Washingtonblade.com, Volume 49, Issue 48, November 30, 2018 by Washington Blade

NOVEMBER 30,

2018

VOLUME 49

ISSUE 48

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50 YEARS AS AMERICA’S LGBTQ NEWS SOURCE

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Meet Chris Pappas Congressman-elect from N.H. readies for oﬃce, backs Pelosi for speaker By MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com New Hampshire Congressman-elect Chris Pappas this week announced he supports Nancy Pelosi’s bid to once again become speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Pappas spoke with Pelosi on Monday night. Pappas in a statement said “after careful consideration and discussion with many constituents and future colleagues in Congress, I have decided to support Nancy Pelosi for speaker of the House.” “I believe she is best equipped to lead the House at this point in our history,” he said. “My conversations with her convinced me she will lead with fairness and empower the incoming class to play a signiﬁcant role in the work ahead. We must get down to doing the CONTINUES ON PAGE 14

New Hampshire Congressman-elect CHRIS PAPPAS PAPPAS will will be the ﬁrst openly gay member of Congress from the Granite State. PHOTO COURTESY PAPPAS FOR CONGRESS

Employment discrimination, trans military ban in pipeline By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com

Some fear that new Justice BRETT KAVANAUGH will steer the court in an anti-LGBT direction.

A number of anti-LGBT petitions are before the U.S. Supreme Court, although legal experts say adjudication of these cases — if justices agree to take them up — may not be as bad as some observers fear. With one exception, each of the petitions before the court calls for a rollback of LGBT rights or a reversal of decisions from lower courts aﬃrming LGBT rights within those jurisdictions. James Esseks, director of the LGBT project for the American Civil

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

CONTINUES ON PAGE 16

PRAISE FOR HQ2

CIRQUE SKATER

WORLD AIDS DAY

Adam Ebbin touts beneﬁts of Amazon’s new home in NoVa.

Shawn Sawyer talks challenges, thrills of new ‘Crystal’ production.

A roundup of D.C. area events planned for the annual commemoration.

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LO CA L N E W S

Comings & Goings

Kinney publishes photo book on Clinton’s 2016 campaign 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 Barbara Kinney on the publication of her new book. “#Still With Her; Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Moments that Sparked a Movement.” It’s a 268-page coffee table book of amazing photographs Kinney took during Clinton’s 2016 campaign for president. Anyone interested in great photography will want this book. The book is written by Sandra Sobieraj Westfall with an introduction by Clinton and short essays by those who have known and supported her including: John West, Cecile Richards, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chad Griffin and Mary Steenburgen among others. But it’s a book of photographs and they are incredible. When they say a picture is worth a thousand words they are clearly talking about those taken by Kinney. They make you laugh and cry; they bring back good memories and leave you wanting more. She dedicates the book to the 65,845,063 who voted for Clinton. Kinney was a staff photographer for President Bill Clinton during his time in the White House. The photograph she took of President Clinton and the leaders of the Middle East straightening their ties before a press event won her First Place for “People in the News” in the World

BARBARA KINNEY

Cover of Barbara Kinney’s new book. PHOTO COURTESY KINNEY

PHOTO BY PETER ROSENSTEIN

MARVIN MILLER, TYLER TOWNSEND, TONY BURNS, BOB SUPPIES and DAN KYLE at The Pines in Rehoboth Beach. PHOTO BY PETER ROSENSTEIN

Press Photo competition. It is currently on display in the exhibit “Pictures of the Year: 75 Years of the World’s Best Photography” at the Newseum in D.C. through January 2019. Her photographs have graced the covers of both Time and Newsweek magazines. Kinney has been close to Hillary since those Clinton White House years. In 2008, she spent ﬁve months traveling with Hillary during the primary. She photographed Chelsea’s wedding. This time she spent the presidential campaign with Hillary being given unprecedented access to everything. When not working with the Clintons, Kinney has worked for various foundations and non-proﬁt groups helping them to document their work around the world. Photographing the Mobility Project distributing wheelchairs in Afghanistan; Operation Smile during a trip to Nairobi, Kenya; maternal health care in Tanzania with CARE; and

a congressional delegation traveling to West Africa with former President Clinton and the Clinton Foundation. She has traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo with Ben Aﬄeck and his Eastern Congo Initiative and has worked with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation photographing their leadership team and grantees in Mozambique, South Africa, Malawi, India and Mexico. Kinney was a photo editor and lead photographer for the 2014 “Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink” and was selected as one of 20 photographers to be featured in the American Society of Media Professionals Best of 2011 Portfolios for her project on Alzheimer’s, also for the Shriver Report. In addition, she was one of a few very select photographers to work on the “A Day in the Life of the American Woman” and “A Day in the Life of the U.S. Armed Forces” book projects. She has worked as a photo editor on staﬀ at USA Today,

Reuters, The Seattle Times and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. If you are in D.C. on Jan. 19, 2019, you will have a chance to hear Kinney talk about the book and her photography at Politics and Prose. Barbara currently lives in Marin County with her 14-year-old daughter and their two cats. She joined the Emerson Collective in Palo Alto, Calif., in January 2017 as senior photo editor and photographer. Congratulations also to David Gonce, Tyler Townsend and Bob Suppies, of the much-anticipated The Pines restaurant and bar in Rehoboth Beach, which has secured its certiﬁcate of occupancy. The ﬁrst event held in the new space was the annual Thanksgiving weekend bash hosted by Marvin Miller, Dan Kyle and Tony Burns. The place is beautiful and the food was delicious. The Pines will soon open to the public and be a welcome addition to Baltimore Avenue.

Prosecutor to drop charge against gay Md. official

Supporter of GOP opponent ﬁled complaint against HoCo Register of Wills By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com

The Howard County, Md. State’s Attorney’s Office on Tuesday filed court papers announcing it plans to dismiss a misdemeanor charge against the county’s gay Register of Wills, Byron Macfarlane. The charge against Macfarlane was initiated by a citizen’s complaint filed by a supporter of the Republican

candidate who unsuccessfully challenged Macfarlane, a Democrat, in the Nov. 6 election. The complaint, which was approved by a Howard County District Court commissioner, accuses Macfarlane of violating a provision of a state identification card law by allowing as many as a dozen unauthorized people to enter the Howard County Circuit Court building using Macfarlane’s ID access card on Sunday, Sept. 30, when the court building was closed to the public. Macfarlane’s office at the Register of Wills is located in that building near its main entrance on the first floor, according to Maj. Howard Knott of the

Howard County Sheriff’s Office, which investigated the incident. Knott told the Washington Blade that a deputy sheriff, who was at the court building during his regular tour of duty when the visitors entered, was told by the visitors that they had an appointment to meet with Macfarlane. The Sheriff’s Office then called Macfarlane, who informed the office that he was en route to the court building to meet the visitors at his office, Knott said. “There were a number of people that were concerned and felt criminal charges should be placed,” Knott said. “That wasn’t the position of our county Sheriff’s Office,” he said.

The Howard County Times reported that those who called for Macfarlane to be prosecuted were local Republican Party activists, including a supporter of GOP candidate Shawn Conley, who ran against Macfarlane for the Register of Wills position in the Nov. 6 election. The Times reported that the GOP activists expressed concern that the unauthorized visitors at the courthouse could have gained access to court records, which could have resulted in identity theft. But Knott said the deputy sheriﬀ who spoke with the visitors reported that those who entered the building stood CONTINUES ON PAGE 14

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D.C. activists reflect on Trans Day of Remembrance New generation set to take helm of annual event next year By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com The lives of transgender people lost to anti-trans violence over the past year in the U.S. and worldwide were honored on Nov. 20, at D.C.’s annual Transgender Day of Remembrance held at the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington. Close to 200 people turned out for the event, which included presentations mostly from D.C. area trans activists who reflected on how the loss to hate violence of their fellow transgender men and women and those who identify as gender nonconforming has motivated them to become committed advocates for trans rights and justice. The event, known as 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 a Boston suburb. 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. Rev. Elder Akousa McCray-Peters of D.C.’s Unity Fellowship Church performed the event’s ritual of recognizing the transgender people lost to violence through the Pouring of the Libations, which includes pouring of a liquid into a bowl while reciting a prayer. “We pour today for our brothers and sisters of the nation’s capital,” she said. “We pour for your friends who lost their lives,” she said. “Each drop is for you today.” Lamont Akins, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs, read a statement from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser expressing support for the D.C. TDOR. He also read an official mayoral proclamation issued by Bowser declaring Nov. 20 as TDOR Day in the District of Columbia. “We see you and we stand with you,” he quoted Bowser as saying. D.C. Council member David Grosso (I-At-Large) read a separate proclamation approved unanimously by the Council recognizing Transgender Day of Remembrance. Grosso told the gathering that the Council has also passed a separate resolution he introduced opposing the Trump administration’s efforts to overturn civil rights protections for transgender people that had been adopted during the Obama administration. Longtime D.C. transgender activist Earline Budd, who has served as coordinator of the D.C. TDOR for nearly a decade, said she believes the event this year “went really, really well.” Budd noted that the 2018 D.C. TDOR

About 200 people, including Council member DAVID GROSSO (front, left) turned out for D.C.’s Trans Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20. WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

planning committee decided to focus mostly on transgender speakers rather than city elected officials and the police chief, who have spoken in past years. Budd said those officials were invited and were told they would be welcome to attend the event. “I’m just so excited about how it went down and the fact that I was able to hand over the baton to my future generation,” Budd told the Washington Blade in an interview immediately after the event. She was referring to remarks she made at the conclusion of the event in which she told the gathering she was mentoring a new set of organizers and leaders for the D.C. TDOR that would take the lead role next year while she remains involved to help guide them. Budd also noted that while the event this year was aimed at drawing attention to the loss of lives of transgender people to violence, she had a glimmer of hope from the fact that there has not been a murder of a transgender person in D.C. since the July 4, 2016 shooting death of trans woman Deeniquia “Dee Dee” Dodds. D.C. police have arrested four male suspects for Dodds’ killing. All four are being held without bond pending trials. Trials for two of them are scheduled to begin in January. Eleven other trans women have been murdered in D.C. since the year 2000. Police have made arrests in six of those cases, including the Dodds case. Among those who spoke at the D.C. TDOR on Nov. 20 was Jazmin Sutherlin, a transgender woman who serves as an official with Heart to Hand, a Prince George’s County based health services organization that assists people with HIV/ AIDS. Some might have called Sutherlin’s impassioned 32-minute speech the equivalent of a State of the Union Address

for the transgender community. Noting that the trauma of dealing with the murders of trans people each year has been intensiﬁed by the anti-trans policies of the Trump administration, Sutherlin called on the trans community to unite, remain strong, and resist the temptation to withdraw out of fear. “This is not the time to give up,” she said. “This is the time to push yourself up like never before because it’s your opportunity to open doors for yourself and others,” she said. “It’s your time to use what you know as a trans person to change the world,” she continued. “We’re not supposed to be hidden. We’re supposed to live our lives out loud… We are here to teach the world about diversity,” Sutherlin told the gathering. “We’re here to tell people it’s OK to be who you are and it’s OK to experience yourself and to share yourself.” Also speaking was Allyn Cropper, a transgender man who told of his experiences as an out trans person in the U.S. military. He did not disclose which branch of the military he’s in but said he has sought to educate his fellow service members on what being trans is all about. “I did meet some people who were out to get me, but for every one person like that I met three more people that inspired me to carry on with who I was,” he said. “And they wanted to learn. They wanted to know what it means to be trans and what was trans,” he told the gathering. “So while I’m in the military I make it my duty not only to serve honorably but to be a great example of what trans people look like in the military and also to make sure I take time out to talk to and educate people to let them know we’re not scary, we’re not monsters,” he said. “We’re not this picture that we’re made out to be. We’re people just like

anybody else.” Both Cropper and Sutherlin drew a prolonged, standing ovation from the audience. Other transgender community members who spoke at the gathering included veteran trans activist Dee Curry; D.C. Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance President Bobbi Strang, who served on the D.C. TDOR planning committee; Alexis Blackman and Minister Omar Clarke of the Metropolitan Community Church; trans activists Gibby Thomas of Damien Ministry; Kiesha Allure, an official with the LGBT community services center Casa Ruby; and trans activist Elle Michelle. Beverlyn Mack, the mother of murdered D.C. trans woman Na Na Boo Mack, also spoke at the event, thanking trans activists and members of the LGBT community for supporting her during what she said was a trying time when she lost her daughter. Among those attending the event were eight officers of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s Special Liaison Branch, including members of the branch’s LGBT Liaison Unit. Among them was Lt. Jessica Hawkins, a trans woman who is the former supervisor of the LGBT Liaison Unit. Budd said she invited the unit members to attend with the full approval of the TDOR planning committee. Trans activist Lourdes Hunter, who was scheduled to speak at the D.C. TDOR, posted a message on Facebook saying she decided not to attend after learning that D.C. police officers would be in attendance. “I don’t do trans events with police and guns,” she wrote in her posting. Trans community advocate Ashley Love, who staged a one-person protest at last year’s D.C. TDOR by shouting that D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham, who attended the event, should leave the event, called this year’s D.C. TDOR an improvement for trans people. “With so many Black and Latina women of trans experience killed in 2018 by male violence and transmisogyny, it was healing to have this year’s vigil offer a safer space to mourn than years past,” she said in a statement. But Love created a stir among organizers of the D.C. TDOR by saying in her statement and in a Facebook posting that the D.C. police officers attending the Nov. 20 TDOR were “swat geared cops” and members of the department’s SWAT team that frightened trans attendees. A police spokesperson told the Washington Blade the officers attending the TDOR were wearing regular police uniforms that had been changed recently in style but that the uniforms “absolutely were not” SWAT uniforms or SWAT gear, which police use when they expect to confront a potential violent situation.

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Ebbin touts benefits of Amazon’s HQ2 for Crystal City The new second headquarters for e-commerce giant Amazon that will be moving to the Crystal City section of Arlington, Va. is within the district of gay Virginia State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Arlington-Alexandria). Ebbin said that while he wasn’t directly involved with the negotiating team working with Amazon organized by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and Arlington and Alexandria officials, he is fully supportive of Amazon’s plan to move into his district. Although the development could create some temporary problems such as traffic congestion and an HQ2’s Crystal City location is within gay Virginia State Sen. ADAM EBBIN’s uptick in the price of homes, Ebbin (D-Arlington-Alexandria) district. said he believes the overall impact will be highly beneficial to the WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY JEFF SUPRENANT region and its residents, including LGBT people who are known to work for Amazon in large numbers at its current headquarters in Seattle. Ebbin said he has no direct knowledge that Amazon considered Northern Virginia’s record of support for LGBT rights as a factor in the pro-LGBT company’s decision to select Crystal City, but he said he is pleased that Amazon and its CEO, Jeffrey Bezos, are strong supporters of LGBT equality. He noted that Amazon also has a large and robust LGBT employee group. “It’s pretty clear that Virginia is on a rapid path to LGBT supportive legislation,” Ebbin said. “We have favorable policies from the governor and favorable laws in Arlington and Alexandria,” he said. “I’m looking forward to welcoming all of these employees,” he said, noting that the expected total of 25,000 Amazon employees working in the Crystal City headquarters will arrive over a period of years rather than all at once. Amazon ended more than a year of speculation and intense competition among cities competing for its new headquarters when it announced on Nov. 13 that it would divide its “HQ2” between Northern Virginia and the Long Island City section of New York City. The announcement said the company would bring 25,000 new jobs to each site. Arlington and Alexandria officials joined Amazon in renaming the area where the company will be located as National Landing. Although most of the “National Landing” will be in the Crystal City area, some of it will be located in nearby Pentagon City and Potomac Yards, which includes part of Alexandria. LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Suspects unidentified in attack on lesbian at Hyattsville high school The principal at Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Md. says a school investigation into the March 2017 assault by at least four male students on an 11th grade lesbian student, which resulted in the student suffering three broken ribs, has been unable to identify the attackers. Lidia Reyes, the mother of the lesbian student, contacted the Washington Blade about the incident last month, saying the attack came after her daughter had been the target of bullying and harassment by fellow students. She said school officials weren’t taking adequate steps to address the problem. Reyes said her daughter reported the attack occurred in the school auditorium on March 23, 2017. But Principal Elaine Carlene Murray told the Blade the auditorium was not open on that day and school security officials could not confirm exactly where the incident took place. “It was brought to our attention the next morning,” Murray said. “We did a thorough investigation,” she said, adding, “We did the best we could. We gathered all the information we could gather.”

LO CA L N E W S John White, a spokesperson for the Prince George’s County Public Schools, of which Northwestern High is a part, said school security oﬃcials and P.G. County police, who also looked into the incident, could not identify the students that Reyes’ daughter claimed assaulted her. White said the P.G. school system has a strong policy of nondiscrimination that covers sexual orientation and gender identity. Murray said Northwestern High School has an LGBT student club. Reyes said her daughter, who is openly gay, believes she was being targeted for bullying because she has a “boyish” appearance. Reyes said her daughter is a member of the school’s U.S. Navy Junior ROTC program. According to Murray, Northwestern High has a mandatory school uniform policy in which all students wear the same uniform. She said there is a separate uniform for students in the ROTC program. Given that Reyes’ daughter wears the same uniform as all other students, Murray said she doesn’t believe the student could be targeted based on her clothing. Regardless of the reason for bullying or harassment, Murry and White said the school does not tolerate such conduct and would take immediate steps to intervene if the student reports being subjected to such behavior. Reyes said she and her daughter moved to the U.S. from Guatemala several years ago and her daughter’s English language skills were limited. She said her daughter was taking an English as a second language class but that the language issue could have been a problem when school oﬃcials talked to her daughter about the attack last year. LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Referendum to end D.C. tipped wage system delayed by lawsuit A proposed voter referendum to overturn the D.C. City Council’s decision to repeal Initiative 77 that voters approved in June to end the city’s tipped wage system was placed on hold Monday when a D.C. bartender filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the referendum. The lawsuit reignited the heated controversy from earlier this year that pitted the majority of the city’s tipped workers at bars and restaurants against a New York-based labor group that organized Initiative 77. The group ROC United said the initiative was needed because the tipped wage system resulted in lower wages for tipped workers and promoted sexual harassment against female tipped workers. The tipped workers who opposed the initiative argued that the current system, in which they receive a lower wage from their employer but make overall substantially higher earnings through tips, works well for them and would be jeopardized if the tipped wage system were eliminated. The bartender who filed the lawsuit on Monday, Valerie Graham, states in the lawsuit that the referendum’s summary statement, which had been approved by the D.C. Board of Elections on Nov. 9, includes what she says was the same misleading wording as that of Initiative 77. The lawsuit was written by the law firm that represents the leading opponents of Initiative 77, of which Graham says she is a part. Among other things it says the proposed referendum’s summary statement would mislead voters by claiming Initiative 77 “gradually increases the minimum wage for tipped employees from the current wage ($3.89/hour), to the same minimum wage as non-tipped employees by 2026.” The lawsuit points out that tipped workers already receive the equivalent of the full minimum wage that non-tipped workers receive because under existing D.C. law employers of tipped workers are required to pay the difference if their employees’ tips fall short of the full minimum wage. Supporters of what the Board of Elections has named Referendum 8 denounced the lawsuit as yet another ploy to deny the will of the city’s voters who approved Initiative 77 by a 56 percent margin. They note that the timing of the lawsuit places a temporary hold on the Board of Election’s release of petitions that supporters must circulate to collect approximately 25,000 signatures needed to place the referendum on the ballot. Under the city’s election law signatures for a referendum seeking to overturn a law passed by the City Council must be obtained between the time the bill calling for the law is passed and the time it becomes law. The election board has interpreted that to be the 30 “legislative” days that Congress takes to review all laws passed by the city. Congress is expected to complete its review of the Council’s bill to repeal Initiative 77 by Dec. 13. Thus, if supporters of Referendum 8 are unable to complete the signature gathering process by that date, the referendum would be killed. The restaurant industry filed its lawsuit “at the eleventh hour,” a spokesperson for Referendum 8 said in a statement. “It’s their latest effort to thwart the democratic process. We will fight this delaying tactic in court, and we will prevail in the end,” said the spokesperson, Rev. Graylan Hagler, pastor of D.C.’s Plymouth United Church of Christ. LOU CHIBBARO JR.

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NATIONAL NEWS

The Advocate & OUT’s straight owner disputes ‘inaccurate’ rumors Levin concedes he should have researched political donations more carefully By KAREN OCAMB Adam Levin realizes now that he might have been a little naïve, contributing to politicians based on their pro-Israel and pro-cannabis positions without looking deeper into their records. But when an Oct. 18 Women’s Wear Daily story suggested the new straight owner of The Advocate and OUT magazines was “a documented supporter of conservative Republican politicians during a time when the culture wars have never been more fierce,” he was startled. And he certainly didn’t expect the backlash that followed. The article painted Levin as “opportunistic,” as one gay observer put it to the Blade on background. He believes Levin is intent on building up, then selling the brands as “assets” to pay down debt on High Times Holding, which Levin runs. “He’s probably bought into the narrative that LGBT people have millions of dollars in disposable income and he wants to monetize the brands. But he doesn’t understand where The Advocate came from or how important the legacy and reputation are for its existence.” Rumors quickly spread about Levin’s plans for Pride Media, his re-branding of the two magazines and other Here Publishing properties he bought last year from Here Media co-owners Paul Colichman and Stephen P. Jarchow. “The LGBT community is fiercely loyal and likes doing business with companies that are LGBT friendly, especially businesses that are LGBT owned and operated. We want to know that we will be treated fairly, equally, without feeling that we are being taken advantage of,” Leo Cusimano, co-chair of the National LGBT Media Association, told the Blade. “We need to hold businesses accountable for their support of our community, as well. Political donations by businesses have consequences.” The Advocate was first published as a gay activist newsletter in Los Angeles to provide news about police bar raids and rallies and protests before Stonewall. The magazine went through financial peaks and valleys as it attempted to inform and reflect back to the emerging national LGBT community the news, politics and cultural trends as an eyewitness to and sometimes driver of LGBT history. It was often one of the first sources of information for closeted LGBT people, including Pride Media CEO Nathan Coyle, who comes out of mainstream digital publishing. But The Advocate lost its luster and became a subscription insert into the

ADAM LEVIN is the straight owner of The Advocate and OUT magazines.

more popular OUT Magazine. As the idea that print media was dying gained more traction, focus shifted to the digital platforms. But money remained an issue. “I took this job to help restore these titles and their relevance,” Coyle told the Blade. In the WWD story, it appeared that Coyle essentially blamed former OUT editor-inchief Aaron Hicklin for not paying writers, including columnist Michael Musto, who is still owed money. “I really would like the money,” Musto told the Blade. “I have major bills to pay.” Coyle said that Pride Media severed its ties with a company that was supposed to pay the writers after having directly received payment from Here Media. “Aaron was absolutely not to blame” for the lack of payment, he said, adding that Pride Media will make good on the overdue payments. Levin, CEO and Managing Director of Oreva Capitol, sent a statement to WWD to correct the record. “In Today’s Politicized World, We Should Be Careful What We Assume About Others,” read the title. “Recently, Women’s Wear Daily, a publication I deeply respect, published a piece about me, my business and political beliefs that wasn’t just hurtful, but inaccurate. It is my hope those same editors provide me the opportunity to defend against the false impressions this story may have left in the minds of readers we no doubt share,” Levin wrote. When the letter was posted on Oct. 24, the word “inaccurate” was missing and replaced with the redundancy “but could lead the reader to form the wrong opinion.” There was no mention that WWD apparently asked for the change. Other stories about High Times’ debt popped up online, then were quickly taken down. But with rumors about Levin and suspected anti-LGBT investors in Pride

Media still darting through the Internet, Levin has tried to be transparent by responding to media inquiries, including several long interviews with the Blade. Regarding being a big Republican donor, Levin laughs. “I’d have to make big Republican donations to be a big Republican donor,” he says. Indeed, a scroll through OpenSecrets.org shows that he has donated to a handful of Republicans but mostly to Democrats. Ironically, one donation in 2013 was to Republican Rep. Devin Nunes and another to Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff, now famously on opposite sides of the House Intelligence Committee. “I probably identify with [out newly elected Colorado governor] Jared Polis as much as any politician,” Levin says. “He’s pro-business, he has Jewish values and he’s pro-Israel.” When pressed, Levin says he personally identifies as a political “centrist.” His donations to Republicans were a result of his membership several years ago in a proIsrael AIPAC Leadership Training Initiative (LTI), which encourages “relationships with politicians on both sides of the aisle.” It is an “unwritten expectation” that when LTI hosts candidates, “you support the candidates that attend as part of the LTI training program.” He didn’t realize some of the candidates had anti-LGBT records until the backlash. “I, obviously, should have investigated all of them better.” In fact, Dana Rohrabacher’s name came up so persistently during the backlash resulting from the WWD story, he checked it out himself. “I even confirmed,” that he had not contributed, Levin said, “because everyone kept saying it so I was like, did I miss something? No, absolutely no.” Rohrabacher was in the High Times 100 issue, however, for the now-dethroned Republican’s support for cannabis. There are a number of other rumors

Levin wants to dispute, starting with that debt question that led to concerns about how he would pay for the next iteration of the brands. “The acquisition of High Times was structured as a leveraged buyout that provided the sellers convertible debt that converts upon the IPO, which is expected to happen in the near future,” Levin says. “Pride has no convertible debt and the capital structure is very clean and simple.” “A majority of the board are members of the LGBT community,” he says. He added that the rumor that right-wing Republican billionaire Ken Fisher is 40 percent investor is inaccurate. “I do not know Ken Fisher,” Levin says. “There are members of the Fischer family who are shareholders” but they are no relation to Ken Fisher. “I have zero intentions of combining High Times and The Advocate, OUT or any of the other media properties that I may buy in the future. I think The Advocate and OUT need their own voice,” he says. “And there’s synergies, absolutely there’s synergies. And there’re opportunities for companies to work together but I’m not combining them.” Levin laughs thinking people posit him as a kind of Rupert Murdock-wannabe. “Listen, I’m someone who invests in media properties. I love that people think I’m building an empire, candidly, but I’m an entrepreneur who likes communities and right now, I’m really focused on Pride and High Times. And I have a company called Boxlight that’s an education company,” he says. “The Advocate and OUT are media properties that matter to the community. And that’s the value of the brand, of the heritage, of the history. What was attractive to me was the community around OUT, the community around the Pride Media brands. “There’s a stickiness,” he says. “They’re media properties that people care about. And in today’s competitive media landscape, I thought there was a real opportunity to reinvent the brands and create compelling content that would allow the brands to thrive for many years to come—in print and online and other mediums and platforms, as well. These are properties people have grown up with. “I believe strongly that print is not dead,” Levin continues. “When you’re trying to target and reach and market to a niche demographic, print is very much alive.” Levin says the purchase of The Advocate and OUT was not only a business decision but personal. “I am very close to Pride Media today and see the traction and the momentum of what we’re doing and I think it did take someone to shake up the brand … I’ve invested my own money in common stock of the company. I have family members, close family members who are LGBT. I don’t want to let them down.”

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

An LGBTI advocacy group in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, honors ROXSANA HERNÁNDEZ, a transgender woman with HIV who died in U.S. ICE custody on May 25. Autopsy results indicate Hernández was beaten before her death. WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS

myriad factors that prompt many trans Hondurans and other members of the LGBTI community to migrate to the U.S. President Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, which has included the separation of migrant children from their parents once they entered the U.S., continues to spark outrage in the U.S. and around the world. Thousands of migrants from Central America who hope to seek asylum in the U.S. arrived in the Mexican city of Tijuana earlier this month. Border Patrol agents on Sunday used tear gas and rubber bullets against hundreds of migrants who rushed the U.S. border in Tijuana. Trump on Monday threatened to “permanently” close the border if the Mexican government does not deport migrants to their countries of origin. Hernández’s sisters in the Transgender Law Center press release said she left Honduras “with dreams of opening a beauty salon and hopes of helping us out.” They added Hernández fled the country “because here transgender people are discriminated against.” “She left with hopes of living a better life,” said Hernández’s sisters. “It has not been easy for us to accept that she is gone, we were very close. It’s difficult to accept that she was taken from us because of negligence, because of not giving her support and medication that she needed, because they treated her like an animal. It’s not fair. It’s not fair that she fled Honduras looking for a better life and instead she was killed. Now all we have left with is the hope that we can see justice for her.” MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Trans Honduran woman who died in ICE custody was beaten The Transgender Law Center this week released the results of an autopsy that shows a transgender Honduran woman with HIV was beaten before she died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. Roxsana Hernández, who was from the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, was among a group of trans women who were part of a 300-person caravan that traveled to the U.S. border earlier this year. U.S. Customs and Border Protection took Hernández into custody on May 9 when she asked for asylum at the San Ysidro Port of Entry near San Diego. She entered ICE custody four days later and was being housed in a unit for trans detainees at the Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan, N.M., before she died at a hospital on May 25. ICE in a press release notes Hernández was hospitalized with “symptoms of pneumonia, dehydration and complications associated with HIV” on May 17. ICE also said Hernández died from cardiac arrest. The Transgender Law Center, which on Monday announced it plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit in New Mexico with R. Andrew Free, a Nashville-based immigration lawyer, provided the Blade with a copy of a second autopsy report that former Georgia Chief Medical Examiner Kris Sperry performed in Albuquerque, N.M., on June 8. The report notes the second autopsy “disclosed evidence of physical abuse” that includes “deep bruising” on Hernández’s rib cage and “deep contusions extending onto the back.” “The wrists also exhibited extensive regions of deep soft tissue and musculature hemorrhage, again not externally visible, which are typical of handcuff injuries,” reads the report. The report also concludes the cause of death was “most probably severe complications of dehydration superimposed upon HIV infection, with the probable presence of one or more opportunistic infections.” “As the consequence of her immunocompromised condition, Ms. Hernández Rodriguez was susceptible to the physiologic effects of untreated dehydration, initiated by severe diarrhea and vomiting,” reads the report. “According to observations of other detainees who were with Ms. Hernandez Rodriguez, the diarrhea and vomiting episodes persisted over multiple days with no medical evaluation or treatment, until she was gravely ill.” Transgender Legal Clinic Litigation Director Lynly Egyes on Monday said Hernández’s “death was entirely preventable.” The press release the Transgender Legal Clinic released included a statement from Hernández’s sisters on whose behalf the Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project and Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement are also advocating. “Roxsana Hernández was our sister and it was an injustice to have her die the way she did,” they said. “They cut her life short and she was not able to fulfill her dreams. For us, her closest family, it’s been extremely painful to deal with.” Border Patrol has yet to respond to the Blade’s request for comment on the autopsy report or the planned wrongful death lawsuit. Violence based on gender identity remains pervasive in Honduras, which has one of the world’s highest per capita murder rates. Activists in the Central American country with whom the Blade has spoken have said discrimination and poverty are among the

A referendum on whether to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples in Taiwan failed on Nov. 24. PHOTO COURTESY TAIWAN TONGZHI HOTLINE ASSOCIATION

Taiwan voters reject same-sex marriage A referendum on whether same-sex couples should receive marriage rights in Taiwan failed on Nov. 24. Voters by a 67-33 percent margin rejected a question on whether same-sex couples should receive marriage rights through Taiwan’s civil code. Voters by a 66-34 percent margin rejected a question on whether the island’s Gender Equity Act should include LGBTI-inclusive school curricula. Questions on whether marriage in Taiwan should be deﬁned as between a man and a woman and whether same-sex couples should be able to enter into civil unions or domestic partnerships, as opposed to marriages, passed by a margins of 72-28 percent and 61-39 percent respectively. Voters by a 67-33 percent margin also said Taiwan’s Gender Equity Act should not include LGBTIinclusive school curricula. Taiwan’s Constitutional Court in May 2017 ruled the provision of the island’s civil code that does not “allow two persons of the same sex to create a permanent union of intimate and exclusive nature for the committed purpose of managing a life together” is unconstitutional. The landmark ruling also said same-sex couples could legally marry within two years if Taiwanese lawmakers fail to “amend or enact relevant laws” that allow them to do so. President Tsai Ing-wen publicly supported marriage rights for same-sex couples. “We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the referendum results today,” said the Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan and other advocacy groups on Saturday. “However, we would like to express our gratitude toward those who have been supporting the cause throughout the process.” MICHAEL K. LAVERS

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NEWS

Pappas reserving judgment on Trump impeachment CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

people’s business quickly, and we should start by reforming the way Washington works, lowering the cost of health care and creating an economy that allows everyone to succeed.” Pappas earlier this month defeated Republican Eddie Edwards in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.). Pappas, who will represent New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District that includes Manchester, the state’s largest city, will be the ﬁrst openly gay member of Congress from New Hampshire. Pappas told the Washington Blade on Monday during an interview that he was “still working through” whether he would back Pelosi. “It appears as though she may be the only candidate running,” said Pappas. Democrats regained control of the House in this month’s midterm elections. Pelosi is running unopposed ahead of House Democrats’ leadership vote on Wednesday. “We were sent there to provide checks and balances, to stand up to the Trump administration and leaders of both parties,” Pappas told the Blade. Pappas, 38, was born and raised in Manchester. He was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2002. Pappas served two terms as treasurer of Hillsborough County, which includes

New Hampshire Congressman-elect CHRIS PAPPAS works in his family’s restaurant in Manchester, N.H. PHOTO COURTESY OF PAPPAS FOR CONGRESS

Manchester. He was elected to the New Hampshire Executive Council, which advises the state’s governor, in 2012. Pappas co-owns the Puritan Backroom, a popular Manchester restaurant. He told the Blade that his work “has prepared me well” for Congress. Two lesbian candidates — Minnesota Congresswoman-elect Angie Craig and Kansas Congresswoman-elect Sharice Davids — and California Congresswomanelect Katie Hill, who is openly bisexual, were elected to Congress this month along with Pappas. Four openly gay men — U.S. Reps. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) — won re-election. U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.),

who is the first open lesbian elected to the U.S. Senate, defeated Republican state Sen. Leah Vukmir. U.S. Sen.-elect Kyrsten Sinema will be the first openly bisexual person in the U.S. Senate after she defeated U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake. “We had a number of very compelling candidates running across the country,” Pappas told the Blade when asked about his election to Congress. “They’re from places like Minnesota and Kansas and New Hampshire and California. That shows the LGBT community is being embraced not just on the coasts, not just in big cities.” Pappas also praised the two openly

trans women — Gerri Cannon and Lisa Bunker — who were elected to the New Hampshire House this month. “They were great candidates who ran strong campaigns,” said Pappas. “It’s wonderful that they were elected, that they broke down barriers in New Hampshire.” Pappas told the Blade that additional funding for treatment and recovery programs to address the country’s opioid crisis and reducing student loan debt are among his top legislative priorities once he takes office in January. Pappas also said he supports a government reform bill that Democrats plan to introduce once they retake control of the House. “It’s no accident the first bill out of the gate is going to be a government reform bill that restores our democracy,” said Pappas. “This is going to be a really important piece of legislation to put power back in the hands of the people.” Pappas also said it is “critical” that special counsel Robert Mueller be allowed to finish his investigation into whether President Trump and/or any of his associates had any involvement in Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. “We need to allow him to finish his work and put everything out on the table,” Pappas told the Blade. “The facts are what’s driving the conversation.” Pappas said he will “reserve judgment” on whether Trump should be impeached until Mueller releases his final report.

Charge against HoCo gay official to be dropped CONTINUED FROM PAGE 04

next to the entrance door where they remained until they left the building. Macfarlane defeated Conley by 43,000 votes — a 2-to-1 — margin, according to county election returns. The Howard County Times reported that Melissa Gruner, the Conley supporter, invoked a provision of a Maryland state law that allows citizens to ﬁle a criminal complaint against an individual for an alleged violation of a state or local law. The complaint was reviewed by an alternate District Court commissioner, the newspaper reported, who determined there was probable cause Macfarlane violated a state ID law that prohibits allowing “others” to use someone’s ID card. The commissioner, Kenneth Reese, ordered Macfarlane to appear in court on Jan. 8 to answer the misdemeanor charge. Wayne Kirwan, a spokesperson for the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Oﬃce, which serves as the prosecutor for criminal cases in the county, told the Blade last week that under state and

county law the State’s Attorney’s Office makes the final decision on whether to prosecute a misdemeanor case like the one filed against Macfarlane. “As with all citizen complaints, we will screen the citizen complaint to decide how we will proceed or if we will proceed with the case,” he said. Court records available through Maryland’s online case search site show that the State’s Attorney’s Office filed an official notice on Nov. 27 with the Howard County District Court that it plans to “Nolle Pros” or dismiss the charge against Macfarlane at the Jan. 8 hearing scheduled by the commissioner who approved the charge on Nov. 6. Macfarlane, reached by the Blade last week, declined to comment on the details of the charge filed against him while the case was pending but released a short statement. “I know it’s en vogue for Republicans to exploit and abuse our judicial system to antagonize people who aren’t like them, but I’m confident that truth, justice, and the undeniable and overwhelming will of the voters will prevail,” he said.

Howard County Register of Wills BYRON MACFARLANE faced a misdemeanor charge. PHOTO COURTESY HOWARD COUNTY GOVERNMENT

When asked on Tuesday if he would like to make a revised statement in response to the decision by the State’s Attorney’s Oﬃce to dismiss the charge against him, he declined, saying the case remains

open until at least the Jan. 8 hearing. Macfarlane, 34, an attorney, was first elected as Register of Wills in 2010, becoming the first openly gay elected official in Howard County.

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1 6 • N O VEMB ER 30, 2018

NATIONAL NEWS

Anti-LGBT petitions before Supreme Court could make for dire term CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Liberties Union, said the petitions before the court “set up a potentially very consequential term for LGBT people nationwide,” but they may not necessarily lead to harmful decisions. “The petitions are here, by and large, because we have been winning in lower courts, right?” Esseks said. “The lower court, including some conservative lower courts have ruled for LGBT equality in a bunch of different contexts.” The most recently filed LGBT petitions are requests from the U.S. Justice Department calling for a fasttrack decision on President Trump’s transgender military ban, insisting justices take up the issue to ensure resolution before their current term ends. Although Trump tweeted in July 2017 he’d ban transgender people from serving in the military “in any capacity,” four courts have issued preliminary injunctions enjoining enforcement of Trump’s ban. It would be a rare move for the Supreme Court to adjudicate at this time. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals haven’t yet issued their decision on whether the ban should remain in place in the aftermath of Defense Secretary James Mattis’s recommendations affirming Trump’s policy. Esseks said the Supreme Court takes up cases at this stage “once a decade” and “there’s no reason” for justices to take up the cases before federal appeals courts render their decisions at the behest of the Trump administration. “One of the reasons they want the Supreme Court to take the case is they don’t want to produce information in the trial courts,” Esseks said. “They don’t want to go through that discovery process and explain how and why they got to their decisions. They’re trying to short-circuit the normal process that would allow for full understanding about what was behind this.” Three other petitions before the court are asking for clarification on whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars employment discrimination on the basis of sex, also applies to cases of discrimination against LGBT people in the workforce. As of earlier this week, those petitions were set for consideration in conference scheduled for Friday, but the Supreme Court’s website now indicates those petitions were removed Monday from the docket and will be considered at a later time. One of the petitions was filed by the anti-LGBT legal group Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of Harris Funeral Homes in Michigan, which terminated the employment of transgender funeral director Aimee Stephens after she told the employer she’d transition on the job. After the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court

of Appeals ruled in Stephens’s favor, Alliance Defending Freedom filed the petition before the Supreme Court, asking justices to clarify whether Title VII bars workplace discrimination based on gender identity. Two other petitions seek clarification on whether Title VII bars discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. One was filed by Altitude Express, which fired now deceased gay skydiver Donald Zarda allegedly because he was gay. The U.S. Second Circuit Court Appeals ruled the termination could be found unlawful under Title VII. The other petition — the only one before the Supreme Court seeking to advance LGBT rights — was filed in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County and seeks reversal of recently established precedent in the Eleventh Circuit that anti-gay discrimination isn’t covered under Title VII. The petition — which risks a Supreme Court ruling affirming antigay discrimination is legal — was filed by private attorneys, not LGBT legal groups. Even if the Supreme Court were to take up cases on LGBT workplace rights, Esseks expressed optimism the Supreme Court would ultimately rule in favor of non-discrimination, pointing to polls showing widespread opposition to antiLGBT discrimination (and in some cases, belief it’s already unlawful). “These are also cases that are not only in synch with a bunch of lower courts, but completely in synch with the American public,” Esseks said. “Supermajorities of the American public think that it’s wrong and unlawful to fire people because they are LGBT. For the Supreme Court to take those protections away would be really quite a radical act, and so, that all gives me hope about how some of these cases could all come out.” Jocelyn Samuels, executive director of the Williams Institute for the University of California, Los Angeles, said the Supreme Court has already ruled for an expanded view of laws against sex discrimination and the “increasing consensus” of lower courts is sex discrimination covers discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. “I think analytically, and from a core understanding of the conduct intended to prohibit, the cases that find sexual orientation and gender discrimination are prohibited under current law rest on extremely strong grounds, so I would hope that the Supreme Court would understand the power of those arguments and the importance of respecting its own precedent,” Samuels said. Another filing from Alliance Defending Freedom calls on the Supreme Court to undo a Pennsylvania school district’s policy allowing transgender kids to use the restroom consistent with their gender identity and seeks a reversal of a Third

Circuit decision that it is unlawful under Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972. Although the consensus among the courts is that the law prohibits discrimination against transgender students, Alliance Defending Freedom draws on that statute to argue students shouldn’t be forced to share facilities with transgender students. Another petition is a follow-up to the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case in favor of Jack Phillips, a Colorado baker who refused to sell a custom-made wedding cake to a samesex couple out of religious objections. That ruling, which was based on the facts of the case, fell short of Phillips’s call for the Supreme Court to find a First Amendment right for him to refuse service to same-sex couples for religious reasons. The new petition before the Supreme Court was filed by Texas-based law firm First Liberty on behalf of Aaron and Melissa Kline of Sweetcakes in Gresham, Ore., who were fined $135,000 after refusing to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. The petition seeks a First Amendment right to refuse service to LGBT people. Additionally, the petition calls for the court to revisit precedent in the case of Employment Division v. Smith, which found states may accommodate acts that would otherwise be unlawful if they’re performed in pursuit of religious beliefs, but aren’t required to do so. Other petitions seeking a religious right to deny service to LGBT people may arrive soon, but aren’t yet before the court. One may be filed by Aloha Bed & Breakfast in Hawaii, which was penalized under state law for refusing to provide accommodations for a lesbian couple. The Hawaii Supreme Court refused to take up the case, which opens the door for the bed and breakfast to file a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court. Another religious freedom petition could come in the case of Fulton v. Philadelphia, which is based on the City of Philadelphia terminating its contract for foster care with Catholic Social Services after discovering the agency denies placement in LGBT homes. The agency is seeking a First Amendment right to maintain its contract despite terms in that agreement not to discriminate against LGBT people. A ruling from the Third Circuit on a trial court’s denial of a preliminary injunction for Catholic Social Services is expected soon. That could lead the Becket Fund, which is representing the agency, to file a petition for review before the Supreme Court. The Becket Fund has already filed a preliminary request for relief from the Supreme Court, but the court in August refused to intervene at this stage in the legal process. Notably, U.S. Associate Justices Neil Gorsuch, Samuel Alito and

Clarence Thomas indicated in the order from the court they would have granted the relief. Samuels said the court for religious freedom petitions may defer to its earlier resolution in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case and decline to issue sweeping decisions. “I think in the Masterpiece Cakeshop decision, Justice Kennedy made very clear that the dignity of LGBT people is at stake and that is a critical interest for the government and one well worth protecting,” Samuels said. “Given the fact that decision was reached less than a year ago and that it reflects a uniformity of Supreme Court views because the dissenters would have done further to deny the religious liberty interests that were presented in that case, I would hope that that would suggest that that recognition of the core importance of LGBT equality and rights would continue to prevail even given the changing composition of the court.” It remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court will review any of these lawsuits. It takes a vote of at least four justices to grant a writ of certiorari, or agree to take up a case. Whether the Supreme Court takes up these cases could depend on the views of recently confirmed U.S. Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, whom President Trump selected from a list of picks coordinated by the Federalist Society and the anti-LGBT Heritage Foundation and whose confirmation LGBT rights groups vehemently opposed. As a judge for the U.S. Circuit Court for the D.C. Circuit, Kavanaugh had a scant record on LGBT rights prior to his confirmation to the Supreme Court. During his confirmation hearing under questioning from Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), he read a statement from the Masterpiece Cakeshop rejecting discrimination against gay people, but wouldn’t say whether he agrees with that statement. Jon Davidson, legal counsel for Freedom for All Americans, said whether the Supreme Court will take up the petitions remains uncertain and “the results are far from preordained,” citing Kavanaugh as well as U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts. “Because Justice Kavanaugh has never ruled on an LGBTQ rights case and has made very few public statements on LGBTQ issues, we do not actually know what his views are,” Davidson said. “He also may be disinclined to lead in very different directions than Justice [Anthony] Kennedy, who was his mentor, for whom he clerked, who swore him in, and whose seat he is filling. It also is possible that Chief Justice Roberts, who is very concerned about the court’s reputation, will be disinclined to have the court turn in directions dramatically inconsistent with national public opinion.”

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H E A L TH NEW S

N OV E M B E R 30, 2018 • 17

LGBTs ‘particularly vulnerable’ to opioid abuse NEW YORK — LGBT people are particularly vulnerable to opioid misuse and bi women are an especially high risk, The Fix reports citing a study from The American Journal of Preventive Medicine. For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 40,000 individuals who took the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an annual study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. In 2015, questions were introduced asking about sexual orientation for the ﬁrst time, allowing researchers to see the connection between sexual orientation and substance abuse, particularly focused on prescription opioids, The Fix reports. Joseph Palamar, an associate professor in the Department of Population Health at New York University’s School of Medicine and another author of the study, said he was surprised to see that bisexual women were most at risk for opioid abuse, since the opioid epidemic is usually associated with men, The Fix reports. Palamar theorized that bisexual woman might be more open to experimentation— both sexually and with drug use. However, Duncan pushed back on that idea, instead suggesting that the “minority stress model” can explain the increased risk factor for bisexual women. The minority stress model suggests that the stress of being a member of a minority group can contribute to negative health outcomes. Bisexual woman, he said, are minorities in many ways: they are female and not heterosexual, but they also do not ﬁt in fully with members of the lesbian or gay communities, The Fix reports.

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Colo. hospitals making strides in trans sensitivity

DENVER — From medical records to wristbands, Colorado hospitals and health systems are finding new ways to change how they record patients’ gender identities, The Denver Post reports. This year, Kaiser Permanente changed its electronic medical record system so physicians can note patients’ gender identity and preferred pronouns alongside their legal names and other information typically included in medical records. “We know that we’re telling that member we accept who they are,” said Dr. Brian Bost, medical director of transgender services at Kaiser Permanente, according to the Post. “We want them at ease.” Children’s Hospital Colorado still uses “male” and “female” gender designations in medical records, but it has removed them from patients’ wristbands. “We also are committed to offering culturally responsive care for the diverse populations we serve so that we can create a welcoming, supporting and safe environment that is so important for all of our patients and families,” spokesperson Elizabeth Whitehead said in an email to The Denver Post. Roughly 20,850 individuals in Colorado identify as transgender according to a 2016 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. One of the barriers transgender people face in accessing health care is that they fear discrimination and the possibility that a provider will use the wrong name and pronouns, said Daniel Ramos, executive director of One Colorado. Addressing transgender patients by their proper names and pronouns is “incredibly important,” Ramos told the Post. “And ensuring that transgender folks can access affirming care.” Centura Health has just updated its electronic medical record system, which it said will give physicians greater flexibility when it comes to recording gender identity. Previously, the system only had a field for documenting a patient’s “sex.” Centura Health said it is able to put a patient’s preferred name under a field called “alias.”

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REVISIONS REDESIGN BEND, Ore. — A hospital in central Oregon has removed the gender designation from patient identiﬁcation bracelets, The Lewiston Tribune reports. TEXT REVISIONS IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS The Bulletin newspaper in Bend reported the St. Charles Health System NO REVISIONS

adopted the change last month. The ID bracelet is designed to provide caregivers an easy way to identify patients based on two distinct identifiers. “It was something that everybody felt had to be on there because it was always on there,” Rebecca Scrafford, a psychologist at St. Charles told the Tribune. “It’s providing no benefit, but it’s causing harm.” The ID bracelet is designed to provide caregivers an easy way to identify patients based on two distinct identifiers. But staff generally check the patient’s name and date of birth, not gender. Until recently, the hospital’s record system did not distinguish between sex assigned at birth, legal gender and gender identity. The ID bracelet had been showing the patient’s legal name and sex assigned at birth, the Tribune reports.

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VIEWPOINT

How Congress can give rightful honor to our veterans Ensuring access to quality care and the best resources By REP. MARK TAKANO The 2011 repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” opened the door to new possibilities for military servicemembers who identified as LGBTQ. After multiple generations faced discrimination, were expelled based on their sexual orientation, or were forced to hide their identity in order to serve in our armed forces, LGBTQ individuals are now able to serve freely and openly without fear of repercussion. This policy reversal was a major step forward for equality and respect for the dignity and honor of all those who were willing to fight for our country. But seven years after the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” trans servicemembers continue fighting for their rightful place in our military. In July 2017, President Trump issued a tweet stating that the United States would no longer allow trans individuals to serve in the military in any capacity. This directive effectively ordered the Department of Defense to ban trans troops – a move that dishonored brave trans soldiers. The U.S. Court system blocked this ban, but the President’s efforts persist. In the midst of these efforts to undermine the service of members of the LGBTQ community, and minorities, Congress must help our country give rightful honor to all servicemembers and veterans. The best way to honor our troops is by

giving them the support they need, respecting and upholding their right to serve, and ensuring that they have access to quality care and the best resources to succeed in their transition to civilian life. As more openly LGBTQ servicemembers continue to enlist, as more women climb the ladder of military ranks, and as the veteran population becomes more diverse, the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) must adapt to these changing demographics. In order to see this type of progress, Congress must help create a plan to help the VA adapt to the evolving needs of the veteran population and ensure that all veterans are receiving the best care. In the 116th Congress, Democrats have the opportunity to advance these priorities in the U.S. House of Representatives. First, by being forward-thinking and predicting the challenges that lie ahead, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs can move to correct current problems and develop plans to address high priority issues over the next 10 years. Under a new Democratic majority, the Committee will develop a “VA 2030” plan that will envision how the Department can deliver good quality of care. Part of this strategy includes recognizing the differences in the types of benefits needed by veterans from different backgrounds. For example, women veterans, LGBTQ veterans, and minority veterans all face unique challenges when attempting to receive VA services and care, and resolving E DIT OR IA L C A R T OON

these challenges requires innovative solutions. Increased diversity means that there must be an inclusive approach to benefits and care that the VA provides. Understanding these unique needs and adapting to demographic changes must be done to ensure that benefits and healthcare can be accessible and effective in meeting the needs of veterans. It is crucial to deliver on the promise of “access,” and to know that access does not look the same for every veteran. That is why the VA must evolve and improve the services that it provides – and Congress can help make this possible. Apart from laying out a “VA 2030” vision to improve benefits and VA care, Congress must also prioritize performing proper oversight and demand better accountability from Department leadership. This means working with the VA to see that the more than 45,000 employee vacancies across the Department are being filled and fighting partisan and special-interest driven privatization efforts. Filling vacancies and fighting privatization are important priorities because more than 9 million veterans rely on the VA for their healthcare. There are currently 40,000 employee vacancies in the Veterans Health Administration alone and this impacts timeliness and quality of care it provides. By filling these vacancies, delivery of care can be improved, and veterans can receive the best healthcare possible. It is also critical to fill these vacancies with qualified, diverse, and culturally competent staff who can provide better services to those who may need specialized care. Doing this will help the VA be better equipped to help heal and mend the visible and invisible scars veterans carry with them after their service. All of this is necessary work that must be done, because all of our veterans deserve access to effective, high-quality care. This January, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, on which I currently serve as Vice-Ranking Member, will continue working to give rightful honor to all veterans – no matter their race, gender identity or sexual orientation. This Committee has a track record of putting the needs of veterans first and facilitating improvements that help make the VA work more effectively. In this regard, the next Congress will be no exception – real work will be done to improve the lives of every veteran and real solutions will be implemented to protect hard-earned benefits and increase access to high quality and timely care for all the brave individuals who have fought for our country. MARK TAKANO represents California’s 41st congressional district in the U.S. House.

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The right’s phony fretting over ‘identity politics’ Despite alleged balkanization, Pelosi consolidates a diverse caucus

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

A panel discussion was scheduled at the Heritage Foundation in Washington on Nov. 26 titled, “Identity Politics Is a Threat to Society. Is There Anything We Can Do About It At This Point?” The online description of the all-white, mostly male panel begins as follows: “Identity politics directly threatens the achievements of the Enlightenment, the Founding and the Civil Rights Movement, from freedom of speech to freedom of association and conscience. By partitioning America into ethnic, racial and sexual groups with antagonistic demands and grievances, Identity Politics returns us to the Plessy decision legalizing separate but supposedly equal treatment and it recalls the Dred Scott era of

some Americans being less than citizens.” I am writing this before the event, but do not plan to attend because I consider its premise prejudicial and its non-diverse composition paternalistic. Such criticisms would doubtless be met by the organizers with rolled eyes and the observation that ensuring broader representation would be capitulating to the very identity politics they explicitly oppose. That’s convenient. Heritage proposed the ideas that became the basis for RomneyCare and ObamaCare. They have subsequently disavowed their paternity, essentially conceding that anything Democrats could accept is not radical enough. But let a hundred think tanks blossom. I am more concerned about the threat to our society from Trump’s appeal to white nationalism, not from the historically oppressed groups usually associated with the term “identity politics.” As I wrote to one of the panelists, Andrew Sullivan, there would be less call for identity politics were it not for racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc. People organize around these categories in response to discrimination. Why does Heritage not organize a panel declaring resurgent bigotry a threat to society? The answer, it does not require deep sleuthing to discover, is old-fashioned privilege blindness.

Any serious examination of identity politics ought to begin with the worst offender: Trump. Aside from acting like a slacker jerking off in the back of the class (his Thanksgiving remarks were mainly about thanking himself), his entire presidency consists of saying, “Look at those terrible people (Mexicans, blacks, low-IQ women) over there.” It is awfully brazen amid his ceaseless bile to criticize his targets for defending themselves. Trump has asked the Supreme Court to let him implement his ban on transgender military service. The only basis for it is prejudice. He is simply driving a political wedge. He does the same thing when he demeans a judge’s Mexican heritage, tear-gasses refugee families fleeing violence and poverty, or encourages police to rough-up arrestees. It takes gall for white conservatives to criticize minorities considering the president’s sewer pipe of pathologies and the proliferation of white people calling the police on black people for going about their lives. Nancy Pelosi’s consolidation of support in her highly diverse caucus after the Democrats’ midterm victory reveals Heritage Foundation’s dire talk of balkanization for what it is: another deflection to distract us from the GOP’s thwarting of the popular will through gerrymandering and voter suppression, themselves marinated in nativist identity politics. Republicans’

real objection is to others organizing. Nine centrist Democrats, members of the billionaire-backed Problem Solvers Caucus, are withholding support from Pelosi unless she accepts what Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) dismisses as “their GOP-friendly rules that will hamstring healthcare efforts from the get-go.” The smart money is on Pelosi. Embedded narratives in our cultural environment can be nurturing or stifling, empowering or embittering. Trump pushes an ugly narrative that betrays our founding ideals, undermines our institutions, and pits us against one another. In contrast, voices that reflect the actual diversity of our population can allow us to see through the eyes of others and help us reconnect. Our demagogic president stokes white fears by inflating and often fabricating darker people’s transgressions. The proper response is not to fetishize those fears in a privileged circle of wankery, but to do as House Democrats are preparing to do: subject the demagogue to proper oversight while pursuing a legislative agenda that will serve the entire population instead of just the wealthiest one percent. If Trump is truly concerned about “American carnage,” he can stop denying climate change. Copyright © 2018 by Richard J. Rosendall. All rights reserved.

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

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

Being spoiled for 13 days on the Norwegian EPIC from Barcelona to Port Canaveral, Fla., can be considered decadent. Continental breakfast delivered to the room each morning; a friendly and eﬃcient cabin steward, Charlton, replacing towels twice a day and leaving towel animals on the bed each evening; great meals including seven specialty restaurants; and fun entertainment in an abundance of outlets all coordinated by cruise director, André Gaﬀney. This all led by a top-notch hotel director Nelson Martins and his secretary Vina Alvarado. There is nothing like waking up to a beautiful sunrise and then enjoying a drink each evening watching a beautiful sunset. There were a host of talented performers on the ship none better than the cast of “Priscilla” the show based on the movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The three stars of the show, Rohan Seinor

as Bernadette, Phillip Schnetler as Felicia and Joe Dinn as Tick were uniformly great. Other cast standouts were Darrel Blackburn as Bob and ensemble members Ashley “Ash” Roussety, Jacob Bivens and Adam Tabellija. Many of us went to see the show twice and were just as blown away the second time. Taking this cruise was a last-minute decision for me. At the Human Rights Campaign Gala in D.C., I bumped into Scott Moster and his husband Dustin Ruﬀatto. Scott is the travel agent who booked my cruise through the Panama Canal on the Norwegian Bliss. He said “Have I got a deal for you” and it turned out he did. A balcony cabin for two could be had for less than $2,000 including an unlimited drink package and all gratuities. For deals like this email him at scott@myluxcruise.com. He just about has me convinced to join him on a nine day Baltic cruise in June. On this cruise he twice invited all his clients, many like me have become friends, to sailaway parties in his suite including Champagne and hors d’oeuvres. On another evening he and Dustin lent their suite for the evening to two very sweet, handsome guys from Anschede, Netherlands. They did that so Siebren Mossel could surprise his boyfriend Arjan Bremer with a beautiful dinner where he then proposed to him. No surprise to anyone who

knows them Arjan said yes. As it turned out they weren’t the only guys to get engaged on this cruise. Guess it is easy to feel romantic out in the middle of the Atlantic with Champagne ﬂowing and the stars shining overhead. The other charming and handsome Dutch couple who got engaged are Kevin Rietveld and Matthijs Hagedoorn. We all toasted both couples wishing them long happy, healthy, lives together. Cruising is often a form of escapism where you can forget the real world exists. On this cruise the real world did occasionally intervene. It surprised me how many people from around the world wanted to talk about the American midterm elections that occurred while we were at sea. Every American I met had voted before they left home. Some of the guys I met had been on a similar cruise when Hillary lost the presidency in 2016. They, like me, were hoping not to repeat that depressing night. Since the time diﬀerence was four hours it was late night by the time we could get results either online or from the three news stations on the ship’s TV — BBC, MSNBC and Fox. So I and many others decided instead of staying up late we would wake up early to get the results. No sense possibly getting depressed and also going without sleep. So the morning of Nov. 7 as we cruised into Madeira, Portugal, there was great ex-

citement, and it wasn’t only among Americans, when it became clear Democrats had won big. The excitement and conversations continued over the next few days as the Democratic blue wave rolled on. The captain handled a threatened tropical storm well when he decided to change one of our stops at the last moment from St. Maarten to Antigua and we ended up with great weather. Some members of the LGBTQ+ community on the ship shared information that sexual activity between same-sex partners is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Some wouldn’t go ashore while others made a point of going ashore and exploring the beautiful island. The next day we docked as scheduled in St. Thomas, the American Virgin Islands, where everyone went through immigration as it was the ﬁrst American port we reached. It took a few hours to get nearly 4,000 passengers and 1700 crew processed but it went smoothly and the weather in St. Thomas was bright sunshine, hot and humid. There were two other mega-ships lined up at the dock along with the EPIC. Then it was two more days at sea to Port Canaveral. As my cruise came to an end I began to dream of my next one. As many have said, “Take your ﬁrst cruise and you become addicted.” It happened to me.

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2 0 • N O VEMB ER 3 0, 2018

GIFT GUIDE

Homo home gifts sure to please Dog bed, cheese tray, candles that leave no mess and more give you plenty of options By MARIAH COOPER mcooper@washblade.com Whether you’re decking your own halls or looking for something super gay to give a pal, we gotcha covered. Campy, kitschy, classy or suggestive, it’s all fair game with the Washington Blade holiday gift guide!

Stop in Miss Pixie’s (1626 14th St., N.W.) if you don’t have a particular item in mind because you never know what you could ﬁnd. Adorn the wall with a colorful painting of Endora (Agnes Moorehead) from “Bewitched”($500) or of former First Lady Jackie Kennedy ($500). Add an item like a decorative chicken ($36) for some quirk or pick up a “Star Trek” commemorative plate ($20) for the Trekkie in your life.

Salt & Sundry (1625 14th St., N.W.) has plenty of candles to keep a home smelling like anyone’s favorite scent. For more conventional scents try a Haus Interior Candle ($34) which has scents such as Desert Haus (mesquite and cypress), Log Haus (ﬁreside and tobacco) or Row Haus (bergamot and rosewood). For smells a little more atypical, try the Boy Smells Candle Set ($45) which includes the scents Cedar Stack (cedar, labdanum, juniper berry, sawdust and white musk), Ash (ﬁrewood, smoke, charcoal, palo santo and hay) and Kush (cannabis, suede, white musk, tulip and amber).

Urban Dwell (1837 Columbia Rd., N.W.) holds plenty for the person who likes to show off their views in their home decor. Try giving “The Future is Equal” mug ($16) or a “Pussy Power” mug ($16).

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71 Sussex St., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 $1,595,000

37532 Spinnaker Court, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 $527,000

Tucked away in the Pines neighborhood of North Rehoboth Beach, this immaculate Mediterranean style home is built for entertaining and indoor-outdoor living. Park your car in the attached two-car garage and walk to Rehoboth’s finest dining, shopping, and entertainment. Welcome guests through the arched front door into your grand two-story foyer with distinctive chandelier. California Coastal custom design throughout, including reclaimed engineered hardwood floors, handmade terracotta floors and wrought iron details. Open-concept kitchen and living area features fireplace with reclaimed wood mantle. Three sets of French doors to screened porch bring in light and breeze. The screened porch spans the back of the house overlooking the professionally landscaped lush garden. Gourmet kitchen features custom hood, hand-painted terracotta tile backsplash, and hammered copper farm sink.

If you love a screened porch, take time to at this energy-efficient home in the quiet community of Bay Harbor. Situated less than two miles from the beach, this custom built rancher sits on a cul de sac with over a 1/2 acre of privacy. The home features a 359 sq ft screened porch with gas fireplace, skylights & custom removable marine vinyl panels, flanked by two decks with adjustable canvas awnings. Three Frenchwood sliders bring in fresh air and light. Great room features cathedral ceilings with built-in bookcases and stone wood burning fire place with bench. Hardwood floors throughout living areas and plenty of storage, including extra deep garage with gas heater. Eat-in kitchen with gas cooking and dining room pass through.

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GIFT GUIDE

Flowers on Fourteenth lets you grab something quick or get creative CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

Tabletop (1608 20th St., N.W.) transforms its home decor items for the holidays with plenty of holiday twists on everyday items. Fill the kitchen with cheer with Tag brand Santa Claus and Snowman salt and pepper shakers ($14) or Merry and Cherry serving dishes ($20). Get ready to entertain for those holiday parties with a Tag brand Say Cheese board with cheese cutting utensils included ($46).

For someone who loves to support local businesses, drop by Shop Made in D.C. (1330 19th St., N.W.). The store features plenty of items such as Godet Furnitureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, a local furniture brand, wine bottle and glass holder ($32).

Plants may not appear outside for a few more months but give the gift of an indoor plant from Flowers on Fourteenth (1712 14th St., N.W.). Choose a small pot succulent ($5.95), a large pot succulent ($9.95) or create your own speciality arrangement (prices vary).

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SLOW DOWN THIS

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GIFT GUIDE

Lithuanian candle gives you glow without the mess CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams (1524 14th St., N.W.) features luxury items that can be a part of the home for many holidays to come. Add some shine to any table with the Alabaster Tray ($545). Give that special pooch a comfy and stylish place to lay his head with a Dog Bed ($650).

Room and Board (1840 14th St., N.W.) has plenty of home items for every room of the house. The Horizon Large Plaid Throw ($179) is multi-functional for adding some ﬂair to the bed or couch. It’s also soft enough to wrap up in on those chilly days. Have a special place to hold your fondest memories with the Magnus Frame ($79). The frame comes in spalted sugarberry wood or walnut wood and in size 20w or 12w. Revamp the kitchen with a small touch and add a Fordham Bread Board ($39) to the counter.

The Grommet offers one-of-a-kind items to brighten the holiday season. The Handmade Holiday Flat Candle ($11.95), hand-painted in Lithuania, has two wicks that burn evenly and self extinguish without smoke or dripping wax. Add a personal touch to an ornament with the Birthstone Ornament ($20.95). The handblown glass ornament will feature the color of the recipient’s birth month. Give the gift of your loved one’s favorite location with a Custom Nautical Pillow (starting at $85). The location’s nautical chart and topographical map will be printed onto a cotton canvas pillow so they can be close to the locale without leaving the house. For these items and more, visit thegrommet.com.

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SHAWN SAWYER says Cirque du Soleil oﬀers a safe, fun environment for LGBT performers. PHOTO COURTESY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

Skating for Cirque Lauded Canadian figure skater Shawn Sawyer finds new challenges in ‘Crystal’ By KEITH LORIA Cirque du Soleil has long been known for pushing the acrobatic envelope and its latest production “Crystal by Cirque du Soleil” proves again why the entertainment troupe is one of the most innovative and exciting performances around. By blending circus arts and the world of ice skating, the production showcases a whimsical frozen playground where figure skaters partner with top acrobatics on aerial and ice feats. The show is at Capital One Arena Dec. 5-9.

Among the performers is Canadian figure skater Shawn Sawyer, a former Olympian who is gay. The 33-year-old first laced a pair of hockey skates as a small child and transitioned to figure skates when he was 9. From there, he quickly became serious about the sport. “I pretty much tried every sport and dabbled in everything, following my brother in whatever sport he was doing. Figure skating was the first activity I did myself and I fell in love with it,” Sawyer

says. “I started skating competitively right away and was doing international competitions by the time I was 12.” Sawyer rose through the figure skating ranks, becoming a 2011 Canadian national silver medalist and a three-time Canadian national bronze medalist. He was proud to represent Canada at the 2006 Torino Olympics, finishing 12th. “It was bigger than I thought it was going to be,” Sawyer says. “Once I got there, I was blown away. The first couple of days was

hard to take it all in, but I settled in and found a good balance with my coach and teammates and it was just incredible.” Those who follow the ﬁgure skating game understand that most skaters skate counter-clockwise, but he is that rare skater who skates clockwise. Additionally, Sawyer’s I and Y positions in spins and spirals were his trademark moves in competitions, even though male skaters CONTINUES ON PAGE 39

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WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com Some folks may not realize that while Pride in D.C. has been around for decades, the Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes modern-day Pride here, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The Red Party will be held Saturday, Dec. 1 from 9 p.m.-3 a.m. at Echo Stage (2135 Queens Chapel Rd., N.E.) with Alex Newell (“Glee”) Pretty Rik E, DJ Tracy Young, Jujubee from “Drag Race” and more. “The Red Party will celebrate 10 years of joining forces and resources and commemorate Capital Pride’s commitment to the advances made by the LGBT movement as well as recognize the important work that yet remains,” Alliance Executive Director Ryan Bos said in a statement. Tickets are $15 at capitalpride.org. All proceeds go to the Capital Pride Legacy Fund. Vernon A. Wall has been a volunteer on the Capital Pride board for three years and has been helping plan Capital Pride entertainment for about six years. He’s also on the Red Party planning team. “We would like to take a moment to celebrate 10 great years and thank everyone for their support,” Wall says. “It’s also World AIDS Day so we want to also reflect on the importance of the day.” Wall works part-time as director of business development for the nonprofit LeaderShape, Inc. and is president of One Better World, a consulting firm where he conducts social justice trainings and gives keynotes. He came to Washington 14 years ago after seven years in Iowa when he was hired by a higher education in D.C. to coordinate meetings and events. Wall is “happily single” and lives in Logan Circle. The Hope Mills, N.C., native enjoys travel, food, movies and college sports in his free time. He calls his DVR his “best friend” and also says he’s a “go-out person who knows way too many bartenders worldwide.”

How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell? I came out my sophomore year of college. It was actually a pretty uneventful process for me. I was probably much harder on myself that others were to me. I believe that the coming-out process is ongoing and much more than one single event. Who’s your LGBT hero? Harvey Milk, James Baldwin and Thor (I’m holding out that Thor’s bisexual). What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present? Past: I miss Nation and Tracks. Present: D.C. nightlife is pretty amazing these days. Sure, I miss Town, but we have such diverse options with fantastic managers and bartenders who really care about our community. You’ll probably see me at Trade, Number 9, JR.’s, the Fireplace or Pitchers. And Secrets from time to time. Describe your dream wedding. I would probably have a private ceremony then host a big reception to celebrate with friends. Provincetown is one of my favorite vacation spots so I might consider a destination celebration there. What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about? I believe that any issue that I care about becomes an LGBT issue if I’m connected to it. I’m passionate about all social justice and equity issues. It’s my life work. Transphobia and racism in our community is just sickening. What historical outcome would you change? Slavery, internment camps and the Holocaust would be at the top of the list. What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime? I am so glad I was able to see Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston in concert. On what do you insist? That all people be treated with dignity and respect. What was your last Facebook post or Tweet? I posted about the music of Ella Mae. She’s fantastic. Download some now!

If your life were a book, what would the title be? “Travel, Cocktails and GoGo Boys: Living my Truth Every Day” If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do? I can’t imagine my life being anything other than what it is today. I’m pretty content. What do you believe in beyond the physical world? I believe there is a higher power in some form and she is pretty ﬁerce. What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders? Recognize the diversity of our community as a strength. We must also be open to compromise as we work to create equity and justice in our community. What would you walk across hot coals for?

Thor

What LGBT stereotype annoys you most? The whole “masc/fem” conversation. Please stop. Just be you, boo. What’s your favorite LGBT movie? “Trick,” “Moonlight,” “Paris is Burning” and “Call Me By Your Name.” What’s the most overrated social custom? Celebrating Columbus Day. He didn’t discover America. He literally bumped into a country that people were already living in. If Columbus discovered America then I discovered McDonald’s yesterday. What trophy or prize do you most covet? My diamond status on Delta Airlines. What do you wish you’d known at 18? It’s much harder to ﬁnd a good life partner. Why Washington? I love everything about the District. Great food, Stonewall and rogue sports, fun nightlife, vibrant neighborhoods and it’s diverse and cozy for a city of its size. I’m also very lucky to have a fantastic group of friends whom I cherish. This is truly home for me.

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N OV E M B E R 30, 2018 • 29

Baby or bust? Lesbian couple reaches stalemate over whether or not to start a family

MICHAEL RADKOWSKY, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist who works with LGBT 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.

MICHAEL, My wife has decided we have to have a baby but I have no interest in becoming a mom. She never brought this up as something she wanted for the two years we were dating. In fact, we often poked fun at the new expectation that gay couples should be just like straight couples, settling down to have children after the wedding. But we got married a year ago and here we are in this predicament. Ashley turned 38 last month and her younger sister just had a baby who is the first grandchild in the family. Ashley says that seeing her sister bond with our new niece has made her realize that she wants to be a mother. Because she’s afraid she’s getting too old to get pregnant, Ashley is pushing me to get on board so that she can start trying right away. But there’s no way I want to do this. I’m not interested in putting in the time to raise a child. I’ve never particularly liked children and I don’t even like spending time with our new niece, who mainly wails. I’m also far more interested in using my free time and extra cash for leisure than for monitoring playdates and paying tuition. Ashley says I’m being selfish, not thinking how important this is to her. By that logic, isn’t she being selfish by not thinking how important it is for me not to have a child? She also says that it’s important to “give back” to the world by raising a child. But I give a lot of money to charities that help animals and the environment. I think there are too many humans already and we’re making a mess of this planet. It seems crazy to go out of our way to create more. Very seriously, I also wonder what any child’s life will be like when they grow up, given the increasingly dire predictions about global warming. Why bring someone into this world that is likely going to be a scary and difficult place to live? But above all, I just don’t want to put in the time and resources necessary to properly raise a child. Yet Ashley is determined to do this and I can’t reason her out of this. We’re at a stalemate. Any

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pointers for how we can figure this out? MICHAEL REPLIES: You’re finding out how challenging marriage can be. We think we know the person we marry, we think we’re on the same page regarding all the important stuff, and then, wham! The other person keeps changing. And so do we. That’s marriage. If you’re determined not to have a child and it’s more important for you to be childless than to be with Ashley, and if Ashley would rather have a child than be childless with you, then the two of you have three choices: You can end your marriage right now, you can stay together and feel resentful and miserable about your lot in life going forward or you can challenge yourself to wholeheartedly change the vision you have for your life. So, before considering deal breakers and end games, talk with each other about why what you want is important to you. And listen to your spouse’s answer with an open mind. The winner/loser dynamic is a surefire way to destroy goodwill in a relationship, so stop trying to talk your spouse out of her opinion. Instead, strive to be curious, to learn why your partner has this dream for her life. One of you might decide that because you love your wife and do not want to lose the relationship, you are willing to support her dream, even if your life won’t play out the way you’d hoped. This is not about compromise. Supporting your partner’s dream means being all in. One important aspect of marriage is dealing with our differences. If you can manage this without losing yourself or losing the other, you’re likely to have a vital, resilience-building journey through life. That said, if you remain married there is no way for Ashley to be a mother and for you not to be a mother. If you do agree to become a parent, you will have to be a loving parent and give your child your best. It would be an injustice to the child not to do so. Even with a small child, it is possible to have some life of your own and some leisure time. If you speak with parents whom you know with children of varying ages, you might learn that the picture is not as bleak as you imagine. Kids don’t remain wailing infants forever, but at first they can be all-consuming. I understand your concern about bringing children into this world. At present, things do seem awfully bleak for humankind going forward. Though there are no guarantees, perhaps you would raise a thoughtful child who might make a positive difference toward a better future for our planet.

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A RT S & CU LT U RE

This Week in the Arts provided by CultureCapital.com Dec 3-Dec 30. Woolly Mammoth. woollymammoth.net. World Stages: Barber Shop Chronicles. Thru Dec 1. How to Catch a Star. Thru Dec 16. The Second City’s Love Factually. Dec 4-Dec 31. Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org.

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

Based on the hit Will Ferrell movie, Elf has quickly entered the pantheon of holiday classics, and for good reason. This warm-hearted family musical tells the story of Buddy, a human accidentally transported to the North Pole as a baby who grows up believing himself to be an elf, despite his large size and sub-par toy-making. Upon learning the truth from Santa, Buddy journeys to New York to ﬁnd his father and help the jaded city folk rediscover the wonder and joy of the Christmas season.

Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra Dec 1. Dumbarton Concerts at Dumbarton United Methodist Church. dumbartonconcerts.org.

In partnership with the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Dumbarton Concerts welcomes all 18 members of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, led by Artistic Director Charlie Young, in a performance featuring John Coltrane’s lauded 1964 work, A Love Supreme.

Open Studios Dec 2. Jackson Art Center. jacksonartcenter.com.

At Open Studios, Jackson artists open their doors to the community for a free day of art, food and music inside the historic Jackson School we make home. Explore, meet and greet the artists, and take home some fabulous original art.

Tudor Lights Dec 6. Tudor Place Historic House and Garden. tudorplace.org.

Enjoy the historic mansion, festooned with 1918 WWI-themed festive decorations and installations. Then make your way along the twinkling North Garden path to the Dower House where you can sip, savor and socialize over seasonal hors d’oeuvres, confections, cocktails and other libations. PHOTO COURTESY OF OLNEY THEATRE

THEATRE A Christmas Carol. Thru Dec 30. Ford’s Theatre. fords.org. A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas. Thru Dec 30. Olney Theatre. olneytheatre.org. A Christmas Story. Thru Dec 9. Arts on the Green at Arts Barn. As You Like It. Thru Dec 2. Keegan Theatre. keegantheatre.com. August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean. Thru Dec 23. Round House. roundhousetheatre.org. Beautiful – The Carole King Musical. Thru Dec 30. National Theatre. thenationaldc.org.

Billy Elliot the Musical. Thru Jan 5. Signature Theatre. sigtheatre.org. Cry It Out. Thru Dec 16. Studio Theatre. studiotheatre.org. Improv Wars. Nov 30-Dec 10. Laugh Index Theatre Presents. Dec 5-May 16. DC Arts Center. dcartscenter.org. Cri-Cri: The Mexican Singing Cricket. Dec 1-Dec 8. In Series at Source Theatre. inseries.org. King John. Thru Dec 2. Folger Theatre. folger.edu. Return To Latin by Allyson Currin. Dec 4. Rose Theatre at Arts Club. Dec 5. Rose Theatre at 1st Stage in Tysons. rosetheatre.net. The Second City’s She the People.

Ballet West: The Nutcracker. Dec 5-Dec 9. Kennedy Center. kennedycenter.org. BalletNova presents The Nutcracker. Thru Dec 2. BalletNova at George Mason HS. BalletNova.org. Cakeface. Dec 1-Dec 2. Dance Place. danceplace.org. The Washington Ballet: The Nutcracker. Thru Dec 28. Warner Theatre. washingtonballet.org.

MUSIC Bolivian Baroque. Dec 1-Dec 2. Capitol Hill Chorale at Lutheran Church of the Reformation. capitolhillchorale.org. Chris Smither. Nov 30. Red Baraat. Dec 1. Eileen Ivers: A Joyful Christmas. Dec 2. The Barns at Wolf Trap. wolftrap.org. Holiday Concert Puccini’s Messa di Gloria. Dec 1. Georgetown Chorale at Church of the Epiphany. georgetownchorale.org. Operetta Wonderland. Thru Dec 2. In Series at D.C. Scottish Rite Temple. inseries.org. Jenny Lin, Marlissa Hudson, and Cornelius Dufallo. Nov 30. Library of Congress. loc.gov. Main Street Chamber Players. Dec 1. Potter Violins. pottersviolins.com. MCYO Junior Ensembles. Dec 1. Mannheim Steamroller Christmas. Dec 2. Kenny G. Dec 4. Susan Gaeta & Gina Sobel. Dec 6. Strathmore. strathmore.org. Miss Ellie’s Hanukkah Songfest: Dreidels and Latkes and Lights? Oh My! Dec 1. National Theatre. thenationaldc.org. Blue Heron. Dec 2-Dec 3. Dumbarton Oaks. doaks.org. NSO: Britten’s War Requiem. Thru Dec 1. NPR’s A Jazz Piano Christmas. Dec 1. Fortas Chamber Music: The Tallis Scholars. Dec 5. NSO: Noseda conducts Mahler’s First Symphony. Dec 6-Dec 9. Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org. Simone Dinnerstein, piano. Dec 6. Washington Performing Arts at Kennedy Center. washingtonperformingarts.org. Soweto Gospel Choir. Dec 2. Mason’s Center for the Arts. cfa.gmu.edu.

The Sicilian Tenors. Dec 1. BlackRock. blackrockcenter.org.

MUSEUMS AU Museum at the Katzen. Jim Sanborn. Thru Dec 16. american.edu. Anderson House. A Revolution in Arms: Weapons in the War for Independence. 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. Library of Congress. Mapping a Growing Nation. Thru Jan 1. Herblock Gallery. Thru Jan 1. loc.gov. National Archives. Remembering Vietnam. Thru Jan 6. archivesfoundation.org. National Gallery of Art. Corot: Women. Thru Dec 31. 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. Full Bleed: A Decade of Photobooks and Photo Zines by Women. Thru Nov 30. Rodarte. Thru Feb 10. nmwa.org. Smithsonian Anacostia Museum. A Right to the City. Thru Apr 20. anacostia.si.edu. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian. UnSeen, Ken GonzalesDay and Titus Kaphar. Thru Jan 6. npg.si.edu. Postal Museum. Alexander Hamilton: Soldier, Secretary, Icon. Thru Mar 3. postalmuseum.si.edu.

GALLERIES DC Arts Center. A light white, a disgrace. Thru Dec 9. dcartscenter.org. gallery neptune & brown. Joseph Keiﬀer. Thru Dec 29. galleryneptunebrown.com. Gallery Underground. Colors of Fall Exhibit. Thru Nov 30. Winter Wonderland. Dec 3-Dec 28. arlingtonartistsalliance.org. Glen Echo Park. Journeys: Marketa Jirouskova. Thru Dec 29. Holiday Art Show & Sale 2018. Thru Dec 30. glenechopark.org. Hill Center. Alec Dubro: Hearts in Atlantis. Thru Jan 6. hillcenterdc.org. Korean Cultural Center DC. Damageable Perfection featuring 2018 Artist of the Year Euyoung Hong. Thru Nov 30. koreaculturedc.org. Strathmore. Jennifer Kahn Barlow. Thru Dec 1. strathmore.org. The Art League. Pete McCutchen: Pattern + Texture. Thru Dec 2. Milton Shinberg: REcognition. Dec 5-Jan 6. theartleague.org.

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N OV E M B E R 30, 2018 • 31

Holiday

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

There’s no shortage of ways to commemorate World AIDS Day in Washington this year.

World AIDS Day events ‘Buddies’ screening, Walk to End HIV and more slated for coming days By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com Washington has several events planned around the 30th anniversary of World AIDS Day. “Then, There & Now: World AIDS Day Celebration” is tonight (Friday, Nov. 30) from 6-10 p.m. at North Hall at Eastern Market (225 7th St., S.E.). Impulse D.C. presents the event and invites attendees to “join us as we look back through the decades of the ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘00s and today on how AIDS has affected the LGBT community.” Billed as an “interactive art experience,” it will feature a celebrity guest speaker, “sip & paint,” dance, spoken word and drama. Admission is free and a two-hour sponsored bar will be available. Impulse D.C. is dedicated to “sexual health education, advocacy and breaking the stigma for gay men both positive and negative. Supported by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Look for the event on Facebook for details or visit impulsegrp.org. “Stand With Us: the Walk/Run to End HIV” was bumped to Saturday, Dec. 1 because of bad October weather. It will be held from 7-11 a.m. at Freedom Plaza (14th St., N.W. and Pennsylvania Ave.). The event, now in its 32nd year, is produced and benefits Whitman-Walker Health, a non-profit community health center providing “culturally inclusive and accessible care to all.” It’s WhitmanWalker’s signature fundraiser and typically raises thousands each year. As of Blade press time Wednesday, topgenerating teams for this year include Whitman-Walker’s own team (($66,821), the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington ($10,469) and Team Latham ($7,925). Randy Pumphrey ($9,200), Dave Kirkland ($6,875) and Kevin Waldorf-Cruz ($5,543) are the top individual generators. Details

at walktoendhiv.org. World AIDS Day: Rehoboth Beach is also Saturday, Dec. 1 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Rehoboth Beach Bandstand (229 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, Del.). It’s a candlelight walk and service “of remembrance and hope.” Names of friends and family lost to AIDS will be read. To have the name of a loved one added to the list of names to be read, e-mail worldaidsday@camprehoboth.com or fill out an online form at camprehoboth.com or call 302-227-5620. The walk begins at 6:30 p.m. at the bandstand; the service is at 7 at All Saints Episcopal Church (18 Olive Ave.). Full details at camprehoboth.com. An acknowledgement of World AIDS Day will also occur on Saturday, Dec. 1 at the Seasons of Love Christmas concert by the music ministry of Oaklands Presbyterian Church in Laurel, Md. Look for the event on Facebook for details. “Buddies,” billed as the first dramatic film about HIV/AIDS, will be screened by Reel Affirmations on Thursday, Dec. 6 at HRC Headquarters (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.). The 1985 film, shot on a shoestring budget, was partially filmed in Washington by director Arthur J. Bressan Jr. Co-star David Schachter will be present at the screening. Tickets are $12 or $25 VIP. Details at thedccenter.org. The D.C. Sisters and Sister Allie Lewya will hold a World AIDS Day drag show and fundraiser on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 10 p.m. at TRADE (1410 14th St., N.W.). Proceeds will go to HIPS. Look for the event on Facebook for details. Inner Lights Ministries UCC has a World AIDS Day recognition service on Sunday, Dec. 2 at 11 a.m. at the Anacostia Arts Center (1231 Good Hope Rd., S.E.) with special guest B. Jackson Caesar, who will perform songs from his new recording “Tis the Season.” Dancer G-Carlos will also perform. Look for the event on Facebook for details. Gay-led Empowerment Liberation Cathedral has its World AIDS Sunday service at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2 at 5301 N. Capitol St., N.E. Look for the event on Facebook for details.

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O U T & A BO U T

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WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Miss Pixie Holiday Market is Dec. 7

By MARIAH COOPER

Miss Pixie’s (1626 14th St., N.W.) presents its sixth annual Holiday Market on Friday, Dec. 7 from 5-8 p.m. About 15 local makers and small businesses will be selling goods inside Miss Pixie’s. The Bitter Dose Combo will perform live jazz music. Barcelona Wine Bar will provide vegetarian paellas. All of the items at Miss Pixie’s will be 20 percent oﬀ all day. There will also be a raﬄe with proceeds donated to Casa Ruby. For more details, visit facebook.com/misspixies.

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JR.’s hosts RuPaul ‘Holi-Slay’ watch party JR’s Bar (1519 17th St., N.W.) hosts a viewing party for “RuPaul’s Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular” on Friday, Dec. 7 from 8-11 p.m. Returning queens Eureka O’Hara, Jasmine Masters, Kim Chi, Latrice Royale, Mayhem Miller, Shangela, Sonique and Trixie Mattel will compete to be crowned RuPaul’s Christmas Queen in this holiday special. JR.’s Bar will screen the episode and have drink specials. No cover. For more information, visit facebook.com/jrsbardc.

“Drag Race” vets BenDeLaCrème and Jinkx Monsoon bring their holiday show “To Jesus, Thanks for Everything” to the 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) on Sunday, Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. The two Seattle-based queens will compete for the most attention this Christmas season as they perform holiday tunes and more. General admission tickets are $35. VIP tickets are $100 and include early entry and a meet and greet with BenDeLaCrème and Jinkx Monsoon after the show. VIP early entry is at 7 pm. General admission doors open at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit 930.com.

Dirty Santa party is next weekend Distrkt C presents Dirty Santa, a holiday party, at the D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) on Saturday, Dec. 8 from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. DJ Ed Wood will spin an extended set. There will also be ticket giveaways for 2019 Distrkt C events. Tickets are $25. For details and to purchase tickets, visit distrktc.com.

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N OV E M B E R 30, 2018 • 33

Hating Harriet

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

‘Little House’ actress MacGregor played villain of Walnut Grove P R E S E N T S

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com When actress Alison Arngrim, best known as Nellie Oleson on “Little House on the Prairie” (1974-1983) came to Washington to do a book signing at (where else?) Nellie’s Sports Bar in 2011, I went to meet her and interviewed her for the Blade in advance of her appearance. She was everything I’d hoped for and more. “Little House” was one of my favorite childhood TV shows and the outrageous Oleson family — father Nells (Richard Bull), mother Harriet (Katherine MacGregor), daughter Nellie and son Willie (Jonathan Gilbert; real-life brother to series star Melissa Gilbert) — were my favorites. The Ingalls family the show was centered on were just too loving, sickening and saccharine for me, even as a kid. The Olesons brought comedy relief, bitchiness and flair to the show — they were just the counterflavor the long-running series needed. You always knew which of the towns folk would be in any given “Little House” episode as they were credited only in the episodes in which they appeared after Mary, Laura and Carrie ran through the field (God, why did they never reshoot that opening over eight friggin’ years?). I always waited to eagerly to see if Harriet and Nellie would be in the episode at hand. So it was with sadness but also happy memories that I heard last week that Katherine MacGregor died at age 93. Harriet and Nellie had places in the hearts of many gay men who love female villains. They’re cut from the same cloth as Pat Carroll’s Ursula, Margaret Hamilton’s Wicked Witch of the West, Glenn Close’s Marquise de Merteuil and scores of others. When my nieces and nephews were very young, they were baffled by my affinity for these types. It’s never been so much that they’re evil — they’re just so much more fabulous, larger than life and colorful than the anodyne protagonists. Arngrim’s memoir “Confessions of a Prairie Bitch” is a hoot and should be required reading if you’re a “Little House” fan. We had such a fun time chatting for the Blade, I decided to see if I could track down MacGregor as well. I’d heard from Arngrim that MacGregor would sometimes do Oleson family sketches for fans and wanted to write to her and request one. I thought a hand-drawn sketch would be a fun “Little House” memento. I got MacGregor’s Los Angeles address and packaged up a few sheets out of a sketch tablet, some black Sharpies, a nice stiff selfaddressed and stamped return folder and

PHOTO COURTESY OF NBC

KATHERINE MacGREGOR as Mrs. Oleson, the villain fans loved to hate on ‘Little House on the Prairie.’

a fan letter. I wanted to make it as easy as possible for Miss MacGregor so all she’d have to do would be open it up, draw her sketch, slip it in the mail and be done with it. I heard back from her a short time later. I did not get my sketch but what I got back was even better — a signed photo and a four-page (!) handwritten letter. I was flabbergasted that she would take the time to write at such length and her letter is priceless. Initially, however, Miss MacGregor was not pleased. She found the large package I sent all this in cumbersome, unwieldy and difficult to open and sent my paper, pens and envelope back (hell, I wouldn’t have cared if she’d kept them). “I do have a suggestion,” she wrote. “If you write to other celebrities, DO NOT send your request in such a gigantic envelope that fits NO mailbox at all!! And for me at any rate was almost impossible to open.” Naturally I heard Harriet’s voice in my head saying all this and felt dutifully chided. From this and other parts of her letter, you could just tell there was a lot of Harriet in Katherine — I’m not saying Katherine was a huge bitch in real life, but the easily exasperated, crusty exterior was there. Arngrim would say as much in her book as well. Melissa Gilbert wrote on Instagram of how “loving and nurturing she was with the younger cast.” A funny snapshot of the real Katherine is her appearance on a heroes vs. villains episode of “Family Feud” from the early ‘80s. It’s on DVD and gives you a feel for how she carried herself out of character. The crux of the letter itself, however, was warm. She reminisced about “Little House” cast members who’d died, sent me a picture of her dog, told me about her aches and pains and shared a vaguely cryptic note I was left to interpret: “Just to let you know — I have written my own memoir telling the TRUTH about my career and life. I didn’t have to MAKE IT UP or make up anyone else’s life as some do when they write their memoirs.” Hmmmm. She also declined my request for a Blade interview. ■ CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

DEC 8, 15, 16 | LINCOLN THEATRE 1215 U Street NW

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

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

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CA LE N D A R

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

TUESDAY, DEC. 4 Rainbow Youth Alliance hosts a Happy Hour at Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) today at 6 p.m. All adults who support LGBT youth are welcome to attend. Drag bingo kicks oﬀ at 7 p.m. Nellie’s will donate a portion of the evening’s proceeds to Rainbow Youth Alliance. For more details, visit facebook.com/ryamoco. Capital Pride hosts its Holiday Heat Wave party at Human Rights Campaign (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.) tonight from 7-10 p.m. There will be culinary stations from Asia Nine Bar & Lounge, Mason Dixie Biscuit Co., Mixology Bartending & Catering and more. Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Heineken and Tito’s will provide beverages. General admission tickets are $15. VIP tickets with open bar are $30. For more information, visit facebook.com/capitalpridedc. StartOut Rising D.C. hosts a LGBT entrepreneurs and startup happy hour at Number Nine (1435 P St., N.W.) tonight from 6-8 p.m. StartOut’s mission is to connect and educate LGBT entrepreneurs and to create jobs for LGBT individuals in the local community. No cover. For more details, visit meet up.cpm/startout-rising-dc.

TODAY The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) hosts Queer Tango Class tonight from 7-9 p.m. Liz Sabatiuk, instructor of Tango Mercurio, will lead the class. The course is designed for beginner dancers to learn tango vocabulary and technique. The class will also discuss the assumptions of gender in dance and welcomes students to experiment with both gender roles. There is a $10 donation to support the D.C. Center. Sliding scale tickets are also available. For more information, visit thedccenter.org. 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.

SATURDAY, DEC. 1 Capital Pride Alliance celebrates its 10th anniversary with the Red Party at Echo Stage (2135 Queens Chapel Rd., N.E.) tonight from 9 p.m.-3 a.m. There will be performances from “Glee” star Alex Newell, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Jujubee, local and veteran queen Kristina Kelly and Pretty Boi Drag co-producer Pretty Rik E. DJ Tezrah, DJ Wess and DJ Tracy Young will play music. Tickets are $15. Total ticket proceeds will beneﬁt the Capital Pride Legacy Fund. For more information, visit capitalpride.org. Whitman-Walker Health and Real Talk D.C. host Walk & 5K to End HIV at Freedom Plaza (14th St., N.W. and Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.) today from 7-11 a.m. Check-in starts at 7:30 a.m. The 5K begins at 9:15 a.m. and the walk is at 9:20 a.m. Post-event actives begin at 10 a.m. Runner registration is $25, walker registration is $25, student/senior walkers are $15 and “Sleepwalkers,” those who cannot attend the event, are $40. Register at walktoendhiv.org. The D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) hosts Daddy, a men’s jock and underwear party, tonight from 8 p.m.-4 a.m. DJ Strike Walton Stone and DJ Dean Douglas Sullivan will spin tracks. Bryan Thompson will be the go-go dancer for the evening. VIP meet and greet tickets are available. General admission tickets are $12. For more details, visit facebook.com/eagledc.

SUNDAY, DEC. 2 Swazz Bazaar, a queer holiday bazaar, is at 1620 North Capitol St., N.W. today from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. There will be queer vendors selling and displaying art, fashion, magazines and other products. There will also be performances from local queer musicians, performance

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 5

PHOTO COURTESY CAPITAL PRIDE

ALEX NEWELL of ‘Glee’ fame performs at The Red Party Saturday night.

artists and designers. For details, visit facebook.com/swazzevents. “Waiting to Exhale Twisted” is at Chateau Remix (3439 Benning Rd., N.E.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. The sold-out play follows two drag queens and two transgender female friends as they navigate relationships with transgender and gay men and each other. Shi-Queeta-Lee, Riley Knoxx, Tanya Clarke and Capri Bloomingdale star. Dinner starts at 6 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/queetaspalace. Friendship Place hosts Winter Warmth, a free winter clothing drive, hot meal, hair cut and shave event, at Washington Hebrew Congregation (3935 Macomb St., N.W.) today from 2:30-5:30 p.m. There will be a shuttle bus from Tenleytown Metro for people attending the event. For more information, visit friendshipplace.org. Pop a cappella group Pentatonix performs at the Anthem (901 Wharf St., S.W.) for their “The Christmas is Here

Tour” tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $59.50-149.50. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. For more details, visit theanthemdc.com.

MONDAY, DEC. 3 The Internet brings its “Hive Mind Tour” to the Fillmore (8656 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, Md.) tonight at 8 p.m. The indie-R&B band features lesbian lead singer Syd Tha Kid and bisexual guitarist Steve Lacy. Moon Child opens the show. Tickets are $35. For more details, visit ﬁllmoresilverspring.com. Pride Fund to End Gun Violence hosts Cocktails with a Cause Happy Hour at Number Nine (1435 P St., N.W.) tonight from 7-9 p.m. The happy hour will celebrate the Pride Fund’s successes from 2018 and prepare for a new year of advocacy. General admission tickets are $50. Young Professional tickets are $25. For more information, visit facebook. com/pridefund.

Bookmen D.C., an informal men’s gay literature group, discusses “The Immoralist” by Andre Gide at the Cleveland Park Library (3310 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome. For details, visit bookmendc. blogspot.com. The Tom Davoren Social Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) for social bridge. No partner needed. For more information, call 301-345-1571.

THURSDAY, DEC. 6 GLOE, Bet Mishpachah, Nice Jewish Boys DC and Nice Jewish Girls host Oh Gaydel, Gaydel, Gaydel! Queer Chanukah Happy Hour at Pitchers (2317 18th St., N.W.) tonight from 6-9 p.m. This is an annual gathering of the local LGBT Jewish community. No cover. For more information, search the event on Facebook. Reel Aﬃrmations screens “Buddies” at Human Rights Campaign (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.) tonight at 7 p.m. in honor of World AIDS Day. The ﬁlm, directed by Arthur J. Bressan Jr., tells the story of a young gay man who volunteers to be a “buddy” to an AIDS patient. There will be a possible cast talk back and catered cocktail reception with co-star David Schachter. Rayceen Pendarvis hosts the screening. VIP tickets are $25 and include VIP seating, one complimentary cocktail, beer or wine and movie candy or popcorn. General admission tickets are $12. For more details, visit thedccenter. org/events/buddies.

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PHOTO BY C. STANLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

—The London Times

CARL RANDOLPH (left), director, and GREG JONES ELLIS, playwright, for the piece ‘All Save One,’ a 1950s-set dramedy set in Hollywood.

Guilded lily Local actor’s agency launches ‘50s gay-penned and -themed dramedy By PATRICK FOLLIARD In out playwright Greg Jones Ellis’ “All Save One,” both the country and principle characters are having a midcentury moment. Set in Hollywood in 1950, the dramedy, now making its world premiere at Washington Stage Guild, gives a glimpse into the private lives of yesteryear’s rich and famous gays. Early in his career, closeted British writer Sims Glendenning (Bill Largess) garnered fame on both sides of the Atlantic penning groundbreakingly frank plays and novels. His heyday of success was the 1920s and though his star has dimmed, he remains busy writing plays and consulting for the movies. Typically, Sims’ moveable household is comprised of Basil (R. Scott Williams), a former lover turned acid-tongued factotum; sometimes his spouse of convenience Claire (Laura Giannarelli), an Oscar-winning character actress; and occasionally a handsome young man. They all know the deal; there is no illusion here. While in Los Angeles, visitors to Sims’ swank beachside abode include leftleaning movie producer John Grant (Lawrence Redmond) and Father Theodor (up-and comer Danny Beason), a handsome young Catholic priest who administers to the faithful of Beverly Hills. Into this cozy scene comes Sims’ latest infatuation, an unseen, howling beach boy named Clay. An experienced blackmailer, Clay now has the goods on Sims and company. Their reputations are on the line and livelihoods could be lost. “All Save One’s” author Ellis is a student of ‘50s gay Hollywood. He’s also an admirer of writer W. Somerset Maugham, composer Cole Porter and playwright/ actor Noel Coward — all who, like Sims, became famous in in the ‘20s, weren’t unfamiliar with Hollywood and were never exactly openly gay. “These men, especially Maugham, are echoed in the play, but none are mentioned,” Ellis says. “I bring to the

script an understanding that people create fictions in different environments to avoid exploitation or worse. I have sympathy for the characters that younger audiences may not understand. I came of age in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. I was product of older parents. I’m typical of my generation in that my parents and I never had ‘the talk.’ They met my husband. He and I have been together since 1988 and we cohabited early on. They definitely got the deal. We just didn’t talk about it.” In those days in Hollywood, homosexuality had to be kept a secret, he says. Sexuality was often an open secret in the movie colony, but the public was famously left in the dark. In some instances, LGBT people of that era were also homophobic. “There was this sense of self-loathing that was perpetuated by society,” Ellis says. “As a community we need to remember that prominent people desperately wanted not to be gay. Choreographer Jerome Robbins was in therapy for years unsuccessfully trying to turn himself straight.” “All Save One,” makes a nice fit for Washington Stage Guild, Ellis says. “They’ve been around for over 30 years. Their niche is George Bernard Shaw whose works are marked by witty dialogue and thoughtful discourse. He makes you laugh and he makes you think. Actors at (the guild) have a real affinity for that kind of dialogue. I gave them long compound, complex sentences and brittle and epigrammatic dialogue, all of which they handle with ease.” Also, Ellis, who grew up in Bowie, Md., has a long connection to the guild. He attended Catholic University with both Largess and Giannarelli (both cast members and guild founding members). After leaving for New York City to pursue a career in theater at 21, Ellis kept in touch with his college classmates, particularly Largess. ■ CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM ‘ALL SAVE ONE’ Through Dec. 9 Washington Stage Guild 900 Massachusetts Ave., N.W. $50-60 240-582-0050 Stageguild.org

CA M ERO N M AC K I N TO S H PRESENTS

B O U B L I L & S C H Ö N B E R G ’S

December 12–January 13 Opera House Kennedy-Center.org (202) 467-4600 Theater at the Kennedy Center is made possible by

Major support for Musical Theater at the Kennedy Center is provided by

Groups call (202) 416-8400 For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540 Kennedy Center Theater Season Sponsor

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36 • N OV E M B E R 30, 201 8

F I LM

‘Buddies’ return Landmark AIDS dramedy told with simple, assured filmmaking By BRIAN T. CARNEY On Thursday, Dec. 6, in observance of World AIDS Day, Reel Affirmations will screen the historic AIDS drama “Buddies,” the first feature film about the AIDS crisis. Released in Sept., 1985 (days before President Ronald Reagan finally said the word “AIDS” in public), “Buddies” is a timeless portrayal of a crucial period in modern LGBT history. The film tracks the growing friendship between David Bennett (David Schachter) and Robert Willow (Geoff Edholm). David is a 25 year-old “guppie” (gay yuppie) who has volunteered to be a buddy to an AIDS patient. He is assigned to Robert (Geoff Edholm), a 32-year-old politically impassioned gardener transplanted from California to Manhattan. David is a freelance typesetter who lives with his lover Steve and has a great relationship with his supportive parents. Robert has been abandoned by his family and friends. Much of the action unfolds in Robert’s hospital room and David’s loft apartment. David and Robert are the only characters seen onscreen; the other characters are only heard as off-screen voices. The world of the movie is also expanded by David’s voiceover readings from the diary he starts keeping when he becomes Robert’s buddy. His diary is the one place where he can tell the truth and write down all the things he’s too nice to say to others. “Buddies” was written, directed, edited and produced by the pioneering gay indie filmmaker Arthur J. Bressan Jr. on a budget of $27,000. The screenplay is tightly written with realistic dialogue and natural rhythms. A master director, Bressan moves the action forward at a comfortable pace, letting each scene develop at its own speed without lingering too long. The modulations between comedy and drama are well-crafted. The decision to keep the secondary characters offscreen pays off very well. It undoubtedly helped Bressan to keep his production costs down, but since most of the other characters are associated with David, it also highlights Robert’s growing isolation. Bressan also makes a bold and effective choice by beginning (and ending) the movie with a slow pan down a computer printout of patients who have died of AIDS. The scroll lasts almost two minutes and it’s a brutal reminder of the horrors of the early days of the epidemic. Working with the New York Salon String Quartet and concert pianist Eric Houston, Olmsted’s lovely score beautifully wraps

PHOTO COURTESY FRAMELINE DISTRIBUTION

DAVID SCHACHTER and GEOFF EDHOLM in ‘Buddies.’

itself protectively around the shifting emotions of the characters. The acting is also superb. Edholm deftly captures Robert’s fiery passion, romantic regrets and the slow failure of his body. Schachter delicately captures David’s grudging respect for Robert and his gradual awakening from bystander to activist. It’s somewhat depressing that David’s excuses for his inaction sound rather likes today’s declarations of “I’m not political.” “Buddies” was Bressan’s last film (he died of AIDS in 1987). The movie was out of circulation until earlier this year when the Bressan Project, in collaboration with Frameline Distribution and Vinegar Syndrome, released a splendid restoration. It’s currently the only Bressan film available to the public. Bressan’s remarkable legacy as a queer filmmaker included adult films, shorts, narrative features and documentaries. The Bressan Project (bressanproject. wixsite.com/website) is dedicated to preserving and promoting Bressan’s work, including “Passing Strange (1974),” a hard-core coming-out story; “Gay USA (1977),” a documentary about the gay Pride events that began in response to Anita Bryant and her attack on the nascent gay rights movement; and “Abuse (1982),” a powerful drama about a teenage boy struggle against his abusive parents. ‘BUDDIES’ Thursday, Dec. 6 HRC Screening Room 1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W. $12 ($25 VIP) thedccenter.org/events

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S P O RTI N ’ I N DC

N OV E M B E R 30, 2018 • 37

PHOTO BY JUSTIN FRITSCHER

D.C. Front Runners honor dead members by planting trees.

Putting down roots D.C. Front Runners honor their dead with memorial trees By KEVIN MAJOROS This month, the D.C. Front Runners commemorated the 30th anniversary of their Memorial Grove by gathering about 40 volunteers to plant new trees. The planting was a group effort with contributions from the D.C. Front Runners, Casey Trees, Veteran Compost and Open City Diner. In the 1980s, HIV/AIDS took the lives of many D.C. Front Runners and in 1988, the club laid an AIDS quilt panel on the National Mall in honor of its lost members. That was followed by the planning of a memorial grove of flowering trees in collaboration with the National Park Service. They chose a location along their weekly Saturday morning running/walking route. Starting from the Taras Shevchenko statue, the D.C. Front Runners Memorial Grove is located just over the second footbridge, on the right, near the Calvert/ Connecticut Avenue entrance to Rock Creek Parkway by the Taft Bridge. The Front Runners started with five trees and by the mid-‘90s, the trees and shrubs were well rooted and healthy. More club members died in the ‘90s, some of causes other than AIDS, and the Front Runners expanded the original concept of the Grove to memorialize all members who had died. On the Grove’s 20th anniversary in 2008, the D.C. Front Runners planted 10 new trees and took care of them during the following two years until they were

strong enough to grow on their own. This month on the 30th anniversary, they renewed their commitment by planting an additional 10 trees that were selected, just like the trees before them, because they are native species that belong in the local ecology. This year’s planting was three Dogwoods, two Bur Oaks, two Eastern Redbuds, two Fringetrees and one Hackberry. D.C. Front Runners walking coordinator, Larry Lee, was one of the club members who provided maintenance and watering to the trees in 2008. His service will continue following the most recent planting. “I didn’t know any of the original members who passed but it is a nice feeling to be a part of something that memorializes them,” Lee dsud. “This year felt like a renewal. No matter where we run or walk through this area, there is a reminder of those who came before us.” Casey Trees donated the trees and worked with the National Park Service to get the permits, planned the schedule for delivering the trees and created a staging area. They also provided volunteers along with the Front Runners who will provide watering and weed pulling during the first two years to assure that the trees develop a strong root system. D.C. Front Runner Rob Geremia mentioned one runner who was a recent reminder of the significance of the Grove. Alan T. died suddenly in December, 2016 shortly after marrying his husband. “We don’t dedicate specific trees to anyone, but we were thinking about Alan this year,” Geremia says. “Many of the participants in this month’s planting were in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Now a whole new generation of Front Runners have ownership and a connection to the Memorial Grove.”

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A R T S & EN TE RTA I NMENT

N O V E MBE R 3 0 , 2 0 1 8 • 3 9

Countryman Kurt Browning gave Sawyer ‘Crystal’ heads up CON TINUED FROM PAGE 27

aren’t awarded points for spirals. “Probably one out of 40 skaters skate clockwise, so it’s pretty rare, but it’s more comfortable that way for me and I just started training that way,” he says. “As a male figure skater, there are no points given for flexibility and spirals, though that’s changing now a little. But I do them well and I knew the audience would like it, so I picked the audience’s opinions over the judges.” He’s putting those moves to good use in “Crystal.” Directed by Shana Carroll and Sebastien Soldevila, this 42nd Cirque du Soleil production glides into a world that springs to colorful life with astounding visual projections and a soundtrack that seamlessly blends popular music with the signature sound of Cirque du Soleil. “I love the daily rituals of getting to the arena, eating and training all day and getting ready for the show,” Sawyer says. “I love that adrenaline coming into my system. And at the end of the day, when you get applause, it’s always nice to feel so appreciated.” After retiring from competitive skating, Sawyer figured he’d be doing ice shows

but never really thought that would include working for Cirque du Soleil. He learned of the concept from figure skating legend Kurt Browning and his interest was piqued. “Before skating, I had other dreams. I was always a fan of when the circus came to town and just had this fascination,” Sawyer says. “My parents used to tell me that one day they would take me to Cirque du Soleil and the day they finally did, it just was the most amazing thing. I wanted to one day to be part of it if they ever tackled the ice element.” He was thrilled that they opened that door last year. In “Crystal,” the title character embarks on an exhilarating tale of self-discovery as she dives into a world of her own imagination, which takes her into a surreal world at high speed to become what she was always destined: confident, liberated and empowered. Sawyer portrays one of the many characters she encounters and helps to reach her elusive destination. “I’m here with the skates on my feet and I have various roles in the show,” Sawyer says. “We are there to support Crystal throughout her journey. Throughout the

different themes of the show, we evolve and have a big celebration at the end.” You can expect to see Sawyer doing triple jumps, backflips (which he was not allowed to do in competitions) and other incredible ice feats. “I have an amplitude of energy that never runs out,” he says. “I love showing off my individual element.” There are 43 members of the troupe, about half of them skaters. But there are no labels for the skaters — they aren’t hockey or figure skaters (as sometimes some ice shows have conflicts between the two), all the walls come down and they call themselves skaters. It’s that same acceptance and openness that Sawyer feels as a gay member of the troupe. “In North America, it’s quite more accepting than it was before. Coming from figure skating world, I’m used to the acceptance, but there has been some negative feedback along the way, but that’s life,” he says. “I feel comfortable in my skin and comfortable in my skin in this company. I can show my personality and be myself.” There is a little group of performers who are LGBT in the company and a

larger group in the greater Cirque du Soleil entity. “They call us the ‘village’ and we get along really well, but we’re not a clique; we’re all a big family here,” Sawyer says. “We do talk with others in the other Cirque shows and send Instagrams of us playing around with make-up or lipsynching to Britney Spears. Just things to show our personalities and have fun.” Arena shows like this usually last about ﬁve years but Sawyer isn’t sure how long “Crystal” will go on, but he’s hoping to tour internationally with the show. “I’m really comfortable and like the company and where my career has brought me,” he says. “I’d like to stick with Cirque in the future, whether that means sticking with performing or learning something else with the company, there could be other doors opening in the future.”

‘CRYSTAL BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’ Capital One Arena Dec. 5-9 Afternoon and evening shows each day $52-140 ticketmaster.com cirquedusoleil.com/crystal

GREAT PERFORMANCES AT MASON 2018/2019 SEASON

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

Vienna Boys Choir Christmas in Vienna

Friday, December 7 at 8 p.m.

This performance is also at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on Sun., Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. Information at HyltonCenter.org.

American Festival Pops Orchestra

Canadian Brass

A Canadian Brass Christmas Saturday, December 15 at 8 p.m.

Holiday Pops: Songs of the Season

Saturday, December 8 at 8 p.m.

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

This performance is also at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on Sun., Dec. 16 at 2 p.m. Information at HyltonCenter.org.

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

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REALESTATE

Shared housing — millennial or Baby Boomer trend? Communal living appeals to buyers in array of circumstances By SUE GOODHART I recently read an article in The Atlantic by Iliana E. Strauss – “The Hot New Millennial Housing Trend Is a Repeat of the Middle Ages.” The article addresses the trend in “co-housing,” in which people are choosing to live in housing with communal eating and socializing space. The author writes: “Homeownership is still viewed as a central component of living out the American dream, but the ways that many present-day Americans are pushing back on modern living arrangements closely resemble what came centuries, even millennia, before in other parts of the world. Family members, relatives, neighbors, and strangers are coming together to live in groups that work for them—a bit like medieval Europe.” From what I see in my everyday practice of real estate, this trend is not exclusive to millennials. Baby Boomers are also following suit. On a regular basis, I meet with local buyers and sellers who are part of this phenomenon. Is this trend related to the changes in the traditional family structure, economics, and/or the current desire for socializing? The article points out that communal living was the way humans existed throughout most of

Does your home have a large lower level? If so, you have the space for a communal living situation. PHOTO COURTESY OF BIGSTOCK

history. It really was not until the early 20th century and the Industrial Revolution when households shrank to house just nuclear families. My Own Experience: In late May, my husband Marty and I began a second experiment in home sharing. Our first go at it was six years ago when my daughter, Amanda, and her now-husband, Ben, moved into our home after college graduation in order to save money for law school. Our home has a generously sized lower level so there was a bedroom and bath for Ben plus a second family room. Overall, it went well after some adjustment of living as empty nesters for four years. This go-around, Allison, her husband, Doug, and my grandson, Brooks, have moved into our lower level while their house is being totally reno-

vated and expanded. This arrangement not only helps them afford a major renovation, but it allows us to see our sweet grandson every day. We are able to help with childcare and they help with making meals and household tasks. Overall, it’s a win-win situation for all parties. The Benefits of Shared Housing: As a result of our current living arrangement, I have been tuning into the concept of house sharing. This trend is being brought on by socalled “boomerang” kids, aging parents living longer, and the high costs of housing and childcare in urban areas. Because the “typical” family structure has changed dramatically, we are seeing people look for co-housing options, in which homes offer private space but also communal areas for meal preparation and socializing. Homeowners rent out rooms or take in exchange students so they can afford to stay put. Single people are purchasing homes with someone other than a spouse so they can enjoy homeownership at an affordable price. We have all had a taste of communal living, as college students in dorms or sharing a house with roommates just out of college. It saves money and for most young people, it is a lot of fun. As people move into their 30s and are more financially stable, this desire for communal living tends to disappear. But it does come back. I can’t tell you how many buyers in their 40s and 50s are looking for homes with options for a

main-level room for parents to stay either for long visits or permanently. In addition, over-55 communities are a great alternative for those looking for homes with accommodating floor plans and robust social activities. As homeowners are approaching their 70s and 80s, many head to communal living in places like Goodwin House, The Fairfax, and Greenspring. Often, our seniors are living in homes that are increasingly hard to maintain or get around in. Their neighborhoods are less social as more neighbors work and are not home during the day. In the new “retirement home,” they are finding that social interaction and the option for communal eating is a huge benefit to them. The Bottom Line: Co-housing, shared housing or having housemates, builds a sense of community, offers social benefits, and saves money in an area that is getting more expensive each year. Both millennials and Boomers (and everyone in between) are a part of this trend. If you need advice on how to think outside the box regarding your current living situation please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d love to help. SUE GOODHART is with Compass Real Estate. In 2017, the Goodhart Group helped 120 clients achieve their real estate goals. Led by Sue and Allison Goodhart, they have been named a Top Agent by both Washingtonian and Northern Virginia magazines. The Goodhart Group can be reached at 703-3623221 or sue@thegoodhartgroup.com.

PFLAG promotes the equality and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons, their families and friends through: • Support to cope with an adverse society. • Education to enlighten an ill-informed public. • Advocacy to end discrimination and secure equal civil rights. Trained facilitators lead the Arlington Support Group and confidentiality is maintained. For further information about the Arlington Support Group, contact us at arl.pflag@gmail.com. Our groups meet on the second Sunday of each month, from 3 – 4:30pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Arlington, at George Mason Drive & Route 50. A.L.Y. is a group for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Questioning Youth and Allies in grades 7-12. Our goal is to give LGBTQ youth a safe place to gather. Trained facilitators lead the youth group. Confidentiality maintained. For more info, contact: aly.pflagdc@gmail.com. Our Washington DC Chapter of PFLAG may be reached at 202-638-3852.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: A man and his family grapple with the cost of living in the nation’s capital.

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

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Ready to Own, Ready to Live at National Harbor!

Only 3 remaining for this special! VA loans with $0 down and all closing costs paid*

Tom Gaffney | Senior Loan Officer NMLS ID #182206

Current Incentives**

703.307.5877

tgaffney@fhmtg.com www.GaffneyLoans.com

• 1 year of Condo fees paid • Washer and dryer level 1 included • 2" faux wood white blinds – excluding the transoms • American Express $2500 gift card included

First Heritage Mortgage, LLC 3201 Jermantown Road, Suite 800 Fairfax, VA 22030 First Heritage Mortgage, LLC | Company NMLS ID #86548 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) This is an advertisement and not a guarantee of lending. Terms and conditions apply. All approvals subject to underwriting guidelines. Prepared: 09/05/2018.

*Closing costs paid when using First Heritage Mortgage and does not include pre-paids. Pricing and terms may change, please speak with Loan Officer.

** not valid on previous contracts and must settle on or before 12/31/18.

MHBR #6755

Potomac Overlook Brownstones from the $600's 503 Halliard Lane, National Harbor, MD 20745 sales@integrityhmw.com | (703) 955-1187

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SHARE ADS ARE FREE. Place your HOUSING TO SHARE ad online at washingtonblade.com and the ad prints free in the paper and online.* *25 words or less prints free - anything more is $1/word.

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LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES PETITION FOR CUSTODY AND SUPPORT OF MINOR CHILD, CASE #18PDFL01076 MAI THI THU TRAN V. TUNG QUANG NGUYEN PASADENA COURTHOUSE, 300 EAST WALNUT STREET, PASADENA, CA 91101 Notice of Summons, Petition for Custody and Support of Minor Child, Family Law Case Cover Sheet, UCCJEA, Request for Order Custody, Visitation, and Child Support, and Notice of Hearing filed against Respondent Tung Quang Nguyen. The Summons, Petition for Custody and Support of Minor Child, Family Law Case Cover Sheet, UCCJEA, Request for Order Custody, Visitation, and Child Support for the parties’ minor child Justin Nguyen (DOB: July 27, 2010) were initially filed on June 7, 2018. Petitioner Mai Thi Thu Tran has attempted to serve Respondent Tung Quang Nguyen at his last known address at 1320 Fairmont St. NW Apt. 201, Washington D.C. 20009 by personal service and mail. The parties were ordered to attend mediation for the child custody and visitation issues of Petitioner’s Request for Order at above address for the Pasadena Courthouse on July 17, 2018 at 1:30pm in Room 100. The initial hearing date for the Request for Order re: Custody, Visitation, and Child Support of the parties’ minor child Justin Nguyen was on August 7, 2018 at 8:30 am in Department K the above address for the Pasadena Courthouse. In her Request for Order, Petitioner seeks sole legal custody and sole primary physical custody of Justin as well as guideline child support be ordered. The hearing was continued to October 15, 2018 at 8:30 am in Department K to allow additional time for service. Petitioner hired an investigator to attempt to locate Respondent for service of the case and motion. As mentioned above, Petitioner was unable to serve Respondent. The October 15, 2018 hearing was subsequently continued to allow for Petitioner to file an Application for Order for Publication of the above filed documents and to serve via publication. The hearing was continued to January 14, 2019 at 8:30 am in Department K at the above address for the Pasadena Courthouse. On October 17, 2018, Petitioner filed an Application for Order for Publication of the Family Law Case Cover Sheet, Petition for Custody and Support (FL-260), UCCJEA, Request for Order Custody, Visitation, and Child Support, and Notice of Continuance. On October 25, 2018, the Order for Publication of the notice in the Washington Blade was granted. The publication is to run in the Washington Blade at least once per week for four successive weeks. On November 8, 2018, the Court issued a minute order continuing the hearing on Petitioner’s Request for Order from January 14, 2019 to February 4, 2019 at 8:30 am in Department K at the Pasadena Courthouse. The next hearing date for Petitioner’s Request for Order for Custody, Visitation and Child Support of the parties’ minor child is on February 4, 2019 at 8:30 am in Department K at the Pasadena Courthouse located at 300 East Walnut Street, Pasadena, CA 91101. If Respondent Tung Quang Nguyen wishes to file a response to Petitioner’s motion, he must do so 9 court days prior to the hearing date on February 4, 2019 and serve a copy of the response to Petitioner’s attorneys 9 court days at the same time. Petitioner is represented by the H Bui Law Firm, 3452 E. Foothill Blvd., Suite #1160, Pasadena, CA 91107, telephone number (626) 683-7574. Respondent may contact Petitioner’s attorney for a copy of the filed documents or may seek copies of the filed documents directly from the Pasadena Courthouse.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Results-Oriented • Affordable

Larry Cohen, LICSW

30 years serving the LGBT community

202-244-0903 socialanxietyhelp.com

See website for NPR story on my work

SIMPLE AFFORDABLE PROVEN RESULTS

CALL TODAY TOPLACE YOUR AD

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DAVE LLOYD & ASSOCIATES Top 1% Nationwide NVAR Life Member Top Producder

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WWW.DAVELLOYD.NET ENTHUSIASTICALLY SERVING DC & VIRGINIA

MASSAGE Rosslyn / DC - CMT available for massage in Arlington, SundayTuesday or DC ThursdaySaturday. Call or text, Gary 301-704-1158. mymassagebygary.com.

COUNSELING COUNSELING FOR GAY MEN. Individual/ couple counseling w/ volunteer peer counselor. Gay Men’s Counseling Community since 1973. 202-580-8861. gaymenscounseling. org. No fees, donation requested.

EMPLOYMENT WHOLISTIC SERVICES, INC. seeking Full Time Direct Support Professionals to assist intellectually disabled adults with behavioral health complexities in group homes & day services throughout DC. Requirements 1 year exp., valid drivers license, able to lift 50-75 lbs, complete training program, become DDS Med Certified within 4 months of hire, ability to pass security background check. Associates degree preferred. For more information, please contact the Human Resources (HR) Department at 202-832-8787.

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LOCKER ROOM ATTENDANTS NEEDED! The Crew Club, a gay men’s naturist gym & sauna, is now hiring Locker Room Attendants. We all scrub toilets & do heavy cleaning. You must be physically able to handle the work & have a great attitude doing it. No drunks/druggies need apply. Please call David at (202) 319-1333. from 9-5pm, to schedule an interview.

FUNERAL SERVICES ELEGANT FUNERAL PROGRAMS Respectfully honoring your deceased loved one or beloved pet/ companion. Eco-friendly: Create and display a funeral program via your smartphone! www.tinyurl.com/ ElegantPrograms.

LEGAL SERVICES ADOPTION, DONOR, SURROGACY legal services. Jennifer represents LGBTQ clients in DC, MD & VA interested in adoption or ART matters. 240863- 2441, JFairfax@ jenniferfairfax.com. FULL SERVICE LAW FIRM Representing the GLBT community for over 35 years. Family adoptions, estate planning, immigration, employment. (301) 891-2200. Silber, Perlman, Sigman & Tilev, P.A. www. SP-Law. com.

DEADLINES

SHARE ADS ARE FREE. Place your HOUSING TO SHARE ad online at washingtonblade.com and the ad prints free in the paper and online.* *25 words or less prints free - anything more is $1/word.

4 6 • N O VEMB ER 3 0, 2018

All Classified Ads - Including Regular & Adult Must Be Received By Mondays at 5PM So They Can Be Included in That Week’s Edition of Washington Blade and washingtonblade.com

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LIMOUSINES KASPER’S LIVERY SERVICE Since 1987.

Playmates and soul mates...

Gay & Veteran Owner/ Operator. 2016 Luxury BMW 750Li Sedan. Properly Licensed & Livery Insured in DC. www.KasperLivery.com. Phone 202-554-2471.

PHOTOGRAPHY STEVE O’TOOLE PHOTOGRAPHY Fine Art Photographer for Portraits & Weddings & more! Check out my website - www. steveotoolephotography. com. Specializing in Bears & Big men. Steve 703-861-4422.

CLEANING FERNANDO’S CLEANING: Residential & Commercial Cleaning, Reasonable Rates, Free Estimates, Routine, 1-Time, Move-In/ Move-Out. (202) 234-7050, 202-486-6183.

Washington:

202-448-0824

ENHANCE YOUR AD WITH OUR UPGRADES PICTURES BOLD TEXT LARGE TEXT COLOR AND MORE CONTACT US AT 202-747-2077

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MOVERS

TELL ‘EM YOU SAW THEIR AD IN THE Blade classifieds!

PLUMBERS DIAL A PLUMBER, LLC - FULL SERVICE PLUMBER JUST SAY: I NEED A PLUMBER! Bathroom Sinks, Tubs, Vanities, Kitchen Sinks, Disposals, Boilers & Furnaces, Hot Water Heaters, Drain Service! 202-251-1479. Licensed, Bonded & Insured. DC Plumbers License #707. Visa, MasterCard, American Express accepted.

AROUND TOWN MOVERS. Professional Moving & Storage. Let Our Movers Do The Heavy Lifting. Mention the ‘Blade’ for 5% off of our regular rates. Call today 202.734.3080. www. aroundtownmovers.com

BODYWORK THE MAGIC TOUCH: Swedish, Massage or Deep Tissue. Appts 202486-6183, Low Rates, 24/7, In-Calls.

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