Washingtonblade.com, Volume 50, Issue 1, January 4, 2019

JANUARY 04,

2019

VOLUME 50

ISSUE 01

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50 YEARS AS AMERICA’S LGBTQ NEWS SOURCE

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Cicilline talks Equality Act in new role as senior LGBT House member

By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) will become the most senior openly gay member of the U.S. House as Democrats take the majority this week, but he’s more excited about the growing ranks of openly LGB people who will serve in Congress alongside him and finally being able to move long-awaited legislation to ban anti-LGBT discrimination.

Asked by the Blade during an interview in his office Dec. 20 about his new distinction as the most senior out gay member of the House with outgoing Rep. Jared Polis leaving to become governor of Colorado, Cicilline said he’s “very proud” the chamber will have a net gain of two out LGB members in Rep. DAVID CICILLINE (D-R.I.) will become the most senior openly gay member of the U.S. House as Democrats take the majority this week.

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WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Describes hell of harassment, humiliation

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com

A lawsuit filed against Prince George’s County Public Schools and the county’s Board of Education charges that a female transgender teacher was subjected to five years of discrimination, harassment, abuse and retaliation by school administrators, fellow teachers, students and parents after she transitioned in 2011 from male to female.

The lawsuit was filed Nov. 28, 2018 in United JENNIFER ELLER is suing Prince George’s County Public Schools, alleging years of horrific anti-trans abuse.

PHOTO COURTESY ELLER

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NEW CHAPTER

NEW IN REHOBOTH

I RESOLVE

Casa Ruby announces plans to expand to Southeast in 2019.

The Pines debuts to raves as beach town scores another culinary win.

Conquer New Year’s resolutions with tips on finance, fitness.

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LO CA L N E W S

Comings & Goings Meet Rep. Shalala’s new legislative assistant

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

Congratulations to Rob Smith, who was named Managing Broker at Chatel Real Estate, Inc. Smith has more than 25 years of experience in residential, commercial, land sales as well as the rental market. Chatel Real Estate is one of the oldest real estate firms in the Metro D.C. area with offices in Georgetown and Dupont Circle and they are looking to expand. Smith’s broad knowledge of the central and Northern Virginia and the Washington markets, consumer and design trends, and the ROB SMITH many criteria involved in the sale or purchase of a property provide his clients and customers with unparalleled service.

He said, “I have built my reputation in the market through a commitment of personalized service to my agents and clients. They all know I am available around the clock to respond to questions at a moment’s notice.”

Smith was first licensed in Georgia in the early ‘90s, and after many successful years in Atlanta real estate, moved to Virginia in 2010. He began working at a boutique real estate company in Orange, CHRISTOFER HORTA RIVERO Va. as its managing broker and property manager. He then joined Berkshire Hathaway Home Services PenFed Realty in Manassas, Va. Smith currently lives in the Northern Virginia area, enjoys wine tastings at his family’s vineyard and brewery in the Fredericksburg, Va. area. He has a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Kansas.

Congratulations also to Christofer Horta Rivero who has been appointed a legislative assistant to newly elected Congresswoman Donna Shalala (D-Fla.). He previously worked for the House Democratic Caucus, chairman Joseph Crowley (NY-14) as a Policy Assistant. He managed the Democratic Caucus Jobs for America Task Force portfolio researching good practices for small businesses and large corporations in raising wages, employee stock option programs, profit sharing, retirement security, and hiring veterans. He represented Crowley in meetings with constituents, stakeholders, and advocacy groups on immigration, health care, tax policy, and foreign affairs in relation to issues affecting the chairman’s district and the caucus as a whole. He began working on the Hill for Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) as a legislative intern.

Rivero was a Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Fellow conducting research on the human rights situations in Latin America, Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Southeast Asia that focused on freedom of expression, rights of indigenous communities, violence against women and racial discrimination. He coordinated the annual LGBT Human Rights Defenders Breakfast Series with Central and South American activists and assisted in securing event speakers, logistical support, discussion transcripts, and post-event interviews with local press.

He earned a bachelor’s in history with a minor in political science from the Florida International University in Miami. He also has a certificate in European Studies and National Security Studies from the Green School of International and Public Affairs.

He was the Hispanic Caucus Chair FIU College Democrats and a director at-large of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association.

RUBY CORADO (left), founder and executive director of Casa Ruby, and HOLLY GOLDMANN, director of development with a loan officer at MIT Bank last week.

PHOTO COURTESY CORADO

Casa Ruby plans Southeast expansion ‘We will be serving people living in extreme poverty’

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com Casa Ruby, a local 24-hour drop-in/respite center for LGBT people, plans to expand with a new location to Southeast Washington in 2019, Ruby Corado, its namesake and executive director, said last week. She hopes to open The Southeast D.C. LGBTQ Community Wellness Center in March.

“I have been spending time in Southeast due to the issues that my clients face,” Corado said. “I have seen a huge need and I recognize that even getting on the bus or Metro is a challenge to many. I want to remove any barrier faced by the people I serve.”

The expansion is a joint project between Casa Ruby and Empowerment Liberation Cathedral, a local LGBT-affirming church helmed by Bishop Allyson Abrams.

Corado is a member. Other groups are involved as well but Corado said the arrangements aren’t finalized.

Corado and her team are considering four locations. About $400,000 is needed to start the project, she said.

“(We will be) serving people living in extreme poverty,” Corado said. “I will be focusing on areas of extreme hardship.

Lots of homophobia and transphobia.

But I am very well known and very well accepted in the area. I’m extremely happy at the emotional support I’m getting now. … I want this to be a fully equipped center like our N.W. campus.”

Corado said the proposed new name was conceived because she wants “everyone to feel part of it.” But it will be Casa Ruby/Corado “leading and securing the full operations of the new center.”

A bank loan for $250,000 has been secured. Corado is partnering with people already doing work in Southeast Washington.

Casa Ruby opened in 2012. It has 68 employees, many of whom are among the more than 6,000 clients the center averages annually. Operating budget for 2018 was about $2.3 million; $1.3 million comes from government funding.

The other $1 million is from donations.

Corado said she relies on “hundreds of volunteers and lots of donations and community support.”

Corado said she originally wanted to open Casa Ruby, located at 7530 Georgia Ave., N.W., in Southeast but a lease was rejected because it was an LGBT center.

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NATIONAL NEWS

LGBT groups urge Supreme Court to resist military trans ban Trump seeks to implement policy amid ongoing litigation

By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com LGBT legal groups urged the U.S. Supreme Court last week to decline to intervene in cases challenging President Trump’s transgender military ban, asserting action at this point would amount to “short-circuiting” the litigation process.

The groups submitted the briefs in response to two separate filings from the U.S. Justice Department, one calling on the Supreme Court to take up the cases on a interlocutory basis, another calling for a stay on lower court orders against the ban.

The filings on Christmas Eve urged the Supreme Court not to grant the Trump administration’s request at this time for review — an action typically reserved for when the litigation process is finished up through the appellate courts, not now as the cases currently stand before those courts hand down decisions.

One brief filed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and GLBTQ Advocates & Defenders, which are responsible for two cases against the Trump policy,

declares the litigation raises important constitutional issues, but “now is not the appropriate time for this court to consider them.”

“No court of appeals has issued any decision addressing those issues,” the filings say. “No case raising those issues has yet been litigated to final judgment in a district court. And this case does not present any of those constitutional issues in a suitable posture, because it involves only the government’s effort to dissolve a preliminary injunction entered months earlier, which the government decided not to appeal.”

Another brief filed by Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN, which are behind another case called Karnoski v. Trump, asserts “there is no urgency warranting this court’s immediate intervention.”

“The government rests its argument for certiorari before judgment on a nebulous and ill-defined need for immediate review it never precisely articulates — much less grounds in any concrete (as opposed to hypothetical) harm,” the brief says. “But there is no urgency warranting the extraordinary relief the government seeks.”

Last month, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to take up legal challenges to the transgender military ban for review on the basis that decision must come if justices were to adjudicate

the cases fully before the end of the term in June.

The Justice Department made the requests as lower appellate courts consider whether an implementation plan from Defense Secretary James Mattis earlier this year amounts to a change to the transgender military ban, which President Trump declared via Twitter in June 2017. Trial courts enjoined the Defense Department from enforcing the policy even before the plan was issued, the Trump administration has argued before the courts should lift those orders in the wake of the new plan.

It would be unusual for the Supreme Court to issue a writ of certiorari, or decide to take up the transgender military cases, at this time before the appellate courts have rendered their decision on the Mattis plan.

LGBT legal groups followed up on filings urging the court not to take up the cases at this time with additional briefs urging justices to turn down the Trump administration’s other request to place a stay on orders against the ban, which would effectively allow the policy to go into effect.

One filing from the National Center for Lesbian Rights and GLBTQ Advocates & Defenders argued the balance of equities in the cases support the continuation of the injunctions ordered by lower courts.

“There is simply no irreparable harm, let alone a change in the balance of equities, that warrants a stay of the district court’s considered judgment to leave the preliminary injunction in place,” the brief says. “In fact, equity strongly favors respondents, who stand to lose their safety, stature and future in the military without the preliminary relief afforded by the injunction.”

Another brief from Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN made a similar case, saying the U.S. military won’t be harmed without a stay, but transgender service members would “suffer serious irreparable injury.”

“Plaintiffs who seek to enlist would be barred from doing so,” the brief says.

“Plaintiff Jane Doe and other current service members who have not yet come out would be forced to either suppress their gender identity or face discharge. And those who have come out in the reliance on the Carter Policy would be forced to serve while branded as inherently inferior, unfit to serve, and a danger to their colleagues.”

Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said he expects the Supreme Court to issue decisions on the Trump administration’s requests “soon, probably within the next two or three weeks, possibly even sooner.”

Rose Parade queen makes history First to wear glasses — and first LGBT person to preside

By TROY MASTERS LOS ANGELES — The TV announcers commenting on the 130th Tournament of Roses Parade on Tuesday morning, Jan. 1, in Pasadena noted that Rose Parade Queen Louise Deser Siskel of San Marino, Calif., represents a lot of “firsts” for the New Year tradition: first queen to wear glasses, first member of the Jewish faith – and first member of the LGBT community to preside over the Parade. LGBT folks have another word for it: history.

Earlier, Siskel told the Pasadena Star News she “entered (the Rose Court search) on sort of a whim, but as I continued to return for the interview rounds, and throughout the whole process, I realized the value of the Tournament of Roses, and the role it plays in our community…. Each year, the (Tournament) selects seven young women (for the Royal Court) and gives them a real voice; for that I feel very thankful.”

The senior at Pasadena’s Sequoyah

Tournament of Roses Parade Queen LOUISE DESER SISKEL waves to the crowd.

SCREENSHOT VIA ABC NEWS

High School, who has researched breast cancer under Dr. Shehla Pervin at The Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, told the paper: “What was important to me throughout the interview process was that I was completely transparent about who I was, about the

things that I value, and about the things that I advocate for.”

As the Blade reported earlier, there have been numerous LGBT “moments” during the internationally televised Rose Parade – from ACT UP/LA stopping the parade to protest the lack of attention to AIDS

to AIDS Healthcare Foundation featuring an annual float devoted to a person such as actress Elizabeth Taylor to causes, such as this year’s focus on LA’s housing crisis.

While there was no official explanation from organizers as to why parade organizers chose Siskel over other contenders, in at least three ways she represents hope for the New Year in a difficult political climate. As queen, she stands for triumph over the bully—the mean kids who make fun of someone wearing glasses or who grow up to be anti-Semites or homophobes.

Siskel’s message as queen? “I encourage everyone to stay engaged and active within your community, advocate and fight for the things you believe in, regardless of whether other people respond or care about those things in the way you do,” she told the Pasadena Star News. “I think it can be easy to get discouraged when people don’t share the same passion for your values or for the things that you care about, but I hope that people continue to fight for the things that are important to them, regardless of the support they see from others.”

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NATIONAL NEWS

Intersex activists denounce infant surgeries Sixty-three percent report negative consequences of ‘corrective’ surgeries

By GRACE PERRY Sean Saifa Wall spent more than two decades in the wrong body until he decided to live the life he had always wanted to: that of a man.

Wall, a nationally recognized black, intersex activist, was assigned female at birth because of his “abnormally” small phallus but had undescended testis. He was one of eight in his family born with partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS): an intersex variation where an individual is born with XY chromosomes but is resistant to male hormones (androgens). Thus, these individuals have the genetic makeup of a male but some or all of the physical traits of a female.

The term “intersex” more broadly identifies any individual who is born with any of several variations in sex characteristics (including chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones or genitals) that do not fit medically rigid definitions of “male” or “female.” Intersex variations are not uncommon and occur in about 1.7 percent of the population — approximately the same percentage as those born with red hair.

Around one in 1,500-2,000 children have visible differences at birth, putting them at risk for early cosmetic surgical intervention.

Intersex children like Wall, who are born with genitalia that a doctor considers outside of typical male/female appearance, frequently receive medically unnecessary surgeries to “normalize” their genitals, such as surgeries that reduce an “abnormally” sized clitoris.

Thus, the intersex community continues to oppose these surgeries, arguing they violate a child’s basic and inherent right to bodily autonomy; activists advocate instead for the deferral of any such surgeries until a child can make a consenting decision on their own.

Although Wall did not receive surgery as an infant, he did receive an operation in his adolescence without his or his mother’s informed consent. When he was in college, he got hold of his medical records and finally learned the truth about his past and identity.

When Wall was 13, doctors removed his healthy undescended testis at New York Presbyterian Hospital. For Wall, the consequences were devastating, both physically and mentally.

“My healthy testis were removed at age 13 without my thorough informed consent,” Wall says. “I really struggled at that point, (thinking) I’m a freak. … What the hell do I do with my body?”

Although Wall’s mother consented to the operation, she did so on the premise

SEAN SAIFA WALL says doctors told his mother his testes were cancerous to justify removing them.

PHOTO COURTESY WALL

of false information, a common thread seen across many stories from parents of intersex children. In Wall’s case, doctors lied and told his mother that his testis were cancerous in the hopes of encouraging her to consent to surgery.

It worked.

“My mom heard cancer, and she was like, ‘No way José. My child is not going to die of cancer,’” Wall says.

Beyond the removal of Wall’s testis, doctors also wanted to perform genital surgery to create a vagina, but his mother said no. This was not the first time she had advocated on behalf of her son’s bodily autonomy. Wall says his mother received countless phone calls from doctors after bringing him home from the hospital when he was born, encouraging her to consent to genital reconstructive surgeries to “normalize” his body.

Wall remains deeply thankful for his mother’s advocacy and is “very glad” no such cosmetic surgeries occurred, but many other intersex children are unable to escape early genital reconstruction. Jonathan Leggette, an intersex activist based in Washington state, is one such individual.

In a testimony to support a California resolution aimed at celebrating intersex folks, Leggette writes: “At 6, doctors operated on me without explaining anything to me, just leaving me to wake up, bandages around my genital areas and a pain I will never forget. I had never had the chance to be told the truth, to be given the chance to decide for myself how my body feels to me.

My body was owned by the surgeons before I had a chance to lay claim to it.”

Leggette emphasizes the importance of doctors having honest and transparent conversations with parents, especially given the continued presence of systemic coercion and misinformation in these exchanges. He argues that doctors need to “change the language” they currently rely on when talking to parents about their child’s intersex variation.

Dr. Ellen Feder, professor of philosophy and religion at American University in Washington and author of the book “Making Sense of Intersex,” echoes the

importance of these conversations and further explains the challenging position doctors continue to put parents in.

“The way that parents are presented the options are, ‘Here’s what’s going on with your kid, here’s what we know about the condition, here’s all the things we can do, here’s the support we can offer you, or we can do nothing,’” Feder says.

“That’s not a choice for most parents.

Most parents would see doing nothing as copping out or not helping their kid.”

In this way, “doing nothing” is not presented as a true alternative to surgery, but rather a negligent and irresponsible choice. However, such operations often have lifelong physical and mental unforeseen consequences.

A 2016 study conducted in Australia found that 83 percent of intersex individuals surveyed reported at least one negative consequence (physical or mental) from a “corrective” surgery, and 63 percent reported only negative consequences. The study also found that intersex individuals were disproportionately impacted by mental illness, with 18 percent of respondents reporting a suicide attempt in their lifetime. Regarding physical complications, “corrective” operations can cause infertility, loss of sexual sensation and painful scarring. Still other intersex individuals like Wall are forced to take artificial hormonal replacement for the rest of their lives because their naturally occurring hormones were disrupted.

These surgeries also serve as an indication to intersex folks that their bodies in their natural form are somehow wrong — that, in Wall’s words, “there is something that needs correcting.” This harmful sentiment is frequently internalized by intersex folks, who in turn learn to dislike and be ashamed of their bodies.

Many respected organizations such as the United Nations, World Health Organization and Amnesty International have come out against these “corrective” surgeries, encouraging the deferral of any such operations till the individual is of consenting age.

So, why then do these surgeries continue, despite public denunciation?

Through both his activism alongside other intersex folks and personal experience meeting the doctor who operated on him when he was barely a teenager, Wall has some ideas.

In 2015, Wall confronted the doctor who removed his testis over two decades prior, Dr. Terry Hensle, as part of an ABC News Nightline special. Dr. Hensle told Saifa he had “no regrets” about the operations he had previously performed because he “did the best (he) could do based on what (he) knew.” Wall says, “I knew he wasn’t going to give me what I was looking for” going into the interview, but he wanted the chance to share his personal experience and opinion nonetheless.

“I told him, ‘Can you imagine what you said to a 13-year-old girl that you would create a cavity inside of her, shave down her clitoris — can you imagine how barbaric that sounded?’”

Wall says. “And he had no response. … He was too proud to admit that (my surgery) was fucked up. He was so narcissistic … it was really powerful that the video captured (him) live in all his asshole-ness.”

A 2017 Human Rights Watch Report on the intersex community found that most of the bias that exists toward intersex children lies with the surgeons and medical providers rather than parents, although not the entire medical establishment is to blame. Rather, according to Hans Lindahl, an intersex activist based in California, only a small subset of urologists and medical groups continue to promote such operations because they benefit both “monetarily” and “from being the authority and maintaining the status quo.”

Lindahl works to dispel the misconception that the intersex community and the medical community are inherently at odds with one another.

“We’re not anti-medicine, we’re proconsent,” Lindahl says, reiterating her support for all medically necessary interventions such as urethra constructions and interventions when the child is of consenting age.

Echoing Lindahl’s point, Wall frames these surgeries as entirely cosmetic rather than medical.

“Why do these intersex kids need porn star genitals? Why does a little girl need to have a developed pussy?” Wall says.

Activists argue intersex folks need to be the subjects rather than the objects of conversations moving forward; they need to be recognized as individuals worth celebrating, listening to and learning from.

“Intersex folks … really teach us how complex and how beautiful our bodies are and how nature is so amazing,” Wall says.

Moving forward, when an intersex infant is born, in the words of Feder, “We need to do the brave thing and do nothing.”

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I N T E RNA TI O N A L NEWS

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HRC on July 15, 2018, projected an image onto the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, that urges President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to publicly denounce the crackdown against gay men in Chechnya.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TY COBB/HRC

Report documents anti-LGBT killings in Chechnya The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe released a report just before the holidays that documents extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses against LGBTI people in Chechnya.

The report, which the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights wrote, notes the first anti-LGBTI crackdown in Chechnya, a semi-autonomous Russian republic in the North Caucasus, took place between December 2016-February 2017.

A second crackdown against LGBTI Chechens began in March 2017 and ended in May 2017.

The report notes international outrage “largely stopped” a third crackdown, but “there are still new cases as recent as September and October 2018.

“The detentions followed a certain pattern,” reads the report. “Persons suspected of being homosexuals were picked up without any particular reason at their homes or work places or on the road by police officers and military personnel.”

The report says members of Chechnya’s Special Division of First Responders who wear black uniforms were “particularly involved” in the detentions. The report notes detainees were taken to a police station before they were sent to “incarceration places, some of them unofficial prisons,” including one in Argun, a town that is outside the Chechen capital of Grozny.

“On the way and at the detention place they were humiliated with words like, ‘You were brought here because you are faggots. You bring shame on your people. You shouldn’t exist,” reads the report.

The report notes detainees were “taken to interrogation rooms and beaten with police sticks, plastic tubes and cables, which resulted in severe injuries like broken ribs, jaws and bruises. Some were also treated with electric shocks, usually at the fingers” in order to confess they were gay and to provide authorities with the names of other people who were gay.

The report says Chechen Parliament spokesperson Magomed Daudov “took part in some of the torture sessions.” It also notes the conditions in which detainees were kept.

“They usually were not receiving food, in some cases even not water, except if relatives of other inmates brought food, which was shared,” it reads. “In some cases, they were not allowed to wash themselves or clean the wounds. No medical assistance is reported. Some had to do certain works like washing the floor or cleaning cars. They were mistreated and tortured on a daily basis mostly for about two weeks or until they made and signed a confession or reported others or expressed their willingness to cooperate.”

The report also documents allegations that detainees were killed.

“Persons who could not stand the torture because of their age or other reasons or could bring shame on the authorities or administration allegedly were killed,” it reads.

The report notes authorities told relatives of those who were released from custody to find “a proper solution” or “to get rid of the sick members of the family.”

“It was said that they could be killed as terrorists in the forest but it would be better if the parents took care of them,” reads the report. “One witness formulated the message of police officers to relatives like this, ‘Either you kill your kid or we will do it for you.’ There were cases where the victims were asked to kill themselves. In many cases victims have been forced to marry in order to save the family honor.”

The report also says, “females with non-heterosexual orientation” were “unlawfully detained and underwent beatings and pressures to produce confessions.”

“In extreme cases, they were raped and killed,” notes the report. “But the main punishment seems to have been psychological, in cooperation with their male relatives who were put under pressure to wash away the shame from the family. There are documented cases of girls who escaped from Chechnya, but were abducted and brought back by their families with the help of the authorities.”

The report notes the relatives of some of those who were detained brought them to the Center for Islamic Medicine in Grozny for “a kind of Islamic exorcism procedure.”

The U.S. and 15 other countries that comprise the OSCE on Nov. 1 invoked its “Moscow Mechanism” that authorized a fact-finding mission to investigate the anti-LGBTI crackdown and other human rights abuses in Chechnya.

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, who is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the Kremlin have repeatedly sought to downplay the reports or have simply dismissed them.

The U.S. late last year sanctioned Kadyrov and two Chechen officials under the Magnitsky Act, a 2012 law named after a Russian lawyer who died in a Moscow prison following his investigation of a $230 million tax fraud scheme. Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley and State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, who President Trump has tapped to succeed her, have both publicly condemned the anti-LGBTI crackdown.

Trump, who is under increased scrutiny over his potential involvement with the Russian government’s interference in the 2016 presidential election, has yet to publicly comment on the issue.

Deputy State Department spokesperson Robert Palladino on Thursday in a statement said the OSCE’s “expert report concluded that Chechen authorities committed torture and other appalling human rights violations and abuses, including extrajudicial killings of LGBTI persons and others, and describes a worsening ‘climate of intimidation’ against journalists and civil society activists.”

“The report observes that the Russian government ‘appears to support the perpetrators rather than the victims’ and has ‘not lived up to its responsibilities’ to address the ‘grave situation’ in Chechnya,” said Palladino.

Human Rights Campaign Global Director Ty Cobb in his own statement said “the Russian government can no longer deny the existence of these barbaric anti-LGBTQ crimes against humanity in Chechnya.”

“World leaders, including the Trump-Pence administration, must take action to hold Russia and those responsible for the crimes accountable and to ensure these atrocious crimes have been stopped and never happen again,” said Cobb.

The report contains a series of recommendations for the Chechen and Russian government.

These include “an immediate shut-down of all unofficial detention facilities” in Chechnya and for the Kremlin to “express a commitment on the highest levels of the executive branch of the Russian Federation to fully investigate the allegations and to bring to justice the alleged perpetrators, including those belonging to the local security forces.”

The report notes the majority of the 135 LGBTI people the Moscow-based Russian LGBT Network has evacuated from Chechnya are now living in Europe and Canada. The report recommends to OSCE member countries that they “grant protection under the Geneva Refugee Convention to refugees from the Chechen Republic, in particular persons with a non-heterosexual orientation (LGBTI) fleeing on grounds of their sexual orientation and gender identity and take special care with regard to the fact that they might be threatened also in their host countries.”

“It’s crucial that Russia follow the report’s recommendations and launch a serious investigation, and that the world community — and especially the United States — welcome refugees escaping these gross human rights abuses,” said Cobb in his statement.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Fire destroys Jamaica LGBTI group’s headquarters A fire destroyed the headquarters of a Jamaican LGBTI advocacy group on Dec. 30.

The Gleaner, a Jamaican newspaper, reported the fire destroyed the Kingston building in which J-FLAG’s offices were located. J-FLAG on its Facebook page said “our office was engulfed in the fire, which has caused severe damage and destruction to the building and contents in it, including computers and other equipment.”

J-FLAG in its statement said nobody was hurt during the fire. The organization also thanked the police officers and firefighters “who responded to the call and did so in the most professional and courteous manner.”

J-FLAG and the Gleaner both said officials have yet to determine what caused the fire. J-FLAG Executive Director Jaevion Nelson on Monday told the Washington Blade the “investigations are ongoing.”

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

1 0 • J A NUA RY 0 4 , 2019

NEWS

Cicilline has high hopes for Equality Act as senior gay in House CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

the 116th Congress and talked about the Equality Act. “It’s a great privilege to be a part of that group,” Cicilline said. “I think this year will be an opportunity for us to finally move forward on the Equality Act, which I think is the single most important piece of legislation to our community in terms of, once and for all, prohibiting discrimination against members of the LGBT community as a matter of federal law. And so, I’m honored to be the senior most member and really excited about the new colleagues that are joining this caucus.”

(Although Cicilline is now the most senior openly gay person in the House, he’s not the most senior openly gay person in Congress. That distinction belongs to Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin who was first elected to the House in 1998, but moved to the Senate and won re-election last year.)

The Equality Act would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act to ban anti-LGBT discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, education, federal programs and credit.

The bill also seeks to update federal law to include sex in the list of protected classes in public accommodation in addition to expanding the definition of public accommodations to include retail stores, banks, transportation services and health care services. Further, the Equality Act would establish that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act — a 1994 law aimed at protecting religious liberty — can’t be used to enable antiLGBT discrimination.

Although the ongoing government shutdown will likely be the first priority for the Democratic majority, Nancy Pelosi said advancing the Equality Act would be a personal goal and the legislation will receive a bill number between 2 and 10.

And the lawmaker who’ll spearhead that legislation is Cicilline, who introduced the comprehensive non-discrimination measure in the previous two Congresses with Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). For the first time, Democrats will introduce the Equality Act while controlling at least one chamber of Congress, which presents an opportunity for a floor vote on the legislation.

Cicilline said the timing for introduction for the Equality Act in the 116th Congress is yet to be determined, although it’ll definitely coincide with Merkley’s introduction of the legislation in the Senate. The Rhode Island Democrat said conversations with Democratic leadership on the timing for the legislation haven’t yet taken place “other than knowing we’re moving forward on it.”

“I know that the incoming speaker

DONALD TRUMP once said he likes the idea of adding sexual orientation to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He may get the chance to prove it if Congress passes the Equality Act. PHOTO BY PALINCHAK; COURTESY BIGSTOCK

had made public statements about our intention to make the Equality Act a priority, which I’m delighted to hear,” Cicilline said.

Cicilline said he expects committees with jurisdiction over the Equality Act — such as the Judiciary Committee and the Education & the Workforce Committee — to hold hearings on the legislation before moving forward in accordance with regular order before the floor vote.

The next iteration of the Equality Act will have “pretty much” the same language as its previous iterations, Cicilline said.

He added every time he reintroduces a piece of legislation “it’s another occasion to kind of look at the bill and see if there’s anything to change.”

“So we’ll go through that process, but it’ll be essentially the same bill,” Cicilline added.

Asked whether he had anything in mind that would make the Equality Act not the same in the 116th Congress, Cicilline replied, “No.” In the previous Congress, all members of the Democratic caucus were cosponsors of the legislation, except for two lawmakers: Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), whom LGBT groups sought (unsuccessfully) to oust during the Democratic primary last year for not backing LGBT rights, and Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio).

Cicilline said he expects the same level of support in the Democratic caucus as it takes the majority in the 116th Congress.

“I’ve talked to a number of my new colleagues about the Equality Act, a number of them have already contacted me about wanting to be co-sponsor, so I expect will have the same kind of overwhelming Democratic support,” Cicilline said. “Hopefully, every Democrat will be a co-sponsor.”

Republicans however, are a different

story. Only two Republicans cosponsored the Equality Act in the last Congress. One of them is Rep. Ileana RosLehtinen (R-Fla.), known for being the most pro-LGBT House Republican, who retired after 24 years in Congress. The other Republican co-sponsor, Rep. Scott Taylor (R-Va.), was voted out of office in the Democratic “blue” wave.

Cicilline said he’s had conversations on the Republican side of the aisle about the Equality Act and is “going to continue those because I want to do everything I had to make it bipartisan.

“I think it’ll be really important to have some of our Republican colleagues, but I don’t have any yet that are committed to it,” Cicilline added.

Asked whether there were any Republican possibilities he could name, Cicilline demurred.

“If I name them, they become less possible,” Cicilline said. “I’m going to explore with as many Republican colleagues as I can and get them on board.”

But the Equality Act also faces concerns among civil rights supporters. Many civil rights groups, including the Leadership Council on Civil & Human Rights, have said they support the goals of the Equality Act, but have stopped short of a full endorsement of the bill.

Fudge, who was considering a leadership challenge to Pelosi after Democrats won their majority, has expressed concerns about opening the Civil Rights Act to amendments on the House floor, where the landmark legislation could be watered down.

“What I opposed was including the Equality Act in the current Civil Rights Act,” Fudge said in a statement. “The Civil Rights Act is over 50 years old and isn’t even adequate to protect the people

currently in it. I want us to do a new and modern civil rights bill that protects the LGBTQ community and updates protections for this era. I do not believe it is appropriate to open and relitigate the current Civil Rights Act.” Cicilline said the Leadership Council on Civil & Human Rights made “a very strong statement of support of equality for our community” in regards to the Equality Act. As for Fudge’s concerns, Cicilline said he understands them, but doesn’t share them.

“I understand the argument advanced

by Congresswoman Fudge,” Cicilline said.

“I disagree with it. I think that we can’t have full equality by having a separate but equal civil rights bill.”

Cicilline said barring discrimination against LGBT people by amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has significant benefits that a different bill couldn’t accomplish. Among these benefits is applying more than 50 years of jurisprudence of the landmark law to anti-LGBT discrimination.

“Really the only way to do it is to include it in the existing civil rights architecture, so you have the benefit of all that jurisprudence whenever exemptions exist, whenever other kinds of tests need to be applied,” Cicilline said. “There’s significant jurisprudence on it, and so it saves kind of litigating all these things again. So, I think there’s real value legally and real value in terms of making a strong statement that we need for equality.”

Cicilline pointed out that every other member of the Congressional Black Caucus was a co-sponsor of the Equality Act, including civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), whom Cicilline said was “one of the early champions of the bill, and he’s a respected leader in that community.”

After the Equality Act passes the House, the game changes. Instead of a new Democratic majority, the U.S. Senate under Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has an expanded Republican majority. Moreover, President Trump would need to sign any legislation for it to become law.

But Cicilline denied passage of the Equality Act in the House is the end of the story. In fact, he called it the “beginning of the story” because the campaign to pressure Republicans to support LGBT rights will begin.

“We will work hard to get it passed in the Senate,” Cicilline said. “I think this is one where it’s very critical for outside groups to play a role in identifying who are the key senators who are at least willing to consider supporting the Equality Act and that they hear from constituents in their districts from the LGBT community and allies about the importance of this, and we begin a real campaign to persuade them to do it.”

Continues at washblade.com

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

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Trans teacher files lawsuit against P.G. County schools CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

States District Court for the District of Maryland by the nationally known law firm Arnold and Porter on behalf of Jennifer Eller, an English teacher.

On Dec. 20, the LGBT litigation group Lambda Legal joined Arnold & Porter in representing Eller.

The lawsuit says Eller taught at three schools in the P.G. County public school system from 2008 to 2017, when the lawsuit says she was forced to resign after school officials allegedly refused to adequately address the anti-trans harassment and abuse Eller encountered beginning in 2011.

“For years, I was aggressively misgendered, attacked and harassed in the hallways and even in my own classroom by students, peers and supervisors,” Eller said in a statement released by Lambda Legal.

“I woke up each day afraid to go to work because I didn’t know where the next attack would come from, but I already knew full well that the school administrators would do nothing to support me,” she said. “My pleas for help, for sensitivity training on LGBTQ issues for students and staff, fell on deaf ears,” she said.

“Finally, the harassment and the humiliation became unbearable and I had no other alternative than to resign,” she said in her statement. “No one – student or teacher – should go through the hell I was put through at school just for being who they are.”

The lawsuit charges that the treatment to which the school district and its administrators subjected Eller violated Title VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the federal Education Amendments Act of 1972, the Equal Protection Cause of the U.S. Constitution, the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act, and the nondiscrimination provision of the Prince George’s County Code.

In addition to Prince George’s County Public Schools and the Prince George’s County Board of Education, the lawsuit names as a defendant Monica Goldson, the school system’s Interim Chief Executive Officer.

John White, the official spokesperson for the Prince George’s County public school system, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment on the lawsuit.

Under court rules the school system, school board, and Goldson have 21 days from the time they were officially served

papers naming them as defendants in the lawsuit to file an answer to the lawsuit.

The statement released by Lambda Legal says the alleged discrimination and harassment against Eller began in March 2011, three years after she began working as an English teacher at Kenmoor Middle School in Landover, Md. It was at that time, the statement says, that Eller informed the principal at the school that “she would be transitioning to live authentically as the woman she is.”

According to the statement, when she began to present as a woman she was subjected to verbal abuse by students and was instructed by school officials to “stop wearing skirts or dresses.”

The statement says sometime later in 2011 Eller was transferred to Friendly High School in Fort Washington, Md., where she also encountered abuse and harassment to a greater degree than she encountered at Kenmoor Middle School.

“She was the target of rampant verbal and physical harassment for wearing traditionally feminine attire and staff demanded that she present as ‘male,’ dismissing a therapist’s note as ‘garbage,’” the Lambda Legal statement says. “Students would shout transphobic slurs at her and she was repeatedly misgendered and threatened,” it says.

“She reported all these incidents to school administrators, who took little to no action and ignored her.”

The lawsuit states that a therapist Eller had been seeing to assist her in her transition process wrote a note to school officials explaining the importance of her presenting as a woman in women’s attire as part of the transition.

Both the Lambda Legal statement and the lawsuit say that in 2015 Eller filed a complaint against the school system with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reporting the alleged harassment and abuse she had encountered at the schools for which she taught.

“After an extensive and thorough investigation, in September 2017, the EEOC issued a letter finding that there was reasonable cause to believe that Ms. Eller had been subject to unlawful treatment based on her sex and gender in violation of Title VII, in effect recognizing and confirming this discriminatory treatment on the part of students, parents, staff, and administration,” the Lambda Legal statement says.

“After she filed this discrimination charge, the school administration

retaliated against Ms. Eller by taking away her advanced placement English class and opening a disciplinary hearing against her that ended in no sanctions,” the statement says.

Omar Gonzales-Pagan, a Lambda Legal attorney working on Eller’s case, told the Washington Blade that under federal law the EEOC has direct enforcement authority over private employers and over federal government employment practices, but its authority does not cover state and local employers such as the P.G. County school system.

Gonzales-Pagan noted that in past years the U.S. Justice Department stepped in to enforce an EEOC ruling against a state or local government employer. But he said the Justice Department under the Trump administration declined to intervene in Eller’s case.

“That’s what triggered the filing of this lawsuit,” Gonzales-Pagan said.

Among the allegations made by the lawsuit is that after she began presenting as a woman in March 2011 at Kenmoor Middle School Eller “immediately became the target of rampant harassment by staff and students alike.” Students “called her a pedophile, and the human resources representative, enlisted to help her through the transition, demanded that she present as male,” the lawsuit states.

Shortly after transferring to Friendly High School “students continuously referred to her as ‘mister’ and ‘he,’” the lawsuit says. It says other students refused to sit in their assigned seats in her classes and refused to provide her with their names.

“By December 2011, some students would ask Ms. Eller about the appearance of her genitals,” the lawsuit notes.

“Others would run unannounced into her classroom, scream ‘he’ or ‘shim,’ and immediately run away,” the lawsuit says.

It also notes that it took school officials three years to update Eller’s email address to reflect her new name after her transition. It says that even after the EEOC’s finding of probable cause of discrimination in 2017 the school system’s publicly accessible employee directory continued to list Eller by her male birth name.

The lawsuit says parents also subjected Eller to harassment, with one parent threatening to inform the school board that Eller was a “lying, pedophile, tranny” as a man pretending to be a woman.

“To the best of Plaintiff’s information and belief, Defendants took little, no,

or ineffective action in response to any of the afore-described incidents of discrimination, abuse, harassment, and even physical assault,” the lawsuit concludes.

The lawsuit says that following years of facing a hostile work environment Eller “reached her breaking point” and was forced to take a medical leave of absence on Oct. 7, 2016.

“Ms. Eller immediately checked into an outpatient psychiatric program at Georgetown University Hospital, where she was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder from the abuse, discrimination, and retaliation she experienced as an employee of Defendants,” the lawsuit says.

“Ms. Eller was able to continue her leave of absence until spring of 2017,” the lawsuit continues. “However, concluding that she would not survive the strain of returning to her prior intolerable working conditions, Ms. Eller was forced to resign on August 18, 2017,” it says.

The lawsuit notes that Eller has since landed a job as a youth counselor with the U.S. Navy’s Child & Youth Programs known as the Navy CYP, where she is “treated with respect and as an equal.”

Gonzalez-Pagan of Lambda Legal and Paul Pompeo, the lead attorney working on Eller’s case from Arnold & Porter, said the lawsuit is needed to hold P.G. County school officials accountable for the years of mistreatment Eller encountered solely because of her status as a transgender person.

“The level of verbal and even physical abuse Ms. Eller endured at school is horrifying, and the failure of school administrators to take the abuse seriously and to respect and protect Ms. Eller is not only inexcusable, it is unlawful,” Gonzalez-Pagan said. “We look forward to vindicating Ms. Eller’s rights,” he said.

Among other things, the lawsuit calls for the court to grant Eller “declaratory and injunctive relief,” including possible reinstatement as a teacher, back pay and lost benefits, and a requirement that the school system end its discriminatory practices against transgender employees.

It also calls for an award of compensation for “emotional pain and suffering, embarrassment, anxiety, stress, depression, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life, and violation of her dignity, in amounts to be determined at trial.”

Gonzalez-Pagan said Eller would not be available at this time for an interview with the Blade or other news media outlets.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

1 2 • J A NUA RY 0 4 , 2019

OU R B U S IN E S S MA T T E RS

Will D.C. policies push more of the poor out in 2019?

Misguided approaches worsen opportunities for lower-income residents

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

Lots of talk about the increasing difficulty for many to afford living in one of the most expensive cities in America dominates political discussion in D.C. It’s for good reason, as thousands of lowerincome residents have continued moving out of the District and others struggle to stay.

The question is whether policies promoted by local politicians and performance provided by local government helps or hinders the viability to remain among those most on the financial edge.

Unfortunately for those struggling to economically survive in Washington, too many misguided proposals and mismanaged services exacerbate the effects of income inequality and drive people away.

While government possesses extremely limited abilities to address systemic obstacles or improve economic outcomes, local politicians believe the opposite to be true. What is not acknowledged is that failing to do a good job at what they actually can do while simultaneously hindering the private sector by creating a negative entrepreneurial environment hurts many.

Elected officials try too hard to control and manipulate the business sector, thinking interference in the marketplace is intervention with magic results. The inverse is usually true.

District politicians should instead focus on providing more oversight and better operation of city agencies and programs as an alternative, in the hope it would reduce the dysfunction, mismanagement and waste all too commonly ignored.

The entities providing job training and employment assistance, for example, are known nationally to be poor performers providing the least benefit.

Good things have been and are, however, happening here.

D.C.’s high cost of living continues to challenge local residents, many of whom are being forced out of the city.

In recent years, D.C. accomplished something few thought likely when both individual and business tax rates were lowered. These reductions were phasedin as the population and tax revenues expanded, and surpluses allowed for implementation of the most progressivestepped tax rate schedule in the country.

Additional tax relief is needed as large surpluses have continued.

The District government now allocates large sums of tax monies for both housing assistance and the creation of affordable housing, as well as housing for the homeless, and proffers a myriad array of public assistance programs.

What officials fail to do, however, is open up enhanced opportunities for both market-rate and workforce housing development and lowering citywide costs through increased supply. Only when the District government stops kowtowing to the they-got-theirs NIMBY groups by allowing greater density in areas currently zoned for single-family housing only and reduces obstacles to residential development in general will sufficient housing units required now and in future years be created. Increasing both placement and supply is the only real solution for easing overall housing costs.

Too many years and billions of bucks later, the city’s public school system remains plagued by problems and produces poor outcomes, especially for those most in need of a solid start. Graduation

rates remain abysmal and many of those exiting with a degree often can’t compete with better-educated contemporaries.

City schools fail to provide many a quality education, nor prepare for advancement to college or for employment by vocational training.

Yet legislators avert their gaze from a more appropriate in-house focus to an external micro-management of local enterprise. The desire of some on the D.C. Council champing at the bit to push proposals to hyper-regulate even the hiring and scheduling of employees while implementing and imposing additional regulatory costs and more labor burdens on employers will negatively effect those looking for work and seeking economic sustainability.

Over-regulation and extremist operating mandates raise both the price of everything and the costs of living here, most affecting those least able to afford it.

D.C. business tax rates remain among the highest both regionally and nationally, most burdening the local small businesses offering employment opportunities for entry-level and lesser-skilled residents.

The city has long been notorious for being among the very worst anti-business jurisdictions nationwide.

Let’s hope that local politicians made New Year resolutions to take a hard and honest look at how they harm those they profess wanting to help.

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V I E W PO I NT

J A N U A RY 0 4 , 2 0 1 9 • 1 3

Remembering the importance of obituaries Celebrations of life too often ignored LGBT people

KATHI WOLFE, a regular contributor to the Blade, was the winner of the 2014 Stonewall Chapbook Competition.

The holidays are a time to spend with loved ones — and with mistletoe, Champagne, sparkling cider and making New Year’s resolutions. I love the holiday season with all its stress and sentimentality – from hanging with family to seeing “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the 1,000th time.

But, these festivities wouldn’t be complete for me if I didn’t remember those who died during the year – especially LGBTQ folks who are no longer with us.

(Nothing like bringing on the holiday cheer. My pals jokingly call me Dr. Death.)

Joking aside, why do I, each December, find myself reflecting on queer people who’ve passed away? Why does remembering LGBTQ lives mean so much not only to me but to millions of people, hetero and queer?

Recently, as I compiled for the Blade, a list of the acclaimed LGBTQ people who died in 2018, I asked myself these questions. Typing away, I wondered: I don’t collect death masks or haunt graveyards.

Why do I so look forward to writing the “in memoriam” piece?

As a writer and human being, I like nothing better than telling or reading stories.

“We tell ourselves stories in order to live,” writer Joan Didion said.

Obituaries — news reports of when and how notable people lived and of what they achieved — are some of the best, most lively, least morbid, stories ever told. Some obits tell of the achievements, affairs and wit of presidents, artists and celebs. Other obituaries tell the stories of people who weren’t famous, but renowned for their eccentric talents – such as creating butter cow sculptures at county fairs.

“It’s counterintuitive, perhaps, but obituaries have next to nothing to do with death

and absolutely everything to do with life,” said former New York Times obituary writer Margalit Fox in the documentary “Obit.”

Just this week, I read the touching story of Michael Paul Smith, a gay man, who died earlier this year. Smith, reported the New York Times, founded Elgin Park. This imaginary town exists only in the photographs he took of “vintage model miniature cars” and “tiny hand-built sets,” the Times said. Smith became famous after his photos went viral when he put them on Flickr in 2010. After his death, a posting (that he wrote before he died) appeared on Flickr. Smith, it said, had “moved permanently to Elgin Park.” His partner Henry Goldberg survives him.

Because of homophobia and transphobia, the stories of queer people have often been untold. Until recent times, our stories were largely hidden from history, and even now we struggle to be included in the historical record. Obituaries help us to learn about our history. If we’re absent, as we so often have been, from obits, present and future generations won’t hear our stories. We won’t know our history.

Until recently, the New York Times and other mainstream press outlets didn’t in-

clude LGBTQ people in obituaries. Walt Whitman, one of the greatest American poets, who died in 1892, was queer. Yet, you’d never know it from perusing his obituaries. As I’ve noted previously in the Blade, the Times, the newspaper of record, didn’t mention that James Beard was gay when he died in 1983 or that Susan Sontag was queer when she passed away in 2004.

For we who are queer and have lost partners or spouses, how our dead are remembered is personal. The Washington Post added an extra layer of pain to my grief when my partner died when it described me as Anne’s “companion.”

There are reasons why we were often left out of obits. Until a short time ago, when being queer was illegal, surviving partners could have lost jobs if their sexuality or same-sex relationships were revealed.

With marriage equality, this is changing. Increasingly, our stories are being told in obituaries in the mainstream press. To ring in the New Year, raise a glass, to remember our dead and celebrate their lives.

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

Rehoboth Beach has a new star, The Pines A welcoming atmosphere, top-notch food and flawless service

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

For many years I have spent the week between Christmas and New Year in Rehoboth Beach. There have been years when it has snowed and years when you could walk the boardwalk in shorts and T-shirt. There is always a crowd and fun to be had. This year was no different. In D.C. I start my day with coffee at Java House on ‘Q’ Street while at the beach I begin my day at 7:30 a.m. at the gay-owned (Bob and Mel) Coffee Mill in the mews between Rehoboth and Baltimore avenues.

This year, the talk of the town was the much-anticipated new place to hang out with

friends, have a drink and enjoy a great meal, The Pines on Baltimore Avenue. It is a welcome addition to the block joining the grande dame of Rehoboth restaurants, the Blue Moon. I spent nearly every evening there with friends and everyone felt it was worth the long wait for the opening. It features the talented Dane Wilfong as executive chef; great bartenders among them Sutton, Chase and Anthony serving reasonably priced drinks with a wonderful selection of wines both in the restaurant and upstairs at the Top of The Pines lounge. It’s clear this is a place people will be coming back to again and again.

We had dinner reservations on Thursday and the place was packed. I recommend reservations at all times. We had drinks at the bar then were seated for what turned out to be one of the best meals I have had in Rehoboth in a long time. The place has the feel of a tavern, informal and relaxed, no uniforms for bartenders or waiters. Our waitress took our orders for more drinks, explained the menu and brought a couple of baskets of fresh warm bread with creamery butter.

The menu is interesting and diverse with plenty to choose from. There is a wide selection of appetizers, including such dishes as Citrus Cooked Tuna on salt block with asparagus slaw; Cornmeal Fried Calamari; and Hum-

mus Three Way, (Red Wine Fig, Sweet Potato, Chickpea). The selection of salads includes a wonderful roasted beet and gorgonzola, pickled stem, beet green, honeycrisp apple, candied bourbon walnuts and warm gorgonzola dressing; or a great beach caesar, grilled red oak romaine, hop Caesar, parm, pine oil, and flaked sea salt. Entrees including ginseng and honey brined/grilled pork chop with crab apple and juniper spelt pilaf, kimchi carrots and huckleberry gastrique (I had that and recommend it). Other choices include a grilled abalone mushroom vegetarian sub; a seafood pot pie I heard people rave about; black and white linguini with clams; and a selection of shared entrees for two or four.

Top of the Pines is a large room with its own bar and small tables surrounded by plush upholstered chairs. You can get a drink at the bar but there is also table service. Along with drinks you can order small plates, including such items as a cheese and charcuterie board or a lobster and truffle spaetzle mac. Desserts include a rich white chocolate and pomegranate Éclair.

Saturday night after a day of rain we went to hear John Flynn perform on the grand piano at the Top of the Pines, where we were joined by many old and new friends. There was a wonderful feeling of camaraderie. The owners of

The Pines — David Gonce, Bob Suppies and Tyler Townsend — have a real success on their hands. From Bob and David greeting people at the door to Tyler who helped deliver meals to the table they displayed great attention to every detail and made everyone feel welcome.

Rehoboth Beach continues to be a great place for the LGBTQ+ community to live and vacation. The Pines, which is gay owned, along with many other places like Aqua Grille directly across the street and the Purple Parrot on Rehoboth Avenue, have a large LGBTQ+ clientele joined by the large and welcoming straight community in Rehoboth who clearly feel totally comfortable and at ease in all these places. It is what makes Rehoboth Beach such a welcoming place to be. I can just imagine Top of the Pines with its wide balcony overlooking the Aqua deck will be a hopping place during the summer season with people going back and forth.

Each year there are more and more restaurants and shops staying open during what is considered the off-season in Rehoboth. So a trip to the beach with its milelong boardwalk for strolling, its good shopping and fine dining make for a great mini vacation any time of year.

1 4 • J A NUA RY 0 4 , 2019

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J A N U A RY 0 4 , 2 0 1 9 • 1 5

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It’s never too early to begin thinking about your long-term financial goals.

Make 2019 your year to get finances in order 401k, IRAs, power of attorney, joint filing all issues for LGBT population

By ALEX GRAHAM As we begin the new year, now, more than ever, is a good time to make a resolution to improve your financial situation. As I write this from 38,000 feet in the sky, my husband and I are doing something the LGBT community loves to do: travel and, subsequently, spend.

Before we begin this mimosa-sobering discussion, it’s pertinent to recognize the challenges our community faces, as opposed to our straight peers. According to studies by Prudential and Experian, LGBT adults tend to spend more than we save and that many of us tend to be underpaid compared to our counterparts, due in part to the lack of workplace protections and indirect discrimination. Unfortunately, it means that it’s easier to control your costs than increase your salary.

It’s easy to want to spend less, but spending less in our experiencefocused (e.g. traveling, social events,

etc) community is difficult. The first, true and tried way to do it, is set a budget.

Unlike our federal budget, when setting a personal budget, one should start with how much money is brought in.

From there, subtract fixed or required expenses, like rent, and the balance is what you get to play with.

Before we start dividing up that balance, we need to make sure we’re maximizing other “free money” that we may be ignoring. A sobering statistic is that many LGBT community members do not take advantage of employer 401k matching programs. While 401k plans are notoriously poor retirement vehicles, they still offer pre-tax deferrals and most employers offer an employer match. It’s important to always max out that match before putting a discretionary budget together. Don’t walk away from free money that you can rely on decades from now.

As you develop your budget, use an app like Mint to better understand how you spend. If you prefer to retain some level of privacy, many banks offer their own version of “spending trends” that you can use to put together a more simple budget. This is where the challenge comes into play — you’ll most likely have to alter

something in your life. It could mean less happy hours, dropping a sports league, travel more economically, etc. I’ll be upfront — it not easy or fun to choose, but every dollar you can save today will make choices easier down the road.

What to do with your savings is always dependent on your circumstances, but the general rule is to pay “bad debt” first, especially credit cards. I recommend making weekly payments to your cards to more accurately reflect your financial status. It can take months to really get good at managing your money, so don’t get discouraged if you miss your goal.

Once your budget is set and you’ve successfully begun to save money, you should start looking at moving this money into an IRA or other investment vehicle for the long run. Many firms have roboadvisors that offer lower fees and are largely self-service, but do not hesitate meeting with a human. It’s the mission of most financial firms to serve as many people as possible. Just do your research and confirm that you are the right match with your advisor. There is no harm in meeting with multiple advisors.

Finally, while the Obergefell v. Hodges decision dramatically equalized and

simplified many LGBT couples’ financial situation, there still remains a need to discuss legal concerns, such as wills and power of attorney. I normally recommend that when you begin your mid- to late-30s you should start discussing with your significant others, especially if you’re not married.

It’s important to decide who gets what when you die, but it is equally important to have a well-rounded set of trust documents, including various powers of attorney (medical, financial) that help reinforce your right to have someone you trust make decisions on your behalf.

This may be more pertinent depending on where you live and subsequent state laws. Your financial advisor should be able to refer you to a local attorney that can help make sure your documents are appropriate for your state of residence.

ALEX GRAHAM is a principal at Graham Capital Wealth Management, a registered investment advisor located on K Street. He can be reached at 202-780-7726 or alex.graham@ grahamcapitalwealth.com. Information contained herein is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or recommendations. Advice may only be provided after entering into an advisory agreement with an advisor.

Keep your promise to protect each other.

16 • J A N U A R Y 04, 2019

P SY CH I C

What’s in the cards for the year ahead Congress will come together, Chinese pandemic among ’19 predictions

By RON EVANGELISTA

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Editor’s note: Ron Evangelista is a gay psychic/tarot reader based in Columbia, Md., who provides services such as psychic readings, tarot readings, spiritual counseling, spiritual courses and more.

Evangelista gave the Washington Blade his predictions for 2019 for the U.S. government, international affairs and even groundbreaking space discoveries. For a complete list of his services and for more information, visit ronsspirtualreadings.com.

Prediction No. 1. Politically in the United States government in 2019, the first tarot card I pulled was the Four of Pentacles, which when upright represents control, stability, security, conservatism and possessions. What this means is that this prediction is about our government’s position on matters that pertain to the physical realm (which is basically what Pentacles are about in general in tarot).

In this case, the following prediction will be about the government’s role in providing humanitarian needs to common American citizens in terms of what will actually pass as legislations. This card suggests cooperation and collaboration in Congress between the two parties in passing legislations that pertain to humanitarian needs of common American citizens. I predict that more humanitarian-type bills will, eventually, after some resistance from the right (as indicated by a reversed Wheel of Fortune card), be passed (as indicated by the Justice card) through effective and sustained negotiations between the House and the Senate that will result in passing more similar bills. similar bills that A D V E R T I S IAnd N G they P R will O Oinclude F may have been set aside or forgotten ISSUE DATE: 10.26.12 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: BRIAN PITTS (bpitts@washblade.com) in the past several years. It won’t be REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of easy but I see a very thorough and proof. Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of adviC ed i a twilli not oN • L i after t i 12:01 G apm t wednesday, i o N •theaweek P Pof epublication.Brown a L S • Cnaff o pitts L L a B o r at i o N thee date• of m proof.

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I also see a very washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all By signing this proof you are agreeing to yourNine contract obligations with the liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred washington blade newspaper. This includes but is not limited to placement, important woman as the catalyst for all by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertiser’s breach of any of the foregoing representations payment and insertion schedule. and warranties. this personified by the Queen of Swords who will personally take the lead and ensure that these legislations pass.

FamiLY | eState PLaNNiNG | emPLoYmeNt | immiGratioN Prediction No. 2. Internationally, I ComPLeX LitiGatioN | CiviL riGHtS | LGBt | adoPtioN | BuSiNeSS see China as indicated by the Justice card which Spirit identified as being China.

According to the cards, some kind of at tor N e YS at L aw • d C | m d | va communicable-based pandemic illness (as indicated by the Death card) will 3 0 1 . 8 9 1 . 2 2 0 0 • S P - L aw. C o m rise in 2019 possibly during one of the 6 9 3 0 C a r r o L L av e , S u i t e 6 1 0 • ta k o m a Pa r k m d scheduled Mercury retrogrades to occur

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Tarot cards are a useful tool for helping you think of things in a new light.

in 2019 (as indicated by the Magician card which is ruled by Mercury).

If not contained millions could potentially die in China alone, possibly spread to Hong Kong and into the United States. Tens of thousands could possible die in the U.S. alone if not contained. According to the cards, it could take up to six months before a cure can be created. This pandemic may rise sometime during one of the following scheduled Mercury retrogrades: March 5-28 (in Pisces sign) July 8 (in Leo sign)Aug. 1 (in Cancer sign) Oct. 31-Nov. 20 (in Scorpio sign) Prediction No. 3. As far as outer space is concerned, the cards revealed that sometime in 2019 a known anomaly on the Moon near an area that’s on the visible edge of our moon’s dark side, will have been confirmed as actual “structures” versus rock formations as described by NASA, mainly due to the geometrical shapes of these supposed “rock formations,” that these structures were either built by man from earth’s very distant past or by some other intelligence beyond earth.

I predict that rovers or manned missions may actually be scheduled or planned in 2019 just to confirm the idea that there was a time when our own moon was colonized either by man or by other intelligence that precedes both the Apollo missions and possibly even before the dawn of early civilizations on earth.

Once confirmed that these are not “rock formations,” they would lead us to question the legitimacy of other structural anomalies discovered so far on our moon and other places in our solar system such as Mars and other planets. Challenging these findings which the cards show will take place in 2019 will most likely prompt future expeditions to be scheduled or planned to have a closer look and, once confirmed and validated by future expeditions, these discoveries will most likely rewrite earth’s history as we know it.

FI T NES S

J A N U A R Y 04, 2019 • 17

Make 2019 your year for fitness Classes, tracking devices, food journal all good steps to a better you

By JESSE JOHNSON You get an opportunity every January 1st to re-write the health and fitness page in your life story. The new year is here.

Last year might have been your best health year or maybe one of your worst.

Either way, as the year wraps up it’s time to focus on your 2019 “healthy you.”

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Here are some tips to jump start the new year:

JESSE JOHNSON is a personal trainer at VIDA Fitness U Street.

If you bite it, write it Begin your new year by tracking your nutrition. I’ve trained about 20,000 sessions and there isn’t a secret exercise I give my clients to lose weight or gain muscle. It all starts in the kitchen. Write down everything you consume (eating and drinking) and you may be surprised by what you see. Food can be a pretty intimidating subject for most of us, so seeing it all written down is a great start to making one or two changes. We are the result of our own habits, so take a good, hard look at your nutrition tracking and take action.

crazy right? Your “healthy you” race began Jan. 1 but when are you going to hit your goal and complete that race? The sun will rise and set every day, so there needs to be a firm date that you give yourself to aim for. Don’t worry if you have some hiccups along the way, it happens to the best of us. Just remember to pick yourself up and continue working out to get to your goal. It’s often said “We miss one 100 percent of the shots we don’t take” so write down your deadline somewhere you can see it daily and stand firm with your intentions.

Don’t be afraid of messing up here and there along your race. Write it down and stick to it.

Wearable technology We have so many tech toys in our daily lives, why not have one for fitness? Having a piece of equipment that tracks the number of calories you burn, the distance you’ve run or the heart rate zones you’ve maintained while working out is extraordinarily motivating. You have trackable progress.

Most heart rate monitors have an app and many reward for your hard work. Use it as a “barometer” for your efforts in the new year.

Be part of the group Exercising by yourself is great “you” time, however, when it’s bitter cold and the workday has dragged on and on, having a workout partner or a class to attend keeps you motivated. The accountability of simply “showing up” is 80 percent of the fitness battle. Working out with a friend or spouse is a simple, effective and socially beneficial method to nailing your workouts. And remember if you and your workout partner don’t feel confident on a weight room floor, take a class. From pilates to yoga to spin, the options in D.C. are endless. You’ll walk out of the class healthier than you arrived and maybe make a friend in the process.

Deadline time Imagine starting a race but not knowing where or when the race concludes. Sounds

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Is there a getaway trip planned where you might be in a bathing suit showing off a little skin? Did you buy a fabulous outfit that you can only fit into if you hit your goal? How about running your best time in an event because you’ve dropped those extra pounds? There isn’t a bad reward to give yourself for putting in the effort and doing something that you PROOF #1 ISSUE DATE: 181026 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: may have never done before. You have to believe that this change in 2019 is worth it.

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IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the NO REVISIONS Now is the time for change. Take a washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred moment to do a mental exercise and realize by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertiser’s breach of any of the foregoing representations and warranties. that with the changing of the year, you are going to make changes. Incremental or massive, change is always worth doing.

Sweating is worth doing. Responsibly eating is worth doing. Being proud of who you are becoming in this process is worth doing.

It’s 2019, so go do it!

JESSE JOHNSON is a personal trainer (and gay!) at VIDA Fitness.

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Q U E E RY : 2 0 Q U E ST I O N S F O R BI LL T H O MP SO N

B I L L T H O MPS O N How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?

Twenty-three years. My girlfriend at the time who now is my very best friend.

Who’s your LGBT hero?

Ellen DeGeneres

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

Tracks

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com Getting in shape or increasing our fitness levels are among the most common new year’s resolutions. But with so much fitness information available in books and online, what can a trainer offer?

Bill Thompson, a master personal fitness trainer at VIDA U Street for sevenplus years, says there’s a lot.

“One of the main things is helping a client find their way down a path of success and development they could not find on their own through great coaching, queuing, keeping them safe and injury/pain free,” he says.

Thompson specializes in core strength development, functional training, overall body mobility and flexibility for longevity and health.

“Aesthetics/visual muscle development comes as a byproduct of this I believe,” the Woodstock, Va., native says. “If a client desires greater muscle volumization, we can focus on the areas they desire.”

Thompson averages 30-35 clients per week. It’s his full-time work. He sees some clients three times per week, others once per week and some periodically.

He guesses about 85 percent of his clients are gay.

Clients most often are seeking increased mobility and flexibility, he says. They want to reduce pain and stiffness in their lower backs, knees, shoulders and other areas.

“Everyone wants to feel better, healthier and have more energy,” he says. “My clients also want to feel stronger and more flexible.”

Thompson says an assumption that cardio alone will result in weight loss or that weight training will make you “bulk up” too easily are among the most common misunderstandings.

He says intermittent fasting is one of the biggest trends he expects will grow this year “because it works.”

Thompson got into training because he grew up “a very skinny kid and wanted to change that.” He moved to Washington 12 years ago. He enjoys naps, staying fit, hiking and camping in his free time. He’s single and lives in Dupont Circle.

Describe your dream wedding.

On the bluffs of Big Sur, Calif., overlooking the Pacific with my closest friends and family. Intimate, beautiful with a string quartet.

What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about?

The environment/recycling/ sustainability What historical outcome would you change?

The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?

I am genuinely at a complete loss here. My pop culture awareness leaves a lot to be desired.

On what do you insist?

Kindness

What was your last Facebook post or Tweet?

I posted about 97-year-young Rose Massinger’s tragic passing in the Tree Of Life mass shooting.

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

“Be In Your Moment And Thrive In Your Moment” If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you

do?

God got it right the first time. I wouldn’t change a thing.

What do you believe in beyond the physical world?

Definitely believe in a higher power, having faith and hope.

What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders?

Be forward in your thinking on how to bring people of all walks of life together. The more we fight ignorance and learn about one another, the greater chance we have for peace.

What would you walk across hot coals for?

To save someone’s life.

What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?

That monogamous, loving, long-term relationships don’t exist and thrive.

What’s your favorite LGBT movie?

“Brokeback Mountain” What’s the most overrated social custom?

Gun ownership/use.

What trophy or prize do you most covet?

I don’t really have a trophy or prize that I covet. The feedback from clients I receive when they feel so much better physically and emotionally after a training session feels like a prize, especially so when we fix issues of pain they may be having.

What do you wish you’d known at 18?

That it was OK to be gay and God loved me just as I was.

Why Washington?

Culture, walkable, bikeable, low skyline and manageable — ‘nuff’ said.

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O U T & A BO U T

TODAY Go Gay D.C. hosts a Friday happy hour social at the Pinzimini lounge in Westin Arlington Gateway (801 N Glebe Rd., Arlington, Va.) tonight from 6-9 p.m. All are welcome. No cover. For more details, visit gogaydc.org.

Gay District meets at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) tonight from 8:30-9:30 p.m. The facilitated group discussion covers building understanding of gay culture and personal identity and awareness of community events for LGBT men between the ages of 18-35 in the D.C. area. For more details, visit gaydistrict.org.

SATURDAY, JAN. 5 OutWrite presents Unspeakable Crimes: LGBTQ Mystery Writing at East City Bookshop (645 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E.) today from 6-8 p.m. There will be selected readings from Brenda Buchanan, John Copenhaver and Cheryl Head. Sherry Harris from Sisters of Crime will moderate. For more information, visit thedccenter.org/events/ unspeakable.

The D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) hosts Daddy, a men’s jock and underwear party, tonight 8 p.m.-4 a.m. DJ Strike Walton Stone and DJ Dean Douglas will play music. Bryan Thompson will go-go dance for the night. General admission tickets are $10. VIP meet-and-greet tickets are available. For more details, visit dceagle.com.

SUNDAY, JAN. 6 The fifth edition of Glow in Georgetown holds its finale night tonight from 5-10 p.m. The light-art exhibit features installations from numerous artists set up throughout the neighborhood. The event is free and open to the public. There are also a number of walking tours attendees can choose from that incorporate the light art as well as other information such as historical facts about Georgetown or photography lessons. For more information, visit georgetownglowdc.com.

MONDAY, JAN. 7 The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) hosts coffee drop-in hours for the senior LGBT community this morning from 10 a.m.-noon.

Older LGBT adults can come and enjoy complimentary coffee and conversation with other community members. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

TUESDAY, JAN. 8

PHOTO COURTESY DUPLEX DINER

Drag queens unite for benefit Haute Dish Camp hosts a benefit for the Unite Foundation at Duplex Diner (2004 18th St., N.W.) on Saturday, Jan. 12 from 1-4 p.m.

Anne G. O’Plasty, DivaD, Judy from HR, Kiana K’Naan and more will lip-sync for charity. Regyna Rubinstein hosts the event. Tickets are $50 and include one select brunch entree of your choice and one champagne cocktail or glass of Pinot Grigio. There will also be a donation to Unite which provides youth empowerment camps in Togo and Benin, West Africa.

Visit facebook.com/duplexdiner for more details.

Queerbook photo shoot is Jan. 12 The Queerbook holds a photoshoot for LGBT performers at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) on Saturday, Jan. 12 from noon-2:30 p.m.

Queer photographer Chris Jay will snap photos to be used in a yearbook of photos of LGBT performers from around the country. There is a suggested donation ranging from $25-50 but donations are not required for a photograph. Participants are asked to come camera ready.

For more information, visit queerbook.com.

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

The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) hosts its trans support group tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. The group is meant to provide an emotional and physical safe space for transgender individuals and those questioning their gender identity. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) hosts a coming-out discussion group tonight at 7 p.m. This peer-peer-facilitated discussion will open the conversation about coming out experiences. All are welcome. For details, visit thedccenter.org.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 9 D.C. Fray Softball hosts Men Seeking Men Speed Dating at Grand Central (2447 18th St., N.W.) tonight at 7 p.m. This happy hour speed dating event is for local, single men in their 20s and 30s. Extended happy hour specials run until 10 p.m. There will also be a chance to win raffle prizes. D.C. Fray staff will guide the experience. Participants must be 21 and over. For more information, visit dcfray.com to register.

THURSDAY, JAN. 10 OutWrite presents its inaugural Queer Book Club in the lounge of the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) tonight at 7 p.m. The group will discuss “Dodging and Burning” by John Carpenter. All are welcome. For more details, visit thedccenter.org.

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LA Times

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True-life arson mystery ignites ‘The Library Book’

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

The possibilities seem endless.

Row upon row of books awaits you, each representing a fact to learn, a crime to solve, a future to visit, a place to explore or a life to share. Your local library holds old tales and new stories but in “The Library Book” by Susan Orlean, it can hold a community together, too.

The fire alarm was known to be faulty at the Los Angeles Public Library. It was always going off for no reason; patrons knew it, as did staff. So when the alarm screamed again on the morning of April 28, 1986, most people there vacated the library with an air of unconcerned beenthere-done-this.

Within minutes, it became obvious this was no false alarm.

Because of how the library had been constructed decades prior, what started as a small fire in a small area soon became a conflagration. Boosted by architecture, the fire fed on itself until, mere hours later, millions of books, manuscripts, priceless documents, maps, collector’s items and operating equipment were lost. It was the largest library fire at that time in the United States.

Throughout its existence, the library had seen its share of history within the city. It had become a beloved home for bookworms, a resource for the homeless and a place for learning. Recognizing what

its loss could represent, Los Angelinos sprang into action, filmmakers made donations, citizens held fundraisers and institutions around the world showed their support. Alas, many of the materials were lost forever.

In the days after the fire, tips poured in and one of them led investigators to Harry Peak, a charming gay “people pleaser” who was also unreliable. Peak ultimately confessed to the crime of arson.

And then he unconfessed. In months to come, in fact, he changed his story as easily as he changed clothes, baffling authorities. Was Harry Peak a firebug? Or was he just a guy who craved attention and would stretch a story to get it?

Here’s why you’re going to fall in love with author Susan Orlean: in her quest for full knowledge on this subject, she decided to burn a book (gasp!), a task that gave her knife-sharp anguish that only a book lover can know. Indeed, much of this account will hurt your soul, if you’re someone who loves books.

But that’s not all you’ll find in “The Library Book.”

While crime solving itself is fascinating, Orlean takes her book to a most satisfying next step, and reading it is like wearing a piece of jewelry: the story of the fire and its aftermath is the gold at the base, holding everything together — irresistible, but not quite enough. Orlean’s curiosity for and explanations of the inner workings of a large library are the jewels. They are what make this book sparkle.

Book lovers and library users should read it for its behind-the-scenes, not-so secrets. This book seems meant just for you who adore the written word, so clear your calendar and open “The Library Book.”

You know where to find a copy.

‘THE LIBRARY BOOK’

By Susan Orlean Simon & Schuster $28 321 pages

Ashley Shaw and Andrew Monaghan, photo by Hugo Glendinning

Books on fire

January 15–20, 2019 Opera House Kennedy-Center.org (202) 467-4600

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

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Full Name: Christopher J. Chung Occupation: Disaster Risk Management Specialist Favorite Local Restaurant: G Favorite Local Bar/Lounge: Eaton DC Favorite Vacation Spot: The Mediterranean Favorite Charities: Missionaries of Charity; GMHC Favorite Thing to Do on a Weekend: Hop in a car and explore DC’s surroundings

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REALESTATE

Buying a home before you planned Sometimes your timeline sees dramatic changes

By ALLISON GOODHART DuSHUTTLE We’ve had several clients recently buy homes long before they thought they would. These clients came in for meetings and told us that they wouldn’t be buying for at least a year. Four months later, they’re in a new home. We’re seeing this happen time and again so we thought we’d take a moment to examine this trend of buying a home before you planned on doing so.

Once buyers start thinking about a move and talking to a Realtor, the house hunting process tends to speed up. Buyers begin to envision themselves in their new neighborhood or city and in their new space. They get excited about the thought of more (or less) space or perhaps a more urban lifestyle. Once they start touring homes, they begin to realize just how much they want (and/or need) to be in a new home.

Why is it happening so much now?

Historically, we see the spring market really kick off President’s Day weekend and sometimes even as early as MLK

It’s not uncommon for house hunters to dramatically speed up their timeline for making a purchase.

weekend.

We think the reason is twofold. First, is economics 101. Major economic indicators continue to be strong. Additionally, the Fed is likely to raise interest rates in the coming months. People thinking of making a move have accelerated their plans to do so.

Another key factor is very low housing inventory in the D.C. market. House hunters are jumping on properties that fit the bill, knowing that competition is only going to intensify in the months ahead.

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

We had two sets of recent clients buying a home before they had planned for the first time. During those initial meetings, both couples said they planned to wait a year or so before buying. However, once they got the ball rolling by talking to a lender, setting up searches to start looking at options, etc. their excitement (and seriousness) intensified.

Both couples began actively touring neighborhoods and properties and were in new homes within three months of our initial meetings.

Another couple, parents of past clients of ours, were relocating to our area from out of state to be closer to family. Before doing so, they planned to sell their outof-state home first and make the move to the D.C. area in a year. While they were in town for the holidays, they came into the office for a meeting and initial strategy session. Sue took them on a neighborhood orientation tour so they could scope out the various neighborhoods in their price range near their grandkids. On that tour, they fell in love with a home that suited their needs perfectly. The ended up going for it – and getting it! As a result, they bought before they sold, which was not their initial plan. However, they ended up with the perfect home and are now able to spend lots of additional time with their grandchildren.

The Bottom Line Whatever your target time frame is for a move, preparing early is the key. First, talk with a Realtor (and lender) early in the process. We can’t stress this enough if considering buying a home before you planned on doing so. It will position you to move quickly when you do find the right property. By looking closely at searches and listings your agent sends, you’ll begin to narrow in on what area and home styles you like the best. Perhaps most importantly, signing on with an agent early will provide you access to properties long before they hit the market. We’ve helped several clients buy (and sell) homes before they ever went live. Working with an agent is particularly important in a tight and competitive housing market like our current one.

If you are thinking of a move, please reach out today. We’d love to get the conversation started and help you find your next home.

ALLISON GOODHART DUSHUTTLE is with Compass Real Estate. In 2017, the Goodhart Group helped 120 clients achieve their real estate goals. Led by Sue and Allison Goodhart, they have been named a Top Agent by both Washingtonian and Northern Virginia magazines. Allison can be reached at 703362-3221 or allison@thegoodhartgroup.com.

There once was a woman who lived in a shoe – now I know I can find something better for you.

VALERIE M. BLAKE, Associate Broker, GRI, Director of Education & Mentorship

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All Classified Ads - Including Regular & Adult Must Be Received

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All Classified Ads - Including Regular & Adult Must Be Received

By Mondays at 5PM So They Can Be Included in That Weeks Edition of Washington Blade and washingtonblade.com

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Help us find D.C.’s top 20 LGBT singles for the Blade’s Singles Issue on February 8th, then meet them at the Singles Party on February 9th.

Nominate yourself or your friends from January 3rd-14th at

washingtonblade.com/singles