in a statement that Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia and Equality Virginia released on Tuesday. State Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) is HB 1466’s chief co-sponsor. She is the first openly trans person seated in a state legislature in the U.S. “It means so much to me personally as someone who’s been discriminated against in dealing with health insurance,” said Roem on her Twitter page. Maryland, Delaware and D.C. are among the jurisdictions that prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against policyholders based on their gender identity. MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Va. committee approves two non-discrimination bills The Virginia Senate’s General Laws Committee on Monday approved two bills that would ban discrimination in public employment and housing based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The committee approved Senate Bill 202, which would ban discrimination against LGBT state employees, by a 12-3 vote margin. Senate Bill 423, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the Virginia Fair Housing Law, passed by the same margin. State Sens. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) and Jennifer Wexton (D-Loudoun County) introduced SB 202 and SB 423 respectively. The bills will now go before the full Senate. Equality Virginia in an email to supporters noted the Senate has approved the nondiscrimination bills three times. The Virginia House of Delegates subsequently killed each of them. Governor Ralph Northam’s ﬁrst executive order, which he signed shortly after his inauguration on Jan. 13, banned discrimination against state employees based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and other factors. Ebbin’s bill would codify the LGBTspeciﬁc provisions of this mandate into Virginia law. State Del. Mark Levine (D-Alexandria) has introduced a measure — House Bill 401 — that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, public accommodation, housing, banking, insurance, public contracting and apprenticeships. HB 401 is currently before the Virginia House of Delegates’ General Laws Committee. MICHAEL K. LAVERS

The LGBT charitable group Brother Help Thyself on Jan. 20 presented grants totaling $75,000 to 34 non-profit organizations serving the LGBT and HIV/AIDS communities in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore region. BHT presented the grant awards in a ceremony held at the Baltimore Eagle, a gay bar in Baltimore Mayor CATHERINE PUGH attended Baltimore, in which Baltimore the BHT awards ceremony on Jan. 20. Mayor Catherine Pugh and CATHERINE PUGH BY MARYLAND GOVPICS; Maryland Department of COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. Health official Jeffrey Hitt attended. “The story isn’t that BHT gave out $75,000 today,” said BHT’s grant reception chairman. “The story here is that in the era we find ourselves in today, where our freedoms and rights, and healthcare choices are being threatened, these 34 nonprofits, without our help, are out there each day and every day fighting to preserve and defend those rights and freedoms in support of our community,” he said. “We are proud to play a small role in that work,” he added. In addition to awarding the grants, BHT issued four annual community service awards: The Anthony J. Bachrach Award for Outstanding Service to an individual to Baltimore activist Rik Newton-Treadway; the Billy Collison Award “to an underdog and grantee” to the D.C. Latino GLBT History Project; the George Dodson Business Award to a business supportive of the LGBT community to the Baltimore Eagle; and the Founders Award to a non-profit to the D.C. Wanda Alston Foundation. BHT released the following list of the 34 organizations that received grants at the Jan. 20 ceremony: AIDS Action Baltimore, $4,140 Athletes United for Social Justice of D.C. ‘The Grassroots Project,’ $1,130 Black, Gifted & Whole, Inc. of D.C., $5,830 Breaking Ground of D.C., $2,930 Capitol Hill Arts Workshop of D.C., $830 Casa Ruby, Inc. of D.C., $4,390 D.C.’s Different Drummers, $1,130 D.C. Center for the LGBT Community, $2,360 Dickey Memorial Presbyterian Church of Baltimore, $150 Heart to Hand, Inc. of Prince George’s County, $3,410 Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., $560 FreeState Justice of Maryland, $920 Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore, $770 Health Options & Positive Energy Foundation (HOPE DC), $3,790 HIPS D.C., $3,580 HopeSpring, Inc. of Baltimore, $3,350 D.C. Latino GLBT History Project, $2,200 LULAC Council 11125 of D.C., $1,000 Mary’s House or Older Adults, Inc. of D.C., $8,280 Metro D.C. PFLAG, $850 Mid-Atlantic Deaf & Interpreter Fund of Baltimore, $1,670 Mosiac Theater Company of D.C., $350 New Ways Ministry, Inc. of D.C., $1,980 PFLAG Columbia-Howard County, Md., $1,020 PFLAG Westminster, Md., $1,020 Rainbow History Project Foundation of D.C., $790 Rainbow Theater Project of D.C., $540 SMYAL of D.C., $1,690 St. Margaret’s Church Vestry – ‘Charlie’s Place’ of D.C., $3,030 Transgender Education Association of Greater Washington, $1,460 UUC of Rockville Rainbow Youth Alliance, $4,740 Wanda Alston Foundation of D.C., $2,470 Washington Renegades Rugby Football Club, $560 LOU CHIBBARO JR.

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Personnel executive, volunteer Patrick Bruyere dies at 62 Served on board of Whitman-Walker’s N. Virginia facility

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com Patrick Richard Bruyere, a longtime D.C.-area resident who worked as a highlevel human resources oﬃcial for several prominent organizations and companies and devoted years of volunteer work for LGBT and AIDS related causes, died Dec. 28 of esophageal cancer at a hospice in Arlington, Va. He was 62. Friends who knew him, including Kate Mattos, who became friends with him during their years at Arlington’s Washington Lee High School, describe him in a write-up about his life as an intellectually engaged individual who embraced life and his friendships to the fullest. Mattos said the write-up was based on information Bruyere left for his close friends shortly before his death. Among other things, it says he loved and collected art, enjoyed dance and

PATRICK RICHARD BRUYERE devoted years of volunteer work for LGBT and AIDS related causes.

the theater, was an avid runner who completed three marathons and a triathlon, and closely followed the news and current events. “He delighted in engaging in debates about the wisdom and follies of political leaders,” the write-up says. Mattos said Bruyere was born and raised in Arlington as an only child. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in

1977 with a degree in Human Resources and Labor Relations, according to the write-up. Among the companies and organizations for which he worked after completing college as a personnel and human resources executive included the Columbia, Md.-based W.R. Grace & Company, which manufactured chemical and household products; Westin Hotels; the World Wildlife Fund, and the American Red Cross. “He was proud that his last position was at the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C., where he worked for 15 years before retiring in 2016,” the write-up says. It says he was proudest of his volunteer work, including his tenure as a board member of the then Northern Virginia facility of the Whitman-Walker Clinic. Among other endeavors, he helped in fundraising efforts for AIDS prevention and assistance programs with Doreen Gentzler of NBC4 and with the CEO of the National Retail Federation through it’s “Shopping for Life” program. He also became involved in fundraising efforts to acquire art books for children in D.C. as part of a program organized by the D.C. LGBT film festival Reel Affirmations, the

write-up says. In addition, it says he helped build homes in D.C. as part of a 2014 project organized by the volunteer home building charity Habitat for Humanity called the Rainbow Build. The D.C. group Capital Pride was among the local LGBT organizations involved in the project, according to a Habitat for Humanity statement. “Through the years, Patrick battled illnesses, including a rare blood cancer, aggressive squamous cell carcinoma, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” the write-up says. “He fought against the odds and survived each one. Even through his ﬁnal struggle with esophageal cancer, he persisted in doing all he could to maintain his health and ability to love life,” it says. “His will was remarkable.” His friend Steve Wunder said Bruyere was a longtime HIV survivor. “I feel he should take pride in his HIV battle, which he won the ﬁght in,” said Wunder. A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, March 3 from 1-3 p.m. at Friends Meeting of Washington, D.C., 2111 Florida Ave., N.W. “His friends urge that donations in Patrick’s name be given to the charity of your choice,” the write-up concludes.

Biden Foundation sets up LGBT, women advisory councils Initiative launched amid speculation of 2020 run By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com Former Vice President Joseph Biden, among the potential Democratic candidates for the 2020 presidential election, announced on Monday the creation of two new advisory councils for his foundation: One to advance LGBT rights, the other to end violence against women. Members of both councils are made up of prominent advocates on women’s and LGBT issues, many of whom are supporters of the Democratic Party. Individuals named to the LGBTQ Equality Advisory Council include singer Cyndi Lauper, former NBA player Jason Collins, transgender activist Sarah McBride, Judy Shepard, marriage equality advocate Evan Wolfson and former U.S. ambassador to Romania Michael Guest. Biden said in a statement members of the councils “have devoted their lives to that creed, and we’re lucky to have them lend their expertise to this mission.” “By working together, we can do more to protect the rights of all people, expand access to opportunity and give every American a chance at a middle-class life,” Biden said. “I am eager for what we will accomplish together.” According to a statement from the Biden Foundation, the advisory councils

will recognize the power of public-private initiatives, serve as ambassadors for the Biden Foundation and guide strategic partnerships to create societal change. Louisa Terrell, executive director of the Biden Foundation, said in a statement each council member “has made it their life’s work to protect and advance the rights of the most vulnerable.” “We’re honored to have them volunteer their knowledge to the Foundation as we work together to build a more just society,” Terrell added. Biden has a record of highlighting the issue of violence against women. As a U.S. senator, he was author of the Violence Against Women Act, a law that was reauthorized in 2013 when he was vice president to include LGBT-speciﬁc protections. On LGBT issues, Biden was also at the forefront. The vice president famously came out for same-sex marriage days before former President Obama and called transgender issues the “civil rights issue of our time” and was active in championing international LGBT human rights. Lauper, co-founder of the True Colors Fund, highlighted the issue of LGBT youth homelessness in a statement on her membership of the LGBT council. “In America, up to 1.6 million youth experience homelessness each year. Forty percent of them identify as LGBTQ, compared to the seven percent of the general youth population that is LGBTQ. The True Colors Fund is working hard to

Former Vice President Joe Biden has created advisory councils for women and LGBT rights. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

change that,” Lauper said. LGBTQ Equality Advisory Council members include: Cyndi Lauper, Singer, Founder, True Colors Fund Sara Ramírez, Tony Award–winning Actress and Activist Jason Collins, Retired NBA player Sarah McBride, National Press Secretary, HRC Phillip Picardi, Chief Content Oﬃcer, Them and Teen Vogue Judy Shepard, President, Matthew Shepard Foundation Evan Wolfson, Founder and Former President, Freedom to Marry Marsha Aizumi, Author, Educator,

Member, PFLAG Board of Directors Dr. Eliza Byard, Executive Director, GLSEN Michael Guest, Former U.S. Ambassador to Romania Mara Keisling, Executive director, National Center for Transgender Equality Dr. Caitlin Ryan, Director and CoFounder, Family Acceptance Project Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, Executive Director, Campaign for Southern Equality; Minister, United Church of Christ Jacob Tobia, Producer, Author Amit Paley, CEO and Executive Director, Trevor Project Precious Davis, Activist, Educator, Public Speaker

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Record number of 52 anti-LGBT homicides in 2017: report Recorded deaths nearly double documented murders in 2016 By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com A new report from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Project has found the number of anti-LGBT homicides in 2017 was 52 — making it the worst recorded year ever for murders of LGBT people. The report, published Monday, comes after a mid-year report in August signaling 2017 was the worst year ever for anti-LGBT homicides. The new report, however, indicates anti-LGBT violence increased even further after that report and reached 52 deaths by the end of the year. According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Project, that’s the highest

number ever recorded in its 20-year history and represents an 86 percent increase from 2016. Beverly Tillery, executive director of the Anti-Violence Project, said in a statement the report is “a wake-up call for all of us” and blamed the anti-LGBT policies of the Trump administration for the increased violence. “Our communities live in an increasingly hostile and dangerous climate, after a year of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policies coming from the White House, federal government agencies, state and local sources and in our communities across the country,” Tillery said. “Anti-LGBTQ violence has long been a crisis, but NCAVP has watched the escalation of violence this past year with great concern.” Included in the report is a graph of the number of anti-LGBT homicides in 2017 compared to violent deaths of LGBT

people in recent years. (The recorded numbers don’t count the 2016 mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., which killed 49 people and wounded 58 others.) Among the key findings pulled out by NCAVP in the report: • The victims of these hate violence related homicides have overwhelmingly been transgender women and queer, bi, or gay cisgender men; • There was a significant increase of reports of homicides of queer, bi, or gay cisgender men, from 4 reports in 2016 to 20 reports in 2017; • For the last five years NCAVP has documented a consistent and steadily rising number of reports of homicides of transgender women of color, which continued into 2017; • In 2017, NCAVP collected information on 27 hate-violence related homicides of

transgender and gender non-conforming people this year, compared to 19 reports for 2016; • 22 of these homicides were of transgender women of color; and • Of the total number of homicides in 2017, 71 percent of the victims were people of color: 31 (60 percent) of the victims were Black, 4 (8 percent) were Latino, 2 (4 percent) were Asian and 1 (2 percent) was Native American. The report includes a list of the 52 LGBT individuals lost to hate violence in 2017 as well as the circumstances of their deaths. “I urge everyone to read the stories and look at the photos of the 52 individuals lost to hate violence in 2017 – they are our friends, family, co-workers and fellow LGBTQ community members,” Tillery said. “NCAVP will continue to say their names and re-commits to doing all we can to prevent hate violence and support survivors.”

Karger: LGBT people should reach out to Trump Gay Republican says president is not homophobic By KAREN OCAMB karenocamb@sbcglobal.net Real estate developer and Reality TV star Donald Trump “did a hostile takeover of the Republican Party” and, says gay political activist Fred Karger, the LGBT community should find a way to deal with him as president of the United States. “Donald Trump is the greatest selfpromoter in the history of the universe,” Karger, a self-described Establishment Republican, half-jokingly tells the Los Angeles Blade. “He’s a salesman. And he loves 11th hour drama—that’s what he did for 11 years on ‘The Apprentice.’ TV gave him moxie and turned him into a big celebrity. He’s masterful. He would not be president if it wasn’t for those 11 years.” And while Karger knows it sounds “crazy and embarrassing,” he is “entertained” by Trump. “I don’t take him that seriously,” he says. “I know he’s president. But he’s Donald Trump first,” a political P.T. Barnum. “We’re living a reality show. He is the star of this reality show and the world is all now participating.” Karger explains that not all LGBT people absolutely abhor Trump, a point Democrats and “never-Trump” activists should note. “I’m a fighter and a rabble-rouser and I love taking on the establishment,” says Karger. “So I admire him. I don’t like him. I’d much rather have Barack Obama or Ronald Reagan—a president that fights and does things but still treats the office

FRED KARGER says he’s ‘entertained’ by Trump. PHOTO BY KAREN OCAMB

with respect and who people respect. But that’s not Donald Trump.” Karger admires Trump’s ability to get elected when no one thought he had a chance and surviving scandals that would have sent any other politician packing. “I know it’s scary but you have to hand it to him. Everything is upside down,” Karger says. “It’s a unique situation. Good thing we have term limits.” Karger is not unhappy with Trump’s “mine is bigger than yours” twitter contest with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un over nuclear weapons. “I like some of the crazy foreign policy like the war of words with that guy because he’s playing his own game,” says Karger, noting that North and South

Korea are now talking and even teaming up for the Olympics. “I’m the establishment. But I think in some of these situations, like North Korea, we’ve tried negotiating, we’ve tried usual back channel approaches and nothing’s worked. Who knows—it could backﬁre. But I think Trump has a unique approach to this where people are afraid of him because he is very unpredictable,” he says. Though he didn’t vote for Trump, Karger has accepted the results. “I resolved in my own mind the fact that Donald Trump is president and it’s going to be a wild ride. We just have to hold on tight and see what happens and hope for the best,” he says. “As far as the LGBT community goes,” Karger continues, “I thought resistance was a mistake, initially. Now we’re a year later— and we’ve dodged several bullets: what he could have done; what [anti-LGBT Vice President Mike] Pence would do or what [anti-LGBT Texas Republican Sen.] Ted Cruz could do, if either of them were president. “But I think there should be an outreach,” Karger continues. “I know Log Cabin does it but it’s a very small organization and even they didn’t endorse him. So we need a couple of people in the game. That’s just smart politics. The Human Rights Campaign needs to step up. They need build a bridge so we won’t be another Trump victim.” And, Karger stresses, “Trump’s certainly not homophobic. Some other charges might be true. But this is a guy who’s owned three beauty pageants, which are made up of gay men and women. He’s a New York social guy with gay friends. I know some. That’s the world he’s lived in. He’s not homophobic and so that is a plus for the LGBT community,” Karger says.

“We need to work with this president because he’s there. He’s not Obama, he’s not Bill Clinton, so we’ve got our work cut out for us. But he’s also not Mike Pence.” Karger, a former Republican political operative, notes that if Democrats win back Congress in 2018, “it’s trouble for Trump” who is trying to bully House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell into essentially working for him. “It’s less ideological. It’s more about getting his way,” Karger says. In fact, Trump has taken bullying to new heights so now everyone from Cabinet members to corporate CEOs are “afraid to cross him. They are afraid that if they stand up, they’ll get smashed in Trump style—total humiliation,” Karger says. “And then he’s able to mend fences.” Despite the applause former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney received for brieﬂy speaking out against Trump, don’t expect Romney to have a backbone and be the GOP “savior” who rescues the country, says Karger, who ran against Romney for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. “There’s zero chance of that. Knowing Romney, he just doesn’t have the gumption. He took Trump on a couple times—but as soon as Trump ﬁres back, he cowers,” Karger says. “Romney will tow the line. He doesn’t want to be targeted by Trump or [white nationalist Steve] Bannon. He’s going to roll over,” if he’s elected to the Senate from Utah, as expected. What is not entertaining about Trump’s presidency—and Karger’s greatest fear— is the president’s orders to the military and law enforcement should the “tinder box” country “blow up,” an ugly reality on every TV.

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Oscar nominees include some LGBT surprises James Ivory strong contender for ‘Call Me By Your Name’ By JOHN PAUL KING The 2017 Oscar nominations have been announced, and while there are, as usual, a few surprises as to who was included and who was left out, most savvy film aficionados will find the list of competitors a close match to their expectations. It’s been an unusually rich year for “award bait” movies. In many (if not most) past Oscar races, there have been one or two clearly worthy front-runners and the rest of the crop has seemed like filler. Even so, the Oscars have never been about quality alone; politics have always played a part in determining nominations and especially winners. In this year’s contest, not surprisingly in a cultural context rife with polarizing controversy, that observation may be truer than ever. Categories that are traditionally all male include women. Greta Gerwig received a nod for her direction of “Lady Bird” and “Mudbound” garnered a nomination for its cinematographer, Rachel Morrison, the first female to be so recognized. Black talent has also been acknowledged. Jordan Peele earned well-deserved (and pleasantly surprising) nominations for both directing and writing his brilliant blend of horror and social satire “Get Out,” which was also included as a Best Picture contender. That movie’s star, Daniel Kaluuya, is also a nominee for Best Actor as is Denzel Washington, for his work in “Roman J. Israel, Esq.,” a rare instance of two black performers included in the running for that prize. The most obvious area of improvement this time out, however, is the amount of recognition the Academy has given to LGBT-themed movies and performances. Most prominent, of course, is “Call Me By Your Name.” This gay comingof-age story may have generated some controversy over the age gap between its two protagonists (especially after the revelations about Kevin Spacey’s long history of age-inappropriate sexual advances), but it overcame such concerns to become one of the bestreceived and most recognized films of the year. Its nomination for Best Picture is no surprise, nor is its presence in the categories of Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay, though its nod for Sufjan Stevens’ “Mystery of Love” in the Best Original Song category may have raised some eyebrows. What’s disappointing and telling is

the exclusion of co-star Armie Hammer (considered as a likely bet for a Best Supporting Actor nod) and, even more shocking, Luca Guadagnino for the Best Director prize. The latter snub seems particularly pointed, considering that Guadagnino is one of the film’s few openly gay contributors, underscoring the notunfair criticism that, though “Call Me” is an LGBT-themed movie, its participants (including both lead actors) are straight. On the other hand, James Ivory, who is also an out gay man, was nominated for his adaptation of André Aciman’s book; no stranger to Oscar attention (“A Room With A View,” “The Remains of the Day” and “Howard’s End”), he is considered a front-runner to take home the statuette. Unfortunately for fans of Timothée Chalamet, his chances of a win are far less likely. Though he grabbed some trophies early in this year’s awards season, he has since been eclipsed by Gary Oldman’s powerhouse turn as Winston Churchill in “The Darkest Hour,” which has dominated the Best Actor category at most of the recent ceremonies. Oldman is a wellloved performer who has been passed over several times for past work; on top of that, “Darkest Hour” proved its popularity among industry insiders by making a surprising show in the Oscar list, even grabbing an unexpected slot in the Best Picture roster. Both of those factors make it impossible to doubt that Chalamet, despite giving us one of the most unforgettable film performances in recent memory, will be going home empty-handed. There are other LGBT-relevant films singled out in this year’s nominations. Though not explicitly gay-themed, Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” does feature a tenderly handled subplot involving a gay character. That film is well represented in the competition, and stands a reasonable chance of winning any of its nods for Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Actress (Saorise Ronen) or Supporting Actress (Laurie Metcalf). Likewise, Guillermo Del Toro’s “The Shape of Water,” which leads the nomination tally with a total of 13, is not an LGBT movie but an exploration of “otherness” in a world dominated by straight, white, cis-gender male identity. It also prominently features a gay character, an older commercial artist whose happiness is blocked at every turn by homophobia and the psychology of the closet, played by actor Richard Jenkins. For his likable performance, he has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor; like Chalamet, though, his chances are overshadowed by a powerhouse front-runner — Sam Rockwell, whose work as an evolving racist cop in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” is

DANIELA VEGA’s acclaimed performance in ‘A Fantastic Woman’ was overlooked by the Academy. PHOTO COURTESY SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

From left are TIMOTHEE CHALAMET as Elio, MICHAEL STUHLBARG as Mr. Perlman and ARMIE HAMMER as Oliver.

PHOTO BY PETER SPEARS; COURTESY SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

considered the clear favorite for the win. Finally, in the category of Best Foreign Language Film, the Chilean/German coproduction, “A Fantastic Woman,” secured a nomination. The story of a transgender woman ﬁghting transphobia for the right to mourn after the death of her lover, it should also have gotten recognition for its star, trans actress Daniela Vega, who gave one of the strongest performances of the year, by any standard. As a foreign performer, and a relatively inexperienced and unknown one, she didn’t stand much of a chance. But the Academy missed a chance to show support and solidarity with the trans community by giving her a nod. Even so, the ﬁlm’s nomination is a major step, although the omission of “BPM (Beats per Minute)” within the same category, is a disappointment.

It’s too early in the race to make predictions. Though “Three Billboards” is currently considered the favorite to win (along with its star Frances McDormand and the previously mentioned Rockwell), controversy over its handling of racist themes (as well as some critical backlash over the contrivances of its story) may lower its chances as the big night draws nearer and “Shape of Water” made such a strong showing in the nominations that its popularity among Academy voters is impossible to ignore. Even given such causes for doubt, however, it seems certain that Oscar will not be duplicating the triumphant validation it delivered for queer awareness with its selection of “Moonlight” for Best Picture. This year, it looks like the LGBT community will be an also-ran.

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State Dept. sued for denying citizenship to same-sex couples’ children Two bi-national same-sex couples this week filed federal lawsuits against the State Department after their children were denied U.S. citizenship. Andrew Dvash-Banks, who was born in Santa Monica, Calif., and his husband, Elad Dvash-Banks, who was born in Israel, were married in Toronto in 2010. The two men decided to live in Canada because the Defense of Marriage Act that President Clinton signed in 1996 ELAD AND ANDREW DVASH-BANKS, second and prevented Andrew Dvash-Banks third from left, with their twins AIDEN, first from from sponsoring Elad Dvash-Banks left, and ETHAN, fourth from left. for immigration purposes. PHOTO COURTESY OF IMMIGRATION EQUALITY A surrogate gave birth to the men’s twin boys — Aiden DvashBanks and Ethan Dvash-Banks — in Mississauga, Ontario, on Sept. 16, 2016. Aiden Dvash-Banks was conceived with Andrew Dvash-Banks’ sperm, while Ethan Dvash-Banks was conceived with Elad Dvash-Banks’ sperm. Canada recognizes both men as their children’s parents. The 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Windsor case that struck down a portion of DOMA prompted the U.S. to legally recognize same-sex marriages performed outside the country. The U.S. Consulate in Toronto nevertheless denied the men’s request for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad — which certifies that a child who was born overseas was an American citizen at the time of their birth — and a U.S. passport for Ethan DvashBanks under Section 309 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act that specifically addresses “children born out of wedlock.” “Focusing improperly on the biological relationship between each child and the parent who conceived him, the State Department then recognized Aiden’s citizenship and denied Ethan’s,” reads the lawsuit that Andrew Dvash-Banks filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The Dvash-Banks family moved to Los Angeles on June 24, 2017. Andrew Dvash-Banks and Aiden Dvash-Banks are U.S. citizens, while Elad DvashBanks is a permanent resident. Ethan Dvash-Banks, who is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit, was able to enter the U.S. on a tourist visa that expired on Dec. 23, 2017. “All of Andrew and Elad’s professional, personal and familial commitments are in constant jeopardy of being undone if the Department of Homeland Security deports Ethan,” reads the lawsuit. Andrew Dvash-Banks and Elan Dvash-Banks have applied for a green card for Ethan Dvash-Banks in order “to minimize the risk of deportation proceedings and having to face the choice of staying together as a family or staying in this country.” “However, Andrew and Elad should not have to bear these additional burdens simply to ensure they can continue to raise their sons together in this country,” reads the lawsuit. Allison Blixt, who was born in Park Ridge, Ill., and her wife, Stefania Zaccari, who was born in Italy, have lived in London since 2008. The two women’s civil partnership became a marriage under British law in 2015. Zaccari on Jan. 30, 2015, gave birth to Lucas Zaccari-Blixt, who was conceived with her egg and sperm from an “unknown donor.” Blixt on Feb. 25, 2017, gave birth to Massimiliano Zaccari-Blixt, who was conceived with Blixt’s egg and sperm from the same donor. Blixt in her lawsuit says the U.S. Embassy in London in 2015 denied her and Zaccari’s application for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad and a U.S. passport for Lucas Zaccari-Blixt. Blixt and Zaccari last May applied for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad and U.S. passport for both of their children. The lawsuit states Massimiliano Zaccari-Blixt’s application was approved, but Lucas Zaccari-Blixt’s was denied “on the ground that Section 309(c) of the INA (Immigration and Naturalization Act) required proof of Lucas’ genetic parental or gestational relationship to Allison regardless of his birth certificate and Allison and Stefania’s marriage.” Immigration Equality Executive Director Aaron Morris, who represents Blixt and Zaccari and the Dvash-Banks in their respective lawsuits — last September asked the embassy to reconsider its decision to deny the request for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad and a passport for Lucas Zaccari-Blixt. The embassy on Nov. 7 denied the request, noting it had “affirm[ed] that Lucas did not require U.S. citizenship at birth.” “Allison and Massi may reside in the U.S. permanently because they are U.S. citizens,” states Blixt’s lawsuit, which also names Lucas Zaccari-Blixt as a plaintiff. “Stefania may reside in the U.S. permanently by obtaining a family-based immigrant visa based on

I N T E RN A T I O N A L N E W S her marriage to Allison. The State Department’s policy, however, renders Lucas the only member of his family without the freedom to live in the U.S. permanently.” “The State Department’s decision to withhold from Lucas the same rights granted to his brother means that he will experience the indignity and stigma of unequal treatment imposed and endorsed by the U.S. government,” adds the lawsuit. “No governmental purpose could justify imposing these indignities on a child of a valid marriage or restricting a family’s freedom to live as a family — together.” The State Department and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are named as defendants in both lawsuits. The State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs on its website says the State Department interprets the Immigration and Naturalization Act “to mean that a child born abroad must be biologically related to a U.S. citizen . . . in order for the child to acquire U.S. citizenship at birth.” It states a “U.S. citizen father must be the genetic parent of the child and meet all other statutory requirements in order to transmit U.S. citizenship to the child at birth.” The State Department also notes a “U.S. citizen mother must be the genetic and/or the gestational and legal mother of the child at the time and place of the child’s birth and must meet all other statutory requirements in order to transmit U.S. citizenship to the child at birth.” “Even if local law recognizes a surrogacy agreement and finds that U.S. parents are the legal parents of a child conceived and born abroad through ART (assisted reproductive technology), if the child does not have a biological connection to a U.S. citizen parent, the child will not be a U.S. citizen at birth,” says the Bureau of Consular Affairs on its website. Both lawsuits allege the policy is unconstitutional because it violates the plaintiffs’ right to due process under the Fifth Amendment. They also state the State Department policy discriminates against the plaintiffs because of their sexual orientation and sex. MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Chilean House of Deputies approves trans bill The lower house of the Chilean Congress on Tuesday approved a bill that would allow transgender adults to legally change their name and gender without surgery or a court order. The measure passed in the House of Deputies by a 68-35 vote margin. It will now go before the country’s Senate. Organizado Trans Diversidades, a trans advocacy group, on social media celebrated the bill’s passage with the hashtag LigAhora (gender identity law now.) Rolando Jiménez, president of the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation, and Juan Enrique Pi, president of Fundación Iguales, also applauded the bill’s passage. “Today we advanced a bit more towards dignity and closer to full equality of rights,” said Jiménez in a statement, noting trans Chileans are particularly vulnerable to discrimination because of their gender identity. Paula Narvaéz, a spokesperson for President Michelle Bachelet’s government, noted to La Tercera, a Chilean newspaper, that lawmakers voted “against a special judicial procedure for children and adolescents” under 18 who want to legally change their name and gender. The vote on this provision took place without the necessary quorum. Jiménez in his statement described it as “bittersweet and contradictory to the rights of children and adolescents.” He later told the Washington Blade that he expects lawmakers to once again consider this issue before it goes to the Senate. The vote took place two weeks after the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a landmark ruling that recognizes trans rights and same-sex marriage. The decision is legally binding in Chile and the 19 other countries that recognize the American Convention of Human Rights. The vote on the trans rights bill had been scheduled to take place on Jan. 16, but House of Deputies President Fidel Espinoza postponed it because of Pope Francis’ controversial visit to the country. The decision sparked outrage among advocacy groups. It remains uncertain whether the Senate will consider the bill before Presidentelect Sebastián Piñera’s inauguration on March 11. Advocates with whom the Blade spoke after Piñera’s election late last year note the majority of the Chilean Congress now supports the trans rights bill and a separate measure that would extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. They said these lawmakers could challenge Piñera’s opposition to these measures once he takes oﬃce. MICHAEL K. LAVERS & NICOLAS LEVY

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1 4 • J A NUA RY 2 6 , 2018

NEWS

Dems seen as caving after agreeing to end gov’t shutdown CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

attacks on vulnerable minorities.” David Stacy, government aﬀairs director for the Human Rights Campaign, faulted both Trump and “congressional leaders” in a statement following the vote. “We have a short amount of time to ensure our elected leaders protect vulnerable Americans, including kids who need health care, seniors, troops and hundreds of thousands of Dreamers, including 75,000 LGBTQ young people,” Stacy said. “The Trump-Pence Administration and congressional leaders have once again kicked the can down the road and failed to act in a timely fashion. They must act to ensure these vulnerable communities are not put at further risk.” Members of the Senate Democratic minority agreed to vote for a continuing resolution to reopen the federal government after they were lockstep in supporting a shutdown. They demanded reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, and a solution to allow recipients of DACA, an Obama-era program Trump ended, to remain in the United States. The measure the Senate voted on Friday, approved by the U.S. House the previous day, conceded to the demand to reauthorize CHIP, but took no action on DACA. The Senate Democratic caucus was virtually united in voting it down. After nearly four days of Democrats and Republicans playing the blame game for the shutdown, Democrats agreed to vote for essentially the same bill. But the measure, approved by a vote of 81-

18, only continues government funds for three weeks until Feb. 8. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) also agreed to bring to the floor by that time legislation to address the DACA issue. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), the only out lesbian in Congress, voted for the shutdown Friday and reversed her vote after the weekend. “Enough with round after round of fighting,” Baldwin said in a statement. “We now have an opportunity in the Senate to do right by the American people so we need to get to work and do it. I will continue my bipartisan work to fully fund community health centers, children’s health care and provide our local communities with the support they need to combat the opioid epidemic and save lives.” Baldwin called for a funding bill that would last for the remainder of the fiscal year as opposed to a series of stopgap measures. “We have a bipartisan solution in the Senate that strengthens border security and protects Dreamers who have only known America as their home and are working hard, going to school and serving in our military,” Baldwin said. “Let’s get it done.” Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), however, voted for the shutdown Friday and refused to vote to reopen it without a solution for DREAMers. “The majority leader’s comments last night fell far short of the ironclad guarantee I needed to support a stopgap spending bill,” Harris said in a statement. “I refuse to put the lives of nearly 700,000 young people in the hands of someone who has repeatedly gone back on his word. I will do everything in my power to continue to protect Dreamers from deportation.”

Democrats appear to have lost their leverage by agreeing that a DACA solution doesn’t have to be part of ongoing funds for the government. Even if McConnell keeps his word and the Senate approves such a measure, there’s little prospect of such a standalone measure coming up in the Republican-controlled House. Trump gloated in victory after the Senate voted to reopen the government, disparaging the Democrats for their actions. “I am pleased that Democrats in Congress have come to their senses and are now willing to fund our great military, border patrol, ﬁrst responders, and insurance for vulnerable children,” Trump said. “As I have always said, once the government is funded, my administration will work toward solving the problem of very unfair illegal immigration. We will make a long-term deal on immigration if, and only if, it is good for our country.” Immediately after the government was reopened, Trump held a meeting at the White House with lawmakers to move forward with immigration reform. The only members in attendance were Senate Republicans: Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), James Lankford (R-Okla.), David Perdue (R-La.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). According to the Daily Beast, Trump had no talks with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on the day the U.S. government was reopened, but did speak with Sens. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who were among the Democrats who opposed the shutdown. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders chided Democrats

Sen. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-N.Y.) was accused of caving by progressive activists after Senate Democrats agreed to end the U.S. government shutdown. WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

during the regular brieﬁng, saying their actions only delayed immigration talks. “Look, what the president did clearly worked,” Sanders said. “The vote just came in 81-18. I would say that those numbers are much more in the president’s favor than in Sen. Schumer’s favor. I’m not sure what changed for him and what he gained, other than maybe Nancy Pelosi taking a bunch of Republican members out for dinner to celebrate their shutdown. I’m not sure what other positive things came out of this weekend for Democrats.”

Nellie’s serves lunch for federal workers during Monday shutdown Bloody Marys ﬂow as furloughed customers watch debates on TV By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com D.C.’s Nellie’s Sports Bar provided a welcoming place for furloughed federal workers to congregate on Monday during the day when it announced on its Facebook page that it would open at 11 a.m. for lunch “every day this week that the government is shutdown.” Doug Schantz, owner of the popular nightspot that caters to the LGBT community, decided to open its doors earlier than its normal 5 p.m. opening to lift the spirits of federal workers who make up a large percentage of its customers, according to Nellie’s general manager Justin Thomas. “We are very much a neighborhood

bar,” Thomas told the Washington Blade as reporters and commentators with CNN and MSNBC appeared on two giant TV screens hanging on the walls of the bar’s front room. “So we have to kind of cater to that,” he said. “We want to create a fun environment for people to kind of come together and watch how this unfolds because it’s a big deal going on right now.” Among those watching the TV news broadcasts was D.C. resident Noah Johnson, an economist with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Johnson said he and two of his colleagues came to Nellie’s after being required to come to their oﬃces Monday morning to secure their work stations before being sent home on furlough. “You had to report and make sure everything was secure,” he said. “We are a statistics agency. We can’t leave personal information out. So we had to lock up our computers and make sure if we were out for a period of time they wouldn’t be at

risk,” he told the Blade. Johnson and his two co-workers joined other federal workers at Nellie’s, including two civilian Department of Defense employees who declined to disclose their names, in watching with great interest as CNN and MSNBC reported that Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate had just reached a compromise agreement. Minutes later, the news stations reported that the Senate voted by a wide margin to end a filibuster, clearing the way for approval of a temporary spending measure to reopen the government. The U.S. House approved the compromise spending bill and President Donald Trump was expected to sign it. Johnson said he was looking forward to going back to work Tuesday morning. But on the very first workday of the shutdown on Monday Johnson and his two co-workers experienced first-hand what thousands of D.C.-area residents were expected to encounter in the fallout

of the government shutdown. Prior to coming to Nellie’s they decided to go on a hike along the grounds of the National Arboretum in Northeast D.C., a federally owned and operated track of land in which a wide variety ﬂowering plants, shrubs, trees, and grass are grown and cultivated. “We wanted to go to the Arboretum but the Arboretum was closed,” Johnson said. Thomas, the Nellie’s manager, noted that the bar is widely known as a place where people can come to watch local, national and international sporting events, including the Olympics, the Super Bowl, and World Series. But he said Nellie’s also tunes its TV monitors to important breaking events in the news. “That is something that takes priority because it’s something that aﬀects everybody,” he said. “So, like I said, being a neighborhood bar we have to make sure everybody is in the know and to be in the know ourselves about certain things.”

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In adults with HIV on ART who have diarrhea not caused by an infection IMPORTANT PATIENT INFORMATION This is only a summary. See complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or by calling 1-844-722-8256. This does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or treatment.

What Is Mytesi? Mytesi is a prescription medicine used to improve symptoms of noninfectious diarrhea (diarrhea not caused by a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on ART. Do Not Take Mytesi if you have diarrhea caused by an infection. Before you start Mytesi, your doctor and you should make sure your diarrhea is not caused by an infection (such as bacteria, virus, or parasite).

Possible Side Effects of Mytesi Include:

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Enough is Enough Get relief. Pure and simple. Ask your doctor about Mytesi. Mytesi (crofelemer): • Is the only medicine FDA-approved to relieve diarrhea in people with HIV • Treats diarrhea differently by normalizing the flow of water in the GI tract • Has the same or fewer side effects as placebo in clinical studies • Comes from a tree sustainably harvested in the Amazon Rainforest What is Mytesi? Mytesi is a prescription medicine that helps relieve symptoms of diarrhea not caused by an infection (noninfectious) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Important Safety Information Mytesi is not approved to treat infectious diarrhea (diarrhea caused by bacteria, a virus, or a parasite). Before starting you on Mytesi, your healthcare provider will first be sure that you do not have infectious diarrhea. Otherwise, there is a risk you would not receive the right medicine and your infection could get worse. In clinical studies, the most common side effects that occurred more often than with placebo were upper respiratory tract (sinus, nose, and throat) infection (5.7%), bronchitis (3.9%), cough (3.5%), flatulence (3.1%), and increased bilirubin (3.1%).

For Copay Savings Card and Patient Assistance, see Mytesi.com

Should I Take Mytesi If I Am: Pregnant or Planning to Become Pregnant? • Studies in animals show that Mytesi could harm an unborn baby or affect the ability to become pregnant • There are no studies in pregnant women taking Mytesi • This drug should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed A Nursing Mother? • It is not known whether Mytesi is passed through human breast milk • If you are nursing, you should tell your doctor before starting Mytesi • Your doctor will help you to decide whether to stop nursing or to stop taking Mytesi Under 18 or Over 65 Years of Age? • Mytesi has not been studied in children under 18 years of age • Mytesi studies did not include many people over the age of 65. So it is not clear if this age group will respond differently. Talk to your doctor to find out if Mytesi is right for you

What Should I Know About Taking Mytesi With Other Medicines? If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicine, herbal supplements, or vitamins, tell your doctor before starting Mytesi.

What If I Have More Questions About Mytesi? For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or speak to your doctor or pharmacist. To report side effects or make a product complaint or for additional information, call 1-844-722-8256.

Please see complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com. NP-390-17

• Upper respiratory tract infection (sinus, nose, and throat infection) • Bronchitis (swelling in the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs) • Cough • Flatulence (gas) • Increased bilirubin (a waste product when red blood cells break down) For a full list of side effects, please talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

RELIEF, PURE AND SIMPLE

Mytesi comes from the Croton lechleri tree harvested in South America.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

1 6 • J A NUA RY 2 6 , 2018

NEWS

D.C. area touts LGBT rights record in bids for Amazon HQ2 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

include Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Boston; Chicago; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Denver; Los Angeles; New York City; Philadelphia; and Pittsburgh. HRC considers D.C. as a state rather than a city and includes it in its separate State Equality Index, which does not provide a numerical rating. HRC’s 2017 State Equality Index report places D.C. and 13 states in the highest of four categories that assess LGBT rights policies and laws for the 50 states. The category is called “Working Toward Innovative Equality.” Based on HRC’s criteria for assessing the LGBT-related records for both states and cities, D.C. would have received a 100 percent rating in HRC’s Municipal Equality Index if it were classified as a city. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser frequently cites the city’s extensive and wideranging LGBT supportive laws and policy directives in her public appearances at LGBT events. HRC doesn’t issue ratings or assessments for regions such as Northern Virginia. However, its Municipal Equality Index for 2017 assigns a rating score of 96 to Arlington County and a score of 86 to the City of Alexandria, which are among the largest jurisdictions that comprise Northern Virginia. The HRC Municipal Equality Index doesn’t issue a rating score for Montgomery County, Md. But it has assigned a 2017 rating score for two of its largest cites – 100 percent for the city of Rockville and 59 percent for the city of Gaithersburg. In its state Equality Index assessments, HRC places Maryland in the second highest category called “Solidifying Equality.” It says a state in this category has nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people and is “high-performing” on LGBT issues but does not rise to the “cuttingedge” level of LGBT accomplishments of D.C. and the 13 states in the top category, including California and New York. The HRC 2017 State Equality Index places Virginia in the lowest of the four categories called “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality.” According to HRC, the 27 states in this category “have many laws that undermine LGBTQ equality.” HRC says an “overwhelming majority” of states in this category, including Virginia, do not have anti-discrimination laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity protections and few have hate crimes laws. Despite Virginia’s less than supportive record on a state level, LGBT rights advocates in Northern Virginia point out that as a region, Northern Virginia’s elected officials and its policies and local laws are highly supportive on LGBT rights. Jean Kelleher, director of the Alexandria Office on Human Rights, told the Washington Blade that Alexandria,

Mayor MURIEL BOWSER has touted D.C.’s pro-LGBT laws and policies in speeches during her tenure. Some have speculated that Amazon is considering the LGBT friendliness of cities competing for HQ2. WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY DAMIEN SALAS

Arlington and Fairfax counties have added sexual orientation protections to their human rights ordinances. She said the three jurisdictions have embraced the U.S. Equality Employment Opportunity Commission’s interpretation of the 1964 U.S. Civil Rights Act to include protection against discrimination based on gender identity as well as sexual orientation as a form of gender discrimination. Kelleher said invoking the EEOC’s interpretation and oﬃcial legal opinion enables Northern Virginia jurisdictions to protect LGBT people from discrimination despite a longstanding state law that created what’s known as the Dillon Rule. Among other things, the Dillon Rule prohibits local jurisdictions in the state such as counties and cities from enacting or enforcing laws, including civil rights laws, whose provisions go beyond the scope of a state law. “The Dillon Rule has constrained us in the past but we are continuously moving forward,” Kelleher said. Nick Benton, the gay editor and publisher of the Falls Church, Va., News Press, which covers state and local current events in Virginia, said he has a strong message for Amazon should it decide to consider the LGBT rights record of a jurisdiction competing for its second corporate headquarters: “Right now there is no place more LGBT friendly than Northern Virginia, even if the archaic state laws in Virginia limit what kinds of format protections local jurisdictions here can enforce,” Benton said. He noted that although the Dillon Rule oﬃcially prevents local jurisdictions from passing or enforcing LGBT rights laws, nearly all of the Northern Virginia

jurisdictions have adopted resolutions “unanimously expressing full support for diversity in employment, housing” and other categories. Benton and other LGBT advocates in Northern Virginia also note that there are currently three openly gay members and one “out and proud” transgender member of the Virginia General Assembly from Northern Virginia. Dana Beyer, a longtime civic activist, transgender rights organizer, and current candidate for the Maryland State Senate, has put in a plug for Montgomery County’s quest for the Amazon headquarters. “It would be very satisfying to know that Amazon was seriously considering a locality’s LGBTQ rights record in its decision to situate its second headquarters,” Beyer said. “If so, my home county, Montgomery County, Md., would be ideal,” she continued. “Beginning with sexual orientation protections first introduced and defended in 1986, and then followed by similar gender identity protections added and defended in 2007, my county has been a civil rights leader in the state and country,” she told the Blade. “Amazon’s employees would derive great benefit and satisfaction from the affirming culture being created here.” Sheila Alexander-Reid, director of the D.C. Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, said that based on a wide range of factors, including its strong record on LGBT rights, “D.C. is by far the best location for Amazon’s second corporate headquarters.” Alexander-Reid notes that D.C. in 2009 became one of the first jurisdictions in the country to legally recognize same-sex marriage – “three years before Maryland and five years before Virginia.” She said

that under Mayor Bowser’s leadership, D.C. has “intentionally created a safe space” for LGBTQ residents. “By providing public accommodation laws that protect against discrimination, gender neutral markers on identification and drivers’ licenses, the ability to legally change names on birth certificates and drivers licenses to correspond with gender identity, the District is leading the country in affirming transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning/queer residents,” she said. Following is a list of the 20 cities and regions selected by Amazon as finalists in its process of selecting a home for its second world corporate headquarters. Also shown are the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index rating for cities and some counties and the HRC State Equality Index category based on the states’ records on LGBT rights. The Blade has designated the state categories as “Excellent,” “Good,” “Fair,” and “Poor” based on HRC’s criteria. Atlanta—100% city rating; poor state rating for Georgia Austin, Tex.—100% city rating; poor state rating for Texas Boston—100% city rating; excellent state rating for Massachusetts Chicago—100% city rating; excellent state rating for Illinois Columbus, Ohio—100% city rating; poor state rating for Ohio Dallas—100% city rating; poor state rating for Texas Denver—100% city rating; excellent state rating for Colorado Indianapolis—88% city rating; fair state rating for Indiana Los Angeles—100% city rating; excellent state rating for California Miami—59% city rating; poor state rating for Florida Montgomery County, Md.—No county rating issued by HRC; good state rating for Maryland Nashville, Tenn.—60% city rating; poor state rating for Tennessee Newark, N.J.—67% city rating; good state rating for New Jersey New York City—100% city rating; excellent state rating for New York Northern Virginia—No regional rating issued by HRC; poor state rating for Virginia Philadelphia—100% city rating; poor state rating for Pennsylvania Pittsburgh—100% city rating; poor state rating for Pennsylvania Raleigh, N.C.—60% city rating; poor state rating for North Carolina Toronto, Ontario—No city or provincial rating issued by HRC Washington, D.C.—No city rating issued by HRC; excellent state rating for District of Columbia

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H E A LTH NEW S

J A N U A R Y 26, 2018 • 17

Advocates consider LGBT impact of exemption clause WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s move last week to protect health care workers who refuse to perform abortions and other medical procedures on religious or moral grounds is raising fears among some civil rights and medical groups that it will provide legal cover for otherwise unlawful discrimination, Reuters and other outlets report. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services created a new Conscience and Religious Freedom Division within its Oﬃce of Civil Rights to enforce the rights of doctors, nurses and others who invoke such objections, Reuters reports. James Blumstein, a professor at Vanderbilt Law School in Tennessee, told Reuters the administration’s plan could remedy what he described as years of overreach by the federal government ﬁghting discrimination against patients at the expense of the religious freedom of health care professionals. “I think there has been an insensitivity on the secular side,” Blumstein said in an interview with Reuters. Critics of the move predicted the new division, whose creation was praised by conservative Christian advocacy groups that have strongly supported Republican President Donald Trump, would become embroiled in current litigation over whether health care workers can deny care to women seeking abortions or birth control as well as gay and transgender patients, Reuters reports. Existing federal and state laws protect health care workers who express religious objections to performing abortions and certain other procedures. HHS said the new division would focus on enforcing those laws, Reuters reports. Critics said the division’s creation could encourage a broader range of religious objections, with a potentially strong impact on less-settled areas of the law like the status of gay and transgender individuals under anti-discrimination statutes, Reuters reports.

Health workers say PrEP underused NEW YORK — PrEP usage remains woefully underused around the world health workers say according to the Associated Press. Marketed in the United States as Truvada and sometimes available abroad in generic versions, the pill has been shown to reduce the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90 percent if taken daily. Yet worldwide, only about a dozen countries have aggressive, government-backed programs to promote the pill. In the U.S., there are problems related to Truvada’s cost, lingering skepticism among some doctors and low usage rates among black gay and bi men who have the highest rates of HIV infection. A few large U.S. cities are promoting Truvada, often with sexually charged ads. In New York, “Bare It All” was among the slogans urging gay men to consult their doctors. The Los Angeles LGBT Center — using what it called “raw, real language” — launched a campaign to increase use among young Latino and black gay men and transgender women, the AP reports. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Truvada would be appropriate for about 1.2 million people in the U.S. — including sex workers and roughly 25 percent of gay men. Gilead Scientiﬁc, Truvada’s Californiabased manufacturer, says there are only about 145,000 active prescriptions for HIV prevention use, the AP reports.

New blood donation law approved in Taiwan TAIPEI, Taiwan — Gay men in Taiwan will be permitted to donate blood under new rules set to be implemented in May by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan News reports. According to the Ministry, the Blood Consultative Committee recommend lifting the lifetime ban on blood donations from gay men, replacing it with a policy barring donations from men who have had sex with another man within ﬁve years of the planned donation. According to the current “blood donor deferral policy,” LGB residents as well as groups at high-risk of being HIV or AIDS positive and those who have a record of a malignant tumors, or those with leukemia, are banned from donating blood for life. Taiwanese netizens launched an online campaign demanding the lifetime ban on blood donations from gay men be lifted, indicating that the policy is no longer justiﬁed, given advances in HIV testing. They emphasize that the blood screening process is adequate enough now to prevent unsafe blood from being donated, so the lifetime ban on blood donations from gay men should be lifted, Taiwan News reports.

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Mind your own vagina and other suggestions We might as well impose gov’t by the voices in people’s heads

RICHARD J. ROSENDALL is a writer and activist. Reach him at rrosendall@starpower.net.

Dear Alt-Christians, does Trump’s hush money for Stormy Daniels count as a faith offering? Pardon me if that sounds flippant. I am just trying to figure out the contours and boundaries of what passes for conservative Christianity these days. But I am getting ahead of myself. The proximity of the anti-abortion March for Life on Jan. 19 (which I call Mind Your Own Vagina Day) and the Women’s March on Washington on Jan. 20, besides being an affirmation of American freedoms of speech and assembly and a good occasion for avoiding the D.C. Metro, seemed a fine time to pull back from the political fray for some perspective. The whole reason for these competing marches is that our goals are not the same. Sometimes they are not

even coherent. Let’s face it, there is no need to schlep down to the National Mall, or wherever they schlep out your way, only to yell “Shut up, you’re right!” at one another. If that were the case, we could just go to Walmart and snap pics of badly dressed shoppers, catch up on The Chi on Showtime, or sit around comparing our shitholes of origin. Instead, let us step out of our comfort zones and look about. I have taken notes of what I’m hearing from my fellow citizens (and be forewarned, there is something here to oﬀend everyone). Response to an awkward date that includes consensual sex: “If you fail to read my mind and this does not live up to my romantic fantasy, you deserve character assassination via revenge porn.” Response to Republican excesses: “This is a chance for progressives to advance the revolution.” Response to disagreeable speakers at universities: “Bar them from campus or shout them down.” Response to a business you don’t like: “Abolish capitalism.” Response to tensions with North Korea: a mistaken Hawaiian missile alert. The voices proliferate. “Ban the police.” “Police must be given free rein.” “End incarceration.” “Block Chick-ﬁl-A.” “Stop the Bible Museum.” “Allow anti-trans job discrimination.” “We don’t have money to fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program.” “Force the terminally ill to die slow, painful deaths.” “Black and brown immigrants are dangerous.” “One more E DIT OR IA L C A R T OON

Supreme Court justice and we can revoke gay marriage and criminalize abortion.” “Abolish rules on air and water safety, workplace safety, food and drug safety, car safety, gun safety, consumer product safety, and cruelty to animals. It’s yours, do what you want.” One stratagem of intolerance embraced by Trump is insisting that “religious freedom” entitles healthcare workers to invoke their faith in refusing to serve patients who, to quote the fictional Sister Mary Ignatius, “do the thing that makes Jesus puke.” I’d like a Gospel citation for that. Christ in Matthew Chapter 25 says to care for people. Religious carve-outs may appear simple but can metastasize like a cancer. If a pharmacist can refuse to fill your birth control prescription because he deplores your ungodly behavior, why not allow restaurant workers to refuse a customer’s meal order based on disapproval of gluttony? I write amid shutdown. The president refuses to negotiate with Democrats unless they surrender. Paul Ryan’s duplicity, Mitch McConnell’s cynicism, and Trump’s vacillation are all hostage to the mindless xenophobia Republicans have so long stoked. We might just as well impose government by the voices in people’s heads. Perhaps we can seek guidance on that from home schoolers David and Louise Turpin, arrested in California last week on charges of torture and child endangerment for starving their children and chaining them to the furniture. Cable TV sages talk about our polarization as if it were a weather anomaly. I don’t blame solar flares or the monster under the bed. I blame zealots at one extreme who traffic in bigotry, suppress voters, demonize the press, and encourage Russian hackers. To a lesser extent I blame those at the opposite extreme who engage in groupthink, denounce anything short of their particular idea of utopia, and are too busy attacking moderates to build broad governing coalitions. Meanwhile, a grassroots ferment foreshadows a wave election. Our republic will be saved by citizens who stand and fight for its values, offers this small voice in your head. Copyright © 2018 by Richard J. Rosendall. All rights reserved.

202-747-2077 E-MAIL news@washblade.com INTERNET washingtonblade.com PUBLISHED BY Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. PUBLISHER LYNNE J. BROWN lbrown@washblade.com ext. 8075 EDITORIAL EDITOR KEVIN NAFF knaff@washblade.com ext. 8088 FEATURES EDITOR JOEY DIGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com ext. 8081 SR. NEWS REPORTER LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com ext. 8079 NEWS REPORTER CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com ext. 8083 REPORTER & INTERNATIONAL NEWS EDITOR MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com POP CULTURE REPORTER MARIAH COOPER PHOTO EDITOR MICHAEL KEY mkey@washblade.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS PETER ROSENSTEIN, MARK LEE, LATEEFAH WILLIAMS, KATE CLINTON, KATHI WOLFE, RICHARD J. ROSENDALL, HELEN PARSHALL, ERNESTO VALLE, NICOLÁS LEVY, BUNMI JOHNSON CREATIVE DESIGN/PRODUCTION AZERCREATIVE.COM SALES & ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING STEPHEN RUTGERS srutgers@washblade.com ext. 8077 SR. ACCT. EXECUTIVE BRIAN PITTS bpitts@washblade.com ext. 8089 ACCT. EXECUTIVE JOE HICKLING jhickling@washblade.com ext. 8094 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION PHILLIP G. ROCKSTROH prockstroh@washblade.com ext. 8092 NATIONAL ADVERTISING RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863; sales@rivendellmedia.com For distribution, contact Lynne Brown at 202-747-2077, ext. 8075. Distributed by MediaPoint, LLC All material in the Washington Blade is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Washington Blade. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons. Although the Washington Blade is supported by many fine advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by the Washington Blade, but the paper cannot take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit any submission. A single copy of the Washington Blade is available from authorized distribution points, to any individual within a 50-mile radius of Washington, D.C. Multiple copies are available from the Washington Blade office only. Call for rates. If you are unable to get to a convenient free distribution point, you may receive a 52-week mailed subscription for $195 per year or $5.00 per single issue. Checks or credit card orders can be sent to Phil Rockstroh at prockstroh@washblade.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Washington Blade, PO BOX 53352 Washington, DC 20009. The Washington Blade is published weekly, on Friday, by Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. Individual Subscriptions are $195 per year for 52 issues (only $3.75 per issue mailed to you USPS). Rates for businesses/institutions are $450 per year. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. Editorial positions of the Washington Blade are expressed in editorials and in editors’ notes as determined by the paper’s editors. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Washington Blade or its staff. To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words; commentaries should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address and phone number for verification. Send submissions by e-mail to knaff@washblade.com.

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Zach Wahls, the future of Iowa and America We should help him win a seat in the Iowa State Senate

PETER ROSENSTEIN is a longtime LGBT rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.

The Democratic Party needs to cultivate and support the next generations of leaders and one our most promising is Zach Wahls, an amazing young man, decent and honest, with an unlimited future. Zach is a Democratic candidate for Iowa’s Senate District 37. Many will remember him from when he ﬁrst gained national attention with his testimony before the Iowa House Judiciary Committee about growing up with gay parents. A video of that testimony went viral. Zach went on to be co-founder of Scouts for Equality, the successful national campaign to

end discrimination against LGBTQ+ boys and leaders in the Boy Scouts of America. Zach is an Eagle Scout; he authored the bestselling book “My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength and What Makes a Family;” and recently he and his sister created The Woman Cards, a deck of playing cards featuring 15 original, handdrawn portraits of American women who changed the world. A longtime resident of the Senate district, Zach is a graduate of Iowa City West High School and the University of Iowa, and will receive his master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School this spring. Zach is running on a platform of issues crucial to Iowans. Not surprisingly they are issues crucial to all Americans including healthcare, education and workers’ rights. Zach is running to do something about the mental health crisis in Iowa, which currently has only 64 public psychiatric beds for the entire state. He understands Iowa has an opioid epidemic and will ﬁght to see more is done at every level of government to ﬁght back proactively taking steps to turn this epidemic around.

Zach recognizes Iowa is facing a Medicaid disaster and the Republican privatization of Medicaid is the cause. When it comes to education, Zach has said, “Iowa’s public education system transforms children into citizens and is supposed to make sure that every Iowan has the chance to pursue the American Dream.” He will fight continued Republican funding cuts to both the K-12 growth rate and their slashing of tens of millions of dollars from Iowa’s higher education system. He believes in innovative education and exploring new approaches to innovation for the 21st century economy. He will fight for universal pre-K education; programs that will ensure college readiness for all Iowa high school graduates; and affordable tuition so any Iowa high school graduate can afford to attend college. Zach is opposed to voucher programs and other attempts to privatize Iowa’s public school system which would shortchange Iowa teachers and students. He has said, “We have a moral responsibility to make public education better and more accessible.” When it comes to worker’s rights Zach understands Iowa’s economy “is funda-

mentally broken for many, many people.” He will fight for collective bargaining justice and fight against the continued efforts by Republicans to gut collective bargaining rights for state workers in Iowa. He will fight for a living wage for all workers. He will fight Republican efforts to roll back increases in the minimum wage as they did when they specifically targeted Johnson County and passed a law to roll back the county’s minimum wage increase. Zach sees that as only the latest example of Republicans supporting “local control” only when they like what’s happening. He will fight to reverse that law and to continue to increase wages as the cost of living goes up. Zach Wahls understands the issues facing Iowans and the issues facing our country. He believes in equality and is willing to fight for it. He believes in social justice and is willing to fight for it. He believes all Americans deserve affordable healthcare and a living wage and is willing to fight for them. Everyone needs to help Zach Wahls in his fight for a seat in the Iowa State Senate because young people like Zach are not only the future of Iowa, they are the future of America.

V I E W PO I NT

America needs more LGBTQ mayors Local officials are on the front lines pushing equality By ANNISE PARKER While the biggest news out of Washington the week of Jan. 22 will either be the government shutdown or the latest presidential tweet, a far more consequential event is unlikely to make major headlines. Mayors from across the nation will converge on the capital to work on critical issues affecting our nation: tackling the opioid epidemic, combating climate change or ending homelessness in our communities. These issues – more than any offensive nickname Donald Trump can come up with – is what will improve or hinder the lives of millions of Americans. It is the leadership of mayors, as well as their colleagues in local governments, that have the most significant impact on people’s everyday lives. Local government ensures roads are built and repaired, trash is collected, and that law enforcement is properly protecting communities. The winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors is an opportunity for mayors to exchange ideas and brainstorm solutions, knowing they are more accountable to constituents than any politician at the federal level.

ANNISE PARKER, CEO of the Victory Institute, urges LGBTQ Americans to run for public oﬃce.

While all mayors have a broad array of responsibilities, LGBTQ mayors in particular take on additional duties – ensuring equality remains on the agenda and representing our community to the people they serve. When I became mayor of Houston in 2010, I heard from dozens of parents of LGBTQ children who were overwhelmed about my election. They may or may not

have agreed with all my policy positions, but my presence alone proved their children could pursue their dreams regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. They understood I would block attempts to harm our community, push forward pro-equality legislation and be a voice for the voiceless in a state that desperately needed it. Mayors have more impact on daily life than any other elected official. LGBTQ mayors are champions for equality, but their agendas are much broader. Javier Gonzales was one of the first mayors in the country to declare that Santa Fe will continue to protect its immigrants despite federal threats to withhold funding. Jenny Durkan created a program to provide two years of free community college to any high school graduate in Seattle – and did it less than 24 hours after taking office. And in Long Beach, Robert Garcia is championing the creation of a world-class rail system that can transform the region. These are bold leaders with bold ideas. And it was their ideas – not their sexual orientation or gender identity – that helped them win elected office in the first place. During my first two City Council campaigns, media outlets branded me the ‘lesbian candidate,’ focusing on my sexual orientation at the expense of covering my vision for the city. Two

losses were the result. Before my third campaign, I sat down with editors and explained their failure to report on my policy agenda despite regularly covering the issue positions of my opponents. The coverage changed, and so did the results. I won my next nine elections – three each for city council, city controller and mayor. With a constituent-focused agenda our people can win anywhere. Yet only 27 openly LGBTQ people are serving as mayor anywhere in the country. America needs more values-driven LGBTQ leaders who can advance equality and tackle the issues that matter to people’s lives. We need more LGBTQ people to run for office and be the change we want to see in America and the world. The first office held may not be as sexy as governor or as powerful as big city mayor – maybe it’s a neighborhood commission, school board or city council. But these positions are vital to improving the lives of people across the nation, and are the stepping-stones to positions in state legislatures, the governors’ mansions and the U.S. Senate. Are you ready to run? America and our community need you. ANNISE PARKER, former mayor of Houston, is president and CEO of LGBTQ Victory Institute, which trains LGBTQ leaders to run for office.

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GIANNI VERSACE on the runway in 1991.

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Vehemently Versace AIDS beneﬁt founder fondly recalls working with slain gay designer By KAREN OCAMB The family of murdered fashion designer Gianni Versace is not happy with gay producer Ryan Murphy’s latest endeavor, “American Crime Story: the Assassination of Gianni Versace,” a nine-episode anthology that premiered last week on FX. In particular, they are angry that the series suggests Versace was HIV-positive when he was murdered by gay hustler Andrew Cunanan on the steps of his South Miami Beach mansion on July 15, 1997. The family says that they had no involvement with the series and consider it a “work of ﬁction,” adding that Maureen Orth’s 452-page book upon which the series is based (“Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace and the Largest

Failed Manhunt in U.S. History”) ”is full of gossip and speculation” and “secondhand hearsay that is full of contradictions.” One example: “Orth makes assertions about Gianni Versace’s medical condition based on a person who claims he reviewed a post-mortem test result, but she admits it would have been illegal for the person to have reviewed the report in the ﬁrst place (if it existed at all),” the family says. “In making her lurid claims, she ignores contrary information provided by members of Mr. Versace’s family, who lived and worked closely with him and were in the best position to know the facts of his life.” Orth says she conducted 400

interviews, including with Miami Detective Paul Scrimshaw who told the Vanity Fair contributor that he reviewed Versace’s autopsy results. “I had to know whether Gianni Versace was HIV-positive or not, and I was able to find out from autopsy results that he had tested positive for HIV,” Scrimshaw told Orth. Orth writes that Versace kept his HIV status secret to not endanger a proposed public offering of stock in his fashion empire, estimated at $1.4 billion. Versace signed an agreement with Morgan Stanley to manage the initial offering in the United States on July 10, 1997. He was murdered five days later. “The consequences to his business would be

incalculable. Certainly the public offering would be jeopardized,” she writes. Murphy defended his series to Entertainment Weekly. “The Versace family has said it’s a work of fiction — it is not a work of fiction,” Murphy says, adding that the book, “has been discussed and dissected and vetted for close to 20 years.” Orth “is an impeccable reporter and we stand by her reporting. Our show is based on her reporting so, in that way, it is not a work of fiction, it’s a work of non-fiction obviously with docudrama elements. We’re not making a documentary.” CONTINUES ON PAGE 33

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Q U E E RY : 2 0 Q U E ST I O N S F O R MA X E RN ST

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com SHAED is a lifestyle for its three band members who are Max Ernst, his twin brother Spencer and Spencer’s girlfriend/fiancé, Chelsea Lee, the lead singer. They all live together in Silver Spring. They get up, work out in the morning, make music, go on walks. Chelsea cooks “amazing food,” Max says. They play cribbage and do their band stuff full time. “We have a daily schedule that we adhere to pretty diligently,” the Silver Spring native says. SHAED, formed in March 2016, is a soulful, electro-pop outfit known for Lee’s strong lead vocals. Max plays piano mainly but also bass, guitar and drums. He and Spencer both contribute backing vocals and co-produce. They have 10 tracks currently available — one six-song EP (“Just Wanna See”) and four other singles. But they’ve been writing and recording “a ton of new songs” that they plan to release in 2018. SHAED is headlining the D.C. Music Download Anniversary six-year show at Union Stage on Saturday, Jan. 27 at Union Stage (740 Water St., S.W.). Nag Champa, Fielder and OG Lullabies will also perform. Tickets are $16 for the 9 p.m. event (doors at 8). Details at ticketfly.com. Find out more about the band at shaedband.com. The Ernst twins formed their first band in second grade and have been making music together ever since. Max knew he was gay in middle school but found it tough to come out in his all-male Catholic school. “I was the lead singer of a pop/rock band at the time so being a gay lead singer with a mostly female fan base seemed out of the realm of possibility,” Max (he’s the one with the short hair) says. “As we started to evolve musically, the walls I had built up around me started to come down.” They spent about five months of last year on the road and did three national tours opening for Bishop Briggs, Marian Hill and Sir Sly and also a co-headlining tour on the East Coast. Max says they have strong hometown support in the D.C. area and have won fans by touring. Spotify, he says, has “been huge for us in exposing our music to people who would never have heard of us otherwise.” Max — look out — is single. He enjoys hiking, camping, playing charades, going to shows and museums, gin and tonics and watching nature documentaries in his free time.

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MAX ERNST How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell? Spencer was the ﬁrst person I came out to. I was 19, so this was about eight years ago. Telling him I was gay was one of the most intense, terrifying and liberating experiences I’ve ever had. He had no clue even though we had spent 99 percent of our lives together up until then. I don’t blame him for this though. No else really saw it coming. Getting that oﬀ my chest and his total acceptance from the second I told him was a huge step in our relationship. Who’s your LGBT hero? Marsha P Johnson, founding member of the Gay Liberation Front that formed after the Stonewall Riots. What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present? Tied between Nellie’s and Flash. Describe your dream wedding. Haven’t thought about this before. I would want a low-key wedding and I’d put all of the budget into hiring a dope funk band to play the reception. What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about? Developing renewable energies to combat climate change. What historical outcome would you change? The war on terrorism post 9-11. What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime? Watching Michael Sam make out with his boyfriend during the NFL draft. On what do you insist? That fresh oranges are readily available in the kitchen. What was your last Facebook post or Tweet? Promoting our show at the Union Stage on Saturday, Jan. 27.

If your life were a book, what would the title be? “The Time I Dreamt Trump was President” If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do? Find the potion and pour it into Mike Pence’s drink. What do you believe in beyond the physical world? I’m comfortable in not knowing but I do believe in karma. What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders? Listen to the youth. What would you walk across hot coals for? Trader Joe’s cookie butter ice cream. What LGBT stereotype annoys you most? The “all gay men are fem” stereotype because I ﬁnd a lot of gay men feel the need to clarify that they are “masc” or looking for “masc guys only.” That bothers me because it creates division in the gay community. What’s your favorite LGBT movie? “Moonlight” What’s the most overrated social custom? Handshakes. I prefer the “shug” — half handshake, half hug. What trophy or prize do you most covet?

None What do you wish you’d known at 18? To invest in Bitcoin. Why Washington? I travelled to almost every major city in the U.S. in 2017. D.C. is still my favorite city because of its diversity, art culture and the energy here.

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A RT S & CU LT U RE

This Week in the Arts provided by CultureCapital.com kennedy-center.org. Dublin Irish Dance: Stepping Out. Jan 27. GMU Center for the Arts. cfa.gmu.edu. Devi Dance Theater. Jan 27-Jan 28. Dance Place. danceplace.org. Grupo Corpo. Jan 31. The Clarice. theclarice.umd.edu.

MUSIC

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo Feb 2. GMU’s Center for the Arts. cfa.gmu.edu.

The world’s foremost all-male comic ballet company, aﬀectionately known as the “Trocks,” performs a full range of ballet and modern dance repertoire in faithful renditions as you’ve never seen it before.

The Way of the World Thru Feb 11. Folger Theatre. folger.edu.

In the lush and opulent land of the Hampton’s one percent, where money and status determine everything, can love conquer all? Freely adapted from Congreve’s classic play, The Way of the World is a sparklingly witty physical comedy illuminating the foibles of the upper-class.

Cosmic Designs Jan 27-28. National Philharmonic at Strathmore. nationalphilharmonic.org.

Journey through a stunning multimedia presentation featuring original NASA footage of our solar system, explore exhibits about the latest NASA discoveries and missions, and engage in conversation with Goddard scientists and engineers about their cutting-edge work.

Washington Dollar Days: Tour for a Buck Feb 1-28. Tudor Place Historic House and Garden. tudorplace.org.

Practice frugality our founding father would approve of: Pay just $1 per person for any regular tour in February, the month of George Washington’s birth. Highlights of the Washington Collection will be on display as part of all house tours. PHOTO COURTESY OF GMU’S CENTER FOR THE ARTS

THEATRE Eric DaSilva & Anthony Zenhauser. Feb 1. AMP. ampbystrathmore.com. On Your Feet! Thru Jan 28. The Humans. Thru Jan 28. Shear Madness. Jan 30-Jun 10. Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org. 4,380 Nights. Thru Feb 18. Signature Theatre. sigtheatre.org. The Wolves. Thru Mar 4. Studio Theatre. studiotheatre.org. Everything Is Illuminated. Thru Feb 4. Theater J. theaterj.org. Queens Girl in Africa. Thru Feb 4. Mosaic Theater Company. Atlas. mosaictheater.org.

Imogen. Thru Feb 11. Pointless Theatre. Dance Loft on 14. pointlesstheatre.com. Improv Wars. Jan 29-May 21. DC Arts Center (DCAC). dcartscenter.org. Jefferson’s Garden. Thru Feb 11. Ford’s Theatre. fords.org. La Foto (A Selfie Affair). Feb 1-Feb 25. GALA Hispanic Theatre. galatheatre.org. Unnecessary Farce. Thru Feb 10. Keegan Theatre. keegantheatre.com.

DANCE American Ballet Theatre. Jan 30-Feb 4. Kennedy Center.

Gina Sobel. Jan 31. Olivier Stankiewicz, oboe. Feb 1. Strathmore. strathmore.org. Nighthawks on the Blue Highway. Jan 27. AMP. ampbystrathmore.com. NSO: Eschenbach conducts Schumann & Brahms. Thru Jan 27. NSO: Rachmaninoﬀ’s Second Piano Concerto. Feb 1-3. Joel Ross Good Vibes. Jan 26. Kathleen Battle. Jan 28. Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org. All The Things You Are: Jerome Kern. Thru Feb 4. In Series. Atlas. inseries.org. The Birdland All-Stars Featuring Tommy Igoe. Jan 28. GMU Center for the Arts. cfa.gmu.edu. The Apollo Orchestra in concert with WNO Young Artists. Jan 28. The Apollo Orchestra. Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church. apolloorchestra.com. Duo Deloro: La Buena Vida. Jan 27. Dumbarton Concerts. Dumbarton United Methodist Church. Strange Fruit. Jan 29. Washington Jewish Music Festival. EDCJCC. wjmf.org. Revels Pub Sing at McGinty’s. Jan 28. Washington Revels. McGinty’s Public House. revelsdc.org. Sybarite5: Outliers. Jan 28. National Gallery of Art. nga.gov. Maxim Vengerov, violin. Jan 26. Washington Performing Arts. Strathmore. washingtonperformingarts.org. Aaron Tveit. Jan 26-Jan 27. International Guitar Night. Jan 31Feb 1. Wolf Trap. The Barns. wolftrap.org. Stefan Jackiw & Jeremy Denk with UMD School of Music Vocal Quartet. Feb 1. The Clarice. theclarice.umd.edu.

MUSEUMS Folger Shakespeare Library. Painting Shakespeare. Thru Feb 11. folger.edu. National Archives. Remembering Vietnam. Thru Jan 6. archivesfoundation.org. National Gallery of Art. Edvard Munch: Color in Context. Thru Jan 28. Outliers and American Vanguard Art. Jan 28-May 13. nga.gov.

National Geographic. Tomb of Christ. Thru Aug 15. nglive.org. National Museum of Women in the Arts. Hung Liu In Print. Thru Jul 8. nmwa.org. National Portrait Gallery. Portraits of the World: Switzerland. Thru Nov 12. Celebrating Fifty Years. Thru Jan 6. npg.si.edu. Woodrow Wilson House. The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay. Thru Feb 28. woodrowwilsonhouse.org. Anderson House. Studying the Art of War in Revolutionary America. Thru Mar 4. societyofthecincinnati.org. Dumbarton Oaks. Women in Art. Thru Mar 31. Collecting in Paris and London, 1912–1919. Thru Mar 31. doaks.org. Kreeger Museum. Against the Day by Richard Deutsch. Thru Jan 1. kreegermuseum.org. Library of Congress. Drawing Justice: The Art of Courtroom Illustration. Thru Jan 31. loc.gov.

GALLERIES Strathmore. Jordann Wine. Thru Mar 4. The 27th Annual Strathmore Juried Exhibition. Thru Mar 4. Jennifer Kahn Barlow. Thru Dec 1. strathmore.org. The Art League. Sally Canzoneri. Thru Feb 4. theartleague.org. Waverly Street Gallery. Leni Berliner. Thru Feb 3. waverlystreetgallery.com. Zenith Gallery. Gifts from the heART: That will Inspire for Life. Thru Jan 27. zenithgallery.com. District Architecture Center. The AIA|DC 2017 Awards Show. Thru Jan 26. aiadac.com. gallery neptune & brown. Michael Craig-Martin. Thru Mar 3. galleryneptunebrown.com. Goethe. Exhibition: German Jazz. Thru Jan 26. goethe.de. BlackRock. Fiber Art & Turned Wood. Thru Feb 24. Rhonda J. Smith. Thru Feb 24. blackrockcenter.org. DC Arts Center. What Feminism Looks Like. Thru Jan 28. dcartscenter.org. Glen Echo Park. Mary Belcher. Thru Feb 17. Cathy Abramson. Thru Feb 18. glenechopark.org. Hill Center. Charlie Visconage. Thru Feb 25. Stories told in Clay, Fiber, Textiles and Paints. Thru Feb 25. hillcenterdc.org.

AND MORE... Folger Theatre. Brews and Banter: The Way of the World. Jan 26. Folger Shakespeare Library. folger.edu. Signature Theatre. Q&A with 4,380 Nights Writer Annalisa Dias. Feb 1. Busboys & Poets in Shirlington. sigtheatre.org.

W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM

J A N U A RY 2 6 , 2 0 1 8 • 2 5

2016 Hillyer Place, NW Washington, DC 20009 | $2,250,000 Hillyer Place, the most coveted street in Dupont Circle. One block long and just one block to Connecticut Avenue, shops, restaurants, the Phillips Collection, the Metro and so much more. Originally a private road connecting the Hillyer estate (now the Cosmos Club) to Connecticut Ave, it was developed by Mr. Hillyer himself as luxury rental properties, available during the ball and social season in DC. One of it’s most frequent guests was Robert E Lee’s ‘spinster daughter’. Built in 1897, 2016 Hillyer underwent a complete transformation in 2005. Designed by renowned architect Gregg Mobius, the house was reconstructed into a contemporary masterpiece. Features include:

MAIN LEVEL • 12 foot ceilings. • Entry foyer with stone floors. • Living room with built ins, hook up for gas fireplace, bay window with custom blinds and wood floors. • Open steel and glass staircase with skylight. • Den with gas fireplace - wood and glass floor overlooking two-story kitchen/family room below, and wall of glass to private patio.

SECOND FLOOR

THIRD FLOOR

• Office/den with built-in desk, refrigerator, wet bar, additional cabinet storage, gas fireplace, glass wall and door to balcony.

• Master suite.

• Hall bath.

• Master bath with double vanities, dressing/make up table, gas fireplace, shower with glass door, and skylight.

• Guest suite with wall of closets, two large windows and door to Juliet balcony and bathroom with shower.

• Master bedroom with extensive closet space & hidden TV compartment.

• Skylight in central staircase emits lights through out all floors.

LOWER LEVEL • Den/gym/guest room with kitchenette, wall of mirrored closets, laundry room, and exit to outside. • Kitchen and dining area with fireplace, granite and stainless steel counters, Gaggenau gas cooktop and oven, Miele coffee/espresso maker and Subzero refrigerator. • Powder room. • Family room, 2 story wall of glass to patio. • Private yard features waterfall, stone patio and parking for one car.

OPEN SAT 1 TO 3PM & SUN 2 TO 4PM 4315 50th Street, NW Washington, DC 20016

202-552-5600

Nora Burke 202.494.1906 NBurke@McEnearney.com NoraBurke.com

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2 6 • J A NUA RY 2 6 , 2018

CA LE N D A R brunch and closing talk with Lex Allen. For more details and to register, visit creatingchange.org.

E-mail calendar items to calendars@washblade. com two weeks prior to your event. Space is limited so priority is given to LGBT-speciﬁc events or those with LGBT participants. Recurring events must be re-submitted each time.

MONDAY, JAN. 29 The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W..) hosts coﬀee drop-in hours this morning from 10 a.m.-noon for the senior LGBT community. Older LGBT adults can come and enjoy complimentary coﬀee and conversation with other community members. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

TODAY Vivid Solutions Gallery (2208 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., S.E.) presents “The Few … the Proud …”an exhibit from mixed media artist JoAnn Block, today through March 3. Block is known for incorporating queer history, sexuality and identity in her artwork. There will be an opening reception tonight from 6-9 p.m. For more details, visit anacostiaartscenter.com/ vivid-gallery. Living Room (1008 Vermont Ave., N.W.) hosts Otter Lounge Happy Hour, an LGBT happy hour, today from 5-10 p.m. DJ StrikeStone will play a combination of triphop, funk, deep disco, house, techno and more. Happy hour specials will include $5 beer and $6 Smirnoﬀ. No cover. For more information, search “Otter Lounge Happy Hour” on Facebook. Creating Change Conference presents multiple events at Marriott Wardman Park (2660 Woodley Rd., N.W.) today including a State of the Movement address at 1:30 p.m. with Task Force Executive Directior Rea Carey and Deputy Executive Director of the LGBTQ Task Force Kierra Johnson. There will also be a Creating Change Drag Show tonight from 9 p.m.-midnight. For detail and to register, visit creatingchange.org. Gamma D.C., a support group for men in mixed-orientation relationships, meets at 1772 Church St., N.W. today from 7:309:30 p.m. The group is for men who are attracted to men but are currently, or were at one point, in relationship with women. Meeting locations are in private residences. For more information about the group and location, visit gammaindc.org.

SATURDAY, JAN. 27 Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts CTRL: Slumbersexual, a sleep over-themed dance party, tonight from 10 p.m.-3:30 a.m. Guests are invited to wear their pajamas, nighties, onesies and other sleepwear. DJ Jeﬀ Prior and DJ Devon Trotter will spin tracks. Cove is $15 from 10-midnight and $12 after midnight. For more information, visit towndc.com. “RuPaul’s All Star’s” contestant Morgan McMichaels performs at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight at 10:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $15. Meet-and-greet tickets are $25 and include a meet and greet, photos with McMichaels and a premium seat. For details, visit towndc.com. JR.’s Bar (1519 17th St., N.W.) hosts Wig Night Out tonight from 9-11 p.m. The event will beneﬁt Whitman-Walker Health and the Point Foundation. Guests are asked to wear wigs and contribute a suggested $10 donation at the door. There

TUESDAY, JAN. 30

PHOTO COURTESY ARCH

‘Carol,’ a work by JOANN BLOCK from the current exhibit ‘The Few … the Proud …’ at Vivid Solutions Gallery.

will be a raﬄe with winners announced throughout the evening. For more details, visit facebook.com/wignightout. Creating Change hosts a MasQUEERade Youth Ball, for guests 24 and younger, at Marriott Wardman Park (2660 Woodley Rd., N.W.) at 9 p.m. There will also be a fashion show at 9 p.m. Boomers and Millennials Dance, a dance party for all ages, is also at 9 p.m. For more information and to register, visit creatingchange.org. Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.) hosts Jox, an underwear dance party, tonight from 9 p.m.-3 a.m. DJ David Merrill will spin tracks. Clothes check will be available. For more details, visit greenlanterndc.com. The Ivy Project hosts a LGBT party at Big Chief (2002 Fenwick St., N.E.) tonight from 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m. There will be games including ping pong tables, big Jenga, ﬂip cup and Connect 4. Drink specials run all night. DJ Electrox and DK Milko will play music. No cover. For more information, visit facebook.com/ ivyprojectdc.

Taqueria Del Barrio (821 Upshur St., N.W.) hosts a drag brunch today from noon-3 p.m. India Larelle Houston, Bombalicious Eklaver and Sylvanna Duvel will perform. Desiree Dik will host the brunch. Tickets are $25 and include entry to the show and one brunch entrée or three tacos and one brunch cocktail. For more details, visit facebook.com/ delbarriodc. Chorus, a monthly themed party, presents Glow Pop at Cobalt (1639 17th St., N.W.) tonight from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. Guests should wear glow apparel and blacklight reactive clothing. Neon blacklight/UV reactive paint will be provided. Kenneth Rivera will spin tracks. Tickets are $12 at the door. For more information, visit cobaltdc.com.

SUNDAY, JAN. 28 Creating Change closes out its ﬁnal day with an Interfaith Service at Marriott Wardman Park (2660 Woodley Rd., N.W.) today 9:30 a.m. and re-entry meditation at 10 a.m. At 11:30 a.m. there will be a

Docs in Progress presents a screening of “Queen of the Capital,” a documentary by Josh Davisburg, at the School of Media & Public Affairs at George Washington University (805 21st St., N.W.) tonight from 7-9:30 p.m. The documentary follows Muffy Blake Stephyns and her everyday persona Daniel, as they navigate the drag and non-drag worlds and try to become Queen of the Imperial Court of Washington. The screening is part of the Work-in-Progress series which screens unfinished documentaries. Admission is a suggested $10 donation or pay-what-youcan. For more information, visit facebook. com/docsinprogress. Queer Women Working Through Trauma, a support group, meets today at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) today from 6-7 p.m. The group helps individuals process trauma by learning therapy techniques and behavioral processing activities such as art, deep breathing, stretching and meditation. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 31 JR.’s Bar (1519 17th St., N.W.) hosts “Jokers at JR’S Presents: the Roast of Jeremy Harper,” a charity roast, tonight from 8:30-10 p.m. Dave Johnston hosts the event which will feature people roasting Harper to raise money for his chosen charity, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Dito E. Sevilla will be the guest bartender. For more information, visit facebook.com/jrsbardc. The Lambda Bridge Club meets at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) for duplicate bridge. No reservations required and new comers welcome. If you need a partner, call 703407-6540.

THURSDAY, FEB. 1 Queer4Cars, a LGBT group for car lovers, hosts a LGBT family night to the Washington Auto Show at Walter E. Washington Convention Center (901 Mount Vernon Pl., N.W.) today from 5-9 p.m. Adult tickets are $12, children six12 years old are $5 and children ﬁve and under are free. For more details, visit facebook.com/lgbt4cars.

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T H E A TER

J A N U A R Y 26, 2018 • 27

PHOTO BY THERESA WOOD; COURTESY STUDIO THEATRE

The cast of ‘The Wolves.’

Tender ‘Wolves’? Coming-of-age dramedy captures authentic teen dialogue By PATRICK FOLLIARD Sarah DeLappe’s “The Wolves,” now at Studio Theatre, unfolds over a winter season of girls’ indoor soccer. Each Saturday before the game, the team’s 16- and 17-year-old players warmup on the field’s edge. During this time, they talk about everything from the Khmer Rouge to boys to tampons. Nothing is left off the table. Director Marti Lyon’s delightful and impeccably staged production is Studio’s contribution to the Washington region’s Women’s Voices Theater Festival. The play unfolds on the soccer field, a large rectangle of bright green indoor turf lit by tubes of fluorescent light compliments of set designer Debra Booth. Here is where Delappe’s overlapping dialogue is delivered naturally as the players stretch, perform demanding drills and pass soccer balls in a series of scenes punctuated by abrupt blackouts. What initially seems entertaining but insignificant snowballs into a compelling story. Eight of the nine team members, who are known by the numbers on their jerseys, have been playing together since middle school. Each player’s place on and off the field is firmly established: There’s bright no. 11 (Lindsley Howard), foulmouthed no. 7 (Katie Kleiger), wisecracking no. 13 (Sara Turner), babyish no. 8 (Shanta Parasuraman), nononsense no. 25 (Chrissy Rose); reluctant follower no. 14 (Maryn Shaw), do-gooder bulimic no. 2 (Merissa Czyz) and the overachieving, anxiety ridden goalie no. 00 (Gabby Beans). But the new girl’s status remains to be pegged. Among the middle class American girls, no. 46 (Jane Bernhard) is a rara avis. She’s home schooled, lives in a yurt, uses public transportation, doesn’t shave her legs and calls the sport “football.” Also, it’s her very first time playing organized soccer; she claims to have simply picked up the game while exploring the world

with her travel writer mother. Despite language barriers, kicking a soccer ball around has been a reliably good way to make friends, she says. Initially the other girls are suspicious and standoffish, but then no. 46 proves an impressive striker and the only team member who can score a goal with a bicycle kick. Her rise in the athletic ranks makes for trouble among the girls and upsets the team’s long-established rhythm and order. Lyons has assembled a talented squad of 20-something actors to play the team’s emotional and partly hormone-fueled members. They demonstrate both acting prowess and varying degrees of soccer skills. Bernhard’s no. 46 notably juggles a soccer ball with her feet while singing a longish rhyme about her imperviousness I love wandering through to verbal bullying. The cast’s 10th woman Smithsonian museums, eating is Studio veteran Anne Bowles as a on H Street with friends, and going distressed soccer mom. to shows at Howard Theatre. If you suspect that 90 minutes of teen talk might be tedious, you’d be wrong. In addition to giving an accurate glimpse into team sports complete with injuries and rivalries, DeLappe serves up high school juniors who are nuanced and real; there’s nothing trite about them. And revelations, including a rumored abortion and a budding lesbian romance between team caption no. 22 and a much-spokenabout nonconformist who notoriously Please treat me the way any licked the microphone at an open-mic would want toSALES be treated: PROOF # ISSUEwoman DATE REPRESENTATIVE night, never feel forced. with courtesy and respect. In 2014, DeLappe (then just 23) wrote REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Proofbased will be on considered nal and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of Discrimination genderfiidentity and “The Wolves” in a jaw-dropping three the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts REVISIONS expression is illegal in the District of Columbia. omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is weeks. Fast-forward fourREDESIGN years and responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users If you can think the target of Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or linkyou’ve throughbeen the advertisement. REVISIONS any rgihts of thirdwww.ohr.dc.gov parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any the play is a Pulitzer PrizeTEXT finalist and discrimination, visit copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS or callcompetition, (202) 727-4559. defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, Broadway hit. Perhaps it’s or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the NObecause REVISIONS of washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all the playwright’s youth that the dialogue liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertiser’s breach of any of the foregoing representations and warranties. rings so true. She’s created characters that are authentic and memorable. GLBT AFFAIRS Often sensitive and unsure as they move toward adulthood, they are always warriors on the field.

“

I’m a transgender woman and I’m part of DC.

OFFICE OF

‘THE WOLVES’ Through March 6 Studio Theatre 1501 14th St., N.W. $20-106 202-332-3300 Studiotheatre.org

Show your support! Spread word of the #TransRespect campaign by photographing this ad and sharing on Twitter.

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O U T & A BO U T

Pride theme unveiled Feb. 1

Capital Pride hosts its Pride Reveal 2018 at SAX Restaurant & Lounge (734 11th St., N.W.) on Thursday, Feb. 1 from 7-10 p.m. The Pride 2018 theme will be announced. Capital Pride partners, advocates and donors will also be recognized. Guests will receive the ﬁrst oﬃcial Pride 2018 shirts. Early bird tickets are $30. General admission tickets are $40. Tickets are $50 at the door. For more details, visit facebook.com/ capitalpridedc.

By MARIAH COOPER

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

PHOTO COURTESY TEAM RAYCEEN

Rayceen hosts women’s mixer

PHOTO BY PAUL KOLNIK; COURTESY KENNEDY CENTER

QREW party to feature DJ KB

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater presents IVY Culture Night at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) Feb. 5-11. On Monday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m., the dance company holds a master class for all skill levels led by company members of the Alvin American Dance Theater. On Tuesday, Feb. 6 through Sunday. Feb. 11, Alvin Ailey will perform “Revelations,” a story about African-American faith from slavery to freedom told through a series of dances. The show will also feature performances of “The Golden Section”from Tony Award-winner Twyla Tharp and “Members Don’t Get Weary” from Alvin Ailey alum Jamar Roberts. Tickets range from $49-149. For a complete list of showtimes, visit kennedy-center.org.

FREE! going fa

st.

THE BERNSTEIN STORY

Jamie Bernstein, narrator United States Air Force Band Colonel Larry H. Lang, commander and conductor

SUN, FEB 18, 4pm • STRATHMORE

Bernstein’s daughter, Jamie, leads a loving and invigorating celebration of her father’s life and work through personal anecdotes and live music.

The QREW hosts its first party of 2018 at Songbyrd Music House & Record Cafe (2475 18th St., N.W.) on Friday, Feb. 2 from 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Baltimore-based DJ KB will spin tracks for the first time at QREW. There will be free swag, giveaways and photo booths. The first 60 guests will receive free admission. Cover is $5. For more information, visit facebook. com/qrewdc.

Photo: Paul de Hueck, courtesy the Leonard Bernstein Office, Inc.

Ailey dance troupe returns to Kennedy Center

Tickets

Team Rayceen hosts “Rayceen, Fix Me Up,” a single women’s mixer, at Shaw Library (1630 7th St., N.W.) on Thursday, Feb. 1 from 6-8 p.m. Rayceen Pendarvis will host the night of ice breaker games and more. Attendees will meet in the meeting room on the lower level of the library. Admission is free. Guests who arrive by 6:30 p.m. will receive a free raﬄe ticket. For more details, visit facebook.com/ teamrayceen.

TICKETS: WashingtonPerformingArts.org

(202) 785-9727

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A D V I CE

J A N U A R Y 26, 2018 • 29

Size complex Non-endowed gay guy feels lonely, doomed

MICHAEL RADKOWSKY, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist who works with gay individuals and couples in D.C. He can be found online at personalgrowthzone.com. All identifying information has been changed for reasons of conﬁdentiality. Have a question? Send it to michaelradkowsky.com

DEAR MICHAEL, I am a 22-year-old gay man, feeling hopeless about finding a hookup, a date or a boyfriend because I have a really small dick. Every time I’m going to have sex with a new guy, I get anxious that he will make a face, say something negative or otherwise convey his disappointment. This has happened to me a lot since I came out two years ago. As a result, I haven’t wanted to hook up with or go on dates with anyone lately. I’m scared that I’m just setting myself up for ridicule. It doesn’t help that when my friends talk about their best sexual experiences, they are always saying how big the guy is. And laughing when they have had the “misfortune” (one of my friends actually said this) of being with a guy who is small. While I know I’m coming across as a whiner, I am not someone who always laments about his problems. I’ve always been an upbeat guy with a positive viewpoint and excited about life. But since I came out, I keep getting the message that I am not what other guys want because I am not well endowed. I know I can’t change my penis size. So I’m pessimistic about finding someone who wants to be with me. Even watching porn reminds me that large dicks are glorified in gay culture and small guys like me aren’t desirable. I’m hoping you can give me another way to see this. But please don’t tell me that I have to start loving myself. That’s not going to make guys want to sleep with me. MICHAEL REPLIES: I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I am

going to tell you that you have to start loving yourself. As long as your focus is on what you think is wrong with you and how no one is going to be attracted to you, your thinking will be a self-fulﬁlling prophecy. If you don’t believe that you have worth and appeal, that will be the vibe you project and no one will be drawn to you. I’m concerned that if you give in to your anxiety and withdraw from the world of sex and dating, then your negative feelings will spiral downward. And if you isolate yourself, you will deﬁnitely be alone. Right now, you’re in a similar boat to guys who have trouble getting or maintaining an erection during sex. The more we focus on the times that we have lost our erection, the greater our anxiety about getting an erection in the future, increasing the likelihood that this will happen. In your case, the more you focus on how men have rejected you, the more you raise your anxiety and psych yourself out over how no one wants to be with you. The upshot: you believe you can’t succeed and withdraw from the possibility of connection. You have a small penis. O.K. And lots of guys prefer big penises. But that doesn’t have to mean you’re out of luck. You’re far from the only guy who isn’t well endowed and everyone who has a small penis isn’t alone in life. Here’s the thing: Not all men are looking for the same sort of sexual partner or the same sort of sex. So far, you’ve evidently managed to bed (and befriend) mainly guys who are seeking clichés of hotness, for whom sex is about surface physical attraction. But that’s not the only kind of guy out there and sex can also include emotional connection, appreciation of all sorts of a partner’s attributes and attraction to more than penis size. You really need to broaden your search. You would also be wise to work at valuing your qualities as a sexual being, potential romantic partner and man. Are you thoughtful? Do you have a sense of humor? Are you creative, including sexually? Can you think beyond your penis to all the ways you could possibly give pleasure, get pleasure and connect to another person? Your penis is just one tool. That said, please strive not to disparage your penis because it is smaller than you would like. How about striving instead to appreciate the pleasure that you do get from it and can give with it, no matter its size?

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3 0 • J A N UA RY 2 6 , 2018

SP O RT I N ’ I N D . C.

PHOTO LEFT COURTESY AYALA; MIDDLE PHOTO BY DENIS LARGERON; PHOTO THREE COURTESY MANOR PHOTOGRAPHY

MIGUEL AYALA in his various guises.

Leather, drag enthusiast finds community in D.C. Miguel Ayala finds connections if ‘you dig deeper’ By KEVIN MAJOROS Trying to figure out where you belong in the LGBT community can be an intimidating process. The transient nature of Washington means there is a revolving door of new people moving to the District on a regular basis. It’s possible that newcomers were tied to an LGBT community in their prior location, but moving to a new city is an opportunity to explore new options. It might be a chance to find their inner athlete, try a harness on for the first time or imagine the thought of getting up on stage in drag. Providence, proximity or common purpose can lead anyone to something new, but it could also be as simple as just leaving fears behind and taking that step forward. Miguel Ayala has found a place in multiple LGBT communities and there were varied reasons for him joining each of them. “A lot of people think there is no crossover in the LGBT communities, but if you dig deeper you are going to find the connections,” Ayala says. “People are exploring what makes them tick and to accomplish that, they are looking in several places.”

Ayala grew up in Chicago and that ﬁrst step forward happened for him when he was browsing curriculum as a high school freshman and he noticed that there was English and African-American literature, but nothing for the Latino community. “That really got my wheels turning,” Ayala says. “I thought there should be parity and I got involved in trying to change the curriculum.” He served on student council and the city-wide Chicago school board along with starting the LGBT Student Pride Club. His political path continued at DePaul University where he served as a resident assistant and his fraternity chapter president along with being a member of the Pride Club and multicultural Greek council. During his undergrad years he spent a summer as an intern with congressman Luis Gutierrez and after graduation, he moved to the District in 2002. For 14 years he worked as a federal employee, mostly on Capitol Hill. After volunteering with the Obama campaign, he left his job in 2016 to join the Clinton campaign as communications director for the State of Nevada. He is now self-employed as an independent contractor. “When I ﬁrst came to D.C., I thought I would do my graduate work at one of the universities here,” Ayala says. “I ended up with the political bug and was lured in by the Capitol dome.” Finding his LGBT community in the

District evolved into finding multiple communities. The only sports he played growing up were neighborhood games of basketball and football. Hoping to embrace a more fit and healthy lifestyle, he started going to pick-up basketball games with the D.C. Sentinels and eventually joined their league along with Stonewall Kickball and the D.C. Front Runners. He ended up running several half marathons including the race at the Cleveland Gay Games. His first full marathon was completed at the Marine Corps Marathon. Since 2013, he has been a board member of Team D.C., the information clearinghouse for LGBT sports. “Joining the sports community was an opportunity to build friendships not tied to going to bars,” Ayala says. “It was eyeopening that there was this whole LGBT community dedicated to sports in D.C. and even beyond through tournaments. I am building connections all around the country.” Another community was a curiosity, but the stereotype of masculinity meant dealing with a structure where he might not be accepted. He popped into the International Mister Leather conference in Chicago and ran out the door. When the D.C. Eagle was on New York Avenue, he moved nearby and wanted to check out his neighborhood bar. He met Kyle Collins and it was a launchpad to finding other ways to get involved with

the leather community. He ran for the Mr. D.C. Eagle title and became one of the co-founders of D.C. Leather Pride. “The leather community has allowed me to embrace my sexuality and to appreciate that there are different people who like different things,” Ayala says. “I didn’t understand that until I was part of the community. I have found another family that reaches across the country.” Dressing as a woman for Halloween in high school might not count as drag, but Ayala recognized that there is a thriving drag community. When he found out that the Miss Adams Morgan Pageant was supporting nonprofits, he put his energy into having some fun. Enter Moka Loka Latte. As a member of the Dupont Social Club, he has competed three times at Miss Adams Morgan. Next month he will be performing at Valentine’s Day is a Drag to benefit SMYAL. “Performing in drag without making a living out of it, allows me to do something for our community through fundraising,” Ayala says. “It is fun and it has an impact.” The commonality in all of Ayala’s endeavors is “found family” and community. It reaches far beyond the D.C. metro area. “I choose to be a part of all of these communities because I like to see their impact on our entire community,” Ayala says. “Their effect goes well beyond D.C. and creates national communities.”

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Cher, Elizabeth Taylor recalled Versace fondly CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

But both the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times book reviewers reported that Orth was wrong about Versace’s HIV status. In an April 11, 1999 review for the New York Times, then-Washington correspondent Frank Bruni writes that “the breadth and thoroughness of Orth’s research are often staggering,” but “Orth often loses her footing.” “When Cunanan was found on a houseboat there, dead from a gunshot to his head, just eight days after Versace’s murder, the case was pretty much closed. An autopsy showed that Cunanan had not contracted HIV, disproving some speculation about what triggered his spree,” Bruni writes. In her March 24, 1999 column, the L.A. Times senior fashion writer Valli HermanCohen notes that Orth is a fourthgeneration Californian married to ‘Meet the Press’ moderator Tim Russert. “Her book claims that Versace was HIV positive, which the Versace family has repeatedly denied. During the manhunt, police were testing a theory that Cunanan killed Versace in revenge for transmitting AIDS to him. … But as it turned out, according to the medical examiner, Cunanan was HIV negative. Apparently rumors had circulated in South Beach that Versace had AIDS when he appeared gaunt, weak and emaciated in 1995. A Versace associate told Orth that by the end of that year, the designer “could barely walk half a block.” But his health improved six months before his murder, Orth writes, because he was taking the miracle new AIDS medication. “My time with Gianni which was well over a year,” Michael Anketell tells the Los Angeles Blade. Anketell founded the California Fashion Industry Friends of People Living with AIDS benefit that honored Versace in 1991 at the Century Plaza Hotel. “I saw him with great stamina when in the throes of his work, but when I visited him in Milano he seemed quite tired and frail. Just my observation. We had great talks about L.A. and my coming of age in La La Land. He was fascinated by the famous people I had come to know and how serendipitous life can be.” Anketell and a steering committee launched the fashion show fundraisers in 1987 to benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles. Even though designer Perry Ellis had died of AIDS, it was hard to get people to turn out. With a few exceptions such as Elizabeth Taylor and Bette Midler, “Hollywood was as squeamish about the whole issue of AIDS as was the rest of the country,” Anketell writes in his book “Heavenly Bodies: Remembering Hollywood and Fashion’s Favorite AIDS Benefit.” “Finally, because fashion and entertainment are so integrally part of people’s lives, it can also be easy to forget that, first and foremost, they are

APLA CEO STEVE BENNETT, actress/model KELLY LeBROCK, actor STEVEN SEGAL, Versace Boutique owner CAROLYN MAHBOUBI and fashion show founder/producer MICHAEL ANKETELL at the Gianni Versace gala at Century Plaza Hotel in 1991. PHOTO COURTESY MICHAEL ANKETELL

industries and, like businesses, do not want to be associated with any issue that might offend any segment of their potential customer base.” The Versace show was the fifth benefit for APLA and by 1991, Hollywood had stepped up. But this was the “first fullblown retrospective of his career,” Anketell says. “It was a big deal. People flew in from all over the world” to honor the designer who dressed and was close friends with Princess Diana, Elton John, Cher, George Michael and created that famous red jacket Michael Jackson wore in “Thriller.” Since this was to benefit people with HIV/AIDS, the designers were responsible for 50 percent of the budget and the whole look of the show. Versace’s team designed the entire ballroom, flying in a backdrop from the La Scala opera house that looked like an Italian garden, using Versace fabric for tablecloths and lampshades. Elizabeth Taylor dropped by during rehearsals and walked out with an armful of clothes, Anketell says. “Gianni’s brother Santo told me not to worry about money. They would pay for everything,” he says. That included flying in the Fab Five top supermodels — Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista and Claudia Schiffer, all of whom donated their time. There were hitches, of course. When it was announced that Versace would be the honoree, Cher’s manager called Anketell to say she wanted to be a presenter. However Cher had stiffed Anketell in 1989 in the show honoring Bob Mackie. Though there was a whole segment devoted to the singer’s Mackie outfits, Cher failed to show up until the middle of the benefit when she came in a motorcycle jacket and torn jeans to underscore a tiff. Anketell nervously agreed to have Cher present Versace at the tribute. “We were getting ready for her to go out and she caught a glimpse of herself

in the mirror and she thought she looked fat. She refused to go out,” he says. Anketell quickly resorted to plan B, made his way through his bodyguards to get to Sylvester Stallone and asked him to introduce his close friend Versace. But by the time they got backstage, Cher changed her mind and decided to go on after all.

“They got into a tiff, she pushed him and he fell over. He isn’t a tall man and he wore lifts,” Anketell says. But he got up, brushed himself off, cast aside the remarks prepared for Cher and winged it. “Gianni was like a brother to him — this Italian brotherhood,” Anketell says. “To hear Stallone talk from his heart, he always plays the macho man and here he was at an AIDS benefit introducing one of his closest friends. It was quite moving.” “Gianni could never understand why we chose him to be honored instead of Armani,” Anketell says. “It was because of his grace and how open he was about being gay.” Anketell says he was devastated to hear about Versace’s murder. “I can’t explain how much grief I felt. I worked with Gianni for over a year on the show. I was a guest in his house,” says Anketell, who is now battling cancer. “And when someone you know dies so unexpectedly — this unpreparedness washes over you. I couldn’t talk for a couple of days. It was just such a shock.” “Young people don’t understand what it was like for us during those days” Anketell says. He hopes Ryan Murphy’s series will get people interested in the Gianni Versace he knew.

Versace docudrama compelling, well-acted By JOHN PAUL KING “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” made its much-anticipated premiere on Jan. 17 (on FX), and promises to deliver the same kind of savvy and cinematic style that elevated last season’s topic of the O.J. Simpson trial above the level of a lurid potboiler and prevented it from being an exploitative rehash of a story most of us already knew all too well. The murder of fashion giant Versace on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion in 1997 came as a shocking twist at the end of a news story that had already been unfolding for weeks. In April, Andrew Cunanan, a 27-year old San Diego resident, had begun a cross-country killing spree that started with the beating death of an acquaintance and claimed the lives of at least three more people before climaxing in the shooting of Versace on July 15. With the first installment of “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” producer Ryan Murphy and writer Tom Rob Smith waste no time in addressing that question. After an elegantly orchestrated opening sequence depicting the events of that July morning, in which the activities of both Versace and Cunanan are intercut until they come together for their fatal meeting, the show immediately begins to explore a subtle but pervasive homophobic slant. The first episode culminated with the arrival of Donatella Versace (played with imperious splendor by a spectacularly blond-wigged Penelope Cruz), who swoops in to protect the family business by clamping down on the way her dearly departed brother’s image is depicted in the media. Though it’s never explicitly stated, it’s clear that public perception of his sexuality — which was an “open secret” during his life — is central to her concerns. Despite solid acting and amazing period detail, what makes the show worth watching is that it fearlessly explores the deeper issue behind the investigation — homophobia, much like the exploration of racism that fueled the first season of the show dedicated to the Simpson case. It will be interesting to see how Murphy and company further explore this thread in upcoming episodes.

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We believe that to create an exceptional community of culture it takes all kinds.

The Ingleside communities are proud. We are proud to be advocates for an entire new generation of diversity. We are proud of our great history and heritage of serving Washington DC area seniors for generations. We are proud of our legacy of promoting a culture of inclusion that provides extraordinary service and exceptional care. We’re Ingleside proud! Visit us today and discover what Engaged Living can mean to you.

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A holistic approach to retirement living Addressing the six dimensions of wellness By MONIQUE ELIEZER The retirement landscape is evolving to keep up with the needs and expectations of today’s retirees. It is important to provide opportunities for seniors to remain as active as possible and maintain the social connections and intellectual stimulation that are so vital to well-being and happiness. It is a holistic approach to retirement based on the Six Dimensions of Wellness, a model of total wellness that we embrace at Ingleside. The Six Dimensions of Wellness is a concept first developed by Dr. Bill Hettler, co-founder of the National Wellness Institute. According to his model, achieving wellness is about finding balance in six key areas including Emotional, Occupational, Intellectual, Physical, Social and Spiritual wellness. Together, they form a comprehensive model of wellness that is positive and affirming, encompassing your lifestyle, physical, mental and spiritual well-being, and interactions with others and your environment. Physical. It is important to understand and practice the habits and lifestyle that lead to good health: regular physical activity and a focus on diet and nutrition.

Ingleside provides engaging senior living opportunities in the D.C. area.

Social. This speaks not just to our families and friendships, but also to our interdependence with other people in our retirement communities. Emotional. Being part of a positive environment that emphasizes respect for every individual throughout the life span can be a factor in emotional wellness. Intellectual. As we grow older, we still need to solve problems, continue to learn, process information and live creatively. Intellectual wellness comes from

lifelong learning and exposure to new ideas, expanding our knowledge and skills and sharing them with others to keep our minds sharp. Occupational. After retirement, many people continue to work in some way in their chosen professions, while others ﬁnd new meaning and purpose with new careers. Many ﬁnd the same kind of personal satisfaction and enrichment in volunteer work that is personally meaningful and rewarding and that also contributes

to their community. Spiritual. Spirituality takes many forms, whether it means participating in an organized religious group, finding solace in nature or exploring spiritual concepts in discussions with others. Spiritual wellness is embracing core values that guide you, examining your beliefs and actively practicing those values and beliefs. This holistic model of wellness is the driving force behind our upcoming state-ofthe-art Centers For Healthy Living and reflects our ongoing commitment to provide seniors with the resources to achieve and maintain an integrated and engaged life. The Centers will provide a multitude of opportunities for social interaction; promote intellectual growth through cultural experiences, classes and lectures; encourage the pursuit of old and new activities and passions that provide vocational fulfillment; foster spiritual inquiry; and create a positive environment that emphasizes respect for and dignity of everyone.

MONIQUE ELIEZER (MEliezer@Inglesideonline. org) is Chief Oﬃcer of Sales, Marketing, and Strategy for Ingleside. Ingleside is a premier provider of engaging senior living opportunities in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. For more than a century, Ingleside’s progressive programs and services have led the way by creating diverse and exceptional experiences for seniors.

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