Washingtonblade.com, Volume 49, Issue 35, August 31, 2018

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS

AUGUST

31,

2018

VOLUME 49

ISSUE 35

•

AMERICA’S

LGBTQ

NEWS

SOURCE

•

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

MIXED LEGACY

HOT SEAT

SUNDANCE!

McCain remembered as a maverick with an uneven record on LGBT rights.

Senate prepares for Kavanaugh hearings amid pressure to delay vote.

Annual Rehoboth party kicks off this weekend in memory of Steve Elkins.

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LO CA L N E W S

JONATHAN SCHAFER accuses Psychiatric Institute of Washington of anti-gay discrimination.

PHOTO COURTESY SCHAFER

Gay man files bias complaint against D.C. hospital Arlington, Va., resident Jonathan Schafer filed a complaint last week with the D.C. Office of Human Rights charging that Psychiatric Institute of Washington, a psychiatric hospital, subjected him to anti-gay discrimination in the way it treated him as a patient.

His complaint accuses an official that he says processed his admission to the hospital on Aug. 7 with saying his problems were due to his sexual orientation and that he should consider entering a heterosexual relationship.

“At the time of intake I was told by the Director of Intake that it sounded as if being a homosexual was messing with my head and that I should try a heterosexual relationship,” Schafer states in his complaint.

“She also said anything I could do with a guy, I could do with a woman,” the complaint says. “She also said I should try a heterosexual relationship so that I can have children and feel that I’ve contributed to the world,” Schafer’s complaint says.

In an 11-minute video of himself talking about his encounter with the intake official that he posted on his Facebook page, Schafer said he didn’t obtain the name of the intake official but believes she is a registered nurse. He states in his video he believes she acted inappropriately by suggesting his sexual orientation was responsible in some way for the depression he was experiencing at the time he entered the facility.

“You know, when she was saying those things I was very vulnerable,” he says on his posted video. “So it was very inappropriate behavior from her as a professional, especially in health care and especially in a mental or behavioral health setting,” he said in the video.

In response to an inquiry from the Washington Blade, Psychiatric Institute of Washington released a statement on Aug. 23 saying the hospital employee in question denied making the comments Schafer claimed she made to him.

“Hospital leadership is investigating the matter involving a single individual in the intake department,” the statement says. “We take all feedback seriously, and clearly would never condone the alleged statements attributed our employee, as they are inconsistent with our philosophy, operating principles and policies,” it says.

“Upon questioning, our employee denies that any such statements were made,” the hospital statement continues. “Nevertheless, we apologize that this patient reported a negative experience at our facility.”

The statement adds, “Despite a patient’s share of their personal information, PIW is not authorized to disclose details of patient care due to HIPAA patient privacy law, therefore cannot comment on any specifics.”

However, in response to an earlier question submitted to the hospital by the Blade, the statement says “we do not practice conversion therapy.”

In his posted video, Schafer said that following his encounter with the intake official he was worried that he might be subjected by the hospital to conversion therapy.

That practice has been debunked by professional mental health organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association, as being ineffective and having the potential to cause serious mental health problems.

Schafer told the Blade that in addition to the complaint he filed with the D.C. Office of Human Rights, he filed an internal grievance complaint with PIW and sent email messages to other government and private organizations informing them of what he claims was the discriminatory treatment he received as a patient as PIW. Among the agencies he contacted about the PIW matter, he told the Blade, were the Office of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights, the D.C. Hospital Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the national LGBT organizations Human Rights Campaign and the Trevor Project.

Schafer also provided the Blade with a copy of an Aug. 17 letter he received from Psychiatric Institute of Washington responding to his grievance complaint with the hospital.

The letter, written by Dody A. McClain, the hospital’s Director of Quality Management,

says McClain completed a thorough investigation into Schafer’s complaint. In a development that surprised Schafer, unlike the hospital’s statement to the Blade, the letter did not mention that the employee who’s the subject of Schafer’s complaint has denied making the statements Schafer alleges she made to him.

Instead, McClain’s letter to Schafer lists two specific actions it says the hospital has taken to “resolve your grievance.”

The first, it says, “Reviewed your concerns and provided feedback to the staff member involved and followed our performance management policies.”

The second action, the letter states, “Retrained the staff member on diversity/cultural competence.”

In its statement to the Blade, the hospital states, “PIW does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex or sexual orientation. Further, PIW does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex or sexual orientation.”

In an email to the Blade, Schafer, however, pointed out that in its official nondiscrimination statement on its website, PIW lists only the groups protected against discrimination in federal law. He notes, as the Blade also observed on the PIW’s website, that the official nondiscrimination statement makes no mention of the broader list of protected categories under the D.C. Human Rights Act, including sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Check It building’s window smashed by vandal

An unidentified vandal early Tuesday morning threw a brick into the large plate glass window of the storefront building in Anacostia occupied by the LGBT youth organization Check It Enterprises, smashing the window and damaging the building’s front door, according to Ron Moten, the group’s senior adviser.

Moten told the Washington Blade a witness informed him that the person who tossed the brick shortly after 6 a.m. on Aug. 27 appeared to be an emotionally unstable Check It’s building sustained up to $3,000 in damage on Tuesday. woman who was dressed only in a diaper.

He said the witness thought the woman was yelling anti-gay insults as she walked away from the scene.

However, D.C. Police Lt. Brett Parson, who oversees the department’s LGBT Liaison Unit, said a police officer who arrived on the scene and interviewed the witness did not indicate in her report that the witness heard anti-gay words being spoken by the unidentified vandal.

A police incident report prepared by the officer lists the incident as an act of destruction of property valued at less than $1,000. The report says Officer Krishna Ramson of the Seventh Police District “canvassed the surrounding area yielding negative results” in her search for a suspect.

Parson said that although the report does not list the incident as an ant-LGBT bias related crime the report would be changed to classify the incident as a hate crime if new evidence surfaces to confirm such a designation.

Moten said he thought the cost of repairing the window and damaged door could exceed $3,000. He said Check It Enterprises has insurance that could cover the repair costs but he was concerned that filing a claim would result in a steep increase in the group’s insurance premiums.

As an initial step, Moten created a GoFundMe page to seek help from the community to assist in covering the repair costs.

Check It Enterprises moved into the building at 1920 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., S.E. in February 2017. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes North joined Check It members for a ribbon-cutting grand opening ceremony.

Check It’s members are comprised mostly of LGBT youth of color who formed the organization from what had been known as the Check It street gang. The transformed group now operates as a business enterprise specializing in producing and merchandizing clothing. It also serves as a community center for LGBT youth in the neighborhood.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

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NATIONAL NEWS

McCain leaves complicated legacy on LGBT rights Arizona Republican succumbs to brain cancer at age 81

By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com Sen. John McCain, who died Saturday at 81, leaves a legacy of patriotism, service to country — and being a thorn in the side of President Trump — but his legacy on LGBT issues is more complicated.

Throughout his decades in Congress, the Arizona Republican took widely different stances on LGBT issues — at times mocking them as unimportant, at other times embracing equal rights for the LGBT community. McCain would often oppose LGBT rights to align with his party and for the sake of political expediency, although the general direction of the positions he took as time went on demonstrated increasing acceptance of LGBT people.

Masen Davis, CEO of Freedom for All Americans, said in a statement McCain’s growing acceptance of LGBT rights is consistent with many Americans.

“John McCain’s journey to a more supportive place on a number of LGBTQ issues is one that is familiar to so many Americans,” Davis said. “His evolution is reflective of the growing awareness that each and every one of us share the same values and the same aspirations, and we all strive toward building a more perfect nation.”

An early test for McCain on LGBT issues during his career in the Senate came in 1993, when lawmakers were debating gays in the military in response to then-President Clinton’s call to lift the administrative ban on their service. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, McCain was part of the deliberation that ended with lawmakers passing the statutory ban on military service that came to be known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Three years later in 1996, McCain continued his opposition to LGBT rights when he was one of 84 senators to vote in support of the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal prohibition on the recognition of same-sex marriage.

At around this time, former Rep. Jim Kolbe, McCain’s fellow congressman from Arizona who was closeted at the time, angered LGBT activists for his vote in favor of DOMA. LGBT activists, including the then-publishers of the Washington Blade, threatened to out Kolbe over his vote, but Kolbe pre-empted them by coming out as gay.

Despite the political risk of coming out at the time, McCain came to his friend’s aid and said Kolbe’s coming out hadn’t “caused much of a ripple” in Arizona.

“I think Jim Kolbe has the respect and appreciation of most Arizonans,” McCain

Sen. JOHN MCCAIN died Saturday of brain cancer at 81.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

said. “I believe if he ran for re-election, he wouldn’t have much difficulty.”

McCain’s prediction proved correct.

Kolbe would be re-elected and go on to serve another six terms in Congress before retiring in 2007.

In an interview Sunday with the Arizona-based Kronkite News, Kolbe said having McCain’s support when coming out as gay was important.

“In fact, before I could even tell him, he put up his hand and said, ‘Jim, don’t worry about it, you’re my friend, you’re always going to be my friend, and it’s not going to make any difference,’ before I even got the words out of my mouth,” Kolbe said. “And so, he was intensely loyal to people that he liked, and he was certainly intensely loyal to me.”

Nearly a decade after the DOMA vote, McCain took a position aligned with the goals of the LGBT community in 2004 and 2006 when he broke with his party and opposed the Federal Marriage Amendment, a measure pushed by President George W. Bush that would have changed the U.S. Constitution to prevent the legalization of same-sex marriage.

At a time when support for LGBT rights wasn’t popular and most Americans opposed same-sex marriage, McCain’s position as one of the few Republicans to oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment was distinctive.

Although McCain acknowledged on the Senate floor opponents of the amendment contended it was “purposely divisive, discriminatory and intended to deny some Americans their right to the pursuit of happiness,” the Arizona Republican’s stated reason for opposing the Federal Marriage Amendment was federalism grounds.

“The legal definition of marriage has always been left to the states to decide, in accordance with the prevailing standards of their neighborhoods and communities,” McCain said. “Certainly, that view has prevailed for many years in my party where we adhere to a rather stricter federalism than has always been the case in the prevailing views among

our friends in the Democratic Party.”

Consistent with that federalism approach, McCain was a vocal supporter in 2006 of a proposed state constitutional amendment at the ballot in Arizona seeking to prohibit same-sex marriage and even appeared in a campaign calling for its passage.

(Ironically, the Arizona amendment in 2006 was the first anti-gay marriage amendment to fail at the ballot, although voters in the state corrected that by passing a different version of the amendment in 2008. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals would eventually strike down the amendment as unconstitutional.)

Unlike other politicians, McCain never evolved on the issue of same-sex marriage and continued to oppose it even after the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015 in favor of marriage equality nationwide.

In 2008, McCain embarked on his presidential run and won the nomination to run against Barack Obama for the White House. Seeking to appeal to a nationwide audience, McCain reached out to the LGBT community through an interview with the Washington Blade, making him the first (and still only) Republican presidential nominee to participate in a Q&A with the LGBT media.

In the interview, McCain suggested he could support the Employment NonDiscrimination Act and was open to a review of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Although he reiterated his opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment, McCain suggested that might change if the courts forced states to recognize same-sex marriage.

Notably, McCain when asked to identify a gay role model chose 9/11 hero Mark Bingham, who helped lead passengers in diverting United Airlines Flight 93 from the terrorists’ intended target of the U.S. Capitol building. McCain delivered the eulogy at Bingham’s funeral and spoke warmly about him during the Blade Q&A. “I love my country, and I take pride in serving her,” McCain said. “But I cannot say that I love her more or as well as

Mark Bingham did, or the other heroes on United Flight 93 who gave their lives to prevent our enemies from inflicting an even greater injury on our country.”

McCain was endorsed during his presidential run by Log Cabin Republicans, a distinction Trump failed to achieve eight years later despite having the reputation in 2016 of being the most pro-LGBT Republican nominee in history.

But any growing acceptance of LGBT rights vanished during the first years of the Obama administration when lawmakers debated repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Faced with a Tea Party challenge to his Senate seat during a Republican primary from radio talk show host J.D. Hayworth, McCain was the biggest opponent of ending the prohibition on gays in the military and fought aggressively against changing the policy.

In one hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, McCain called into question the results of a 2010 Pentagon study calling for repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the implementation of open service.

“I remain concerned, as I have in the past, and as demonstrated in this study, that the closer we get to service members in combat, the more we encounter concerns about whether ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ should be repealed,” McCain said.

“These views should not be considered lightly, especially considering how much combat our forces face.”

When the Senate after an extensive, deliberate process and several failed attempts finally voted to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in December 2010, LGBT right supporters were celebrating, but McCain wasn’t. The Arizona Republican called the occasion a “sad day” on the Senate floor.

As the advancement of LGBT rights continued throughout the Obama administration, McCain had a mixed bag of views and many times remain opposed.

When the inclusion of a bi-national samesex couple was considered as part of immigration reform in 2013, McCain was derisive of the effort and warned that using comprehensive immigration reform as a vehicle for advancing “social issues” would lead to failure for the legislation.

But McCain also started exhibiting signs of moderating on LGBT issues. In 2013, McCain was among the 10 Senate Republicans to vote in favor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act — although that vote came after public prodding from his wife Cindy McCain in the form of a postcard to her husband.

The bill passed on a bipartisan basis in the Senate, but never came up in the Republican-controlled House.

Although he voted for ENDA, McCain in an almost contradictory vein was a cosponsor of the First Amendment Defense Act, a federal “religious freedom” bill seen to enable anti-LGBT discrimination.

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Kavanaugh hearings to begin Tuesday despite Trump scandals Senate Dems, LGBT groups object to withholding of Bush-era documents

By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com Despite objections to holding confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court amid the withholding of documents from his time at the Bush White House and mounting scandals facing President Trump, the Senate is nonetheless poised to begin its public questioning of the nominee next week.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is moving forward with hearings — scheduled from Tuesday to Friday — as Republican leaders push to have a floor vote on his confirmation before Election Day — after which control of Congress could change.

LGBT groups and Democrats — who oppose Confirmation hearings for Judge BRETT KAVANAUGH are set to Kavanaugh based on fears his confirmation would begin Tuesday. tilt the Supreme Court in a more conservative PHOTO COURTESY OF THE U.S. COURT direction — are insisting the hearings be delayed OF APPEALS OF D.C. until the Trump administration makes public the entirety of Kavanaugh’s records of his time during the George W. Bush administration, including when he served as staff secretary from 2003 to 2006 at the White House.

With Kavanaugh’s 12-year record as a circuit judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit scant on LGBT rulings, those Bush administration records may be more revealing on his work or thoughts on LGBT policy. After all, that was the time the U.S. Supreme Court struck down state anti-sodomy laws in the Lawrence v. Texas decision and Bush was pushing a Federal Marriage Amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage nationwide.

Additionally, the Bush administration was taking heat at this time for use of torture in interrogation of terrorist suspects, warrantless wiretapping and misleading the American public in motivations for the Iraq war.

Sasha Buchert, staff attorney for the LGBT legal group Lambda Legal, cited those Bush administration initiatives, saying with Kavanaugh up for an appointment to the Supreme Court the availability of those documents is “really, really critical.”

“We don’t have adequate information,” Buchert said. “For our lane specially, we don’t know his involvement in so many of those Bush-era scandals, so it’s critical that this not move forward without us knowing his full involvement.”

Among the documents revealed so far suggest Kavanaugh had a hand in Bush administration policy in which the Salvation Army requested an exemption from local nondiscrimination laws to discriminate against LGBT people and still receive federal funds.

Although then-White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said in 2001 the administration had decided “not to proceed with the Salvation Army request,” the records suggest Kavanaugh developed an alternate policy for the Bush White House allowing a religious exemption, which would be consistent with a leaked report at the time from the Salvation Army.

In July 2001, White House counsel Bradford Berenson wrote in an email to fellow White House counsel Jay Lefkowitz he hadn’t seen an inquiry from House Democrats on the Salvation Army issue, but “if it’s on faith-based, Brett is talking point.” In a subsequent exchange with Berenson, Kavanaugh wrote, “We have mapped out a preliminary strategy.”

Buchert said the email exchange about Kavanaugh’s involvement on the Salvation Army issue is revealing.

“It’s clear that he had extensive involvement in that issue and likely many others, this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Buchert said.

Senate Democrats have also asserted the withholding of documents stands in contrast to the confirmation process for U.S. Associate Justice Elena Kagan, who was required to

NATIONAL NEWS hand over documents related to her time at the Clinton White House. According to Senate Democrats, only six percent of Kavanaugh documents have been made public.

Calls for delay are also based on recent developments suggesting President Trump may have engaged in unlawful activity in the 2016 election. Chief among them is Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s pleading guilty to criminal violations of campaign finance law, which Cohen asserted as part of a plea deal was done at Trump’s request.

Harper Jean Tobin, director of policy for the National Center for Transgender Equality, cited both the legal troubles facing Trump and the withholding of Kavanaugh documents as reason to suspend the hearings.

“This entire process has already been farcical at best, and attempting to keep Judge Kavanaugh’s record a secret is an extreme step that ignores the will of the American people,” Tobin said. “Given the severity of the legal crisis facing the top levels of this country’s leadership, these hearings must be suspended at least until Judge Kavanaugh’s full records have been made available to the public.”

But those calls for delays aren’t enough to persuade Republicans to hold off on the Kavanaugh hearings.

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement he’s “not going to delay Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation” because the calls for delays are disingenuous.

“Minority Leader Schumer said he’d fight Judge Kavanaugh with everything he’s got,” Grassley said. “Some members of this committee announced their opposition before giving him any consideration whatsoever. The goal has always been the same: Delay the confirmation process as much as possible and hope Democrats take over the Senate in the midterm elections.”

Grassley disputed the Trump administration wasn’t forthcoming in the confirmation process when compared to the process for confirming Kagan, denying only 6 percent of the Kavanugh documents were released.

“We have received almost three times the number of pages for Judge Kavanaugh than we received for Justice Kagan,” Grassley said. “This is on top of the fact that we have Judge Kavanaugh’s 12-year judicial record to look at, while we didn’t have any judicial writings to review for Justice Kagan. This is the most transparent and open Supreme Court confirmation process of all time.”

The Senate considers the Kavanaugh nomination as the U.S. Supreme Court may take up major LGBT cases in the coming years. Among them are cases challenging Trump’s transgender military ban, lawsuits seeking clarification on whether federal statutes against sex discrimination — such as Title VII and Title IX — cover LGBT people and “religious freedom” litigation seeking a First Amendment right to discriminate against LGBT people despite non-discrimination laws.

■ CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

Sinema wins Arizona Senate primary Arizona Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) won a significant victory on Tuesday in the primary when she became the first openly bisexual person to win a major party nomination to run for a U.S. Senate seat.

The Associated Press declared Sinema, a three-term member of Congress, the winner at 9:21 local time after polls closed in Arizona at 7 p.m. Sinema faced Muslim progressive activist Deedra Abboud for the Democratic nomination to run for the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Jeff Flake (R), an outspoken critic of President Trump. (The other seat representing Arizona in the Senate after the death of Sen. John McCain will be filled by a interim replacement chosen by the Arizona governor and will come up for a vote in the general election in 2020.)

As the only openly bisexual member of Congress and co-chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus, Sinema has taken the lead on LGBT issues during her time in Congress. Among other things, Sinema was a co-sponsor of the Equality Act, comprehensive legislation that would prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination in all areas of federal civil rights law and legislation against Trump’s attempted ban on transgender service members.

Representing a moderate district in Congress, Sinema has taken votes in line with the Republican caucus that have angered progressive and LGBT activists.

Sinema has never voted for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as speaker, voted to delay implementation of the individual mandate in Obamacare and voted for a measure that would have inhibited Syrian refugees from coming to the United States.

The winner on the Republican side was Rep. Martha McSally, a former Air Force pilot who represents Arizona’s 2nd congressional district in Congress.

CHRIS JOHNSON

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1 0 • A UGUST 3 1 , 2018

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

Ariz. group advocates on behalf of LGBT immigrants Trans Queer Pueblo says more clients living in fear now

By MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com Editor’s note: The Washington Blade last month traveled to Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, California and Arizona to report on the impact that President Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy is having on LGBTI migrants.

Activists in El Salvador and in the Mexican city of Tijuana said the policy has either prompted migrants to postpone traveling to the U.S. or to remain in their home countries. These activists also told the Blade the policy has prompted an increasing number of LGBTI migrants to seek asylum in Mexico as opposed to the U.S. Activists in Arizona and in California’s Imperial Valley said the policy is also having an adverse impact on LGBTI migrants with whom they work. Dagoberto Bailón of the Phoenix-based Trans Queer Pueblo and other advocates told the Blade that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol do not have adequate policies in place for LGBTI migrants who are in their custody.

Roxana Hernández, a transgender asylum seeker from Honduras who was HIV positive, died on May 25 while in ICE custody in New Mexico. U.S. Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) told the Blade in June after he traveled to South Texas the Trump administration has not implemented any policies that specifically address the needs of LGBTI migrant children who have been separated from their parents.

“We know that we are automatically criminalized when we cross the border,” said Karyna Jaramillo, an undocumented trans woman from Mexico who is Trans Queer Pueblo’s Liberation Coordinator.

Honduras and El Salvador are among the countries with the world’s highest per capita murder rates.

A gay man who is seeking asylum in Mexico told the Blade a group of gang members in San Pedro Sula earlier this year beat him after they repeatedly raped a female friend and killed her in front of him.

Activists in Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, California and Arizona all said violence, discrimination and poverty are among the factors that prompt LGBTI migrants to flee their homelands.

Advocates in San Pedro Sula and in the Salvadoran capital of San Salvador also said their respective countries’ governments need to do more to reduce rates of violence and to expand health care and

Trans Queer Pueblo Liberation Coordinator KARYNA JARAMILLO speaks with the Washington Blade in Phoenix on July 19.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS

employment opportunities to members of the LGBTI community.

PHOENIX — An Arizona organization that advocates on behalf of undocumented LGBTI immigrants says more of their clients are living in fear because of President Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy.

Trans Queer Pueblo, which operates out of a small house in Phoenix’s Garfield neighborhood, runs a monthly clinic that offers health care to undocumented LGBTI migrants. Trans Queer Pueblo Project Coordinator Dagoberto Bailón told the Washington Blade during a July 19 interview that his organization also works to provide undocumented LGBTI immigrants “fair and dignified work” and access to immigration-related services.

Trans Queer Pueblo works with other immigrant advocacy groups that visit the Eloy and Florence Detention Centers — two facilities outside of Phoenix that house detained undocumented immigrants — and meet with detainees.

Trans Queer Pueblo also remains a vocal critic of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over the treatment of LGBTI immigrants who are in their custody.

Karyna Jaramillo, an undocumented transgender woman from Mexico who is Trans Queer Pueblo’s Liberation Coordinator, is among those who paid tribute to Roxana Hernández, a trans Honduran with HIV who died on May 25 while in ICE custody in New Mexico, during a vigil that took place outside ICE’s offices in downtown Phoenix.

Jaramillo said she fled to the U.S. in the

late 1980s after police officers in Mexico’s Morelos state raped her.

She was detained in the Eloy Detention Center for two weeks in 2015 after she was arrested for DUI. Jaramillo said guards used male pronouns to refer to her and the men with whom she was detained treated her as though she was a “sex object” and a “sick person.”

Bailón, who entered the U.S. from Mexico when he was eight, said immigrant detention centers “are not equipped to care for LGBTI people.” He spoke with the Blade as Jaramillo and two of their colleagues, Crystal Zaragoza and Dora Mejia, listened.

Zaragoza, the daughter of Mexican migrants who coordinates Trans Queer Pueblo’s Justice in Health Care Program, told the Blade many of the organization’s clients were afraid to seek access to health care and other services after Trump took office. Zaragoza said Trans Queer Pueblo’s health care clinic currently has a three-month waiting list.

“There are many patients who have not seen a doctor in 10 years, 14 years,” she noted. “They are still a little bit afraid.”

Trans Queer Pueblo works against the backdrop of Arizona laws that critics contend specifically target immigrants.

These include Senate Bill 1070, a law then-Gov. Jan Brewer signed in 2010 that allowed police officers to check the immigration status of anyone who they suspected were in the U.S. illegally.

English is the official language in Arizona, even though statistics indicate more than a quarter of the state’s residents speak another language at home. Undocumented immigrants are unable to receive Medicare and other

public assistance in Arizona.

Arizona’s hate crimes law includes sexual orientation, but not gender identity. The late-U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was among those who opposed a controversial religious freedom bill that Brewer vetoed in 2014.

Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu are among the state’s most vocal opponents of undocumented immigrants. Babeu, who has run for Congress twice, came out as gay in 2012 amid allegations he was in a relationship with an undocumented immigrant.

“Arizona is a state where the intent of all of these policies is to see how they work or how those that pass in other states can improve them,” Bailón told the Blade, referring specifically to SB 1070. “Many white people and Republicans — and not only Republicans, but Democrats also — I think are really trying to maintain this status quo that allows them to remain in power and to continue to dictate what happens to communities of color.”

Ylenia Aguilar, a member of the Osborn School District Governing Board in Phoenix, largely agreed with Bailón when she spoke with the Blade at a restaurant in downtown Phoenix on July 19.

Aguilar, who was born in Mexico’s Veracruz state and learned she was undocumented when she was in high school, was able to normalize her immigration status under the Violence Against Women’s Act because her mother is a survivor of domestic violence. Aguilar, who is now married, became a U.S. citizen in 2016.

Aguilar is an organizer for UnidosUS, the country’s largest Latino civil rights organization, and a Human Rights Campaign supporter. She is also an interpreter for undocumented immigrants who go before federal judges in Phoenix.

Aguilar, whose paternal grandfather in Mexico was gay, pointed out to the Blade her school board is the only one in Arizona that has publicly criticized the Trump administration over the separation of migrant children from their parents.

She also acknowledged immigration was among the issues about which voters were angry going into the 2016 election.

“I was conflicted by that,” she said.

“I was like, you had the opportunity to vote all your life and you chose not to.

There are people crossing the desert, risking their lives. Eighty percent (of women) get raped. Children and women get raped. They die. They die of heat exhaustion. They’re exposing their lives obviously because going through that journey is way better than what they have in their native countries, so I never take that for granted.”

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A U G U ST 3 1 , 2 0 1 8 • 1 1

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

1 2 • A UGUST 3 1 , 2018

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

Trump immigration policy sparks concern on U.S.-Mexico border Calif., Baja activists working with LGBT migrants

By MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com MEXICALI, Mexico — The temperature was nearly 100 degrees shortly before 1 a.m. on July 22 when a stripper who was wearing a baseball hat, an unbuttoned black shirt and blue jeans stepped onto the stage at Porky’s Divine, a gay club in the Mexican city of Mexicali, and began to dance.

A California woman and her bachelorette party, several drag queens and strippers were among the hundreds of people who were at the club that is three blocks from the Mexico-U.S. border.

Patrons at Taurinos Bar, a gay bar that is a few blocks south of Porky’s Divine, were playing pool and drinking beers as they listened to songs from Ricky Martin and other Latino pop stars. “[The LGBTI community in Mexicali] is very big,” Axxel Rodríguez, the manager of Taurinos Bar, told the Washington Blade from behind the bar.

Mexicali, Tijuana and other Mexican border cities and towns have longstanding economic and cultural ties with neighboring communities and President Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy has not severed them.

The Imperial Valley LGBT Resource Center in El Centro, Calif., a city in the Imperial Valley that is roughly 12 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, provides services to upwards of 300 people each month. These include support groups for transgender people that are in English and Spanish and the annual Imperial Valley Pride that takes place in El Centro each October.

Imperial Valley LGBT Resource Center CEO Rosa Díaz told the Blade on July 20 during an interview at her office that many students with whom her organization works live in Mexicali but go to school in the Imperial Valley.

Díaz and Rev. Ron Griffen of the El Centro First United Methodist Church, who works closely with the Imperial Valley LGBT Resource Center, also noted many people who live in Mexico work in California.

Migrant workers who are permanent residents of California and can work legally in the U.S. are eligible to receive state Medicaid and other public assistance.

“People in Mexicali or Tijuana work in California and then they go back,” Griffen told the Blade on Monday during a telephone interview from El Centro.

Businesses that advertise immigrationrelated services are a common sight throughout the Imperial Valley.

Americans who cannot afford prescription drugs, dental or eye care in the U.S. frequently travel to Tijuana, Mexicali and Los Algodones, a small Mexican town on the Colorado River

AXXEL RODRÍGUEZ manages Taurinos Bar, a gay bar in Mexicali, Mexico, that is less than a mile from the Mexico-U.S. border.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS

that borders Andrade, Calif., to visit pharmacies, dentists and optometrists.

Long lines of traffic were waiting to enter the U.S. at the San Ysidro and Calexico ports of entry throughout the day on July 20 and July 21 respectively.

U.S. Border Patrol has set up a permanent checkpoint on the westbound lanes of Interstate 8 near Pine Valley, Calif., which is roughly 45 minutes east of San Diego. Another permanent Border Patrol checkpoint is located on the eastbound lanes of the same interstate outside of Yuma, Ariz.

A Border Patrol agent at the Pine Valley checkpoint on July 20 asked this reporter whether he was a U.S. citizen before she allowed him to drive through. Another Border Patrol agent a couple of hours later briefly interrogated this reporter after he took pictures through the border fence at Border Field State Park in Imperial Beach, Calif.

LGBT migrants staying in Mexico Activists on both sides of the border with whom the Blade spoke last month said Trump’s immigration policy that includes the separation of migrant children from their parents has sparked fear among migrants, regardless of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Comunidad Cultural de Tijuana LGBTI, an LGBTI community center in Tijuana that is located a few blocks from the San Ysidro port of entry, and Espacio Migrante, another Tijuana-based organization, work to provide shelter and other resources to LGBTI migrants in the city. The groups also offer assistance to members of the LGBTI community who have been deported from the U.S. The Blade has also spoken with an activist in Mexicali who works with LGBTI migrants.

Jorge Luis Villa, coordinator of Espacio Migrante’s Proyecto Diversidad Migrante, said during an interview in downtown Tijuana on July 20 that four trans women between the ages of 16 and 22 and a young gay man were part of a caravan of migrants that arrived in the city in 2017. Villa also pointed out a 300-person

caravan of migrants that traveled to Tijuana in late April included 30 people who were LGBTI. Villa said two of the four trans women who arrived in Tijuana in 2017 have asked for asylum in the U.S. He told the Blade the two other trans women — siblings from Honduras — are currently working in Tijuana’s Zona Norte, a neighborhood near the Mexico-U.S. border in which sex workers frequently work.

Villa said the gay man who traveled to Tijuana with the four trans women is now in the Mexican state of Veracruz and trying to normalize his immigration status in the country.

Rodríguez told the Blade there are trans sex workers in Mexicali who are from Honduras, a Central American country in which violence and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation is commonplace. He also told the Blade there are migrants from Haiti and from “all over” who gather at a park that is four blocks from Taurinos Bar and in other areas of the city’s downtown area.

Roxana Hernández, a trans Honduran with HIV who was among the group of 300 migrants who arrived in Tijuana in late April, was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on May 9 after she asked for asylum at the San Ysidro port of entry.

Hernández was held at the Cibola County Correctional Center in New Mexico before she died at a local hospital on May 25.

U.S. Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) told the Blade in June after he traveled to South Texas there are no policies in place that specifically address the needs of LGBTI migrant children who have been separated from their parents.

Villa has developed relationships with officials in the state of Baja California’s government who work with migrants.

He said the Mexican federal government’s immigration policy “has been created with the LGBT community in mind,” but he conceded “there is much work to be done.” Villa also echoed activists in Mexico City with whom the Blade spoke in July who said more LGBTI migrants have decided to stay in Mexico because of Trump’s immigration policy.

Cruz added smugglers, known as “coyotes” in Mexican Spanish, are fighting

each other because fewer migrants are entering the U.S. “This man speaks and people stay where they are,” he said, referring to Trump.

Griffen’s church provides legal services to low-income immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers through Justice for Our Neighbors, a United Methodist Church ministry. Díaz works with Binational Health Week, a consortium that promotes improved access to health care for disadvantaged Latinos in the U.S. and Canada, and has referred clients to the Mexican consulate in Calexico, a city in the Imperial Valley that is across the U.S.Mexico border from Mexicali.

Griffen told the Blade he has seen “a lot more fearfulness and a lot more uncertainty” since Trump took office.

“We have clients that have waited over 20 years to get their court date,” said Griffen. “They’re kind of scared to death that something’s going to go wrong.”

LGBT group trains ICE ICE since 2015 requires personnel to allow trans detainees to identify themselves based on their gender identity on data forms. This guidance also instructs personnel to consider placing trans detainees in facilities that have experience providing hormone therapy and other trans-specific care and advises against placement segregated housing units unless its a last resort.

Díaz told the Blade she received a call from the Transgender Law Center in late 2014, a few months before the Imperial Valley LGBT Resource Center officially became an organization, about a trans woman in ICE custody who was not receiving hormones while in ICE custody and was not being housed with female detainees. Díaz said the trans woman eventually received hormones before her release.

“She was homeless,” she said. “She was on the streets in Calexico, so she feels they let her go because they didn’t want to pay for her hormones.”

The Imperial Valley LGBT Resource Center now conducts trainings with ICE and Border Patrol that focus on improving the treatment of LGBTI detainees.

Díaz told the Blade a Border Patrol officer who attended one of these trainings was a trans woman. Díaz also said one of the facilitators of the Imperial Valley LGBT Resource Center’s trans support groups is a trans man who works for Border Patrol.

She conceded ICE and Border Patrol weren’t “prepared” to handle the increased number of trans migrants who have entered the U.S. Díaz nevertheless said she feels the organizations are making a “good faith” effort to improve conditions for trans and lesbian, gay, bisexual and intersex migrants in their custody in spite of the criticism they continue to face from advocates.

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A U G U ST 3 1 , 2 0 1 8 • 1 3

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

1 4 • A UGUST 3 1 , 2018

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

‘Zero tolerance’ prompts migrants to seek refuge in Mexico Gay Honduran asylum seeker finds freedom in Mexico City

By MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com MEXICO CITY — A 22-year-old gay man from Honduras’ Lempira Department was with a female friend in a park in San Pedro Sula, the country’s second largest city, one night in late February when a group of gang members forced them into a car.

The man, who the Washington Blade is not identifying in order to protect his identity and the safety of his family in Honduras, said the gang members took them to a secluded location. He told the Blade they repeatedly raped his friend before killing her in front of him.

“I didn’t want to run away from her,” said the man on July 17 during an interview in a Mexico City park. “They killed her and they beat me.”

The man fled San Pedro Sula five days after the attack.

“I left because of discrimination,” said the man, who is now seeking asylum in Mexico. “I was discriminated against a lot.”

Honduras ‘was hell’ The man with whom the Blade spoke is among an increasing number of LGBTI migrants who are seeking asylum in Mexico based on persecution they suffered in their home countries because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Anti-LGBTI violence is rampant in Honduras, which has one of the world’s highest per capita murder rates. Statistics indicate San Pedro Sula remains one of the most violent cities in the world that is not located in a war zone.

Activists in San Pedro Sula and other cities in Central America with whom the Blade has spoken in recent years have said violence and a lack of economic opportunities are the primary reasons that prompt LGBTI people to flee. Hiram Villarreal of Casa de Refugiados, a Mexico City-based group that provides assistance to migrants, regardless of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, echoed them when he spoke with the Blade on July 17.

The man from Honduras with whom the Blade spoke receives support from Casa de Refugiados. He spoke with the Blade after attending a meeting at Casa de Refugiados’ community center in Mexico City.

He said his father beat him and kicked him out of his home for being gay. The man then sought refuge in San Pedro Sula where he worked as a merchant.

“It was hell for me,” he told the Blade,

noting gangs extorted money from him. “I was a merchant. I liked to sell things. They took everything from me. I wasn’t able to sell anything.”

He entered Mexico near the city of Tapachula in Chiapas state after he took a bus from San Pedro Sula to Guatemala and crossing the Suchiate River. It took him nearly a month to reach Mexico City.

Villarreal said many LGBTI migrants, like the man from Honduras, enter Mexico by crossing the Suchiate River from Guatemala. He told the Blade they often stay in Tapachula or in Tenosique, a town in Tabasco state that is roughly 90 minutes from the Mexico-Guatemala border.

Casa de Refugiados has offices in Tapachula and Tenosique and works with the U.N. Refugee Agency. Villarreal said Tapachula and Tenosique are “not safe for the LGBTI community, above all for transgender women.”

Tapachula has the highest rate of reported hate crimes of any city in Mexico. Villarreal told the Blade that transgender women are also vulnerable to human trafficking and sexual exploitation in the city.

“There are many sex work networks, many sexual exploitation networks and obviously a person’s life is at risk if they refuse to go along with them,” said Villarreal. “It is an issue of survival more than an issue of whether you are a resident or not a resident.”

Villarreal also said an increasing number of Venezuelans are now coming to Mexico to escape their homeland’s deepening economic crisis.

“People don’t migrate for one reason,” he told the Blade. “It is a mix of many (reasons.)”

A person who is seeking asylum in Mexico must formally request it within 30 days of their arrival in the country.

The Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid (COMAR) will then interview the asylum seeker to determine whether their claims of persecution in their countries of origin are founded.

Mexican law says COMAR has 45 days to determine whether an asylum seeker has a valid claim. A person who is granted asylum in Mexico is able to receive documents that allow them to work legally, access the country’s public health care system and receive social security benefits.

An asylum seeker who speaks Spanish can request Mexican citizenship after three years. Non-Spanish speakers can seek citizenship after five years.

“It is a long process,” said the man from Honduras. “The only thing that I can do is be patient.”

‘Sanctuary city’ for immigrants Casa de Refugiados is among the many groups that provides assistance to LGBTI migrants and others who are escaping

The wall that marks the Mexico-U.S. border from the beach in Tijuana, Mexico, on July 20.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS

persecution in their home countries.

Mexico City is a “sanctuary city” for migrants and also one of the most LGBTIfriendly cities in Latin America.

The Mexico City Council to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination (COPRED) works to provide assistance to migrants and fines those who discriminate against them.

COPRED President Jacqueline L’Hoist Tapia told the Blade on July 16 during an interview at her office that Mexico City’s status as a “sanctuary city” and its proLGBTI policies allow LGBTI migrants and asylum seekers to feel welcome.

She said a trans migrant has worked at COPRED’s offices for six months. L’Hoist also said COPRED has also begun to work with the Inter-American Development Bank on a project that seeks to find ways to provide additional support to LGBTI migrants.

“I love it,” the man from Honduras told the Blade when he talked about Mexico City.

Discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity remain commonplace in many parts of Mexico. The man from Honduras nevertheless said he has “more freedom” in Mexico City than in his homeland.

“I can be who I am and nobody is going to abuse me,” he said.

He spoke with the Blade against the backdrop of outrage over President Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy that includes the continued separation of migrant children from their parents. Outgoing Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto is among those who have repeatedly criticized the White House’s plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

L’Hoist described Trump’s policy as “inhuman.”

“American residents and citizens know

much more about migrants and they know that they are not delinquents, that they are neither rapists nor drug traffickers,” she said, referring to Trump’s previous comments against Mexicans.

“They are men and women who are looking for an opportunity in a country that has historically been known around the world as a country of opportunities and of immigrants and one that was built by immigration.”

Villarreal agreed, citing the Trump administration’s efforts to ban citizens from five predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. He said one of the impacts of the White House’s immigration policy is that migrants have decided to remain in Mexico as opposed to try to enter the U.S. Activists in the city of Tijuana on the Mexico-U.S. border with whom the Blade spoke on July 20 echoed this account.

“Trump has created a policy of being unwelcome,” said Villarreal. “It motivates people to stay and not go north.”

The man from Honduras with whom the Blade spoke does not have any relatives who live in the U.S. He nevertheless criticized Trump’s policies.

“It is very difficult with children who remain separated from their parents,” he said. “I feel very bad. It is very cruel.”

“We are all human beings and each of us did not leave our countries for one reason or another; because of poverty, because of gangs, because of all of it,” added the man.

The man said he plans to stay in Mexico City where he would like to finish high school.

“I don’t have it (my diploma) because I was afraid because of discrimination in schools on the part of teachers and my classmates,” he said. “I was unable to finish my secondary education.”

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A U G U ST 3 1 , 2 0 1 8 • 1 5

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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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Discrimination based on gender identity and expression is illegal in the District of Columbia.

If you think you’ve been the target of discrimination, visit www.ohr.dc.gov or call (202) 727-4559.

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

1 6 • A UGUST 3 1 , 2018

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

Trump sparks fear in El Salvador But LGBT residents continue to flee violence, poverty

By MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com LA UNION, El Salvador — It was nearly 100 degrees in the Salvadoran city of La Unión at 1:15 p.m. on July 14 when Ever Pacheco, director of Colectivo LGBTI Estrellas del Golfo, a local advocacy group, began talking with three of his colleagues in their small office that is located on a quiet residential street.

Advertisements about receiving remittances from the U.S. are commonplace throughout the city that is located three hours east of the Salvadoran capital of San Salvador on the Gulf of Fonseca. Pacheco said fear over President Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy is increasingly palpable among La Unión’s more than 30,000 residents.

“Everyone has delayed their plans to travel (to the U.S.) because they are afraid of being detained,” he told the Washington Blade.

El Salvador has one of the world’s highest per capita murder rates because of violence that is frequently associated with MS-13, 18th Street and other street gangs. Pacheco and other advocates with whom the Blade spoke this summer said this violence is among the main reasons that prompt LGBTI Salvadorans to leave the country.

Pacheco said six transgender people from La Unión have migrated to the U.S. in recent years “because of the situation in the country with the gangs.” He told the Blade that discrimination and a lack of economic opportunities because of their gender identity also factored into their decisions to leave El Salvador.

Karla Guevara, president of Colectivo Alejandría, a San Salvador-based advocacy group, pointed out to the Blade last year that 18 trans women were known to have been killed in El Salvador in 2015. Francela Méndez, a Colectivo Alejandría board member, on May 31, 2015, became one of those statistics when she was murdered at a friend’s home in Sonsonate Department, which is about an hour west of San Salvador.

Three trans women were killed in February 2017 in San Luis Talpa, a city that is near El Salvador’s main international airport. Karla Avelar, a prominent activist who the Blade interviewed in San Salvador last September, asked for asylum in Ireland after she and her mother received threats.

“People are not going to the U.S. because it’s cold,” said Andrea Ayala, executive

EVER PACHECO, director of Colectivo LGBTI Estrellas del Golfo, an LGBTI advocacy group in La Unión, El Salvador, and his colleague VALERIA at their offices on July 14.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS

director of Espacio de Mujeres Lesbianas por la Diversidad, an advocacy group known by the acronym ESMULES, as she spoke with the Blade at a San Salvador coffee shop on July 13. “People are not going (to the U.S.) because it’s so beautiful.”

“People migrate because they will die and because they are hungry and because they are in need,” she added.

William Hernández, chief executive officer of Asociación Entre Amigos LGBTI de El Salvador, another Salvadoran advocacy group, echoed Ayala.

Hernández told the Blade on July 13 during an interview at a San Salvador hotel that is less than a mile from the U.S. Embassy that the violence in El Salvador is “worse” now than it was during the country’s civil war from 1979-1992.

He said some gangs target trans people and “obviously gay men.” Hernández also told the Blade the only time residents of one neighborhood that is controlled by two rival gangs can cross the street “without suffering the consequences for the act of crossing the street” is when they need to take public transportation.

“This is the reality in general,” he said.

Salvadoran gov’t urged to criticize Trump The Trump administration’s decision earlier this year to end the Temporary Protected Status program for the up to 200,000 Salvadorans who have received temporary residency permits that allow them to stay in the U.S. sparked widespread outrage among immigrant rights advocates.

Ayala and Ámbar Alfaro of ASPIDH Arcoiris Trans, a San Salvador-based trans advocacy group, are among those who criticized the White House’s decision.

Pacheco’s mother is a TPS recipient who has lived in Houston for 15 years.

“The impact that it has had has been very clear,” Pacheco told the Blade, referring to the end of TPS for Salvadorans.

The Salvadoran government in January

condemned Trump after he reportedly described El Salvador as a “shithole” country. Ayala and Hernández both accused President Salvador Sánchez Cerén of not doing enough to challenge the White House over its immigration policy, which includes the continued separation of migrant children from their families.

“It (the Salvadoran government) has a close relationship with the Trump administration, at the very least, for money,” said Pacheco.

The U.S. Agency for International Aid on its website notes El Salvador received $74,831,935 in U.S. foreign aid in fiscal year 2016. Remittances, which primarily come from Salvadorans who live in the U.S., account for nearly a fifth of El Salvador’s GDP. Hernández said there is a “lack of leadership” from Sánchez Cerén on a host of issues that include health care, LGBTI rights and abortion. Hernández also noted U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador Jean Manes has been “very serious” in criticizing the government’s efforts to reduce gang violence and fight corruption.

“The United States government cannot tell us what to do, but it’s also what are we going to do,” said Hernández. “The honorable ambassador has a very rigid position, but also one of a lot of cooperation.”

Assistance for LGBTI migrants Asociación Entre Amigos LGBTI de El Salvador has created an online initiative that seeks to provide information to migrants about where they can seek assistance as they travel from El Salvador to the U.S.Mexico border. Hernández nevertheless told the Blade that neither he nor his organization encourages LGBTI Salvadorans to leave the country without documents.

“We encourage people not to migrate illegally or undocumented,” he said. “But we know that many times they leave the country with only minutes to spare. So, what we are doing is getting the word out about the safest way to go and how they

can receive support along the way.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen earlier this month met with the foreign ministers of El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico in Guatemala City. She announced the creation of an office within her agency that will advise their governments about the reunification of migrant children who have been separated from their parents.

The Trump administration on June 19 withdrew the U.S. from the U.N. Human Rights Council. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein the day before condemned the separation of young migrant children from their parents along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ayala told the Blade the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the U.N. Human Rights Council was an attempt to deflect attention away from its immigration policy. She also spoke directly to Americans who continue to support it.

“I invite them to reflect with respect to the pain that this figure is inflicting on not only people from his country,” Ayala told the Blade.

She noted the U.S. provided military aid to the Salvadoran government during the civil war.

Salvadoran immigrants who fled the war formed MS-13 in Los Angeles in the 1980s. Gang members who have been deported to El Salvador over the last two decades have been linked to murders and other acts of violence in the country. “(The war) left El Salvador in ruins with military dictators, with an untold number of disappeared people,” Ayala told the Blade. “We survived 12 years of armed conflict that was, in part, supported by the United States.”

She added Trump continues to use migrants as scapegoats.

“Hate is a very strong word,” said Ayala. “This hatred is the distinction of what is different.”

Ernesto Valle in San Salvador, El Salvador, contributed to this article.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

H E A L TH NEW S

A U G U S T 31, 2018 • 17

Common STD rates up for fourth year: CDC WASHINGTON — Rates of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia are up for a fourth consecutive year in the U.S. and gay men are among those disproportionately affected, CNN reports citing figures presented this week at the National STD Prevention Conference in Washington.

Last year, nearly 2.3 million U.S. cases of these sexually transmitted diseases were diagnosed, according to preliminary data, CNN reports. That’s the highest number ever reported nationwide, breaking the record set in 2016 by more than 200,000 cases, according to the CDC. “It is time that President Trump and (Health and Human Services) Secretary (Alex) Azar declare STDs in America a public health crisis,” David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, which co-hosted the conference said Tuesday, CNN reports. “What goes along with that is emergency access to public health funding to make a dent in these STD rates and to bring these rates down and to ensure that all Americans get access to the health care that they need,” he said.

In 2013, there were 1,752,285 total cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis diagnosed in the United States. That number grew to 1,811,850 in 2014; 1,945,746 in 2015; 2,094,682 in 2016; and 2,294,821 in 2017, according to the preliminary CDC data, CNN reports.

“We’re talking about millions of infections with just these three infections,” said Dr. Edward Hook, endowed professor of infectious disease translational research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Medicine and scientific committee chair of the National STD Prevention Conference, CNN reports.

“It’s concerning to see such tremendous and significant increases in STD rates across the country,” Hook said, according to CNN. The preliminary data suggest that more than 1.7 million cases of chlamydia were diagnosed in 2017, with about 45 percent — 771,340 cases — emerging among 15- to 24-year-old women and girls, CNN reports.

Meanwhile, syphilis diagnoses jumped from 27,814 cases in 2016 to 30,644 in 2017, according to the preliminary data. Men who engage in sexual activity with men made up 17,736 of those syphilis cases in 2017, the data suggest.

CDC’s preliminary data show that emerging resistance to azithromycin is on the rise in laboratory testing. In 2013, 1 percent of gonorrhea samples showed emerging resistance to the drug, but that number had risen to more than 4 percent in 2017, CNN reports citing the CDC.

Fear keeps trans patients from care SAN FRANCISCO — Fears of insensitive questioning, withdrawal from hormone treatment and the use of a patient’s legal name, rather than chosen name, may drive many transgender people away from acute care facilities, including emergency departments, urgent care and inpatient treatment, according to an analysis by UC San Francisco doctors in JAMA Internal Medicine presented in MedicalXPress.

In their review, publishing Aug. 27, authors combed 80 studies to evaluate the medical needs of the estimated 1.4 million adults in the United States whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth, MedicalXPress reports.

In one cited study from 2015, one-third of more than 27,000 trans people surveyed by the National Center for Transgender Equality reported at least one negative experience over the past year with their health care provider. This included refusal of treatment or verbal harassment. Additionally, close to one in four did not see a physician in the past year due to concerns about being mistreated, MedicalXPress reports. This distrust may lead trans patients to avoid routine doctor visits and coming to acute care facilities when a disease is advanced, the authors noted.

Cultural sensitivity means rephrasing questions about the patient’s “real” name, “sex change” surgeries or making references to their “biological” or “genetic” gender. Instead, health providers should ask about the name they are currently using, gender-affirming surgeries and the sex they were assigned at birth, said Rosendale, who is also affiliated with the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences.

Clinicians can also reduce stress in transgender inpatients by allowing them to wear their own clothes, rather than a hospital gown, if that is an important component of their gender expression; and by placing them in a private room or shared room based on common gender identity, MedicalXPress reports.

Doctors’ tendency to put estrogen therapy on pause in transgender women at higher risk for venous blood clots, stroke and heart attack, may be unwarranted and could result in masculinization after a few weeks of treatment cessation, according to the authors.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

1 8 • A UGUST 3 1 , 2018

VIEWPOINT

McCain, a maverick redeemed Early opposition to LGBT rights gave way to support

By TOM CARPENTER Sen. John McCain became known as “The Maverick.” Solidly conservative on most issues, from time to time he would oppose the positions staked out by his fellow Republicans. Not the case on most LGBT issues.

From 1995 through 2012, I was a board member and co-chair of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an organization dedicated to the repeal of the harmful “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. McCain was one of the strongest and most outspoken opponents of open and honest service, a position supported by the Republican Party.

In 1993, when newly elected President Bill Clinton attempted to fulfill his promise to lift the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the U.S. Armed Forces, McCain was one of the leaders of the assault on the president’s efforts.

During the Senate hearings on the proposed DADT, he demonstrated his ignorance of the gay community and the issue. In a question to General Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, McCain equated transvestites to gay men.

In 2000, during the Republican presidential debate, McCain maintained that DADT was working. “I rely on people like General Colin Powell, people I served with all my adult life, who tell me that this policy is working,” he said.

During a 2007 Republican presidential debate, when asked about repealing

DADT, McCain stated: “I think it would be a terrific mistake to even reopen the issue. It is working, my friends.” By then, thousands had been discharged from the service under the law while the majority of the public supported open service of LGBT Americans.

Every year during SLDN’s annual Lobby Days, we attempted to meet with McCain to discuss the issue and every year he refused. There were many Naval Academy graduates leading the fight to repeal DADT. All of us shared a profound disappointment in McCain’s intransigence and outright opposition.

Finally, in December 2010, in the lame duck session of Congress, McCain made his last stand in opposition to the repeal of DADT. In a bitter speech, he told the Senate he had talked to thousands of active duty service members and most were against repeal. He predicted doing away with DADT would lead to a breakdown of unit cohesion and damage our military readiness. When the legislation finally passed he said, “Today is a very sad day.”

McCain’s predictions about how damaging the repeal of DADT would be to the military proved to be completely wrong.

The implementation of the change in the law by the military was flawless. Today, LGB service members are serving around the world with pride.

Finally, in 2016 the Obama administration lifted the longtime ban on transgender service. Unlike 1993, when all the senior military leaders opposed open service of LGB Americans, the current leadership was completely on board with this change in policy. On July 26, 2017, before E DIT OR IA L C A R T OON

the policy could be fully implemented, newly elected President Donald Trump tweeted that he would not allow “transgender persons to serve in any capacity.”

The Pentagon was blindsided. How would Sen. McCain, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, respond?

Perhaps he had already shown his hand. In April 2016, McCain came out in support of the first gay Secretary of the Army, Eric Fanning. After months of a hold on Fanning’s nomination by Sen. Roberts of Kansas, McCain argued to his Senate colleagues: “Mr. Fanning is eminently qualified to assume that role of Secretary of the Army. So I would urge my friend and colleague to allow me… to not object to the unanimous consent that I am just proposing.”

In September 2017, McCain co-sponsored a bill in support of transgender Americans serving in the military. In a statement he declared: “When less than one percent of Americans are volunteering to join the military, we should welcome all those who are willing and able to serve our country. Any member of the military who meets the medical and readiness standards should be allowed to serve — including those who are transgender.”

Why did John McCain change so much?

Perhaps, diagnosed with a brain cancer not usually survivable, McCain was facing his own mortality. Trump, who never served a day in uniform and escaped the draft with a “bone spurs” medical exemption, insulted McCain during his run for president, saying: “He’s not a war hero.

He’s a war hero because he was captured.

I like people that weren’t captured.”

McCain began to oppose Trump at every turn. He dramatically cast the deciding vote to kill the bill that would repeal Obamacare. McCain favored the Dream Act and opposed “the wall,” the central promise of Trump’s campaign. Because of her admitted involvement in torture and refusal to call it immoral, he voted against Gina Haspel, Trump’s nomination for director of the CIA. McCain became the only Republican member of Congress to speak out against an administration that is fatally flawed.

Whatever motivated McCain does not matter. What does matter is that he finally saw the light. He followed his better angels. At the end of a long and distinguished life of public service, he recognized the important contribution of LGBT Americans to our country. Indeed, Sen. McCain leaves us a Maverick redeemed.

TOM CARPENTER is a former U.S. Marine Corps Captain (1979-1982), retired co-chair of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (1995-2012) and co-chair of the Forum on the Military Chaplaincy.

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McCain: a Republican, a hero, an enigma Agree or disagree with him, his voice will be missed

PETER ROSENSTEIN is a D.C.-based LGBT rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.

John McCain is many things. He is a Republican, a hero and an enigma. I respect and honor his service to the nation during war and peace but was not sorry he lost especially in the general election when the person he lost to was Barack Obama.

In his last Senate campaign he took an ultra-right wing position on immigration to satisfy his Arizona constituents. He was a rich man who once couldn’t remember how many houses he owned.

He is an enigma in so many ways. Every time he did something I agreed with friends would remind me of where he stood on so many issues. He opposed a federal minimum wage, voted for privatizing Social Security and even once voted against a more

robust education bill for veterans.

As he did during his last Senate campaign he often took positions to try to get elected and then backed away from them. One example was during a presidential primary campaign, when McCain sharply criticized leaders of the religious right as “agents of intolerance” allied to his rival, Gov. George W. Bush, and denounced what he said were the tactics of “division and slander.” McCain even singled out “Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell as corrupting influences on religion and politics and said parts of the religious right were divisive.” Then in an interview in March 2007, David Brody for CBN news asked McCain about these comments, “Do you regret saying it? Do you feel like you need to apologize for it at all? To which McCain responded, “I was angry. And sometimes you say things in anger that you don’t mean. But I have put that behind me. It’s over.”

McCain often mixed religion with politics forgetting the Constitution regarding the separation of church and state. When interviewed in 2007 by Beliefnet, a website that covers religious affairs, McCain was asked if he thought a non-Christian should be president of the United States.

He answered, “I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles, person-

ally, I prefer someone who has a grounding in my faith.” Later he said, “I would vote for a Muslim if he or she was the candidate best able to lead the country and defend our political values.” But later added his belief that “America is a JudeoChristian nation.”

McCain voted against federal funding of birth control and sex education and against spending $100 million to reduce teen pregnancy by education and contraceptives. He also voted more than once against legislation requiring insurance plans that cover prescription drugs to also cover birth control. Yet he voted yes on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. In 2017, his vote saved the Affordable Care Act when he voted against abolishing it making a strong statement on the floor of the Senate about not passing legislation that hadn’t gone through proper order, which included all the committees and hearings. But even before the applause for that speech died down he apparently reversed himself by voting for the Trump tax bill even though it included significant last minute changes made behind closed doors.

In 1983, McCain opposed creating a federal holiday in honor of Martin Luther

King, Jr. and only reversed his position when Arizona rescinded a King State holiday and there was an economic boycott and image problems for the state. Then in April 2008, McCain said, “We can be slow as well to give greatness its due, a mistake I made myself long ago when I voted against a federal holiday in memory of Dr. King. I was wrong.”

When it came to LGBTQ rights he was against a federal right to gay marriage wanting it left to the states and he voted no on a bill that would have extended the definition of hate crimes to include sexual orientation. He also voted no on giving the LGBTQ community job protections.

Yet he was a strong supporter of Eric Fanning, an openly gay man, speaking out and fighting for his confirmation on the Senate floor when he was nominated as Secretary of the Army.

You can understand how much McCain will be missed when looking at the acquiescence and sycophantic behavior of the current Republican Congress to the despot in the White House. Agree or disagree with him his voice and wisdom will be missed.

There are millions of Americans of all races, genders, nationalities and political persuasions who honor him and thank him for his service to our nation.

O UR B US I NES S MATTER S

A post-midterms political preview: Just more gridlock Democrats likely to win modest majority in House, remain Senate minority

MARK LEE is a long-time entrepreneur and community business advocate. Follow on Twitter: @MarkLeeDC. Reach him at OurBusinessMatters@gmail.com.

The death last Saturday of U.S. Sen. John McCain was immediately memorialized and mourned by politicians and people from all corners of the political spectrum. The longtime national elected official, former presidential candidate and party nominee, and prominent Republican policy voice is also being celebrated in the vernacular of the legislative body as the last “lion” of the Senate.

“Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd declared on Sunday that the nation is unlikely to see another member from the upper chamber of the national legislature bestowed with that honorific anytime soon. Todd’s assessment

seems particularly accurate given the extraordinarily low esteem the public holds both parties inhabiting both ends of the U.S. Capitol.

Ted Kennedy, who died nine years to the day prior and of the same brain cancer ailment as McCain, is considered to likewise have been of similar distinguished contribution and praised for the same distinctive comity. Kennedy and McCain, although they disagreed mightily on many issues, were both personal friends and occasional legislative collaborators.

Congress, of course, now merely replicates the swirling cesspool of what public discourse has devolved to outside the marble confines beneath a majestic dome. Former traditions of cross-aisle personal camaraderie and legislative cooperation are a quaint notion as partisans on both sides are entrenched in stubborn unwillingness to work together.

There is no longer a middle ground, despite political moderates constituting election-deciding voters. Not within the House or Senate chambers and not in the echo chambers of our living rooms, dining tables, or social circles. Politics has been reduced to constant toxic warfare, hyperbolic castigation of political opponents, angry name-calling and ugly personal belittlement. “If you don’t agree with me, there’s

something wrong with you,” may as well be tattooed on too many foreheads.

The generally anticipated outcome of the upcoming midterm congressional elections portends not only more of the same, but worse.

The likely modest-margin re-capture of the House by Democrats, while Republicans are predicted to maintain and possibly enlarge their control of the Senate, means only that gridlock will continue to prevail.

If you think nothing gets accomplished now, just wait until after the election.

Not only will this pitiful state of politics ramp up to an even more embarrassing and enervating level, our national debate will be immediately consumed by two things: whether President Trump is impeached, albeit perhaps not removed from office, and the next presidential election.

Plus, the two dozen or so anticipated Democratic candidates for president, primarily congressional personalities and comprising a lackluster cast of characters with policy positions outside the mainstream, will quickly start shoving one another out of the way in a mad race toward the cameras and attempt to gain attention and traction. As with Republicans and those on the right, leftist Democrats will relish in outdoing one another by propa-

gating outlandish proposals too extreme for the majority of moderate voters.

Not only will gridlock continue to prevail and further harden, the average voter’s disgust for such a spectacle will both deepen and broaden.

That will prove true regardless of whether Trump can, or will choose to, seek re-election to a second term.

Most surprising, and what many of us don’t acknowledge or accept, is that Trump could be re-elected. Despite last week’s damning legal developments, the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey indicates Trump’s approval numbers have never been higher and are nearing the even-split of the nation. On economic issues, the Real Clear Politics average of respected polling gives Trump majority approval. Even Trump’s support among African Americans has steadily increased, if only incrementally, to a percentage now in double digits.

The real question, though, well beyond Trump’s political support or electoral viability, is whether the institutions of a democratic republic can survive the shenanigans of a national government that no longer functions.

On that score, Trump does indeed matter. The legacy of John McCain, whether you liked him or not, matters more.

2 0 • A UGUST 3 1 , 2018

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The Sundance dance party is a Rehoboth Beach Labor Day tradition.

PHOTO COURTESY CAMP REHOBOTH

Rehoboth’s Sundance party returns this weekend Dance, auction to be held in memory of co-founder Steve Elkins

By BLAKE CHAMBERS

Sundance, the annual CAMP Rehoboth Labor Day weekend tradition, will be somewhat bittersweet this year.

“Sundance 2018: Rainbow XXXI: In the Name of Love” will be held this weekend to benefit CAMP Rehoboth in memory of the late Steve Elkins, who died in March from lymphoma. He was 67.

Sundance was created by CAMP Rehoboth founders Elkins and his husband Murray Archibald in response to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Archibald had been Elkins’ husband and partner for 40 years at the time of Elkins’ death. They decided to make Sundance a dance party with the purpose of raising money for

AIDS charities. Archibald said in an article of a recent issue of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth that many people were dying and there was no treatment for AIDS at the time.

“It was 1988. We were losing friends left and right. We were still living in New York in those days but spending a lot of time down here,” Archibald says. “It was terrible, and we wanted to do something.

It was our 10th anniversary party, Steve and mine, and everybody in our house down here wanted to do something.

And I said, well, we wanted to make it a fundraiser. We did a lot of events actually back then — dance events — so

we thought that would be a great way to make money.”

The Sundance Auction will be held on Saturday, Sept. 1 with an open bar, food by Plate Catering, music by Stephen Strasser and silent and live auctions.

On Sunday, Sept. 2, there will be a dance party from 7 p.m.-2 a.m. with an open bar, Joe Gauthreaux as DJ and special guest Studio 54/Saint DJ Robbie Leslie.

Both events will be held at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.

There was no auction the first year; it was added the second year. Initially, the auction happened right before the dance, but a couple years later, the auction and

dance were separated into different events. Sundance has always been held on Labor Day weekend and has become a tradition.

Sundance has received an increasing amount of support and sponsorship over the years, raising more than $2 million overall.

“It’s grown. It just keeps growing. It has for years,” Archibald says. “We have tremendous community support for it.

I think its growth is probably the main thing and the support that it gets. The way we’ve raised money has changed.

For a good while, it was only AIDS work, CONTINUES ON PAGE 33

2 2 • A UGUS T 3 1 , 2018

Q U E E RY : 2 0 Q U E ST I O N S F O R J O H N P A RA D I SO

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com For artist John Paradiso, the desire to create is different from what you might think.

“Making art in my studio is one of the only places where no one can tell me what to do,” the 56-year-old Albany, N.Y., native says. “And it’s the only place I feel comfortable making mistakes.”

Three vintage self portraits and two contemporary embroidery pieces by the artist are featured in “Queer(ing) Pleasure,” a new exhibit at the District of Columbia Arts Center (2438 18th St., N.W.). An opening reception is slated for Friday, Sept. 7 from 7-9 p.m. The show runs through Sunday, Oct. 14 when a closing reception and panel discussion will be held.

The exhibit, curated by Andy Johnson, illustrates the “radical queer potential of pleasure, challenging the too-often limited, white, hetero-centric logic of the erotic,” its press release states. “Through performance, photography, embroidery, video and sculpture, the artists trace new and existing networks between pleasure, erotics and queerness.” Details at dcartscenter.org.

Paradiso’s photos are from the late 1980s, when he says his artistic focus was on risk and love.

“My partner at the time was a person living with AIDS and we had many friends who were sick and/or dying from AIDS-related illnesses during that time,” Paradiso says.

The two embroidery pieces were taken from old porn magazines and hand stitched and left in their stitching hoops. Paradiso says they’re “more about identity and masculinity.”

Johnson selected the pieces from Paradiso’s collection. It’s Paradiso’s first exhibit with the D.C. Arts Center.

Paradiso, who came to Washington 16 years ago with his partner, Tom Hill, makes most of his art in a small studio a block from his house though he also has pieces he can work on anywhere.

“I often travel with works in progress, so if I’m visiting my mom, I can sit there and stitch while we hang out.”

He considers art his primary work but says it’s not commercial enough, so he also has outside employment. He’s the resident artist and curator at Portico Gallery and Studios in the Gateway Arts District. He manages five visual art studios and a small gallery space there. Find out more about him at john-paradiso.com.

Paradiso lives in Brentwood, Md. He enjoys cooking and nature in his free time.

Serving Our Community for 35 years

a d v i C e • m e d iat i o N • L i t i G at i o N • a P P e a L S • C o L L a B o r at i o N

FamiLY | eState PLaNNiNG | emPLoYmeNt | immiGratioN ComPLeX LitiGatioN | CiviL riGHtS | LGBt | adoPtioN | BuSiNeSS

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at tor N e YS at L aw • d C | m d | va

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6 9 3 0 C a r r o L L av e , S u i t e 6 1 0 • ta k o m a Pa r k m d

J O H N PA RA DI S O

How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?

I came out in 1984. The hardest person to tell was my girlfriend. The worst person to tell was my dad.

Who’s your LGBT hero?

There are many but I guess I would have to say Larry Kramer.

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

I have no idea. I’m a real homebody.

Describe your dream wedding.

If and when I get married, City Hall with Gabrielle, my girlfriend from college, as our witness.

What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about?

Women’s right to choose.

What historical outcome would you change?

What we did to our indigenous people and then slavery.

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

Personally when I saw “Torch Song Trilogy” on Broadway in the late ’80s.

On what do you insist?

Value artists.

What was your last Facebook post or Tweet?

We just rescued the cutest puppy and I have been posting many pictures of her.

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

“Honoring my Feminine Side While Striving to be More Masculine”

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

See if it could make me gayer. I wish I liked musicals more.

What do you believe in beyond the physical world?

A power greater than myself; actually many powers greater than myself.

What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders?

Include everyone. And when you think you have, look around and find those that have not been included.

What would you walk across hot coals for?

Love

What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?

That all gay men are limp-wristed when only the really special ones are.

What’s your favorite LGBT movie?

“The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”

What’s the most overrated social custom?

High fives

What trophy or prize do you most covet?

A Guggenheim Fellowship (I’m not even good enough to apply) What do you wish you’d known at 18?

That I would live this long and this well.

Why Washington?

My partner got a job here and I would follow him anywhere.

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2 4 • A UGUS T 3 1 , 2018

A RT S & CU LT U RE

This Week in the Arts provided by CultureCapital.com DANCE Marjan Farsad in Concert.

Sep 4. Dupont Underground. dupontunderground.org.

MUSIC

Library of Congress National Book Festival Sep 1. Library of Congress at Walter E. Washington Convention Center. loc.gov.

The Free Festival features a diverse lineup of 115 authors – including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, novelist Amy Tan, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith and Roxane Gay.

South Pacific Aug 31-Oct 7. Olney Theatre. olneytheatre.org.

Set on a remote Pacific island during World War II, South Pacific gave us the unforgettable love story between nurse Nellie Forbush and French expatriate Emile de Becque, a love threatened by war, as well as the dark corners of Nellie’s soul. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1950 Pulitzer Prize-winner was ahead of its time with its unflinching look at racism and prejudice that maintains its relevance today.

Herndon Labor Day Festival Sep 3. Herndon Parks and Rec at Herndon Town Green. herndon-va.gov.

11am - 5pm in downtown Herndon, the annual Labor Day Festival featuring Virginia wine tastings, craft beers, great music, a craft show, food vendors and lawn games.

Page-to-Stage New Play Festival Sep 1-Sep 3. The Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org.

Join 60+ Metro DC theatre companies for FREE readings and open rehearsals of plays and musicals in development by local, regional, and national playwrights, librettists, and composers—some with scripts in hand, others almost fully staged.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

THEATRE Como agua para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate). Sep 6-Oct 7.

GALA Hispanic Theatre. galatheatre.org.

Don Cristobol. Thru Sep 9.

Pointless Theatre at Dance Loft. pointlesstheatre.com.

Gloria. Sep 3-Sep 30. Woolly Mammoth. woollymammoth.net.

Hamilton. Thru Sep 7. Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org.

In the Closet. Thru Sep 15. DC Arts Center (DCAC). dcartscenter.org.

Macbeth. Sep 4-Sep 23. Folger Theatre. folger.edu.

Passion. Thru Sep 23. Signature Theatre. sigtheatre.org.

Shear Madness. Thru Nov 25.

Kennedy Center. shearmadness.com.

Small Mouth Sounds by Bess Wohl. Thru Sep 23. Round House. roundhousetheatre.org.

South Pacific. Aug 31-Oct 7. Olney Theatre. olneytheatre.org.

Stage Director Talk: Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Sep 6. Folger Theatre at Folger Shakespeare Library. folger.edu.

The Bridges of Madison County. Thru Sep 2. Keegan Theatre. keegantheatre.com.

Chamber Music at Noon. Sep 6.

Goethe-Institut. goethe.de.

Latin Flavor Night at the Labor Day Weekend Music Festival. Sep 1. GoGo Fusion Night at the Labor Day Weekend Music Festival. Sep 2. DCCAH at Lincoln Theatre. dcarts. dc.gov.

NSO: Labor Day Capitol Concert 2018. Sep 2. Labor Day Capitol Concert Rehearsal. Sep 2. At West Lawn US Capitol. kennedy-center.org.

Revels’ Labor Day Parade Troop. Sep 3. Washington Revels at St. Paul Park. revelsdc.org.

WMPA Chamber Music Series: Pianist Solomon Eichner. Sep 2. Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association at The Lyceum. wmpamusic.org.

Ziggy Marley and Steel Pulse with Tribal Seeds and Iya Terra. Sep 1. 5 Seconds of Summer: Meet You There Tour with The Aces. Sep 5. Alanis Morissette. Sep 6. Wolf Trap. wolftrap.org.

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

Thru Sep 2. doaks.org.

Folger Shakespeare Library. Form & Function: The Genius of the Book. Thru Sep 23. folger.edu.

Kreeger Museum. Against the Day by Richard Deutsch.

Thru Jan 1. Reinstallation of the Permanent Collection. Thru Dec 31. kreegermuseum.org.

Library of Congress. Drawn to Purpose. Thru Oct 20. Echoes of the Great War: American Experiences of World War I. Thru Jan 1. Baseball Americana. Thru Jun 29. loc.gov.

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

National Gallery of Art. Jackson Pollock’s Mural. Thru Oct 28. Water, Wind, and Waves: Marine Paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. Thru Nov 25. Exhibition: Sense of Humor. Thru Jan 6. nga.gov.

National Geographic. National Geographic: Exploration Starts Here.

Thru Jan 1. Tomb of Christ. Thru Jan 2.

Titanic: The Untold Story. Thru Jan 6. nglive.org.

National Museum of Women in the

Arts. Heavy Metal—Women to Watch 2018. Thru Sep 16. Bound to Amaze: Inside a Book-Collecting Career. Thru Nov 25. nmwa.org.

Smithsonian Anacostia Museum. Your Community, Your Story: Celebrating Five Decades Of The Anacostia Community Museum, 1967-2017. Thru Jan 6. Bridging the Americas: Community and Belonging from Panama to Washington, DC. Thru Jan 31. ACM 50th Anniversary Program: Block Watch. Thru Feb 28. A Right to the City. Thru Apr 20. anacostia.si.edu.

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian. The Sweat of Their Face: Portraying American Workers.

Thru Sep 3. Thursdays at Noon: Slow Looking. Sep 6. National Portrait Gallery - Recent Acquisitions. Thru Nov 4. Portraits of the World: Switzerland.

Thru Nov 12. UnSeen: Our Past in a New Light, Ken Gonzales-Day and Titus Kaphar. Thru Jan 6. Celebrating Fifty Years. Thru Jan 6. Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now. Thru Mar 10. Lincoln’s Contemporaries. Thru May 19. Champions. Thru May 19. One Year: 1968, An American Odyssey. Thru May 19. Daguerreotypes: Five Decades of Collecting. Thru Jun 2. npg.si.edu.

GALLERIES African American Civil War Memorial and Museum. 20th Anniversary Celebration: Hubert Jackson & Curtis Woody. Thru Sep 30. zenithgallery.com.

Del Ray Artisans. Ancestry Art Exhibit. Thru Sep 2. VCA Alexandria Animal Hospital. Atomic Dog and Consequential Cat Exhibit. Thru Sep 30. delrayartisans.org.

District Architecture Center. 2018 Professional Awards of the Potomac Chapter, ASLA. Thru Aug 31. Beyond Practice: Watercolors by David Cox, FAIA. Thru Aug 31. aiadac.com.

Gallery Clarendon. Gallery Clarendon August Show. Thru Sep 9. arlingtonartistsalliance.org.

Gallery Underground. POWER OF NATURE Juried Exhibition. Thru Aug 31. arlingtonartistsalliance.org.

Glen Echo Park. Art Walk in the Park: First Friday of every month thru September. Thru Sep 7. glenechopark.org.

Goethe-Institut. Astrid Riecken: Samantha Series. Sep 5-Oct 31. goethe.de.

Hill Center. Hill Center Galleries Regional Juried Exhibition. Thru Sep 22. hillcenterdc.org.

Korean Cultural Center DC. K-Arts Exhibitions: Expanding Spacetime: Works by Chae Eun Rhee and Sky Kim. Thru Sep 4. koreaculturedc.org.

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FI L M

A U G U S T 31, 2018 • 25

PHOTO BY DAVID LEE COURTESY FOCUS FEATURES

ADAM DRIVER (left) and JOHN DAVID WASHINGTON in ‘BlacKkKlansman.’

Holiday weekend holdovers Behind on your movie list?

Several summer hits still playing in region

By BRIAN T. CARNEY There are some great cinematic rewards for movie fans who are staying in town for the holiday weekend.

Although the Hollywood summer season has come to an end, there are some great indie films opening this weekend. The most highly anticipated is “We the Animals,” a visceral yet lyrical film about the childhood of a young gay boy playing at Landmark E Street Cinema. Based on the celebrated novel

by Justin Torres, the movie is a coming out/ coming-of-age about Jonah (first-time actor Evan Rosado) who is discovering his artistic interests and sexual leanings. His macho father is played by Raúl Castillo (“Looking”) and his overwhelmed mother is played by Sheila Vand (“A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night”). Director Jeremiah Zagar won the NEXT Innovator Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; the amazing animated sequences are

by Mark Samsonovich.

Two powerful movies about the impact of World War II are also opening this weekend.

Playing at the Avalon is “Memoir of War.” Based on the semi-autobiographical novel

by Marguerite Duras, the film is about a Parisian woman desperate for news about her husband who has been arrested by the Nazis.

Based on the thrilling true story, “Operation Finale” is about the 1960 covert mission led by legendary Mossad agent Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac) to capture the infamous Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley).

Also opening are “Searching,” a technological thriller about a father (John Cho) in search of his missing daughter; “The Bookshop” about a free-spirited young widow (Emily Mortimer) who opens a bookstore in a conservative English town; and, “Nico, 1988” about the final year in the life of Andy Warhol superstar Nico.

If you missed them, some great queer movies that opened this summer are holding over this weekend. “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” is the touching tale of a teenaged girl (an excellent Chloë Grace Moretz) who is sent to conversion therapy by her evangelical family. The surprise hit “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” is a heart-felt documentary

by Morgan Neville (“20 Feet from Stardom” and “Best of Enemies”) about legendary television host Fred Rogers. The charming movie include fascinating reminiscences from François Clemmons, the openly gay actor who played Officer Clemmons on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

The popular and critical hit “Crazy Rich Asians” is still playing at theaters around the city, including all three screens at the Angelika Pop-Up ay Union Market. The delightful rom-com stars Henry Golding and Constance Wu as the young lovers and features out actor Nico Santos as Oliver T’Sien, the gay cousin who paves the way for the inevitable happy ending.

Also holding over is “BlacKkKlansman,” Spike Lee’s brilliant and searing indictment of American racism in the streets and on the screen. The amazing film is about a black policeman (John David Washington) and his white Jewish partner (Adam Driver) who infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado. Topher Grace (“That 70s Show’) turns in an astonishing performance as Klan Grand Wizard David Duke. The movie is based on the memoir by Ron Stallworth; unfortunately, Lee leaves out the fact that Stallworth and his partner helped to thwart attacks on two gay bars in Denver.

Also holding over are “The Wife,” with a Auto Accidents - Medical Malpractice - Defective Products blazing performance that may finally get Glenn Close the Oscar she so richly deserves; “Sorry to Bother You,” “Blindspotting,” “Eighth Grade,” “Juliet, Naked” and the fascinating documentary “Three Identical Strangers.”

AFI Silver in downtown Silver Spring will also be hosting a number of exciting screenings over the holiday weekend. For musical theater ADVERTISING fans, the highlight will be the “West Side Story” ISSUE DATE: 171208 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Sing-Along on Sunday, PROOF Sept. 2.#1The Bernstein at 100 celebration will also include screenings 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 of the musical “On the Town”REVISIONS and the classic 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 drama “On the Waterfront”REDESIGN featuring an responsible for any legal out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users Lawyer ofliability the arising Year, Board Certified, Writer/Author/Lecturer, 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 Oscar-nominated score by Leonard Bernstein. copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary oradjustable propety right, false advertising, unfair Class Action Chairman, Reasonable fees, Practicing IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, AFI will also present “The or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the ADVERTISER SIGNATURE NO Shining” REVISIONS as innaffMaryland, Virginia and washington blade) and to hold brown pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) DC, harmless from any and all By signing this proof you are agreeing to your cont part of their tribute to Stanley Kubrick, the 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 by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertiser’s breach of any of the foregoing representations payment 4 Progressive Lawyers on Staff, Published Feminist on Staff, and insertion schedule. and warranties. complete two-part “Fanny and Alexander” Former Senate and House of Representatives Aid, Art as part of their Ingmar Bergman retrospective Collector and the sizzling “Picnic” based on the play by closeted gay writer William Inge as part of the William Holden centennial.

Finally, the cinematic pleasures will continue with a special screening of the gay classic “Victor/Victoria” at the Landmark 1310 L Street, NW, Suite 800 West End Cinema on Wednesday Sept. 5 and Washington, DC 20005 the opening of the annual D.C. Shorts Film Festival on Thursday, Sept. 6. aaronlevinelaw.com

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2 6 • A UGUS T 3 1 , 2018

O U T & A BO U T

By MARIAH COOPER

SUBMITTED PHOTO BY TYLER SHIELDS

Kathy fights back Kathy Griffin brings her “Laugh Your Head Off World Tour” to DAR Constitution Hall (1776 D St., N.W.) on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m.

Griffin’s comeback tour follows a year of scandal resulting from posing with a replica of President Donald Trump’s severed head. The two-hour show will include that story as well as commentary on the political landscape and the Kardashians. Tickets are $55.

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

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY VLADYSLAV REKHOVSKYY

Court to crown new royalty Sept. 8 The Imperial Court of Washington hosts Gala of the Americas: Coronation VII at the Sphinx on K (1315 K St., N.W.) on Saturday, Sept. 8 from 6 p.m.-midnight.

The celebration will say goodbye to Emperor and Empress Romeo DennisChalet B.Childs and CI Tooker Bottoms Jewel of Reign VI. Reign VII’s emperor and empress will be crowned at the end of the night. Dress code is formal evening wear.

Cocktails start at 6 p.m. followed by the ball at 7 p.m. The after party concludes the night at 11 p.m. with pizza and drinks. Tickets are $130. The Court has coronation-themed events all weekend.

For more information, visit imperialcourtdc.org.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVE CLAYPOOL

Mixtape swan song Mixtape holds its 10th anniversary and finale party at U Street Music Hall (1115 U St., N.W.) on Saturday, Sept. 8 from 10 p.m.-3 a.m.

Mixtape has served as one of D.C.’s longest-running dance parties for 10 years. DJ Matt Bailer and DJ Shea Van Horn will spin a mix of indie-dance, electro-pop, house and throwbacks for the last time. Tickets are $10. Attendees 18-20 will be admitted by advance tickets only.

For more details, visit ustreetmusichall.com.

Rehoboth Drag Volleyball is Sept. 2 The 30th annual Rehoboth Beach Drag Volleyball Extravaganza is at Poodle Beach (1103 S Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach, Del.) on Sunday, Sept. 2 at 1 p.m.

Since 1988, two teams have picked secret drag themes that are only revealed the day of the event. Thousands of people stop by to watch the team members both perform in drag and play volleyball.

Admission is free.

For more information, visit facebook. com/dragvolleyball.

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A U G U ST 3 1 , 2 0 1 8 • 2 7

THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BAND WA S H I N G T O N , D . C .

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Heritage to Horizons Friday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.

“Strengthening Alliances” featuring The Airmen of Note, Air Force Strings and Singing Sergeants

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2 8 • A UGUST 3 1 , 2018

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 The D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) hosts Exile Fridays, an 18-and-up LGBT dance party, tonight from 10 p.m.4 a.m. Ba’Naka will host the drag show which features D.C.-area queens. DJ Ryan DoubleYou will spin tracks. Rail drinks are $4 until 11 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/eagledc.

D.C. Bear Crue hosts Bear Happy Hour at Uproar Lounge & Restaurant (639 Florida Ave., N.W.) tonight from 5-10 p.m.

Drink specials include $5 rail cocktails and $5 draft pitchers of Bud Light and Shock Top. Free appetizers will be handed out all night. For more details, visit facebook. com/bearhappyhour.

Australian DJ Alison Wonderland performs at Echostage (2134 Queens Chapel Rd., N.E.) tonight at 9 p.m.

American EDM DJ Party Favor opens the show. Tickets are $33.50. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit echostage.com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 1 The 18th Library of Congress National Book Festival is at the Washington Convention Center (801 Mt Vernon Pl., N.W.) today from 9 a.m.7:30 p.m. Authors scheduled to appear include gay author David Levithan, bisexual author Roxane Gay, Dave Eggers, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and many more. There will be family friendly activities on the expo-floor and a book sale. Admission is free. For more information and a complete list of authors, visit loc.gov.bookfest.

D.C. Drag Brunch celebrates its threeyear anniversary at Dirty Martini (1223 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) today from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Drag show starts at noon.

All-you-can-eat brunch buffet is served from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. There is also a full bar. Guests must be 21 and over for entry. Tickets are $40 but a $20 online deposit is required. For more details, visit dragshowbrunch.com.

Game of Crawls, a “Game of Thrones”themed bar crawl is today from 4-10 p.m.

Participating bars include Decades D.C., Lucky Bar, James Hoban Irish Restaurant and Bar, Buffalo Billiards and Cafe Citron. Tickets are $28.45 and include access to drink specials at all bars, a souvenir cup, crowns, beads and candy. For more information, visit facebook.com/wherelocalsgo.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 2 Flash (645 Florida Ave., N.W.) hosts Flashy Sundays Labor Day Weekend tonight from 10 p.m.-4 a.m. Drag performers Kristina Kelly, Gabrielle Dupree

PHOTO COURTESY CAPITOL MUSIC GROUP

ALISON WONDERLAND, an Aussie DJ, plays Echostage tonight.

and Labella Mafia will have shows at 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. on the roof deck. DJ Twin and DJ Sean Morris will play music on the main floor and DJ Mike Babbitt will play music on the roof deck. Cover is $20 for the main floor and roof deck. Admission to the first floor is free. For more details, visit facebook.com/flashydc.

AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center (8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, Md.) hosts “Leonard Bernstein at 100: West Side Story Sing-a-long” today from 4-6:50 p.m. Attendees can sing along to classic songs from the musical such as “Maria,” “Tonight” and “America.”

General admission tickets are $13, senior tickets are $10 and child tickets are $8. For more information, visit silver.afi.com.

The BackRoom (715 Florida Ave., N.W.) hosts “Electric Rainbow: Labor Day Edition,” a dance party, tonight from 5-10 p.m. The party will be a Beyonce and KC birthday celebration and a Labor Day celebration. For more details, visit facebook.com/thebackroomcapo.

Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.) hosts Church Labor Day Sunday tonight from 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Jane Saw hosts the party.

Div0id and Daisy Confused will perform.

Bil Todd, Wess the DJ and Jesse Jackson will spin tracks. For more information, visit facebook.comtradebardc.

MONDAY, SEPT. 3 Alamo Drafthouse (15200 Potomac Town Pl., Woodbridge, Va.) hosts its Champagne Cinema Movie Party with a sing-a-long screening of “Grease 2” tonight at 7:20 p.m. Craft cocktails inspired by the film will be served. Guests will also receive interactive props. Tickets are $14. For more information, visit drafthouse.com.

Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.) hosts Labor Gay: the Annual Day Party for Working Gurls today from 2-6 p.m. There will be popsicles, performances and a raffle. For details, visit facebook.com/tradebardc.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 4 The fourth annual Silver Spring Takoma Park Restaurant Week starts today and runs through Sept. 9.

Montgomery County Councilmember Tom Hucker hosts the event. Participating restaurants include Busboys and Poets, Mrs. K’s Toll House, Republic and more. For a complete list of participating restaurants, visit sstprestaurantweek.com.

Republic (6939 Laurel Ave., Takoma Park, Md.) hosts Alegre Happy Hour, an LGBT happy hour, today from 5-7 p.m. For more information, visit

republictakoma.com.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 5 Bookmen D.C., an informal men’s gay literature group, discusses “The Sparsholt Affair” by Alan Hollinghurst at the Cleveland Park Library (3310 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome. For details, visit bookmendc. blogspot.com.

The Tom Davoren Social Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) for social bridge. No partner needed. For more information, call 301-345-1571.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 6 Alanis Morissette performs at Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, Va.) tonight at 8 p.m. The Canadian songstress will sing some of her biggest hits including “Ironic” and “You Oughta Know.” Tickets range from $45-80. For more details, visit wolftrap.org.

The Asian and Pacific Islander Queer Community hosts a support group meeting at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) tonight at 7 p.m. The meeting is co-sponsored by the Asian Pacific Islander Queer Society D.C. and Asian Queers United for Action. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

T HE ATE R

A U G U S T 31, 2018 • 29

Works in progress Page-to-Stage fest gives voice to developing plays

By PATRICK FOLLIARD This Labor Day weekend marks 17 years since the debut of Page-to-Stage New Play Festival, the Kennedy Centersponsored annual event celebrating new works in progress. This year also promises to be its largest to date with about 60 area theatrical companies participating in almost 80 performances.

“There’ll be a lot going on all over the building,” says Diana Ezerins, director of public programming at the Kennedy Center.

“Theaters and artists will present open rehearsals, concert readings and workshops of new plays that are often still in the development phase. There will be music, comedy, serious things and shows for young people. It’s very festive. Admission is free. And we’re pretty stoked because we’re trying to make sure the schedule represents the four different quadrants of our city.”

Page-to-Stage was hatched after a number of local companies lobbied for a platform to test new work that might or might not be part of their season lineups.

Over the years it’s grown to become an important part of the Kennedy Center’s public programs and community engaging programming activities. It typically proves a terrific platform for risk-taking and experimentation. And it’s practical in that it brings far-flung companies under one centrally located roof. Offerings have grown increasingly diverse in both themes and players.

Because the performances are in the workshop stage, many of the plays feature actors at music stands reading from scripts.

Participating theaters include Theater Alliance of Washington, Mosaic Theater Company, The Kennedy Center and Signature Theatre to name a few. Among the vast lineup, many performances are of special interest to LGBT audiences.

Unexpected Stage Company is presenting “Tell Me Something Good” (Saturday at 4 p.m. Chinese Lounge), a collection of shorts, written and directed by D.C. playwright Audrey Cefaly. The collection includes “Consider the Ficus,” the story of D.C. couple Garrison, an environmental lawyer, and Nate, an editor, whose relationship blows the very day the Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage.

Cefaly is probably best known for her play “The Gulf,” winner of the Lambda Literary Award in the category of LGBT drama. Set on a tiny fishing boat in the Alabama delta, this intriguing two hander explores the tumultuous relationship of lesbian couple Betty and Kendra. The play premiered in 2016 at Signature Theatre with a compelling production directed by out director Joe Calarco and has since

PHOTO COURTESY KENNEDY CENTER

Playwright AUDREY CEFALY says her characters reveal their sexual orientation to her as she discovers them.

been produced in England and Australia.

Though not gay herself, Cefaly’s lesbian working-class characters ring exceptionally true — them, their situations and their plainspoken yet gloriously lyrical dialogue. While writing the play, Cefaly ran some things by lesbian friends.

She wanted to make sure she got it right.

“I don’t set out to write gay or lesbian characters,” she says. “I hear the voices as they come. Sometime the characters reveal themselves as same-sex couples like with ‘The Gulf.’ The first image in my head was two women in a boat fighting. It reveals itself to me and try to do right by that.”

She adds that while all people need to see themselves reflected on stage, she looks forward to the day when identifying a play as gay won’t be particularly noteworthy.

“One day, you’ll see a play and it’s just another beautiful love story and the qualifier ‘lesbian’ or ‘gay’ won’t be necessary,” she says. “I hope by adding my pieces to the queer canon it will help a little.”

The African-American Collective Theater (ACT), a longtime Page-to-Stage participant, continues its exploration of LGBT life in the black community with “Unprotected Sex” (Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Terrace Gallery). Penned and directed by out playwright Alan Sharpe, the work is described as “an edgy collection of short plays reflecting the serious, sexy, and sometimes silly challenges encountered while navigating the path through selfawareness and self-acceptance.”

“Despite the title, the collection of shorts isn’t about HIV/AIDS,” Sharpe says.

“It’s more about the way in which LGBTQ people’s sexuality has not been recognized as particularly valid or valuable. When I was growing up in ‘60s, there was no one you could go to. No Internet. Very little in sense of protection. Couldn’t go to a pastor, counselor, family or friends. You felt very alone. And that’s the jumping-off piece for the project.”

■ CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM PAGE-TO-STAGE NEW PLAY FESTIVAL Sept. 1-3 The Kennedy Center 2700 F St., N.W. kennedy-center.org Free

© 2018 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © DISNEY. Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts in association with 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Warner/Chappell Music.

Star Wars: A New Hope (film with live orchestra) National Symphony Orchestra Steven Reineke, conductor

Music by John Williams

September 12–15 | Concert Hall

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.

David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of the NSO.

AARP is the Presenting Sponsor of the NSO Pops Season.

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30 • A U G U S T 31, 2018

MU SI C

Time to ‘Bloom’ New Troye Sivan sophomore album is lovely, logical follow-up

By THOM MURPHY Things continue to look good for queer wunderkind Troye Sivan. The 23-yearold pop star is out with his second full-length album, “Bloom,” the followup to his successful first album,“Blue Neighbourhood,” which debuted at no. 7 in 2015.

The new record (out today) traces much the same lines as the previous. His characteristic chill dance pop returns in full vigor — or rather, mellowness — on “Bloom,” but this time in bleach blond. It’s a good sound and look for the perennially boyish Australian.

Sivan first came to notoriety as a YouTuber, where he collaborated regularly with Tyler Oakley. His comingout video, posted five years ago, has been viewed more than eight million times. Sivan makes no bones about his queerness, evidenced no less by the title of the new album. As was much commented on in the mainstream press, the song “Bloom” is a not-so-subtle reference to bottoming. It’s a bold choice of title for an album that is musically less so. Nonetheless, Sivan once again works his dream pop magic, playing it safe without becoming redundant.

Much like the previous album, “Bloom” is a mesh of loverboy lyrics and warm, ethereal synth sounds — it’s less a break from “Blue Neighbourhood” than a companion album, a slightly more energetic side B. This is not a criticism; in fact his sound is somewhat unique among his pop music contemporaries. Drawing attention to the deeply similar character of the album might say more about our expectation that artists continually do something new and unexpected than it does about Sivan’s music.

The album opens with “Seventeen,” a song chronicling Sivan’s early sexual encounters with older men. (For the record, the age of consent in Australia is 16.) The lyrics, like those of many of his songs, have a spoken quality, giving them a relatively natural flow: “And he said age is just a number, just like any other.”

Or, to take an example from the song “Postcard,” one of the most subdued and compelling tracks on the album: “I sent you a postcard from Tokyo baby/ You never picked it up/I even wrote it in Japanese, baby/You didn’t give a fuck.”

The lyrics have the weight of regular speech but without sacrificing musicality.

Nor are they short on wit. This is one of

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

TROYE SIVAN previewed material from his new album ‘Bloom’ this summer at Capital Pride where he headlined.

the more remarkable things about Sivan’s music, and it gives the impression that Sivan is telling a single, continuous story over the course of an album. But songs also buzz with sexual yearning. “Lucky Strike,” an almost enchantingly catchy tune, is a good example. With the bass thumping, he sings in his whispery tenor: “‘Cause you taste like Lucky Strikes/You drag, I light.” Sivan is, of course, no stranger to innuendo or to lyrics about smoking.

The new album certainly hasn’t been short on singles: Five have been released to date, including lead single “My My My!,” “The Good Side,” “Bloom,” “Dance to This” (featuring Ariana Grande) and “Animal.”

“My My My!” has already enjoyed a fair amount of radio play and is likely destined for a long afterlife of remixes. The same can be said, though to a lesser degree, for “Bloom” and “Dance to This.” The song “The Good Side” is largely acoustic breakup song and a refreshing break from synth-heavy sounds.

The music video for “Bloom,” however, is a point of interest on its own. In bright red lipstick, Sivan wears a variety of androgynous flower-inspired gowns that look like they were taken from a J.W. Anderson runway show. It’s a fun, provocative celebration of queer identity.

The Frank Ocean-inspired “Animal”strays the farthest from the herd.

If anything, it indicates a drive toward more effect-heavy, quasi-psychedelic sounds. It’s by far the most adventurous track. But the joy of this album is not in shuffling through the singles — it’s in listening start to finish. With good albums, the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. This one is no different.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

BOOKS

A U G U S T 31, 2018 • 31

PHOTO COURTESY VIKING

Author JOHN LARISON has crafted a buzzworthy tale in his new book ‘Whiskey When We’re Dry.’ It’s his third novel, his first that’s not about his other passion — fishing.

Twists and turns Teen protagonist faces family crisis in late 1800s-set novel

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER has been reading since she was 3 years old. She lives in Wisconsin with two dogs and 12,000 books. Reach her at bookwormsez@yahoo.com.

There’s an increasingly rich vein of storytelling, both fiction and non-fiction, about the ways people of yesteryear dealt with transgender issues. It was, of course, a “thing” before we had the language for it.

In John Larison’s new novel “Whiskey When We’re Dry” (his third) out last week and already praised by Entertainment Weekly, O Magazine and other outlets, we meet a teen protagonist thrust into crisis.

Jessilyn Harney never knew her mother.

She died in childbirth, leaving Jessilyn’s father to raise Jessilyn and her brother, Noah, who was five years older. Noah took care of Jessilyn when their father drank too much syrup. He was a good brother, making sure she was warm, dressed and protected, until the year she turned 13 and, as young men are wont to do, Noah had a fight with his father and rode away.

For a few years, Jessilyn did what she could to help her father run things, but he’d gotten addled in that fight and was never the same. Sensing the truth, perhaps, he schooled her on sharpshooting for protection, and talked of marrying her off. Six days after he left on a solitary ride, Jessilyn found his bones scattered. Not knowing what to do, she asked if the nearby Mormon family might

take her in, but she was denied.

That was when Jessilyn went into the old wooden box that Noah left behind.

She found some of his outgrown clothes — things that fit her fine — and she became Jesse.

Women on the frontier circa 1885 stuck out, he learned, but a baby-faced man was mostly ignored. Still, he was soft and that cost him; he was unwise to the world, and that cost more, though guns would ultimately protect Jesse and they’d generate money in wagers with fools who thought a lad wasn’t good with a Colt.

But Jesse didn’t want money; he only wanted one thing. Noah had taken up with some outlaws and there was a bounty on his head, dead or alive. Sharpshooting was fun, but Jesse only wanted to find Noah before the law did.

Reading “Whiskey When We’re Dry” is like opening dozens of little gifts at Christmas: each time a surprise occurs, it’s a delight, the last no less than the first.

Author John Larison does that over and over again, gifting readers with a great opening, exceptional characters and plenty to unwrap.

Set in the years following the Civil War in an unnamed state, this book offers a lot to fans of many genres: for sure, this is an oater, complete with hosses and outlaws.

With stunningly described scenery, it’s a book for adventurers. There’s a gauzily told romance with another woman here, and small crushes on gun-slinging men.

It’s un-PC, so beware. There’s heroism in this novel, but not where you might anticipate it.

If you’re in need of a sweeping epic — a film adaptation is already in development — that offers plenty of mini-shocks throughout, it’s right here.

‘WHISKEY WHEN WE’RE DRY’

By John Larison Viking $28 400 pages

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P H O T O S BY MI CH A E L KE Y

The ninth annual 17th Street Festival was held along Frank Kameny Way on Saturday, Aug. 25.

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Sundance organizers say Elkins leaves rich legacy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

and a lot of it went to Sussex County AIDS Council and helped them stay afloat.”

Archibald says when CAMP got started, its volunteers quickly began expanding AIDS services they were doing and started splitting the money raised from Sundance between CAMP and the Sussex County AIDS Council. By the time the Sussex County AIDS Council closed, CAMP was doing a lot of AIDS work and other kinds of health-related work.

The money raised from Sundance has been used for CAMP Rehoboth for years now.

Archibald said Sundance raised $6,000 its first year and now raises around $120,000125,000 per year.

Elkins and Archibald have advocated for LGBT rights in Rehoboth for decades.

There was tension between the gay and straight communities in the late ‘80s into the early ‘90s, with one group in town that started a campaign with bumper stickers that read, “Keep Rehoboth A Family Town.” In response, Elkins and Archibald decided to open CAMP Rehoboth, looking to promote inclusion for all.

“During the ‘80s, Rehoboth had grown tremendously as a gay resort. Gay people had been coming here for a long time,” Archibald says. “During that time, there was the Strand, which was controversial because of its location. It was open for seven years.

It was a huge club. The Renegade was just outside of town. Those were two big dance clubs, and we had people coming, the crowds had gotten bigger. Everything had changed in that decade.”

Elkins and Archibald wanted to ease stress and build bridges. They developed CAMP Rehoboth with the mindset that it would work within the community, making the decision to not be “in your face” or “radical.” They wanted to work with people. Elkins and Archibald started using the language of making Rehoboth a place with “room for all.” Archibald said that when Elkins died earlier this year, the press was using that language to describe CAMP Rehoboth, showing that it worked.

The influence that Elkins and Archibald have had over the years can be seen on a statewide level, with then-Gov. Jack Markell adding sexual orientation to Delaware’s anti-discrimination law in 2009, which was signed by Markell at CAMP Rehoboth on Elkins’ birthday. Additionally, Elkins and the current president of the CAMP Rehoboth Board of Directors, Chris Beagle, testified in support of the legalization of civil unions in Delaware in 2011.

On July 1, 2013, Beagle and his husband, Eric Engelhart, decided to have their wedding ceremony at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center because they wanted to make the occasion a celebration for the entire community. Beagle and Engelhart were selected to be the first same-sex couple to marry in Sussex County by then Sussex County Justice of the Peace, John

The late STEVE ELKINS (left) with husband MURRAY ARCHIBALD. The two founded Sundance more than 30 years ago. Elkins died in March.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Brady, after the legalization of same-sex marriage in Delaware.

“I gave several press interviews immediately after Steve’s passing in March, and in virtually every one of them I mentioned that I’ve had many proud moments representing CAMP Rehoboth over the years here on the board,” Beagle says. “Next to marrying my husband, Eric Engelhart, on the stage of the CAMP Community Center on July 1, 2013, my other proudest moment was testifying with Steve Elkins for the civil union legislation in 2011. He was a mentor to me in many ways, and he will always have a very special place in my heart for the leadership and difference he made in my life, and countless others. So many of us wouldn’t enjoy the life we have here today, and the protections we’re entitled too, if not for Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald.”

Beagle began volunteering for Sundance in 2006, making this his 13th year helping put it together. He has mostly worked with the decor crew and set-up team, along with Archibald and other key volunteers, many of whom have been helping Archibald for 20 years or more. Beagle also co-founded the Sundance 5k in 2010.

“It amazes us every year how Murray is able to create a visual masterpiece celebrating the particular theme of the year,” Beagle says. “A true camaraderie has evolved over these many years, and it has become a type of family reunion for many of us, something we all cherish very much. And nothing beats the sense of gratification we all share as the auction doors open at 7 p.m. The crowds start pouring in and we see the look of awe and amazement in their faces. At that moment, we know we’ve done good work.”

Natalie Moss began volunteering at CAMP Rehoboth in 1991. Moss has served

as treasurer for both CAMP Rehoboth and the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center Project. She is also auction co-chair of Sundance and has been helping with the event for 28 years.

“We send out letters to all the businesses and ask them for donations.

Then, we have callers and picker uppers that follow up on the letters and run around town to pick the stuff up,” Moss says. “We have a lot of individual people, as well as businesses, that give us stuff.”

Once the donations for the auction are brought to CAMP, Moss goes through them and lists them on spreadsheets.

Once that’s done, the donations are brought over to the convention center where another team of volunteers displays them on the floor. Moss oversees the team that tallies the auction sheets. CAMP made the decision to use old-fashioned bid sheets because they want people to enjoy themselves and to not take away from their experience by them looking at their phones trying to bid on something.

“We get some really, really fun stuff. A lot of quirky things, games, books, glassware,” Moss says. “And the businesses give us gift certificates to restaurants — gift certificates for dinners and lunches and breakfast. Once it’s displayed, it looks beautiful.”

The Sundance auction will also have artwork, jewelry and a 60-inch TV among other things that will be up for bid. Moss says Sundance all comes together with the help of about 200 volunteers and the result has the appearance of a “fabulous-looking disco.”

Moss says working with Elkins was great and that everyone on the Sundance team had their role. She said Elkins did a lot behind the scenes. Elkins would run out and get whatever the Sundance team needed. He would negotiate with the

liquor store to get more tonic and mixes, order lunches, pick up the lunches and did some computer work, which included printing pictures for the live auction.

Moss said Elkins did everything to make sure the volunteers were taken care of.

“I used to be down here a lot, like I am now, and I’d have the music on. He was a very good singer, he had a very good voice. He used to sing in church. He would come down here and sing to me all the time, so I miss that,” Moss says. “So, Murray came in the other day. I said, ‘Are you going to sing to me?’ and he said, ‘No, you don’t want me to sing to you.’”

Monica Parr, who serves as CAMP Rehoboth’s administrative coordinator, is helping organize Sundance for her fourth year. She is managing the volunteers needed for the front-end production.

Parr is working alongside Archibald taking over some of Elkins’ tasks.

“It was a joy to work with Steve. I knew Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald long before I began working at CAMP Rehoboth. I was a volunteer for Sundance almost from the beginning,” Parr says.

“Steve was one of a kind. He was the kindest and most generous man you would ever meet. He would make sure that everyone felt welcome at CAMP, and at any event that CAMP Rehoboth sponsored. He will be truly missed.”

SUNDANCE 2018 RAINBOW XXXI: IN THE NAME OF LOVE Auction: Saturday, Sept. 1 7-10 p.m.

Dance: Sunday, Sept. 2 7 p.m.-2 a.m. $80 for both events or $45 for one Rehoboth Beach Convention Center 229 Rehoboth Ave. Rehoboth Beach, Del. 302-227-5620 camprehoboth.com

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A D V E RT O RI A L

PHOTO COURTESY SWORKIT

BENJAMIN YOUNG

Raising healthy adults starts now By diving deeper and asking the right questions, we’re able to ensure that your project gets off the ground on the right foot, and stays on track to ensure you’re delivering the right message to the right audience with the right medium.

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According to the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), more than 30% of high school students in the United States are overweight or obese. It’s a startling, tragic statistic.

Though the number of students drinking sodas every day has decreased, the number of physically active students is trending downward.

Research shows the positive impact of physical activity for kids, and not just in their immediate future. While active students get 40% higher test scores, they are also 15% more likely to go to college and earn seven to eight percent more income as adults (The Aspen Institute, Project Play 2020).

Unfortunately, there are significant barriers preventing our nation’s youth from participating in organized sports, including the expense and time commitment for working parents and caregivers. Yet, there’s evidence that active parents and caregivers breed active kids, and kids of active moms are twice as likely to be physically active.

With several states behind the curve on minimum physical education and recess regulations, it’s time for a new solution to step in and step up for America’s youth.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Aspen Institute, among others, are researching ways to solve this critical childhood issue. All the data shows that working in a supportive community environment and providing easy access to physical activity will help move the needle toward success.

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making our technology a perfect fit for youth, under the supervision of adults.

Sworkit has developed the Sworkit Youth Initiative for youth to use our fitness technology for FREE. We are asking all teachers and coaches to contact Sworkit to obtain free access to help motivate and excite students to establish positive healthy habits. We want to help foster the next generation of happy and successful adults by providing nutritional guides, fitness resources, sports equipment, technology and camp scholarships.

By offering free fitness technology to our youth to become more active and build healthier habits, we believe this unfettered access will encourage physical activity for students and engage their families to get moving together.

This investment in our kids will create a huge payoff for our nation. Childhood obesity is directly responsible for more than $14 billion in medical cost per year, but that’s just a drop in the bucket. The direct medical cost for obese adults is $190.2 billion each year, according to the National League of Cities. Preventing kids from growing up to be overweight and obese, the NLC predicts Americans can save more than half a trillion dollars over the next 20 years! To create a truly intergenerational cycle of healthy Americans, let’s empower our youth to become adults that don’t have to fight back against unhealthy habits from their childhood.

Imagine a day when we can proudly announce we’ve beat childhood obesity that our children are healthy, happy and well-positioned to be the future leaders of our nation. This is the goal.

And, while Sworkit is just one piece of the puzzle, we’re happy to offer a technologybased solution to work alongside with partners in this fight to ensure a healthier generation to come. Change starts when we work together to fight youth inactivity, and it starts today. We have the tools to empower students and engage families for a lasting, generational impact on our nation’s health. It’s time to share them.

Benjamin Young is CEO and co-founder of Sworkit. Follow him on Twitter: @ obenyoung. And follow Sworkit on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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REALESTATE

Extend your summer: Buy at the beach Fall is a great time to start your house hunt at the shore

By LEE ANN WILKINSON Labor Day is usually considered a bookend to summer, but it doesn’t have to be.

(For the record, summer technically lasts through Friday, Sept. 21!) Plus, fall really is a great time of year to explore your options for living at ‘the beach’ – which is a broad umbrella term for living where you can easily enjoy access to the perks of beach life. Summer rentals can sometimes make showings challenging to see investment homes and condos for sale, so fall is a bit more flexible all around.

Locals generally do not want to give away our secrets, but I will tell you that fall is absolutely the best time of year at the beach for so many reasons. Restaurants offer specials and the weather is still great.

Whether you want to sell it all and move from the city to the beach year-round, or if you want to explore a second home for your own getaway or to use as an investment property, there is overwhelming opportunity to do so. And with Maryland’s recent expansion of Route 404 from two lanes to a four-lane divided highway from US 50 to the Denton bypass, your “road not taken” for fear of traffic just opened up to you.

While traditionally Route 50 led you to

Looking to buy in Rehoboth? Expand your search to include Lewes and Milton.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY DANIEL TRUITT

Rehoboth Beach as the main destination in “Our Nation’s Summer Capital,” we now actually cast a wide net to include Dewey, the Indian River Inlet area and Bethany to the south, and increasingly Lewes and Milton to the north. Rehoboth Beach has the envious draw of the Atlantic Ocean, boardwalk, beautiful beaches, shopping, dining and nightlife. But these amenities are accessible from several different communities. When you are searching online for “Rehoboth Beach,” consider broadening your search to include Lewes and Milton.

Both historic towns, Lewes and Milton have been around – well, since the beginning of Delaware – and have hosted generations of beach lovers. Increasingly, both towns are expanding culinary and

SPEAK WITH OUR PREPLANNING ADVISOR, JAMIE ARTHURS AT (202) 966-6400 OR EMAIL JAMIE.ARTHURS@DIGNITYMEMORIAL.COM

shopping options to rival Rehoboth’s great restaurants. At least so far, home prices in these areas have not caught up to Rehoboth Beach. Simply put, you can get more for your money while still enjoying the array of beautiful natural destinations like Cape Henlopen State Park, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean and which is now connected to Gordon’s Pond in Rehoboth Beach via a five-mile scenic bike trail; Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Milton; Lewes Beach on the Delaware Bay; the scenic Lewes-Rehoboth Canal and Broadkill River. The season is unbelievably long here for biking, hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, bird watching, surfing, crabbing, fishing, and basking in the serenity of beach life.

The appeal of Coastal Delaware is undeniable – but what about the prices? I’ll leave D.C. real estate to the D.C. experts, but it is fair to say that house for house, living at the beach is less expensive, especially when you factor in our low property taxes, and investing here is definitely something to consider with your financial adviser. Our clients are a mix of retirees who are moving here full-time or selling a current house here for another (either smaller or closer to downtown); second home buyers who plan to retire here in the future; and increasingly families and couples who look at newer construction neighborhoods in and around Lewes, Milton and Rehoboth.

As a point of comparison, beachfront property in Rehoboth Beach, depending on the home, is typically in the $4M+ range. We listed an unprecedentedly high priced home in Lewes this year for $4.5M; however, we also have beachfront homes in the $2.5M range and one block off the beach can go for $1.5M and less. Lewes is home to several new construction communities that will offer homes in the $500-600Ks. And Milton, just a few miles north, features communities from the high $200Ks to $400Ks. Medical facilities and specialties continue to expand here to include a cardiovascular specialty at Beebe Medical Center and a brand new hospital north of Milton in Milford. Our school district is booming and has updated the high school, is replacing the outdated elementary schools and has added an additional one, and is adding a new middle school. The longtime question of “will I be able to live year round at the beach?” can be answered with a resounding “yes,” and you can even still enjoy an often solitary walk on Lewes Beach in the morning.

Labor Day doesn’t have to be the end of summer!

LEE ANN WILKINSON is a Realtor and CEO of The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Gallo Realty, the topselling real estate team in Delaware and #4 nationally for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Visit LeeAnnGroup.com, email LeeAnn@ LeeAnnGroup.com, or call her at 302-542-7125 for information on living at the beach.

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We will make every effort to make your visit comfortable and informative. Be assured, we are dedicated to understanding your unique goals and providing you with an exceptional experience. Please contact a member of our team today if you have any questions or if you wish to schedule a consultation! 301-652-9005 Breast Augmentation, Liposuction, Male Breast Reduction, Laser Liposuction, Tummy Tuck, Face Lift, Hair Transplant, Botox, Juvederm, Radiesse, Restylane, Zerona, Lipo-Light Cellulite Treatment, Skin & Spa Services

Call our office and mention this ad to find out about our specials on Cosmetic Surgery procedures!

D.C.’s Most Comprehensive Cosmetic Surgery & Medispa Center

www.chevychasecosmetic.com