Washingtonblade.com, Volume 49, Issue 52, December 28, 2018 by Washington Blade

DECEMBER 28,

2018

VOLUME 49

ISSUE 52

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AMERICA’S LGBTQ NEWS SOURCE

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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

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

Full name: Michael Moore Occupation: Realtor Favorite local restaurant: Sushi Ogawa Favorite local bar/lounge: Rooftop at the W hotel Favorite vacation spot: Italy (anywhere will be ﬁne) Favorite Charity: Food & Friends Favorite thing to do on a weekend: Spending the weekend in NYC

Michael is wearing the latest items from the winter 2018 collection.

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LOCAL NEWS

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Top 10 local stories of 2018 NO. 10: MANY LGBT TIPPED WORKERS JOIN EFFORT TO OPPOSE INITIATIVE 77

A large number of LGBT servers, bartenders, and other tipped workers joined the restaurant industry’s campaign in the spring of 2018 to oppose a D.C. ballot initiative calling for ending the city’s tipped wage system. The system, which is part of the city’s labor law, allows restaurants and other hospitality industry businesses to pay employees a lower minimum wage than that offered to non-tipped workers as long as tipped workers earn the equivalent of the full minimum wage through their tips. If the tips fall short of that the businesses are required to pay the difference. D.C. voters in June approved the initiative, but the D.C. Council a short time later voted to overturn the measure under its legal authority to do so. Supporters of the initiative quickly organized a new ballot measure in the form of a referendum to “repeal” the Council repeal of Initiative 77. In yet another twist and turn over the Initiative 77 battle, the restaurant industry association filed a lawsuit that resulted in a D.C. Superior Court judge in December halting the referendum on grounds that the D.C. Board of Elections failed to give sufficient public notice of a hearing in which the wording of the referendum was approved. Supporters of the initiative said they planned to appeal the judge’s ruling.

Own were among a number of changes in the D.C. and Baltimore area LGBT nightlife scenes in 2018. Other changes included the sale of the buildings in which two D.C. gay bars have operated for many years – Bachelor’s Mill on 8th Street, S.E., near the Washington Navy Yard; and Cobalt at 17th and R streets, N.W. Both clubs have continued to operate as usual, but Bachelor’s Mill’s owner has declined to say whether the new owner plans to allow the club to remain in its building indefinitely. Cobalt owner Eric Little has said Cobalt’s current lease lasts until 2021 and that he is uncertain what might happen after the lease runs out. The start of 2018, just after New Year’s Day, marked the end of a two-year run of a Sunday night gay male strip club venue on Georgia Avenue, N.W. created by gay former D.C. Council member Jim Graham in partnership with the owner of The House, which hosted Graham’s Sunday night venue called Rock Hard. On all other nights The House continued its regular venue of female strippers for a straight clientele. When Graham died suddenly in June 2017 from complications associated with an intestinal infection The House owner said he planned to continue the Sunday night Rock Hard venue. But regular customers said that without Graham’s guidance the clientele dropped off and owner Daryl Allen decided to discontinue the event in January. Ownership and management changes saw the Baltimore Eagle close, though the owner has said the club will reopen. The Baltimore gay club Grand Central was sold in fall of 2018, with the new owner saying the club will remain ‘gay’ for the time being. In Rehoboth Beach, the Double L gay bar also changed ownership and reopened as Diego’s Hideaway.

LGBT community services center. Elkins, a widely recognized advocate for LGBT rights since the 1980s, died March 15 following a battle with lymphoma. He was 67. “For over 25 years as its Executive Director, Steve’s leadership and vision has allowed CAMP Rehoboth to become one of the most respected and successful non-profit organizations in Delaware and has contributed greatly to establishing Rehoboth as a widely recognized community with ‘room for all,’” the organization stated on its Facebook page. “As he did throughout his life, fighting for the rights of so many in this state, he fought lymphoma with courage and dignity until the very end,” the statement said. Elkins’ passing followed an announcement made one month earlier in what became his last column in the Rehoboth magazine Letters From CAMP Rehoboth, in which he said he was taking a medical leave of absence and that his husband and life partner of 39 years, Murray Archibald, would serve as the organization’s interim executive director. Archibald, who co-founded CAMP Rehoboth with Elkins, has since been named Elkins’ successor as the organization’s executive director. “The evolution of Rehoboth Beach from a city where homophobia reared its evil head too frequently to a city that is truly accepting to all is largely the work of Steve Elkins,” said Delaware LGBT rights advocate and former Sussex County Democratic Party Chair Mitch Crane.

organizer of the city’s 32nd Annual 17th Street High Heel Race. For years the event has been one of the city’s most popular Halloween events, with thousands of people lining the street to watch as many as 100 drag queens racing down the street wearing a required pair of high heel shoes. “The mayor was really excited about this when we talked about it a year ago because this shows her support of the LGBTQ community and its diversity,” said Sheila Alexander-Reid, director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs. “And I think this is going to go a long way toward making sure this event last and continue,” Alexander-Reid said. “I know Mayor Bowser loves this event and I know she’s proud to present it.” The event took place Tuesday night, Oct. 30, with Bowser giving the official signal to start the race.

BRENDON MICHAELS was found dead in his Baltimore apartment on Nov. 8. Police have not made any arrests in connection with his murder. PHOTO COURTESY OF CARROLL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

NO. 6: FOUR GAY MEN, ONE TRANS WOMAN MURDERED IN D.C.-BALTIMORE

Town nightclub closed in 2018 but Pitchers quickly emerged as a new go-to nightspot. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

NO. 9: MAJOR CHANGES TO D.C.’S NIGHTLIFE SCENE

The closing of the popular D.C. gay dance club Town due to displacement by real estate development and the opening of a new dual gay sports bar Pitchers and its adjacent lesbian bar League of Her

STEVE ELKINS (left) shown here with his husband MURRAY ARCHIBALD.

The 32nd annual High Heel Race was held on Frank Kameny Way on Tuesday, Oct. 30. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

NO. 8: CAMP REHOBOTH LEADER STEVE ELKINS DIES AT 67

LGBT people and their supporters who frequent the popular resort town of Rehoboth Beach, Del., in March mourned the loss of Steve Elkins, the co-founder and executive director of CAMP Rehoboth, an

NO. 7: MAYOR BOWSER ‘TAKES OVER’ HIGH HEEL RACE

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser made official in mid-October what LGBT activists have said has been a developing trend during the past several years – that the D.C. government directed by the mayor’s office would be the official sponsor and

Two gay men in D.C., a gay man in Beltsville, Md., a gay man in Baltimore, and a transgender woman in Baltimore were victims of murder in 2018. But police in each of those locations said they had yet to obtain evidence to show the victims were targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Arrests have been made in two of the five cases. Meanwhile, D.C. police in early 2018 made three arrests for the Dec. 28, 2017 murder of lesbian Kerrice Lewis, 23, who was found shot to death in the trunk of her car that had been set on fire by one of the suspects arrested in the case. D.C. police said the motive for her

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Hate crimes, election results and big changes to D.C. nightlife top our list By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com killing appeared to be a dispute between a group of friends. Police said they had no evidence to indicate Lewis was targeted because of her status as a lesbian. Three men have been charged with first degree murder while armed in connection with her death. The three are being held without bond while awaiting trial. The first of the five 2018 cases took place on March 14, when Antonio Barnes, 27, was fatally stabbed outside his residence in Beltsville. P.G. County police one month later charged Barnes’ boyfriend, Canaan Peterson, 23, with first degree murder, but prosecutors later allowed Peterson to plead guilty to a lower charge of first degree assault. Authorities said the case was an act of domestic violence and they didn’t believe Peterson, who stabbed Barnes in the upper leg, intended to kill him. Authorities said Barnes bled to death after the stab wound punctured an artery. On March 14, gay D.C. resident Sean Anderson, 48, was found shot to death in his apartment on the 2300 block of Good Hope Rd., S.E. In April D.C. police charged Jerome Wilson, 35, an acquaintance of Anderson, with second degree murder. On July 21, District resident Michael Miller, 37, was found shot to death in an alley behind the 1600 block of Minnesota Ave., S.E. Police say no suspects and no motive have been identified in the case. On Nov. 8, Brendon Michaels, 43, a fitness instructor at Carroll Community College, was found beaten to death in his apartment on the 1200 block of St. Paul Street in Baltimore. Police have no suspects and no known motive for his murder. On Nov. 26, 37-year-old transgender woman Tydi Dansbury was found suffering from a gunshot wound to her body in the 1900 block of W. Lanvale Street in Baltimore, according to Baltimore police. She died two days later at a nearby hospital. Police say they have no suspects and no known motive in the case. They are seeking help from the public in their investigation into the murder.

NO. 5: MD., DEL. BAN CONVERSION THERAPY; VA. MEASURE KILLED Maryland and Delaware passed laws in 2018 that ban licensed mental health professionals from performing so-called conversion therapy for minors. Separate bills calling for banning the therapy for minors in Virginia died in committee in the state House and Senate. In May, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland signed into law a conversion therapy ban that had been passed at that

time in D.C. and 11 other states. In July, Delaware Gov. John Carney (D) signed a similar bill approved by the Delaware Legislature. LGBT activists in both states praised their governors and state lawmakers for enacting laws that they said would protect LGBT young people from the serious harms attributed to “therapy” seeking to change someone’s sexual orientation from gay to straight. All of the mainline professional medical and mental health organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association, have warned that conversion therapy is ineffective to changing someone’s sexual orientation and has been found to cause harmful side effects such as depression, suicidal ideation. In Virginia, Republican lawmakers tabled two bills in February calling for banning conversion therapy for minors in Virginia, effectively killing the bills for the legislature’s 2018 session. Supporters of the bills said they would reintroduce them in 2019.

DENNIS and JUDY SHEPARD at Washington National Cathedral in D.C. on Oct. 26. Their son Matthew’s ashes were interred in the church’s crypt.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

NO. 4: MATTHEW SHEPARD INTERRED AT NATIONAL CATHEDRAL

The ashes of Matthew Shepard were interred in the Washington National Cathedral’s crypt on Oct. 26 during a private ceremony following a service open to the public in the cathedral’s main hall, which was filled to capacity. Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, died on Oct. 12, 1998, after being bludgeoned with the barrel of a pistol by Aaron McKinney and tied to a fence in a desolate field in Laramie, Wyo., by accomplice Russell Henderson in what has

become known as one of the nation’s most notorious anti-gay hate crimes. Matthew Shepard’s parents, Dennis and Judy Shepard, were among those who attended the National Cathedral service after announcing their decision to have their son laid to rest at the Cathedral 20 years after his passing. The two have become vocal advocates for LGBT rights and for efforts to pass hate crimes legislation nationally and in states across the country. “It’s so important that we have a home for Matt,” said Dennis Shepard before the interment. “A home that others can visit; a home that is safe from haters, a home that he loved dearly from his younger days in Sunday school and as an acolyte at his church back home.” Retired New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, who in 2003 became the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, delivered an emotional homily at the service. “Gently rest in this place,” he said. “You are safe now…welcome home.”

on Sept. 16 along the 2000 block of New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. near a D.C. police station. Four males and one female suspect jumped out of two vehicles and attacked and beat two gay men while shouting anti-gay slurs, a police report says. One of the victims was hospitalized. Both victims were wearing Stonewall Kickball T-shirts associated with a gay kickball league. No arrests have been made in the case.

NO. 3: SIX ANTI-GAY ASSAULTS TARGET GAY MEN IN D.C. Gay men were the victims in at least six anti-gay assaults that occurred in D.C. in 2018 beginning in April. Arrests have been made in just two of the incidents. The first took place April 15 at Vermont Ave. and U Street, N.W. at about 12:30 a.m. when three unidentified male suspects assaulted two gay men while shouting antigay names. Both men were hospitalized and treated for non-life threatening injuries. On May 20, two or three male suspects assaulted a gay man while yelling anti-gay names about 1 a.m. at Sherman Ave. and Harvard St., N.W. On May 27 one unidentified male suspect shouted anti-gay names at two men walking on the sidewalk on the 1300 block of 14th St., N.W. about 6:30 p.m. The suspect punched one of the men in the face before fleeing the scene. On June 5, D.C. police arrested District resident Bertrand Lebeau Jr. for allegedly punching a male victim in the head and stomping on the victim’s cell phone while calling the victim a “faggot.” Lebeau was charge with simple assault and destruction of property. On June 10 male suspect Uduak Iben was charged with simple assault and destruction of property for allegedly destroying LGBT Pride decorations displayed outside a pet store near the corner of 17th and R streets., N.W. and assaulting two of the store’s employees who tried to stop him from pulling down the decorations. He shouted “fuck gay people” while attacking the employees, according to a police report. The last of the six incidents took place

DANICA ROEM was sworn in on Jan. 10. WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

NO. 2: DANICA ROEM SWORN IN, MAKES HISTORY

On Jan. 10, history was made when Danica Roem was sworn into office as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from her district in Manassas to become the nation’s first transgender person to serve in a state legislature. Roem, a Democrat, won election to the seat in November 2017 by defeating antiLGBT incumbent Robert Marshall (R), who held the seat for more than two decades. “While at first Danica received international attention because of her groundbreaking win, now she receives coverage because of her deep policy knowledge and the legislation she has advanced that improves the lives of Virginians,” said Ruben Gonzales, president of the LGBTQ Victory Institute, which supported Roem in her election campaign. Roem has been credited with running a highly effective campaign by focusing on local issues that most impact the residents of her district, including traffic congestion and innovative ways to alleviate the free up clogged commuter roads and highways. She has emerged as one of the Virginia General Assembly’s most outspoken advocates for LGBT equality. CONTINUES ON PAGE 06

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Top 10 national stories of 2018

RIC GRENELL was confirmed as U.S. ambassador to Germany.

NO. 10: RIC GRENELL CONFIRMED AS AMBASSADOR After months of Democratic opposition, the U.S. Senate confirmed Richard Grenell this year as U.S. ambassador to Germany, making him the most high-profile openly gay appointee in the Trump administration. Democrats objected to Grenell — who was confirmed by a largely party line vote of 56-42 — based on comments he made in the past on Twitter about the appearance of women as well as other comments he made downplaying the significance of Russia’s influence in the 2016 election. After his confirmation, controversy continued following comments he made on Twitter instructing Germany to stop doing business in Iran and an interview with Breitbart London in which he said he backs the populist conservative movement in Europe. At year’s end, Grenell denounced MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski — who has an antagonistic relationship with President Trump — over comments she made calling Mike Pompeo Trump’s “butt boy.” Brzezinski later apologized.

NO. 9: PARKLAND STUDENTS FIND THEIR VOICE Bisexual student Emma Gonzalez became a central figure of the gun control movement this year after the school became the latest site of a mass shooting in the United States. When a gunman killed 17 people and

EMMA GONZALEZ, who identifies as bi, became a central figure in the gun control debate.

CHAD GRIFFIN announced plans to step down as HRC president.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY KAREN OCAMB

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

wounded others at Stoneman Douglas High School, Gonzalez and other survivors joined activism efforts in favor of gun control in Florida and across the country. During the March for Our Lives rally in Washington D.C., Gonzalez delivered a powerful speech and named the victims of the shooting before holding a moment of silence. Although Congress didn’t enact significant legislation on gun control, the Florida Legislature approved a bill signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott that raised the age to buy firearms to 21, established a waiting period and background checks and allowed the arming of some teachers.

era guidance requiring schools to allow transgender kids to use the restroom consistent with their gender identity. The report ignited a firestorm among transgender rights supporters, who took to the streets, demonstrated before the White House and declared #WeWontBeErased on social media.

NO. 8: ANTI-TRANS MEMO EXPOSED AT HHS An explosive report in the New York Times this year exposing a planned memo within the Department of Health & Human Services that would effectively erase transgender people from federal law ignited a massive outcry among transgender rights supporters. The initiative asserts Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which bars sex discrimination in schools, doesn’t apply to transgender people and calls for government agencies to adopt an explicit and uniform definition of sex “on a biological basis that is clear, grounded in science, objective and administrable.” That would be consistent with other anti-transgender actions within the Trump administration, such as the transgender military ban and reversal of Obama-

NO. 7: COURT RULES TITLE VII BARS ANTI-GAY WORKPLACE BIAS The case law finding sexual orientation discrimination amounts to sex discrimination under federal law continued to increase this year when the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling asserting Title VII of the Civil Rights of Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination against gays in the workforce. The Second Circuit in New York City issued the ruling in the case of Zarda v. Altitude Express. The estate of the nowdeceased gay skydiver Donald Zarda filed the lawsuit on the basis of allegations Zarda was terminated from his position for telling a client he was gay. The Second Circuit is the second federal appeals court to find anti-gay discrimination is illegal under federal law. Last year, the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued a similar ruling, although the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals didn’t reach the same conclusion. The U.S. Supreme Court may have the final say on the matter. A petition seeking review of the decision is pending before justices, as are petitions in similar cases

seeking review over whether Title VII covers anti-gay discrimination and antitrans discrimination.

NO. 6: MASTERPIECE CAKESHOP RULING The U.S. Supreme Court sidestepped a major decision this year in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, issuing a narrow decision based on the facts of the lawsuit in favor of a Colorado baker sued for refusing to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. In the 7-2 decision written by U.S. Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, the Supreme Court vacated the decision by the Colorado Court of Appeals against baker Jack Phillips on the basis the state commission handling his case displayed a religious bias against him. “When the Colorado Civil Rights Commission considered this case, it did not do so with the religious neutrality that the Constitution requires,” Kennedy writes. But the decision kept in place Colorado’s Anti-Discrimination Act. Although Phillips sought a First Amendment right to refuse services to same-sex couples, Kennedy wrote the right of denial should be restricted to clergy and laws against antiLGBT discrimination are valid.

NO. 5: HRC’S CHAD GRIFFIN STEPS DOWN After six years as head of the nation’s largest LGBT rights group, Chad Griffin announced this year he’d step down as

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Pelosi roars back, courts block military trans ban and more By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com

BRETT KAVANAUGH won a bitter confirmation fight amid concerns from LGBT advocates he would roll back advances.

KYRSTEN SINEMA won election in Arizona, making her the first bisexual person elected to the U.S. Senate.

Rep. NANCY PELOSI is poised to retake the Speaker’s gavel when Congress returns in January.

Bush administration, including when the Bush White House was pushing a Federal Marriage Amendment. The confirmation process heated up when Christine Blasey Ford testified Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in the early 1980s when they were both teenagers. Similar allegations emerged, but Kavanaugh denied he ever sexually assaulted anyone. Despite the charges, the U.S. Senate narrowly voted to confirm Kavanaugh. It remains to be seen what action he’ll take on LGBT-related cases. Petitions are already pending before the court on Trump’s transgender military ban and the inclusion of LGBT people under civil rights laws.

Massachusetts voters rejected at the ballot an attempt to undo non-discrimination protections for transgender people, defying a campaign stoking fears about sexual predators in the bathrooms. Lesbian Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) fended off a Republican challenger and Kyrsten Sinema won election in Arizona, making her the first bisexual person elected to the U.S. Senate. Four non-incumbent openly LGB candidates running for U.S. House seats — Sharice Davids, Chris Pappas, Katie Hill and Angie Craig — also won, resulting in an expected net gain of two openly LGB lawmakers in the next Congress.

would be unusual for the Supreme Court to take up the case at this stage.

NO. 3: ‘RAINBOW WAVE’ SWEEPS COUNTRY ON ELECTION DAY

NO. 2: TRANS MILITARY BAN LANDS IN COURTS

LGBT candidates running in the 2018 congressional mid-term elections this year broke pink ceilings and made a “blue” wave turn “rainbow.” After Democrats nominated gubernatorial candidates representing all four letters of the LGBT acronym, Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) was elected governor of Colorado, making him the first openly gay person elected governor in the United States. Transgender candidate Christine Hallquist ran a historic campaign to become governor of Vermont, but came up short on Election Day. Three other transgender candidates — two in New Hampshire and one in Colorado — won election to state legislatures. In another transgender victory,

Litigation against President Trump’s transgender military ban continued to proceed through the courts this year. The Trump administration made renewed requests calling on the courts to lift injunctions against the policy — announced by Trump last year on Twitter — in the wake of a report from Defense Secretary James Mattis affirming the ban. None of the trial courts that issued injunctions against the ban would lift those orders, although two federal appeals courts are currently reviewing whether to take that action. The Justice Department has filed requests calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the litigation at this time and to issue a stay order allowing the ban to go into effect. It

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

president of the Human Rights Campaign. Griffin made the announcement after a successful $26 million #TurnOut campaign that sought to motivate the estimated 10 million Americans who identify as LGBT and 52 million Americans who support proLGBT policies to vote in the election. Those voters were credited with contributing to the “blue wave” in the 2018 congressional mid-term election. During Griffin’s tenure at the Human Rights Campaign, the Supreme Court issued three decisions advancing samesex marriage, including the 2015 decision advancing marriage equality nationwide. Griffin spearheaded the lawsuit leading to the Supreme Court’s decision against California’s Proposition 8 in 2013. Other LGBT leaders who stepped down included Kate Kendell at National Center for Lesbian Rights, Gregory Angelo at Log Cabin Republicans, Rachel Tiven at Lambda Legal and Matthew Thorn at OutServe-SLDN.

NO. 4: KAVANAUGH WINS CONFIRMATION AFTER BRUTAL FIGHT When President Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to succeed former U.S. Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court, LGBT rights supporters worried the appointment would lead to a rollback of LGBT rights. Senate Democrats fought hard against him, decrying the Trump administration for refusing to release records during Kavanaugh’s time at the

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

NO. 1: DEMOCRATS WIN HOUSE After two years of President Trump and anti-LGBT policies from his administration, voters across the United States this year elected a Democratic majority in the U.S. House during the congressional mid-terms. In a “blue wave” election year, Democrats picked up 40 seats in the U.S. House, although Republicans ended up with net gain of two seats in the U.S. Senate. Democrats won a majority in the House for the first time since 2008. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has said the Equality Act, comprehensive federal legislation against anti-LGBT discrimination, would be a personal priority in the next Congress. LGBT rights advocates are expecting movement on the Equality Act as well as oversight over the Trump administration’s anti-LGBT policies, which include the transgender military ban, “religious freedom” actions seen to enable anti-LGBT discrimination and the exclusion of LGBT people from the enforcement of federal civil rights laws.

HONORABLE MENTION: NO PRIDE PROCLAMATION FROM TRUMP. For the second year, President Trump declined to recognize June as Pride month, as the Pentagon celebrated Pride while pushing a ban on trans service members.

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Top 10 international LGBT stories of 2018

Brazilian President-elect JAIR BOLSONARO has sparked fear among many LGBT Brazilians.

Secretary of State MIKE POMPEO acknowledged Pride month in June.

PHOTO BY AGÊNCIA BRASIL FOTOGRAFIAS; COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

NO. 10: KIM DAVIS-BACKED ROMANIA MARRIAGE REFERENDUM FAILS A referendum on whether to define marriage as between a man and a woman in the Romanian constitution’s definition of family failed in October because of insufficient voter turnout. Less than 21 percent of voters participated in the referendum. Kim Davis, a soon-to-be-former Kentucky county clerk who went to jail in 2015 for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, is among those who backed the campaign in support of the proposed amendment. Mihnea Florea, program coordinator of MozaiQ, a Romanian LGBTI advocacy group, is among those who welcomed the referendum results.

NO. 9: BRAZIL’S INCOMING PRESIDENT SPARKS FEAR IN LGBT COMMUNITY The election of Jair Bolsonaro as Brazil’s president has sparked fear among the country’s LGBTI community. Bolsonaro defeated former São Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s Workers’ Party by a 55-45 percent margin in the second round of the country’s presidential election that took place on

Oct. 28. Bolsonaro, who has represented Rio de Janeiro in the Brazilian congress for 27 years, will take office on Jan. 1. Bolsonaro has sparked widespread outrage for his comments against the LGBTI community, women, indigenous people, Brazilians of African descent and other underrepresented groups. Bolsonaro has also said he would defend the “true sense of marriage” between a man and a woman once he takes office.

NO. 8: U.S. REMAINS PUBLICLY COMMITTED TO GLOBAL LGBTI RIGHTS The U.S. in 2018 continued to publicly support LGBTI rights abroad, even though its domestic record has continued to spark criticism. The State Department this year criticized anti-LGBTI crackdowns in Tanzania. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in June acknowledged Pride month in a statement. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan is among the U.S. officials who participated in a global LGBTI rights conference that took place in the Vancouver, British Columbia. A new State Department policy that requires partners of foreign mission personnel and employees of international organizations to be married in order to qualify for a diplomatic visa took effect on Oct. 1. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins is among those who took

British Prime Minister THERESA MAY said she “deeply” regrets colonial-era laws criminalizing same-sex relations. PHOTO BY ARNO MIKKOR; COURTESY OF FLICKR

part in a religious freedom conference the State Department held in July.

NO. 7: BERMUDA BECOMES FIRST NON-U.S. JURISDICTION TO REPEAL MARRIAGE Bermuda in June became the first jurisdiction in the world outside the U.S. to rescind marriage rights for same-sex couples. John Rankin, the governor of the British island territory, on Feb. 7 signed the Domestic Partnership Act, which allows same-sex couples to enter into domestic partnerships as opposed to get married. The law, which prompted calls to boycott Bermuda’s tourism industry, took effect on June 1. Rankin’s government appealed a Bermuda Supreme Court ruling that found the Domestic Partnership Act unconstitutional. The territory’s top court on Nov. 23 upheld the decision.

NO. 6: BRITISH PRIME MINISTER APOLOGIZES FOR ANTI-LGBTI COLONIAL LAWS British Prime Minister Theresa May on April 17 said she “deeply” regrets colonial-era laws criminalizing consensual same-sex relations the U.K. introduced in Commonwealth countries. “I am all too aware that these laws were often put in place by my own country,” she said during a speech at the

Commonwealth summit that took place in London. “They were wrong then, and they are wrong now. As the U.K.’s prime minister, I deeply regret both the fact that such laws were introduced and the legacy of discrimination, violence and even death that persists today.” Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized in a number of the Commonwealth’s 53 countries.

NO. 5: TAIWAN MARRIAGE REFERENDUM FAILS 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. 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 margins of 72-28 percent and 61-39 percent respectively. Voters by a 66-34 percent margin rejected a question on whether Taiwan’s Gender Equity Act should include LGBTI-inclusive school curricula. A question on whether the law should not include LGBTI-inclusive school curricula failed by a 67-33 percent. Evan Wolfson, founder of Freedom to

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Historic ruling in India; Brazil elects far-right leader By MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com

MARIELA CASTRO has spearheaded LGBTI-specific issues in Cuba. WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Marry, is among those who supported Taiwanese activists before the referendum. The National Organization for Marriage backed marriage opponents. Lawmakers still face a May 2019 deadline to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples under a Taiwan Constitutional Court ruling from two years before.

NO. 4: INTER-AMERICAN COURT ISSUES LANDMARK LGBTI RIGHTS RULING The Inter-American Court of Human Rights on Jan. 9 issued a landmark ruling that recognizes same-sex marriage and transgender rights in the Western Hemisphere. The ruling stems from the Costa Rican government’s request for an advisory opinion on whether it has an obligation to extend property rights to same-sex couples and allow trans people to change their name and gender marker on identity documents. The Costa Rican government has said it will comply with the ruling, which has bolstered advocacy efforts throughout the Western Hemisphere. Margarette May Macaulay, president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, on Dec. 5 reiterated her support of marriage rights for same-sex couples during a hearing on the subject over which she presided in D.C. The Chile Supreme Court on the same day issued a ruling that said marriage for same-sex couples is a

human right, but the country’s president, Sebastián Piñera, continues to face criticism from advocates over his opposition.

NO. 3: NEW PROPOSED CUBAN CONSTITUTION INCLUDES MARRIAGE AMENDMENT Cuban lawmakers on July 22 approved the draft of a new constitution that would extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. A series of public meetings on the proposed constitution took place across the Communist island over the fall. The Cuban National Assembly in the coming weeks is expected to give its final approval to the document. A referendum is scheduled to take place in February. The debate over the proposed constitutional changes is taking place nearly 60 years after gay men were among those sent to work camps after the Cuban revolution brought Fidel Castro to power. His niece, Mariela Castro, over the last decade has spearheaded LGBTI-specific issues in the country. Independent activists with whom the Washington Blade speaks insist they continue to face criticism and even arrest for publicly criticizing Mariela Castro and/ or the Cuban government.

MELANI SOFÍA ROSALES QUIÑONES, a transgender woman from Guatemala City, was beaten, threatened and discriminated against in her country because of her gender identity WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY YARIEL VALDÉS GONZÁLEZ

NO. 2: LGBTI MIGRANTS SEEK REFUGE IN U.S. The waves of migrants who hav e left Central America in 2018 include people who are fleeing violence and discrimination based on their sexual orientation and gender identity in their homelands. A gay man from Honduras with whom the Blade spoke in Mexico City on July 17 said he fled his homeland earlier this year after a group of gang members raped and killed his friend in front of him. Other LGBTI migrants from Guatemala with whom the Blade spoke in the Mexican city of Tijuana earlier this month said they hope to seek asylum in the U.S. The migrants — many of whom have traveled to the U.S. border in caravans — still hope to enter the U.S., despite President Trump’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy that has sparked widespread criticism. The death of Roxsana Hernández, a trans Honduran woman with HIV, in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on May 25 sparked additional outrage among immigrant rights activists and their supporters.

NO. 1: INDIA SUPREME COURT DECRIMINALIZES HOMOSEXUALITY The India Supreme Court on Sept. 6 issued a landmark ruling that decriminalized consensual same-sex

sexual relations in the country. The unanimous ruling specifically struck down India’s colonial-era sodomy law known as Section 377. LGBTI rights advocates in India and around the world not only celebrated the decision, but stressed it will bolster efforts to decriminalize homosexuality in other Commonwealth countries. “We rejoice with all sexual, gender and sex minorities communities in India,” said Ruth Baldacchino and Helen Kennedy, co-secretaries general of ILGA, in a statement. “As of today, a shameful part of an enduring colonial legacy is finally history. We hope that this ruling, which was made possible by the tireless work of many human rights advocates, will have an impact also on other countries around the world where our communities continue to live under the shadow of oppressive criminal laws, especially those that share a common legal heritage with India, as far afield as Africa, the Pacific and Caribbean.” A judge on Trinidad and Tobago’s High Court in April struck down the country’s colonial-era sodomy law. The Kenya High Court early next year is expected to issue a ruling in a case that challenges a portion of the country’s penal code that criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual relations. British Prime Minister Theresa May in April said she “deeply” regrets colonialera sodomy laws the U.K. introduced in Commonwealth countries.

12 • DECEM B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 8

Y EA R I N P H OTO S

Delegate DANICA ROEM is sworn in to the Virginia House of Delegates as the ﬁrst openly transgender GERARD TURNER was awarded the title of Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather 2018 on Sunday, Jan. 14. person in the U.S. to serve in state government. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

A ‘dance protest’ was held outside of Trump International Hotel on Jan. 27. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

The March for Our Lives protesting gun violence was held on March 24. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

A vigil was held at Stead Park on April 19 following the physical attack on two gay men in D.C. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Students and other gun reform supporters protested at the White House on Feb. 21 in the aftermath of the Parkland, Fla. mass shooting.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Out Olympian ADAM RIPPON headlined a National LGBT Chamber of Commerce event on April 4. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

D.C. Black Pride held its annual picnic at Fort Dupont Park on May 28. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

YEAR IN PH OTO S

The D.C. Front Runners performed at the Pride Run at Congressional Cemetery on June 8. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Out singer TROYE SIVAN performed at the Capital Pride Festival on June 10. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Transgender advocates gathered at the AFL-CIO for a rally for trans health on July 17. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Actress ANNE HATHAWAY spoke at the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner on Sept. 16. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

DE C EMB ER 2 8 , 2 0 1 8 • 1 3

Gays Against Guns marched in the Capital Pride Parade on June 9. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

The inaugural Winchester Pride was held in Winchester, Va. on June 23. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

LGBT protesters were joined by allies to counter the ‘Unite the Right’ white nationalist rally on Aug. 18. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Whitman-Walker Health celebrated its 40th anniversary at a gala on Sept. 22. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

14 • DECEM B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 8

Y EA R I N P H OTO S

MARA KEISLING, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, was joined by Matthew Shepard’s ashes were interred in the Washington National Cathedral following a Ceremony hundreds of activists in front of the White House to protest the Trump administration’s actions against of Thanksgiving on Oct. 26. the trans community. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

The annual High Heel Race was held along Frank Kameny Way on Dec. 30. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Election watch parties were held in gay bars across the District on Nov. 7, including this one at Nellie’s Sports Bar.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

House Minority Leader NANCY PELOSI made a surprise appearance at the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce National Dinner on Nov. 15. The annual Walk and 5K to End HIV was held along Pennsylvania Ave. on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Representative-elect SHARICE DAVIDS (D-Kansas) spoke at the 2018 International LGBTQ Leaders Conference on Dec. 7.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington performed their Holiday Show at the Lincoln Theatre on Dec. 8.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

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Remembering the lives we lost in 2018 Tab Hunter, SpongeBob creator, AIDS activists and others By KATHI WOLFE Many acclaimed LGBTQ people died in 2018 from the worlds of entertainment, sports, advocacy, business and beyond. They include: Victor Salisbury, a Realtor, banking analyst, gay rights supporter and D.C. area resident, died on Jan. 4 at 66. Eddie Weingart, a D.C.-based massage therapist and anti-gun violence activist died at age 39 on Jan. 11. After the 2012 Newtown, Conn. mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, he helped to found the Project to End Gun Violence. In 2013, Weingart received the “Be the Change Award from the Washington Peace Center for his advocacy. Dr. Mathilde Krim, a wealthy straight scientist and who was a pioneer in AIDS activism and research, died on Jan. 15 at age 91. She was the founding chairwoman of amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. In 2000, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Dennis Peron who led an effort to legalize marijuana for medical purposes in California died on Jan. 27 at age 71 in a San Francisco hospital. Robert Pincus-Witten, a renowned art critic, died on Jan. 28 at 82 after a long illness. John Mahoney, British-born actor, beloved for his portrayal of Martin Crane, the father on the hit TV sitcom “Frasier,” died on Feb. 3 at age 77. He was nominated twice for an Emmy for his role on “Frasier.” Judy Blame, the fashion stylist, died at age 58 from cancer in London on Feb. 20. There was a retrospective of Blame’s work at the ICA in London in 2016. David Ogden Stiers, who played Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III in the renowned TV show “MASH,” died March 3 at age 75. At age 66, he came out as queer. Barbara Wersba, an acclaimed lesbian author of books for young adults, died at age 85 on Feb. 18 in Englewood, N.J. She was among the first YA authors to write about same-sex relationships. Hubert de Givenchy, the renowned French fashion designer who for decades dressed icons from Jacqueline Kennedy to Grace Kelley to Audrey Hepburn, died at age 91 on March 10. Steve Elkins, founder and executive director of CAMP Rehoboth in Rehoboth Beach, Del., died at age 67 on March 15. J.D. McClatchy, a Lambda Award-

Actor and 1950s heartthrob TAB HUNTER died earlier this year.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FILM COLLABORATIVE

winning-poet, died at age 72 on April 10. He was the author of eight poetry collections and several opera librettos, including “Our Town” for Ned Rorem’s settings of Thornton Wilder’s drama. Jean McFaddin, who planned Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades, Santaland at Christmas, spring flower shows and July 4th fireworks in Manhattan for 24 years, died on April 18. Richard Peck, a gay author of stories about rape, suicide and other difficult topics for young readers, died on May 27 at age 84. LGBTQ rights activist Connie Kurtz died at age 81 at her home in West Palm Beach, Fla. Kurtz and her wife Ruth Berman were plaintiffs in a lawsuit over domestic partner benefits for New York City school employees. On April 14, David Buckel, a prominent LGBTQ rights lawyer and environmental advocate, age 60, committed suicide by dousing himself with gas and setting himself on fire, in Brooklyn, N.Y. His death was a political act of self-immolation. Robert M. Higdon, a friend of President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan and fund-raising director for the Reagan Presidential Library, died at age 58 on June 19. Dick Leitsch, a pioneering gay rights activist, died at age 83 on June 22 in Manhattan. In 1966, Leitsch led a protest when a bartender at Julius’ in the West Village in New York wouldn’t serve openly gay patrons. Tab Hunter, a 1950s movie star, died

on July 8 at age 86. He was closeted until he came out in his 2005 autobiography (written with Eddie Muller) “Tab Hunter Confidential.” Tom Gallagher, the first Foreign Service officer to come out publicly as gay, died on July 8 at age 77. “I don’t want any of you... ever to take for granted what it took for people like Tom Gallagher to pave the way for all of you,” Hillary Clinton said in 2012 on the 20th anniversary of GLIFAA, a State Department LGBT employee organization. Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz, feminist, activist and author died at age 72 on July 10. Gary Beach, an actor who won a Tony Award for his performance as director Roger De Bris in “The Producers,” died at age 70 on July 17. Charles Hamlen, the founder of Classical Action: Performing Arts Against AIDS, died at age 75 on Aug. 1. He started the group, which later merged with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, in 1993 five years after his partner died of AIDS in 1988. John Glines, who won a Tony Award as a producer of “Torch Song Trilogy,” in 1983, died on Aug. 8 at age 84. At the Tonys, Glines thanked his lover Lawrence Lane. It’s believed to have been the first time anyone at the Tonys said they were thanking their gay lover, reported the New York Times. Vivian Matalon, who won a Tony Award for directing “Mornings at Seven” in 1980, died at age 88 on Aug. 15. Craig Zadan, who with his producing

partner Neil Meron, won the Academy Award for best picture for Chicago in 2003, died on Aug. 21 at age 69. They produced “The Sound of Music” and other live musical revivals for NBC. Rev. Robert Wood, the first American clergy to support marriage equality and to urge churches to welcome gay people died on Aug. 20 at age 95, the Blade reported. Lindsay Kemp, a choreographer and teacher of David Bowie and Kate Bush, died at age 80 on Aug. 24. Kemp and Bowie were lovers for a time. Crime writer Amanda Kyle Williams died at age 61 on Aug. 31. She is the author of the Keye Street series, whose titles include “The Stranger You Seek.” Disability advocate and gay rights activist Janet Weinberg died on Sept. 1 at age 63. She was a leader at LGBTQ rights groups, including the Gay Men’s Health Crisis Center. Jeanne Ashworth, who won a bronze medal in the 500-meter race at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, Calif., died on Oct. 4 at age 80 at her home in Wilmington, N.Y. She was one of the first women to compete in speedskating in the Olympics. Ruth Gates, an acclaimed coral-reef biologist and marine conservationist died at age 56 from brain cancer on Oct. 25. Gates advocated breeding a “super coral” to resist the impact of climate change. Maria Irene Fornés, a playwright who wn eight Obie awards, died at age 88 on Oct. 30. Acclaimed for her experimental theater work, she received an Obie for lifetime achievement in 1982. “She’s not spoken of as an important American playwright, and she should be,” playwright Tony Kushner told the New York Times. Ray Hill, a former Baptist evangelist and ex-convict who became a Houston LGBT rights activist and helped to organize the first gay rights march on Washington died at age 78 on Nov. 24. In the 1980s, he helped to found Omega House for AIDS patients. Hill hosted a radio talk show for prisoners and their families. Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the cultural phenomenon “SpongeBob SquarePants” died at age 57 on Nov. 26. Hillenburg, who was straight, had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. “SpongeBob,” the animated adventures of a yellow, pineapple-dwelling, sea creature, that airs on Nickelodeon, has a big queer following.

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VIEWPOINT

Celebrating the Blade’s 50th in 2019 Busy year ahead for nation’s ﬁrst LGBTQ newspaper

KEVIN NAFF is editor of the Washington Blade and can be reached at knaﬀ@washblade.com.

Another chaotic year comes to a close, my 16th at the Blade. With the breakneck pace of news these days — Mueller indictments! A Cabinet secretary resigns! We’re pulling out of Syria! — you might be wondering about the continued relevance of a weekly printed newspaper. Although I have always been platform agnostic (I don’t care if you read the Blade in print, on a desktop or phone as long as you’re reading the Blade), the week-inreview product remains a compelling and informative format for modern consumers of news. With Donald Trump controlling the pace of things and with mainstream outlets like CNN and MSNBC hanging on his every inane Tweet, it can be easy to get distracted. Sitting down with the Blade and other weeklies at the end of a chaotic week of smartphone news alerts and cacophonous social media blabber can be a calming, informative exercise. Earlier this year, Farhad Manjoo took a digital break and received all his news from print publications for two months. He wrote about his ﬁndings for the New York Times,

concluding with this sage advice: “Get news. Not too quickly. Avoid social.” Manjoo reported that due to his printonly news diet, he avoided angry social media comments and wasn’t exposed to false rumors that now frequently get reported as fact during breaking news situations, like the Parkland mass shooting. “We have spent much of the past few years discovering that the digitization of news is ruining how we collectively process information,” he wrote. “Technology allows us to burrow into echo chambers, exacerbating misinformation and polarization and softening up society for propaganda.” So thank you for including the Blade in your news media diet for another year. We hope you ﬁnd that it helps focus attention on LGBTQ issues that matter as we try to avoid the daily — sometimes hourly — Twitter distractions. E DIT OR IA L C A R T OON

This year brought many memorable stories, recapped in this issue. With our dedicated White House reporter, Chris Johnson, the Blade aims to hold the administration accountable on everything from the trans military ban to the status of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS. Meanwhile, the tireless Lou Chibbaro Jr. covered a rash of hate crimes targeting D.C. gay men and delivered a blockbuster report on the unsolved murders of 10 LGBT people in the District. The Blade’s international news editor, Michael Lavers, traveled extensively throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, bringing heartbreaking stories from Honduras, El Salvador and elsewhere as LGBTI migrants risk their lives to travel to the United States. That project, I’m happy to report, will continue throughout 2019. Our dynamic duo features team of Joey DiGuglielmo and Mariah Cooper deliver local arts and entertainment news, celebrity interviews and recommendations for the best in LGBTQ film, theater, art and more. Our photo editor, Michael Key, continues his award-winning coverage of all the District’s news, documenting everything from White House protests to the annual High Heel Race. The most exciting news in the coming year for us is the Blade’s 50th anniversary celebration. The newspaper was founded in the immediate aftermath of Stonewall and remains sharp after nearly 50 years. We will debut a redesigned print product early in the year and we’ll be announcing a series of special events to help commemorate the milestone anniversary. If you’d like to take part, email me at knaff@ washblade.com. So, again, thank you for reading and advertising in the Blade. Our work is critical as the administration continues its cruel efforts at erasing transgender people and demonizing immigrants and others. We look forward to serving you in 2019 and to celebrating 50 years as America’s LGBTQ news source. Happy holidays!

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2018: near and far, a clash of narratives Restore and replenish yourself for the battles ahead

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

The holiday season with its social obligations and reminders of absent friends brings its special tensions. After a hectic day, self-care guides me home. A warm robe, herbal tea, and quiet reﬂection are restorative. Before heading out earlier I sent an inquiry to the outpost of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Nairobi on behalf of a suﬀering gay Ugandan. He texted me thanks from the hospital where he was treated for injuries from a police assault during a peaceful protest days before. On Dec. 11, D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton wrote to UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi in Geneva

urging him to investigate the mistreatment of Ugandan LGBT refugees in Kenya. I stopped by her office on Capitol Hill the next day to thank her. In 1964, she went to Mississippi for Freedom Summer to register African-American voters, an effort from which some volunteers never returned. She knows the price of freedom as only veterans of the struggle can. As a standard courtesy, her letter to Grandi was copied to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, despite the unlikelihood of a sympathetic reception, as illustrated by Pompeo’s insulting visit to Brussels the previous week. “Cast your bread upon the waters,” wrote Ecclesiastes, “for you will find it after many days.... In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that....” A British colleague who also advocates for the displaced Ugandans writes to me about a teenage couple, one of them transgender, who need help. There is anti-gay and anti-trans bias among some of the Kenyans working for UNHCR. An American regime that seeks to erase trans people at home will not speak up for a 14-year-old trans girl waiting with her boyfriend outside UNHCR’s office in Nairobi. So my colleague and I do. You have to steel yourself for this kind

of work. There are many more in need than you can help. If you begrudge yourself every moment of relaxation, you can damage your own well-being and end up no good to anyone. The world is great and you are small. Make a few ripples where you are, and see where they travel. There will be plenty of opportunities in 2019. The Trump regime has damaged everything from diplomacy to environmental protection to the rule of law to American values. Rapacity has replaced stewardship, fear has replaced inspiration, and spite has replaced cooperation. Migrant children are still dying at our southern border. The GOP still threatens the healthcare of 17 million people. Right-wing ideologues are still packing federal courts. Mark Harris, a homophobic and transphobic minister and Republican candidate for Congress in North Carolina’s ninth district, hired a convicted felon to help him win. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on Dec. 14 signed legislation stripping powers from Tony Evers, the Democrat who beat him. Republicans are branding themselves as cheaters and sore losers. Tyrants consider their assertions the only evidence that matters. Journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered for disputing that, and Trump’s embrace of his

murderer despite damning intelligence makes us complicit. A Greek proverb says that a society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they will never sit. Trump’s unconcern for a projected national debt spike because “I won’t be here” confirms his vaunted national greatness as empty sloganeering. We who deplore Trumpism have not only reality on our side, but a more compelling narrative. The importance of narrative was illustrated in 2018 by gifted young filmmaker Ryan Coogler. His epic movie Black Panther conjures the mythical African nation of Wakanda, untouched by colonialism, with advanced technology and children who grow up with an expectation of success. Beautifully designed and cast from across the African diaspora, it soars. Confidence is invigorating. After American voters elected women in record numbers, once-and-future House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s deft Oval Office sparring with Trump gave a bracing preview of the battles ahead. Americans have faced challenges before. If we can only connect with our diverse citizenry we can defeat the nihilist in the White House, on whom Robert Mueller is slowly closing in. Copyright © 2018 by Richard J. Rosendall. All rights reserved.

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Continue to resist in the New Year Find ways to help the less fortunate — and to oppose Trump’s agenda

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

As 2018 comes to a close and we look forward with anticipation to 2019 it is my hope each of you will have many things about the past year to celebrate and your celebrations will be safe and you will be lucky enough to be surrounded by friends and family. May you and they be blessed with good health and happiness in the coming year and ﬁnd your lives are only getting better and better. We are living in tumultuous times and while many of us are both privileged and lucky to be doing well we should never

forget those many around us who are not as fortunate. There are the parents and children who have been separated from each other by the Trump administration; refugees around the world forced to ﬂee their homes, many living in tent camps because they have been displaced by war or famine; LGBTQ+ children living on the streets because they were thrown out of their homes by parents and family who wouldn’t accept them; and too many of the elderly subsisting on food stamps and without adequate healthcare. As we enter the New Year let us not only keep them all in our thoughts, but more than that, we must make helping them one of our New Year’s resolutions. If we all do that, collectively we will have a chance to make the world a better place. Doing something to help can take many diﬀerent shapes for each of us. If you are celebrating like I am the recent “blue wave” that rolled across the United States in the midterm elections you could do something to see it continues into 2020. The new majority in the House of Representatives will be making a good start when it elects Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House on Jan. 3. In 2019, instead of a House of Representatives doing everything in its

power to make life more difficult for hardworking Americans this new Democratic majority can make a strong statement on the direction in which we want the country to move. We can urge them to do this by passing legislation to provide for equality for the LGBTQ+ community; guarantee voting rights for all Americans; curtail the amount of money in politics; fix the Affordable Care Act to ensure all Americans will have affordable, quality healthcare; and fix our crumbling infrastructure. While the Republican Senate and the current sad excuse for a president may not pass or sign any of this legislation it should be passed in the House as a commitment to the American people about what they can expect if they vote for a Democratic president and Congress in 2020. So each of us must continue to vote, support candidates we like, and to resist. But beyond politics each of us should choose at least one charity or cause to actively support. There is so much we can each do on our own if we are just willing to spend some of our time and any money we can afford. Mentor a child, volunteer in a soup kitchen, or make a donation to an organization like SMYAL or WhitmanWalker Health. We can spend more time

with a friend who is ill, or a neighbor who is elderly. Some will want to make it a habit to support the small businesses in their own communities as they are the lifeblood of our neighborhoods. We can spread cheer by simply being positive. We must each commit to speak up when we hear someone make a racist, sexist, homophobic or anti-Semitic comment. We should never silently accept people who say those things because we know to do so proves the slogan silence=death true. We can join organizations like the ACLU and GLAAD or the Anti-defamation League. We can support the Southern Poverty Law Center because they continue to speak up for us and there is strength in numbers. So during this festive holiday season, whether you celebrate Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza or just the coming of the New Year let us each commit to continue to resist and do so with actions both large and small as we wish each other good health, peace and joy. Let’s recommit to caring for each other and sharing with each other the bounties we have, knowing only by supporting each other and standing sideby-side will we survive these diﬃcult times and leave no one behind.

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Pop culture casserole 2018 remix ‘Pose’ pops, Gaga soars, ‘Drag Race’ goes mainstream and Emmys gayer than ever By JOEY DIGUGLIELMO & MARIAH COOPER joeyd@washblade.com mcooper@washblade.com

TROYE SIVAN cracked the mainstream with his ‘Bloom’ album this year.

The cast of ‘The Boys in the Band,’ which finally made its Broadway debut this year. PHOTO COURTESY BOOTH THEATRE

PHOTO COURTESY CAPITOL RECORDS

TESSA THOMPSON, one of several celebs who came out nonchalantly this year. PHOTO BY GAGE SKIDMORE; COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

NO. 10 — HIGHLY GAY BROADWAY YEAR

Broadway, of course, is always gay to some extent but 2018 seemed gayer than ever with revivals of landmark gay-themed works such as Mart Crowley’s “The Boys in the Band,” Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America” and Harvey Fierstein’s “Torch Song Trilogy.” “Boys,” which debuted 50 years ago, made its Broadway debut at the Booth Theatre in late April and ran until early August with an all-gay cast including Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons and Zachary Quinto. It got mixed reviews. “I wish I could report that …. I shuddered and sobbed in sympahy but even trimmed from two acts to an intermission-free 110 minutes, the show left me largely impatient and unmoved,” a New York Times critic wrote.

In February, the Royal National Theatre production of “Angels in America,” Kushner’s landmark, two-part AIDSthemed masterpiece, transferred to Broadway for an 18-week engagement at the Neil Simon Theatre with Andrew Garfield and Nathan Lane in the cast. The 25th-anniversary revival won three Tonys out of a record 11 nominations. The Times said the play “courses into your system like a transfusion of new blood … when you hit the streets afterward, every one of your senses is singing.” Less overall successful was a slimmed-down revival of Harvey Fierstein’s 1980s piece “Torch Song Triology,” a classic about a drag performer looking for love and family. The revival, starring Michael Urie and Mercedes Ruehl got strong reviews but

may have been a victim of gay Broadway fatigue after “Boys” and “Angels.” It closes Jan. 6 after weeks of weak ticket sales, the New York Times reports. Oh, and Bette Midler returned to her Tony-winning role in “Hello Dolly!” at the Shubert Theatre July 17-Aug. 25. (JD)

NO. 9 — BREAKOUT YEAR FOR TROYE SIVAN

Former YouTube star Troye Sivan solidified his status as an A-list “legit” pop star this year with the release of his sophomore album “Bloom,” which peaked at no. four on the Billboard 200 sales chart. Lead single “My My My!” became Sivan’s second no. 1 Billboard dance hit, though it only made it to no. 80 on the Hot 100. Sivan performed on “Saturday Night Live” and made several

other high-profile media appearances. He toured the “Bloom” record (he played D.C.’s The Anthem in October) and shot an iconic, gender-bending video for the song “Bloom.” The 23-year-old South Africa native (raised in Australia) headlined at Capital Pride in June and costarred in the acclaimed conversion therapy drama “Boy Erased.” “A Troye Sivan concert leaves one with two major impressions,” the Blade wrote of his fall tour. “One, it’s amazing the magic he can weave using so little and two, the juxtaposition of his sonic/video/ TV show performances — where he comes off as an androgynous, gay sex-starved coquette gyrating lasciviously — dovetails quite nicely with his stage/interview persona where he’s self deprecating, down to earth, sweet seeming, even anodyne.”

Sivan tours Europe and Asia through winter and spring, 2019. (JD)

NO. 8 — CELEBS COME OUT IN DROVES

Once upon a time coming out was considered a move that could ruin a celebrity’s career. Times have changed and 2018 was the year many celebrities announced their gender identities and sexualities with empowerment. Actress and singer Janelle Monáe told Rolling Stone she identifies as pansexual. Actress Tessa Thompson, who has been rumored to be in a relationship with Monáe, revealed this year that she is bisexual. During a Q&A, a fan asked Paris Jackson if she is bi. “That’s what you guys call it, so I guess, but who needs labels?” Jackson said. This was her

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Gaga lauded for ‘Star is Born’ performance

BRADLEY COOPER and LADY GAGA in ‘A Star is Born.’

first time publicly addressing her sexuality but she says she’s been out since she was 14. Singer Jason Mraz subtly came out in a poem for Billboard’s “Love Letter to the LGBTQ Community” writing, “We still have a long way to go. But know. I am bi your side. All ways.” He told Billboard he’s had sexual experiences with men and considers his sexuality “two spirit.” Former Disney star Garrett Clayton came out as gay on Instagram after reflecting on filming his upcoming movie “Reach,” which tells the story of a teenager who contemplates suicide as a result of bullying. Clayton opened up that he and his boyfriend have had similar bullying experiences. Panic! at the Disco frontman Brendon Urie shared with Paper that “you could qualify me as pansexual” and said that he is simply attracted to people. Actor Amandla Stenberg, who came out as non-binary and bisexual in 2016, announced they are gay and have “a romantic love for women” in a profile for Wonderland. Rebecca Sugar, “Steven Universe” creator

PHOTO COURTESY WARNER BROS.

and Silver Spring, Md., native, came out as non-binary. Pop star Rita Ora received backlash for her song “Girls,” which critics argued exploited bisexual and lesbian relationships. Ora revealed that the song mirrored her own experiences and that she has had romantic relationships with women. “Glee” star Kevin Michael McHale came out as gay with the help of Ariana Grande tweeting, “#NoTearsLeftToCry is gayer than me and I ACCEPT. Ty @ ArianaGrande.” Actor Lee Pace confirmed his sexual orientation by revealing he has dated both men and women. Journalist Ronan Farrow publicly declared he is “part of the LGBT community” while being honored with the Point Courage award for his work covering the #MeToo movement and transgender issues. He stated: ”being a part of the LGBT community — which recognized that reporting I was doing early on and elevated it, and has been such a stalwart source of support through the sexual assault reporting I did involving survivors who felt equally invisible. That has been an incredible source of

‘Pose’ is another hit from TV titan Ryan Murphy.

strength for me.” Other celebrities who came out this year include “Broad City” star Abbi Jacobson (bisexual), actress/singer Alyson Stoner (bisexual), “Gotham” actor Cory Michael Smith (gay) and singer Daya (bisexual). (MC)

NO. 7 — ‘A STAR IS BORN’

“A Star is Born” is a quintessential tragic love story and rags-to-riches film trope that has become one of Hollywood’s favorite movies to crank out to the masses. The 2018 version follows the classic plot of country music superstar Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) who helps rookie singer/songwriter Ally (Lady Gaga) kickstart her career. Along the way, the pair fall in love while struggling with addiction and navigating fame. The film gave the co-leads monumental firsts in their careers. For Gaga, it’s her first lead role in a major motion picture. Meanwhile, Cooper made his directorial debut. Lady Gaga also became an unexpected meme for repeating a variation of the quote “There

can be 100 people in a room and 99 of them don’t believe in you, but all it takes is one and it just changes your whole life,” in reference to Cooper, numerous times during the film’s press run. Despite it being the fourth remake following the original 1937 version, the 1954 musical starring Judy Garland, the 1976 rock musical led by Barbra Streisand and a 2013 Bollywood version, audiences and critics alike proved they were far from tired of the tale.“A Star is Born,” Lady Gaga, Cooper and Sam Elliot have all earned nominations ranging from the Golden Globes to the SAG Awards. The film’s soundtrack is also nominated for a Grammy Award. It’s unclear if the movie will snatch any trophies but “A Star is Born” is already a winner for capturing attention yet again. (MC)

NO. 6 — ‘POSE’ DRAMATIZES LATE ‘80S BALL CULTURE

“Pose,” Ryan Murphy’s latest television project, was co-created with Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals and made history with the largest cast of transgender

PHOTO COURTESY FX

characters in a fictional TV show. The groundbreaking series focuses on the black and Latinx ball culture and the luxury yuppie Trump era in New York City in the late ‘80s. Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista (Mj Rodriguez) decides to leave the House of Abundance and become the founder and mother of the House of Evangelista. Blanca gathers together her makeshift group to try to compete with the legendary House of Abundance. However, balls aren’t their only worry as their family confronts the looming AIDS epidemic, finds and loses love and faces the everyday struggles of being transgender or gay. Out actor Billy Porter portrays Pray Tell, the ball emcee and Blanca’s best friend. His role earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor/ Television Series Drama. The series also was praised for adding transgender talent behind the camera. Transgender activist Janet Mock penned scripts, along with transgender write Our Lady J, for a few episodes and served as director. Silas Howard, a transgender activist, writer and director, also directed an episode.

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Aquaria makes ‘Drag Race’ herstory as youngest champ

A scene from ‘Love Simon.’

PHOTO COURTESY 20TH CENTURY FOX

The crew of ‘A Fantastic Woman’ at the Academy Awards.

AQUARIA was the breakout star of ‘Drag Race’ season 10.

“Pose” will continue into 2019 as the show was green-lit for a second season. (MC)

NO. 5 — BIG YEAR FOR GAY MOVIES

Gay-themed movies are released every year but they’re getting a little bit more mainstream with increasingly A-list budgets. This year was especially strong. “Love, Simon,” a teen dramedy, opened in March and told of Simon Spier, a closeted gay high school student forced to balance friends, family and a blackmailer threatening to out him. It made back more than three times what it cost to make with worldwide grosses totaling about $66 million. It has a 92 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” opened in the U.S. in August and told of the title character caught in a same-sex “encounter,” who gets shipped off to “conversion” therapy camp where she discovers solidarity with her fellow enrollees. It stands at 86 percent fresh on Rotten

Tomatoes and tells its story with “wit, compassion and an affecting overall generosity of spirit,” according to an aggregate review. “Boy Erased” took a more serious glimpse at “conversion” therapy with a biographical adaptation of Garrard Conley’s 2016 memoir of the same name. Starring Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe, it opened in the U.S. in November to strong reviews and is up for two Golden Globe Awards. A Blade review praised the strong cast for carrying the film. It’s 80 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. And “Bohemian Rhapsody” depicts British rock band Queen with its late flamboyant lead singer Freddie Mercury who was gay (or perhaps bi; Mercury never officially came out). Long delayed, it finally debuted in the U.S. in November and has grossed nearly $600 million worldwide. At about $50 million, it had the highest budget of any of the aforementioned movies. A Blade review called it “full of exuberant energy and good-natured high

spirits” and said it’s “an impossible film not to get caught up in.” (JD)

NO. 4 — “A FANTASTIC WOMAN” WINS OSCAR

“A Fantastic Woman,” a 2017 Chilean drama, tells of Marina (Daniela Vega), a young trans woman in Santiago, Chile who experiences abuse and harrassment following the sudden death of her boyfriend Orlando, an older man who had recently moved in with her. This Sony Pictures Classics release could have been one of the 2017 year in review stories — it won two major awards at the Berlin International Film Festival — but it went on to even greater acclaim this year winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the first Chilean film to win this category. Openly trans star Daniela Vega became the first trans person to present at the Oscars at the Academy’s 90th annual ceremony on March 4. It holds at 94 percent approval

AMPAS SCREEN CAPTURE VIA NBC BROADCAST

PHOTO COURTESY PROJECT PUBLICITY

rating on Rotten Tomatoes. An aggregate review said it handles “its timely, sensitive subject matter with care.” (JD)

NO. 3 — BIGGEST YEAR IN “RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE” HERSTORY

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” is a veteran in reality TV. The show premiered in 2009, but the drag competition show has only recently gained mainstream attention with its switch from airing on Logo to VH1. “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3” brought back seasoned queens from seasons past including Trixie Mattel (season seven), Shangela (season two and three), BenDeLaCreme (season six), Kennedy Davenport (season seven), among others. DeLa appeared to be the girl to beat as she won challenge after challenge. For “All Stars,” Ru required the lip-sync winner to send one of their own home. As DeLa kept slaying the competition, she eventually eliminated herself because she

couldn’t take the pressure of sending her sisters home. After her departure, Shangela became a fan favorite with many viewers believing she would win. However, Trixie won the title causing an uproar on social media from Shangela fans who wanted their fave to say “Halleloo” to the crown. Season 10 ushered in 13 new queens and one returning queen. Eureka was welcomed back to compete after being removed from the show in season nine due to an injury. The final four came down to Aquaria, Eureka, Kameron Michaels and Asia O’Hara. The final lip-sync featured a poorly constructed butterfly release from O’Hara that earned her the boot. Aquaria, the self-proclaimed “bitch from New York City,” was crowned the winner after being a consistent judge favorite “turning looks” for the mini, maxi and runway challenges. Her win didn’t come as too much of a surprise but it was herstory-making. Aquaria became the youngest

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Rippon’s star keeps rising long past Olympics

‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace’ wins at the 70th annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles in September.

ATAS CEREMONY SCREEN CAPTURE VIA NBC BROADCAST

ADAM RIPPON performs in PyeongChang at the 2018 Winter Olympics. This layback spin is rare for male skaters.

SCREEN CAPTURE VIA NBC BROADCAST

KATHY GRIFFIN proved she’s not going anywhere after extreme backlash to her May, 2017 photo stunt. PHOTO COURTESY GRIFFIN

queen to ever win the competition at 21 years old. The fierce competition made season 10 the most viewed season in the show’s history. The show won five Emmys this year out of 12 nominations. A “Holi-slay Spectacular” aired Dec. 7 to mixed reviews. “All Stars” season four began Dec. 14 and will continue into the new year. Season 11 has been announced but no premiere date is set. (MC)

NO. 2 — THE GAYEST EMMYS EVER

The 2018 Emmy Awards may have been the gayest Emmys in the history of the award show. The ceremony opened with a dance number featuring out “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kate McKinnon, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” star Tituss Burgess and RuPaul. The rest of the night was filled with LGBT wins and appearances. Ryan Murphy’s “The Assassination of Gianni Versace”

won Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special and Darren Criss’ portrayal of spree killer Andrew Cunanan earned him a win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie. Australian comedian Hannah Gadbys, who received critical acclaim for her Netflix special “Nanette,” made an appearance to present the award Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” secured its fifth Emmy win this year with Outstanding Reality Competition Series. RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Ross Matthews and Carson Kressley all accepted the award on stage where Ru delivered his signature phrase, “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else? Can I get an amen up in here? Now let the music play” to the star-studded Emmys crowd. The “Queer Eye” cast continued its pop culture reign with Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van

Ness all appearing as presenters. The Fab Five has been traveling around the Atlanta area to upgrade the lives of men and women on everything from grooming and fashion to personal development. The series released two seasons in just six months but already won the Emmy’s top reality show honor, and the show’s first Emmy, for Best Structured Reality Program. (MC)

NO. 1 — ADAM RIPPON, AMERICA’S SWEETHEART

Figure skating is, of course, Adam Rippon’s initial claim to fame but in 2018, he became much more than that. Rippon’s skating career was highly uneven. He was the 2016 U.S. national champion but until this year, had never previously qualified for the Olympics and never placed higher than sixth at the World Championships. It was controversial that he even made the Olympic team after coming in fourth at nationals. But skating officials decided Rippon was a stronger candidate for

the team than Ross Miner who came in second at nationals. Rippon, Vincent Zhou and Nathan Chen went on to compete in Peyongchang, South Korea coming in 10th, sixth and fifth respectively. Chen and Rippon took home bronze medals (along with several other U.S. skaters) in the team event which incorporates all skating disciplines. That made Rippon the first openly gay Olympic athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. He and freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy were the gay toast of the Olympics. Rippon especially stayed in the headlines for refusing to meet with Vice President Mike Pence because of his anti-gay views and his spacey, ditzy on-camera interviews with NBC’s Andrea Joyce, the best straightwoman to Rippon’s antics as one could have imagined. That cemented Rippon’s status as the gay celebrity du jour and he went on to several high profile media appearances, magazine covers and a win on season 26 of “Dancing With the Stars.” Oh, and

yeah, there was that harness he wore to the Oscars and the nude photo spread in ESPN Magazine. Rippon, now retired from competitive skating at 29, is a judge on “Dancing with the Stars: Juniors” and guest on the “Will & Grace” reboot. Rippon has been praised for being “unabashedly nelly, effeminate, bawdy and obviously gay in a way we’ve been asked to cover up,” as writer Alxander Chee wrote. (JD)

HONORABLE MENTION — KATHY GRIFFIN MAKES LEMONADE

Kathy Griffin attends White House Correspondents’ Association dinner as guest of the Blade. In April, the Washington Blade invited Griffin to its table to thank her for her LGBT advocacy work over the years. At the dinner, Griffin had a run-in with Deputy White House Press Secretary Hogan Gidley in which she told him, “Suck my dick.” The exchange garnered international media attention and Griffin landed on multiple talk shows after the dinner.

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queery TOMMY PRICE How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell? I came out when I was 17. My Dad was the hardest person to tell it took him five years for us to have a relationship and for him to accept me and Dana. Who’s your LGBT hero? Harvey Milk What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present? The D.C. Eagle Describe your dream wedding. Our wedding was my dream wedding in West Yellowstone, Montana. It was very intimate with 35 of our closest friends and family. Our colors were royal blue and teal and my grandmother walked me down the aisle. What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about? Adult literacy What historical outcome would you change? 9-11 would not have happened. What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime? The Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met.

On what do you insist?

We’re all a part of the human race and we as humanity need to stop with the labels. What was your last Facebook post or Tweet? A post about positive changes for drag queens.

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

“The Drag Adventures of an Empress”

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

I would tell people to not change. There is absolutely wrong nothing wrong with who you are.

What do you believe in beyond the physical world?

I believe in Jesus, and with that I believe that the view of God is like looking at a diamond. We will all see something different and we need to respect all views. What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders? Get more involved with young people and get them exited to be involved. They need to stay curious and ever changing to stay relevant. What would you walk across hot coals for? Christion Dior couture What LGBT stereotype annoys you most? All of them. We need to stop the stereotypes.

What’s your favorite LGBT movie?

“To Wong Foo” What’s the most overrated social custom? What trophy or prize do you most covet?

Going to work.

That’s a hard one. I have worked extremely hard for two titles that I am most proud of: my Miss Gay Arlington crown and my current title as Empress VII of the Imperial Court of Washington. They both represent who I am and what I’ve had to endure to attain them. What do you wish you’d known at 18? How to save money and invest. Why Washington? This is my home and when my friends and family come to visit, I love playing tour guide. This city has so much history. I also find it very easy to make friends here and this is truly my home.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

By JOEY DIGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com Tommy Price has a heck of a drag name and title — Her Most Imperial Sovereign Majesty Empress VII Athena KS Couture Moore. A founding board president of the Imperial Court of Washington eight years ago, he’s been active in the charitable/social organization ever since. As Athena, he’ll be hosting and emceeing Monday night at the Court’s New Years Eve Variety Show from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. at The Barking Dog (4723 Elm St., Bethesda, Md.). Admission is $80 with food and open bar all night. A portion of the proceeds will go to court charities such as the Shriners Kids Travel Fund, Chesapeake and Potomac Softball Association and The True Colors Fund. Current Emperor Trace Couture Kennedy-Smith will co-host. All are welcome. Visit imperialcourtdc.org for details. Price got into drag playing with his sister’s prom dresses 21 years ago and performs at Freddie’s monthly and occasionally at Green Lantern and Cobalt. He also works with the Screaming Queens of New York impersonating Jackie O and Marilyn Monroe. “My goal for 2019 is to raise $100,000 for charities and increase our membership by showing our community how inclusive the Imperial Court truly is,” Price, a 38-year-old Missoula, Mont., native, says. Price, who works by day in retail management, came to Washington 11 years ago with husband Dana Price for work. They’ve been together 21 years and live in Fairfax. Price enjoys travel, art, sleeping and painting in his free time.

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琀栀攀 Valerie M. Blake Associate Broker, GRI

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A big thanks to all my clients for your business and your trust. Buying or selling a home is all about you, so contact me to become a future client and let me make 2019 a Happy You Year for you too!

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Thank you for voting me BEST REALTOR®, Best of Gay DC 2017!

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To be used at the top of collateral:

Dupont Circle Ofﬁce 202.518.8781

To be used at the bottom of collateral:

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202.246.8602 • Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com

www.DCHomeQuest.com • Valstate.blogspot.com TheRealst8ofAffairs

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“

Some think I should dress more like a woman. Some think I should dress more like a man.

Hookups =

I may not fit some ideas about gender, and I am a proud part of DC.

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O U T &A BO U T

BY MARIAH COOPER

STEPHANIE MICHAELS, seen here at Hagerstown Pride last summer, performs at Hempen Hill BBQ Dec. 30.

TODAY XX+Crostino (1926 9th St., N.W.) hosts “Get On Bad: Holiday Fete,” a queer dance party, tonight from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. DJ Elle Groove will spin Soca, dancehall and afro-beats. There will be food and drink specials. Free admission. For more details, visit facebook.com/xxcrostino. Gamma D.C., a support group for men in mixed-orientation relationships, meets at Luther Place Memorial Church (1226 Vermont Ave., N.W.) today from 7:309:30 p.m. The group is for men who are attracted to men but are or were in relationships with women. For more information about the group and location, visit gammaindc.org.

SATURDAY, DEC. 29 U Street Music Hall (1115 U St., N.W.) hosts “U Sleaze Holiday Party” tonight from 10 p.m.- 3 a.m. Diyanna Monet, Lemz and Kennan Orr will perform. Jane Saw hosts the party. Admission is $5 in advance and $10 after midnight. For more information, visit ustreetmusichall.com. Queer Girl Movie Night hosts its Holigay edition at Black Cat D.C. (1811 14th St., N.W.) tonight from 8-11 p.m. The group will screen “Disobedience” starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the screening starts at

8:30 p.m. For more details, visit facebook. com/queergrrrlmovienight.

SUNDAY, DEC. 30 Hempen Hill BBQ (13208 Fountain Head Plaza, Hagerstown, Md.) hosts a holiday drag brunch today from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Nicole James, Stephanie Michaels, Chi Chi Ray Colby, Sasha Renee, Ashley Bannks and Chasity Vain will perform. Araya Sparxx hosts. Tickets include brunch buffet and two drink tickets. Tickets are $35 for adults and $25 for children under two. For more details, visit hempenhillbbq.com. Flash (645 Florida Ave., N.W.) hosts Flashy Holiday Edition tonight from 8 p.m.-2 a.m. DJ Twin and DJ Sean Morris will spin tracks. Admission is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/ﬂashydc.

MONDAY, DEC. 31 The Yards D.C. (301 Water St., S.E.) presents Light Yards tonight from 6-10 p.m. This event includes outdoor public light art installations including worldwide traveling light installations “The Pool” by Jen Lewin Studio and “Angels of Freedom” by OGE Group. On “The Pool,” visitors can hop, skip and jump on 106 interactive circular pads of light. “Angels of Freedom” turns visitors into angels when they pose in front of ﬁve giant, neon-colored wings and

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO

white halos. Admission is free. Light Yards runs through Jan. 5. For more details, visit theyardsdc.com.

PHOTO COURTESY LIVE NATION

TUESDAY, JAN. 1

TIMBERLAKE BACK ON TOUR

Shaw’s Tavern (520 Florida Ave., N.W.) hosts New Years Day Drag Brunch today from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Kristina Kelly and her Ladies of Illusion will perform. Seating will be from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 2-4 p.m. For reservations, email shawsdinnerdragshow@gmail.com.

Justin Timberlake brings his “Man of the Woods” tour to Capital One Arena (601 F St., N.W.) on Friday, Jan. 4 at 7:30 p.m. This will be Timberlake’s ﬁrst concert since canceling the rest of his 2018 tour dates for vocal rest. Timberlake will perform new tracks from his latest album “Man of the Woods” as well as classics like “LoveStoned,” “Sexyback” and “Suit & Tie.” Ticket prices range from $55-275. For more details, visit ticketmaster.com.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 2 Freddie’s Beach Bar Bar (555 23rd St. S, Arlington, Va.) hosts Beach Blanket Drag Bingo tonight from 8-10 p.m. Entry is free and there will be prizes. After bingo, there will be karaoke. Ms. Regina Jozet Adams, Ophelia Bottoms and Ashlee Jozet Adams host the event. For more information, visit facebook.com/ freddiesbeachbararlington.

THURSDAY, JAN. 3 The D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) hosts Blackout Thursdays tonight from 9 p.m.-3 a.m. This is a party with no lights. Guys in gear receive $3 rail drinks or domestic beers. For more details, visit dceagle.com

‘MISS SAIGON’ RUNS THROUGH JAN. 13 The Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) continues its presentation of “Miss Saigon” through Sunday, Jan. 13. From the creators of “Les Misérables,” “Miss Saigon” tells the story of a young Vietnamese woman who has a lifechanging encounter with an American G.I. in a bar. The musical’s soundtrack includes hits such as “Last Night of the World” and “The Movie in My Mind.” Ticket prices range from $49-175. For more information, visit kennedycenter.org.

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Out with the old, in with the new … As always, D.C. area teeming with queer New Year’s Eve party options By MARIAH COOPER

Whether you plan to dance into the wee hours of the morning, indulge in an elaborate dinner or celebrate New Year’s Eve in the daytime, there are plenty of local options to customize how you want to ring in 2019. The Yards D.C. (301 Water St., S.E.) hosts Noon Yards Eve tonight from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Families can ring in the new year early with activities for kids of all ages including a train ride throughout the Yards, inflatable moon bounces, glitter tattoo artists, balloon artistry, music and more. Say hello to 2019 at noon with a balloon drop. Free admission. For more information, visit facebook/com/theyardsdc. The Imperial Court of Washington hosts its New Years Eve Variety Show at the Barking Dog (4723 Elm St., Bethesda, Md.) tonight from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Athena, Trace and Chip host the party.Tickets are $80 and includes food, open bar and party favors. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Reign VII Charities. Doors open at 9 p.m. for the 10:30 show. For more details, visit facebook.com/imperialcourtdc. XX+Crostino (1926 9th St., N.W.) presents MasQUEERade- NYE tonight from 9 p.m.-4 a.m. General admission tickets are $20 and includes a midnight champagne toast. VIP tickets are $65 and include open bar from 10 p.m.-midnight, hors d’oeuvres and a midnight champagne toast. Diamond tickets are $350 and give one table, a bottle of Dom Perignon, four tickets, appetizers and a champagne toast. The Bad and boujee ticket is $500 and includes all of the above for five ticket holders, a private performance and a surprise gift. For more information, visit facebook.com/xxcrostino. Omni Shoreham Hotel (2500 Calvert St., N.W.) hosts its New Year’s Eve International Global Gala tonight from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. There will be seven party rooms, performances from live bands including Dr. Fu and Herr Metal, Cirque performances, strolling entertainers, karaoke, a midnight balloon drop, appearances from the Washington Nationals’ mascot Teddy and the Washington Capitols mascot Slapshot and more.Tickets range from $119-230. For more information, visit thingstodc.com. Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) hosts New Year’s Eve Ball tonight at 7 p.m. The

PHOTO BY MELIS; COURTESY OF BIGSTOCK

MainStage will feature a performance by Peaches O’Dell and Her Orchestra and the backstage will feature DJ Dredd and Grap Luva. Tickets are $30 for both floors. For more details, visit blackcatdc.com. SAX Restaurant & Lounge (734 11th St., N.W.) presents Fire and Ice New Year’s Eve tonight from 9 p.m.-3 a.m. Live Cirque performances will occur throughout the night themed around fire and ice. Attendees can also experience aerialists, choreographed dance sets, lavish costumes, pole performers and go-go dancers. There will be a midnight champagne toast. Tickets include one free drink ticket. Single admission tickets are $50 and couple tickets are $75. For more information, visit facebook.com/saxwdc. The Mansion on O Street (2020 O St., N.W.) hosts a New Year’s Eve masquerade party tonight from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Guests can enjoy a premium open bar from 10 p.m.-1 a.m., a midnight champagne toast, a chocolate fountain, red carpet photoop, a kissing booth, party favors, a DJ and more. Tickets are $175. For details, visit omansion.com.

Decades (1219 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) hosts Y2k19 New Year’s Eve Retro Gala tonight from 8 p.m.-3 a.m. There will be multiple floors with different decades of music. The 2000s floor with play Top 40 and EDM. The ‘90s floor with spin boy band/ girl group hits, one-hit wonders and house favorites. The Decades of Hip-Hop floor will play hip-hop music from four decades. The rooftop will have a mix of classic house and modern dance. Tickets are $45.59. For more information, visit decadesdc.com. A-Town Bar and Grill (4100 Fairfax Dr., Arlington, Va.) hosts New Year’s Eve 2019 Masquerade at A-Town tonight from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Tickets range from $25-45. Tables are $300 and include five person entry, one bottle of champagne, 15 drink tickets, two appetizer samples and a private table all night. For more details, visit facebook.com/atownballston. Madhatter (1319 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) hosts its NYE Ball tonight from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. There will be a DJ, dance floor, party favors and giveaways. Ticket includes five-hour open bar and champagne toast at midnight. Tickets are $75. For more

information, visit madhatterdc.com. Dstrkt Events presents NYE ‘19 at Vivid Lounge (1334 U St., N.W.) tonight from 9 p.m.-4 a.m. There will be a Ketel One vodka open bar from 9-10 p.m. and a champagne toast at midnight. Tickets start at $20. For more details, visit distrktnye. eventbrite.com. The D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) hosts Leather & Lace Ball: New Year’s Eve with Bebe Zahara Benet tonight from 9 p.m.-4 a.m. There will be pop up performances throughout the night by Benet (winner of season one of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3” contestant), Ba’Naka, Sandra O’Nassis Lopez, Brie DeVine, Evon Michelle, Bambi Necole Ferrah and more. Eddie Danger and Reno will gogo dance for the night. At 9 p.m. there will be a VIP meet and greet with Benet. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served all night. Dress cod is leather, lace, rubber or casual sexy chic. DJ Ryan DoubleYou plays music for the night. Tickets range from $17.55-28.16. For more details, visit dceagle.com. Flash (645 Florida Ave., N.W.) hosts a three-day New Year’s Eve celebration kicking off tonight at 10 p.m. and going 24 hours until Jan. 2 at noon. The lineup, which will be announced at a later date, will include international and local DJs. Tickets give entry to the party all three days and attendees can come and go. Tickets are $50. For more information, visit flashdc.com. All Hank’s locations will offer special menu items for New Year’s Eve. Hank’s Pasta Bar (600 Montgomery St., Alexandria, Va.) will have a $75 per person tasting menu with items such as lobster bisque and toasted ciabatta crostini, hypo Bibb salad with pear and gorgonzola in a champagne vinaigrette, wild mushroom gnocchi and more. Hank’s Oyster Bar in Old Town Alexandria (1026 King St., Alexandria, Va.) will include butter poached lobster tail, warm baby octopus salad and more. Hank’s Oyster Bar at the Wharf (701 Wharf St., S.W.) will have surf and turf and stuffed lobster tail and Hank’s Oyster Bar in Capitol Hill (633 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E.) will have surf and turk and lamb shank. For more details, visit hankspastabar.com or hanksoysterbar.com.

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Queer theater pros wow in varied productions Michael Urie in ‘Hamlet,’ Signature’s ‘Passion’ among ’18 highlights By PATRICK FOLLIARD Throughout 2018, some LGBT actors made marvelous star turns while others stalwartly succeeded at supporting roles in myriad Washington-area productions. Less visible, but equally important, were the many out directors, designers and playwrights without whom nothing much happens. The always terrific Jon Hudson Odom, a longtime Washington actor who decamped for Chicago several months ago, marvelously tackled the title role in Nathan Alan Davis’ “Nat Turner in Jerusalem” at Forum Theatre in the spring. Staged by out director José Carrasquillo, the exquisitely rendered piece concerns the last hours in the life of prisoner Turner, a condemned slave and educated minister who led the famed 1831 slave rebellion in Southampton County, Va. Odom was equally memorable as another title character in Woolly Mammoth Theatre’s striking staging of Jordan Tannahill’s “Botticelli on Fire.” Odom fearlessly portrayed legendary painter in this carnal and campy reimagining of historical gay figures in Renaissance Italy. Michael Kevin Darnell truly shone in Bosco Brasil’s “New Guidelines for Peaceful Times,” an intense two hander that made its American premiere at Spooky Action Theater in the fall. In a brilliantly nuanced performance, Darnell played Clausewitz, an immigrant from wartorn Poland, eager to charm his way into post-World War II Brazil. Karen Harman’s “Roz and Ray” mines the early years of HIV/AIDS in America, focusing primarily on the tragic experience of hemophiliacs and big pharma’s sometimes nefarious involvement. In Theater J’s compelling production, Tom Story played Ray from Texas, the smart but uneducated, bisexual father of hemophilic young twin sons. Ray becomes involved with Roz (Susan Rome), a dedicated pediatric hematologist/ oncologist. In playing Ray, Story told the Blade he was definitely treading on new territory and liked it. Round House Theatre’s summer production “The Legend of Georgia McBride” was an LGBT collaboration. Penned by Matthew Lopez, directed by Tom Story and choreographed by Matthew Gardiner, the sweet story of a failed Elvis impersonator unwittingly turned solvent drag star, featured a talented, hardworking cast that included Desi Bing who played boozy drag performer Rexy and Rick

Hammerly as self-proclaimed grande dame of drag, Miss Tracy Mills. In Woolly Mammoth’s production of out playwright Branden Jacob-Jenkins dramedy “Gloria,” the reliably first-rate Justin Weaks displayed his versatility playing several characters including a quiet, Harvard-educated intern shot dead by a crazy coworker. And more recently at Round House Theatre, Weaks played Citizen Barlow, a man in spiritual turmoil who doesn’t realize the vastness of his adventure, in “Gem of the Ocean,” August Wilson’s ninth play in his Pittsburgh-set 10play cycle examining African-American life in the United States during the 20th century. Out playwright Ken Urban’s “The Remains,” an exploration of the internal and external pressures surrounding samesex marriage, made its world premiere in a terrific production at Studio Theatre last winter. The comedy about the tragedy of love starred Maulik Pancholy (“Weeds,” “30 Rock,” “Star Trek: Discovery”) as rising literature professor Kevin and Glenn Fitzgerald (“Dirty Sexy Money,” “Six Feet Under”) as his lawyer husband Theo. And, again in 2018, out actors took on the classics. Early in 2018, Michael Urie, a familiar face from TV sitcoms and Broadway, played the coveted lead in the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s “Hamlet.” Set in a sleekly designed police state, the production was staged by the company’s out artistic director Michael Kahn. While Urie received reviews ranging from madcap to commanding, he relayed in an interview with the Blade that he was very satisfied with the production. Would he assay Hamlet again in the future? “Never say never,” he said. Holly Twyford was a standout as the obsessively driven Constance in Folger Theatre’s “King John,” one of Shakespeare’s rarely produced works. Smartly staged by Aaron Posner, the quick-paced, thrilling account of court and familial struggles surrounding the English crown, left one wondering why this early history play isn’t mounted more often. Out directors soared in 2018. At Shakespeare Theatre Company, Alan Paul staged one of the year’s best — Shakespeare’s “The Comedy Errors” set in 1960s Athens. A fabulous cast included out actors Tom Story playing an effete jeweler and hilarious Sarah Marshall as a sham exorcist.

MICHAEL URIE in ‘Hamlet.’

JON HUDSON ODOM in ‘Nat Turner in Jerusalem.’

At Signature Theatre, director Matthew Gardiner charmed audiences with a delightful production of Todd Almond’s musical “Girlfriend,” a gay love story about two very different teenage boys whose unlikely friendship blossoms into a full-blown romance. Gardiner also helmed Signature’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Passion,” a musical about Giorgio, a handsome young officer, who rather inexplicably falls in love with his commanding officer’s sickly cousin. The exquisitely staged piece featured handsome out Broadway actor Claybourne Elder and Natascia Diaz who’s likely to garner awards for her Fosca.

PHOTO BY SCOTT SUCHMAN; COURTESY STC

PHOTO BY TERESA CASTRACANE PHOTOGRAPHY; COURTESY FORM

And Gardiner closed the year with “Billy Elliot The Musical” (also at Signature). Set in Northern England during the 1980s miners’ strike, it’s the story of a workingclass boy who’s a natural at ballet. The year has proved a fine time for upand-coming, local LGBT actors to show their stuff. Jade Jones played Senior Duke in Keegan Theatre’s “As You Like It,” a pop/rock musical take on the Bard’s romantic comedy by New York singer/songwriter Shaina Taub. In Signature’s “Girlfriend,” Jimmy Mavrikes was terrific as Will, an unfocussed but clever gay outcast who lands the closeted popular jock. And Ben Gunderson was a standout as the tap-dancing purser in Arena Stage’s hit production of Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes.”

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Troye, Olly, Haley light up ’18 pop music landscape Queer artists increasingly mainstream with many high-profile releases By THOM MURPHY

PHOTOS COURTESY THE RESPECTIVE LABELS

This has been a year filled with comebacks and breaks from extended hiatuses in the pop music world. But instead of returning to more of the same, this year artists have made surprising choices. Kylie Minogue’s “Golden” had a country sound, Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears came out with his first fulllength solo record and Cher released an entire album of ABBA covers. Legendary singer Barbra Streisand released her politically charged, though somewhat disappointing, “Walls,” and Christina Aguilera was back with her first new album in six years. And Robyn ended an eight year gap with the release of her album “Honey.” Additionally, a new generation of pop performers continues to thrive. Janelle Monáe, Ariana Grande, Hayley Kiyoko, Charlie Puth, Troye Sivan, Years & Years and Shawn Mendes have all come out with solid new albums. Monáe, Years & Years’ Olly Alexander, Kiyoko and Sivan have been forward with their queerness. The following albums are some of the best albums released by queer artists this year and they leave us with (relatively) high expectations for the year to come. We could make it a solid 10 if we opened it up to straight acts but, ehhh, they get enough mainstream attention so we’ll just go with six here. 6. Panic! At The Disco ‘ Pray For The Wicked’ Panic! At The Disco frontman Brendon Urie’s official coming out coincided with the release of the new album. Though the album is nothing revolutionary, it is an

excellent pop punk record, a genre that Urie, along with groups like Fall Out Boy and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, has helped to perfect. The album hearkens back to some of the best Panic! At The Disco records, though Urie has taken a decisively pop turn. “Pray For The Wicked” hit the Billboard No. 1 spot, right on the heels of the 2016 No. 1 “Death Of A Bachelor.” The songs “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” and “Dancing’s Not A Crime” stand out in particular. Despite the decline of good pop punk music in recent years, Urie has made it clear he plans to stick around and that the genre still has room to expand. 5. Years & Years ‘Palo Santo’ “Palo Santo” is Years & Years’ sophomore album and a sign that the group is continuing to develop in provocative ways. Queer frontman Olly Alexander has considerable musical and thematic range. Much like Janelle Monáe’s “Dirty Computer,” “Palo Santo” is set in a quasi-dystopian future that does not shy away from politics. The accompanying visual album illustrates this nicely, if not strangely. The production value is superb and the album has a good overall flow. This is definitely a group to keep on the radar and the album as a whole is excellent, beyond just the catchy lead single “If You’re Over Me,” which had success on the Billboard Official U.K. Singles Chart. 4. Hayley Kiyoko ‘Expectations’ Hayley Kiyoko’s “Expectations” was one of the most exciting album releases of the year. Kiyoko, a lesbian, made a big splash with her debut album “Expectations,”

which landed at the Billboard No. 12 spot. It is very smart dance pop record and less redundant than others in the genre. This is perhaps because of the variety on the album. Lead single “Sleepover” has strong R&B feel that Kiyoko pulls off quite well. And “Feelings” is solid dance pop track. But “What I Need,” featuring Kehlani, is perhaps the most memorable of the new record. We have good reason to look forward to the next iteration of Kiyoko’s sound. 3. Jake Shears ‘Jake Shears’ Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears came out with his first full solo album, titled eponymously. Following the hiatus of Scissor Sisters after the release of their 2012 “Magic Hour,” Shears has ventured out, moving to New Orleans and making his Broadway debut in “Kinky Boots.” The album features much of the fun, quirky, eccentric qualities one expects from a Scissor Sisters record, but with a more diverse array of music influences. Shears regularly mixes blues, country and pop in his refreshing instrumentations. The pervasive influence of artists like Elton John and Queen are felt throughout, but Shears remains convincingly original. “Creep City” and “Sad Song Backwards” are among the most enjoyable tracks on the album. 2. Troye Sivan ‘Bloom’ Troye Sivan was finally out with his new album “Bloom” following after his widely successful 2015 debut, “Blue Neighbourhood.” And in comparison to “Blue Neighbourhood,” “Bloom” is slightly underwhelming. For

the most part, Sivan is relying on the same formula. “Bloom” is more of a part two to “Blue Neighbourhood” than a new chapter. The only song to go against the trend is “Animal,” which takes a quasi-psychedelic, Frank Ocean-esque turn — and with great success. Singles “My! My! My!,” “Bloom” and “Dance to This” are extremely catchy dance tunes and Sivan seems very much in his element, awkward dancing and all. Though it explores little new territory, Sivan remains reliably good and the most prominent young gay artist in the pop music world and that is a very good thing. 1. Janelle Monáe ‘Dirty Computer’ Janelle Monáe’s “Dirty Computer” is one of the best conceived and best executed albums of the year. Her fully fleshed out dystopian world is smart, fresh and thematically substantial in a way rarely seen in pop music (with notable exceptions like Lady Gaga). And she uses this dystopian universe as a means of talking about politics, race and sexuality — and often in very bold ways, as in her “PYNK” music video, a celebration of the female body. But it’s not just the concepts that count. Songs such as “Make Me Feel,” where one feels the inspiration of Michael Jackson and Prince, and “Crazy, Classic, Life” are both catchy and musically innovative. Building on the success of her previous albums “The ArchAndroid” (2010) and “The Electric Lady” (2013), “Dirty Computer” and its accompanying visual album (or “emotion picture,” as she calls it) make for a seamless third chapter. It’s clear Monáe understands the importance not only of an overarching concept but also of each individual track.

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‘The Favourite’ ‘Crazy, Rich’ movies of the year Gaga and Rupert wowed, ‘conversion’ therapy got skewered and festivals delighted By BRIAN T. CARNEY As the Golden Globe nominations richly demonstrate, 2018 was a great year for LGBT cinema. At the top of the list is Yorgos Lanthimos’ stunning “The Favourite,” a bawdy romp through English history. Olivia Colman is Queen Anne and Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone are two ladies vying for her affection — and a share of her power. The Golden Globe slate also includes “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” about a lesbian grifter and her gay sidekick; “Bohemian Rhapsody” with Rami Malek as Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury; “Crazy Rich Asians;” Lady Gaga’s incredible performance in “A Star Is Born” and two movies that will open in D.C. on Dec, 25: “If Beale Street Could Talk,” written and directed by “Moonlight’s” Barry Jenkins from the novel by James Baldwin; and, “Vice,” the Dick Cheney biopic featuring Alison Pill as his openly lesbian daughter Mary. There’s also the controversial Belgian film “Girl” about a trans ballerina that stars a male actor in the lead. Two excellent movies focused on the harmful practice of conversion therapy: the Golden Globe nominee “Boy Erased” and the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “The Miseducation of Cameron Post.” Four interesting movies turned their focus to the younger LGBT generation. Known primarily for his innovative and inclusive programming for the CW network, Greg Berlanti directed “Love, Simon,” a moving rom-com about a closeted high-school student. The inventive “Every Day” explored the complex relationship between a high school girl and a pansexual entity who inhabits a different human body (male or female) every day; “Skeleton Twins” director Craig Johnson helmed the quirky high school coming-out comedy “Alex Strangelove.” Claire Danes and Jim Parsons starred in trans director Jake Howard’s “A Kid Like Jake” about a Brooklyn couple with a gender non-conforming child. Other notable LGBT releases included “Colette” about the infamous French author; “The Happy Prince,” Rupert Everett’s unconventional biopic about the conventionshattering gay author Oscar Wilde; the searing coming-of-age story “We The Animals;” “Lez Bomb,” a comedy about a closeted lesbian who decides to come out to her family on Thanksgiving; the adoption dramedy “Instant Family;” “Lizzie,” a retelling of the Lizzie Borden case with a lesbian twist; “Hearts Beat Loud” a moving

drama about a record store owner (Nick Offerman) and his lesbian daughter who’s about to leave for college (out actress Kiersey Clemons); and, the sensuous “Mary Queen of Scots” with passionate performances by Saiorse Ronan and Margot Robbie and a crucial gay plot twist. Luckily for LGBT cinephiles, the D.C. Metro area is home to a number of wonderful film festivals that regularly feature queer content. Reel Affirmations, D.C.’s international LGBT film festival offers monthly screenings and a weekend-long festival every November. Some of this year’s highlights included the stunning “1985” about a closeted young man with AIDS returning to his Texas hometown to spend the holidays with his conservative family; “Water in a Broken Glass,” an excellent drama about a bisexual artist by first-time director Jamelle Williams-Thomas; “Just Friends,” a beautiful low-key Dutch drama about two young men and their intrusive mothers; and, “Buddies,” a restored version of the first feature length movie about AIDS crisis. The Washington Jewish Film Festival also screens films throughout the year. Their annual festival in May spotlights “Rated LGBTQ,” a thoughtful collection of current and classic queer movies. This year’s schedule included “The Cakemaker,” a complex and moving queer drama about delicious baked good and breaking boundaries of gender, sexual orientation, family relationships and nationality. In Baltimore, the Maryland Film Festival offers year-round programming at the SNF Parkway Theatre as well as a fiveday celebration of contemporary cinema every May. Legendary gay filmmaker John Waters is on its board of directors and every year he personally presents one of his favorite offbeat movies as part of the Festival. This year’s selection was “I, Olga Hepnarová” about a lesbian mass murderer in Poland. AFI Silver in downtown Silver Spring offers a rich blend of contemporary indie cinema, carefully curated celebrations of movies by American and global filmmakers, and, glittering regional film festivals that offer D.C. audiences the chance to see films that won’t be screened anywhere else. LGBT movies are always part of the diverse programming. D.C. is also host to the annual AFI DOCS festival which celebrates the amazing diversity of full-length and short documentary films. This year’s LGBT offering examined slam poets (“Don’t Be Nice”), a small town in Arkansas

‘Alex Strangelove.’

RUPERT EVERETT in ‘The Happy Prince.’

where life is dominated by the annual passion play and the local gay bar (“The Gospel According to Eureka”) and out professional athletes (“Alone in the Game”). Some of the other great LGBT documentaries released in 2018 included “McQueen” (designer Alexander McQueen), “Love Cecil” (costume designer Cecil Beaton), “The Gospel According to André” (designer and journalist André Leon Talley), “Whitney” (singer Whitney Houston), “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” (Fred Rogers and friends, including the black gay opera singer Françoise Clemmons who played Officer Clemmons on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”), “Far From the Tree” (the ground-breaking research and personal history of Andrew Solomon), “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood” (Hollywood pimp Scotty Bowers) and “Dark Money” (a look at the dire impact of the Citizens United ruling on American politics, expertly directed by trans filmmaker Kimberley Reed). Other LGBT-friendly film festivals include

PHOTO COURTESY NETFLIX

PHOTO COURTESY SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

Filmfest DC, which screened the lesbian drama “Disobedience” by director Sebastián Lelio (“A Fantastic Woman”); the Annapolis Film Festival; D.C. Shorts; the amazing 48 Hour Film Project; and, the Middleburg (Va.) Film Festival where Hollywood meets Capitol Hill. Finally, beyond the multiplexes, the cinema landscape in the metro D.C. area includes two movie chains that are steadfast supporters are the LGBT community and independent cinema. The Landmark chain now has four area locations (the E Street Cinema, Bethesda Row Cinema, Atlantic Plumbing Cinema and the West End Cinema) and the Angelika chain presents films at the Pop-Up at Union Market and the Mosaic in Fairfax. In addition, the Avalon Theatre in northwest D.C. is a crucial component in the vibrant Chevy Chase neighborhood. And with that, it’s all over except for the awards shows. The Golden Globes will be awarded on Jan. 6 and the Academy Awards will be presented on Feb. 24.

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A RT S & EN T ERTA I N MEN T

Glowing year for D.C. amateur LGBT sports leagues D.C. Gay Flag Football League, Capital Tennis Association among high achievers By KEVIN MAJOROS

Amateur queer athletes made strides in many sports leagues this year.

What a year it was for the LGBT sports community in Washington. The noncompetitive sports clubs offered a full list of recreational activities and the competitive sports teams left their mark on the national and world stage. Gay Games 10 was contested in Paris with about 10,000 athletes from 91 countries vying for medals in 36 sports. Athletes from Team D.C. hauled in 234 medals in the sports of rowing, volleyball, soccer, swimming, road running, fencing, triathlon, track & field, basketball, open water swimming, dancesport, tennis, golf and bowling. Below are 2018 highlights from a select few of the LGBT sports teams: D.C. Gay Flag Football League maintained its two-season league structure and sent multiple travel teams to tournaments around the country. In September, members sent four men’s teams and one women’s team to Denver where the Washington Generals were crowned Gay Bowl XVIII Division A champions. Capital Tennis Association members

traveled to tournaments, hosted league play throughout the year along with hosting their annual Capital Classic tennis tournament. In October they traveled to New York City where they won the Atlantic Cup for the fourth consecutive year defeating Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. Chesapeake and Potomac Softball League players ran multiple leagues, traveled to tournaments and hosted their annual MAGIC tournament. In September one of their women’s travel teams, D.C. Swag, captured the championship title in the D Division at the 2018 ASANA Softball World Series in New Orleans. Stonewall Sports leagues have expanded to 16 cities across the country with their latest addition being Salt Lake City. Members hosted their Stonewall National Tournament in New Orleans and also traveled to the Sin City Classic in Las Vegas. Locally, they host kickball, dodgeball, bocce, climbing, billiards and yoga. D.C. Furies played in the USA Rugby Women’s Premier League and hosted

MONTAGE BY KEVIN MAJOROS

Ruggerfest with 36 teams in attendance. Their sevens team qualified and played in New York City in June at the USA Rugby Club 7S National Championships where they placed ninth. District of Columbia Aquatics Club led the way at the Paris Gay Games in August with 121 medals and shattered 15 IGLA world records. In July, members hosted the 27th Annual Maryland Swim for Life open water event on the Eastern Shore. D.C. Sentinels basketball team traveled to tournaments nationally and their weekly pick-up games continued along with the Washington D.C. Gay Basketball League. This year they introduced the Washington D.C. Women’s Basketball League. Washington Scandals, Washington Renegades and the Baltimore Flamingos, all played in USA Rugby’s Mid-Atlantic Senior Men’s Division IV conference. They also traveled to tournaments including the Bingham Cup in Amsterdam in June. The Renegades Blues team captured the Bingham Bowl. D.C. Strokes Rowing Club continued with multiple rowing programs and hosted its annual Stonewall Regatta bringing

about 400 rowers to D.C. The Strokes raced sprints and head races throughout the year including the U.S. Masters Rowing Championships and Head of the Charles. Federal Triangles Soccer Club hosted another successful season of the Summer of Freedom Soccer League along with competing in other District leagues and tournament play. They continue to run three tournaments per year. A big welcome in 2018 to the LGBT players and allies competing in Rogue Cornhole, Gay Polo League, Old Dominion Dinkers pickleball, Eastern Women’s Baseball Conference and Potomac Curling Club. Also offered locally are golf, sailing, roller skating, adventuring, hiking, bowling, cheerleading, cycling, triathlon, dancesport, darts, hockey, orienteering, racquetball, road running, walking, scuba diving, ultimate frisbee, snowboarding, skiing, volleyball, women’s roller derby, water polo and music ensemble. Information on the sports teams and sports clubs can be found at teamdc.org.

ARTS & ENT E RTA I NM E NT

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Best page turners of 2018 ‘Berlin 1936,’ time-bending ‘Tin Man’ among year’s strongest fiction By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

The year’s best books often came in unexpected places. Here are some highlights. FICTION Just about every person alive grew up feeling sorry for poor little Cinderella. In “All the Ever Afters” by Danielle Teller, we see the classic story from the POV of Agnes, the evil-not-evil stepmother. This novel is an eye-opener: there are always two sides to a story and both could be correct. Another two-sides-to-the-tale tale is “The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein” by Kiersten White, a novel of the woman who loved Victor Frankenstein. Or did she? Without him, she’d be homeless, broke and hungry. With him, she would always fear his temper and the horrible things she was discovering about him. It’s a dark-andstormy kind of book, perfect for anyone who wants winter chills of a different sort. A lot of mini-stories make up “Berlin 1936” by Oliver Hilmes, translated from the German by Jefferson Chase. It’s a multilevel tale of Nazis, gypsies, homosexuals and secrets in the infancy of the Third Reich, told in a conglomerate, slice-of-life sort of way that will make you forget that it’s all fiction. Every year, it seems, scientists claim that humans will achieve immortality within a few decades. That’s a curse in “How to Stop Time” by Matt Haig. In 1598, a man named Tom fell in love with a woman named Rose. They had a daughter and then Rose fell ill and died; Tom, however, survived because he’s an “alba.” Tom is more than 400 years old and there are two things he wants: to feel as normal as he did in 1598, and to find his daughter, who is also an alba. Romancy? Yes, but also part sci-fi, part history, a little drama, and a whole lot of wonderful. To round out the fiction list, there’s “Tin Man: A Novel” by Sarah Winman. It’s also the story of Ellis, who lost his wife and his best friend, the former to a car accident and the latter to AIDS. Ellis misses Annie because she opened his world; he misses Michael because Michael pushed him to do things he would have never tried. But there were so many things Ellis never knew about Michael, until he finds

Michael’s journal. Emotional, dramatic, also romantic, here’s a book that’ll make you curl up in your chair, stricken, for an hour after you’ve finished it. NONFICTION For anyone who’s ever wondered how that guy on TV does those illusion tricks, “Here is Real Magic” by Nate Staniforth is a book for you. Staniforth always wanted to be a magician but he wanted to do it big. Little coin tricks were old-school so, in this book, he goes on a journey to find out of magic is real or not. Hint: this isn’t a magic book. Read it and you’ll be left with answers you weren’t even asking for. You may never see “The Language of Kindness” by Christie Watson on any other best of list and that’s too bad. Watson is a nurse, and this is a book about being ill, care-giving, living and dying. Beware that some of the stories are a bit gruesome, but this is a lovely book for anyone alive. And not that there’s a theme here or anything, but you’ll also want to read “Natural Causes” by Barbara Ehrenreich, a book about the things we do to avoid dying. It’s informative, funny, wry and intelligent. Hint: rant, rail, avoid sweets, eat kale, do all you want, but you’re going to die someday anyhow. There’s a ton of surprising gratitude inside “The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row” by Anthony Ray Hardin with Lara Love Hardin. The reason is that Anthony Hardin was put on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. First surprise: it took 30 years for him to be exonerated. Second surprise: this book holds a whole lot less anger than you’d think it would, and a whole lot of uplifting. Of all the books on this list, it’s the one you’ll never regret reading. And finally, rounding up the nonfiction list, there’s “West Like Lightning: The Brief, Legendary Ride of the Pony Express” by Jim DeFelice. History fans will love this book because DeFelice focuses on the Pony Express but doesn’t ignore other major players in the Civil War era. Readers who like tales of little-known life will love this book, too, as will anyone who loves a good oater. Bonus: it’s one of those easy to browse books that will pull you in tight.

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

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REALESTATE

2019 home ownership is Mission: Possible Get started with these three key steps By DAVID BEDIZ If you haven’t gotten on the first rung of the property ladder yet, the holidays are a perfect time to make a game plan for buying in the New Year. After all the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, parties and family time starts to wind down, sit down with your laptop and a cup of hot chocolate and start strategizing to get the process started. STEP 1: BUDGET AND FINANCE CHECKUP. Take a close look at your monthly income and spending, and evaluate what your true comfort level is with a monthly housing payment. Remember, your first home should be as much of an investment as a place to live, so try to reach for the property with the best chance of appreciation in the coming years. Be realistic about your spending, but also try to reign in unnecessary expenses by cutting out some restaurant visits, weekday drinking and subscriptions to services like Hulu or Prime, if you’re not using them much or can share with a housemate. And speaking of housemates, factor a possible housemate into your housing budget—you’ll actually save money by buying a two-bedroom condo that allows you to charge a roommate rent. Also, remember that when you buy, you’ll enjoy some tax deductions that will cut the bite of the mortgage down a bit, so make sure you discuss these possibilities with an accountant to understand all the benefits available to you. Finally, if you have any credit issues, get those resolved. Pay off any outstanding obligations if you can, and get an account with a credit repair service like LexingtonLaw.com to remove blemishes on your report, even if they weren’t there by mistake. STEP 2: TALK TO A LOCAL LENDER. Most buyers think that if they work with the bank that has their checking account, they’ll get a better deal. That’s usually not true; in fact, the “big box” lenders often dangle a low rate to you but then cause so many problems during the process that you may not even be able to close on your property on time, which could cost you thousands. Instead, talk to a local lender like some of our favorites: Brooke Lowry at Atlantic Coast Mortgage (NMLS ID #1061722, cell: 202-803-6733) or Tina Del Casale at Sandy Spring Bank (NMLS # 191852, cell: 301-523-1893). They are able

to get the best rates, but also to close your deal on time, with as little hassle as possible. And since they’re local, they know all the programs available to you so you can budget accordingly and not leave a penny on the table. There are some amazing programs in D.C. for first-time homebuyers, especially those with “lower” incomes, so it pays to talk with them even if you think you should wait on a big raise before starting the process—sometimes that big raise might actually cost you $20,000 or more in savings. For example, the D.C. Tax Abatement Program for single buyers who earn $65,000 or less, and who buy a property less than $464,000, benefit with a net 2.2% benefit at settlement, and then don’t pay property taxes at all for five years. That’s about $25,000 in savings! STEP 3: GET A STRATEGIC PARTNER WITH AN EXPERIENCED AGENT. Choosing a Realtor is one of the most important parts of the buying process, yet so many buyers don’t think carefully about the agent with whom they align before it happens. Just as you wouldn’t marry the first person you dated, you shouldn’t commit to an agent before you know they have the skill, experience and support structure to provide you with the best service and results. A great agent should be accessible

night and day, knowledgeable of local neighborhoods, changes occurring in legislation and the market, and creative enough to find solutions for you that you and lesser agents could not come up with. Agents who work solo are fine, but agents on a team are usually steeped in education and have more accountability, so they are usually a better choice. Teams also give agents an inside look at more properties before they hit the market, so you may have a better chance of getting a deal before it’s listed when you work with an agent on a strong team. A buyer seminar is a great way to learn about the market and get insight on a potential agent partner with no commitment. You’d be surprised how few agents actually do hold them, so you know you’re working with a strong team when seminars are offered often. In a buyer seminar, you’ll learn with other newer buyers in a classroom setting, often with refreshments provided too. We hold our seminars monthly and even offer Champagne, and we’re proud to have our lenders there as well, so our guests can learn about the process on both the lending and the agency side of things. Once you’re ready to commit to working with an agent, you should set a game plan with him or her so you understand the time-

line and know what to expect. Most of our clients find their home within the first three outings, but it can take longer, especially if there is competition on the ones they like. We’re happy to show as many homes as our clients want to see, and to advise on every aspect of the contract so they have the highest likelihood of winning, and it shows in our results—we win in multiple offer situations more than 50% of the time, often beating out five or six other offers. And just like most buyers’ agents, our team offers all these services without charging commission; the seller pays the entire commission for both sides. With this three-step process, you should be well on your way to accomplishing the goal of home ownership in 2019. And since it’s such a good investment to do so, your future self will thank you for accepting the challenge.

DAVID BEDIZ is a 14-year veteran Realtor and has served on the boards of directors of both local Realtor associations. He has a top-producing team of agents called Bediz Group, LLC at KW Capital Properties. Reach him at 202-6421616, bediz.com or through the main office number at 202-243-7700.

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