Washingtonblade.com, Volume 49, Issue 20, May 18, 2018

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

Baldwin facing vicious attacks in re-election bid Movingly ‘comes out’ about her late mother’s opioid addiction

By KAREN OCAMB “I had a lovely visit to Northern California.

It’s sunny and it was a welcome weekend away from the mess that is Washington, D.C. right now,” says out Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, casually tossing off the understatement of the year.

Baldwin was in San Francisco on May 12 accepting Equality California’s Equality Leadership Award as the nation’s capital was roiled in yet another controversy.

The White House aide Kelly Sadler refuses to publicly apologize for her comment about Republican Sen. John McCain, a Vietnam War hero who endured years of

Sen. TAMMY BALDWIN at the Equality California Awards in San Francisco on May 12.

torture as a POW. McCain, who is fighting brain cancer, opposes the confirmation of Gina Haspel—who oversaw an “enhanced interrogation” program—as CIA director.

Sadler said McCain’s opinion didn’t matter because “he’s dying anyway.”

Baldwin didn’t want to weigh in on the controversy, but noted that she and McCain have partnered on three major bills, including one to reduce prescription drug prices and another “to confront the high rate of veteran suicides, focusing on the intersection with the opioid epidemic.

“I sometimes agree and sometimes disagree with John McCain but I feel that he has been such a fierce and independent member of the United States Senate and where I have had an opportunity to partner with him on important efforts, it has been

PHOTO BY CHRIS SCHMITT PHOTOGRAPHY

CONTINUES ON PAGE 16

WHAT’S NEW IN REHOBOTH

MEET OWNERS OF DIEGO’S HIDEAWAY

WHAT TO READ ON POODLE BEACH

DELAWARE REAL ESTATE TRENDS

BLADE FOUNDATION DEBUTS DEL. REPORTER

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

04 • MAY 18, 2018

LO CA L N E W S

Blade Foundation launches journalism fellowship in Delaware The Washington Blade Foundation announced this week the launch of a new journalism fellowship focused on LGBTQ issues in Delaware.

The fellowship is named in honor of Steve Elkins, a journalist and co-founder of the CAMP Rehoboth LGBT community center, who passed away in March. Elkins served as editor of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth for many years as well as executive director of the center.

The fellow will cover issues of interest to the LGBTQ community of Delaware for 12 weeks during the summer months.

Stories will include coverage of legislative and political issues out of Dover; LGBTQ business issues in Wilmington; the summer BLAKE CHAMBERS will serve as the first beach season in Rehoboth and more.

Blade Foundation Steve Elkins Memorial Stories will be published in the Washington Journalism Fellow.

Blade online and print editions. Funding for PHOTO COURTESY CHAMBERS this project comes from the Washington Blade Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit.

The fellowship was awarded to Blake Chambers, a Dover resident and 2017 graduate of the University of Delaware who is pursuing a career in journalism. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and journalism and starts the position on May 21.

“We’re excited to launch our first journalism fellowship,” said Blade editor Kevin Naff, who also serves as executive director of the Blade Foundation. “Steve Elkins was a longtime friend of the Blade and as a fellow journalist, I think this is a fitting tribute to his legacy. Delaware’s LGBTQ residents will benefit from this focus on their community’s concerns. Blake will do a terrific job.”

Chambers can be reached at bchambers@washblade.com from May 21-Aug. 12.

“I am very honored to work with the Washington Blade Foundation this summer,” Chambers said. “I am looking forward to this amazing opportunity, and I am very proud to be a Blade Foundation fellow.”

STAFF REPORTS

Hogan signs bill banning conversion therapy for minors Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday signed into a law a bill that bans so-called “conversion therapy” for minors in the state.

State Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery County) introduced Senate Bill 1028, which received final approval in the Maryland House of Delegates last month. State Del. Meagan Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel County) in a speech she gave before the vote came out as bisexual and disclosed her parents — including state Sen. Bryan Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel County) — recommended Maryland Gov. LARRY HOGAN on May 15 signed a bill that bans that she undergo conversion therapy. so-called conversion therapy for State Del. Bonnie Cullison (D-Montgomery minors.

County) sponsored SB 1028 in the House.

PHOTO BY MARYLAND GOVPICS; COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Maryland joins D.C., Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington that ban conversion therapy for minors.

Lawmakers in Hawaii and New Hampshire recently passed similar bills that are awaiting signature from their state’s respective governors. The California Assembly last month approved a bill that would classify conversion therapy as a fraudulent business practice in the state.

Hogan is running for re-election. Madaleno is among the Democrats who are challenging him.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

SANDRA BERNHARD performs on June 8 in D.C. PHOTO COURTESY OF SANDRA BERNHARD

Sandra Bernhard coming to D.C. for Pride performance Sandra Bernhard, the popular comedian and entertainer, will perform during Pride week in D.C. on Friday, June 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Shakespeare Theatre Co., the Washington Blade announced today.

The performance marks the Blade’s third annual Pride Comedy Show. Tickets are on sale now and available at shakespearetheatre.org.

Bernhard is a pioneer of the one-woman show and brings a unique and raucous mix of cabaret, stand-up, rock-n-roll, and social commentary to the stage. She has starred in Broadway shows and films and her TV credits include “Roseanne,” “Two Broke Girls,” “Will & Grace,” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” among others.

“We’re excited to welcome Sandra to help celebrate Pride week,” said Blade Publisher Lynne Brown. “We could all use a laugh right now in Washington and Sandra will deliver.”

The Blade launched the annual Pride Comedy Show in 2016 with two soldout shows by Leslie Jordan; last year’s sold-out performance featured comedian Kate Clinton.

STAFF REPORTS

Rehoboth realty acquires Bethany company Longtime gay Rehoboth Beach Realtor and entrepreneur Joe Maggio announced earlier this year the acquisition of a Bethany Beach real estate company.

Joe Maggio Realty, which has an office in Rehoboth Beach, purchased Connor Jacobsen Realty, along with Realtor Mike Moreland, in March.

The Bethany firm has been in business since the 1940s and is the oldest real estate agency in Bethany Beach, according to a report in Coastal Point, a news service in the region.

Maggio told Coastal Point that the acquisition was “a very natural and complementary fit to our boutique business model,” and that he plans to add, “online booking, deposit insurance and credit acceptance to enhance the tenant and landlord experience.”

For more information, visit Joe Maggio Realty at maggiorealty.com or call the Bethany Beach office at 302-539-5500 or the Rehoboth Beach office at 302-226-3772.

STAFF REPORTS

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LO CA L N E W S

Perruzza unveils Pitchers plans JR.’s fixture eyes Adams Morgan space for new bar

BLADE: How hard has it been to get all this rolling?

PERRUZZA: Not hard it at all. It was kind of easy. Once I have my mind put to something, I like to do it.

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com Longtime JR.’s manager Dave Perruzza announced last week he plans to have a new gay sports bar Pitchers open by early June.

He’s signed a 10-year lease for the roughly 10,000-square-foot building at 2317 18th St., N.W. where Spaghetti Garden, which closed May 8, was located. He spoke to the Blade last week to offer details.

WASHINGTON BLADE: So this will be a gay sports bar and restaurant but there’s a lesbian component to it as well?

DAVE PERRUZZA: Yes, but not all right away. We’re going to be opening it in two cycles because it’s so big, it’s a lot to take on all at once. We’ll have the restaurant portion and the outside patio spaces hopefully by Pride, tentatively, then I’m hoping to start the lesbian bar mid-July.

Hopefully it will be open by my birthday (July 24). I’m consulting with some folks and working on signage and I want to make sure I do it right. I need to talk to

Longtime D.C. nightlife guru DAVE PERRUZZA says he’ll eschew theme nights at his new business.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

some lesbians and find out what they want. I have the gay side down pretty well, even though sometimes my friends say I’m more of a lesbian than a gay man, but you know (laughs).

BLADE: So there are four other bars besides the lesbian one. What will they all be?

PERRUZZA: They’ll all be part of the sports bar. That’ll be the first part open.

The first three floors open will all be

restaurant.

BLADE: How long has this been in the works?

PERRUZZA: A month and a half. It happened very fast. It was like, “I love it, I want it, I went for it.” We have a 10-year lease.

BLADE: Were you restless at JR.’s?

PERRUZZA: It was just time for me to go after 20 years. It was a good run but I wanted to do something that was all mine.

BLADE: How did you come up with the name?

PERRUZZA: It had just been in my head a while, probably a couple years, that I want to have a sports bar and call it Pitchers. The lesbian bar will be called A League of Her Own. BLADE: Will there be a Catchers too someday?

PERRUZZA: Maybe if a space opens across the street, we’ll see (laughs). Right now I’m just sticking to Pitchers.

BLADE: Are there any other voids, aside from the lesbian angle, that you’ve seen in D.C. nightlife you’re hoping to fill with this venture?

PERRUZZA: I’m going to avoid theme nights. I don’t want to alienate anybody.

I don’t want a this night or a that night.

I just want everyone to feel welcome all the time.

Bowser, Mendelson, Norton win Stein Club endorsements Most incumbents secure LGBT Democratic club’s backing in primary

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, the city’s largest LGBT local political group, voted Tuesday night to endorse the re-election campaigns of Mayor Muriel Bowser, City Council Chair Phil Mendelson, and D.C. Congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.

In addition to backing Bowser, Mendelson, and Norton, the club endorsed five other candidates running in the city’s June 19 Democratic primary, all but one of whom are incumbents, at a candidates forum held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Southwest D.C. The other endorsees were D.C. Council members Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) and Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5); D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine (D); D.C. Shadow Representative Franklin Garcia (D); and D.C. Shadow Senate candidate Andria Thomas (D).

Thomas’s endorsement was one of the few surprises of the evening. Stein members chose her over Shadow Senate incumbent Michael Brown, a longtime supporter of LGBT rights, by a vote of 14 to 6.

Thomas, similar to all of the candidates

that appeared at the Stein Club forum, expressed strong support for LGBT rights.

As has been the case in virtually all recent local D.C. elections, all serious candidates running for public office support LGBT rights. Nearly all incumbents, including Bowser and Mendelson, have records of support for LGBT issues during their years in office.

“I think it’s amazing that year after year the Stein endorsement means something and the LGBT vote means something to Democrats running in this city,” said Stein Club President Earl Fowlkes after the forum. “And I think we continue to show that we’re a force to be reckoned with and you need our votes to win,” Fowlkes said.

Bowser is being challenged in the primary by two political newcomers, James Butler and Ernest Johnson. Neither showed up at the endorsement forum and the club to endorsed Bowser by unanimous voice vote.

Among the challengers that did participate in Tuesday’s forum was Ed Lazere, the longtime leader of the D.C.based Fiscal Policy Institute, who is running against Mendelson. Lazere, who has the backing of some LGBT activists, described himself as significantly more progressive than Mendelson, who he said hasn’t been addressing issues such as the city’s affordable housing crisis aggressively enough. Among other things, he said he supports legislation backed by

many LGBT activists to decriminalize sex work in the city while Mendelson opposes such legislation.

Mendelson disputed claims that he isn’t progressive, pointing to his years of support for progressive causes, including marriage equality for same-sex couples and other LGBT-related legislation.

“I am a progressive and have been a progressive before being a progressive was cool,” Mendelson told the gathering during a question and answer period.

Mendelson won the endorsement by a vote of 16 to 6, with two club members voting for “no endorsement.”

Community activist Lisa Hunter, who is challenging Allen for the Ward 6 Council seat in the primary, said she is more progressive than Allen, who she said has not been forceful enough in addressing issues such as affordable housing. Hunter said she too supports decriminalization of sex work in the city.

Allen chairs the Council committee that will be deliberating over a sex worker decriminalization bill introduced last year

by Council member David Grosso (I-AtLarge). He told the Blade the committee would carefully examine the pros and cons of the proposed legislation.

He told the Stein forum that his record on LGBT-related legislation was especially strong, earning him the status of a “committed and dedicated ally” on those issues.

The club endorsed Allen over Hunter by a vote of 18 to 5.

Club members voted to endorse McDuffie, another longtime LGBT rights supporter, for re-election to the Ward 5 Council seat by unanimous voice vote.

McDuffie is being challenged by four opponents in the primary, but none showed up for the Stein Club forum.

Racine, the city’s Attorney General, and Shadow House member Garcia are running for re-election unopposed. Stein Club members voted to endorse them also by unanimous voice vote.

At an earlier endorsement meeting on April 23, the Stein Club endorsed gay Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner and law librarian Kent Boese over incumbent Brianne Nadeau for the Ward 1 Council seat. At the same meeting the club endorsed by unanimous voice vote Council member Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), who’s running unopposed in the primary.

In an action that surprised some political observers, the club was unable to make an endorsement at the April 23 meeting for the at-large Council seat held by incumbent Anita Bonds, a Democrat who’s also a longtime LGBT rights supporter. Bonds received the most votes but fell short of receiving a 60 percent vote margin required for an endorsement under the club’s rules.

■ CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

08 • MAY 18, 2018

NATIONAL NEWS

Trump guidance rolls back rights for trans inmates Newly unveiled guidance from the Trump administration instructing federal prisons to designate sex to transgender inmates on the basis of birth sex, not gender identity, is facing criticism from human rights groups who say the policy will jeopardize the safety of inmates.

The 18-page guidance from the Federal Bureau of Prisons rolls back Obama administration rules that recommended housing for transgender inmates based on “gender identity when appropriate” and instead instructs prisons to “use biological sex as the initial determination for designation” in placement. The guidance was first reported Friday by Buzzfeed.

PRESIDENT TRUMP’s administration this week rolled back rights for transgender Conditions that would necessitate inmates. placing transgender inmates in holdings WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY consistent with their gender identity include their health and safety and behavioral history, but placement of a transgender inmate in housing consistent with their gender identity would the exception, not the rule, the guidance says.

“The designation to a facility of the inmate’s identified gender would be appropriate only in rare cases after consideration of all of the above factors and where there has been significant progress towards transition as demonstrated by medical and mental health history,” the guidance says.

Demoya Gordon, a staff attorney for the transgender rights project at the LGBT group Lambda Legal, said “there is no justification” for this policy change.

“It will almost certainly make transgender people and transgender women, in particular, even more vulnerable than they already are to rape and sexual assault while incarcerated in these facilities,” Gordon said.

According to the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, transgender people who were held in jail, prison or juvenile detention in the previous year faced high rates of physical and sexual assault by facility staff and other inmates.

In the year before the survey was conducted, 23 percent of respondents said they were physically assaulted by staff or other inmates, and one in five were sexually assaulted.

Those numbers mean respondents were more than five times more likely to be sexually assaulted by facility staff than the general U.S. population in jails and prisons, and more than nine times more likely to be sexually assaulted by other inmates.

CHRIS JOHNSON

N.Y. trans rights bill killed in Senate committee Any hopes that New York would join other states this year and enact a law explicitly prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity were dashed Tuesday when a Republican-controlled Senate committee voted down a transgender rights measure.

The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, or GENDA, was defeated in the New York Senate Investigations & Government Operations Committee by a 5-4 party-line vote. The measure would have amended the state human rights law to bar discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression and would have added transgender people to the state human rights law.

New York is one of three states — including New Hampshire and Wisconsin — with a state law barring anti-gay discrimination, but not anti-trans discrimination.

The committee killed the measure in the same year the New Hampshire state legislature, which is controlled in both chambers by Republicans, sent to the desk of Gov. Chris Sununu a similar transgender non-discrimination measure. Sununu is expected to sign the bill.

State Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan), who’s gay and the top Democrat on the committee, said in a statement the defeat of the transgender rights bill in committee was “appalling.”

“Human rights shouldn’t be a partisan issue – and they aren’t in other states,” Hoylman said. “Earlier this month, in fact, the Republican legislature in New Hampshire passed protections for LGBT people, making it possible that New York will soon be the only state in the northeast without statutory protections for its transgender citizens.”

Earlier this month, the Democratic-controlled Assembly approved GENDA by a vote of 100-43. Had the Senate agreed to the measure, it would have headed to the desk of Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his signature. The vote marked the 11th consecutive year the Assembly approved GENDA. The full Senate, which remains in Republican control, has never taken up the measure.

Although the measure has died in committee, transgender people in New York still have recourse if they feel they’ve experienced discrimination on the basis of gender identity. In 2015, Cuomo signed an executive order interpreting state law barring gender discrimination to apply to transgender people.

CHRIS JOHNSON

From left, Rep. YVETTE CLARKE (D-N.Y.) and Rep. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ (D-N.Y.) are concerned about the LGBT removal from the SBA website.

House Dems demand answers on LGBT removal from SBA website Two House Democrats are demanding answers from the U.S. Small Business Administration over the continued omission of LGBT material from the agency’s website more than a year after the pages were removed.

In a letter dated May 9, Reps. Nydia Velazquez and Yvette Clarke — lawmakers from New York who serve on the House Committee for Small Business — requested information from Administrator Linda McMahon on the “disconcerting change” of the LGBT omission at the start of the Trump administration.

“It has now been over a year since those resources were taken down,” the letter says. “Other pages that were also under construction are already up and running.

This is deeply troubling and renews our concern that this page’s removal may have been politically or ideologically motivated, rather than simply administrative.”

As first reported by the Washington Blade in January 2017, the SBA at the start of the Trump administration removed from its website pages created during the Obama years dedicated to LGBT-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs.

At the time, an SBA spokesperson said the website was under construction and new information would be added, but was non-committal on whether the LGBT pages would be restored.

The webpage for LGBT outreach previously contained quotes and photos from Obama administration officials, which would be unusual for the Small Business Administration to maintain after the change of leadership in the Trump administration.

The removal of the LGBT material was consistent at the time with the removal of LGBT information from other federal government websites under the Trump administration, including the White House website. Officials attributed the LGBT omission to relaunching the websites from scratch, but the LGBT information hasn’t been restored in a major way.

A Google search of the phrase “LGBT” for the Small Business Administration website on Friday reveals a page dedicated to LGBT businesses, but that page has no information and instead a note promising an update.

“SBA is currently updating programmatic information on SBA.Gov,” the note says. “During the update, some pages are not available. The process is expected to be complete in the near future.”

The lawmakers submitted questions for the SBA to answer and imposed a deadline of May 22 for responses.

CHRIS JOHNSON

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I N T E RN A T I O N A L N E W S

Gay Army chaplain struggles to save husband from deportation ICE agents detain Honduran immigrant seeking marriage waiver

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com U.S. Army Capt. Tim Brown, who was awarded two Bronze Star Medals for two tours of duty in Afghanistan, currently serves as an Army chaplain at the Fort Bragg Army base in North Carolina.

Brown, 46, says he and his husband, Honduran immigrant Sergio AvilaRodriguez, 24, were hopeful last Thursday that a scheduled visit to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Charlotte, N.C., would bring his husband one step closer to obtaining a marriage waiver.

Avila-Rodriguez had applied for the waiver last year in an effort to obtain permanent U.S. residence and to end his status as an illegal immigrant since the time his uncle first escorted him across the U.S. border from Mexico into Texas in 2002 when he was eight years old.

But according to Brown, the couple’s hopes were shattered, at least temporarily, during their May 10 visit to the Charlotte CIS office when agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, took AvilaRodriguez into custody.

While Brown was waiting in a nearby restaurant for what he thought would be a routine visit by his husband to assess the status of his marriage waiver application, the ICE agents told Avila-Rodriguez he was being taken to a detainment center in Georgia with plans in motion to deport him to Honduras, where he had not been since the age of 8.

Immigration officials released AvilaRodriguez on Monday, May 14, pending a ruling on a motion his lawyer introduced on May 11 appealing a deportation order that the motion placed on hold but that could be reactivated if the motion is denied.

“I feel this was a setup,” Brown told the Washington Blade. “We went to the first marriage waiver interview a month ago,” said Brown, noting that he and an immigration attorney representing his husband went to the interview without Avila-Rodriguez at the advice of the attorney, Patrick Hatch.

Hatch told the Blade that as a precaution against potential efforts by ICE to detain immigrants in situations similar to the Avila-Rodriguez case, he routinely requests that his clients stay home while he goes to such meetings on behalf of his clients.

“So I and my husband’s attorney went in,” Brown said of the meeting last month.

“And we were told they could not find Sergio’s file.”

Despite the missing file, the

immigration officials agreed to make an exception and grant Avila-Rodriguez the marriage waiver, Brown said, adding, “They told us to come back again with Sergio” on May 10.

“The ICE agent told us then, ‘Do you think that I am going to detain and deport the spouse of a military officer?’” Brown said.

Attorney Hatch said based on the assurances by the immigration officials, including an ICE representative, he believed Avila-Rodriguez had cleared his main hurdle and the marriage waiver would be granted.

Brown said that when he and AvilaRodriguez returned to the Charlotte immigration office on May 10 a guard at the entrance to the building told Brown he could not accompany Avila-Rodriguez to the meeting inside. Thinking this was a mere technicality for what would be a routine meeting to move forward with his husband’s marriage waiver application, Brown said he went to a nearby Starbucks to wait for Avila-Rodriguez to come out.

But he grew worried, he told the Blade, when he heard nothing from his husband for nearly four hours after the 9:30 a.m. meeting was scheduled to begin.

“Then I got a call from Sergio about 1:30,” said Brown. “He said they detained me and they are deporting me.”

Brown said he immediately called Hatch, who, along with other attorneys in his law firm, Hatch Rockers Immigration, tracked down the case and discovered the reason for ICE’s action. In a development that Avila-Rodriguez had long ago forgotten, Hatch learned from immigration officials that Avila-Rodriguez and his uncle were stopped at the U.S. border in 2002 and Avila-Rodriguez was ordered to return to a court in Harlingen, Texas, a short time later to deal with his illegal immigration status.

Hatch said he learned last week that Avila-Rodriguez’s uncle brought the then 8-year-old child to his parents’ home in North Carolina and never brought him back for the Texas court hearing. That prompted immigration officials in 2002 to issue a “removal order” against AvilaRodriguez that remained in the U.S. immigration court system records for the next 16 years.

The immigration officials, including ICE agents, apparently could not find that record last month when Avila-Rodriguez was given tentative approval for his marriage waiver application. Hatch said that when they finally discovered it ICE revoked the approval of the marriage waiver.

Both Hatch and Brown said a further complicating factor was the fact that Avila-Rodriguez had been arrested in North Carolina on a misdemeanor drunk driving charge at the age of 21.

“We worked through every legal course of action to reconcile that,” said Brown, who noted that immigration officials

U.S. Army Capt. TIM BROWN (right) is fighting the deportation of his husband, SERGIO AVILARODRIGUEZ.

PHOTO COURTESY THE COUPLE

had given preliminary approval for the marriage waiver last month despite the driving arrest.

Hatch, meanwhile, said he and his legal team worked on May 10 and 11 to file a motion to reopen the 2002 removal order case on grounds that Avila-Rodriguez was not properly notified of the hearing to which he failed to show up as an 8-yearold. According to Hatch, the filing of that motion placed an automatic stay on the deportation request initiated by ICE agents.

“He is still eligible for a marriage waiver and has a good chance for an approved waiver as the spouse of a U.S. military officer,” Hatch said.

Hatch said that Avila-Rodriguez’s status as an out gay man who’s in a same-sex marriage “should have no effect on the case.”

Pamela Wilson, a spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ southern regional office, said the office is prohibited by law from commenting on pending cases.

Brown said he and Avila-Rodriguez first met about three years ago in Sanford, N.C., where the two lived. The couple married in January 2017 at a ceremony in Key West, Fla. Brown has since come out publicly in the military and founded an LGBT advocacy organization called Get Out and Live, or GOaL, which he says advocates for LGBT equality and acceptance.

Hatch said Avila-Rodriguez is not eligible for the DACA program put in place under the Obama administration and which the Trump administration is attempting to rescind.

DACA allowed immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally as children to remain in the country and obtain a work permit for a two-year period that could be renewed.

Although Trump issued a directive to end DACA, courts have placed a hold on discontinuing the program while efforts by supporters to block Trump from stopping the program are pending.

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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.

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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:

Tired of planning your life around diarrhea?

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.

Rx Only Manufactured by Patheon, Inc. for Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. San Francisco, CA 94105 Copyright © Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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

12 • MAY 18, 2018

NATIONAL NEWS

Gillibrand to propose amendment against trans military ban

Family Research Council President TONY PERKINS was appointed to a U.S. commission on international religious freedom.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Anti-LGBT leader appointed to religious freedom panel A new member has been named to an international religious freedom panel whose advocacy for the issue has focused on enabling anti-LGBT discrimination in the name of “religious freedom.”

Tony Perkins, president of the notoriously anti-LGBT Family Research Council, announced Tuesday in a statement that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has named him to a two-year term on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

“I am grateful to Majority Leader McConnell for appointing me to this prestigious position,” Perkins said. “From my post at USCIRF, I look forward to doing all that I can to ensure that our government is the single biggest defender of religious freedom internationally.”

The congressional record for Monday confirms Perkins was appointed to the commission pursuant to McConnell’s authority under federal law.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom bills itself as an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission dedicated to defending religious freedom in the United States and abroad. Commissioners are appointed by the president and congressional leaders of both parties.

Perkins has spoken out against the persecution of minority Christians overseas, but the Family Research Council — dubbed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center — domestically promoted the idea religious freedom should allow individuals to discriminate against LGBT people.

The Family Research Council has sought to derail virtually every advancement on LGBT rights, ranging from non-discrimination laws to marriage equality. In the Masterpiece Cakeshop case before the U.S. Supreme Court, the organization maintains Christian baker Jack Phillips has a First Amendment right to refuse to make custom wedding cakes for same-sex marriages.

LGBT groups roundly condemned the appointment of Perkins to the commission on the basis of his advocacy against LGBT rights and also cited as concern his views on Islam.

Heidi Beirich, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s intelligence project, said the appointment of Perkins is “deeply disturbing.”

“As head of the hate group Family Research Council, Perkins specializes in spreading false propaganda that demonizes the LGBT community and Muslims,” Beirich said. “His idea of ‘religious freedom’ is having the freedom to discriminate against entire groups of people he doesn’t like. His well-documented bigotry has no place in any government entity.”

CHRIS JOHNSON

Coming off her aggressive questioning of top military leaders in committee on the transgender military ban, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) now plans to seek to amend major defense legislation against the policy.

Asked by the Washington Blade on Tuesday at the 2018 Ideas Conference hosted by the Center for American Progress if she’d seek to amend the fiscal year 2019 defense authorization bill against the ban, Gillibrand replied, “Yes, yes, yes.”

In response to a follow-up question on whether she’d propose the amendment when the bill is before the committee or the floor, Gillibrand said, “Both. I’m going to fight, fight, fight.”

Gillibrand revealed her plans to amend the defense authorization bill after she questioned each of the military service chiefs in committee on whether openly transgender service — a policy allowed in the military starting in the Obama administration — has resulted in any problems with discipline or unit cohesion.

Each of the service chiefs replied that it hasn’t.

Although the ban on transgender military service was lifted by former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter in the Obama administration, President Trump enacted a ban on transgender military service after declaring on Twitter transgender people won’t be able to serve in the armed forces “in any capacity.” Courts have enjoined the ban from taking effect as a result of litigation filed by LGBT legal groups, but it remains the underlying policy of the Defense Department.

Gillibrand also clashed in committee over the policy with Defense Secretary James Mattis, who recommended to Trump that transgender people be barred from the U.S. military with few exceptions. Holding up a report from the San Francisco-based Palm Center that found no problems with transgender service, Gillibrand said Mattis was ignoring the Defense Department’s own data in his recommendation.

An opportunity for Gillibrand to amend the defense authorization bill will come next week when the Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a closed-door session to markup the defense authorization bill. Another chance will come up after the committee reports out the legislation and the legislation comes up on the floor.

Either way, there would be significant challenges in amending the defense bill in favor of transgender service in the Republican-controlled Senate. The only Republican members of the committee who has expressed support for transgender service are Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), but he remains absent from the Senate due to illness, and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), but she has expressed concerns about U.S. government payments for transition-related care.

On the Senate floor, things might be different, although the hurdle could be higher in the likely event 60 votes are required to pass an amendment as opposed to a simple majority.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) joined 48 Senate Democrats in a letter to Mattis against his recommendations to ban transgender people from the military.

Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) have indicated to varying degrees support for allowing transgender service.

Even if the Senate were to agree to the amendment in favor of transgender service, it would have to survive conference committee. Last week, the House Armed Services Committee included no amendments on transgender service — either for or against it — in its markup of the defense authorization bill.

If the amendment survives conference committee, Trump would have to agree to sign a defense bill that contains the provision overriding his policy against transgender service.

LGBT rights advocates had expressed concerns with the Blade about seeking to amend the defense bill against the transgender ban, fearing it would provoke a reaction from Republicans who would counter with an amendment codifying the transgender ban. Instead, they’ve said they goal is a “clean” defense bill that avoids LGBT issues altogether.

Nonetheless, LGBT rights advocates said in response to Gillibrand’s comments they have the same goals in assuring openly transgender service.

Matt Thorn, executive director of the LGBT military group OutServe-SLDN, commended Gillibrand for her commitment to the issue.

“Sen. Gillibrand is always at the forefront to advance the rights and protections for LGBT service members and we will continue to work with her and others in those endeavors,” Thorn said. “Our shared goal remains the same, that qualified and patriotic individuals who want to serve our nation in the armed forces our given that opportunity regardless of their gender identity and we will all work together on an optimal strategy to meet that goal.”

CHRIS JOHNSON

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

MA Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 8 • 1 3

MONDAYS 2018

Tickets available at BlueMoonRehoboth.com

June 11 PAIGE TURNER

35 Baltimore Ave. • Rehoboth Beach, DE 302.227.6515 • BlueMoonRehoboth.com

Happy Hour Daily 4pm – 6pm Sunday Brunch 10am – 2pm Dinner 5pm – 10pm

SUN.-THURS.

Pamala Stanley

6-8:30 pm No Cover World renowned, performing standards, Broadway, disco and dance hits from yesterday and today.

SUNDAYS

Games with Magnolia

9:30 pm No Cover A weekly game show hosted by the crazy Magnolia Applebottom.

9:30 pm “Showbiz Spitfire” Paige Turner, the drag darling of NYC and star of Shade: Queens of NYC (on the Fusion Network), makes her Blue Moon debut in her all LIVE sung one woman show “Drag me to the Top!” which has previously played to sold out runs in New York City and Puerto Vallarta. Learn the unvarnished truth of how this drag superstar climbed her way to the top in a world filled with bottoms. $25 per person

June 18 DIXIE LONGATE

9:30 pm She packed up her catalogues, left her children in an Alabama trailer park, and took America by storm! Join Dixie for a good, ol’ fashioned Tupperware Party, filled with outrageously funny tales, heartfelt accounts, free giveaways, audience participation, and of course Tupperware. $25 per person

June 25 MISS RICHFIELD 1981

9:30 pm As a Midwestern maven of style and sensibility, Miss Richfield 1981 is “Born Again” finding new religion to bring our divided world together. With all new songs, videos, and unique audience activities, Miss Richfield brings all faiths together in a hilarious stage show. Atheists welcome. $35 per person

July 2 SHERRY VINE & JACKIE BEAT

9:30 pm These legendary drag icons reunite in a no-holds-barred, down 'n' dirty, anything-goes…Battle of the Bitches!

Watch as the dynamic drag duo (that the New York Times called “the Laurel & Hardy of drag”) take each other on, song by filthy song! Blindly picking their topic from a hat, each determined diva will belt out one of her world-famous, sick ‘n’ twisted song parodies. Whether the topic is POLITICS, PENIS or POOP, never fear – these gorgeous gals will have the perfect parody to present. $25 per person

July 9 SHERRY VINE & SUTTON LEE SEYMOUR

9:30 pm SASS (Sherry & Sutton Show) 2 show girls from NYC, present an all live singing and comedy show.

A little Broadway, a little pop and a whole lot of sass! Performing together in NYC, this dynamic duo brings their wit and wigs to Rehoboth Beach for the first time together. A favorite on the Blue Moon stage, this show offers a glimpse into Sherry’s Broadway/theatre funny bone and you will fall in love with Sutton, a rising star in the NYC drag world. $25 per person

July 16 TORI SCOTT

TUESDAYS

BINGO

9:30 pm No Cover The Blue Moon Divas show you their balls with old fashion BINGO.

WEDNESDAYS

Showcase

9:30 pm No Cover A new show every week with your host Mona Lotts, showcasing the best talent available in the beach area.

THURSDAYS

Karaoke

9:30 pm No Cover The best karaoke in town with the ladies of the Blue Moon.

9:30 pm Tori Scott returns to the Blue Moon with a shameless musical journey of slurred autobiographical stories (and songs written by other people). Join this "soul baring singer and sharp comedian", direct from sell-out performances around the world as she celebrates poor life choices and an unconditional love of vodka to the music of Aretha Franklin, Judy Garland, Miley Cyrus and more. Hailed as "the Bette Midler of the New Millennium" by Provincetown Magazine. The vocals are legit, the thirst is real, and the stories are tragically, all true Tori is joined by Nate Buccieri on the piano. $25 per person

July 23 ANNE STEELE

9:30 pm Anne Steele is returning to Blue Moon with her brand new show, Welcome To The Big Top. Anne will lead you through the three ring circus of her life with intimate stories from her past and present mixed with songs ranging from the 80’s to today. Anne is known for weaving hilarious stories from her life into a set list ranging from high energy belting dance numbers to blow the roof off ballads. This show will be no exception. Anne will be joined on stage by her Strongman Musical Director, Nate Buccieri and you don’t wanna miss this act! $25 per person

July 30 LINDSEY ALLEY 9:30 pm Blood, Sweat and Mouseketears -- a

memorable evening of booze, belting and belly laughs, Lindsey takes us on a comedic musical journey... and her hilarious quest for the elusive “Happily Ever After.” Along the way, she sings some fabulous songs (including those Disney favorites that tug at your heartstrings), and spills some unforgettable stories such as what Justin and Britney are really like! $25 per person

August 6 LINDA CLIFFORD

9:30 pm Linda ranks among the best classic soul singers as well as a legendary Disco Diva. Singer, songwriter and actress, she electrified audiences with her music and amazing live performances in sold-out shows around the world in front of millions on TV and film. $25 per person

August 13 JESSICA KIRSON

FRIDAYS

Spotlight Show

9:30 pm Jessica Kirson was voted, "Best Female Comic" in New York. She appeared on The Tonight show twice, The View, Last Comic Standing, Celebrity Apprentice and many more shows on television. She will be in the new film, The Comedian", with Robert Deniro, she is also a writer, consultant, and producer on the movie.

If you want to laugh, belly laugh, that is, get your tickets now. $25 per person

August 20 ALEXA & SYDNEY 9:30 pm Two powerhouse vocalists Alexa

9:45 pm No Cover The Blue Moon Cast as their favorite music divas.

Green (Wicked) and Sydney Morton (Motown, Memphis) bring their talents back to the Blue Moon stage in a night of Broadway, pop, classics and songs from Alexa’s recent CD “So Good.”

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see both uber-talented singers together. $25 per person

SATURDAYS

August 27 TELLY LEUNG 9:30 pm Telly Leung (Allegiance, Rent, Godspell,

9:30 pm No Cover All live show by the Blue Moon cast of celebrity impersonators.

Glee) is taking a one night break from his starring role as Aladdin in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway for his return to the Blue Moon. Accompanied by acclaimed music director Gary Adler (Alter Boyz, Avenue Q) and violist J. J. Johnson, Telly will take you on a musical journey in an eclectic night of music from the world of Broadway, pop, rock, and jazz with personal stories, and backstage anecdotes. $25 per person DINNER & SHOW: Dine at the Blue Moon restaurant before the show and receive a 15% discount on your dinner check -- reservations strongly suggested. Open seating, doors open 30 minutes before show time.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

14 • MAY 18, 2018

I N T E RN A T I O N A L N E W S

Annual LGBT events promote solidarity in Cuba HAVANA — LGBTI rights advocates around the world this month will commemorate the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

Cuba’s National Center for Sexual Education (CENESEX) of which Mariela Castro, the daughter of former Cuban President Raúl Castro, is the director, organized a march that took place in Havana’s Vedado neighborhood on Saturday.

Daniela Vega, the transgender actress from Chile who starred in the Oscarwinning movie “A Fabulous Woman,” is among the thousands of people who participated. CENESEX on May 17 will hold another march in the city of Pinar del Río.

A boy wears a rainbow flag around his body before a march commemorating the LGBTI activists in Mexico City on May International Day Against Homophobia, 17 will hold their annual kiss-a-thon Transphobia and Biphobia began in Havana on May 12. and festival.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS The Belgian, Dutch, Canadian, Israeli and Swedish embassies in Argentina on May 18 will hold a “kick discrimination and violence” soccer game with LGBTI advocacy groups. The Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation, a Chilean LGBTI advocacy group, on Saturday noted in a press release that 34 municipalities, 10 embassies and a government agency have agreed to either publicly display the rainbow flag or illuminate their facades in rainbow colors.

Officials in Geneva this week will illuminate the Swiss city’s iconic Jet d’Eau fountain in rainbow colors. They have also launched a campaign that seeks to highlight older LGBTI people.

The U.N. LGBTI Core Group on May 17 will hold an International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia event at the U.N. in New York that will include French Olympian Casey Legler and Xeenarh Mohammed, founder of ReSista Camp, among others.

The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia first took place on May 17, 2005, in commemoration of the World Health Organization’s decision to declassify homosexuality as a mental order.

Joel Bedos, director of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, pointed out to the Washington Blade this year’s theme — “Solidarity and Alliances” — “underlines how intricate the struggles of LGBTI people are with other social struggles.”

“Our opponents spend a lot of energy dividing us and singling each social struggle out as ‘particular,’” said Bedos. “But the reality is that all progressive struggles are connected and we have to increase our collective awareness of this.”

“We have seen repeatedly in the past that sexual and gender minorities act like canaries in the coal mine and that crackdowns on them signal wider crackdowns to come on democracy, civil society spaces, freedom of speech, women’s rights, etc.,” added Bedos.

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia Latin America and Caribbean Outreach and Communications Officer Mariano Ruiz told the Blade on Friday in an email from Buenos Aires “the focus of the day on solidarity and alliances can create a valuable opportunity for all of us to reach out to our current partners to reinforce our bond.” Ruiz added this year’s events also allow LGBTI activists around the world “to reach out to new partners to raise awareness of our commonalities and to engage in collective action around the day.”

“No battle can be won in isolation,” Ruiz told the Blade. “We all need to keep strengthening alliances, especially when we need to ensure safety, fight violence, lobby for legal change and/or campaign to change hearts and minds.”

This year’s International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia is taking place against the backdrop of violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity that remains rampant in many parts of the world. It is also taking place against the backdrop of advances in LGBTI rights in many countries.

The Trinidad and Tobago Supreme Court last month struck down the country’s colonial-era sodomy law. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights in January issued a landmark ruling that recognizes same-sex marriage and transgender rights.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last November apologized to those who suffered persecution and discrimination under the country’s anti-LGBTI laws and policies. British Prime Minister Theresa May last month said she “deeply regrets” colonial-era laws criminalizing consensual same-sex relations the U.K. introduced in

Commonwealth countries.

Bedos acknowledged this progress, but also cautioned LGBTI rights advocates there remains much work to be done.

“LGBT people and their organizations are in danger of loosing sight of the wider systems of oppression,” said Bedos. “Silo politics are dividing us into confetti struggles and we often contribute to strategies whose objective it is to pitch us against others, be it migrants, people living in poverty, other minority groups, etc.”

“Appeal to solidarity from others must mirror acts of solidarity with others,” added Bedos. “We hope that solidarity and alliances will be spanning across many divides on this coming May 17.”

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

LGBTI activist from Israel visits D.C. The Jewish Community Center in Dupont Circle on May 6 hosted the executive director of an LGBTI community center and advocacy group in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance Executive Director Ofer Erez was in D.C. to speak at the AntiDefamation League’s National Leadership Summit that took place last week.

He told the Washington Blade during an interview at the Jewish Community Center that his organization’s work currently Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance includes promoting tolerance Executive Director OFER EREZ spoke at the Jewish Community Center in Dupont Circle on among Jerusalem high school May 6. students and a new initiative WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS that caters to the city’s LGBTI elders. Erez also stressed “the key word for us is tolerance.”

“In Jerusalem it’s the key word for everything,” he said. “It’s a very diverse city.”

Erez was named Jerusalem Open House’s executive director in December. He is also the first openly transgender officer in the Israel Defense Force.

Erez — who was an officer in the IDF for 5 1/2 years — last summer publicly criticized President Trump over his efforts to ban trans people from the U.S. military. Erez on May 6 described the White House’s decision to overturn the Obama-era policy as “a lesson for all of us.”

“We need to take responsibility for all of our lives,” Erez told the Blade. “We shouldn’t let someone else do our work for us.”

A group of Jerusalem residents opened Jerusalem Open House in 1997.

The organization’s current annual budget is slightly less than $500,000, with the majority of it coming from private donations and foundation grants. Erez told the Blade a significant portion of this money pays the rent for Jerusalem Open House’s office, which is located near downtown Jerusalem.

“We can’t count on only the municipality,” he said. “We have to stay independent to secure our existence.”

The Israeli Supreme Court has ruled the city of Jerusalem must provide the same amount of funding to Jerusalem Open House that other local community organizations.

Jerusalem Open House in 2008 founded a clinic that offers anonymous HIV testing and counseling to anyone — LGBT and queer people, Palestinians, ultra-Orthodox Jews, sex workers and others — in the conservative city who needs access to sexual and general health care outside of the public health care system. Jerusalem Open House also remains the only non-emergency room setting in Israel that has a doctor who is authorized to prescribe postexposure prophylaxis.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

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

MA Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 8 • 1 5

ANAL CANCER IS E R I S E H T ON

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FREE EVENT! WEDNESDAY

5/30/18 AN LGBTQ EVENT FOR PEOPLE OVER 60!

3 PM-7:30 PM

It’s our time to celebrate! Enjoy socializing, dancing, fun and friends at this free LGBTQ seniors’ event. Take part in free workshops on financial awareness, fraud prevention, estate planning and more!

Check out our interactive slide show of past LGBTQ events in DC.

LOCATION

Human Rights Campaign | The Equality Center 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW Washington, DC 20036

RSVP REQUIRED

Register online at iona.org/event/silver-pride-2018 or contact Susan Messina at smessina@iona.org | 202-895-9401

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

1 6 • MA Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 8

NATIONAL NEWS

Baldwin facing right-wing attacks in re-election bid CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

a joy to work with him,” Baldwin told the Blade on her way to the airport.

Baldwin’s bipartisanship is not reserved for McCain. “I am a strong supporter of Buy America policies. I’ve been working on them since I came into the House of Representatives in 1998,” she said. “Frankly, it’s so important to my Wisconsin workers that I’ve called on the president to help me strengthen our Buy America provisions. So far, no action.”

But Wisconsin is a 2018 battleground state and Baldwin’s record of working across the aisle is obscured by the avalanche of ugly negativity funded by the GOP, the billionaire Koch brothers and hard-right industrialist Richard Uihlein spending up to $5 million as two conservative Republicans vie for votes in the Aug. 14 primary.

Last July, for instance, a Milwaukee radio station ran an ad saying: “Did you know one out of three babies aborted in America are black? One out of three. And Tammy Baldwin is a big reason why. That could be the next Frederick Douglass or Rosa Parks

or Martin Luther King they’re aborting.”

More recently, state Sen. Leah Vukmir, who overwhelmingly won the party nomination on May 14, issued a news release featuring photos of herself with Haspel as members of “Team America” and Baldwin with 9/11 mastermind as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as “Team Terrorists.”

Baldwin’s focus is on healthcare, as well as the economy, with personal stories to back her policies. At age nine, for instance, she was diagnosed with a childhood illness that put her in the hospital for three months. She recovered but now has a pre-existing condition.

But it’s Wisconsin’s opioid crisis that is building bridges. Baldwin just revealed that her late mother was an addict.

“I remember what it was like to come home from school and not be able to get into the house. I’d pound on the door, but my mother wouldn’t answer. She’d be passed out inside. My mother had a drug abuse problem. She struggled with addiction to prescription drugs her whole life. I had to grow up fast. Very fast. So when I see the opioid crisis that

is wrecking so many Wisconsin families, all I can tell you is—I’ve been there. I know how hard this fight is. I know the stigma that comes with drug abuse and mental illness,” Baldwin says movingly in a new video.

The statistics are overwhelming.

“Fifteen people a week are overdosing in Wisconsin. This is a crisis for our country and far too many Wisconsin families,” Baldwin says.

Baldwin has been a public figure since 1986 when she was first elected to the Dane County Board of Supervisors at age 24. But this is the first time she’s talked about her mother’s addiction.

“I lost my mother last August and I know that throughout her life she was ashamed, frankly, of the fact that she wasn’t able to raise me for most of her life. My maternal grandparents raised me,” Baldwin tells the Blade. “I live a very public life. But, like my mother, I’m a fairly private person. And it was very important for me, as best I could while telling my true story, to protect her privacy. But I also believe, as somebody who—my mother was in and out of treatment throughout her life and was

also, by the way, and employee assistance counselor at one point in her life—that she would definitely want her experience to help others.”

Baldwin says she decided to tell her own story because “the power of telling stories is what I see as leading to change.

And I wanted to honor the courageous people who’ve been telling their stories and fighting the stigma and the shame by being willing to tell my own.”

The response has been “unbelievable,” enabling others to open up about their own experience, including at the Equality California Awards. A man sitting at the table next to her leaned over and teared up, saying “that’s my dad.”

“I’ve been calling this a ‘second coming out’ because I think of it in terms of how we bring about change politically,” Baldwin says. “For the LGBT community, it’s always been ‘come out, come out wherever you are.’ Our visibility, our stories make a difference. And I think the same is absolutely true with this—that the more we fight the stigma, fight the shame and tell our stories, the more we lead to political change.”

Capital Trans Pride is this weekend Main events held Saturday simultaneously at Foundry and Stead Park

a Panel Discussion,” “Name and Gender Change Clinic,” “Improving Wellness in the Trans-Community, Creating a Plan for Washington,” “Transgender Health Services at Kaiser Permanente,” “Resume Writing,” “Introduction to Government Consulting,” ”Uplifting the Download Lover,” “Transgender Military Service in the Trump Era,” “PrEP and Trans Bodies” and “Dance Your Story.”

About 600-650 attended last year throughout the day. Organizers say the event has grown about 25 percent each year the past few years. About 12 folks are on the planning committee which stays in touch year round to plan each year’s event.

Full details are under the Trans Pride tag at capitalpride.org.

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO jdiguglielmo@washblade.com Capital Trans Pride returns this weekend.

Based on feedback from previous years, organizers this year have designed Saturday’s main event for attendees to be able to float back and forth between Foundry United Methodist Church, where there will be exhibits and workshops, and nearby Stead Park, where entertainment and booths will be set up.

“We’re hoping that creates some visibility in the park,” says Holly Goldmann, a longtime Capital Pride board member and Trans Pride organizer. “It’s in a safe neighborhood and we’re not closing the park off so we’re excited about that. Ten years ago, people were still a little scared to attend something outdoors but we’ve now reached a point where we can be visible.”

A networking happy hour will be held on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Studio Theatre.

On Sunday, May 20, a spiritual service will be held at 2 p.m. at New Hope Baptist United Church of Christ and at 8 p.m. that night, the Oscar-winning film “A Fantastic Woman” will be screened at Stead Park.

About 25 trans-supportive organizations will provide services and opportunities at the main event at

CAPITAL TRANS PRIDE MAY 19-20 SATURDAY, 9 A.M.-4 P.M. FOUNDRY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 1500 16TH ST., N.W. AND SIMULTANEOUSLY AT STEAD PARK 1625 P ST., N.W. Last year’s Capital Trans Pride.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Foundry Saturday. The keynote speaker (also at Foundry) will be Tiq Milan, a trans man who is a spokesperson for GLAAD as well as a speaker, activist and journalist whose work has appeared in the New

York Times, Rolling Stone and other highprofile outlets. The time is TBD. Confirmed workshops for Capital Trans Pride include: “Tell Your Story to Change the World,” “Gender Queer 101:

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LGBT teens report trouble at home, school WASHINGTON — LGBT teens today in the U.S. report stress, anxiety and rejection as well as lack of safety in school classrooms according to findings of a survey released this week.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation and the University of Connecticut last year surveyed about 12,000 LGBT teens from all 50 states and Washington asking how they fared at home, school and in their communities. Respondents in the 2017 online survey, 13-17, report: • 77 percent report feeling depressed or down over the past week; • 95 percent report trouble sleeping; • LGBT youth of color and transgender teenagers experience additional challenges and elevated stress — only 11 percent of youth of color surveyed believe their racial or ethnic group is regarded positively in the U.S., and about 50 percent of trans and non-binary youth said they can never use school restrooms that align with their gender identity; • More than 70 percent report feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness in the past week; • Only 26 percent say they always feel safe in their school classrooms and just five percent say all of their teachers and school staff are supportive of LGBT people • 67 percent report that they’ve heard family members make negative comments about LGBT people HRC blames the Trump administration.

“The results highlight the challenges facing LGBT youth, particularly transgender young people and people of color, who have experienced ongoing efforts by the Trump-Pence administration to undermine their rights, from rescinding lifesaving guidance promoting equitable treatment of transgender students and refusing to investigate complaints filed by transgender students who face discrimination in school facilities, to racist immigration policies and giving shameful passes to hate groups and white supremacists,” HRC officials said in a press release.

HRC President Chad Griffin added more.

“These harrowing statistics show the devastating toll rejection by family and peers, bullying and harassment, and apathy on the part of too many adults is having on America’s young people,” Griffin said.

It wasn’t all dire, though. Among other findings: • 91 percent of youth report feeling pride in being an LGBT person and 93 percent are proud to be part of the community.

• Three out of five LGBT students have access to a gay student club, which has been shown to have a positive impact on the perceptions LGBT youth have of their school experiences and can provide support to those who may face hostile environments at home or in their communities.

HRC says more data of this nature is needed. It has several youth initiatives, such as Time to THRIVE, to address needs. The full results of the survey can be found at assets2.hrc.org.

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REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of In a letter the state Department of Education found that the school district a d v i Ctheedate• ofm ed i a twill io • Lit iG apm t iwednesday, o N • theaweek P Pofepublication.Brown a L S • C naff oL L a B o r at i o N proof.

Revisions notN be accepted after 12:01 pitts REVISIONS omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users REDESIGN in North Bend, a coastal community in southern Oregon, discriminated against can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or TEXT REVISIONS any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any students on the basis of sexual orientation, CNN reports. copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, “There is substantial evidence to support the allegation that the district or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the ADVERTISER SIGNATURE NO REVISIONS washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contr liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred washington blade newspaper. This includes but is n subjected LGBTQ students to separate or different rules of behavior, sanctions by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertiser’s breach of any of the foregoing representations payment and insertion schedule. and warranties. or other treatment,” the letter said.

The school disputes the findings and will make its case at a hearing May 24.

At the time, state officials will determine whether the district violated state and FamiLY | eState PLaNNiNG | emPLoYmeNt | immiGratioN federal anti-discrimination laws, CNN reports.

ComPLeX LitiGatioN | CiviL riGHtS | LGBt | adoPtioN | BuSiNeSS The allegations were detailed in a letter from the education department to North Bend School District Superintendent Bill Yester.

Yester told CNN in a statement that only two of the allegations were ever brought to the district’s attention. The statement also said the district tried to at tor N e YS at L aw • d C | m d | va mediate the matter with the students during a nine-hour session this month, but it was unsuccessful.

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D.C. Bike Ride returns May 19

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Annual outing bills itself as largest ‘closed-road’ recreational cycling event

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PHOTO COURTESY OF D.C. BIKE RIDE

D.C. Bike Ride, the region’s only closed-road, recreational bike ride, returns to the District on Saturday, May 19 celebrating bicycling as a form of transportation, healthy

living, fitness and fun.

A recreational ride in which participants are invited to bike at their own pace, D.C. Bike Ride is a family-friendly event that brings together people of all ages and biking abilities for a celebration of life on two wheels. The closed-road course features entertainment from local bands as well as rest stops with water and healthy snacks. Participants can choose from a 20-mile route or a 6-mile short cut to the finish.

Now in its third year, D.C. Bike Ride organizers expect about 8,000 registrants from 40 states, Canada and several other countries. The event takes participants on streets that are usually closed to bikes, giving riders the opportunity to see Washington in a completely new way, such as from a car-free Whitehurst Freeway or the 395 lanes of the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River. Bike rentals are available to reserve in advance from Bike and Roll D.C. The ride ends with a Finish Festival along the National Mall and next to the U.S. Capitol, featuring musical performances by local go-go band Trouble Funk and DJ Little Bacon Bear, a local DJ from radio station WKYS. Along the carfree route, D.C. Bike Ride will feature local funk and percussion performers to provide music and entertainment for ride participants, reinforcing that for many residents, bicycling is the heartbeat of the city.

This Washington Blade-sponsored event is LGBT friendly. Local biker Robb Dooling has been involved in the event since 2016 and says gays are welcomed.

“I feel very comfortable being out at these events because D.C.-area cycists are a quirky, progressive and loving group of people, especially at at the D.C. Bike Ride where people dress however they want and we celebrate it,” Dooling says. “The Bike Rack D.C., where I happened to buy my first bike (here), displays a rainbow flag year-round and I happened to get most of my early biking advice from a LGBT mechanic there. When I grew up in Nebraska, there was almost no queer visibility anywhere.”

The event also serves as a celebration of the region’s improvements in bike infastructure and bike accessibility. Data from the League of American Bicyclists’ report on the American Community Survey found that Washington has the second highest percent of bike commuters in major metropolitan cities, with 4.6 percent of the D.C. population biking to work, second only to Portland.

May is National Bike Month, and with National Bike to Work Day taking place on May 18, the day before D.C. Bike Ride, the ride serves as the perfect culminating event to a month dedicated to bringing awareness to bicycling as a growing form of transportation.

D.C. Bike Ride values giving back to the bike community and has committed more than $100,000 over three years of the event to the Washington Area Bicyclist Association for their advocacy and community work to make streets safer for all, which complements the region’s commitment to Vision Zero, a long-term street safety initiative to end traffic deaths and major injuries for all roadway users.

Registration is $70 ($175 VIP). Youth 8-17 are $35 and the 20-mile youth ride is free for kids 3-7. Full details at dcbikeride.com.

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Under the rule of spite Thuggish far-right politics must be defeated

RICHARD J. ROSENDALL is a writer and activist.

Reach him at rrosendall@starpower.net.

The far right’s nastiness toward John McCain reminds me of William Faulkner’s 1930 novel “As I Lay Dying,” where Addie Bundren’s children argue over her coffin.

The Bundrens’ cross-county trek to bury her could be titled, “Miserable People Making Bad Choices,” which might double as a description of present-day America.

White House special assistant Kelly Sadler last week said McCain’s opposition to CIA director nominee Gina Haspel for overseeing torture “doesn’t matter” because “he’s dying anyway.” As I write, Sadler still has a job; the White House is more upset about her remark leaking.

They couldn’t handle jokes at the Corre-

spondents’ Dinner, but they’re OK with mocking a dying veteran and POW. Retired general Tom McInerney (who backed the birther lie and speculated about embedded Islamist sleeper agents in Obama’s White House) told Fox Business Network that torture had worked on McCain when he was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam: “That’s why they call him ‘Songbird John.’ “ There is no evidence of this (and considerable evidence to the contrary), nor of anyone using that nickname before McInerney did.

This is shocking if unsurprising considering that our 45th president, despite having avoided serving in Vietnam by claiming he had bone spurs, said of McCain in 2015, “He’s a war hero ‘cause he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured.”

The slander of heroes by saber-rattling spectators like the president was also directed at Silver Star and Bronze Star veteran John Kerry for working behind the scenes to save the Iran nuclear accord.

The president attacked him for his efforts, while uttering not a peep against the 47 Republican senators led by Tom Cotton who wrote to Iran’s mullahs in 2015 trying to scuttle the deal. Republicans have one standard for themselves and another for the rest of us.

E DIT OR IA L C A R T OON

White House Chief of Chaos John Kelly refused to apologize to Congresswoman Frederica Wilson for outright lying about her after she criticized 45’s crassness toward the widow of slain soldier La David Johnson. Last week he baselessly insulted undocumented immigrants’ assimilation abilities. His boss, who learned scorched earth tactics from Roy Cohn, talks of revoking press credentials while hiding like a tinpot dictator behind howling mobs at rallies.

Persons of low character are as much a malignancy at the National Rifle Association as at the White House. Oliver North’s appointment to the NRA presidency paid poisonous dividends as he called the Parkland, Fla., high school gun control activists “civil terrorists.”

“This is the kind of thing that’s never been seen against a civil rights organization in America,” North said. “You go back to the terrible days of Jim Crow and ... even there you didn’t have this kind of thing.” Perhaps not, if Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. don’t count as civil rights activists and NRA leaders do. The terrorism to which North refers is use of social media.

North gained fame, or infamy, in the Iran-Contra hearings in 1987, where he portrayed his illegal sale of arms to Iran to raise money for right-wing Nicaraguan rebels as an act of patriotism. It was sobering to realize that millions were cheering him for the same performance that made me despise him. In 1994, his bid for the U.S. Senate was thwarted with help from Republican Senator John Warner, who denounced him as a fanatic. There are few John Warners now.

I recently wrote about the struggles of gay Ugandan refugees in Kenya. Helping can be hard on the soul because whatever you give, an ocean of suffering remains. It has to be enough that while you cannot help everyone, you can help someone. On a wider scale, contrary to Thanos in the latest Marvel movie, the world has enough to feed its children; but like him, it prefers war. We have no Infinity Stones nor superheroes, only human hearts within which decency and indecency battle each other. Meanwhile, our president separates families at the border.

We are given no guarantees. It is up to us to refute and reject the torrent of lies and bile, and honor the ancestors who by the lives they lived inspire and summon us to rise.

Copyright © 2018 by Richard J. Rosendall.

All rights reserved.

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No new church for ‘dwindling congregation’ at St. Thomas Opposition to construction based on realities of area congestion

By JIM McGRATH This is in response to Peter Rosenstein’s Article, “DCCA doesn’t speak for Dupont,” May 11, 2018.

When Rosenstein says, “DCCA doesn’t speak for Dupont, I would point out that neither does he. I believe that DCCA does so with far more credibility than Rosenstein, however, since his piece on St. Thomas contains more errors than there are seeds inside of a pomegranate.

Moreover, I doubt that DCCA purports “to speak for Dupont,” a grandiloquence that a thoughtful, professional, progressive and long-standing neighborhood organization like it is unlikely to adopt, but one which Rosenstein has no qualms assuming for himself.

Rosenstein derides DCCA membership numbers. However when I attended DCCA meetings in the St. Thomas church hall, which I believe accommodated a few hundred, the place was packed. That was not true for Sunday morning services in the same place, however, which sadly reflected the “dwindling congregation” pointed out by its long-time rector, Father Henry Breul.

For that very reason he adamantly opposed building a new church, since maintaining the old one threatened the parish with bankruptcy, and the costs of a new church even more so. Father Breul confided these facts not only to me, but publicly to the community at large many times. Instead of a superfluous and nonsustaining new church, he gave the neighborhood a beautiful churchyard park, and devoted saved resources to outreach activities such as a Gay-AA meeting place, both of which were in place for the next 40 years.

A new church on that site is an instance of “Edifice Complex” and a Faustian bargain with developers to finance it by a hugely out of scale residential property on a small, congested site, whose “market-rate” units only the affluent can afford, continuing the affordable housing dilemma facing the city, which regrettably sports a “welcome sign” for the rich and an “exit sign” for the poor.

With Olympian, uninformed disdain, Rosenstein belittles all opposition to the St. Thomas Church as inconsequential.

Then, introducing an incredible “red herring,” he links it to protest about the bars on 17th Street as some kind of cabal. He sheds copious tears over the “thousands of dollars” spent by the bar owners, but nary a word about the “millions” they gained by concessions and expansion. I can count numbers as well as Rosenstein, and I remember the ABC Board Hearing Room filled with protesters regarding the bars. Those protests reflected opposition

of hundreds of tenants and residents almost next door to those bars complaining about noise and disruption.

Since Rosenstein is fixated on numbers, I would remind him that in addition to DCCA, the many residents on Church Street and nearby residential locales, those protesting the church site include the D.C. Tenants’ Advocacy Coalition (TENAC), which represents all who live in rental housing, two-thirds of the city, or an estimated 400,000 people, which unanimously passed a resolution against the St. Thomas redevelopment proposal at a thronged meeting in the Great Hall at the Sumner School. Rosenstein admits he lives a block away from these sites, perhaps he should move in a little closer for a better perspective.

JIM MCGRATH is chair of the D.C. Tenants Advocacy Coalition (TENAC).

V I E WPO I N T

Having D.C. bars pay workers won’t cause sky to fall Initiative 77 is about raising wages, protecting workers

By ALEX MORASH Washington, D.C.’s gay bars would have you believe that passing Initiative 77, which would pay tipped workers the full minimum wage plus tips, is unnecessary and would destroy D.C.’s queer nightlife.

In reality, Initiative 77 makes bars and restaurants play by the same rules as everyone else.

Tipping can be a wonderful way to thank someone for a job well done — a great extra perk. However, relying mostly on tips as the salary paid to an employee is problematic, especially if the worker is a woman and/or nonwhite. On March 11, the New York Times released a scathing report on how wait staff, especially women, frequently endure harassing behavior because they don’t want to risk losing tips. Vox’s food site Eater reported that the average white wait staffer receives more in tips than all other racial groups.

On June 19, D.C. voters will be asked to weigh in on Initiative 77 to eliminate the tipped minimum wage, and pay wait staff the same minimum wage that is applied to everyone else. The increases would be phased in by 2026. Restaurant owners’ reaction to the idea that they should

be responsible for paying their workers hasn’t exactly been positive: The owners of Trade, Number Nine and Town formed an election committee No2DC77, and— being sure to avoid the dramatic—stated that if passed “jobs will be lost, consumer prices will skyrocket, venues won’t survive.” Yet, the truth is far less campy: ensuring a basic minimum wage is about raising wages, protecting workers, and creating a level playing field for all businesses in the District.

Forcing wait staff to rely on tips raises concerns about harassment and racism, and it also says something about how we want to do business. Restaurant and bar owners want to have one set of rules for themselves and another set of rules for the rest of us. Everything from cafes, gift shops, fast food chains, and grocery stores all seem to be able to survive paying at least the minimum wage, but somehow restaurants and bars cannot? Their rationale seems more farce than fact.

No2DC77’s dire predictions of job losses fall apart when looking at the numbers.

Researchers at Cornell University looked at how restaurant employment was affected by increases to the minimum wage and found little to no change. They did look very hard to find a change — they looked at data from over a 20-year period at increases to tipped minimum wages and increases to the non-tip minimum

wages across multiple states. They even looked at California, a state that does not have a different minimum wage for tipped workers. Still they didn’t find raising wages would kill jobs.

Findings that raising the minimum wage helps restaurant workers earn more would seem to be common sense, but that hasn’t been the case with opponents of Initiative 77. Mark Lee, a consultant for No2DC77, bemoaned the initiative in the Washington Blade on May 10, and claimed it would reduce the incomes of wait staff, who he asserted make “typically ... $25, $35 or more an hour.”

Talking to people at gay bars and around town, I have noticed this idea that most wait staff make significantly more than the minimum wage is a common misconception. I can see why some would oppose the initiative if wait staff are already making $25 or $35 per hour, thinking it would not be needed. That idea isn’t illogical, except for fact that the Bureau of Labor Statistics actually reports the average waiter or waitress in Washington, D.C. makes $17.48-per-hour.

Some are doing very well, one bartender I talked to at Uproar even mentioned he has made up to $500 on busy nights. Yet, with an average of only a few dollars higher than the current minimum wage, for every person Lee asserts makes $35-perhour, you would need four people making

$13.10-per-hour to reach that average.

The saddest part of this is that the owners of Trade, Number Nine and Town are fighting this initiative claiming they are doing it to protect LGBTQ wait staff. Not only has research found raising minimum wages helps all wait staff see better wages, minimum wage increases have been found to dramatically reduce the poverty rate for LGBTQ families. The LGBTQ think tank the Williams Institute reported that when the full minimum wage is raised to $15-per-hour there would be a 46 percent drop in the poverty rate for lesbian couples, and for gay male couples it would be a decline of 35 percent. And while there’s no trans specific data, we know that transgender people are four times more likely to live on incomes below $10,000 a year.

If the owners of these bars truly want to support LGBTQ people then perhaps they should join the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund in support of Initiative 77. The Task Force came out to support the initiative because we want to ensure fair working standards and living wages for all LGBTQ people. You can learn more about the campaign at OneFairWageDC.com.

ALEX MORASH is a writer based in D.C. He used to write about economic issues for Media Matters; currently, he is the media director for the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund.

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Another summer season has arrived in Rehoboth Beach, Del. WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY DANIEL TRUITT

What’s new in Rehoboth Our annual preview of the best at the beach

By PETER ROSENSTEIN

Memorial Day 2018 is nearly here and now is the time to begin planning to spend more time in Rehoboth Beach, Del. Many visitors now come to the beach all year long but it’s not the same as the experience you get between Memorial Day and Labor Day. There is something magical about summer at the beach and Rehoboth with its one-mile boardwalk

and acres of sand is the place to be.

New Mayor Paul Kuhns and the commissioners with whom he ran — Lisa Schlosser and Kathy McGuiness — are doing great work. One sad note from the off-season is that we lost one of Rehoboth’s pioneers. Steve Elkins, who along with his husband Murray Archibald founded CAMP Rehoboth, the LGBT community center,

passed away in March. The town was lucky to have Steve for as long as it did and hundreds showed their affection for him by honoring him at a memorial service at Epworth Church. He and Murray began CAMP with a dream and a vision. Steve helped make Rehoboth Beach into a better place and the welcoming destination it is today for the LGBTQ+ community. So

Steve, surely you are looking down on the town and know everyone miss you and will never forget you, but in your honor they will all strive to make this the best summer ever and continue to build on the legacy you left.

Walking around town at the end of CONTINUES ON PAGE 46

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QU E E RY : 2 0 Q U E ST I O N S F O R J O E CI A RLA N T E - ZU BE R

JOE CIARLANTE-ZUBER How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?

I came out in 1984, when things were not so accepting. Telling my parents was the hardest, even though after telling them, they both said they already knew.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY PHOTO BY DANIEL TRUITT

JOE CIARLANTE-ZUBER (right) with his husband and business partner DARRYL CIARLANTE-ZUBER.

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com There’s a new kid on the block in Rehoboth Beach — well, sort of.

Gay bar Diego’s Hideaway (37298 Rehoboth Ave.) is slated to open Friday, May 18. Joe Ciarlante-Zuber and husband/business partner Darryl CiarlanteZuber (aka “Diego”), who owned Dos Locos for 17 of its 26 years in downtown Rehoboth, have a new venture.

The space, formerly the Double L Bar (next to Crystal’s Restaurant), which they bought in March, has been transformed with added tables, planters and lighting to create a “warm, casual fun hangout during the afternoon and evenings.”

The bar area has a new tap system with 16 draft beers and four wines on tap. A huge walk-in refrigerator holds the kegs and there are also new bar stools, seven TVs, a sound system for the bar area and patio and a dance floor updated with new sound and lighting.

“It’s a little crazy with trying to think of every detail and to be ready for the upcoming summer season but it’s coming along nicely,” Joe says. “We work well together.”

The couple sold Dos Locos last year when some longtime customers offered to buy. They thought it was a good fit since they were going to keep the staff, menu, theme, etc. Joe and Darryl took a year off and traveled to Mexico, Italy, Alaska, Santa Fe, New Orleans and Vegas and drove cross-country. They live in Rehoboth year round and spend time in Mexico during the winter.

Their website (diegoshideaway.com) is still under construction but should be ready in a few weeks. Theme nights will be ManDANCE on Saturdays, Bearlesque from Philly on Thursdays and Gear it UP along with weekend tea dance and Yappy Hours on Fridays.

Joe and Darryl have been together for 29 years and married for eight. They discovered Rehoboth in 1989 after a Jersey Shore vacation was ruined (beach closed due to medical items washing ashore) mid-trip.

“Darryl suggested we try Rehoboth as he had been there before. We fell in love with it and never went back to the Jersey Shore again.”

Joe, a 53-year-old Cedar Brook, N.J., native, moved here permanently in 2000. He enjoys the beach, dinner and time with family and friends and spending time in Mexico with Darryl in his free time.

Who’s your LGBT hero?

The couple I came out to — Hugo and Bobby.

What’s Rehoboth’s best nightspot, past or present?

Famous Renegade and Blue Moon

Describe your dream wedding.

We were married in front of Lincoln Memorial with my mom. After Delaware made it legal, we were married at All Saint’s Episcopal Church by Father Max with about 125 friends/family with dinner at Dos Locos. It was amazing!

What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about?

Immigration

What historical outcome would you change?

The election

What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?

Ellen — her show and when she came out.

On what do you insist?

I insist on people being truthful and thirsty.

What was your last Facebook post or Tweet?

Diego’s opens Friday!

If your life were a book, what would the title be?

“How to Influence People Positively”

If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?

I am very happy being who I am (gay!) and would not change anything.

Love being me!

What do you believe in beyond the physical world?

There is life after this world and it’s one big happy place.

What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders?

Don’t give up.

What would you walk across hot coals for?

Darryl

What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?

That we have to be classified.

What’s your favorite LGBT movie?

“Trick”

What’s the most overrated social custom?

Meeting up electronically. Better to go to a bar and talk.

What trophy or prize do you most covet?

Our marriage

What do you wish you’d known at 18?

I wish I’d found Rehoboth back then and invested.

Why Rehoboth?

Rehoboth really is our home. Spent the past 29 years being here and over the past couple of years, we thought long and hard about where to live next. We thought Santa Fe and even Mexico, but everything keeps bringing us back here. Home.

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16 Draft Selections...

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R E HO B O TH

26 • M A Y 18, 2018

Poodle Beach reads Here are the queer books you should check out this summer

By BROCK THOMPSON

JUNE 6-10, 2018

AUG 15-19, 2018

SEP 5-9, 2018

The weather is finally getting warmer.

Shirtless joggers fly past you on 17th Street. All signs suggest that the first gay holiday weekend is fast approaching. So are you dying to look a bit more literate on the sands of Poodle Beach this summer?

Worried that all the gays suddenly have Vanity Fair subscriptions and you’re wanting to look a bit more original.

Why not pick up one of these reads for your gay beach bag?

“Less,” by Andrew Sean Greer. Have you ever skipped town to avoid an ex’s wedding? Have you ever wanted to?

Meet Arthur Less, a single gay man fast approaching 50, measuring himself, and his happiness, against everyone else.

Avoiding the wedding, he instead sets off on a hilarious, tender, at times beautiful journey of self-discovery around the world. Greer nabbed himself a Pulitzer for this, his sixth novel.

“Stray City,” by Chelsey Johnson. This is the one I’ve enjoyed the most, a novel sensitive and so superbly written. Take yourself back to 1990s Portland, a city where young people flocked to, searching for drugs, music, adulthood, or a refuge from adulthood. The character Andy Morales is one of those people. A lesbian, she gets pregnant after a drunken fling with a man. Her gay friends all rally around her when she decides to become a single lesbian mom.

“Boy Erased: A Memoir,” by Garrard Conley. Take a look inside the world of gay conversion therapy. The son of a southern Baptist preacher, Garrard is forced into it after being outed to his family. Ultimately a tale of survival, empathy, and forgiveness, this true story will hit the big screen this fall, featuring Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Troye Sivan.

These are just three suggestions of new gay novels. If it’s a blast from the queer past you seek, try one of the following: “Tales of the City,” by Armistead Maupin. If someone doesn’t have a dogged-eared, somewhat warped from saltwater copy of this gay standard on their bookshelf, go ahead and judge them.

This is perhaps the quintessential beach read — short, punchy chapters, funny and relatable. And with the return of this series to Netflix just announced, you’ll be all caught up on this seminal classic.

“How I Learned to Snap,” by Kirk Read. Again, short, and laugh-out-loud hilarious. Follow Kirk Read as he takes you back to his days as an openly gay high school student in rural Virginia. The

PHOTO COURTESY OF HEDI SLIMANE

TROYE SIVAN stars in the film adaptation of ‘Boy Erased.’ Read the book this summer before the film debuts.

sort of anti-David Sedaris memoir, Read shows us his queer teen years were one of resiliency and humor.

“Stone Butch Blues,” by Leslie Feinberg. Another seminal work for your shelf. Butch? Fem? Trans? Feinberg’s novel examines gender and identity in America, through the post-war 1950s, past women’s liberation and the Summer of Love, all through the lens of America’s working class.

And if your taste runs to the more specific side of queer literature, try one of these: • Science-Fiction: “Provenance,” by Ann Leckie • Fantasy: “River of Teeth,” by Sarah Gailey • Thought-Provoking: “Christodora” by Tim Murphy • Heartbreak: “The Heart’s Invisible Furies,” by John Boyne I realize all these novels and memoirs have something in common. Everyone fleeing or searching for something else, trying to get somewhere — somewhere professionally, romantically, geographically. Well, that’s a queer existence for you. So as you flee the city this summer for Fire Island, or Provincetown, or Rehoboth, or even just taking refuge at a friend’s rooftop pool, take along one of these reads. At the very least, someone might approach you and ask, “Hey, are you enjoying that?”

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

28 • MAY 18, 2018

A RT S & CU LT U RE

This Week in the Arts provided by CultureCapital.com MUSIC

The Scottsboro Boys May 22-Jul 1. Signature Theatre. sigtheatre.org.

With a sound and style reflecting the period and exhilarating dance and song, The Scottsboro Boys transforms an event that gripped the nation into a compelling musical.

Gioachino Rossini: Stabat Mater May 19. Choral Arts Society at Kennedy Center. choralarts.org.

With Antony Walker, Sarah Coburn, Olivia Vote, Jack Swanson, and David Leigh for Rossini’s Stabat Mater and a selection of iconic opera moments.

The Undeniable Sound of Right Now Thru May 27. Keegan Theatre. keegantheatre.com.

Like a blast of feedback from a Fender amp, Laura Eason’s (Sex with Strangers, “House of Cards”) The Undeniable Sound of Right Now brings to hilarious and heartbreaking life the moment when Kurt and Courtney ruled, but Moby was just around the corner…

Queer(ed) Performativity Thru May 20. DC Arts Center. dcartscenter.org.

The exhibition underscores the incisive ways in which artists respond to, subvert, and refuse a politics of respectability and heteronormativity vis-a-vis both art objects and the body. Whether through the hyper-performance of queerness, the refusal to perform the role of the queer, or somewhere in between, the artists question the role of “queer” within late-capitalist neoliberal circles.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SIGNATURE THEATRE

THEATRE Girlfriend. Thru Jun 10. Signature Theatre. sigtheatre.org.

Argos Teatro: 10 Million. May 19-May 20. Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org.

Saint Joan. Thru Jun 10. Folger Theatre. folger.edu.

Hooded, or Being Black for Dummies. Thru Jun 3. Mosaic Theater Company at Atlas. mosaictheater.org.

Rite of Spring. Thru May 27.

Pointless Theatre at Dance Loft on 14. pointlesstheatre.com.

Naked Girls Reading. May 18. In Your Ear. May 20. Laugh Index Theatre.

May 23. DC Arts Center. dcartscenter.org.

Investigation: Detective McDevitt.

Thru May 26. Ford’s Theatre. fords.org.

The Crucible. Thru May 20. The Invisible Hand. Thru Jun 10. Olney Theatre. olneytheatre.org.

Vietgone. Thru May 20. The Remains. Thru Jun 17. Studio Theatre. studiotheatre.org.

Waitress. Thru Jun 3. National Theatre. thenationaldc.org.

DANCE Sean Dorsey Dance. May 19-May 20.

Dance Place. danceplace.org.

Sara Ghebremichael | Smoke-D | Gramophonic. May 24. DCCAH at National Mall. dcarts.dc.gov.

Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras of Strathmore: A Nod to Bernstein.

May 20-May 23. Strathmore. strathmore.org.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. May 20. Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, and Rohan de Silva. May 23. Washington Performing Arts at Kennedy Center. washingtonperformingarts.org.

Noseda conducts Variations on Bach / Brahms’s Fourth Symphony / Ehnes plays Berg. Thru May 19. Young Audiences: Brass of Peace. May 18May 19. National Symphony Orchestra at Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org.

The Barber of Seville. Thru May 19.

Candide. Thru May 26. Washington National Opera at Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org.

Let’s Misbehave: Cole Porter After Dark. May 19. American Pops Orchestra at Arena Stage. theamericanpops.org.

American Roots Concert Series: The Wooks. May 20. Hill Center. hillcenterdc.org.

Bernstein Centennial. May 18.

Leonard Bernstein’s America: Celebrating the Collection. May 19.

Library of Congress. loc.gov.

Jazz in the Garden: The JoGo Project.

May 18. Christina and Michelle Naughton. May 20. National Gallery of Art. nga.gov.

Shenson Chamber Music Concert: Aizuri Quartet. May 23. National Museum of Women in the Arts. nmwa.org.

Carpe Diem Arts-Washington Revels Community Sing. May 21. Washington Revels at Seekers Church. revelsdc.org.

American Folk Concert.

May 20. Anderson House. societyofthecincinnati.org.

Bernstein: Ode to Freedom. May 20. Cathedral Choral Society at Washington National Cathedral. cathedralchoralsociety.org.

Library of Congress. Letters to Lyrics: Alexander Hamilton at the Library of Congress. May 19-Aug 21. loc.gov.

National Archives. Remembering Vietnam. Thru Jan 6. archivesfoundation.org.

National Gallery of Art. Sally Mann: A Thousand Crossings. Thru May 28. nga.gov.

National Museum of Women in the Arts. Women House. Thru May 28.

Hung Liu In Print. Thru Jul 8. nmwa.org.

Smithsonian Anacostia Museum.

Your Community, Your Story: Celebrating Five Decades Of The Anacostia Community Museum, 19672017. Thru Jan 6. anacostia.si.edu.

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian. One Life: Sylvia Plath.

Thru May 20. Antebellum Portraits by Mathew Brady. Thru Jun 3. npg.si.edu.

GALLERIES DC Arts Center. Judging Me Judging You. Thru Aug 12. dcartscenter.org.

District Architecture Center. reBirth:Washington DC 50 Years after 1968. Thru Jun 1. aiadac.com.

Dupont Underground. ExposedDC. Thru May 21. dupontunderground.org. gallery neptune & brown. Lois Dodd & Colleen Cox Two Painters: A Visual Dialogue. Thru May 25. galleryneptunebrown.com.

Glen Echo Park. A Fresh Palette: New Yellow Barn Faculty. Thru May 28. Design in Clay 2018. Thru May 28.

Depicting Memories: Art Work by ESOL Students. Thru May 28. glenechopark.org.

The Art League. Deborah Conn: ‘’A Sense Of Herself’’. Thru Jun 3. theartleague.org.

Waverly Street Gallery. Waverly Street Gallery 25th Anniversary Arts Celebration Show. Thru Jun 2. waverlystreetgallery.com.

Zenith Gallery. Journeys, Memories, and Dreams for the Future. Thru Jun 23. zenithgallery.com.

Publick Playhouse. Katherine Hart.

Thru Jun 23. arts.pgparks.com.

Arlington Arts Center. Spring Solos 2018. Thru Jun 2. arlingtonartscenter.org.

MUSEUMS

AND MORE...

Folger Shakespeare Library. Beyond Words: Book Illustration in the Age of Shakespeare. Thru Jun 3. folger.edu.

Dumbarton Oaks. Outside/IN: Martha Jackson Jarvis at Dumbarton Oaks.

Thru Aug 19. doaks.org.

Kreeger Museum. Reinstallation of the Permanent Collection. Thru Dec 31. kreegermuseum.org.

Old Greenbelt Theatre. RBG Documentary with Guest Speaker Robert Barnes. May 18. greenbelttheatre.org.

Hill Center. Chef’s Table with Chef Gérard Pangaud. May 18. The Whole Beast: Fish Boot Camp. May 22. hillcenterdc.org.

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

30 • MAY 18, 2018

O U T & A BO U T

By MARIAH COOPER WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY DAMIEN SALAS

LURe bids Town farewell May 27 The Ladies of LURe host QueerTopia, a farewell party to Town Danceboutique (2009 8th St., N.W.), on Sunday, May 27 from 7-11 p.m.

The party will celebrate Town’s 10-year anniversary before it closes in July. DJ Jai Syncere and DJ Electrox will spin tracks all night. Cover is $5.

For more information, visit facebook.com/lurewdc.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

D.C. Black Pride programming D.C. Black Pride — as always — is Memorial Day weekend in Washington.

On Friday, May 25 the Pride Hospitality and Vendors area is open from noon-9 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt (1000 H St., N.W.).

The Sexual Health Symposium: Sex, Lies and Videotapes runs from 4-6 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt. Free HIV/AIDS and STI testing also runs from 6-9 p.m.

The D.C. Black Pride opening reception kicks off from 6:30-8:30 p.m at the Grand Hyatt. The Intergenerationally Queer Project Workshop/Panel Discussion is from 9-11 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt featuring black lesbian and queer women advocates.

Admission is free but registration is requested.

Saturday, May 27 is the D.C. Black Pride Poetry Slam at the Grand Hyatt from 7-9 p.m. Mary Bowman hosts the show. Signup is first come, first served. Admission is free.

On Sunday, May 26, there will be an interfaith worship service at the Grand Hyatt from 9-11 a.m. Honey Coated Nightlyfe hosts Communities Building Communities Pride Brunch at Cheers at the Big Chair (2122 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., S.E.) from noon-4 p.m. There will be a buffet-style brunch, mimosas and drink specials. Tickets range from $40-50.

The Outdoor Festival in the Park is at Fort Dupont Park (3600 Minnesota Ave., S.E.) on Monday, May 27 from noon-7 p.m.

There will be a stage show, food and vendors. The Cultural Arts and Wellness Festival will also be showcased at the festival.

Free admission.

For a complete list of events, visit dcblackpride.org.

D.C. Black Pride party time D.C. Black Pride is at various locations throughout the District over Memorial Day weekend with headliners including Jussie Smollet, Keyshia Cole, Jazmine Sullivan and more.

Genesis Chapter X kicks off at Barcode (1101 17th St., N.W.) on Thursday, May 24 at 9:30 p.m. There will be DJs and 10 dancers.

On Friday, May 25 there will be a pregame happy hour at the Grand Hyatt (1000 H St., N.W.) at 5 p.m. The Big Bang Mega Party follows at Karma (2221 Adams Pl., N.E.) from 10 p.m.-4 a.m. featuring R&B singer Keyshia Cole.

Daryl Wilson Promotion presents Rock the Block All Male Super Party featuring “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Shangela at Ziegfield’s/Secrets (1824 Half St., S.W.) on Friday, May 25 from 10:30 p.m.-4 a.m. Rapper Dreamdoll will perform. DJ Sedrick, DJ Maestro and MC Brandon Anthony will spin tracks. Admission is $20 before midnight.

Saturday, May 26 is the D.C. Black Pride Men in White Super Party at Sax Restaurant and Lounge (734 11th St., N.W.) from 3:30-9:30 p.m. R&B diva Keke Wyatt will perform.

“Empire” star Jussie Smollett will host the 5,000 Men Supreme Fantasy Mega Party at Bliss (2221 24th Pl., N.E.) from 10 p.m.-4 a.m. Special guests June’s Diary and Jazmine Sullivan will make appearances.

The Red Eye Everything Mega AfterHours party kicks off at 3 a.m. at the D.C. Eagle (3701 Being Rd., N.E.).

Sunday, May 27 is the annual Manhunt Day Party at Ultrabar (911 F St., N.W.) from 4-9:30 p.m. followed by the National Traffic Light Hookup Party at Decades (1219 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) from 10 p.m.-4 a.m.

On Monday, May 28 Eden (1716 I St., N.W.) hosts a rooftop party from 4-9 p.m.

The weekend closes out with the Apocalypse Chapter X at Stadium (2127 Queens Chapel Rd., N.E.) from 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Passes range from $60-200. For a complete list of events and to purchase tickets, visit omegapartydc.com.

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clear space theatre company

6 Great Shows, 6 Days A Week!

R

LATE NIGHT show with the

the

Delaware Comedy Theatre For more information and tickets, please visit:

www.ClearSpaceTheatre.org Or call

302.227.2270

20 Baltimore Ave. (Beach Block) RB, DE 19971

Jun. 26 Thru Sep. 1

CHECK WEBSITE FOR LISTINGS.

WELL-STRUNG This program is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com. Clear Space Theatre Company, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

3 2 • MA Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 8

W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

Welcome back to the beach!

This summer, why don’t you stay?

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126 Breakwater Reach, Cape Shores MLS 728932 BREATHTAKING COASTAL UTOPIA The pinnacle of relaxation and architectural design delivers wide-open glistening water views, luxury appointments in every room, and plenty of open-air deck space complete with built-in outdoor grill & fireplace - mere steps to the sand and your own, private boardwalk. Soak in sunshine where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean.

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

3 4 • MA Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 8

CA LE N D A R

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.

TODAY La Fantasy presents Lights Out Underwear Party at L8 Lounge (727 18th St., N.W.) tonight from 10 p.m.-4 a.m.

Paint will be provided to reflect under the neon lights. Advance tickets are $25.

Tickets at the door are $30. For more information, visit lafantasyproductions. ticketleap.com.

The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) hosts game night tonight from 7-9 p.m.

Cards and board games will be provided.

Attendees are invited to bring their own games to share. For more details, visit thedcenter.org.

Gay District meets at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) tonight from 8:309:30 p.m. The facilitated group discussion covers building understanding of gay culture and personal identity and awareness of community events for LGBT men between the ages of 18-35 in the D.C. area. For more details, visit gaydistrict.org.

Nova Pride Prom is at Waterford Receptions (12025 Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy., Fairfax, Va.) tonight from 6-11 p.m.

The theme is Pride Around the World. The event is open to all high school students in northern Virginia, D.C. and Montgomery County. Attendees are allowed to bring one guest between the ages of 13-20.

Dinner is at 6 p.m. Dance is from 7-11 p.m. DJ Tanner will play music. Jimmy Alexander from Mix 107.3 will emcee.

Tickets for the dinner and dance are $55.

Tickets for the dance only are $35. For more information, visit novapride.org/ prideprom.

SATURDAY, MAY 19 Metropolitan Community Church of Washington (474 Ridge St., N.W.) celebrates its 47th anniversary with a special recognition dinner tonight at 7 p.m. Rev. Elder Darlene Garner will be honored at the dinner. Attire is festive dressy. Tickets are $47. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit mccdcc.com/donate.

The Ladies of LURe hosts BARE, a ladies dance party, at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) tonight from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. LGBT-friendly mental health resources will be available at the party in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. DJ Eletrox will spin tracks all night. The DysRucXion Dancers will perform. Drink specials are offered all night. Cover is $7 before midnight and $10 after. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Whitman Walker Health. For more details, visit facebook.com/lurewdc.

Pretty Boi Drag presents #PrettyBoiBlackPride, a drag king show, at

PHOTO COURTESY NO BIG DEAL PR

PRONOUN will be at Union Stage on Saturday night.

Tropicalia (2001 14th St., N.W.) today from 4-8 p.m. The show will feature all black performers in honor of D.C. Black Pride.

Tickets are $15. For more information, visit facebook.com/prettyboidrag.

Gays Against Guns D.C. attend the Darryl A. Hairston II Crime Victim Foundation’s Stop Gun Violence in Ward 8 event at Young’s Memorial Church of Christ Holiness (2490 Alabama Ave., S.E.) today from noon-5 p.m. There will be entertainment and food. For more details, visit facebook.com/gaysagainstguns.

Out post-punk musician Pronoun performs at Union Stage (740 Water St., S.W.) tonight at 7 p.m. Pronoun will be joined by British rock band Basement, alternative band Citizen and the group Souveniers. Tickets range from $20-30.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit unionstage.com.

Bisexual author B.J. Mendelson will speak about his book “Social Media is Bullshit” at the Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church (9601 Cedar Ln., Bethesda, Md.) today at 10:45 a.m. For more details, visit bjmendelson.com.

Capital Trans Pride hosts workshops and a keynote speech at Foundry United Methodist Church (1500 16th St., N.W.) today from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Lunch and entertainment will take place at Stead Field (1625 P St., N.W.) also from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The day wraps with happy hour at Studio Theatre (1501 14th St., N.W.) at 5 p.m. Admission is free for all events but RSVP is encouraged. For more information, visit capitalpride.org/events/ capital-trans-pride.

SUNDAY, MAY 20 Metropolitan Community Church of Washington (474 Ridge St., N.W.) holds worship services at 9 and 11 a.m. this morning in celebration of its 47th

anniversary. Rev. Elder Darlene Garner will be the speaker for both services. For more details, visit mccdcc.com.

Queer Girl Move Night hosts a screening of “The L Word” at Slash Run (201 Upshur St., N.W.) today from 6-10 p.m. The group will screen one episode of “The L Word” at 6 p.m. followed by a trivia game on the first season of the show at 7 p.m. Another episode will be screened at 8:30 p.m. Free admission. For more information, visit facebook.com/ queergrrrlmovenight.

The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) will collect dinner for residents of Casa Ruby tonight from 7-8 p.m. Any amount of food is appreciated. Store-bought meals are accepted. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.

Capital Trans Pride hosts a church service at New Hope Baptist Church (309 E St., N.W.) today from 2-4 p.m. Reel Affirmations screens “A Fantastic Woman” at Stead Field (1625 P St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. Admission is free but RSVP is encouraged. For more information, visit capitalpride.org/events/capital-trans-pride.

Trans, a month-long series, call SaVanna Wanzer at 202-726-3761 or e-mail her at allabouttrans@gmail.com.

MONDAY, MAY 21

Job Club, a weekly job support program, meets at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) this evening from 6-7 p.m. The program aims to help job seekers, including the long-termed unemployed, learn about job searching and networking. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

PFLAG hosts its monthly meeting at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) tonight from 7-9 p.m. The meeting is a confidential space to share stories and learn information about current LGBT events. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

Bridging the Gap Part Two, a conversation with gay men and the transgender community, is at Shaw Library (1630 7th St., N.W.) today from 6-8 p.m. All are welcome. Snacks are free. For details, visit dchealth.dc.gov/ page/may-health-transgender-events.

For more information about this or other events associated with May Is? All About

TUESDAY, MAY 22 D.C. Latinx Pride hosts its monthly planning meeting at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) today from 6-8 p.m.

The meeting will focus on organizing the 12th annual D.C. Latinx Pride.

Discussion topics will include volunteer opportunities and a meet and greet with the board of directors. Refreshments and snacks will be served. For more details, visit facebook.com/latinoglbthistory.

GLOE presents LGBTQ Jewish Leadership: Envisioning a Better Jewish Future, a seminar, at Adas Israel Congregation (2850 Quebec St., N.W.) tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. Rabbi Gil Steinlauf will discuss what it means to be Jewish and LGBT. All are welcome. Tickets are $10. For more information, visit facebook.com/edjcc.gloe.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23

THURSDAY, MAY 24 The D.C. Anti-Violence Project hosts a meeting at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. Project members work to reduce violence against LGBT individuals through community outreach, education and assisting members of anti-LGBT violence. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

T HE ATER

M A Y 18, 2018 • 35

Ballet Nacional de Cuba Don Quixote (May 29 & 30) PHOTO COURTESY FORD’S

HOLLY TWYFORD in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ Its cast won Outstanding Ensemble Monday night at the Helen Hayes Awards.

The Hayes touch Gartshore, Hammerly among queer victors at theater awards

By PATRICK FOLLIARD Monday night about 1,800 theater professionals and their fans gathered for the of the 34th annual Helen Hayes Awards. Held at the Anthem, the happening cavernous musical venue on D.C.’s Wharf.

The evening was long but fun as 45 awards were doled out to a uniformly grateful and gracious group of winners.

Like previous years, nominees were grouped in Helen and Hayes cohorts depending on the number of Equity members in the production.

The night’s big musical winner was GALA Hispanic Theatre’s Spanish language production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2008 “In the Heights,” taking home nine awards including Outstanding Production in a Musical (Helen) and Outstanding Direction in a Musical (Helen) for Luis Salgado. Coincidentally, an Olney Theatre Center & Roundhouse Theatre co-production of Miranda’s “In the Heights” received Outstanding Production in a Musical (Hayes).

Outstanding Production in a Play (Hayes) went to Shakespeare Theatre Company’s “Twelfth Night,” and Theater Alliance took Outstanding Play (Helen) for “Still Life with Rocket,” the story of Etta Fisk, a former boxer who has slipped into senility.

Many of the winners were LGBT including a deserving Will Gartshore who was named Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical (Hayes) for his fabulous portrayal of philandering Count CarlMagnus Malcolm in Signature’s perfect production of Stephan Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music.”

A charmingly thrilled Frank Britton received the Robert Prosky Award for

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play (Helen) for his terrific work in “Jesus Hopped The ‘A’ Train” at 1st Stage.

Outstanding Direction in a Play (Helen) went to out director Rick Hammerly for Factory 449’s beautifully rendered “Leila & Co.” Best known for acting, Hammerly was pleased to receive the nod for direction.

Outstanding Ensemble in a Play (Hayes) was awarded to Ford’s Theatre for its production of playwright Edward Albee’s masterpiece “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” The cast featured out actor Holly Twyford as a boisterously boozy but vulnerable Martha.

Alessandra Baldacchino and Abby Corrigan tied for Outstanding Performer Visiting Production for “Fun Home” (the musical adaptation of lesbian cartoonist Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir) at National Theatre. Both actors played the works central lesbian character at different points in her life.

The evening was co-hosted by the appealing duo of dapper Michael J. Bobbitt, Adventure Theatre MTC’s out artistic director, and the lovely Alyssa Wilmoth Keegan, a Helen Hayes Awardwinning veteran D.C. actor who can soon be seen acting alongside out actor Jon Hudson Odom in “Botticelli in the Fire” at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.

Talented Natascia Diaz honored the theater community’s recently deceased with a gorgeous rendition of “Lullaby” from “Light Years,” a new musical that premiered at Signature Theatre in February. Among those remembered was Joel Moskowitz, the out Publisher of D.C. Metro Theater Arts The Helen Hayes Tribute went to local actor Nancy Robinette. Shakespeare Theatre Company’s out artistic director Michael Kahn spoke affectionately about the beloved Robinette’s enduring career and luminous talent.

A complete list of winners is at theatrewashington.org.

(Minkus/Alonso after Petipa)

Giselle (May 31–June 3) (Adam/Alonso, based on Coralli and Perrot)

May 29–June 3 | Opera House with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG | (202) 467-4600

Tickets also available at the Box Office. Groups call (202) 416-8400.

For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

The Presenting Underwriter of Artes de Cuba HRH Foundation Major support is provided by David M. Rubenstein.

Digital Sponsor

Additional support is provided by Virginia McGehee Friend, Amalia Perea Mahoney and William Mahoney, The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives, and the Artes de Cuba Festival Committee.

Support for Ballet at the Kennedy Center is generously provided by Elizabeth and C. Michael Kojaian.

International Programming at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts.

Don Quixote, photo by John Rowe

Alicia Alonso, Artistic Director

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

36 • MAY 18, 2018

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PHOTO BY DEAN ROGERS; COURTESY A24

NICOLE KIDMAN goes punk in ‘How to Talk to Girls at Parties.’

Turning up the heat Bradbury’s bookburning chiller gets so-so HBO treatment

By BRIAN T. CARNEY Two flawed but fascinating movies premiering this weekend focus on rebels against repressive regimes.

Based on the incendiary 1953 novel

by Ray Bradbury, HBO’s “Fahrenheit 451” is set in a not-too-distant American future where books have been banned.

The government has established special squads of “firemen” who track down the remaining books and burn them. (The title refers to the temperature where paper catches fire.)

The fire squad in Cleveland is led by the ambitious Captain Beatty (Michael Shannon) with Guy Montag (Michael B. Jordan) as his as his second in command. The two men have in intense relationship fueled by hidden secrets. Montag has begun to wonder why

anyone would risk their life to protect books; Beatty secretly reads some of the books he is supposed to burn.

Directed by Ramin Bahrani (who cowrote the script with Amir Naderi), the HBO adaptation does a great job at exploring the twisted bond between the two men but is less successful in updating Bradbury’s concerns with how mass media can support repressive governments.

The powerful opening sequence shows this very clearly. The movie starts with a fierce boxing match between Montag and Beatty. Their brutal fight (in which Montag loses a tooth) is part of a training session that whips the squad into a destructive frenzy. The scene in the firehouse seamlessly segues into a classroom assembly where the children clap and cheer while books are burned.

Bahrani’s direction is clear and controlled.

But while Beatty and Montag’s fiery propaganda is a very effective way of providing exposition and establishing the world of “Fahrenheit 451,” the backstory is murky. There are references to the

“Second Civil War” and a “Happiness Index” that go nowhere. The network of rebellious readers (clumsily called the “Eels”) are somehow scheming to implant books directly into human DNA. This confusing new framework only gets in the way of the story.

Written and directed by the ingenious and openly queer writer/director/ performer John Cameron Mitchell, “How to Talk to Girls at Parties” turns to the rebels in London’s wild puck scene circa 1977. After a chaotic concert by the Dyschords, Enn (newcomer Alex Sharp) and his mates John and Vic (Ethan Lawrence and Abraham Lewis) get lost on the way to the afterparty.

They accidentally stumble on another gathering filled with people dressed in bizarre color-coded costumes and engaged in exotic party games. At first, the lads happily join in. Enn (short for Henry) meets the lovely but odd Zan (Elle Fanning); John leads an ecstatic dance; and Vic gets entangled in a kinky bisexual threeway.

Finally sensing that something is very

wrong at this party, the friends flee with Zan and head to a punk club run by Queen Boadicea (Nicole Kidman). They discover that Zan and her friends are aliens on a sinister mission and the battle between the anarchic punks and the highly regimented aliens is on.

Mitchell’s remarkably inventive movie is an entertaining tribute to the radical energy of the punk scene. The script, written by Mitchell and Philippa Goslett and based on a short story by Neil Gaiman, is sharp and fresh (if occasionally incoherent).

The performers all have a great time with the material. Kidman makes a refined punk goddess, but her bitter speech about all the performers who have left her behind is hilarious and delivered with pitch-perfect comic precision.

A delicious and delirious mess, “How to Talk to Girls at Parties” is destined to be a cult classic. John Cameron Mitchell (creator of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”) and his clever collaborators clearly had great fun making this tribute to the unruly punk scene and their joy is contagious.

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

38 • MAY 18, 2018

Queer company leader Sean Dorsey preps weekend D.C. performances

Finding his voice

By MARIAH COOPER mcooper@washblade.com Transgender choreographer Sean Dorsey had a love for dance from a young age but was always surrounded by cisgender dancers. He became discouraged by the lack of representation and decided to shelve his dream.

“I never saw a single person like me, namely a transgender person, in dance. I think a part of my brain kind of shut that off as an option for my life’s journey,” Dorsey says.

At 25, Dorsey, who was pursuing a career in social justice community organizing, decided he could fuse his love for social justice with storytelling through movement.

Now 45, Dorsey is the first transgender modern dance choreographer in the U.S. The Vancouver, British Columbia native spearheads Sean Dorsey Dance, an allqueer dance company, that uses dance to tell LGBT stories. It’s a privilege Dorsey says is not given to many LGBT dancers.

While Dorsey is the only transgender member of the dance company, he notes that cis-gender, LGB dancers have their own struggles.

“There is a great and tragic irony that there are many, many LGBQ in the dance field but very little work that allows those LGBQ people to be their full, authentic, out-of-the-closet selves on stage,” Dorsey says. “While there are many cis-gender gay, bisexual, lesbian, queer professional dancers and choreographers, what they mostly create or perform is work that’s rooted in heterosexual narratives with very binary movement, costumes and roles. Our company is really celebrated for breaking out of those things.”

One such work the company is performing is “Boys in Trouble,” a project Dorsey started working on three years ago. Dorsey’s choreography for the dance formed through his experience teaching free movement workshops to cis-gender, transgender, gender-nonconforming and other members of the LGBT community who identify on the masculine spectrum. He also traveled the U.S. and recorded interviews with people on the topic of masculinity.

Dorsey learned through speaking with people that there was an artistic hole for the issue of masculinity.

“We’ve really heard so loudly from communities that people’s struggles with things like toxic masculinity and peer pressure from within trans and queer communities to be the right kind of man

PHOTO BY LYDIA DANILLER; COURTESY SDD

SEAN DORSEY says there are too many binary strictures in most contemporary dance.

or to be trans enough and the continued struggles of black communities and communities of color dealing with a nation founded on white supremacy,” he says. “We hurt so passionately in these communities that people are so hungry not for just dialogue about these issues but also an artistic conversation that would allow them to respond to the work and also to begin their own healing

around these issues.”

“Boys in Trouble” will embark on a two-year, 20-city tour across the country following its two-night engagement at Dance Place. This is the first time the project will be on tour but Dorsey has toured with other LGBT-focused performances before.

“The Missing Generation,” which the company will simultaneously tour with

O U T &A BO U T

along with “Boys in Trouble,” received a positive response from audiences ranging from large cities to rural areas.

The performance “gives a voice to trans and queer longtime survivors of the early AIDS epidemic,” according to Dorsey. He recorded 75 hours of oral history from these survivors which was used to inspire the work.

Dorsey says that even though his projects are LGBT-focused, they can be enjoyed and understood by straight audiences as well. He believes the performance’s key themes can resonate with anyone regardless of gender identity or sexuality.

“Straight audiences are deeply moved by the work,” he says. “They tell us that seeing transgender and queer bodies on stage feels extremely resonant to them and really succeeds revealing truly universal themes and narratives like difference, loss, love or all of our deep longing to be connected to other humans.”

It’s a process Dorsey works hard to conceptualize for that exact response.

Dorsey uses storytelling as a key element to bring emotional themes and social justice issues to life on stage.

“I don’t create modern dance that is just dance for dance’s sake and it’s not just random, abstract, movements. Everything that I create is driven by the themes and concepts that I’m working on.”

Sean Dorsey Dance members have a busy summer ahead of them. The company will perform at dance festivals including Fresh Meat Festival, a festival of transgender and queer performances, in San Francisco June 14-16. Fresh Meat Festival is produced by Fresh Meat Productions, a transgender and queer arts production company started by Dorsey.

The company also booked its first European gig in Stockholm, Sweden this summer. Dorsey says all these bookings are notable for a transgender choreographer.

Whether it’s introducing marginalized communities to audiences or giving a voice to audiences that felt silenced, Dorsey wants everyone to leave the theater connected by the same emotion.

“I hope that audiences will leave with a heart full to overflowing and a feeling in their body of having been altered or changed in some ways and to have experienced some kind of loving shift in their mind,” Dorsey says. “This is a work so far that has just really cracked open people’s hearts and minds.”

SEAN DORSEY DANCE ‘Boys in Trouble’ Saturday, May 19 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, May 20 at 7 p.m.

Dance Place 3225 8th St., N.E. $15-30

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

40 • M A Y 18, 2018

A D V I CE

Parsing out penance Drunken snarky comment leads to six months of relationship hell

I don’t know what else to do. I’m starting to get a little exasperated but feel like I have to take whatever she dishes out if we have any hope of really getting back together. But I don’t know how long I can stand going in circles.

MICHAEL REPLIES:

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

Send it to michael@michaelradkowsky.com.

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I said something really hurtful to my girlfriend and she’s having a hard time forgiving me.

She took a semester off from college last year for mental health reasons and about six weeks ago I made an insulting remark to her about the episode.

This happened during an evening that included a lot of drinking. I know that’s not an excuse to be cruel. I have apologized a lot. I explained I didn’t mean what I said and was trying to be funny, but I wasn’t thinking clearly.

Jen goes back and forth as to whether she can forgive me. She points out that this wasn’t the first time I’ve been snarky when we’re drinking and says I should know that her mental health is a sensitive topic I shouldn’t joke about. I agree with her. Thinking about it, I realized that I have never been mean unless I’m drunk.

So I’ve stopped drinking completely I’m also being careful to always be respectful when I talk to her. That’s new for me, but I’m sure I can keep it up going forward. But she still keeps saying she’s not sure she can trust me again and reminds me of how I have been mean to her “repeatedly.”

I know she told her parents about what I said and they told her to get me out of her life. That’s not too helpful for our getting back together. They’re religious and their faith is not pro-LGBT, so they’re not happy about her being in a relationship with another girl to begin with.

I wish she would consider that they have an agenda and not listen to them about this. I told her so, but somehow she just got pissed off at me again.

Sometimes she says she’s ready to move forward and then she turns around and says she’s not ready to recommit.

She’s turning 20 this summer and I was going to be joining her and her family at the beach for her birthday weekend and she keeps going back and forth over whether I can come or not.

You can’t get Jen to move in the direction you want and you can’t get her to operate on your time frame.

Jen has to decide for herself if she wants to forgive you. She can decide to make her peace with what happened, or not; to accept your amends, or not; and to move forward with you, or not.

In the meantime, while you wait for her to make up her mind, here’s what you can do: Consider if there are more ways to make sincere amends in addition to apologizing, giving up drinking in order to reduce the likelihood you’ll mouth off going forward and monitoring yourself to always be respectful of Jen. Decide how much is enough time for you to prove yourself as a loving and trustworthy partner going forward, before you decide you’ve had enough of having your chain yanked.

Have you asked Jen what she is looking for in order to make her decision? Her answer might help you decide how long you want to wait.

I’m not suggesting you leave this relationship. That’s your call and no one else’s. But you can decide at some point that you’ve done your best for a long enough time and that you find it too painful to keep being reeled in and out, or reminded of your past bad behavior.

If you get to that point, you can tell Jen to let you know when she’s made up her mind about what she wants to do. At that time, if she does want to be with you and you are available, the two of you can move forward more happily.

From your letter, it sounds like Jen has her own work to do in terms of learning how to deal with hurt and disappointment, both of which are inevitable in any relationship. And like most of us, she may also need to get better at living her life the way she wants in the face of her parents’ disapproval. But that is her challenge to take on, or not.

You and Jen are young. And the only way to learn how to manage yourself in the ups and downs of a relationship is to struggle through experiences such as this, as you are doing now.

You are using this painful experience to take stock of yourself, admit your shortcomings and set higher standards for yourself going forward. If any of us are to become better human beings, this is what we must do. Admirable work on your part.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

S P O RTI N’ I N DC

M A Y 18, 2018 • 41

PHOTOS COURTESY PHELPS MEDIA GROUP AND TREMO RESPECTIVELY

SARAH LEE GARRETT (left) and TULA at the International Gay Polo Tournament. PHIL TREMO (right) with a tailgater at the tournament.

Filling a void Former Academy of Washington members embrace polo

By KEVIN MAJOROS After the Academy of Washington folded in 2015, Sarah Lee Garrett was looking for an activity to replace her time occupied with the long-time social club for drag performers.

A former Miss Gaye Universe with the Academy, Garrett has spent most of her life involved in equestrian sports. Her search for something new needed to be LGBT-friendly and horsey. An internet search turned up the Gay Polo League.

Last month, the ninth annual Land Rover Palm Beach International Gay Polo Tournament was held at the Wanderers Club and International Polo Club in Palm Beach, Fla. The event drew 5,000 spectators over four days of social activities and polo matches.

Garrett was given a choice while attending private school in her youth — gym class or riding lessons.

“I loved the danger and being a part of the community of humans and animals working together,” Garrett says. “The animals test you. You can’t lie to a horse. They zero in on aspects of your personality.”

Garrett continued to ride in college and spent time as an assistant trainer at a breeding farm in Frederick, Md. She competes periodically in dressage to see how she compares to other people.

Along with her friend Tula, Garrett decided to make the trek to the International Gay Polo Tournament in 2016. Three years later, it’s the main event of their social calendar.

“A lot of people are cautious of the perceived elitism in the sport of polo, but it is the complete opposite. They treat everyone extremely well,” Garrett says.

“It is a beautiful venue and everything is

first class all the way. The tailgates are amazing because the Gay Polo League ramps it all up a notch.”

Garrett says the sport itself is fastpaced, intense and holds people’s attention. After three years of watching it, she may be ready to give it a try herself.

“It has been on my mind to take lessons locally,” Garrett says. “I am used to cantering at a regulated pace. These polo players are riding by the seat of their pants.”

Phil Tremo was at the first International Gay Polo Tournament in 2010 as a spectator and returned to his home in D.C. where he began taking polo lessons. He is now one of the players and in a leadership role for the League which has chapters in 11 countries.

Locally, polo instruction can be found at places such as the Congressional Polo Club and Great Meadow Polo Club.

Individual lessons are also available from local pros.

“It’s a beautiful sport, super-fast and really thrilling,” Tremo says. “Our League is very inclusive and includes all genders and sexual identities. The teams are not divided by gender so there can be any combination on the same team.”

Last month’s tournament included the annual Gay Polo League Polotini party which featured the theme Wigstock. The night served as a fundraiser for Compass Youth Services who help at-risk LGBT youth in the areas of education, health and homelessness.

The following day was the International Gay Polo Tournament consisting of two polo matches with tailgaters lining the field to take in all the action.

“Everyone has a shtick and the tents are full-on set design,” Tremo says. “You will see everything from Titanic to Grey Gardens to a hair salon.”

On the final day, spectators enjoyed a lavish brunch while watching the pros play in the 114th U.S. Open Polo Championships.

■ CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

42 • MAY 18, 2018

AUTOS

British mojo New models from Aston Martin, Bentley wow at Embassy open house

By JOE PHILLIPS

LAND ROVER DISCOVERY HSE Td6

Just in time for the royal wedding, the British Embassy in Washington held its annual open house last weekend. Anglophiles toured the gardens, noshed on “banger dogs” and sipped Scotch whiskey. Everyone who’s wild about Harry and Meghan could send cards to the happy couple via a red cylindrical mailbox (called a U.K. pillar box, BTW).

But it was the iconic vehicles — from Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lotus and Rolls-Royce — that turned heads. Sure, these cars are now built by automakers from other countries, but their British mojo is as strong as ever.

Below are some rides to help you feel like royalty — or at least queen for a day.

LAND ROVER DISCOVERY HSE Td6 $67,000 Mpg: 21 city/26 highway 0-60 mph: 8.1 seconds

jJAGUAR XF S SPORTBRAKE

Few vehicles offer the chance to sit on a throne. At least it feels that way in the Land Rover Discovery HSE Td6, with ground clearance up to 11.4 inches high. But instead of a servant to help you in and out of your seat, an air suspension system can lower the ground clearance to a more manageable 8.1 inches. The Td6 is the diesel model, though it’s a bit slower than the traditional-gas version and costs $2,000 more.

But it’s also quieter, with almost 30 percent more fuel efficiency. Despite the size and 4,916-pound curb weight, the Disco (yes, that’s the Discovery nickname) feels light and nimble. Features include tri-zone climate control, panoramic sunroof, power liftgate and 10-speaker audio that can be upgraded to 14 speakers. There’s seating for seven, and the second and third rows fold flat for 83 cubic feet of cargo space — more than enough room for anyone needing a nap (or a “kip,” as they say across the pond).

JAGUAR XF S SPORTBRAKE $71,000 Mpg: 19 city/27 highway 0-60 mph: 5.3 seconds

ASTON MARTIN DB11 VOLANTE

It’s been almost a decade since Jaguar

sold a station wagon on these shores.

Now there’s the Sportbrake, which alludes to a “shooting brake” (what Brits call a high-end station wagon).

Based on the midsized XF sedan — with its sleek front end and lightweight aluminum body — the Sportbrake is actually sexier. That’s because it borrows heavily from the F-Pace crossover, which has a sloping tush and snazzy spoiler atop the liftgate. It’s hard to believe any wagon could accelerate, corner and brake so well.

Power comes from a supercharged 380-hp V6, which is configured with a smooth eightspeed transmission and all-wheel drive.

The cabin is whisper quiet, with a ginormous glass roof, 10-inch infotainment screen and well-bolstered seats. Other features include front/rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitor, collision warning, wi-fi hotspot and upgraded Meridian audio. As with the Land Rover Discovery, an activity key allows drivers to lock and unlock the vehicle with a Fitbit-like wristband.

As if the Sportbrake weren’t impressive enough, Jaguar says there’s enough cargo room (almost 70 cubic feet) to hold 27,800 golf balls. (We’ll take Jag’s word for it.) For us Yanks, the Sportbrake is a gobsmacking alternative to all those cookie-cutter crossovers out there.

ASTON MARTIN DB11 VOLANTE $220,000 Mpg: 15 city/21 highway 0-60 mph: 4.0 seconds Just like James Bond, the new Aston Martin DB11 Volante convertible is classy and sassy with a shark-like grille, sculpted profile and stunning 503-hp twin-turbo V8.

Rev it up, and the thrilling exhaust rumble is loud and guttural, peppered with firecracker-like pops to wake up knackered neighbors. That drama carries over into the cabin, which is chockablock with luxury: eight-layer insulated fabric top, hand-stitched seats in exotic colors and a quirky push-button shifter.

The rear spoiler automatically rises at certain speeds for better traction, and large discs and six-piston calipers mean Zen-like braking. While the backseats look great, they’re impractical for anything larger than an English bulldog. And there’s virtually no cargo room in the boot, er, trunk. But then Aston Martins are all about indulging the senses, not loading up at Costco.

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Vote in the Tuesday, June 19, 2018 Primary Election

Polls will be open from 7 am to 8 pm.

During the Primary, only Democratic, Republican, DC Statehood Green, and Libertarian voters may vote on the candidates. However, every registered voter, including unaffiliated and minor party affiliated voters, may vote on the Initiative Measure that will appear on the ballot.

CONTESTS ON THE BALLOT: Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives

Mayor of the District of Columbia

Chairman of the Council At-large Member of the Council Ward Member of the Council for Wards 1, 3, 5 and 6 Attorney General of the District of Columbia United States Senator

United States Representative

National and Local Party Committee Members Initiative Measure No. 77, the “District of Columbia Minimum Wage Amendment Act of 2017”*

* All voters, regardless of party affiliation status, will be asked to vote “YES” to approve or “NO” to reject the Initiative Measure in the Primary. For the complete text of the Initiative Measure, please visit our website at www.dcboe.org

WANT TO VOTE EARLY? Early Voting will start at One Judiciary Square on June 4, and at ward-based Early Voting Centers on June 8. Early Voting Centers are open daily (including weekends) through June 15, 2018 from 8:30 am until 7 pm.

ADV ERT ISI NG ISSUE DATE: 10.24.14

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Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all 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.

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Ward 2: One Judiciary Square, 441 4th Street NW

(PAPER & TOUCHSCREEN BALLOTS) FRIDAY, JUNE 8 — FRIDAY, JUNE 15 (TOUCHSCREEN BALLOTS ONLY) Ward 1: Columbia Heights Community Center, 1480 Girard Street NW Ward 3: Chevy Chase Community Center, 5601 Connecticut Avenue NW Ward 4: Takoma Community Center, 300 Van Buren Street NW Ward 5: Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Avenue NE Ward 6: Sherwood Recreation Center, 640 10th Street NE Ward 6: King Greenleaf Recreation Center, 201 N Street SW Ward 7: Deanwood Recreation Center, 1350 49th Street NE Ward 8: Malcolm X Opportunity Center, 1351 Alabama Avenue SE

NEED MORE INFORMATION? For more information on the upcoming election, on voter registration, to confirm your registration information, or to find your polling place, please visit www.dcboe.org or call (202) 727-2525.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

44 • MAY 18, 2018

P H O T O S BY T O M H A U SMA N

Right Proper Brewing Company in Shaw held a game of ‘Drag Bingo’ on Monday.

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Realtor Move2Rehoboth.com 302-236-8821 cell 800-462-3224 ext 446 302-227-2541 office 302-227-8165 fax 37156 Rehoboth Ave. Ext’d Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

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A RT S & E N T E RT A I N ME N T

Rehoboth offers something for everyone CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

April, it was clear that many of our favorite haunts are still busy. Stopping into any one of them gets you the latest gossip, after all Rehoboth is a small town. Places like Steve Fallon’s Gidget’s Gadgets on Rehoboth Avenue and the always fun Purple Parrot Restaurant and Biergarten, which is getting busier and better each year. Owner Hugh Fuller is doing a great job and it’s nice to know bartenders Chandler, Jamie and Matt are still there. The old standby The Back Porch will once again serve great food in a beautiful setting. Don’t miss visiting the new Diego’s Hideaway, which is the old Double L leather bar, now owned by Darryl and Joe CiarlanteZuber. They made some needed changes, including fixing up the outdoor patio to give it a more tropical feel. They plan to continue Man Dance on Saturdays and Gear it UP on Friday nights.

A walk on Wilmington Avenue past the Henlopen City Oyster House, Salt Air and Mariachi confirms it’s still a busy block on which to eat. New to the block this year is Azzurro Italian Oven and Bar, which replaces Papa Grande’s. Azzurro features a respectable wine list and is one of the few places to enjoy a meal or drink outside on the upstairs patio.

On the way back to Rehoboth Avenue, stop in the always fun Frog Pond, which frequently features live bands. Then walk through the mews next to Browseabout Books and stop at the Coffee Mill, with its unrivaled selection of coffees to buy by the cup or take home a few pounds of beans. Then there is the gayest block in Rehoboth, Baltimore Avenue. One hotly anticipated new addition to the block is The Pines, a large restaurant and bar with outdoor seating on the deck upstairs overlooking the bustling Aqua patio. The Pines is being opened by Tyler Townsend and Bob Suppies. The first floor will be a coastal eatery featuring healthful comfort food at reasonable prices. The second floor is planned to be a lounge with music and piano and featuring small plates and the outdoor balcony.

Bill Shields’ and Andres Bonell’s Aqua Grill opens the weekend of May 18 and

by Memorial Day will have all the new hot lineup of bar boys serving drinks on the deck. Returning this year are Anthony, AJ and Mike. Aqua will once again have VIP cards so you can earn points toward meals for each dollar you spend. Happy hour on the Aqua deck is the place to be seen on summer evenings. There’s a simple but excellent low-priced menu.

Across the street there’s the Iguana Grill, a fun bar and restaurant now back to its old excellence under Hugh Fuller’s ownership. Of course, there is the grand dame of Rehoboth restaurants, the Blue Moon. Executive Chef Lion Gardner is still creating his magic there and it’s

It’s a new season in Rehoboth, which means new restaurants, bars, shops and more in the popular beach town.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY DANIEL TRUITT

the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion. Pamala Stanley is back to entertain in the bar five nights a week, including her ever-popular and packed Sunday tea dance and cabaret nights Monday-Thursday.

Baltimore Avenue has plenty of shops, including the Philip Morton Gallery with fine art and beautiful eclectic furniture.

Stop to chat with Peter Antolini, the most knowledgeable person at the beach when it comes to art and furniture. Then the Ward Ellinger Gallery, which has doubled its space this year. Ward is a talented artist. Joining him in the CAMP courtyard is Lori’s Café, offering the best chicken salad in town (and they deliver lunches to the beach). Further down the block is Elegant Slumming owned by Philip Livingston, designer of the most stunning jewelry you can find anywhere.

One Day At A Time Gift Shop has opened on Baltimore Avenue. The new store offers 12-Step Addiction Recovery items, LGBT novelties and gifts. Come visit

owner AmyLynn Karnbach at the store at 46 B Baltimore Avenue next to A(muse).

Rehoboth lost its only LGBT bookstore last year. Amylynn saw the opportunity and stepped up. And the gay-owned Beach Essentials, which has the best selection of men’s swimsuits and more in town. Michael Thanner opened his MGT & Co. Toggery Shop last year and it’s filled with stylish men’s clothes and unique home décor items. Head toward the beach to Eden, a fine dining restaurant, and its more casual cousin Jam. Across the street is Café Azafran, featuring Holly Lane, last year’s winner of Best Rehoboth Bartender in the annual Blade Best Of competition. Every Thursday night Lane sings and is accompanied by the talented John Flynn. Then there is La Fable, a fabulous French restaurant whose owner Megan Kee just opened a steakhouse in town, the Houston White Co. La Fable recently made the Forbes list of 100 most romantic restaurants in the country.

After dinner, catch a show at Clear

Space Theatre, which boasts a remarkable lineup of summer plays, including “Fun Home” (with final performances May 18-20) and “The Rocky Horror Show,” running from June 26-Sept.1.

If you’re planning to get married at the beach, there are plenty of venues but none more beautiful than the Virden Retreat Center at the University of Delaware in nearby Lewes with its stunning coastal wetland setting. If you need a place to stay, the venerable Shore Inn on Rehoboth Avenue Extended offers 14 rooms and a clothing-optional sun deck and hot tub.

Dreading the beach traffic? Leave your car at home and take Best Bus, with convenient stops in Rehoboth and Dewey beginning Memorial Day weekend and running through Labor Day from Dupont Circle and Union Station. With free wifi and ample AC and USB outlets, you can be productive on the drive.

Rehoboth has something for everyone, so come join the fun.

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I love wandering through Smithsonian museums, eating on H Street with friends, and going to shows at Howard Theatre.

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Delaware beach rentals aren’t what they used to be Outdated shacks transformed into luxurious retreats in Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany

By JOE MAGGIO For those of you who haven’t stayed in Rehoboth or Bethany lately you will find a whole new cadre of inventory, including some newly built luxury homes. No longer bound to stay in a shack with dripping window air conditioners, avocado appliances and pink toilets or the Holiday Inn, sophisticated investors are making bank on homes designed for the modern beach-goer.

You won’t have to look far for a Wolf range, Sub-Zero refrigerator, Bosch dishwasher or quartz counters with a first-floor master suite just a few blocks to the beach to lease. And being pet-friendly has been key to booking quickly, because who doesn’t want to bring their Fido or feline? Even with the Rehoboth pool moratorium issue of last year many homes have installed pools.

These homes are designed to entertain family and guests as well as host a great cocktail party, dinner party or family reunion.

Although bookings start earlier and earlier every year, many bargains still ex-

A beautiful home located at 55 Maryland Ave. in Rehoboth features a pool.

ist in this marketplace due to new competition. There had to be over 30 new builds in Rehoboth last year. Rental pricing ranges from $1,500 thru $15,000 per week.

And with our season weeks continually extending some landlords see a return of $100,000 plus per season. Most real estate brokerages house their inventory exclusively, but with the advent of thirdparty marketing channels like Homeaway and Airbnb an online booking guest can easily find most of the inventory on the web. At our brokerage — Joe Maggio Realty — almost all of our seasonal bookings occur online so we have to make sure the home is represented by quality media that provides a true picture of the

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home and amenities.

With 50x100 lot values at $1.3 on the second ocean block, these homes, let’s call them assets, are valued in the millions.

This landlord business can be very lucrative, but it is not for the faint of heart. I remind every new investor that fantasizes about a seasonal income, that some basic wear and tear will occur, floors will get scratched, a dish will get broken, a rug stained, and some silverware will almost always disappear, likely tossed in a last minute clean up. Separate yourself from the investment and treat it like the financial vehicle it is.

For the consumer, it is always cheaper to book directly with a brokerage and safer. I think we have all heard the about the Craigslist scam to book an ocean block home for $500 a week. Just wire the funds to some developing country and they’ll meet you at the property for checkin. LOL. I’m always amazed that people still get hoodwinked into these scams.

If it looks too good to be true, bet your britches it is. There is a not a $500 rental on the ocean block in Rehoboth or I or a fellow Realtor would be living there.

There are town and local folks who fuss a bit about the size and shape of these homes, but now with the recent doubling of rental tax in Rehoboth to 6 percent, the

town is generating a lot of money to make improvements. No longer surviving on parking meters, but to be fair, the townships were just getting in front of the state reaching their hands into the profits at the beach. But a big thanks to Commissioner McGuiness for being the sole abstainer from that vote, 6-0-1. In a 2017 Delmarva Online article by Gary Hughs, the rental tax represented 9 percent of Rehoboth’s total budget and 26 percent in the town of Bethany. Look no further than the Taj Mahal City Hall erected on Rehoboth Avenue to see the impact of the rental monies.

Lastly, don’t discount the historic college town of Dewey Beach this year.

With a grown up grub and music scene, and five-star accommodations like the Hyatt Place and Luxury Condos at The Residences at Lighthouse Cove, by Harvey Hanna and Associates, times are a changin’. Pricing starts in the mid $400’s to $1.8 poolside. Did I mention they serve Starbucks in the lobby?

JOE MAGGIO has lived at the beach since 1996 and is the Broker/Owner of a boutique Real Estate Brokerage, Joe Maggio Realty, and is the former developer of Aqua Grill. For more information about beach resorts email him at joe@ maggiorealty.com or kim@maggiorealty.com or call 302-226-3770.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: A real estate agent shows available investment property to a discerning client.

VALERIE M. BLAKE, Associate Broker, GRI, Director of Education & Mentorship Dupont Circle Office • 202-518-8781 (o) • 202.246.8602 (c) Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com • www.DCHomeQuest.com

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