Washingtonblade.com, Volume 49, Issue 46, November 16, 2018

NOVEMBER 16,

2018

VOLUME 49

ISSUE 46

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50 YEARS AS AMERICA’S LGBTQ NEWS SOURCE

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

More voters identify as LGBT — and they back Democrats Exit polls show overwhelming support for the ‘blue wave’

By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com Exit polling on Election Day 2018 revealed striking data about the strength LGBT voters, demonstrating they constitute a sizable 6 percent chunk of the electorate and overwhelmingly support the Democratic Party.

A trifecta of sources — exit polling from CNN, NBC News, the Wall Street Journal — consistently revealed 6 percent of the voting bloc in the congressional mid-term elections identified as LGBT. That sizable bloc represents a slight increase from years past, when an estimated 5 percent would tell a pollster they identified as LGBT. Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a conference call with CONTINUES ON PAGE 16

Rep. KYRSTEN SINEMA is headed to the U.S. Senate. New exit polling shows an increase in voters who identify as LGBT, a bloc that contributed to the Democrats’ big week. See related story, Page 08.

Baltimore gay man beaten to death Police seek tips after fitness instructor found inside apartment

By MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com A gay man was found dead inside his Baltimore apartment on Nov. 8.

Detective Jeremy Silbert of the Baltimore Police Department told

BRENDON MICHAELS was found dead inside his Baltimore apartment on Nov. 8.

PHOTO COURTESY CARROLL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

the Washington Blade police officers and firefighters found Brendon Michaels dead inside his home on Saint Paul Street.

The Baltimore Sun reported Michaels had been beaten. Silbert told the Blade that Michaels’ death has been ruled a “homicide from trauma.”

Michaels, 43, grew up in Westminster in Carroll County.

Carroll Community College in a press release said Michaels graduated from CONTINUES ON PAGE 06

ON THE MOVE

HOLIDAYS ARRIVE

GOBBLE GOBBLE

Contingent of LGBT migrants arrives at border after harrowing journey.

Our annual roundup of theater, other shows to kick off the season.

Local restaurants offer unique twists on traditional Thanksgiving dinner fare.

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Comings & Goings Mahoney joins Pan-American Health Organization

By PETER ROSENSTEIN The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at comingsandgoings@washblade.com.

Congratulations to Timothy Mahoney on his new position as Human Resources Technician with the Pan-American Health Organization. Upon starting his new position he said, “I will enjoy this new position because it allows me to combine my people skills, public administration experience, and foreign affairs knowledge in assisting the needs of the hard-working professionals that make up the Pan-American Health Organization and help to fulfill its mission to provide quality healthcare to all of the peoples of the Americas.”

In his new role, Mahoney will oversee the determination of all benefits (wage TIMOTHY MAHONEY increases, grants and performance appraisals), new hire, retirement, and transfer processes for United Nations staff for the Pan-American Health Organization’s offices in Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Venezuela. In addition, he will coordinate the pension and life insurance processes related to the deaths of retirees or dependents, as well as oversee the verification and processing of documents for the United Nations Pension Fund for the employees of the above-mentioned countries.

Mahoney has been looking for something to apply his talents to since finishing his master’s degree. He is an experienced multi-linguist with Spanish, Portuguese, and French language skills. He is a proven project manager and international relations professional (Latin America focus) and experienced writer and editor.

His previous positions include being a state policy analyst with the American Academy of Actuaries, and he was the Peter D. Bell Rule of Law intern with the InterAmerican Dialogue (The Dialogue). In addition he worked as the Associate Director of Government Affairs with the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) and as an Intake Specialist/Caseworker for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. He moved to D.C. in September 2005 to intern in the office of U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.).

He has done volunteer work for the Stein Democratic Club where he was twice elected treasurer (in charge of fundraising, and administering the club’s PAC) and twice elected Vice-President for Political Affairs (in charge of the club’s legislative platform, as well as lobbying the City Council and mayor’s office). In 2011, he was awarded the Desi Deschaine Young Democrat of the Year Award for his work.

Mahoney earned his bachelor’s in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and his master’s in International Affairs from the American University, School of International Service in D.C.

LGBT veterans honored at D.C. wreath laying ceremony Close to 100 people, including LGBT veterans and active duty LGBT service members, assembled at the gravesite of gay Air Force Sgt. Leonard Matlovich in D.C.’s Congressional Cemetery on Sunday to pay tribute to LGBT veterans.

The Veterans Day event, organized by the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community, included remarks by Major General Tammy Smith of the U.S. Army Reserves, who disclosed her status as a lesbian in 2012 shortly after the repeal of the military’s ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ policy.

Organizers have said the annual event is held at the Matlovich gravesite because of Matlovich’s pioneering role as an advocate for ending the ban on allowing LGBT people to serve in the military when he disclosed his sexual orientation as an active duty airman in 1975.

LO CA L N E W S

“We stand here because we know that as an airman he was exceptional,” said Smith, who appeared in uniform. “He came out to himself and then he came out for all of us,” she said. “So standing at this place, this is a bridge. This is a bridge between the service of Leonard and the service of all of us who have gathered here today.”

Ely Ross, director of the D.C. Office of Veterans Affairs, read a letter sent by Mayor Muriel Bowser greeting participants of the wreath laying ceremony and praising the role that veterans, including LGBT veterans, play in contributing to the life of the District.

“Today we honor LGBTQ veterans and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice serving the country they loved,” Ross quoted Bowser saying in her letter. “I will continue to protect and defend the rights of and expand opportunities for our LGBTQ residents and our veterans,” Ross quoted Bowser as saying in her letter.

Scott Gunn, an official with the LGBT Fallen Heroes Fund Memorial, gave an update during the ceremony on the status of that memorial, which is planned to be built soon in Congressional Cemetery. Gunn said the memorial will be a tribute to LGBT law enforcement officers and firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Trans Day of Remembrance set for Nov. 20 D.C.’s annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, which commemorates the lives of transgender people lost to violence each year, is scheduled to be held Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington at 474 Ridge St., N.W., from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Longtime transgender activist Earline Budd, coordinator of the D.C. Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR), said that similar to past years this year’s event will include speakers from the trans community along with supportive allies. Among the speakers will be Lourdes Ashley Hunter, director of the national group Transgender Women of Color Collective.

Budd said the event will also include the annual ceremonial reading of the names of transgender people lost to violence worldwide during the previous and this year.

TDOR was founded by transgender activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith to memorialize the 1998 murder of Rita Hester, a trans woman of color who lived in Allston, Mass. What initially began as a web-based project by Smith has since grown into an international day of action held each year on Nov. 20 in more than 200 cities worldwide.

Budd noted that similar to last year, there have been no reported murders of transgender people in D.C. so far in 2018. The New York City Anti-Violence Project, which monitors anti-LGBT violence nationwide, says there have been 23 reported murders of transgender people in the United States so far this year. The group says there were 30 reported trans murders in the U.S. in 2017.

However, there have been 12 murders of transgender women in D.C. since 2000, with eight of those cases remaining unsolved.

D.C. police statistics show that as of Sept. 30 of this year, there were 23 reported hate crimes against transgender people compared to 10 anti-trans hate crimes reported in D.C. last year.

Budd said that among those invited to speak at this year’s event is D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who was expected to issue a mayoral proclamation officially declaring Nov. 20 Transgender Day of Remembrance in the District of Columbia. Budd said that as of Wednesday the mayor’s office had yet to confirm whether Bowser would appear at the event.

D.C. Council member David Grosso (I-At-Large) has confirmed that he will appear at the event to present a resolution passed by the Council on Tuesday officially recognizing Trans Day of Remembrance in D.C., according to his legislative aide and trans activist Darby Hickey.

Also invited to attend, according to Budd, is D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham.

But Budd said that in a change from past years, the Planning Committee for the D.C. Trans Day of Remembrance decided that there would be no police speakers this year, although the chief and members of the department’s LGBT Liaison Unit would be invited and encouraged to attend.

Budd said the Planning Committee also decided that organizers will ask D.C. police to remove from the event anyone who disrupts the event similar to last year. During last year’s D.C. TDOR trans activist Ashley Love rushed to the stage, grabbed a microphone from the hands of Rev. Elder Dwayne Johnson, the MCC pastor, and yelled at Police Chief Newsham to leave the church because she didn’t believe Newsham should be part of the event.

Similar to last year, for those unable to attend, the D.C. Trans Day of Remembrance will be live streamed through: https://livestream.com/mccdc/TDOR

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NEWS

Murder charge lowered in stabbing death of former ANC commissioner Mother asks friends of victim to write letters to judge before sentencing

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com The ex-boyfriend of gay former D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Antonio Barnes, who Prince George’s County police charged on April 13 with first degree murder for allegedly stabbing Barnes to death, has pleaded guilty to a charge of first degree assault as part of a plea bargain agreement offered by prosecutors.

Court records show that Canaan Jeremiah Peterson, 24, is scheduled to be sentenced on the first degree assault charge on Nov. 29 in Prince George’s County Circuit Court in Upper Marlboro.

Alethea Barnes, Antonio Barnes’ mother, told the Washington Blade she is asking people who knew her son, including his former colleagues on Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6E in the city’s Shaw and Sursum Corda neighborhoods, to write letters to the judge expressing how Antonio’s death impacted their lives.

“We just need all the support we can get from people to just say what a good person he was,” she said of her son. Alethea Barnes said she and her family would also like those who write to the judge to call for “getting this boy some time,” referring to potential jail time for Peterson.

According to a spokesperson for the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, prosecutors determined through an investigation shortly after Barnes, 27, was found fatally stabbed outside his mother’s residence in Beltsville, Md., on March 14, where he lived at the time, that the stabbing occurred during a domestic related altercation between him and Peterson.

The spokesperson, John Erzon, said an autopsy found that Barnes had been stabbed in the leg and that the stab wound “nicked” an artery that caused him to bleed to death. A police report says officers called to the scene by witnesses found Barnes lying unconscious on a sidewalk at 11200 Evans Trail Lane in Beltsville about 10:30 p.m. The report says he was taken to Prince George’s

Gay former Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner ANTONIO BARNES was stabbed to death in March.

PHOTO VIA LINKEDIN

County Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

P.G. County Police provided few details about the case when they announced on April 13, about one month after the fatal stabbing, that they arrested Peterson on a charge of first degree murder in connection with Barnes’ death.

“As we reviewed everything we felt that the facts didn’t really fit a first degree murder,” Erzon said. “You had the victim and the defendant here were in a relationship according to everything we had,” he said.

“And as we further reviewed everything the defendant turned himself in to the police and said that he and his boyfriend had been in a fight and that the stab wound to the leg was an accident,” Erzon told the Washington Blade.

A police charging document says homicide investigators responding to the scene spoke to two witnesses, one of whom reported observing “the Decedent arguing with the Suspect.” The charging document says the witness reported, “The argument quickly turned physical when the Suspect struck the Decedent with an unknown object and threw the Decedent to the ground. Once the Decedent was on the ground, the Suspect dragged the Decedent’s motionless body to the sidewalk.”

The charging document, prepared by a P.G. Police homicide investigator, says the witness later identified Peterson as the suspect the witness observed assaulting and dragging Barnes through

an array of photos shown to the witness.

Police and court records in Baltimore show that in August 2017, about six months before the incident that led to Barnes’ death, Baltimore police arrested Peterson on nine assault related charges for allegedly attacking Barnes and Peterson’s mother with a knife.

Baltimore court documents show the incident took place both outside and inside the house where Peterson lived with his mother and where Barnes stayed when visiting Peterson in Baltimore.

One of the charging documents says Peterson “retrieved a small knife and attempted to cut Barnes by slashing at him several times. Barnes restrained the defendant and was able to disarm him but the defendant did bite him on the left chest and both arms during the assault, causing small welt marks and Barnes sustained a small cut to his right pinky finger from the knife as well,” the charging document says.

In what appeared to be a fit of anger prompted by Barnes telling him Barnes had to return to his then home in D.C., Peterson went on a rampage that included destroying property on all three floors of his mother’s house before threatening Barnes and Peterson’s mother with the knife.

In a development that experts on domestic violence say is not uncommon, Barnes and Peterson’s mother and sister, who witnessed the altercation, declined to cooperate with prosecutors in

Baltimore after Peterson’s arrest for the knife attack, according to a spokesperson for the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s office.

The refusal to cooperate forced the State’s Attorney’s Office to drop nine charges initially brought against Peterson in connection with that incident, including two counts of first degree assault, two counts of second degree assault, two counts of possession of a dangerous weapon with intent to injure someone, and malicious destruction of property.

Erzon of the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office said prosecutors cannot raise the matter of the Baltimore incident at Peterson’s Nov. 29 sentencing before Circuit Court Judge Michael R. Pearson because the nine charges against Peterson were dropped.

Under longstanding court rules, Erzon pointed out, judges can only consider in deciding on a sentence for a defendant in a criminal case past crimes for which a defendant was convicted. Prior arrests that did not result in a conviction are strictly out of bounds in a case like that of Peterson’s current case of first degree assault.

Under Maryland law, a conviction for first degree assault has a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, although according to Erzon, judges usually follow state sentencing guidelines which recommend that all but six years out of a 25 year sentence for first degree assault be suspended. The suspended years, however, could be imposed on the defendant if he or she were to get arrested again in the future.

If Peterson received a six year sentence to serve he would be eligible for parole after serving three years, Erzon said.

He said people who knew Barnes who wish to write a letter to the judge could send the letter either directly to the judge or to the State’s Attorney’s Office, which plans to compile the letters and present them to the judge in a packet. Such letters could be sent by email to Judge Michael R. Pearson c/o Assistant State’s Attorney Jonathan Church at: jrchurch@co.pg.md.us.

A spokesperson for Judge Pearson said letters could be sent directly to the judge via email at: laholmes@co.pg.md.us.

Peterson’s attorney, Melissa Rodriguez, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Gay man found murdered inside Baltimore apartment CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

the school in 1998 with an associate degree in arts and sciences.

The Baltimore Sun reported Carroll Community College hired Michaels as a full-time fitness instructor in 1999.

The newspaper said he was named coordinator of the Carroll Community College Fitness Center in 2008 and became

a certified personal trainer in 2014.

“We are extraordinarily sad to hear about the passing of our beloved friend and staff member Brendon Michaels,” said Carroll Community College President James Ball in the press release. “Brendon was a vibrant and well-respected member of the college community for over 20 years.”

“He was high energy, passionate about

fitness and always willing to help anyone in need,” added Ball. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

Brendon will be truly missed and will never be forgotten.”

The Baltimore Sun reported Michaels, who also worked as a waiter at the Olive Garden, in 2011 won $50,000 in the Maryland lottery.

The Baltimore Sun said investigators have not identified a possible motive.

Silbert told the Blade that police have not made any arrests in connection with Michaels’ murder.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Baltimore Police Department at 410-396-2100 or send a message to its text-for-tip line at 443-902-4824.

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NATIONAL NEWS

‘Rainbow wave’ boosts LGBT representation in Congress Baldwin, Sinema prevail as new faces to join House

By CHRIS JOHNSON & KAREN OCAMB The LGBT caucus in the upcoming Congress will get a sizable boost in the aftermath of victories of gay congressional candidates on Election Day. Three gay and lesbian non-incumbent candidates — Angie Craig in Minnesota, Chris Pappas in New Hampshire and Sharice Davids in Kansas — were confirmed the winners last week in their bids for seats in the U.S. House amid “blue” victories that propelled Democrats to take control of the chamber.

Another candidate who’s bisexual, Katie Hill in California, beat incumbent Rep. Steve Knight (R-Calif.) in her bid to represent her state’s 25th congressional district in the House.

These four additions will join incumbent gay Reps. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), who all won re-election last night.

Two other LGB incumbents — Reps.

Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) — will be leaving the House for higher ambitions. Polis was elected governor of Colorado and Sinema won her race to represent Arizona in the U.S. Senate. She will join Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin who handily won re-election in Wisconsin after conservative donors led by the Koch brothers spent millions to unseat her.

That brings the number of openly LGB members of Congress to 10.

That will make about 1.6 percent of Congress openly LGB, which is short of the estimated 3.5 percent of the U.S. population that identifies as such.

Cicilline, who co-chairs the Equality PAC, said in a statement the victories of the gay congressional candidates represent “a historic night in the fight for equality.”

“We will enter the 116th Congress with an unprecedented number of LGBTQ members,” We congratulate Chris Pappas, Sharice Davids, and Angie Craig on their victories last night. Their presence in the House will ensure the LGBTQ community is well represented in Congress.”

Sinema, who identifies as bisexual, defeated Donald Trump’s choice to replace retiring Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, Republican Rep. Martha McSally.

It’s the first Democratic win in the red state since 1976.

The nail-biter was too close to call on election night and for days counting the outstanding ballots. But Sinema’s lead expanded by more than 32,000 votes as mail-in ballots were counted over the weekend, enough for supporters to

From left: SHARICE DAVIDS, ANGIE CRAIG, KATIE HILL and CHRIS PAPPAS.

believe the gap was “insurmountable.”

Monday night McSally conceded in a video posted on her Twitter account.

“I just called Kyrsten Sinema and congratulated her on being Arizona’s first female senator after a hard fight battle,” McSally said. “I wish her all success as she represents Arizona in the senate.”

Sinema, 42, posted a statement on Facebook pledging to continue working to “find common ground.” “That’s the same approach I’ll take to representing our great state in the Senate, where I’ll be an independent voice for all Arizonans,” she wrote.

Democrats now control at least 47 Senate seats, though Republicans still hold the majority with 51—with two seats still undecided, Florida, where there is a recount, though Rick Scott is sure he beat Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, and in Mississippi, where there is a runoff.

Sinema talked to the Los Angeles Blade before her appearance at the Human Rights Campaign gala last March.

She expressed then much of the same attitude as she expressed during the campaign and with her victory.

“Growing up, we were like every other working family until my dad lost his job and we lost our home. We ended up living in an abandoned gas station for nearly three years. But I worked hard, got an education, and got my shot at the American dream. I’m focused on making sure every Arizonan gets his or her shot just like I did,” Sinema told the Los Angeles Blade.

Sinema said being an out bisexual for her three terms in Congress has not been an issue. “When I talk with Arizonans, it’s the last thing on their minds. Arizonans want to talk about protecting our health care and jobs,” she said.

“This isn’t a matter of one party being right and the other being wrong,” Sinema said. “If we allow our basic values to become just another political football, we’ll all lose. If President Trump is willing to work together to stand up for Arizonans, I’ll work with him. We’ve done this when it comes to standing up for veterans. If he pursues policies that undermine Arizona families, I’ll stand up to him, like when we stopped his effort to take away our access to health care. My guiding principle is always doing what’s right for Arizona.”

It may be this desire to solve problems that explains her strategic political evolution.

“I learned early on that you get more things done when you’re willing to work together,” Sinema said. “The problem with Washington is that people don’t listen to those who have different points of view so they never find the common ground needed to really solve problems. When you actually talk with people and work across the aisle, it’s amazing how much you can accomplish.

That’s how I was able to reach across the aisle to pass a law that helps our veterans get better health care. That kind of pragmatism is how we get things done in Arizona.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAMPAIGNS

Trans Colo. House candidate prevails In other election news, a transgender woman this week declared victory in her race for the Colorado House of Representatives.

Media reports indicate Brianna Titone has nearly 400 more votes than her Republican opponent, Vicki Pyne, in the race to represent the state’s House District 27, which includes the Denver suburb of Arvada.

“I want to thank everyone that supported me through this challenging campaign,” said Titone on Twitter. “Thank you so much to my constituents for believing in me to be your elected leader.

I’m honored to be and looking forward to serving and making Colorado a better place for all.”

Titone will be Colorado’s first openly trans lawmaker.

Two openly trans women — Gerri Cannon and Lisa Bunker — were elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives on Nov. 6. Virginia state Del. Danica Roem in January became the first openly trans person to be seated in any state legislature in the country.

Roem traveled to Colorado to campaign in support of Titone.

“I was thinking about running but I didn’t know if I could do it,” Titone told the Denver Post. “When Danica Roem won her election, it kind of gave me the courage to say, ‘Someone else has done this, and now I have a chance to do this, too.’”

Michael K. Lavers contributed to this report.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Another anti-LGBT official heads DOJ after Sessions fired Whitaker opposes marriage equality, said judges should have ‘biblical view’

By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com The firing of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions — who used the Justice Department to undermine LGBT rights — has led to the interim appointment of another official with an anti-LGBT record that makes a change in direction for the department unlikely.

Last week, one day after the 2018 congressional mid-term elections, Sessions announced in a letter to President Trump he made public that he’d resign as attorney general, making clear that action was “at your request.”

“I have been honored to serve as attorney general and have worked to implement the law enforcement agenda based on the rule of law that formed a central part of your campaign for the presidency,” Sessions wrote.

For some time, Trump has publicly expressed frustration with Sessions, who recused himself from the Russia probe after he failed to disclose in his Senate confirmation hearing meetings he had with Russian official in his former capacity as a U.S. senator.

Sessions served as attorney general for just shy of two years, but built a substantial anti-LGBT record that includes excluding LGBT people from enforcement of civil rights laws against sex discrimination and “religious freedom” guidance that enables anti-LGBT discrimination.

Just two days after Sessions came into the job as attorney general, the Justice Department withdrew its appeal of a court order barring enforcement of Obama-era guidance requiring schools to allow transgender kids to use the restroom consistent with their gender identity. Weeks afterward, Sessions along with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos revoked the guidance altogether.

Under Sessions, the Justice Department similarly withdrew a lawsuit against North Carolina’s House Bill 2 when it was replaced with a compromise law signed

by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and let stand a court order against protections for transgender patients under Obamacare.

Also under Sessions, the Justice Department sent U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of Jack Phillips, a Colorado baker and owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop who refused to make a custom wedding cake for a samesex couple over religious objections.

All in all, the policies that unfolded at the Justice Department under Sessions

The 84th Attorney General of the United States JEFF SESSIONS (left) and acting Attorney General MATTHEW WHITAKER

PHOTO OF SESSIONS BY GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR; PHOTO OF WHITAKER PUBLIC DOMAIN

stand in direct contrast to his assertion during his confirmation hearing that he has heard “the demands for justice and fairness made by our LGBT community” and would “ensure that the statutes protecting their civil rights and their safety are fully enforced.”

It should be noted as attorney general Sessions pledged to “aggressively and appropriately” enforce the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act — a measure he voted against as a U.S. senator — to investigate and prosecutor the murders of transgender people. Last year, Sessions sent federal prosecutors to Iowa to assist in the case of the murder Kedarie Johnson, a trans woman of color.

Sessions’ anti-LGBT record was consistent with a larger record on civil rights criticized by advocacy groups that includes reversal of voting rights protections and police reform.

Despite objections to those policies, Sessions’ resignation sparked concerns among those who felt it would jeopardize the independence of the Mueller investigation or lead to its termination altogether.

Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said in a statement Sessions wasn’t a friend to transgender people, but also expressed concern about the resignation.

“Jeff Sessions was a terrible attorney general who lawlessly refused to enforce federal civil rights laws, attacking almost all marginalized people,” Keisling said.

“However, his dismissal by President Trump to exert unjust control over the Department of Justice over his own likely wrongdoing should make every American worry about the president’s increased lawlessness.”

But Trump’s interim replacement for Sessions, former Department of Justice Chief of Staff Matthew Whitaker, has an antiLGBT record suggesting nothing will change while he is at the helm of the department.

As a Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Iowa, Whitaker told the conservative blog Caffeinated Thoughts in 2014 he thinks it’s “primarily a state issue,” but he

opposes marriage rights for gay couples.

“I believe marriage is between one man and one woman,” Whitaker said.

“Throughout history it’s traditionally been up to the churches and to God to define that. I don’t have an omnibus solution.

Certainly it’s affecting all sorts of parts of our country. Here in the state of Iowa we can’t even get our elected officials to do anything about it and that’s really frustrating.”

Whitaker added same-sex marriage is “affecting our military,” where he said chaplains are “under a lot of pressure to go against their religious beliefs.”

“But what can I do as one freshman senator in the U.S. Senate?” Whitaker said. “Give me the bills and I’ll vote for them, but [President Obama] has done significant damage all over the country.

There will be an unbelievable, long-term negative impact he’s leaving.”

According to the Des Moines Register, Whitaker told a conservative audience at a forum hosted by the anti-LGBT group Family Leader he’d only support judges who adhere to a biblical view of the world.

“If they have a secular world view, then I’m going to be very concerned about how they judge,” Whitaker is quoted as saying.

As noted by the New Civil Rights Movement, when an Iowa newspaper terminated its editor in 2014 over an antigay post on a personal blog referring to the LGBT movement as the “LGBTQXYZ crowd” and the “Gaystapo,” Whitaker came to the former employee’s defense, asserting he had been unlawfully fired for “religious beliefs similar to millions of Americans.”

“An employer violates Title VII when it fires an actual employee by taking his religious beliefs about the most sacred element of his beliefs into account in an employment decision, when it treats the employee worse than even the disgruntled former employee with a long, acknowledged history of complaints and incidents, and when it announces it has done so to the world,” Whitaker wrote.

As a federal prosecutor, Whitaker also investigated and charged gay Iowa State Sen. Matt McCoy (D-Iowa) with the crime of extortion. A jury took less

than two hours to acquit McCoy after a nine-day trial. As an opinion column in Des Moines Register reposted this week demonstrates, speculation persists about whether Whitaker pursued the charges against McCoy because he’s gay and advocates for LGBT rights.

Jon Davidson, chief counsel for Freedom for All Americans, said he’s “disturbed” by the choice of Whitaker to lead the Justice Department.

“Whitaker’s record certainly doesn’t reflect the overwhelming support for LGBTQ nondiscrimination that we’re seeing across the country, such as the 2-to-1 victory for preserving transgender rights in Massachusetts and the election of 9 openly LGBT individuals to Congress and an openly gay man to be governor of Colorado,” Davidson said. “We need an attorney general — even an interim one — who supports treating all Americans fairly and equally.”

The Department of Justice didn’t respond to the Washington Blade’s request to comment on concern from LGBT rights groups about concerns over Whitaker and whether he’d uphold LGBT rights at the Justice Department.

With Sessions out of the picture, Mueller will now report to Whitaker as opposed to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, giving Trump’s new head of the Justice Department — who never won Senate confirmation — significant oversight over the investigation into potential criminal activity from Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Expressing concerns over Whitaker because of his authority in Mueller’s oversight and anti-LGBT views was David Stacy, director of governmental affairs for the Human Rights Campaign.

“The appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general signals that the anti-LGBTQ policies of Donald Trump, Mike Pence and Jeff Sessions will continue unchecked and unabated,” Stacy said. “Whitaker has made clear he is a committed ally to extreme right-wing activists who oppose marriage equality, would block military service of qualified LGBTQ people, and would define sex in an attempt to erase all legal protections for LGBTQ Americans. With his history as a hardcore political operative and his views on the Mueller investigation and executive power, installing him as acting attorney general threatens the rule of law and moves our country one step closer to a constitutional crisis.”

It remains to be seen whom Trump will nominate as attorney general and when he’ll make that announcement. Names in circulation include former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — who was seen at the White House on Thursday — as well as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

N A T I O NA L NEW S

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Professor accuses Univ. of Kentucky of anti-trans discrimination Says ouster as department chair based on gender identity bias

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com A professor at the University of Kentucky’s College of Public Health who is credited with bringing millions of dollars in federal research funds to the university for projects he initiated has accused university officials of removing him as a department chair because of his status as a non-binary male who identifies as transgender.

In a nine-page statement provided to the Washington Blade, Richard A. Crosby, an endowed professor with a doctorate degree in health behavior, accuses university officials of “fabricating” a series of charges against him as an excuse to oust him as chair of the Department of Health Behavior.

In its decision in July 2015 to remove him as department chair while allowing him to retain his position as a tenured professor, the university cited complaints by colleagues that he exhibited “volatile and explosive behavior” and that junior faculty members working under him were “terrified of his behavior.”

University officials also said Crosby “demeaned a female colleague’s promotion claiming it was not based on her merit but instead because ‘she is a woman, genitalia.’”

Crosby vehemently disputes those allegations, saying they were “all lies” attributed to people that the university has refused to identify.

His allegations of anti-transgender discrimination follow a two-and-a-halfyear legal battle he waged against the university in a lawsuit alleging a denial of his constitutional due process rights in his dismissal as department chair. But the lawsuit made no mention of allegations of transgender related discrimination.

Crosby’s decision to contact the Washington Blade last month about the transgender allegations surprised university officials, who strongly deny his dismissal as chair was based on discrimination. In court filings in response to Crosby’s lawsuit university officials said the dismissal of him as department chair was based solely on his alleged improper behavior toward colleagues.

In several court briefs, the university’s attorney asserted that under a longstanding policy all department chairs serve “at will” and can be removed for any reason as part of an administrative action that’s not protected by the normal due process procedures that come into play for firing someone from the position of a tenured professor.

“Dr. Crosby’s tenure was not in question

RICHARD CROSBY accuses the University of Kentucky of anti-trans discrimination.

PHOTO COURTESY UK COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH

nor was it impacted,” said University of Kentucky spokesperson Jonathan Blanton. “This was solely about – and has always been solely about – his position as department chair,” Blanton said.

Blanton points to the university’s strongly worded nondiscrimination policy that includes protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. Blanton also points out that the university in recent years opened an Office of LGBTQ Resources with a fulltime director.

Crosby acknowledges the university has adopted LGBT supportive policies but says those policies mostly were put in place after he filed his lawsuit.

“This is one university professor’s account of how a large Southern university (the University of Kentucky) clandestinely removed me as department chair, and simultaneously initiated extreme fabrications designed to remove tenure from me as an endowed full professor,” Crosby says in his statement to the Blade.

“To be clear, it is now evident that two reasons for this were operating: 1) my research agenda is highly focused on HIV prevention for black gay males…and 2) I am a non-binary white male, which greatly threatens the cisgender white male culture of privilege at this very conservative university,” Crosby says in his statement.

“This hatred of my research and gender expression prompted actions to remove me despite being a strong ‘breadwinner’ for the university,” he said, pointing to many federal research grants he obtained on behalf of the university for his research on black gay men and AIDS prevention efforts.

Crosby said some of his more recent research has focused on transgender women of color “in the context of condom use for any sex to avert HIV infections.”

Although he identifies as non-binary and transgender Crosby told the Blade that he prefers to be addressed by the pronouns “he” and “him.”

U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Hood of the Eastern District of Kentucky dismissed Crosby’s lawsuit on Sept. 30, 2016, just over

one year after court records show Crosby first filed the lawsuit on Sept. 16, 2015.

In a 22-page opinion Hood ruled that the university’s policy of treating department chairs as “at will” administrative positions was not in violation of constitutional protections as argued by Crosby. Hood held that the university and its top officials had full legal authority to dismiss Crosby as department chair without offering a hearing for him to contest the dismissal as long as the university did not attempt to remove him as a tenured professor.

Crosby appealed the dismissal to the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which upheld the lower court’s ruling in a 2-1 decision in July 2017. He appealed that ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in turn declined to hear the case and by so doing upheld the appeals court ruling against Crosby.

Crosby told the Blade that although he always believed the underlying motive to remove him as department chair was a bias against his gender identity he chose not to make those allegations in his lawsuit at the advice of his attorney.

He also points out that while the lawsuit makes no mention of gender identity discrimination it points out that up until the time university officials first accused him of improper behavior toward colleagues at the department in June 2015, no complaint against him had ever been lodged since he was first hired as a professor at the University of Kentucky in March 2004 and promoted to the position of chair of the Department of Health Behavior in 2006.

The lawsuit also notes that up until the time of the June 2015 accusations against him, he had received the highest possible performance ratings during every rating period from the time he was first hired as a professor in 2004.

According to Crosby and two former colleagues at the university who are supportive of him, the accusations against him by unnamed colleagues in June of 2015 took place about six months after he began to transition into what he now says is his identity as a non-binary male and transgender person.

Among other things, his appearance took on characteristics of a female in dress and hairstyle, Crosby said. It’s for that reason, he now says, that he believes the motive behind the accusations was a bias against his gender identity.

“Senior university administrators were unaware of any change in Professor Crosby’s dress. Period,” said university spokesperson Blanton in a written statement. “Our board and President have repeatedly made it clear that the university does not discriminate on the basis of gender identity. Period,” he said.

Richard Clayton, Emeritus Professor at the University of Kentucky who’s now retired, told the Blade that he hired Crosby as a professor and later named him chair of the Department of Health Behavior. He said the entire time he has known Crosby and observed his work as professor and department chair up until the time Clayton retired in 2013 he had never observed Crosby exhibit the type of inappropriate behavior he was accused of engaging in.

Tom Collins, an adjunct professor at the Department of Health Behavior who serves a coordinator of Crosby’s research project, said he, too, has never observed alleged improper behavior university officials claim Crosby engaged in during the many years that Collins says he has worked for Crosby.

“None of the things he is accused of doing are characteristic of what I observed of him,” Collins told the Blade.

However, both Collins and Clayton said they also never observed others who had dealings with Crosby appear to treat him in a negative or disparaging way based on Crosby’s gender identity. The two said they were aware that some of Crosby’s colleagues asked question about his change in appearance when he began transitioning his gender identity in 2014.

“But I don’t feel those questions were asked out of malice,” said Collins.

Although they say they don’t have definitive proof, Collins and Clayton said they believe at least one motive for the accusations made against Crosby related to his alleged improper behavior that led to his dismissal as department chair was resentment and fear of the high work related standards Crosby put in place when he became department chair.

“I hired him because he was an outstanding researcher and he won numerous teaching awards,” Clayton said. “I think part of the problem that these junior faculty members may have had – he expected them to perform and to meet the criteria for promotion, which includes getting grants and publishing articles in peer reviewed literature and being good teachers,” said Clayton.

■ CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

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NATIONAL NEWS

Stan Lee, co-creator of Marvel Comics, dies at 95

JERRI ANN HENRY will become new executive director of Log Cabin Republicans.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LOG CABIN

Log Cabin names first woman exec director A lesbian Republican activist who fought for acceptance of marriage equality within her party will become the new executive director of the National Log Cabin Republicans, the organization announced Tuesday.

Jerri Ann Henry, a communications strategist and GOP consultant, will take the helm of Log Cabin in the aftermath of the departure of Gregory Angelo, who announced in the weeks before the election he’d step down from the LGBT Republican group.

“Log Cabin Republicans have a rich history of grassroots activism and a legacy of great leaders, and there is no other organization better suited to offer solutions to today’s challenging political environment than us,” Henry said in a statement. “I’m humbled to step into this leadership role, and I don’t take it lightly — I believe my experience with the Republican Party and LGBTQ community, combined with this incredible team will allow us to build a strong, effective movement and grow the Republican Party of the future.”

Henry, who is the first woman to lead Log Cabin, will assume control of the organization as a new chapter begins in Washington with Democrats in control of the U.S. House after victories on Election Day, but President Trump still in the White House.

Prior to her new position, Henry was head of Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry, a group that sought to encourage support for marriage equality within the Republican Party leading up the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 decision for marriage equality nationwide. Henry also headed the Platform Reform campaign that sought to eliminate opposition to same-sex marriage in the 2016 Republican Party platform.

“We believe it’s not consistent with Republican values,” Henry told the Washington Blade in 2015. “We’re pro-limited government, we’re very pro-family. Having more families is a big deal in our community and makes for a more stable society. We would like to replace the hateful language with inclusive language that reinforces our commitment to the values of limited government, individual freedom and family, but is inclusive of all those views.”

Henry’s efforts, however, were ultimately unsuccessful. Not only did the Republican platform affirm opposition to same-sex marriage and support for a constitutional amendment reversing that decision, the document was declared by Log Cabin itself as the most anti-LGBT ever.

According to Log Cabin, Henry has worked in the last decade in D.C. on digital engagement tools for businesses and non-profit organizations. She has been recognized as a Rising Star by Campaigns & Elections and a Future 40 Leader by Maverick PAC. Henry has also served in leadership roles with Maverick PAC, Young Republicans of Alexandria, Women’s Public Leadership Network (WPLN), the National Federation of Republican Women and the Texas State Society. A native of Dallas and a graduate of Texas A&M University, Henry resides with her spouse and their dog in Alexandria, Va. Angelo praised the selection of Henry as the new leader of Log Cabin in a statement, recognizing her past work in LGBT activism within the Republican Party.

“As someone who has known Jerri Ann Henry for years, I couldn’t be more pleased to see the Log Cabin Republicans and Liberty Education Forum Boards of Directors have chosen her to continue the proud legacy of both organizations into the future,” Angelo said.

CHRIS JOHNSON

Stan Lee, the co-creator of powerhouse Marvel Comics, died in Los Angeles Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He was 95. Lee is survived by his daughter, J.C. His wife of 69 years, Joan Lee passed away in 2017.

Lee, a perennial LGBT fan favorite, often made cameo appearances in films based on his work and creations. During an interview in 2015 with the BBC’s Sarah Montague, Lee—who co-created Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men—was asked what he thought about the decision of the current Marvel writers to make the X-Men character Iceman gay.

“Wow, I never knew that,” he said. “I don’t care what happens as long as they tell good stories, and they do.”

There seemingly was a major exception to that sentiment—Lee’s arguably most famous creation, Spiderman. As addressed in a 2016 Salon piece, Marvel, which had been criticized for its lack of LGBT protagonists, was under pressure to finally allow one of its onscreen heroes to be queer.

In 2013, actor Andrew Garfield first sparked the pansexual superhero talk when he asked why Spider-Man’s love interest, MJ, couldn’t be male.

“Why can’t we discover that Peter is exploring his sexuality? It’s hardly even groundbreaking!” he said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2013.

“Why can’t he be gay? Why can’t he be into boys?”

“The beauty about Spider-Man, for me, is that he’s covered head to toe,” Garfield told Mic. “That’s why everyone thinks it could be them in that suit.

You don’t see skin color. You don’t see sexual orientation.”

Lee, however, didn’t share Garfield’s sentiment. In the 2015 leak of Sony e-mails, it was revealed that there is a contractual obligation that Spider-Man be white and heterosexual.

In that private mandate directly from Lee himself, he dictated that Peter Parker must always be straight and white.

However, in more recent years, Lee seemed to be flexible about his other creations and the direction those characters were taking in terms of sexual orientation at the hands of the film division of Marvel. Most notably with the character of Deadpool, as portrayed on the big screen by Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds.

During a panel discussion at San Diego Comic-Con this past summer, Reynolds said he hopes to explore Deadpool‘s sexuality further, adding that he wants to see more ‘gay’ Deadpool in future sequels starring the gun-toting anti-hero.

STAFF REPORTS

LGBT groups slam Trump order on asylum LGBT advocacy groups have sharply criticized President Trump over his executive order that prevents migrants from seeking asylum in the U.S. if they enter the country illegally from Mexico.

National Center for Lesbian Rights Policy Counsel Tyrone Hanley said the policy is “not only cruel, but will be a death sentence for many in our community.”

“President Trump’s plan would not only unlawfully limit asylum but would rewrite the character of our nation,” said Hanley. “For generations, America has been a refuge for those fleeing persecution in their home countries.”

“For many, asylum is a life and death matter,” added Hanley, noting the National Center for Lesbian Rights has worked with hundreds of asylum seekers who have faced violence in their countries of origin because of their sexual orientation and/ or gender identity.

“President Trump in effect ordered violence and a possible death sentence against thousands of people seeking safety in the U.S.,” said Transgender Law Center Executive Director Kris Hayashi in a statement. “This unconscionable rule severely limits the opportunity for people, no matter their circumstances, to apply for asylum, meaning that LGBT people and other communities who fear persecution and violence — groups that our own courts have already identified as eligible for asylum — will no longer have the opportunity to apply solely based on where and how they enter.”

The Human Rights Campaign on Friday said in a Tweet the Trump administration’s “cruelty towards individuals seeking refuge through legal channels is a retreat of our nation’s most fundamental values.”

“The humanitarian consequences will be severe,” it added.

Trump signed the executive order three days after the midterm elections.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

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

‘A movement for human rights, for the right to migrate’ LGBT contingent reaches U.S. border after harassment from fellow migrants

By YARIEL VALDÈS TIJUANA, Mexico — A group of LGBTI+ migrants here is waiting to reach the U.S. border. Dozens of people left the caravan of at least 5,000 Central Americans to avoid harassment from their fellow travelers.

Loly Méndez began the longest trip of her life more than 22 days ago. El Salvador is roughly 4,400 kilometers (2,684 miles) from the U.S. Loly nevertheless decided to join one of the groups of Central American migrants who are fleeing the violence in their home countries and travel toward the U.S. border.

Loly, a transgender woman and cosmetologist, not only has a goal of achieving the “American dream,” but the opportunity to escape violence and transphobia. A gang member had assaulted and robbed her in her own country.

“I am thankful to God because they did not take my life, nor did they rape me,” she says.

Loly already knew that she was a woman when she was a child. The climate of intolerance that exists in her country of origin, however, prevented her from completing the transition that she wanted.

“You never know if you are going to stay alive,” she says. “I cannot stop thinking about my friend, how they killed her, strangled her and threw her off a bridge. We had plans to leave El Salvador together, but people hated her because she already looked like a woman.”

Cruz Torres, director of the Office of Diversity in El Salvador’s Ministry of Social Inclusion, estimates that 600 LGBTI+ people have been killed over the last 24 years in the Central American country. At least 145 of these crimes occurred in only three years, from 2015-2017.

“All the gay people who traveled with this caravan came with the goal of being free, of working, of not being criminals,” Loly explains to Tremenda Nota. “I have never prostituted myself and I am not going to another country to do this.”

The Salvadoran arrived in Playas de Tijuana last Sunday as part of an advance group of around 80 people from the LGBTI+ community, members of the first caravan of more than 5,000 Central American migrants.

The group arrived, escorted by officials with Mexico’s National Institute of Migration and by officials from various human rights commissions in the Aztecan country. They arrived in the border city after passing through San Luis Río Colorado (Sonora) and Mexicali, the capital of the state of Baja California.

César Mejías, one of the migrants who is the group’s unofficial spokesperson, declared that this first caravan reached northern Mexico earlier than they expected because they received support from “an organization in the U.S. that also belongs to the LGBTI+ community.” Mejías did not mention their supporters’ name.

The uncertainty of the migrants in Tijuana has increased. “It hurts to know that now they are going to deport us to our countries,” says Kecha Cataleya, a 24-year-old trans Honduran woman.

“They doused me with gas and set me on fire in 2015, I can still see the scars,” she recalls. The young trans woman also insists that gangs also force trans people to sell drugs and prostitute themselves.

Latin America has the world’s highest rates of violence against the LGBTI+ community, according to the non-governmental organization Transgender Europe.

El Salvador, for example, has seen “terrifying hate crimes against LGBTI people” in recent years, according to a report from the group COMCAVIS Trans. They are “acts that take place with greater cruelty than usual: Mutilations, excesses of violence that reach the point of multiple shots, bodies that are tied up, dismemberment of genitals and acts of systematic torture.”

When Kecha Cataleya and her counterparts arrived at Olas Altas Street in the Coronado section of Playas de Tijuana, several neighbors protested.

“Thank God,” recalls César Mejías. “They already understand who we are, what we are going to do and how long we are going to be here.”

Mejías and the rest of the group, which includes minors, are waiting for their “legal representatives” to begin the process of seeking political asylum in the U.S. “We want to do things right,” he added.

President Donald Trump, however, has tried to close all doors into the U.S. to Central American migrants. The president on Nov. 9 signed an executive order that prohibits illegal entry into the U.S. through its border with Mexico. If Central American migrants cross north into the country through unauthorized ports of entry, they would be arrested and would lose the right to stay in the country or seek asylum.

The U.S. government at the end of October announced the deployment of 5,200 troops to the border with Mexico. Trump on Twitter said, without any evidence, that the caravans “are also made up of some very bad thugs and gang members. He threatened the migrants in another of his tweets: “This is an invasion of our country and our army is waiting for you!”

The LGBTI+ members of the caravan walked with their Honduran, Salvadoran and Guatemalan counterparts during the

LOLY MÉNDEZ left El Salvador less than a month ago. She is among the group of LGBTI+ migrants who arrived Tijuana, Mexico, on Nov. 11.

PHOTO BY YARIEL VALDÉS GONZÁLEZ/TREMENDA NOTA

An LGBTI+ migrant caravan arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, on Nov. 11.

PHOTO BY YARIEL VALDÉS GONZÁLEZ/TREMENDA NOTA

journey. They swam across the same rivers, climbed over the same border fences, slept exposed to the same bad weather, endured the same cold and the same hunger. Their status as LGBTI+ people, however, meant they were discriminated against by their fellow migrants.

“I didn’t expect this from them because we are all migrants and we came together.

I thought that we had to support each other,” complained Noe Alvarenga from El Salvador.

“Because we are the most vulnerable community,” stresses Loly. “We have suffered violence, machismo that comes from within this caravan. We have been viewed badly, they have shouted things at us.”

Marta García Ortega, a social anthropologist and investigator at Colegio de la Frontera Sur de México, concedes the LGBTI+ community is particularly vulnerable within the group of migrants “because they are not only asking for a right to asylum, but they are at high risk and require special attention, like women.”

Discrimination, homophobia, violence and hate crimes, in reality, forced Loly

Méndez, Kecha Cataleya, Noe Alvarenga and César Mejías to undertake a journey of thousands of kilometers from their home countries to the U.S. border.

“To live as I want to live, being who I am without anyone discriminating against me, without hiding who I am, without some thugs coming around the corner and hitting me…this is what I want,” stressed Mejías.

This route, however, does not end at the U.S. border. They will have to undertake another “walk” through the U.S. legal system from there.

Investigator Marta García Ortega feels the caravans, which have begun an unprecedented process in the recent history of forced migrations, in a few days will be knocking on the doors of the U.S. “This is not just a movement of exodus, it is a movement for social rights, for human rights, for the right to migrate.”

Editor’s note: Yariel Valdés is a contributor to Tremenda Nota, an independent e-magazine in Cuba that reports on the country’s LGBT and other minority communities. Tremenda Nota is the Washington Blade’s media partner in Cuba.

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NEWS

Exit polls confirm LGBT support for Democrats CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

reporters last week that exit polling has been inconsistent on including LGBT people, but his organization months ago asked media outlets to include this question to assess the size of that voting bloc.

“Once we know what the total voters are, that is likely to be around 7 million voters identified as LGBT,” Griffin said.

“What’s important to note: That means 6 percent of the electorate identified to a stranger — in most cases in a swing state that they were LGBT. That is a powerful voting bloc, and that is an increase in turnout of LGBT voters from 2016.”

As the number of voters who publicly identify as LGBT has increased, so has that voting bloc’s support for the Democratic Party — at least according to exit polling from CNN and NBC News, which is based on data from the National Election Pool. Both of those outlets reported 82 percent of LGBT people voted in 2018 for a Democratic representative, while 17 percent voted Republican.

That represents an increase in Democratic support from years past.

In 2016, 76 percent of LGBT-identified voters supported Hillary Clinton, but 14 percent voted for President Trump.

In 2012, 77 percent of LGB-identified people voted for President Obama, while 23 percent voted for Mitt Romney.

The only other demographic group with stronger support for the Democratic Party was black voters, which in exit polls have consistently voted for Democrats over Republicans by a 9-1 margin.

Gary Gates, a former research fellow at the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, said several factors could explain the greater number of voters identifying as LGBT as well as the increased support for the Democratic Party, including the anti-LGBT policies of the Trump administration.

“Decreased social stigma likely explains recent increases in the portion of the population identifying as LGBT,” Gates said. “Further, LGBT voters may feel particularly under threat from a Trump administration that has shown open hostility toward the transgender population and has made several attempts to minimize the visibility of LGBT populations in federal data sources. This could explain increases in LGBT voter engagement and willingness to support Democrats.”

Gates added demographic patterns among those who are coming out to exit pollers suggest younger women — who are more likely to support Democratic candidates — comprise an increasingly growing portion of people who are openly LGBT. Daniel Pinello, a political scientist at

the City University of New York’s John Jay College, said he’s unsure why there would be an increased shift toward Democrats among LGBT voters, but said the desire of federal LGBT non-discrimination protections could be a factor.

“After marriage equality, after the Obergefell decision of 2015, that’s really no longer a hot button political issue for our community,” Pinello said. “The only thing that’s really left is sexual orientation and gender [identity] discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations, but I don’t know how much of a driving force that is politically in the same way I think marriage equality was. I doubt that most people have had those kinds of personal experiences of job discrimination of being gay or [transgender] or what have you compared to those people who have been denied marriage licenses in their lifetimes.”

The Wall Street Journal exit poll, however, demonstrates less support for the Democratic Party among LGBT people. In those results, 71 percent of LGBT voters backed Democrats, while 24 percent voted for a Republican candidate.

Transgender voters also identified separately in the Wall Street Journal exit poll, making up an estimated 1 percent of voters. Notably, those voters skewed slightly more toward the Republican Party than lesbian, gay and bisexual voters. Although a majority of transgender respondents, 58 percent, said they voted Democrat, 37 percent said they voted Republican.

Another notable point about the Wall Street Journal poll: Without the LGBT bloc, voters in the 2018 congressional midterm election would have broken evenly between Democrats and Republicans.

That indicates Democratic victories on Election Day wouldn’t have happened without LGBT support.

Gates, however, said relying on the CNN and NBC News data based on the National Election Pool is better for assessing LGBT trends as opposed to the Wall Street Journal data, which is relatively new and just started this year.

“The polling data used by the WSJ does show less, though still very strong, support for Democrats among LGBT voters, but it’s really not possible to use that to assess trends since this was the first year of that data collection methodology, which does differ from the NEP approach,” Gates said. “I will admit that the relatively strong support for Republican candidates among those identified as transgender in the new polling seems odd. But I really can’t speculate on the accuracy of that finding as data on transgender voting is very rare.”

‘Blue Wave’ energized LGBT voters in Calif.

Not even Democratic winner Harley Rouda could have appreciated the significance to the LGBT community of the Orange County Register’s clear, blaring headline: “Harley Rouda’s triumph over Dana Rohrabacher signals end of GOP’s O.C. congressional dominance.” For 30 years, Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, representing OC’s coastal 48th Congressional District, has been synonymous with all things anti-LGBT. One final example: last May Rohrabacher told a national group of Realtors that it was OK to not sell homes to gay people. Rohrabacher lost their endorsement and then late on Nov. 10, he lost his seat as the Associated Press called the race for Rouda.

Rohrabacher did not jump up and concede defeat but nonetheless, it looked like the Blue Wave swept the bigot and the surfboard he swam in on out to a sea of oblivion.

But Laguna Beach real estate executive Rouda was not alone in flipping Republicans out. Bisexual homeless advocate Katie Hill, 31, bested anti-LGBT incumbent Rep. Pete Knight in San Diego’s 25th CD – he conceded before a final call (53% to 47%, as of Nov. 13). And Democratic attorney Mike Levin blew Trump favorite Diane Harkey away 55% vs. 45% in CD 49.

“The Blue Wave came out in force on Nov. 6,” out Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chair Mark Gonzalez told the Los Angeles Blade. “Expectations were shattered and we are seeing Democrats get elected to seats we never thought possible just a few years ago. People in traditionally red districts are disillusioned with Trump’s Republican Party and are realizing that the Democratic Party is the one that stands up for every man, woman, and child regardless of any part of their identity. Now that the Blue Wave has come crashing down, we are focusing our efforts on both retaining and gaining seats in 2020.”

Rouda profusely thanked women staffers, volunteers and voters. But the LGBT community turned out in force, too. “Pro-equality voters helped make the difference in so many districts in California and across the country,” Equality California Communications Director Sam Garrett-Pate told the Los Angeles Blade, analyzing the latest election results Nov. 13.

“Most voters want representatives to expand access to healthcare, improve our schools, help people get jobs—not attack transgender people, immigrants and women,” he said. “Our issues resonate with people because most moderates in swing districts just want everyone to be treated equality and when they see Trump allies in Congress supporting his attacks on the LGBT community in locked step, they look for someone new.”

One week after the historic midterm elections, votes are still being counted— most notably in Florida and Georgia, but in several close California races, as well.

After being behind since Nov. 6, consumer advocate and attorney Katie Porter pulled ahead of anti-LGBT Republican Mimi Walters in the Inland Empire/OC County CD 45 by 261 votes—116,732 (50.06%) to 116,471 (49.94%). Since the majority of the remaining ballots to be counted are mail-in and provisional— traditionally Democratic voters, Garrett-Pate predicts that Porter’s lead will hold. “She’s going to Congress.”

Not so clear yet, but also pulling away is Democrat Gil Cisneros whose race against Young Kim in North Orange County’s 39th CD turned ugly through defamatory and offensive national GOP campaign ads that had to be taken down. Kim’s substantial Election Night lead has narrowed significantly to only 711 votes. But Kim, who was declared the winner, is so upset, she’s assumed the Trump “voter fraud” playbook, issuing a statement claiming Cisneros’ campaign is “harassing and intimidating vote counters” and could be involved in “foul play.”

Late Nov. 13, The Associated Press called the Central Valley/Stanislaus CD 10 for Democrat Josh Harder over Republican Jeff Denham. Former Obama official Ammar Campa-Najjar, however, seems unlikely to overtake indicted anti-LGBT Rep. Duncan Hunter in his Trump-loving, deep red legacy seat.

On the state level, Tony Thurmond pulled ahead of Marshall Tuck by 67,161 votes for Superintendent of Public Instruction; challenger Alex Villanueva is ahead of LA County Sheriff Jim McDonnell by 22,192 votes; and out Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes has pulled ahead of GOP challenger Bill Essayli by 693 votes in Riverside’s AD 60.

And importantly, as of Nov. 13, out State Sen. Ricardo Lara is ahead of independent Steve Poizner, 51.5% vs 48.5%. If his lead holds, Ricardo Lara will become the first openly LGBT person elected to statewide office in California.

KAREN OCAMB

P U B L I C

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LGBT Iowans not widely out to doctors CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Most LGBT Iowa residents are not out to their health care providers according to a new survey and more than a quarter have had to teach their providers about certain aspects of LGBT health issues, according to a new survey reported on by The Gazette.

Researchers say this was the first study of its kind in the state. The University of Iowa College of Public Health partnered with the Iowa Cancer Consortium, statewide LGBT advocacy organization One Iowa and Des Moines University to produce the LGBT Health in Iowa report, a survey of 567 LGBT Iowans on their health care and health care access.

Respondents were mostly white and cisgender. Twenty-four percent of respondents were transgender or genderqueer. More than half the respondents identified as gay or lesbian.

Among its findings, the survey showed that: • 59 percent were not open as LGBT with their health care provider.

• 27 percent of respondents felt they had to teach a provider about LGBT people to get appropriate care.

The survey touches on a major concern among advocacy groups and those within the LGBT community: that the disparities within the health care system allow some LGBT individuals, particularly transgender men and women, to fall through the cracks.

In fact, the report stated these individuals “were repeatedly at higher risk of poor health outcomes” based on the survey results.

The full report is online.

Aussie popper ban harms gay men: advocates LONDON — Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration failed to consider the therapeutic uses of alkyl nitrites – including their use in receptive anal sex – when they proposed to ban the inhalants, LGBT health advocates have warned, according to a Guardian article.

The Administration was scheduled to meet with sexual health physician Vincent Cornelisse and community health advocate Daniel Reeders this week after the pair made a submission warning a ban would criminalize the practice of an estimated 90,000 adult gay and bisexual men who use the inhalant during intercourse, the Guardian said.

After its interim decision in September, the Administration is conducting consultation on its proposal to ban alkyl nitrites, which has triggered a backlash over its discriminatory impact on gay and bisexual men, the Guardian reports.

Cornelisse, Reeders and three other co-authors have made a submission arguing that in its interim decision, the Administration failed to properly weigh the risks and benefits of alkyl nitrites, commonly referred to as “poppers.” Amyl nitrate is the most common form of the drug.

Poppers dilate the user’s blood vessels, helping receptive sexual partners comfortably enjoy anal sex. The proposal would list alkyl nitrites in schedule 9, along with the most serious drugs and effectively criminalize possession and use, the article notes.

The Administration has claimed that there is a “high potential for misuse and abuse of alkyl nitrites for euphoric properties, and as sex aids due to their muscle relaxant properties” in “particular sections of the community,” the Guardian said.

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Trans rollback bad for mental health some argue NEW YORK — The federal memo that could roll back Obama-era protections for the estimated 1.4 million transgender U.S. residents could jeopardize their mental health, Scienceline reports.

The day after The New York Times revealed the Department of Health and Human Services’ transgender memo, calls to the crisis hotline Trans Lifeline quadrupled, increasing from an average of 187 per day to 471, according to Willamette Week. For context, 40 percent of trans people in the U.S. attempt suicide in their lifetime, nearly nine times the national average. The suicide risk is even higher for disabled trans people and trans people of color, according to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, Scienceline reports.

In general, trans people have significantly more mental health problems than cisgender people. At any given time, about 40 percent of trans people in the U.S. experience serious psychological distress, eight times higher than the overall population, Scienceline reports.

The memo’s proposed policy would define sex as male or female at birth based on genitalia alone. If the genitalia doesn’t fit the typical penis/vagina binary, any questions would be settled through genetic testing.

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Democrats ride in on a moral wave Resistance strengthens as Trump’s wrecking spree continues

RICHARD J. ROSENDALL is a writer and activist.

Reach him at rrosendall@starpower.net.

How could voters pass it up? Our president lied about healthcare, attacked women, ignored climate change and crumbling infrastructure, demonized the press and FBI, alienated our allies while cozying up to despots, and direly predicted an Invasion of the Brown People. His nonstop fear-mongering and denunciations may have excited his base and inspired mass shooters, but he appears to have alienated everyone else.

The turnout of 115 million set a midterm record, with 49 percent of eligible voters voting. This brought more than a morale boost for the resistance: Democrats regained the House majority. Republicans held a slim Senate majority as they sought to distract from their vote suppression with baseless charges of Democratic fraud. Trump’s abusive post-

election press conference showed he was rattled. Underscoring how the walls are closing in, the Wall Street Journal implicated him in hush money payments.

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, a Trump loyalist, was widely criticized as extreme and his appointment’s legality was questioned. He opposes Marbury v. Madison, the 1803 case that established judicial review. He said only Christians should be judges. He favored indicting Hillary Clinton, the most investigated American without a criminal record, over her email server despite no evidence it was hacked, unlike Trump’s unsecured cellphone. Whitaker is accused of the bias-motivated prosecution of a gay Democrat when he was U.S. Attorney for Iowa’s Southern District. He was on the board of a company shut down for scamming disabled veterans.

Some pundits, dismissing the blue wave despite Democrats having flipped the House plus several governorships and state legislatures, gaslighted progressives with lectures on what they did wrong.

Democrats actually won the popular vote, and Republicans fell short of expected gains in the Senate despite its structural tilt toward less populous red states.

The midterms brought lots of fresh talent to Washington, though the media obsessed over Nancy Pelosi, whose caucusleading skill is real, in contrast to Trump’s fantasy of Democrats turning America into Venezuela. There is a large influx of E DIT OR IA L C A R T OON

women into Congress, including its first Muslim women (Rashida Tlaib in Michigan’s 13th and Ilhan Omar in Minnesota’s 5th), Native American women (Sharice Davids in Kansas’s 3rd and Deb Haaland in New Mexico’s 1st), and Texas Latinas (Veronica Escobar in the 16th and Sylvia Garcia in the 29th).

Democrats won with candidates who fit their districts, like Lucy McBath in Georgia’s 6th, who ran on gun control in memory of murdered son Jordan Davis. The new House committee chairs will perform a vital function absent for the last two years: oversight. At the state level, Florida restored voting rights to returned citizens. Every level saw what Victory Fund president Annise Parker called a “rainbow wave” of LGBTQ victories.

Trump made the midterms a referendum on himself and lost. Democratic House gains verge on the biggest since the 1970s. The fight ahead will be waged in Congress and state legislatures, in court, in new and traditional media, wherever people gather.

Be a volunteer curator for democracy.

It starts with checking your sources and arguing your case. Don’t make it up, look it up on the computer in your pocket.

Above all, we must not succumb to Trump’s unreality. Democratic policies are better for the working class, which often opposes its own interests thanks to Trump’s hysterical racist appeals. The truth is hard, but is our only hope. We must uphold our values while building on our victories.

On the eve of the hundredth anniversary of Armistice Day, Trump skipped a commemoration at an American cemetery in France because of rain. The next day in Washington, humbler folk attended an LGBTQ Veterans Day observance at Congressional Cemetery. On Thanksgiving, let us celebrate those fighting for equality at home.

We will sink or swim as a diverse people. Erasure is theft. Erasure is violence.

Trump’s insults of three black female reporters typified his meanness and bigotry. Rev. William Barber, founder of North Carolina’s Moral Mondays protests, wrote, “Some say we saw a blue wave in this week’s midterms, but I believe we saw a moral wave.” Let us be clear: fighting people who steal elections and put children in cages does not lower us to their level.

The struggle continues.

Copyright © 2018 by Richard J. Rosendall. All rights reserved.

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Trump needs AIDS wake-up call President should fill vacant ONAP, PACHA positions ASAP

By JAMES DRISCOLL ONAP, the Office of National AIDS Policy, and PACHA, the Presidential Advisory Council for HIV-AIDS were established in 1993. Their purpose was to give marginalized AIDS patients and the heavily impacted LGBTQ community input into national policies affecting their health and survival. Under President George W. Bush, they helped update the Ryan White Care Act, secure approval for HIV rapid testing, and establish PEPFAR. They played crucial roles in developing our National AIDS Strategy under President Obama.

Donald Trump has been president for 21 months, and HIV continues to infect thousands of additional Americans. Yet none of the ONAP and PACHA positions, so critical to people living with HIV-AIDS, have been filled. Applications for PACHA closed on Jan. 1 of this year, none who applied have been called to serve. Long delays without explanation or apology are inevitably perceived as indifference or worse, disrespect.

Healthcare is the number one voter concern. If President Trump wants to win again in 2020, he needs to persuade voters that he’s a winner on healthcare. AIDS is always a highly visible issue and barometer of healthcare performance, especially for LGBTQ voters.

About 4.5 percent of U.S. voters now identify as LGBTQ according to a May 2018 poll, that’s more than identify as either Mormon or Jewish. In 2008, John McCain got 27 percent of our vote, in 2012 Romney’s share fell to 22 percent, and in 2016 Donald Trump’s share plummeted to 14 percent. Trump has yet to do anything to counteract this dismal trend.

Indeed, Trump administration healthcare policies and collaboration with opponents of LGBTQ rights have more deeply alienated LGBTQ voters. These voters have friends and families who vote, and LGBTQs enjoy ever increasing sympathy and support among younger voters. Ignoring AIDS is not smart politics.

AIDS is a disproportionate threat to African Americans and Hispanics. Forty-three percent of HIV cases are African American and 70 percent are gay or bisexual. Neglect of HIV-AIDS hurts African Americans, Hispanics, and LGBTQ people most, and it endangers the health of everyone in these impacted groups. They all need channels

for input and dialogue on national HIVAIDS policies. ONAP and PACHA served their needs well under previous administrations. The need for AIDS community input and HIV policy transparency under the Trump administration is greater than ever.

When Donald Trump ran for president he promised transparency, and to drain the swamp. That was a prime reason why many conservative LGBTQs, myself among them, courageously supported him despite fierce opposition from our communities. Yet, because he has left ONAP and PACHA vacant, policies and practices that impact HIV-AIDS patients have been relegated to backrooms in the D.C. swamp. Indeed, groups perceived as hostile to LGBTQ rights, such as the Family Research Council, appear to enjoy far greater input on HIV policies than do LGBTQ people. No wonder our people fear that this administration has forgotten the HIV-AIDS communities and listens only to those bent on marginalizing us.

Despite great advances, urgent HIV challenges remain. One seventh of all HIV cases are undetected, this small group seeds most of the 38,000 new infections each year. Moreover, many HIV-positive people still lack stable access to quality care. The vital Ryan White Care Act has

not been re-authorized since 2013; it needs updating to reflect changes such as the increasing numbers of patients in the South and among the elderly. The 340B drug program provides many HIV patients with their drugs and essential support services. To be more effective, enhanced enforcement along with greater provider accountability and transparency must be implemented.

Donald Trump still has time to show he cares about AIDS by starting to listen to the impacted communities. Their input can bring transparency and improved efficacy to his HIV-AIDS policies, as it has done for his predecessors.

I voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and expect to do so in 2020 because I prefer his approaches to the economy, regulation, trade, immigration and foreign affairs. However, if LGBTQ supporters like myself are not to become an endangered species, Trump must listen to our community as he has begun to listen to African Americans. The readiest way to start listening would be to fill the vacant ONAP and PACHA positions ASAP. JAMES DRISCOLL, Ph.D. is a longtime AIDS activist who served on PACHA under George W. Bush. A Republican, he has publicly supported Donald Trump.

I N S I DE LGB T W A S HING TON

Donald, the people really, really don’t love you Midterms prove a stinging rebuke of unpopular president

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

As ballot counting continues and we see recounts in Florida and Georgia, it is apparent Democrats got much more than the half-a-loaf I wrote about the night of the midterm elections. With each day it becomes more evident that dislike and distrust of Donald Trump, combined with great Democratic candidates who focused their campaigns on the issues their constituents cared about, brought out a huge vote making it abundantly clear: “Donald your vision for our country is not the country we want.”

Voters elected scores of women, minorities and LGBTQ+ candidates around the nation who represent the real diversity of our

nation. They represent the future and will not allow us to continue to move backwards.

When all the votes are counted, Democrats may have won at least 38 new seats in the House of Representatives. We won seven governor’s mansions, six legislative chambers, have four new attorneys general, control three more state supreme courts, have two more secretaries of state and more than 350 new state legislative seats. Yes Donald Trump, the people really, really, don’t love you.

Within those victories there are now 10 LGBTQ+ members of Congress, including Krysten Sinema. There are now two LGBTQ+ governors and a number of AG’s and at least 12 new members of State Houses across the nation. Those elected represent the diversity of America — LGBT, men and women, Caucasian, African American, Latino, Asian and Native American. They are forward looking representatives of the real America. Trump’s vision of America is clearly not one shared by the majority of people.

Women will comprise about 23 percent of the members of Congress with more than 100 women in the House. Now what that means is we still have a long way to go for equality but it is better, and as President Obama has said “better is good.”

In the days since the election we have woken up to some outrageous acts. First, on

the day after the election, Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions naming Matthew Whitaker acting AG, a blatant attempt to stop the Robert Mueller investigation. Whitaker, a lawyer and political hack, is under investigation as an advisory board member of a scam organization in Florida. He’s a losing Republican candidate who became a TV talking head often stating the Mueller investigation is a witch hunt and should be brought to a close.

Protesters quickly took to the streets in cities and towns across the nation and no less than Kellyanne Conway’s husband, George Conway III, along with Neal Katyal co-wrote an oped in the New York Times explaining why the appointment is unconstitutional.

Then a day later America woke to the horror of another senseless mass shooting, the 307th this year, this time at a country western bar in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Twelve dead including one young man who had actually survived the mass shooting in Las Vegas. Maybe this new Democratic House will finally pass some form of gun control. As the mother of Telemachus Orfanos who survived Las Vegas and died in Thousand Oaks said, “I don’t want any more of your prayers, I want gun control.”

The fight to reclaim America from Trumpism goes on and Democrats now have some power to fight back. They will control the

budget bills. It is accepted the House and Senate have very distinct and separate functions. “In the Senate, it’s nominations and treaties, and in the House, it’s taxes and spending.” In addition, Trump has been put on notice there will be many hearings by a wide range of committees, now led by Democrats, into the sleaze he brought to Washington in every area of his administration.

While it’s true some of the newly elected members of the House ran on a platform of “I will not vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker,” it is becoming more apparent there is no one better prepared to corral the diverse members of the House of Representatives than Pelosi. She has proven a master at it. She is already working to form a strategic plan and turn Democrats into a unified fighting force.

My hope is Pelosi will work to bring a new generation of Democrats into leadership positions and teach them how to pass legislation and make progress. If these new members of Congress are to have long and productive careers they must actually be able to accomplish something for the constituents who elected them. Doing that will require some compromise. While never giving up their principles, compromise is the way the founders of our nation envisioned us being able to make progress and move forward.

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This Thanksgiving, block your parents from watching Fox News It’s time to protect older Americans from the dangers of cable TV

BROCK THOMPSON is a D.C.-based freelance writer. He writes regularly for the Blade.

When I was a teen, my little hometown back in Arkansas took the extraordinary step of banning MTV, claiming it was a corrupting influence on the young. It was all very similar to what went down in that town from the movie “Footloose.” For years, we suffered through VH1, which at the time was MTV’s lamer, tamer cousin.

That was more than 25 years ago or so. And much has changed for my hometown, and many hometowns that us gays will find ourselves returning to this holiday season. While the cities we fled to get

Take some steps to protect our vulnerable older Americans from the depravity-spewing Fox News. bluer and bluer, the hinterlands we came from seem to be getting redder and redder. For my home state of Arkansas, once itself having a proud progressive history, nowadays I hardly recognize her. Her politics are getting more and more conservative with no turnaround in sight. It turns out, this entire time, it wasn’t necessarily MTV that had the corrupting influence on a generation, and the young seem no more depraved than anyone else. It seems the older generations proved far more vulnerable to cable television, specifically Fox News, a station where the No. 1 goal seems to be to scare the crap out of older people with visions of marauding caravans and reporters karate chopping young White House interns.

What I am suggesting? Well, it’s easy.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, and while us gays are home for the holidays, it’s time to take some steps to pro-

tect our vulnerable older Americans from the depravity-spewing Fox News. Let’s all just take the remote, wielding that powerful option once meant to shield us from too much adult content, the parental control feature, and turn it on its head. Simply — let’s all agree to block Fox News from our parents’ televisions while we’re home.

I know what you’re thinking, won’t they be suspicious when they try to tune in for their daily dose of rage, vitriol, and sheer paranoia, and the only thing they find is static? Well, when this happens, let’s all take a lesson from how the Chinese government handles blocking websites and such. For instance, don’t say, ‘yeah, I blocked it, it’s for your own good.’ Try instead something like, ‘gosh, how odd, it’s just not working right now. . .huh. . .who wants to go to Cracker Barrel?’ Or insert whatever your version of Cracker Barrel is for you and your family — think

your Belks, your Marshalls, your Bass Pro Shops. Do not suggest anything that requires physical activity. That’s a nonstarter. I predict this sleight-of-hand will be highly effective.

And I guess I should say here that in full disclosure my parents back home, Bear and Lulu, are proud yellow dog Democrats. Most of the phone calls with my Mom begin with her saying something to the effect of “Gawd, can you believe Trump?” Despite that, it’s often been tossed around that if gays don’t like the politics back home, they should move back there and do something about it. Well, that’s just silly. First of all, it’s not always on us to fix things. We’ve fixed plenty, believe me.

Beyond that, gays need damn near saturation of other gays or else we’ll go crazy. But, when we go home, and indeed when we’re visited by family here, we do have an enormous amount of influence on how they see us and the world; and that’s usually a message of love, acceptance and sheer fabulousness.

But, in this Age of Trump, it’s fine to play a little dirty. So when you find yourself home with family this holiday season, do us all a favor, and especially your parents, and do some content blocking.

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KINGS

BY SARAH BURGESS DIRECTED BY MARTI LYONS BEGINS DEC 12

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by Greg Jones Ellis A WORLD PREMIERE

Catch this witty comedy-drama Nov. 15-Dec. 9

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A lacerating comedy about a newly elected congresswoman who refuses to play by the rules of lobbyists—or her own party.

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For tickets, visit stageguild.org

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From the director of THE CROWN and BILLY ELLIOT

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A scene from last year’s Christmas Revels show.

PHOTO COURTESY REVELS

Holiday show time!

Region already bustling with seasonal offerings that continue through New Year’s

By BRIAN T. CARNEY Let the festivities begin! From drag queens to Queen Elizabeth I, there are fabulous holiday celebrations happening throughout the D.C. metro area this year.

“A Drag Queen Christmas: The Naughty Tour” comes to the Warner Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 18. Featuring contestants from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,”

the evening includes holiday songs and fierce drag performances from the catwalk. Details can be found at warnertheatredc.com.

As part of the Smithsonian Ingenuity Festival (smithsonianmag.com/ingenuity), singer-songwriter Jewel will present her “Handmade Holiday Tour”at the

Lincoln Theatre on Tuesday, Dec. 6.

The Lincoln Theatre will also host “The Holiday Show” by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington (gmcw.org/seasonshows/the-holiday-show). Their annual holiday extravaganza returns with an allnew show, featuring dancing elves, falling snowflakes, soaring vocals and a special

visit from Santa Claus. Performances run from Dec. 8-16 and some performances will include ASL interpretation.

From Dec. 14-23, the Folger Consort (folger.edu/folger-consort), the early music ensemble in residence at the CONTINUES ON PAGE 38

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Q U E E RY : 2 0 Q U E ST I O N S F O R LY N N E BA RST O W

L YN N E B A RS T O W

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com Singing comes naturally for Lynne Barstow and before joining Congressional Chorus, she sang exclusively in LGBT choirs.

She met her partner of 22 years, Leslie Pionke, in a gay chorus in Los Angeles and joined the Lesbian and Gay Chorus of Washington “before our boxes were even unpacked,” upon moving here 20 years ago.

“For us, it was the best way to meet people and become active in our community,” the 58-year-old Los Angeles native says. “For many years we performed in the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop’s annual Gilbert & Sullivan productions. Now the Congressional Chorus is my choral home and I have 80 new friends, gay and straight, who share the joy of performing a wide variety of music. I am constantly in awe of the talent that surrounds me.”

Congressional Chorus opens its 32nd season on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 4:30 p.m. at Church of the Epiphany (1317 G St., N.W.) with “Poets, Painters & Dreams: an afternoon of music and dance inspired by Marc Chagall, Sara Teasdale & Langston Hughes.” The chorus will be joined by dancers from the Joy of Motion Dance Center.

“It will lift the audience into a musical dreamscape we could all use right now in these overly plugged-in political times,” Barstow says. “Turn off CNN and spend an afternoon instead with the love poems of Sara Teasdale and the fanciful imagery of artist Marc Chagall.”

Barstow, who sings second alto, says her favorite piece on the program is “Dreams,” composed by Chorus accompanist Chris Urquiaga.

All three composers will be in attendance. Tickets are $32-39 ($19 for students). Upcoming concerts in 2019 are slated for March 23 (“Jazz Hot!”), June 1 (“Let Justice Roll”) and July 3 (“Civil Rights Concert Tour”). Details at congressionalchorus.org.

When she’s not singing, Barstow works as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines.

She flies to Europe weekly with Delta and moved to Washington after “a very persuasive woman I met in a lesbian bar on a layover almost 30 years ago convinced me D.C. was the best city on the East Coast.”

They live in Capitol Hill with daughter Ryanne. Barstow enjoys travel, long bike rides, “pretending to” play the banjo and “keeping up with my German and Russian language skills” in her free time.

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

I came out at age 24. No guilt, no hesitation, just elated to tell my parents I had fallen in love. Hardest person to tell? My 14-year-old sister, who was mostly concerned I would never be a mother. Read on.

Who’s your LGBT hero?

My newest LGBT hero just stepped out of Kansas last week and into Congress.

Watch out, America! Sharice Davids, Native American and lesbian, is in the House!

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

Alas, the Phase and the Banana Cafe here on Capitol Hill are now history, but

rather than sit home reading the Gay Bar obits, I think I’ll surprise my partner with a Saturday date night at Cobalt. (I know about it, because I just Googled it.)

Describe your dream wedding.

My idea of a dream wedding would be going to someone else’s dream wedding.

Even though I consider myself a romantic and cheer our right to marry, I’m also a Sagittarian. The only aisle I’ll most likely ever walk down in this life will be on a Boeing 767.

What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about?

My family would tell you I’m out to save the planet one straw and plastic bag at a time. It’s easy to stress over the minutia of recycling,

but the big picture is we do need to become more aware of protecting vulnerable marine life and our oceans. Don’t get me started on to-go cups and polystyrene containers!

What historical outcome would you change?

If only those 19 men had decided the night before to take a reflective nature walk under a starry September sky, they might not have ever boarded those planes.

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

My first girlfriend and I lived in Santa Monica in 1995 and became obsessed with the O.J. Simpson trial. We went downtown to the courtroom three times to watch the proceedings and see who we would run into in the ladies room. I still have a drawing that the court sketch artist signed and gave to me.

On what do you insist?

The list is long, yet I will narrow it down to these: kindness, reading, exercise, your headphones being off when I talk to you.

And, oh, would it be too much to insist on a POTUS who respects core American values?

What was your last Facebook post or Tweet?

The day before the midterms, I posted the flyer to our upcoming Congressional Chorus concert: Poets, Painters and Dreams. “Make your voice heard Nov. 6th and we’ll make our voices heard Nov. 18th!”

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

My life published in two volumes: Volume I: “Ready For Take-off!” Volume II: “Just Landed. It’s Good To Be Home.”

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

Don’t fact check me, but I feel quite confident that an impressive number of LGBT scientists employed in genetic research would never allow this to happen.

As a back-up plan, however, I would enlist every PFLAG chapter across the country (led by Betty DeGeneres) to march wherever our proud mothers and fathers are needed to change minds.

What do you believe in beyond the physical world?

I’m a student of “A Course In Miracles.” I believe a shift in perception from fear to love will awaken us to God, our authentic selves and ultimately to inner peace. Our souls are eternal; our bodies a suit of clothes we take off at the end of our earthly journey.

What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders?

Please share the resources we have here in D.C. with towns and cities across America. Whitman-Walker’s Insemination Support Group helped us realize our dream of motherhood. Rainbow Families, a few years later, introduced us to families who looked like ours. At the Rainbow Family Conference in May, our daughter, Ryanne (13), spent the entire day with the Teen Group and never once rolled her eyes. In fact, she loved it. These services are indispensable.

What would you walk across hot coals for?

I would crawl across hot coals to eradicate the reckless, tragic use of guns in our culture and heal the fear and hate behind every pulled trigger.

What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?

I hear there are folks in this country who feel LGBT people are unfit to be parents. That is annoying.

What’s your favorite LGBT movie?

Hands down, the movie that came out the year I did — “Desert Hearts.”

What’s the most overrated social custom?

Anything that involves men, beer and elite college parties. I hear this combination can sometimes lead to a lot of trouble down the road.

What trophy or prize do you most covet?

Time to reveal my reality TV addiction. I would covet the chance to outwit, outplay and outlast my ridiculously buff, goodlooking teammates to earn the title of sole “Survivor.” It would make my mother and daughter endlessly proud. My partner? She would be too busy watching “Downton Abbey” to notice.

What do you wish you’d known at 18?

At 18, I wish I had known how much I’d miss my grandparents after they died. All the questions I would never get to ask them, the stories left untold. Every person is a living library, they say. Don’t be so busy, young person, that you forget to check out these most valuable books right in your own family.

Why Washington?

Remember that persuasive woman I met in the lesbian bar 30 years ago? After she introduced me to Kramer’s Books and Afterwords Cafe, there was no way I was going to move to New York!

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

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2 6 • NO VE MB ER 1 6, 2018

A RT S & CU LT U RE

This Week in the Arts provided by CultureCapital.com Beetlejuice. Thru Nov 18. National Theatre. thenationaldc.org.

WIT: Road Show. Thru Nov 18.

Improv Wars. Thru Dec 10. In Your Ear. Nov 18-Dec 16. DC Arts Center. dcartscenter.org.

DANCE Rodarte Thru Feb 10. National Museum of Women in the Arts. nmwa.org.

Rodarte showcases the designers’ visionary concepts, impeccable craftsmanship, and profound impact on the fashion industry. The exhibition explores the distinctive design principles, material concerns, and reoccurring themes that position the Mulleavys’ work within the landscape of contemporary art and fashion.

Le Beaujolais NoUveau est arrivé!

Nov 16. Alliance Française at Embassy of France. francedc.org.

The Wine Event Of The Year! Enjoy unlimited Beaujolais NoUveau all night long, sample food from some of Washington’s best French restaurants, and dance the night away.

A Very Silly Vaudeville Nov 17. American Pops Orchestra at Arena Stage. theamericanpops.org.

Let famed Broadway tapping duo, Mary Michael Patterson and Cary Tedder, guide you on a journey through APO’s modern take on classic American vaudeville acts of yesteryear. This talent extravaganza will feature magic, dancing, singing and lots of audience engagement. Featuring Sam Hamashima, Hilary Morrow, Mary Michael Patterson and Cary Tedder.

Miriam Rodriguez Brüllová and Dalibor Karvay Nov 19. Embassy Series at Embassy of Slovakia. embassyseries.org.

Karvay-violin and M. R. Brüllová–guitar-two exceptional artists. In the year 2009, Dalibor won the prize of the Slovak Minister of Culture for excellent artistic results and a successful international interpretation of Slovak interpretative arts. Both have performed with many world orchestras and in many countries of the world.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS

THEATRE A Christmas Carol. Thru Dec 30.

Ford’s Theatre. fords.org.

Actually. Thru Nov 18. Theater J at Arena Stage. theaterj.org.

As You Like It. Thru Dec 2. Keegan Theatre. keegantheatre.com.

Billy Elliot the Musical. Thru Jan 5.

Signature Theatre. sigtheatre.org.

Elf: The Musical. Thru Jan 6. Olney Theatre. olneytheatre.org.

King John. Thru Dec 2. Folger Theatre. folger.edu.

Illyria, or What You Will. Thru Nov 18. Avant Bard at Gunston Arts Center. wscavantbard.org.

Labor of Love: A Comedy Magic Show. Nov 16. Maz Jobrani. Nov 16.

Anastasia. Thru Nov 25.

Shear Madness. Thru Nov 25.

Kennedy Center. shearmadness.com.

Aquila Theatre: Frankenstein. Nov 18. Mason’s Center for the Arts. cfa. gmu.edu.

The 3 Redneck Tenors. Nov 16.

The Wizard of Oz. Nov 18-Nov 19.

BlackRock. blackrockcenter.org.

The Agitators. Thru Nov 25.

Mosaic Theater Company at Atlas. mosaictheater.org.

The Fall. Thru Nov 25. Cry It Out. Thru Dec 16. Studio Theatre. studiotheatre.org.

ReVision dance company. Nov 17Nov 18. Dance Place. danceplace.org.

XIV Fuego Flamenco Festival. Nov 16-Nov 18. GALA Hispanic Theatre. galatheatre.org.

MUSIC A Salute to our Veterans.

Nov 18. Anderson House. societyofthecincinnati.org.

After Anatevka: Cabaret and Book Signing with Author Alexandra Silber. Nov 18. JCCNV. jccnv.org.

Allthebestkids and Loi Loi. Nov 16. Dupont Underground. dupontunderground.org.

Atzilut - A Concert for Peace. Nov 17.

BlackRock. blackrockcenter.org.

Convergence. Nov 18. Chiarina Chamber Players at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church. Chiarina.org.

Nobuntu. Nov 18. National Gallery of Art. nga.gov.

Inscape Chamber Orchestra. Nov 17.

Potter Violins. pottersviolins.com.

Latvian Radio Choir. Nov 16. Alan Menken. Nov 19. Library of Congress. loc.gov.

Maggie Rose. Nov 16. Hot Rize: 40th Anniversary Tour. Nov 17. The Barns. wolftrap.org.

Bernstein Choral Celebration.

Nov 17. National Philharmonic at Strathmore. nationalphilharmonic.org.

NSO. Thru Nov 17. WNO: Silent Night. Thru Nov 25. Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org.

Poets, Painters and Dreams.; Nov 18.

Congressional Chorus at Church of the Epiphany. congressionalchorus.org.

Sine Nomine with the Experiential Orchestra. Nov 17. Katzen Arts Center. american.edu.

Russian Winter. Nov 18. Washington.

Kenmore Middle School. balalaika.org.

WNO Young Artist Recital. Nov 17.

Kreeger Museum. kreegermuseum.org.

MUSEUMS Anderson House. A Revolution in Arms.

Thru Mar 24. societyofthecincinnati.org.

Dumbarton Oaks. Juggling the Middle Ages. Thru Feb 28. doaks.org.

Folger Shakespeare Library.

Churchill’s Shakespeare. Thru Jan 6. folger.edu.

Katzen Arts Center. Jim Sanborn. Thru Dec 16. american.edu.

Library of Congress. Mapping a Growing Nation: From Independence to Statehood. Thru Jan 1. loc.gov.

National Archives. Remembering Vietnam: Helicopters. Nov 19-Nov 16. archivesfoundation.org.

National Gallery of Art. Exhibition: Corot: Women. Thru Dec 31.

Exhibition: The Chiaroscuro Woodcut in Renaissance Italy. Thru Jan 20.

Exhibition: Gordon Parks: The New Tide, 1940-1950. Thru Feb 18. nga.gov.

National Geographic. Tomb of Christ.

Thru Jan 2. Titanic: The Untold Story.

Thru Jan 6. nglive.org.

National Museum of Women in the Arts. Bound to Amaze: Inside a BookCollecting Career. Thru Nov 25. Rodarte.

Thru Feb 10. nmwa.org.

Smithsonian Anacostia Museum. A Right to the City. Thru Apr 20. anacostia. si.edu.

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian. Exhibition: Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now. Thru Mar 10. npg.si.edu.

Postal Museum. Alexander Hamilton.

Thru Mar 3. postalmuseum.si.edu.

GALLERIES Arts Barn. Exploring Mixed Media.

Thru Nov 19.

DC Arts Center. A light white, a disgrace. Thru Dec 9. dcartscenter.org. gallery neptune & brown. Joseph Keiffer: Traveling Light. Nov 17-Dec 29. galleryneptunebrown.com.

Gallery Underground. Colors of Fall Exhibit. Thru Nov 30. arlingtonartistsalliance.org.

Glen Echo Park. Journeys: Marketa Jirouskova. Nov 17-Dec 29. glenechopark.org.

Hill Center. Aziza Claudia GibsonHunter: Playing to WIN. Thru Jan 6. hillcenterdc.org.

Korean Cultural Center DC. Damageable Perfection . Euyoung Hong. Thru Nov 30. koreaculturedc.org.

The Art League. Pete McCutchen: Pattern + Texture. Thru Dec 2. theartleague.org.

Waverly Street Gallery. The Washington Guild of Goldsmiths 19th Biennial Juried Show. Thru Nov 30. waverlystreetgallery.com.

Zenith Gallery. Great Moments in Art III. Thru Dec 1. zenithgallery.com.

Zenith Sculpture Space. Traveling Full Circle. Thru Jan 5. zenithgallery.com.

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P R E S E N T S

PRESENTS

This year’s choral extravaganza has more sparkle than ever.

DECEMBER 8, 15, 16

THIS SATURDAY!

LINCOLN THEATRE 1215 U Street NW

A CABARET ABOUT HOW SOMETHING AWESOME CAME FROM SOMETHING AWFUL

For tickets, call 1-877-435-9849 or visit gmcw.org

NOVEMBER 17 AT 5PM (ASL) AND 8PM ATLAS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER TICKETS: 202-399-7993 OR GMCW.ORG

For tickets and groups of 10 or more call 202-293-1548

GREAT PERFORMANCES AT MASON 2018/2019 SEASON

Co-creators Donald Byrd & Anna Deavere Smith

Spectrum Dance Theater

A Rap On Race

Friday, November 16 at 8 p.m.

6:30 p.m. Spoken Word presented by The Mason Black Student Alliance and Student Involvement in the Center for the Arts Lobby.

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Chanticleer

Family Series

Saturday, November 24 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, November 25 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

A Chanticleer Christmas This performance is also at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on Sun., Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. Information at HyltonCenter.org.

Mutts Gone Nuts

EN AR JO TS Y A AT LL CF THE A!

Soweto Gospel Choir Sunday, December 2 at 2 p.m.

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Family Friendly performances that are most suitable for families with younger children

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Located on the Fairfax campus, six miles west of Beltway exit 54, at the intersection of Braddock Road and Rt. 123.

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28 • NOV E M B E R 16, 2018

O U T & A BO U T

Branding products to promote your business.

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DJ DVS1. COURTESY OF SEQUENCE. PHOTO BY PAUL KRAUSE.

Techno dance party is Nov. 24 Sequence hosts 426_ DVS1, a techno dance party, on Saturday, Nov. 24 from 11 p.m.-8 a.m.

The DJ lineup includes DVS1, Arthur Kimskii, Associate and Theta Flux.

Attendees must be 21 years or older for entry. Tickets are $25. The location will be given to ticket holders who RSVP. For more information, visit facebook.com/sequencedc.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BIRCHMERE

Etheridge preps Birchmere engagement

• Awards • Tote & Duffle Bags • Mugs • Pens

Out rocker Melissa Etheridge performs her holiday show at The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Va.) Nov. 26-28 at 7:30 p.m. each night.

Etheridge will perform holiday classics as well as her hit songs “Come to My Window,” “I Want to Come Over” and “Bring Me Some Water.” Tickets are $115.

For more details and to purchase tickets, visit birchmere.com.

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‘Laramie’ runs Nov. 29-Dec. 2 PHOTO BY PAUL KRAUSE; COURTESY SEQUNCE

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‘All the Divas’ honors Nicki, Rihanna and more 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) hosts “All the Divas: A Dance Party” with DJ lil’e on Saturday, Nov. 24 from 9:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m.

DJ lil’e will spin the tracks featuring music from Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Prince and more. Tickets are $15. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to RAINN. For more details, visit 930.com.

Hartke Theatre (3801 Harewood Rd., N.E.) presents “The Laramie Project” on Thursday, Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m.

“The Laramie Project,” directed by Matt Ripa, is based on more than 200 interviews conducted by Moises Kaufman about reactions to the murder of Matthew Shepard. The play is written by Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project. The show runs through Dec. 2.

Tickets range from $10-20. A previous local production at Ford’s Theatre is shown here.

For more information, visit facebook. com/cuamusic.

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琀栀攀

一䄀䬀䔀䐀 夀伀䜀䄀 䴀漀渀搀愀礀猀 ☀ 眀攀搀渀攀猀搀愀礀猀

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㄀㌀㈀㄀ ㄀㐀琀栀 猀琀 一圀

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Holocaust Memorial Museum (100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl., S.W.) today from 9:45 a.m.-noon. The tour will focus on the permanent exhibit and how it relates to the stories of Anne Frank and Oskar Schindler. Robert Kelleman, the founder of Washington D.C. History & Culture, will guide the tour. Then the group will have a lunch discussion in the museum cafe. For details, visit facebook.com/ dchistoryandculture.

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.) kicks off its anniversary weekend tonight at 11:30 p.m. with an appearance by Willam at the Birds of Prey Drag Show.

She will perform and serve as the judge for the Mr. Eagle D.C. 2019 contest and the inaugural Ms. D.C. Eagle contest.

Willam meet-and-greet tickets are $30 and include entry to the Birds of Prey drag show. Tickets for the show are $15.

For a complete list of the D.C. Eagle’s anniversary events, visit dceagle.com.

The D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) hosts Woof Happy Hour and Porn Star Bingo today at 5 p.m. Eddie Danger hosts the party. There will be free pizza at 7:30 p.m. Drink specials include $4 rail drinks, $4 draft beers and more. For more details, visit dceagle.com.

Comedian Aziz Ansari performs at the MGM National Harbor (101 MGM National Ave., Oxon Hill, Md.) tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $47-93. For more information, visit mgmnationalharbor.com.

Macy’s (1201 G St., N.W.) presents its Holiday Unveiling today from 5-7 p.m.

Guests can meet singer Keri Hilson, drop by the men’s tailoring showroom featuring singer Sam Tsui and meet and greet with Santa. There will be holiday spirit tastings, cigar rolling, activities, giveaways, surprises and more.WPGC 95.5’s Sunni of the “Joe Clair Morning Show” will host. Admission is free. For more details, search “Metro Center Holiday Window Unveiling” on Facebook.

MONDAY, NOV. 19 The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) hosts coffee drop-in hours for the senior LGBT community this morning from 10 a.m.noon. Older LGBT adults can come and enjoy complimentary coffee and conversation with other community members. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

TUESDAY, NOV. 20 The Metropolitan Community Church of Washington (474 Ridge St., N.W.) honors the 18th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance tonight from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Transgender Day of Remembrance evolved from the Remembering Our Dead web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in response to the unsolved 1998 murder of Rita Hester.

ASL interpretation will be provided. The venue is also wheelchair accessible. For more details, visit mccdc.com.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21

SATURDAY, NOV. 17 Lesbian comedian Emma Willmann performs at Drafthouse Comedy Theatre (1100 13th St., N.W.) tonight with shows at 7 and 9 p.m. Tickets are $20. For more information, visit drafthousecomedy.com.

Annapolis Pride presents Drag Brunch at Rams Head On Stage (3 West St., Annapolis, Md.) today at 12:30 p.m. Victoria Bohmore and Shawnna Alexander host the show. Ganivah C. Diamond, M’ara Diamond, Kandi Pop, Sarah Nade, Jazmen Diamond and Prynce Sephora will perform. Tickets are $20.

Food and beverages are sold separately.

Half the proceeds will benefit Annapolis Pride. Guests must be 18 and over. Doors open at 11:30 p.m .For more details, visit ramsheadonstage.com.

The LGBTQ People of Color Support Group meets at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) today from 1-3 p.m. The peer support group, facilitated by Dakia Davis, is a safe space for LGBT people of color to talk about a variety of topics. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

KhushDC hosts its South Asian LGBTQ Support Group at the D.C. Center (2000

PHOTO COURTESY TRICKSTER PRODUCTIONS

Magician MICHAEL CARBONARO performs at MGM National Harbor this weekend.

14th St., N.W.) today at 1:30 p.m. The group is only open to people who identify as LGBT and have a family heritage from South Asia.

For more information, visit thedccneter.org.

Taqueria del Barrio (821 Upshur St., N.W.) hosts a no-shave drag brunch today from noon-3 p.m. Performers include Lilian Laurent, Tammy Kunte and Linda Lecter. Bearded queen and winner of D.C.’s Drag Wars Vagenessis will host the show. Ten percent of profits will benefit Whitman-Walker. For more details, visit facebook.com/delbarriodc.

Out magician Michael Carbonaro, known for his illusion TV series “The Carbonaro Effect,” performs at the MGM National Harbor (101 MGM National Ave., Oxon Hill, Md.) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $44-71. For more information,

visit mgmnationalharbor.com.

SUNDAY, NOV. 18 Murray & Peter present “A Drag Queen Christmas: The Naughty Tour” at the Warner Theatre (513 13th St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m.”RuPaul’s Drag Race” alumni will perform including Alyssa Edwards, Aja, Latrice Royale, Farrah Moan, Monet X Change, Trinity Taylor, Raja and Naomi Smalls. Miz Cracker hosts the show. This is an all-ages show. Doors open at 7 p.m. and show starts at 8 p.m.

Tickets range from $20-50. For more information, visit dragfans.com.

Washington D.C. History & Culture, a non-profit community organization, will give a guided tour of the U.S.

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.

Bookmen D.C., an informal gay men’s literature group, discusses “From Macho to Mariposa: Gay Latino Fiction” edited

by Charles Rice-Gonzalez and Charlie Vasquez at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome.

For more information, visit bookmendc. blogspot.com.

Vida Fitness hosts a free Thanksgiving Eve pre-burn open house at all locations today from 5 a.m.-11 p.m. Attendees can use Vida’s fitness equipment and cardio machines or drop by for a Zumba, cycling or HIIT class. Admission is free. RSVP at vidafitness.com/thanksgiving.

THURSDAY, NOV. 22 The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) hosts Thanksgiving dinner today from 1-5 p.m. The dinner is welcome to all but especially for Center Global and Center Aging members who do not have Thanksgiving plans. Guests are invited to bring their favorite music, board games or holiday traditions to share with the group. Doors open at 1 p.m. Dinner starts at 2 p.m. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

S P O RTI N ’ I N DC

N OV E M B E R 16, 2018 • 31

Pickleball passion Old Dominion Dinkers find fun with table-tennis-type sport

By KEVIN MAJOROS Five years ago, Bonnie Ballentine was looking for a new gym and came across the Manassas Park Community Center.

A life-long athlete, she was practicing for the National Senior Games where she would compete in basketball.

She had heard about the fast-growing sport of pickleball through a friend and agreed to set up a program for the Community Center. After starting with four players, the Old Dominion Dinkers are playing up to six days a week with about 50 players.

Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis and table tennis. Two or four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball, like a Wiffle ball, over a net.

The Dinkers play indoors at the Community Center on basketball courts during the week, and weather permitting, outdoors on tennis courts at Metz Middle School on weekends.

“We have tons of fun and the camaraderie and friendships are great,” Ballentine says. “Our group is caring and welcoming and we cater to all ethnicities, religions and identities. Everyone is treated the same and no one is less than anyone else.”

Ballentine grew up in South Carolina and is a retired physical education teacher.

The only sport her high school offered to girls was basketball and she played all four years. She was thrilled to play intramural basketball, volleyball, tennis, softball and field hockey at Winthrop College (now Winthrop University) and graduated in 1966.

She sought out recreation leagues after college and played in the above mentioned sports. After turning 50, she began competing in the National Senior Games. In the upcoming 2019 Games in Albuquerque, she will take on both basketball and pickleball.

Because of their early morning weekday schedule (8 a.m.), the Old Dominion Dinkers draw an older crowd.

“I believe in people being active and keeping busy. If we have a large turnout, we shorten the games so everyone can play,” Ballentine says. “On the weekends, we have been joined by young Mormon missionaries who canvass in the area.

Everyone is welcome.”

Last weekend, the Dinkers hosted an in-house tournament for their players.

Next year they are hoping to expand it to include outside clubs.

PHOTOS COURTESY THE LEAGUE

BONNIE BALLENTINE (left) and JASON SHRINER, two members of the Old Dominion Dinkers.

“I won’t tell you that our tournaments aren’t competitive, but they are aimed at our lower level players for them to get the feel of a tournament without getting annihilated,” Ballentine says. “There is lots of chatter and laughter on the courts.

Life’s too short not to have a lot of fun.”

Jason Shriner is the marketing manager for the Department of Parks and Recreation, City of Manassas Park. He is coming up on the second anniversary of his marriage to his husband and volunteers with PFLAG in his spare time.

Even though he didn’t consider himself sports-minded, Ballentine talked him into playing pickleball starting in 2016. He found parallels in the sport with other aspects of his life.

“When I started playing, I was taking sign language classes and it immediately felt like a good fit because of the handeye coordination,” Shriner says. “I was really stiff at first, but the other players made it easy for me. They didn’t rush me and were very patient.”

Shriner grew up a military brat before his family settled in Woodbridge. He didn’t play sports because they didn’t feel inclusive and says he was a “big gamer” during those years.

While attending Johnson & Wales University, he did give intramural dodgeball a try. Now that he is playing pickleball twice a week, he acknowledges the similarities that it has to gaming.

“It is addictive and there are endorphins from the positive feedback. I love it when I hear the paddle hit the right spot,” Shriner says. “I gravitate towards games with rewards and the pickleball games go really quick — less than 10 minutes.”

Shriner played in the pickleball tournament last weekend and loves that the sport appeals to people of all ages and skill levels. He feels welcome as a member of the LGBT community.

“The Dinkers are cool, energetic and engaged,” Shriner says. “I consider all of them to be allies.”

HANDMADE HOLIDAYS

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

32 • N OV E M B E R 16, 201 8

TV

PHOTO BY TEREZA CERVENOVA; COURTESY OF HULU

MAXINE PEAKE (left) as Sadie and DESIREE AKHAVAN as Leila in ‘The Bisexual.’

Going bi New Hulu series is clever, witty and smart

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After she’s slept with a man for the first time, Leila ruefully observes, “I thought sex with a man would be different, but it’s not.” Then she adds, “but with guys, there’s clean-up.”

This exchange is just one of the highlights of “The Bisexual,” a great new six-episode series premiering today on Hulu. The series is an insightful comedy of sexual manners that is smart, sexy and quite funny.

Leila is played by gifted filmmaker Desiree Akhavan (“The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” “Appropriate Behavior”) who also co-wrote (with Cecilia Frugiuele) and directed the series. Leila is a native New Yorker who’s living in London with Sadie (Maxine Peake), her long-term business and romantic partner.

As the series opens, it’s clear their relationship is starting to fray. Sadie’s thinking about marriage and children; Leila is not. Leila decides they should take a break in their personal relationship even though they will still work together. As Leila says when she awkwardly tries to reassure their staff that everything will be all right, “Mommy and Daddy still love you.”

With the help of her best friend Daniz (the delightfully deadpan Saskia Chana), Leila moves in with Gabe (Brian Gleeson), a neurotic author and professor with problems of his own. His sort-of girlfriend Francesca (Michélle Guillot) is also one of his students and she’s rather ambivalent about their relationship, noting “you don’t fuck the way you write.”

When Leila tells Gabe that she’s interested in sleeping with men (something she could never admit to her lesbian friends), the two form an awkward partnership. Leila introduces Gabe to London’s queer scene and reluctantly tries to help him decipher his complicated relationship with Francesca.

Gabe becomes Leila’s wingman and takes her to straight bars while helping her keep her new sexual adventures a secret from Sadie and their circle of friends.

The scripts by Akhavan and Frugiuele are simply superb. The writing sparkles effortlessly; the dialogue is crisp, lively and witty while always feeling very naturalistic.

They create a cast of fascinating wellrounded characters with interesting quirks and flaws. Each character is presented with deep compassion and complex emotional issues are handled with an appealingly light touch.

Akhavan’s work as a director is also assured and nuanced. The pacing is brisk and the sex scenes are wellchoreographed. She has a playful touch with the material and a solid collaboration with camera operator Ilana Garrard and music supervisor Amy Ashworth.

That sense of fun also extends Akhavan’s partnership with title designer Charlotte Retief. In each episode, the words “The Bisexual” show up in a different place. Spotting the title becomes a fun game like spotting one of Alfred Hitchcock’s cameos or one of the “Ninas” in an Al Hirschfeld illustration.

Writer/director/actor Akhavan proves she’s a legitimate triple threat with her sensitive portrayal of Leila. Akhavan boldly embaces every aspect of Leila’s changing and often prickly personality.

She deftly captures the character’s vulnerability as well as her frequent insensitivity. When she brutally dumps one of the men she’s been seeing, he calls her “an emotional intimacy whore;” his assessment is not entirely off-base, even if it doesn’t describe the entirety of Leila’s big heart.

The rest of the cast is equally strong.

Peake brings a steely sense of elegance to Sadie and Gleeson imbues Gabe with a level of dysfunction that is frequntly appealing and occasionally annoying. The supporting cast create vivid characters with quick brushstrokes.

“The Bisexual” does an outstanding job of representing a segment of the LGBT community that is too often ignored.

Akhavan and company capture Leila’s second coming-out process with great finesse. They sensitively track her journey from a woman who rejects bisexuality and sexual fluidity to a woman who begins to express her authentic self. Her journey is both moving and amusing.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

T H E A TER

N O V E MBE R 1 6 , 2 0 1 8 • 3 3

PHOTO BY EVAN ZIMMERMAN

LILA COOGAN with STEPHEN BROWER in the national tour of ‘Anastasia.’

PHOTO BY CAMERON WHITMAN

JADE JONES in ‘As You Like It,’ at Keegan Theatre.

As they like it Out actors shine in area productions

By PATRICK FOLLIARD Untraditional casting and breaking gender stereotypes on stage aren’t new concepts. And for younger out actors like Broadway vet Stephen Brower and local up-and-comer Jade Jones, it’s all part of the job. In recent interviews, the talented pair share their respective experiences.

As Dmitry, the young con man turned princely love interest in the national tour of “Anastasia” now at the Kennedy Center, Brower adds an unexpected vulnerability to the part that other actors might not. Still, as the leading man in the Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Aherns’ musical about the mystery surrounding the last tsar’s fabled daughter, Brower brings the chemistry and romance.

In his program bio, Brower, 25, thanks the production’s producers and creative team for their trust and openmindedness.

“The guys who played Dmitri before me, Derek Clena and Zach Adkins, are traditional leading men — masculine, tall strapping guys,” he says. “Unlike them, I’m tall and skinny with bad posture. So when I auditioned for the part, I went in with my bag tricks. I was quirky and making jokes, but unafraid to show sensitivity. And they trusted my take on the role.”

Traditionally actors have been taught that leading men need to be sexually appealing to be successful, Brower says.

“I’ve seen a lot of naturally sexy people get cast over more talented actors. I guess it has to do with ticket sales. As an actor, you face a challenge in being marketable while trying to be honest with yourself. My upbringing and background — being an opening gay man raised in

conservative Tulsa, Oklahoma — has a lot do with what I bring to the part.”

Fortunately for actors who might come across as somewhat less than butch, things are changing Brower says. “We are currently in an age where can challenge those perceptions and I feel great to be a part of that. I honestly don’t think I would have been cast as Dimitri 10 years ago.

“Still,” he adds, “there remains a lingering fear that when you walk into an audition room that you have to put on that swagger to make them fall in love with you and casting directors only fall in love with guys who are hypermasculine.

Most actors are plagued by insecurities.

It’s important to me that stereotypes of leading men are changed.”

Growing up in Tulsa, Brower came out at 15.

“My family was very supportive and I think I knew they would be. What’s more I attended a diverse school. Magnet school for general education that created a loving and supportive environment.”

He went on to earn a degree in musical theater at Texas State University in three years before heading to New York City.

Soon after, he landed a professional gig and has been employed ever since.

Prior to playing Dmitry, Brower toured with “Pippin” and “An American in Paris.”

Luckily, he enjoys life on the road. His boyfriend, an actor/dancer, is touring with “Wicked.”

“We get together when our schedules permit. It’s tough but we manage. It’s part of what actors have to do.”

Jade Jones, 28, has played a hippy in “Hair” at Keegan Theatre, a munchkin in Ford’s Theatre “The Wiz” and recently that notorious meat piemaker Mrs. Lovett in Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Sweeney Todd” at Rep Stage in Howard County, an experience Jones describes as her

principal accomplishment to date.

Currently Jones is playing Senior Duke in Keegan Theatre’s “As You Like It,” a pop/rock musical take on the Bard’s romantic comedy by New York singer/ songwriter Shaina Taub. It’s the third time Jones has been cast in a role written for a man.

“It’s really interesting casting and makes me realize that the sky is the limit,” says Jones, who sums up her attitude in a quote attributed to African-American ballet dancer Lauren Anderson: “Do I fit this mold? No. There is no mold in art.”

In the spring, Jones tackles Little Red Ridinghood in Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” at Ford’s. Her future working wish list includes playing Tennessee William’s iconic creations Blanche Dubois and Stanley Kowalski (though not in the same production).

Like Stephen Brower, Jones is familiar with insecurities.

“I never believed I had what it took to be a musical theater actor. I initially felt that I needed to separate my acting and vocal careers,” says Jones who’s often singled out for her magnetic stage presence and powerful, soulful voice. “But then fellow actors explained to me how I could, and really should, do both together. I also had a fear of dancing. Fellow actors helped me with that too. I’ve been fortunate to work with some very supportive people. I consider them my mentors.”

On Monday at Keegan Theatre’s annual gala held in their charming performance space on Church Street in Dupont, Jones will receive the company’s Emerging Artist Award given to younger artists who have performed on the Keegan stage and shown particular promise and demonstrated a collaborative spirit, a dedication to their craft, an exceptional work ethic and an ever-deepening love for

the art form. Keegan Theatre Associate Artistic Director Susan Marie Rhea says, “Jade is a true triple threat, a performer of the highest caliber. But she’s more than that — she has passion, vision for her career and a love for life and her fellow artists that makes her a true joy to be around.”

Jones, who is single and lives in Dupont, says receiving the award is like “coming full circle.” As a Fairfax County high school student, Jones was introduced to the works of Tennessee Williams with Keegan’s “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

“I was blown away. It’s the reason why I’m an actor. After graduating from Ferrum College in Virginia, my first professional acting job was at Keegan in ‘Hair.’ That they’re celebrating my work is very exciting.”

Coming out to her religious parents wasn’t easy. Being gay was condemned from the pulpit and her parents agreed with that.

“But they’ve changed since then. When I look at them now and the way they have accepted me and other family members and my friends, it makes be believe that there is positive light in this world despite everything. It’s not hard to be LGBTQ in the theater community,” she says. “I don’t think there’s any profession that’s more accepting. It’s where I’m most comfortable.”

‘ANASTASIA’ Through Nov. 25 The Kennedy Center 2700 F St., N.W. $59-179 202-467-4600 kennedy-center.org ‘AS YOU LIKE IT’ Through Dec. 2 Keegan Theatre 1742 Church St., N.W. $62 (202-265-3767 keegantheatre.com

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

3 4 • NO VE MB ER 1 6, 2018

DINING

PHOTO BY EVAN SUNG; COURTESY DBGB

DBGB Kitchen and Bar offers a French twist on the traditional Thanksgiving dinner next week.

Thanksgiving twist Bombay Club, Sababa and others offer Turkey Day with their own spin

By EVAN CAPLAN For as much as Thanksgiving represents of Americans coming together over a shared history, Thanksgiving also signifies our recognition that it is a country of immigrants who bring together diverse traditions and identities.

And so here in D.C., we’ll offer five restaurants with a different take on the Thanksgiving meal, folding in flavors, ingredients, spices and philosophies from around the world.

Celebrated, high-end Indian restaurant The Bombay Club (815 Connecticut Ave., N.W.; bombayclubdc.com), blends piquant Indian flavors with traditional turkey. Executive Chef Nilesh Singhvi is set to prepare specials for the occasion like butternut squash samosas and turkey cranberry tikka served with Brussels sprouts poriyal and sweet potato bhaji. For dessert, The Bombay Club is serving a pumpkin crème brûlée. The Thanksgiving menu is offered 11:30 a.m.2:30 p.m. and 5-9:30 p.m. Dinner will be

accompanied by live piano music (no word if there will be Bollywood songs on the repertoire).

Cleveland Park’s vibrant and newly opened SABABA (3309 Connecticut Ave., N.W., sababauptown.com) will blend Israeli and Middle Eastern style and flair with well-known Thanksgiving dishes. You’ll be able to dip some chips into roasted pumpkin hummus touched up with pecans and pumpkin oil, and munch on charred heirloom carrots with baharat and herb tahina. Something that comes from the Jewish-mother-American soul: lamb matzo ball soup made from lamb broth and featuring roasted lamb.

Downtown’s innovative and plantforward Equinox (818 Connecticut Ave., N.W.; equinoxrestaurant.com) offers a fine-dining prix-fixe dinner that also happens to have entirely vegan options at each course. Before noshing, however, the feast begins with an annual oyster roast; and yes, there are oyster mushrooms to be roasted as well. It’s a tradition from Chef Todd and Ellen Gray’s family and is complimentary for diners.

The meal itself tends to the traditional side, but include exotic ingredients like date honey and bulger served with quail and shaved cashew cheese grated over

homemade pasta. Dinner (with or without meat) is $75. Note that vegan-only Sticky Fingers (stickyfingersbakery.com) and Fare Well (eatfarewell.com) will both offer to-go plant-based Thanksgiving spreads as well.

For those who recall, France was instrumental in supporting the American fight for freedom to topple British colonialism. DBGB Kitchen and Bar (931 H St., N.W.; dbgb.com), will serve a French-forward feast from the mind of Chef Daniel Boulud. DBGB’s Thanksgiving dinner will showcase holiday classics and specials, like the roasted squash soup topped with pain d’epice, pumpkin seeds, and chives. The holiday menu will also feature signature dishes such as venison orecchiette with chestnut, acorn squash and ricotta salata, as well as seared foie gras served with plum, ginger, almond and brioche.

Warm up with something south of the border at Mi Vida Restaurante (98 District Sq., S.W.; mividamexico.com) for more Mexican-leaning inspiration.

Opened on the Wharf earlier this year, Mi Vida is inaugurating its Thanksgiving menu with notes of both home cooking and modern takes on classics. Mi Vida will feature a dinner menu including

signature dishes like pescado a la talla, fish over red and green adobo peppers with tomatillo salsa, black beans and radish, and a creamy mushroom soup with spicy croutons. The meal wouldn’t be complete without a pavo relleno, a nod to Thanksgiving’s traditional turkey, with kale and ricotta-stuffed bacon-wrapped turkey breast, chipotle cranberry sauce, corn bread and brussels sprouts. For dessert, there’s pay de camote, a sweet potato pie smothered in pineapplecaramel sauce.

Before or after seconds, supporting our friends and family in need is also part of Thanksgiving (and American) tradition.

Food & Friends, an organization that cares for those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses through preparing and delivering meals and groceries, along with nutrition counseling, provides 3,500 meals during Thanksgiving. Before the actual day, from Nov. 19-21, volunteering is possible in food prep for kitchen shifts; volunteers can also deliver turkey boxes for clients who live far from the District. On the actual day (Nov. 22), volunteers can participate in food prep, meal delivery and a “Thanksgiving Pilgrims” program that assist with day-of logistics.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

A D V I CE

N OV E M B E R 16, 2018 • 35

Parental love?

Ultimatum about being out rattles young gay man

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

HI MICHAEL, I’m 24, a gay man, struggling to come out.

I told my parents I’m gay over the summer, hoping they would be supportive.

Unfortunately, they were not accepting.

I was surprised at my mother’s extremely negative attitude because she is a worldly person and even has gay friends at work.

But she is very religious, as is my father, and they told me that they will not accept their son living a gay life — meaning, being involved with another man.

They said that if I do proceed with living a gay life, they will cut me off.

Right now I’m working at a postcollege job (low pay) so my parents are generously subsidizing my rent. I’m also hoping to start graduate school next fall, which they had agreed to pay for.

Without their help, I really couldn’t make ends meet at this point in my life and I certainly could not afford graduate school on my own. I’m hoping to go into a field that I love but which is not at all lucrative, so student loans are not something I could take on.

It’s not just the financial help. They have always been loving and generous with me.

I am an only child and I have always relied on my parents for companionship and support. Growing up I didn’t really have friends. I’m scared of losing their love.

And yet, I don’t want to be single for the rest of my life.

I was dating someone over the summer.

This is part of the reason I told my parents.

It was too complicated to explain why I couldn’t talk when my mother would call in the evenings. I didn’t want to have to lie or come up with excuses all the time.

The guy I was seeing said he didn’t respect me when my mother would call and I would lie about being with him, so the relationship ended. I can understand his feeling and I am not sure I respect myself.

I feel pathetic. I’m hoping you can help me figure out a way forward.

MICHAEL REPLIES:

Many of us grow up thinking it’s our job to be the person our parents want us to be. This makes perfect sense because our parents work to shape us in ways that they think are positive and we face consequences for letting them down.

When we’re young, we don’t have any say about the expectations that are imposed on us. But as we get older and are able to start thinking about who we are and who we want to be, we may want to live in ways that differ from how our parents live.

We can hope they will understand that we aren’t extensions of them. But that’s not always the case. When our parents have rigid belief systems and fixed expectations, they’re likely to have difficulty accepting ways of being that are outside of their experience.

As we move into adulthood, we become able to take care of ourselves. We can survive losing our parents’ emotional and financial support if we behave in ways they don’t like. Yet the prospect is still likely to be scary.

This is where you are now. You’re thinking that you can’t survive without your parents’ support. But that is a child’s reality. You’re an adult, so I’m pretty sure that you can find a way to stand on your own.

Yes, I get that things would be a lot more difficult materially. You must decide if the financial assistance your parents provide is worth giving up the life you want to live.

With regard to your parents cutting you off emotionally: Your letter makes clear that their support is based on your pretending to be whom they want you to be. That’s not support.

Nor would I use the word “loving” to describe parents who threaten to kick you to the curb unless you behave in the way they demand.

Your path away from feeling pathetic is to determine what it means to live your life in a way that you respect. That may mean living in a way that your parents don’t respect.

People are sometimes capable of growing beyond their limitations when pushed to do so. Perhaps your parents might accept the truth of your life over time if you hold your ground about who you’re while making clear that you want to remain close. They may decide that they don’t want to lose you, even if you don’t toe their line.

One more point: You need support in your life from people who don’t threaten to stop caring about you for being openly gay. Please strive to make such friends, both for your wellbeing and as a reality check. Doing so will put you on a collision course with your parents’ demand, but you cannot avoid this dilemma if you want to live your own life.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

3 6 • NO VE MB ER 1 6, 2018

AUTOS

Four-door fun MazdaA6, Toyota Camry bring panache to new models

By JOE PHILLIPS Whoa! Who knew four doors could be such a blast? Three of the most solid sedans get extreme makeovers and the results are stunning.

MAZDA6 $23,000 Mpg: 26 city, 35 highway Zero-60 mph: 6.4 seconds Mazda always takes the road less traveled, offering a more performanceoriented lineup than the competition. In the past, such sporty fare wasn’t for everyone, especially families or drivers wanting a luxelike ride. But this year the updated Mazda6 offers it all, with a fresh exterior — almost as sexy as an awesome Alfa Romeo Giulia — and a fine, spacious cabin.

With the streamlined dash and comfortable seats, there’s a Lexus vibe here. Same with the long list of amenities, especially in the higher trim levels: 11-speaker stereo, heated steering wheel, heated/ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and a head-up display that projects your speed and other traffic info. There’s also smartphone integration, voice control and USB ports for front- and rear-seat passengers. While the base engine on this midsize sedan is so-so, there’s now a sweet four-cylinder turbo for more oomph.

And it’s difficult to overstate just how smooth and nimble the Mazda6 handles, thanks to compliant steering and tight suspension. Tackling tight corners is a breeze and there’s virtually no body roll. As for safety, automatic emergency braking and blind-spot warning are now standard. Splurge for the top-of-theline Signature model to get microfiber suede, real wood, LED ambient lighting, 360-degree parking camera and a frameless rearview mirror. Such goodies boost the price above $35,000, but that’s a bargain compared to a Lexus ES 350 or similar high-end sport sedan.

TOYOTA CAMRY XSE

VW JETTA SEL PREMIUM $28,000 Mpg: 30 city, 39 highway Zero-60 mph: 7.7 seconds

MAZDA6

TOYOTA CAMRY XSE $30,000 Mpg: 28 city, 39 highway Zero-60 mph: 5.8 seconds Zachary Quinto is sexy. Ellen and Portia are sexy. But Toyota Camrys?

These middling sedans are definitely not sexy — until now, that is. Completely redesigned this year, the cocky-looking Camry is longer, lower and lusher than ever. It’s also livelier, if you opt for the

sport-tuned XSE model with optional V6 engine. All Camrys come with automatic LED headlights, rearview camera and scads of safety features: 10 air bags, precollision alert with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning and automatic high beams.

Blind-spot monitoring and rear crosstraffic alert also are available and there’s plenty of headroom, legroom and cargo space, along with four cup holders and four bottle holders. But it’s the bad-ass XSE that boasts a menacing look, with its black grille, flared rocker panels, machinefinished wheels, dual exhaust outlets and rear spoiler. Notable options: panoramic sunroof, burgundy-red interior and 10inch color head-up display.

Inside, the seats are firm but comfortable, with faux-metal trim on the futuristic and user-friendly dashboard and center console. Rev the engine for an exciting exhaust growl. Accelerate sharply through switchbacks with flawless control. Maneuver over potholes and speed bumps with nary a shimmy.

In short, the beefed-up Camry XSE has muscled its way from functional family hauler to serious sport sedan.

VW JETTA SEL PREMIUM

With a dashing design and added features, the all-new VW Jetta shows off its style and substance. The sheet metal is nicely chiseled with a wraparound front end and flashy grille accents. At 185.1 inches long, the compact Jetta has been stretched to within spitting distance of many mid-sizers.

That means more room for passengers and an increase in cabin storage. But curiously, trunk space is slightly reduced.

The improved interior is quieter, with better build quality and more ergonomically attuned seats. Under the hood, it’s the same four-cylinder as before, which means a competent but less-than-thrilling acceleration. At least the new transmission helps boost fuel efficiency. And the tight handling and braking make for a refined ride, even in the base model.

But opt for the top-of-the-line SEL Premium, with remote start, larger alloys, foglights and heated everything: front/ rear seats, steering wheel, even the windshield washer nozzles. Jazzy ambient lighting comes in choice of 10 colors, and a clever, high-tech “digital cockpit” replaces the standard speedometer and tachometer with a 10.25-inch screen.

Another plus: the brilliant BeatsAudio premium stereo, with eight speakers and a bangin’ 400-watt subwoofer.

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MICHAEL K. LAVERS

International News Editor Blade employee since 2012

DONATE TO THE BLADE FOUNDATION ON

My work as a reporter for the Washington Blade allows me to give visibility to LGBTI people in this country and around the world.

I have covered the impact that President Trump’s immigration policy is having on LGBTI communities in Central America, Mexico and the U.S. Southwest. I have also profiled LGBTI communities in the Deep South, and continue to cover Hurricane Maria’s impact on members of Puerto Rico’s LGBTI community. This coverage has never been more important than it is today. I am honored to have your continued support.

Me llamo Michael Lavers y soy editor de los temas internacionales del Washington Blade.

Estoy muy honrado de tener la oportunidad para proporcionar a nuestros lectores una cobertura innovadora de temas LGBTI en América Latina. Tenemos un equipo de corresponsales y colaboradores en países como Cuba, El Salvador y Chile. También viajo regularmente a Puerto Rico, Centroamérica y Colombia para reportar sobre los temas LGBTI. Esta cobertura es más importante que nunca. Sigo agradecido por su continuo apoyo.

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

CRAIG WALLACE as Scrooge and JAMES KONICEK as Marley in Ford Theatre’s ‘A Christmas Carol.’

The Folger Consort in concert.

PHOTO BY TERESA WOOD; COURTESY FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY

PHOTO BY SCOTT SUCHMAN; COURTESY FORD’S

Revels celebrate winter solstice Dec. 8-16 at Lisner CON TINUED FROM PAGE 23

Folger Shakespeare Library will present 12 concerts of “A Christmas Messe: A Banquet of Seasonal English Music.” In addition to seasonal English music from the 14th-17th centuries, celebrated D.C. actor Rick Foucheux will read scenes from a 1619 Christmas comedy.

The Folger Shakespeare Library (folger. edu) will also celebrate the season with the annual Emily Dickinson Birthday Tribute. On Monday, Dec. 10, there will be a discussion of Dickinson’s poetry followed by a wine reception featuring slices of Dickinson’s famous black cake.

Since 1983, the Washington Revels have held an annual “Christmas Revel” to celebrate the winter solstice and the “return of the sun.” Presided over by Queen Elizabeth I (Katrina Van Duyn), this year’s festivities will include performances by mummers and “rude mechanicals,” Morris dancing from the allfemale Rock Creek Morris Women, special singing games for children and dancing in the aisles for everyone. Performances run Dec. 8-16 at GW’s Lisner Auditorium.

Details at revelsdc.org.

D.C. Different Drummers (dcdd.org) will hold their annual holiday concert on Sunday, Dec. 9 at the Church of the Redemption near Union Station.

On Dec. 1-2, the Smithsonian Holiday Film Festival will take place at the Smithsonian’s Warner Bros. Theatre.

Screenings will include “A Christmas Story,” “It’s A Wonderful Life,” “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “Elf” and “Wonder Woman.”

More information can be found at si.edu/ theaters/holiday-film-festival.

Charles Dickens will of course be making his annual holiday appearance.

For a maximalist approach to “A Christmas Carol,” head to Ford’s Theatre (fords.org) where award-winning D.C. actor Craig Wallace leads a large cast in a splendid retelling of the timeless tale.

From Dec. 15-31, the Keegan Theatre (keegantheatre.com) offers a nontraditional adaptation of the classic tale for the adults in the family. Set in modern Dublin, Matthew Keenan’s “An Irish

Carol” is about a prosperous pub owner who is forced to reevaluate his life on Christmas Eve. For a minimalist approach to the Yuletide classic, head to the Olney Theatre (olneytheatre.org) where company member Paul Morella will present his annual solo rendition of “A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas.”

Olney Theatre will also present the musical “Elf the Musical” through Jan. 6. Based on the hit Will Ferrell movie, the warm-hearted family musical tells the story of Buddy, a human accidentally transported to the North Pole as a baby.

In a somewhat jazzier mode, Arena Stage is offering gay composer Cole Porter’s effervescent musical “Anything Goes” this holiday season. Directed

by Molly Smith and choreographed by Parker Esse, the madcap musical includes such classics as “Blow, Gabriel Blow,” “You’re the Top,” “I Get a Kick out of You” and the exhilarating title number.

Dragons (and imaginations) soar in Synetic Theatre’s wordless Family Theatre production of “My Father’s Dragon.” Based on the book by Ruth Stiles Gannett, the story centers on a young child and his cat companion as they try to rescue a captive baby dragon (synetictheater.org).

The staff at Wolf Trap says that “the best way to spread holiday cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” Attendees at the “Annual Holiday Sing-A-Long”are invited to bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots and a candle to participate in the traditional candlelit recessional during the last verse of “Silent Night” Admission is free and details can be found at (wolftrap.org/tickets).

From Dec. 14-30, the Atlas Performing Arts Centre on H Street, NE (atlasarts. secure.force.com/ticket) will present Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show. This contemporary holiday tradition features percussive beats, friendly, furry characters, pre-show instrument-making workshops and a dance party hosted by DJ Frosty the Snowman.

From free shows on the Millennium

Stage to a diverse array of concerts and shows in several theaters, every corner of the Kennedy Center will be filled with holiday cheer this season. This year’s schedule includes “Love, Factually,” the Second City’s farcical take on the beloved holiday film (Dec. 4-31); NSO Pop’s “A Holiday Pops! Under the Mistletoe with special guest Ashley Brown (who played Mary Poppins on Broadway) (Dec. 1414); and “The Nutcracker” performed by Utah’s Ballet West (Dec. 5-9).

From Dec. 14-16, the Kennedy Center will also host the Washington National Opera’s annual Family Holiday Opera “The Lion, the Unicorn and Me” based on the book by lesbian author Jeanette Winterson and directed by Francesca Zambello, the out artistic director of the WNO. From Dec. 20-23, the National Symphony Orchestra will present the perennial audience favorite Handel’s “Messiah.” The popular “SingAlong Messiah” will take place Dec. 23.

Free general admission tickets will be distributed starting at 4:30 p.m. the day of the event.

For a full list of holiday events at the Kennedy Center, go to kennedy-center.org.

Fans of “The Nutcracker” can also see the beloved holiday ballet at other venues throughout the area. The Washington Ballet will present “Septime Weber’s The Nutcracker” at THEARC Theatre Nov. 24-25 and at the Warner Theatre Nov. 29-Dec. 28. Set in Georgetown in 1882, the cast includes George Washington, King George III and other historical characters. More information on the 15th anniversary production can be found at (washingtonballet.org).

The Strathmore in Bethesda, Md., is presenting two versions of “The Nutcracker.”

Featuring authentic Russian costumes and hand-painted sets, the “Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker” (Dec. 16-17) returns the dance to its European roots. With digital scenery and an on-stage DJ, “The Hip Hop Nutcracker” (Dec. 18-19) offers a contemporary take on the classic tale.

For other holiday programming at the

Strathmore, head to strathmore.org.

Seasonal programming at the legendary Birchmere in Alexandria, Va., (birchmere.com) includes concerts by Melissa Etheridge (Nov. 26-28), Sara Evans (Dec. 8). Judy Collins (Dec. 18-19), John Waters (Dec. 20) and Maysa (Dec. 22).

With beautiful holiday decorations augmenting the legendary stained-glass windows, the Washington National Cathedral (cathedral.org) is a splendid place to celebrate the holiday season.

On Dec. 7-9, the Cathedral Choir will sing Handel’s “Messiah,” and on Dec. 8, the chorus will present a special family edition of the “Messiah.” This shortened version of this iconic work focuses on the birth of Jesus and continues the story of his death and resurrection through selected arias and choruses, ending with the famous “Hallelujah Chorus.”

Dance Place in the Brookland neighborhood (danceplace.org) will hold a Kwanzaa Celebration Dec. 15-16. Led by director Sylvia Soumah, the communal event will celebrate the seven principles of the holiday.

On Dec. 28, the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum (anacostia.si.edu) will host an interactive introduction to Kwanzaa with Baba Ras D and the LeSole Dance Project. The audience participatory program includes dancers, singers, music, colorful costumes and lively characters designed for young children and adults alike.

If you’re gorged out on holiday fare and want something different, The Washington Stage Guild presents the world premiere of “All Save One” by local playwright Greg Jones Ellis Nov. 15-Dec. 9. Set in 1950s Hollywood, it’s a witty dramedy that depicts what goes on behind closed doors when a worldfamous writer, his actress wife and longtime “secretary” arrive in England only to have their comfortable household disrupted by the arrival of a handsome young priest and a film producer. It’s at The Undercroft Theatre of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church (900 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.). E-mail to info@stageguild.org for details.

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212-675-4106 WASHINGTON BLADE SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 4.75” x 11.5" 4C NP

Ipsun Power: Providing solar energy for all ‘We want people to take ownership of their power’

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Founded by electro-mechanical engineer Herve Billiet and environmental scientist Joe Marhamati, Ipsun Power’s mission is to “fight climate change by installing as many solar panels as we can.”

Billiet and Marhamati believe that solar energy should be accessible universally so that everyone can generate their own power through a clean and renewable source.

The name “Ipsun” comes from the Latin word Ipsum meaning, yours. The company does residential, commercial and utility-scale solar panel installations in the Washington D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia areas.

Billiet and Marhamati met while working at the U.S. Department of Energy collaborating on the technical analysis of financing for some of the world’s largest renewable energy projects. Their teams financed more than $30 billion of projects, including the generation of renewable energy and electric vehicles.

“Herve and I worked together on a number of projects at DOE, from technical analyses and greenhouse gas inventories to understanding how the projects we financed were helping the environment,” Marhamati said. “But from the time we met and recognized the ambition and entrepreneurial spirit in each of us, there was a real desire to start a business of our own. After the change in administration, it was clear that much of the work to be done in bringing more clean energy to the grid would be from the private sector. We saw that with solar prices decreasing, the greater adoption of electric vehicles, and the greater acceptance of pro-solar regulatory policies in the D.C. area, that now was the time to start our business.”

Marhamati expressed that what differentiates his work at the Department of Energy from that at Ipsun Power is that Ipsun is “not subject to political winds which can favor priorities and leave a team with deep uncertainty about the future of their program.” He says politics and agency budgets are fluid, but you can plan for the long term with greater certainty with solar energy because solar energy brings an untaxed stock market return with no volatility along with technology constantly advancing and improving upon that value.

Marhamati sees Ipsun as a positive and proactive response to the reality of

the dire scenarios that could result from humans altering the climate as a result of sending large amounts of carbon pollution into the atmosphere. He believes that it is possible to avoid the most serious scenarios from carbon pollution if all economies and countries do their part.

According to Marhamati, added benefits of going solar include saving money for residents and businesses and making communities healthier by reducing dependence on energy from sources that make air unhealthy and cause asthma and other problems.

Ipsun’s services to residential and commercial properties are similar, with a few key differences. Both residential and commercial services involve an electric service meter that keeps track of volume and have a roof or area of land suitable for laying out solar panels. Approach and timing are the differences. According to Marhamati, businesses are usually slower to finalize a decision-making process about a solar power investment. It can take time to discuss all the angles, such as the economics, tax advantages and the potential to get the whole community excited about what the business is doing with solar as a reason to move ahead.

Homeowners typically only involve a single person or a couple who have been considering solar for a long time and have different goals than those of businesses.

Manufacturer warranty is typically discussed more often with homeowners as well, since homeowners want to be sure they have a reliable product that will last.

“We want people to take ownership of their power, regardless of who they are.

That’s why we made inclusion central to our beliefs and central to our internal ethos,” Marhamati said. “Our employee handbook is signed by each and every member of our team, and it outlines in clear detail not just that we don’t tolerate discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, creed, sexual orientation, and any other marker, but that each and every day we will foster a community of inclusion so that everyone we interface with can be part of our movement to bring clean, renewable energy into their homes and under their control.”

Marhamati told the Blade that Ipsun currently has no plans to expand, as he has seen a trend toward local, hands-on, family and employee owned companies.

Additionally, Ipsun’s current service area allows for the company to work efficiently, often getting projects completed in a single day. Marhamati describes growth for Ipsun as “adding more rooftop crew members to keep up with business.”

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REALESTATE

Why new construction homes need inspections too Code, drainage among issues that should be reviewed

By SHERRI ANNE GREEN Oh, the excitement of buying a new home. It’s a great time to get organized, clean out personal belongings that you no longer need or want, and simply get a fresh start. When you move into a new home you want, and frankly, need everything to be ready to go. The last thing you want to deal with is a house issue that could have been discovered during the buying process— leaky faucet, broken dishwasher, windows that don’t open, or something else.

When you buy a house that has been lived in previously, a home inspection is always a great idea. You want to see the condition and age of the systems and appliances that have been in operation.

But, what if you are buying a new house or condo, directly from the developer, should you hire a home inspector? Despite what you may think at first blush, the answer is yes.

Here is why a new house should be inspected and the best way to handle that inspection.

New homes can have problems, too A new home may look like it is in perfect condition, but remember, no one has lived in it nor run all of the appliances to

Newly constructed homes can have problems, too.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BIGSTOCK

see if everything is working properly. The assumption is that new appliances and systems work. But not so fast. At some point, you’ve probably purchased a new product that didn’t work quite right and that isn’t caught until purchase.

The same is true for homes. When you buy a new house, you are the first person to test or use any of the systems or to see if the basement floods during a heavy rain.

An older home, by contrast, may have some wear-and-tear and the owners are required by law to disclose any known flaws. And, the fear of that disclosure often motivates sellers to replace broken appliances before putting their house on the market.

New homes aren’t always built to code What? Not to code? You may ask. That’s right. While new construction should be inspected by the jurisdiction in which it sits, they could miss something. County

Minority Report: An interracial, transgender couple files suit under DC Fair Housing laws.

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

inspectors work to make sure new construction meets a minimum building code yet everyone is human so something could be overlooked. Simply things like grounded outlets might not be put in all of the right place in new construction.

Most of the time, it is a simple oversight and easily corrected before purchase.

Why new homes may need two inspections If you are buying a home still under construction, you may want to have two inspections. During the first visit, the inspector can look over the home before the walls are closed to inspect framing and systems installation. The second inspection should be after the home is finished so the inspector can test everything else. It may feel like overkill to have two inspections, but think about what you, as the homeowner, will learn. Buying a completed home you rarely get to see how

well the construction is done or what is really inside the walls. If you have the first inspection you can make sure the studs, insulation, home systems, beams and posts have been installed properly. And if you find issues, you can provide a punch list to the developer to correct before the job is done.

An inspection is a good education You hear it over and over again and—after applying for that mortgage—you know it is true: a home is the largest investment, the largest purchase, you will make. You need to know what you are buying. A good inspector will show you all of the home’s cut off valves, show you where your electrical panel is located, and give you tips on improving and maintaining your home’s condition. It can be a real education especially for a first-time buyer.

So, whether new construction or a resale, make sure you accompany the inspector on any visit. You will learn a lot about your new house and also how to operate and maintain it for years to come.

SHERRI ANNE GREEN is an award-winning Realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage having earned the prestigious International Sterling Society and numerous Top 100 awards. Focusing on custom, data-driven marketing and client service, Sherri Anne provides impeccable, high-touch service tailored to her clients’ unique situations. She can be reached via phone or text: 202-798-1288, sherri.green@ cbmove.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/ SherriAnneGreen/, or on Instagram: SherriAnneGreen.

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

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The Blade is celebrating 50 years as the LGBT newspaper of record. Consider a gift to preserve this critical voice for the next 50 years.

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6 uniquely furnished guest rooms w/ baths Includes 3-course gourmet breakfast with your choice of entrée.

Gay-owned and operated, welcoming the LGBTQ Community, Friends, and Family.

Dog-friendly with on-site dog sitting available Special Event Space Available

...more than just a place to sleep Located in Easton’s downtown historic district, visit local boutiques and restaurants, and celebrate the arts at our galleries, museums, theatre, and year-round festivals.

For information or reservations: 410-822-0605 info@hummingbirdinneaston.com www.HummingbirdInnEaston.com

14 N. Aurora St., Easton, MD 21601

The Trippe Gallery Sma! Jewels for the Holidays

A Shady Spot by Len Mizerek

Photographs

Paintings

Sculpture

23 N Harrison St. Easton 410-310-8727 thetrippegallery.com