Washingtonblade.com, Volume 50, Issue 11, March 15, 2019 by Washington Blade

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MA RCH 15, 2019 • VOLUME 50 • I S S UE 11 • WA S HI N GTONB LAD E.CO M

Blazer: Nesley 50400311 $595 Trousers: T-Gary 50394615 $298 Shirt: T-Christo 50394374 $248

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Cuts to Medicare Drug Coverage Will Put Patient Health at Risk. New insurance rules come between doctors and patients Millions of people with serious diseases like cancer, epilepsy, mental health conditions and HIV are being targeted for insurance company cuts to their Medicare drug coverage. A one-size-fits-all approach could deny patients access to the individualized therapies they depend on. And these new Medicare rules will only lower costs 0.01% over ten years, while today’s treatments are saving taxpayers many billions more by helping patients live healthier lives. Government restrictions on the therapies a doctor can prescribe will put patient health at risk.

Call the White House at 202-456-1111. Protect Medicare Drug Coverage.

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House Democrats this week announced the return of the Equality Act, a sweeping LGBT rights bill that has failed twice previously. PAGE 12

Looking back: 50 years of

Cannabis Culture

the Blade

Gay Families

Comings & Goings

Viewpoint

Hung jury in trans murder

Martick’s faces demolition

case sparks courthouse protest 11 12

in Baltimore 36

Stein Club calls for Evans to resign from committee post

Easy on the gas

Equality Act returns —

More fries anyone?

with House Democrats in

Brutal, sexual ‘Basel’

majority

March movie madness

Trump’s trans military ban

New Year, more of the

set to begin April 12 16

Trump seeks $300 million to beat HIV, but cuts global programs

same D.C. housing trends 46

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A St. Patrick’s Day turning point in 2016 It was a proud day in 2016 when the board of directors of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York finally — after years of protest for inclusion — invited the LGBT group The Lavender & Green Alliance to the event for the first time. A counter parade, St. Pat’s For All, had been held since 2000. So what took so long? The event has long and deep roots in the Catholic Church that made inclusion a thorny issue for organizing body The Ancient Order of Hibernians. But justice finally prevailed. The Blade covered it in its March 11, 2016 edition.

On the occasion of our 50th anniversary year, the Blade is looking for couples to profile who met via Blade classified ads and are still together. If interested, please contact Features Editor Joey DiGuglielmo at joeyd@washblade.com or 202-731-0829. 0 6 • WAS H IN GTO N B LAD E.CO M • M AR C H 1 5 , 2 0 1 9

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Comings & Goings Studio Theatre hires new marketing executive 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 David “DJ” Johnson, the new vice president of membership and volunteer DAVID ‘DJ’ JOHNSON engagement for the Association for Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. AWHONN is a professional society focused on promoting the health of women and newborns. Known as “DJ” to friends and colleagues, he has helped advance the missions of nonprofit associations including the American Society of Interior Designers; Drug Information Association –– Global Center Office; National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association; and American Society of Association Executives: The MIKE FILA Photo by Cassidy Duhon Center for Association Leadership. In 2016, DJ was selected to be a member of the 2016-2018 class of the ASAE Diversity Executive Leadership Program scholars, a program intended to help association executives that are underrepresented in the C-suite reach the senior staff or CEO level. In 2013, he gained the dual honors of being named one of Association Forum’s “40 Under 40” exemplary association executives and one of Association Trends Magazine Young & Aspiring Association Professionals. PETER MORGAN A resident of Washington, D.C., DJ is a soughtafter presenter and facilitator. He earned the Certified Association Executive credential in 2008 and holds the Institute for Organization Management recognition from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He earned his bachelor’s in journalism from Indiana University. Congratulations also to Mike Fila the new associate director of marketing and communications for the Studio Theatre. Fila had been director of public relations for Bucklesweet, a boutique public relations and marketing firm representing national and regional arts organizations, musicians, and artists. There he led strategy on media relations, social media content creation, tour support, and marketing communications for a diverse portfolio of clients, including performing arts presenters, large-scale festivals, solo artists, conductors, and ensembles. He handled direct press efforts and managed social media for the 2018 Women’s Voices Theater Festival, a collaboration among 24 theaters in the D.C. area. Prior to that he was associate director of public relations & marketing for the Strathmore, a multi-disciplinary performing arts center. Fila has been active in SMYAL as a member of its annual brunch fundraising committee and is a member of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington. He earned his bachelor’s in Mass Communication & Political Science, from Towson University. Congratulations also to Peter Morgan the new executive director of the D.C. Shorts International Film Festival. He is taking over for Kimberly Bush who is joining the board of directors of D.C. Shorts and will continue to be involved in that capacity. D.C. Shorts showcases the largest collection of short films on the East Coast. Now in its 12th year they expect hundreds of filmmakers and thousands of audience members to mix, mingle and explore the world of short cinema. The 2018 D.C. Shorts Film Festival showcased one of the largest collections of short films in the U.S. Out of more than 1,200 entries from around the globe their programmers selected 130+ unique films in 18 showcases that reflect the 30 nations they represent — and bring a worldview to D.C. Morgan is the principal/ owner of Morgan Link, Marketing, LLC and is the chapter leader of Gay For Good – Washington D.C.

Gay man leaves D.C. Stonewall exhibit, told he’s ‘going to burn in hell’ by Lyft driver Second recent incident involving homophobic drivers By KEVIN NAFF KNAFF@WASHBLADE.COM A gay D.C. man claims his Lyft driver told him he was “going to burn in hell” after being picked up at the Newseum leaving a new exhibit on the Stonewall riots and the LGBTQ rights movement. Greg Alexander attended a private dinner opening of the “Rise Up” exhibit on March 7 as a guest of the Washington Blade, which is a sponsor. At about 9 p.m., he says he called the Lyft car service to pick him up at the Newseum. He began talking to the driver, who asked what exhibit he’d seen. Alexander responded, “It’s for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots … which helped launch the gay rights movement.” Alexander said the driver, identified only as Jeremy, responded, “Gay rights? What is that? Is this a new movement?” before adding, “There is no need for gay rights.” As the car approached Alexander’s apartment, the driver allegedly said, “Greg, can I ask you something? Has anyone ever told you that God loves you?” The driver then started chanting biblical verses and said, “Please God grant Greg salvation! He needs to accept Jesus Christ as his savior,” Alexander reports. “I started getting very nervous and felt unsafe,” Alexander told the Blade. When he asked the driver to unlock the door, he replied, “Not until you pray with me.” Alexander refused and opened the door and then asked the driver what he thought would happen to him as a gay man. “You will burn in hell,” the driver replied, according to Alexander. “God loves everyone but he hates your sin.” Alexander filed a complaint with Lyft immediately after the incident. He received an automated reply promising a follow-up email once the formal review process was underway but hadn’t heard anything as of Monday. That changed on Tuesday, following online publication of a Blade story about the incident. Alexander said Lyft followed up with him and that the driver had been terminated. Campbell Matthews, a Lyft communications manager, confirmed the driver’s firing in an email to the Blade. She wrote: “The behavior described is absolutely unacceptable. Safety is our top priority and there is no place in our community for harassment or

discrimination of any kind. We have permanently banned the driver from the Lyft platform and reached out to the passenger to offer our support.” Alexander’s report is similar to another recent report of a Lyft driver verbally attacking a gay customer. A gay man said he filed a complaint with Lyft after one of its drivers ordered him to leave his car on Feb. 16 when the gay passenger mentioned he has a husband. “On Friday night/Saturday morning at 2:05 a.m. a Lyft driver said ‘please get out of my car’ after hearing ‘my husband,’” Arlington, Va., resident Matt Johnson told the Blade. “He then reported my ride as a ‘no show,’ which created a $5 charge, despite the pickup occurring in front of my Dupont Circle job (Dupont Italian Kitchen) and with 4 witnesses,” Johnson said in his email. Johnson provided the Blade with a copy of a statement he received from a representative of Lyft’s Trust and Safety Department in response to his complaint about the incident. “This sort of behavior by a driver is a violation of our Terms of Service and is something we absolutely do not tolerate in the Lyft community,” said the representative, who identified himself only as Miles. “I can assure you that the concerns you have brought to our attention have been investigated, and I have followed up with this individual to take the appropriate and necessary actions,” the statement says. Johnson, who also works at the Arlington gay bar Freddie’s Beach Bar, said Lyft reimbursed the $5 charge but didn’t answer his question about what, if any, specific action was taken with the driver, who was identified only as Bryon. In response to an inquiry from the Blade, Lyft spokesperson Matthews said the company takes reports like this seriously. “Safety is Lyft’s top priority and there is no place in the Lyft community for discrimination of any kind,” he said. “Immediately upon learning of the incident, we reached out to the driver to find out more and reached out to the passenger to offer support,” Campbell told the Blade in an email. (Lou Chibbaro Jr. contributed to this report)

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Hung jury in trans murder case sparks courthouse protest Attorney’s office explains hate crime policy, will retry Dodds case By LOU CHIBBARO JR. LCHIBBARO@WASHBLADE.COM

About 70 demonstrators turned out this week to protest a hung jury outcome in the murder of transgender woman Deeniquia ‘Dee Dee’ Dodds. Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

About 70 transgender activists and their supporters turned out on Tuesday for a protest outside the D.C. Superior Court building after a trial at the courthouse of two men charged with the 2016 murder of transgender woman Deeniquia “Dee Dee” Dodds, 22, ended last week with a hung jury. Organizers of the protest pointed out that the deadlocked jury in the Dodds case marked the second time in less than two years that male perpetrators charged in the murder of young transgender women of color in D.C. ended without a conviction. In August 2017, a Superior Court jury found a D.C. man charged in the 2012 stabbing death of 23-year-old transgender woman Deoni Jones at a Northeast D.C. bus stop not guilty. Similar to the Dodds case, police and prosecutors said they believed the evidence against Gary Montgomery, 55, who was charged in the Jones case was strong and convincing. Tuesday’s protest organizers, led by the D.C. LGBT community services center Casa Ruby, said the latest two cases were among at least 19 murders of transgender women in D.C. since 1991 in which the cases remain unsolved or the male defendants charged in the murders were not convicted. Noting that most of the transgender murder victims in D.C. have been young trans women of color, Casa Ruby Executive Director Ruby Corado told protesters the city’s criminal justice system was failing the trans community and creating a chilling effect for young trans people. “What are we teaching the young people when they are gunned down on

the streets of this city and their murderers go unpunished?” said Corado. “What are we teaching our young people about the value of their lives?” she said. “That is the reason why we’re here because we must change the narrative that is telling our young people that their lives have no value,” Corado said. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, which prosecutes criminal cases in D.C., told the Blade on Tuesday that it has decided to retry the two men charged in the Dodds murder following the hung jury on the murder charge that ended their first trial on March 6. Monte Johnson, 23, and Jolonta Little, 28, were charged with first-degree felony murder while armed, conspiracy, and multiple robbery and gun possession charges in connection with the Dodds murder. Prosecutors said Johnson, Little and two other men allegedly conspired to target transgender women for armed robberies in the early morning hours of July 4, 2018 because they believed they would be easy targets. Prosecutors said Dodds was among at least seven trans women that the men targeted that night. The two other men, Cyheme Hall, 23, and his brother, Shareem Hall, 25, had been charged along with Little and Johnson with first-degree murder while armed in connection with the Dodds murder. But prosecutors informed the jury at the start of the trial for Johnson and Little that the Hall brothers agreed to become cooperating witnesses for the government after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the Dodds case.

In his testimony at the trial, Cyheme Hall told the jury it was Johnson who fatally shot Dodds in the neck at point blank range after she fought back by grabbing the barrel of Johnson’s handgun after he and Johnson attempted to rob her on Division Avenue, N.E., as she was walking to her nearby home. Defense attorneys for Johnson and Little urged the jury to discount the testimony by the Hall brothers, who they said were habitual liars interested only in telling prosecutors what they wanted to hear to get off with a lighter prison sentence. While the jury was deadlocked on the murder, conspiracy and several other robbery related charges, it found Johnson not guilty on seven of the 15 other charges filed against him. It found Little not guilty on five of the 15 other charges filed against him. The jury found Little guilty of a single count of carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, the only guilty verdict it handed down in the Dodds case. Meanwhile, in a development that raised concern among LGBT activists, especially transgender activists, Superior Court Judge Milton Lee, who presided over the trial, granted separate motions by the defense and prosecutors to dismiss a hate crime enhancement designation for the murder charge and other charges against Johnson and Little. Lee said he dismissed the hate crime designation because he considered the evidence supporting such a designation insufficient. Knowledgeable observers of criminal trials, including D.C defense attorney Sheryl Stein who specializes in criminal law, said hate crime designations are often hard to prove because a jury must decide whether a defendant’s motive for a particular crime is hatred or bias based on the victim’s status such as race, religion, sexual orientation, and transgender status. “A hate crime is hard to prove,” Stein told the Blade. “If a prosecutor over charges a case with a hate crime enhancement they could lose on the other charges with stronger evidence,” she said. But several of the transgender activists at the courthouse protest on Tuesday said the perception of the judge’s dismissal of the hate crime designation in the Dodds case and numerous past cases in which prosecutors with the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office have declined to list cases of antiLGBT violence as hate crimes leaves the activists with the perception that the system is biased against trans and LGBT

crime victims. “Today we’re here because we know that in D.C., the city that most of us call home, we know that trans people, and in particular trans people of color, are hurting and they deserve better,” said Mateo De La Torre, a transgender man who works for the National Center for Transgender Equality. De La Torre and others speaking at the protest called on the trans community and its allies to help draw attention to what they believe is a flawed criminal justice system for many in the trans community so that steps can be taken to improve it. “Yes, we need the MPD do to better,” said Del La Torre. “We need the court system to do better. We need the D.C. Council to do better. And we need the press to do better as well.” Joeann Lewis, Dee Dee Dodds’ mother, told protesters the outcome of the trial for the men charged with killing her daughter was devastating to her and other family members, who took turns attending the trial each day for nearly a month. “My daughter was a beautiful person,” she said. “I am hurting so bad that the system failed her for this hung jury,” she told the gathering. “It makes me feel like, hey, the system is saying she is transgender. She died. She doesn’t matter,” said Lewis. “She does matter. All of our transgenders matter. All our gay people matter.” Upon learning of the outcome of the trial in the Dodds case, Judean Jones, the mother of trans murder victim Deoni Jones, released a statement to the Washington Blade expressing solidarity with the Dodds family and raising concerns about the judicial system and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Jones and her husband Alvin Bethea criticized the U.S. Attorney’s office for not listing the murder of their daughter a hate crime. “I stand with the Dodds family and friends and the LGBTQ community to say we are again having to witness and experience this miscarriage of justice at the hands of the United States Attorney’s Office and judge,” she said. Corado, however, told the Blade she met with representatives of the U.S. Attorney’s Office recently, saying “they are committed to working with us and the young people” on trans cases. Other speakers at the protest, including Lisa Jones of the D.C. sex worker advocacy group HIPS, and veteran D.C. transgender activist Dee Curry, criticized D.C. police for stepping up arrests of trans female

Continues on page 11

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Stein Club calls for Evans to resign from committee post But LGBT group rejects call for removal from Council By LOU CHIBBARO JR. LCHIBBARO@WASHBLADE.COM

allegations against or assuming to know the result of any ongoing investigation with regard to Councilmember Evans, we are deeply troubled by those allegations, his responses to them to date, and the ethical implications should they be proven true,” the Stein Club resolution states, “particularly in light of the documents that have been made public in which the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club’s name was mentioned by Councilmember Evans.” Capozzi said that provision in the resolution refers to one of Evans’ emails obtained by the Washington Post in which he solicited business from the international law firm Nelson Mullins, which has offices in D.C. In his email to the law firm Evans listed nine organizations with which he had an affiliation or membership, including the Stein Club, the ACLU, and the Sierra Club, among other groups. Longtime Stein Club member Cartwright Moore, the only one to vote no on the resolution approved by the club, said Evans has been a longstanding friend and

supporter of the LGBT community and the club should not declare him “guilty” before he has a chance to fully defend himself. “We don’t want to be seen as a fair weather friend,” he said. A spokesperson for Evans’ Council office couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. In a related development, the Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance, D.C.’s oldest continuously active LGBT rights organization, is calling for Evans to step down as chair of the Council’s Committee on Finance and Revenue while he remains under investigation. “It is painful to see a longtime ally accused of impropriety and possible criminal behavior,” said GLAA President Bobbi Strang. “But having followed recent developments, and in light of the evidence that Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans misused his public office for personal gain, we must urge that he step aside as chair of the Committee on Finance and Revenue and abstain from participating as a voting member of the committee,” Strang said.

U.S. Attorney’s Office explains hate crime policy Continued from page 10 Council member JACK EVANS is in hot water over allegations he offered to use his Council position to assist clients. Washington Blade photo by Pete Exis

The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, D.C.’s largest local LGBT political group, approved a resolution Monday night calling for D.C. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) to temporarily resign from his position as chair of an influential Council committee and from his post as National Committeeman from D.C. to the Democratic National Committee. But nearly all of the 16 members in attendance at the club’s regularly scheduled monthly meeting on March 11 voted ‘no’ to defeat another proposed resolution calling on Evans to resign from the Council. The Stein Club resolutions surfaced at a time when Evans has come under heavy criticism for allegedly using his Council email to solicit business for his private consulting and lobbying firm, NSE Consulting LLC, from law firms that have sought or conducted business with the D.C. government, according to a report last week by the Washington Post. The Post reported that Evans allegedly offered to use his influence and connections in his role as the Council’s longest serving member, his position as chair of the Council’s Committee on Finance and Revenue, and his role as chair of the board of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, or Metro, to help the law firm’s clients. In a development that startled the city’s political establishment, the Post also reported last week that federal prosecutors investigating Evans’ business connections served subpoenas on each of Evans’ 12 Council colleagues and on the office of Mayor Muriel Bowser requesting “a wide

range of information” related to Evans and his “constellation of private legal and consulting clients.” LGBT activists for years have considered Evans to be the Council’s strongest supporter of LGBT rights. During the past week he has apologized to his constituents, fellow Council members, and local Democratic Party leaders for what he called a “mistake” in using his Council email to contact potential business clients. But he has declined to discuss the specifics of his outside business interests and whether they may present a conflict of interest for his role as a Council member, the Post reported. Under the D.C.Home Rule Act,which serves as the local city government’s constitution, City Council members are considered to be parttime government employees and there are no restrictions to their working in outside jobs or engaging in business. All but one of the Stein Club members attending its Monday night meeting voted yes for the resolution calling for Evans to step down from his position as the city’s National Committeeman for the DNC. The same resolution also calls on Evans to “fully disclose the records of his lobbying/ consulting firm, NSE Consulting LLC, including the client list, the amount paid, and the nature of the work conducted on behalf of its clients.” The resolution was introduced by longtime club member and Democratic Party activist John Capozzi. Capozzi urged the club to join numerous other local progressive organizations that have asked Evans to step down from his party leadership position. “Whereas while we are not seeking to play judge or jury regarding any

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sex workers at a time when the city’s murder rate is rising and LGBT-related hate crimes continue to account for more than half of all hate crimes in the District. “It is amazing to me that in a city that has an increase in gun violence and murder that the police are going after in a much bigger way people who are committing commercial sex work and doing little when it comes to the people who are killing us or maiming us or doing harm to us,” Curry told the crowd at the protest. “We have got to say enough is enough.” Others who spoke at the rally were trans activist Tiffany McGee of the Baltimore group Safe Haven; Achim Jeremiah Howard, a trans man and founder of the group Trans Men Rising; Bishop Allyson Nelson Abrams, pastor of D.C.’s Empowerment Liberation Cathedral; Kisha Allure, Casa Ruby’s Crime Victims Manager; and veteran D.C. trans activist Kimberly Gordon. In a related development, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says it’s committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who commit “bias related crimes” in the District of Columbia, according to the office’s spokesperson, William Miller. In response to a request from the Blade, Miller released a statement explaining his office’s policy and procedures for prosecuting hate crimes at a time when transgender activists have criticized the office for seeking the dismissal of a hate crime designation for one of two men charged in the July 2016 murder of Dodds. Miller told the Blade the U.S. Attorneys’ Office plans to retry Little and Johnson on the murder charge but declined to provide further details, saying his office never comments on pending cases. Miller declined to say why prosecutors wanted the hate crime designation dropped against Johnson, but legal observers have said it most likely was because prosecutors determined the evidence they had to support the hate crime designation wasn’t strong enough. Lee cited a lack of sufficient evidence as his reason for dismissing the designation against both defendants. “We seek [hate crime] enhancements in cases that we believe will meet the legal threshold in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia,” the statement released by Miller says. “In order to meet that standard, we must be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed a specific criminal act covered by federal or D.C. law and that the crime was motivated by prejudice,” the statement continues. “In assessing whether the crime was committed because of specific bias, we carefully evaluate factors such as the words used by defendants while committing the crimes, the use of symbols of hatred, patterns of conduct on the part of the defendants, and any other information that indicates that the defendants were motivated in whole or in part by animus against a particular group,” the statement says. “We investigate those cases flagged by our law enforcement partners as well as others that come to our attention,” it says. “As in all of our matters, we make decisions based on the applicable law and the facts and circumstances of each case.”

Equality Act returns — with House Democrats in majority Historic bill would enshrine LGBT protections in federal law By CHRIS JOHNSON

House Speaker NANCY PELOSI (D-Calif.) last week announcing that the Equality Act would be reintroduced. Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key

Optimistic about the prospects of enshrining a prohibition on anti-LGBT discrimination into federal law with a new Democratic majority in the U.S. House, Democrats on Wednesday introduced legislation known as the Equality Act to make that long-sought goal a reality. Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) chief sponsors of the Equality Act in their respective chambers of Congress, were set Wednesday to trumpet the introduction of the legislation with great fanfare during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol. 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 anti-LGBT discrimination. Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement passage of the Equality Act was essential to prohibiting anti-LGBT discrimination. “The harsh reality is that LGBTQ Americans still face real and persistent discrimination in their everyday lives,” Griffin said. “The new pro-equality majority

in Congress has the chance to finally ensure LGBTQ people’s rights are not determined by what side of a city or state line they live on. With the unprecedented backing of 70 percent of Americans, more than 280 members of Congress, 165 leading businesses and 288 organizations from across the country, now is the time to pass the bipartisan Equality Act.” Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said in a statement the Equality Act would address the high rate of discrimination against transgender people. “The Equality Act is the long overdue next chapter in our nation’s struggle against the forces of prejudice, animus, and hate,” Keisling said. “The introduction of this bill marks a historic opportunity to improve the lives of tens of millions of people across the country, including nearly 2 million transgender people. Too many of us endure hatred, prejudice, and violence throughout our lives, often waged by those who feel their bias is legally sanctioned by our government’s inaction.” The legislation has more than 230 co-sponsors in the U.S. House and 46 co-sponsors in the U.S. Senate. Those numbers represent the strongest level of support the bill has ever enjoyed in Congress. In the House, the number of cosponsors is well above the 218 needed for majority passage of the bill. The only Republicans who co-sponsor the bill are Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Rep. John Kapko (N.Y.) and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. Fitzpatrick explained his support in a statement to the Blade.

“LGBTQ Americans are part of the fabric of our society and should be free to exercise the rights guaranteed to every American by the Constitution to participate fully in our society and pursue every opportunity,” Fitzpatrick said. “The Equality Act will protect Americans from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity because discrimination against the LGBTQ community is an injustice which must be confronted.” For the first time, the Equality Act is introduced with Democrats in control of at least one chamber of Congress, giving the bill room for early movement. Civil rights groups other than LGBT advocates are pointing to the Equality Act’s expansion of the Civil Rights Act’s protections for public accommodations and on the basis of sex as additional reasons to support the bill. Fatima Goss Graves, CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, said in a statement the Equality Act “closes longstanding gaps in civil rights law by adding new protections from discrimination on the basis of sex.” “For a transgender woman who loses her job because of employer discrimination, or a child turned away from a doctor’s office because they have two parents of the same gender, or a woman being refused her birth control prescription at a local pharmacy, or for someone excluded from public places for choosing to breastfeed — there would now be a clear remedy,” Graves said. “In the midst of the #MeToo movement, this legislation would also give new protections to survivors, from those facing inadequate responses from police departments to those facing harassment in restaurants or public transportation. The bottom line is this bill protects the civil rights of all people, and it’s vital and long overdue that it becomes law.” Historically, the legislation hasn’t enjoyed full support of civil rights groups, which have said they support of the goals of the Equality Act without providing a full-throated endorsement. These groups have expressed concerns about opening up the Civil Rights Act to amendments in congressional debate that could water down the historic law. But LGBT advocates have insisted they would pull support for the Equality Act if the amendment process compromised the Civil Rights Act and the views of civil rights groups seem to have evolved. Vanita Gupta, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights, came out in full support of the Equality Act upon its reintroduction. “Discrimination is wrong,” Gupta said.

“But in 30 states, people can fire, refuse housing, or deny services to LGBTQ people simply because of who they are and who they love. We need clarity in federal civil rights statutes that help ensure equal opportunity and dignity for all LGBTQ individuals in America. This clarification must protect existing provisions of core civil rights statutes by expanding them and not rolling them back in any way. We urge Congress to pass the Equality Act.” Despite the confidence about passage of the bill in the House, the other chamber of Congress and the White House are another matter. The Republicans a have 55-member majority in the Senate and President Trump has built an anti-LGBT record that makes it unlikely he’d support the legislation. Among the opponents of the Equality Act is the anti-LGBT legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, which issued a statement arguing the legislation would undermine the First Amendment. “Our laws should respect the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of every citizen, but the so-called ‘Equality Act’ fails to meet this basic standard,” ADF Senior Vice President Kristen Waggoner said. “It would undermine women’s equality and force women and girls to share private, intimate spaces with men who identify as female, in addition to denying women fair competition in sports. Like similar state and local laws, it would force Americans to participate in events and speak messages that violate their core beliefs. In the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, ADF argued the First Amendment guaranteed Colorado baker Jack Phillips to right to refuse to make a custom-made wedding cake for same-sex couples on religious grounds. The Supreme Court last year ruled for Phillips, but narrowly and based on the facts of the case, not First Amendment grounds. Supporters of the Equality Act may cling to the hope Trump would support the legislation based on comments he made in 2000 exploring a presidential run as a Reform Party candidate. At the time, Trump said he likes the idea of amending the Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation, which is a key component of the Equality Act. Over the past two years, the Washington Blade has repeatedly submitted requests to the White House seeking comment on whether Trump still holds that view and would support including transgender protections in the bill. The Blade renewed that request today and asked whether he’d support the Equality Act, but the White House didn’t respond.

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Trump’s trans military ban set to begin April 12 Critics call it ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ for trans troops By CHRIS JOHNSON CJOHNSON@WASHBLADE.COM

President TRUMP’s transgender military policy says ‘a history of gender dysphoria is disqualifying.’ Washington Blade photo by Lee Whitman

With court orders barring President Trump from enforcing his transgender military ban out of the way, the Defense Department late Tuesday unveiled its plan to make the policy a reality, announcing it would begin April 12. A 15-page memo signed by David Norquirst, who’s performing the duties of deputy secretary of defense, spells out the timeline, procedures and potential exemptions for implementing the plan ordered by Trump and created by former Defense Secretary James Mattis. As stated on the first page of the memo, the new policy “is effective April 12, 2019.” On the date, the policy of open transgender service as implemented June 30, 2016 during the Obama administration will come to an end after nearly three years. The memo takes great pains to demonstrate the policy isn’t a ban because it allows transgender people to enlist, provided they have no diagnosis of gender dysphoria and are willing to serve in their biological sex. “When a standard, requirement, or policy depends on whether the individual is a male or a female (e.g., medical fitness for duty; physical fitness and body fat standards; berthing, bathroom, and shower facilities; and uniform and grooming standards), all persons will be subject to the standard, requirement or policy associated with their biological sex,” the memo says. The memo also includes an exemption to the ban in certain circumstances. These cases include a transgender person with gender dysphoria who enters into a contract to enlist before the new policy takes effect and has remained stable in their gender identity for 18 months. “A history of gender dysphoria is disqualifying, unless, as certified by a

licensed mental health provider, the applicant has been stable without clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning for 18 months,” the memo says. As outlined in the Mattis plan last year, that provision would suggest transgender people in the military who came out during the current policy would be able to stay in the armed forces. According to the Williams Institute at University of California, Los Angeles, an estimated 15,500 transgender people are in the armed forces. A 2016 RAND Corp. study came up with a smaller number, estimating between 1,320 to 6,630 are currently on active duty. Transgender people who obtain an exemption also appear to be eligible for transition-related care, including gender reassignment surgery, through the military health care system. “Service members who are exempt may continue to receive all medically necessary treatment, as defined in DoDI 1300.28,” which is the policy outlined during the Obama administration when former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter first implemented transgender military service. Individuals won’t be eligible for an exemption, however, in other situations, such as having “a history of cross-sex hormone therapy or a history of sex reassignment or genital reconstruction surgery is disqualifying.” Moreover, a waiver system seems to be part of the policy. These waivers will be granted “in whole or in part, to the requirements in this attachment in individual cases,” the memo says. Transgender advocates shredded the plan as a discriminatory effort to prohibit qualified individuals from joining the armed forces.

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Harper Jean Tobin, director of policy for the National Center for Transgender Equality, said in a statement the policy represents a “looming purge” and “an unprecedented step backward in the social and civil progress of our country and our military.” “Throughout our nation’s history, we have seen arbitrary barriers in our military replaced with inclusion and equal standards,” Tobin said, “This is the first time in American history such a step forward has been reversed, and it is a severe blow to the military and to the nation’s values.” Aaron Belkin, director of the San Francisco-based Palm Center, told the Washington Blade the waivers to the ban aren’t significant and the policy as a whole amounts to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” “This is a ban that affects all transgender troops in a similar way that ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ affected gay and lesbian troops,” Belkin said. “Now we know that during ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ that didn’t mean that every gay and lesbian person was fired and the same phenomenon is going to be true here, where the transgender ban will burden all transgender troops, but that doesn’t mean they’ll all be fired.” Belkin estimated 10 percent of transgender troops currently in the military have received a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and said “those folks are grandfathered in under the new policy.” “But it’s really important to remember for those people, they are serving under a double standard that applies only to them, and they’re serving at the discretion at the secretary of defense,” Belkin said. “For all other service members, they have basically job protections. For trans troops, if the secretary decides tomorrow, we don’t want grandfather clause to apply anymore, then trans troops are out.” The Pentagon unveiled the policy on the

same day the National Center for Lesbian Rights and GLBTQ Advocates & Defenders filed a brief in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals against its implementation, arguing one court injunction remains in place against the Trump policy. Jennifer Levi, GLAD’s transgender rights project director, said in a statement the implementation of the Pentagon’s policy was unlawful. “Not only does the Trump-Pence transgender military ban violate the Constitution, but now the administration is also defying a court order,” Levi said, “With brazen disregard for the judicial process, the Pentagon is prematurely and illegally rolling out a plan to implement the ban when a court injunction remains in place prohibiting them from doing so. The Pentagon unveiled the policy shortly after the House Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), held a hearing where transgender military service members testified for the first time and expressed a commitment to service. Speier in a statement slammed Trump and his administration for moving forward with a policy undermining and disregarding the service of those troops. “I would like to know what it is that the President is so afraid of? Transgender troops have served for decades and carried out multiple deployments, including Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, to protect our country and freedoms,” Speier said. “These tough, brave servicemembers have never used bone spurs as an excuse to dodge their duty and service to our country. We owe them our gratitude, not governmentsanctioned discrimination. This policy is malicious, demeaning and destructive and it does not serve our country’s interests. I will fight it with every fiber of my being.” Pending before the U.S. House is legislation Speier introduced that would block the transgender military ban. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has introduced a companion bill in the U.S. Senate. Tobin called on Congress to take action and reverse the Pentagon in the aftermath of the unveiling of the new policy. “The Trump Administration is built on demonizing minority groups; reversing the civil rights gains of immigrants, people of color, women, and the LGBTQ movement will forever remain the hallmarks of their time in office,” Tobin said. “That is why Congress must act now and secure the fate of nearly 15,000 transgender troops. We cannot let an incompetent administration guided by a petulant bigot stand as the mascot of our time. History is watching Congress and will judge them harshly for inaction. That is why we must act swiftly to protect transgender troops, our military, and the dignity of our own legacy.”

Trump seeks $300 million to beat HIV, but cuts global programs Experts hope Congress will restore int’l funding By CHRIS JOHNSON CJOHNSON@WASHBLADE.COM In the aftermath of President Trump’s State of the Union pledge to eliminate new HIV infections by 2030, his newly unveiled budget request for the U.S. government provides additional funds for domestic HIV/AIDS programs in contrast to earlier proposals that sought to cut those programs — but related international programs are facing cuts. The fiscal year 2020 budget requests a $300 million increase in funds to combat HIV/ AIDS, but also seeks to roll back Medicare and Medicaid — programs on which many people with HIV/AIDS rely — and continues the proposed steep cuts to U.S. initiatives seeking to fight the global epidemic. On Monday during a conference call with reporters, a senior administration official said the $300 million “would go a long way to being able to end the epidemic through increased testing and the actual provision of life-saving medication to that population.” The bulk of the $300 million figure is an additional $140 million requested for HIV prevention at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, which is a 19 percent increase in its overall budget from fiscal year 2019. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the money is the first big increase in funds for the agency in two decades. The rest of the $300 million includes an additional $70 million for the Ryan White Health Care Program, which provides health care to low-income people with HIV. That’s a 3 percent increase from fiscal year 2019. Additionally, the request includes $50 million for community health centers at HRSA for expanded PrEP services and $25 million to screen for HIV and treat Hepatitis C. The $50 million for HRSA is notable because it can provide PrEP services, which Ryan White is barred from providing by statute, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Carl Schmid, deputy director of the AIDS Institute and co-chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, told the Washington Blade the $300 million figure represents a “commitment to end HIV, which is a departure from last year.” “Instead of seeing budget cuts, we’re seeing increases in several programs,” Schmid said. In terms of domestic spending, the request stands in contrast to the first two budget requests from the Trump administration, which sought reductions to the initiatives. The first request sought massive cuts in both domestic HIV/AIDS programs, although the cuts in the second request were smaller. Congress ended up disregarding those requests and

maintaining funds for the programs. The Trump administration now seeks increases as opposed to cuts in the aftermath of announcing a plan to end new HIV infections by 2030. The initiative will focus on 48 counties as well as D.C. and San Juan in addition to rural areas in seven states — places where new HIV infections are happening at the highest rates. Jen Kates, director of global health and HIV policy for the Kaiser Family Foundation, said the increases for CDC and Ryan White would be a good start to implementing the plan. “Ryan White and CDC have really seen no increases for quite a while, particularly CDC, so in the context of those HIV specific efforts that the federal government has, it could make a difference for those programs,” Kates said. “If targeted appropriately as they say they’re going to do, using the right public health inventions as they say they’re going to do, it could being to sort of catalyze some change.” But Kates cautioned this budget represents only the first year of proposed funds to end new HIV infections by 2030 and that goal will require a sustained effort. “This is supposed to be a multi-year initiative, so it’s important to see what will happen in Year Two and Year Three,” Kates said. “Will there be additional funding requested? I think that’s the intention. So, from that more HIV specific and more narrowly focused perspective, it’s important for new investments.” But while the budget request seeks additional funds for these HIV programs, it also requests cuts in others, including a $63 million cut to the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program and a $27 million cut to Housing for Persons with Disabilities. Moreover, Schmid said the $50 million requested for HRSA for PrEP work isn’t new money for the program and instead is existing funding for community centers. “That is not new funding,” Schmid said. “That looks like it’s current funding. And that’s something that we will want to change. We don’t want to take existing money from the community health centers. We want new funding, so we’ll be asking Congress for that.” The budget request also calls for $6 million for the National Institutes of Health to conduct HIV research, but Schmid said that’s not new funding and actually a cut. The most compromising cuts suggested in the budget for people with HIV/AIDS are not in HIV-specific programs,

but general health care programs for the American public on which many people with HIV/AIDS rely. Despite Trump’s campaign promises not cut to Medicare and Medicaid, the budget calls for a $845 billion reduction in Medicare and seeks major changes to Medicaid by turning it into a block grant program and eliminating the Medicaid expansion under Obamacare. An estimated 25 percent of people with HIV receive care from Medicare and an estimated 40 percent people of people with HIV receive care under Medicaid. With respects to the cuts to Medicaid, Schmid said the proposed changes would “hurt people with HIV.” The modeling to eliminate new infections by 2030, Schmid said, was based on the assumption the Medicaid expansion would remain in place for states that have gone that route, so a rollback of that expansion would change plans. “This is a change,” Schmid said. “That was not considered in these new cuts…It was not considered in the modeling, and so, that’s another question that we need to ask HHS.” Also of concern to observers is the proposed cuts for the global programs confronting HIV/AIDS, including PEPFAR, the Bush-era program that seeks to deliver antiretroviral therapy to countries, where the epidemic is raging, such as Africa, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria. For PEPFAR, Trump’s budget would provide $3.35 billion for bilateral efforts, which is $1.35 billion and 29 percent below current levels. For the Global Fund, the budget seeks $958.4 million, which is also 29 percent below current levels. For the next Global Fund replenishment, the budget proposes $3.3 billion over three years, compared to $4.3 billion in the last round under the Obama administration, according to Kaiser Family Foundation. The proposal will match $1 from the United States for every $3 from other donors. Previously, the ratio was $1 from the United States for every $2 elsewhere. The cuts are consistent with earlier budget proposals from the Trump administration, which also called for major cuts to HIV programs. But Congress for fiscal year 2019 actually increased funding instead by $50 million, marking the first time in seven years global programs experienced an increase, according to the New Yorkbased Health Global Access Project. A senior administration official defended the proposed cuts to the global HIV/AIDS

programs via an email to the Washington Blade, asserting the administration remains on track to reach goals. “The Budget fully funds implementation of PEPFAR’s bilateral HIV/AIDS Strategy that maintains all patients currently on antiretroviral treatment and assists 13 countries to achieve epidemic control by 2020,” the official said. “The U.S. will remain the largest donor by far. The reduction reflects FY-2019 funding levels in excess of the strategy’s need. Combined with this carryover, the Budget fully funds the strategy.” For the Global Fund, the official said the 1 to 3 ratio for donations would encourage other donors to make contributions to the program. “The budget offers to match $1 for every $3 contributed by other donors to the multilateral Global Fund (which also funds HIV/AIDS), providing a $1.1 billion contribution in 2020 and up to $3.3 billion over the three-year replenishment period, using unmatched funds appropriated by the Congress for 2019 from the last replenishment,” the official said. “This new match will further challenge other donors to make new commitments to fighting the three diseases funded by the Global Fund.” Kates said whether the United States can maintain global goals under PEPFAR with this funding request remains “an open question.” “I would want to see the empirical evidence. It doesn’t seem like it would really be possible to do that,” Kates said. “So, just objectively, I haven’t modeled, but an over $1 billion cut from the PEPFAR budget would get to epidemic control in these 13 countries seems like a stretch, honestly.” For the Global Fund, Kates said the idea the United States can achieve the same goals with a 1 to 3 ratio for donations is also dubious. “The U.S. has been able to leverage its investment to the Global Fund to get more,” Kates said. “The way the administration is sort of approaching this next pledge period is to actually say it’s going to pledge less money, not more or not even the same. The idea that that’s going to leverage more funds is not clear to me.” At the end of the day, the budget will have to go through Congress, which controls the purse and has the final say on the funds levels for these programs. Based on lawmakers’ rejections of cuts proposed in earlier budgets, Schmid was confident Congress would reject them again in addition to providing the additional funds requested by the administration.

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Cannabis Culture and medicinal cannabis marketplace.” The APA represents nearly 120,000 researchers and clinicians. The longstanding federal prohibition on privately licensed cannabis producers exists despite a 2007 ruling by the DEA’s own administrative law judge striking down the ban because it was not “in the public interest.” Although that ruling ordered DEA to lift the ban, the agency failed to do so.

Licensed marijuana businesses employ 200,000: report

The APA is asking Attorney General WILLIAM BARR to review more than two-dozen applications for federal marijuana grow licenses. Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

Justice Dept. asked to take action on marijuana grow applications The American Psychological Association is urging Attorney General William Barr to review more than two-dozen pending applications for federal marijuana grow licenses. In a letter dated Feb. 27, the association urged the Justice Department to “act immediately” on 26 applications pending before federal officials — applications that were initially submitted to the agency more than two years ago. Currently, the sole federally licensed producer of cannabis for clinical research is the University of Mississippi. The university has held the exclusive license for more than four decades. In August 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced in the Federal Register that the agency was “adopting a new policy that is designed to increase the number of entities registered under the Controlled Substances Act to grow (manufacture) marijuana to supply legitimate researchers in the United States.” The agency said that the policy change was necessary because the existing system provides “no clear legal pathway for commercial enterprises to produce marijuana for product development.” Last year, however, former DEA director Robert Patterson testified to Congress that the agency believed that approving additional applicants would likely violate international antidrug treaties. Patterson said that DEA could not move forward granting any new applications until the Justice Department clarified the issue. In its letter to the newly appointed Attorney General, APA CEO Arthur C. Evans urged the Department “to take immediate action on the existing pool of cannabis grower applications so that the United States scientific community can continue to expand the study of both the harmful and potential therapeutic effects of cannabis and its derivatives. ... Without access to an expanded range of cannabis products engineered under FDAapproved Good Manufacturing Practices, scientific research cannot hope to keep pace with the ever expanding recreational H E A LT H • MAR CH 15, 2019 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE . COM • 19

SEATTLE — The state-licensed cannabis industry gained over 64,000 new employees in 2018, and now employs over 200,000 full-time workers, according to data compiled by Whitney Economics and the online content provider Leafly.com. The report, entitled Cannabis Jobs Count, identifies some 211,000 full-time jobs in the legal cannabis sector. This total increases to 296,000 jobs when ancillary employers are also included. By comparison, 112,000 Americans are estimated to currently work in the textile industry, while only about 52,000 people are employed by the coal mining industry. “[T]he legal cannabis industry remains a substantial and unrecognized engine of grassroots job creation,” authors concluded. “In fact, cannabis job growth is proceeding at double digit rates in many states despite being overtaxed locally and heavily penalized at the federal level.” California (67,000 jobs) led the country in cannabis-related employment, followed by Washington (47,000 jobs), and Colorado (44,000 jobs). Commenting on the findings, NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri said: “The federal government needs to deschedule marijuana to allow states to better and more fully benefit from the economic growth engine that is the legal marijuana industry. Further, state regulators need to ensure as this sector expands its economic benefits are shared by all, including and most especially by those who suffered most under the failed policy of criminal prohibition.”

Vt. Senate passes bill permitting pot sales MONTPELIER, Vt. — Members of the state Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation establishing a system of retail marijuana sales to adults. Members passed Senate Bill 54 by a vote of 23 to 5. The measure expands existing law to permit the state-licensed production and sale of cannabis to those age 21 or older. Under the plan, the state would begin issuing growers’ licenses by December 2020. In February, NORML’s Deputy Director testified in favor of the legislation before members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Lawmakers last year enacted legislation permitting adults to legally possess and grow personal use quantities of cannabis. That legislation does not permit commercial production or sales. The measure now awaits action from members of the House, which historically has been more hostile to proposals seeking to regulate the marijuana market. Republican Gov. Phil Scott has also expressed his intent to veto the legislation if it fails to adequately fund efforts directed toward youth prevention and traffic safety. (Cannabis Culture news in the Blade is provided in partnership with NORML. For more information, contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at paul@norml.org.)

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ANDREW and ELAD DVASH-BANKS with their children AIDEN and ETHAN and their mixed pug/terrier dog LONDON. Photo courtesy Images of Life by Ashi Shapiro

Victory for gay dads is defeat for Trump Ruling in parentage fight deals blow to State Department policy By KAREN OCAMB Andrew Dvash-Banks and Elad DvashBanks always knew they wanted to have a family. They just didn’t know how difficult it would be. “That was one of the earliest conversations that we had when we first started dating,” Andrew told the Blade days after they won a federal lawsuit over the citizenship of one of their twins. “It’s obviously a very important conversation that any couple has when they start dating, because that could be a deal-breaker. So we were both on the same page about it: we both wanted children.” Andrew, 38, was an American in Israel pursuing his master’s degree in 2008 when he met Elad, an Israeli, now almost 34. Having a family “was always on the radar,” a goal they knew would only be achievable through alternative reproduction technology. The couple also knew they wanted to raise their family in California. “The thing that kept us from being with all my family—my parents, my five brothers and sisters, my 14 nieces and nephews—was DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act),” says Andrew. DOMA was the federal law that prohibited same-sex marriage and thus prevented Andrew from sponsoring his foreign husband in emigrating to America, an automatic right for married heterosexual couples. After they finished their degrees in 2010, Andrew had to choose between his family in Los Angeles or “being with the

man I love. I don’t think anyone should ever have to be in that situation, to have to choose between the two. Obviously, I chose the man I love,” says Andrew. The coupled moved to Toronto in 2010 and got married. Three years later, after DOMA was overturned, they started the application process for Elad to get a green card. That was finally approved in 2015, so they started to plan their family. “For same-sex couples, family planning is a different process from different-sex couples,” says Elad. “It requires research, it requires preparation, it requires saving, it requires a lot of things that other couples don’t have to go through.” They decided on surrogacy that was “allconsuming, mentally, financially, and timewise,” says Elad. Both contributed genetic materials and subsequently chose “the two highest quality embryos that coincidentally were one from my genetic material and another from Andrew’s genetic material to be used in the pregnancy.” Aiden and Ethan Dvash-Banks were born four minutes apart in September 2016. Four months later, Andrew and Elad went to the U.S. consulate in Toronto to prepare for their permanent move to LA. “We came prepared with the boys’ birth certificates—obviously, we are listed on each birth certificate, exclusively, the two of us on each— and all the documents that are required and all the fees to pay,” says Andrew. “We were shocked and baffled and hurt

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by the response that the State Department official gave us—that she was going to require us to take a DNA test to prove the genetic connection between myself, the American citizen, and both children.” The official referred to a State Department manual “that interprets the Immigration and Nationality Act and has a biological requirement that does not exist in the actual immigration law,” Elad says, when assisted reproduction technology is involved. “Her question not only undermined the fact that we are one family, not only created a distinction between both of our kids—that we were legally on their birth certificates from the day that they were born—she also created a distinction between us and other, heterosexual couples, that she would never have asked this question,” says a still angry Elad. “If Andrew and I were a man and a woman, we would show up at a consulate with two beautiful children that have both of our names, on both birth certificates, she would never ask that.” Elad asked the official directly if she would have required a DNA test of an infertile American man in a heterosexual relationship who used a sperm donor. “It’s at my discretion who I ask for proof of genetic connection,’” Andrew recalls the official saying. They took the DNA test only to have Aiden granted citizenship and Ethan denied when the results determined that Andrew was not his biological father. However, Ethan was granted a tourist visa that expired last December. Andrew and Elad Dvash-Banks reached out to Immigration Equality and with the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, filed suit against the State Department on Jan. 22, 2018. “The State Department is refusing to acknowledge the citizenship of children whose parents are same-sex married couples. This policy is not only illegal, it is unconstitutional,” Aaron C. Morris, executive director of Immigration Equality and the couples’ attorney, said in a statement. “This action by the State Department disenfranchises children born to bi-national same-sex parents and places an undue burden on their families.” On Feb. 21, they won. Los Angelesbased District Court Judge John F. Walter wrote in his 11-page ruling that 2-year-old Ethan Dvash-Banks “has been an American citizen since birth.” He also called the State Department official’s interpretation of the citizenship law “strained” at best. But Walker did not rule on the constitutional merits of the overall State Department policy, making the ruling limited in scope and therefore not necessarily applicable to other families. Immigration Equality is hoping a similar case the advocacy organization filed on the same day and is fighting in Washington on behalf of a lesbian couple living in London will tackle the inequality of the policy’s application to same-sex and heterosexual couples. A judge in that case is considering whether or not the case

should be dismissed or go to trial. Immigration Equality had been working with the Obama administration on updating the policy and Hillary Clinton’s campaign also seemed interested, Morris tells the Blade. When the Trump administration wouldn’t even talk to Immigration Equality, they started looking for alternative ways to help with legal services and advice. The State Department issued a statement saying “it was reviewing the ruling, but did not respond to questions about what it would mean for the policy going forward,” the New York Times reported. They have 60 days to appeal the ruling. “I’m an American citizen, my tax dollars are going the State Department. This consulate is representing me and my interests,” says Andrew. “Who are they to turn to me and tell me that my son is not my son? I cut his umbilical cord. I’ve been there since the minute he took his first breath. I’ve changed every poopy diaper. I’m his father. I’m on his birth certificate. Just because I don’t share a genetic connection with him doesn’t make me any less his father than Elad. So it’s very hurtful.” “I think there’s a fundamental problem with presumption of parentage,” says Elad. “When you see a heterosexual couple with kids, you assume that both of those parents are the genetic parents of those kids. But that might not be correct, and in fact there are many heterosexual couples who are not both genetically related to their kids. In same-sex couples, this presumption does not exist. We don’t enjoy the presumption of parentage because we are in a same-sex relationship. And that is, in our mind, the problem with the distinction that the State Department is making.” The couple say they feel “so relieved, and so happy, that the court agreed” that Ethan is the same as his twin brother,” says Elad. But “with all the happiness and the joy of the decision, no one can give us back the two years of stress, of sleepless nights, of worries, of health issues for us, that we had to endure—wrongfully, because it wasn’t our fault. The State Department made the wrong decision. The judge’s decision says that clearly—that Ethan was an American citizen at birth. So, with the joy and the happiness of the decision, things are now corrected and are as they were supposed to be. But no one can give us back those two years we lost.” Morris notes the internal harm caused to both parents and a child who is told they are not equal to their sibling. But he also sees hope ahead. “We’ve been fighting for a very long time to ensure equality and we are still winning,” says Morris. “It’s a never-ending struggle. But it’s always worth the fight.” The Immigration Equality hotline is 212714-2904. But Morris suggests going to the organization’s website where there is a lot of useful information to help get you to the right person: immigrationequality.org.

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Teens at Synetic Theater Camp last summer. Photo courtesy Synetic

LGBT-friendly summer camp options

D.C. area has programming for theater, girls, yoga, STEM and more By MARIAH COOPER MCOOPER@WASHBLADE.COM

There may still be a chill in the air but local camps are already prepping for their summer sessions in the District. From musical theater programs, yoga, sports, STEM and even laser tag, there’s an activity for your child to get out of the house, master a skill and have fun. Adventure Theatre has Summer Musical Theater Camp at its Glen Echo Park location (7300 Macarthur Blvd., Glen Echo, Md.) for two-week sessions for rising first-sixth graders. Campers will perform the youth-appropriate shows “Go Fish,” “Joust,” “Rats!” and “Treasure Island.” For each show, students will work with props and costumes, singing and scene work to prepare for the main stage show for friends and family. Pricing ranges from $800-850. Campers in grades sixth-12 can participate in Summer Musical Theater Training Program at its Wintergreen Plaza location (837 Rockville Pk., Rockville, Md.). M A R CH 1 5 , 2019 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE.COM • 23

Students can study Contemporary Musical Theatre to learn about musicals such as “Come From Away,” “Beautiful,” “Kinky Boots,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and “School of Rock.” Campers will go on a day trip to New York City to see the Broadway musical “Mean Girls” and to participate in a master class with a Broadway performer. Students can also choose Movie Musical Theatre where they will study “The Wiz,” “Chicago,” “Gypsy,” “Hairspray” and more. They will also visit New York City to see “King Kong” and participate in a master class with a Broadway performer. Pricing for both sessions is $1,350. For details, visit adventuretheatre-mtc.org. Camp RimRock for Girls (343 Camp Rim Rock Rd., Yellow Spring, W.Va.) has three types of overnight camps. General Camp is for rising second-10th graders to participate in horseback rising, arts and crafts, performing arts, aquatics and sports. Riding Camp is for rising fourth10th graders who can learn ring lessons, stable management, trail rides/swimming the horses and aquatics. Mini Camp is for rising first, second and third graders and offers all of the general camp activities except for horseback riding. General Camp two week sessions are $2,950 and four week sessions are $5,400. Rising Camp sessions are $2,000 and Mini Camp sessions are $1,500. For more information, visit camprimrock.com. Circle Yoga (3838 Northampton St., N.W.) offers yoga and mindful-based activities for children ages 4-12. Half-Day Camp is for children ages 4-7 and is $250 per week. Full Day Camp is for children ages 6-12 and fees are $365 per week. Partial scholarships are also available. For more details, visit circleyoga.com. Green Acres Camp (11701 Danville Dr., North Bethesda, Md.) has Junior Camp for current pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and first graders. Activities include swimming, cooking, music, carpentry and more. Senior Camp is for current secondsixth graders who can participate in kitchen chemistry, wood shop, swim instruction and more. The camp also offers Kreative Kangaroos for rising pre-Kindergarteners to swim, play sports and have outdoor play. For a list of pricing and sessions, visit greenacres.org. HeadFirst Summer Camps has campuses at St. Albans & National Cathedral School (3101 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.), Mater Dei School (9600 Seven Locks Rd., Bethesda, Md.), Flint Hill School (3320 Jermantown Rd., Oakton, Va.) and Episcopal High School (1200 N Quaker Ln., Alexandria, Va.). Headfirst offers Junior Day Camp, which includes art, music, sports, STEM activities and swim lessons, for half day and full day sessions for pre-K and younger. Kids who are rising Kindergartners through rising first graders can attend Day Camp which also includes sports, music, swimming and STEM as well as activities surround the week’s story and theme.

STEM Camp is for rising kindergartners through six graders who can learn coding, robotics, physics and forensics. Innovators, Inc. is HeadFirst’s newest camp which will have campers solve STEM-based activities each week to solve a final team challenge. Each week there will also be a field trip. Multi-Sport Camp is for rising kindergartners-seventh graders who will participate in multiple sports and games each day. There is also a Basketball Camp for rising second-seventh graders and Soccer Camp for rising kindergartnersfifth graders. Overnight Camp is for rising fourth and sixth graders and includes a five-night, six-day program for campers to mix and match their electives. Fees range from $399-529 per week. For more information, visit headfirstcamps.com. The Lowell School (1640 Kalmia Rd., N.W.) offers a variety of summer camp activities for children ages 2-15. One of the many programs includes Broadway Babies for kindergarten through second grade which teaches children about music theater, communication and storytelling. Awesome Authors is for rising first and second graders allows campers to read books, write stories and create their own ebooks. Programs for rising sixth-ninth graders include Chemistry of Cosmetics, Extreme Art: Ceramics and Welding and more. Summer Stage, a musical theater program, is also available for campers from rising third to ninth graders. For a complete list of activities and pricing, visit lowellschool.org/camp-overview. Silver Stars Gymnastics offers gymnastics camp at its locations in Silver Spring (2701 Pittman Dr., Silver Spring, Md.) and Bowie (14201 Woodcliff Ct., Bowie, Md.). The camp is open for kids ages 3-15 to learn cartwheels, use the monkey bars, climb ropes and use the trampolines. The full day program is from 8:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. and the half-day program is from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Silver Stars Gymnastics also offers Laser Tag Camp at its Bowie location. This camp offers four laser tag games per day, four gaming strategy sessions and two conditioning workout. For more details on sessions and pricing, visit gosilverstars.com. Synetic Theatre (1800 S Bell St., Arlington, Va.) prepares campers to perform the original play “The Bizarre but True Tales of the Humfrumble.” For two weeks students will work with the senior artistic company members on staging the play which includes musical numbers and an original score. The program is open for Young Artists (ages 6-9) and Thespians (ages 10-14). There are multiple sessions throughout June, July and August. Regular registration is $725 and goes until March 31. Late registration is $775 and ends on Aug. 16. Morning or afternoon care and lunch packages are available as add-ons. A digital download of the final performance is included in the registration cost. For more details, visit synetictheater.org/camps.

QUEERY Krista M. Mastel Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

QUEERY: Krista M. Mastel

The Brave Trails cabin counselor answers 20 gay questions By JOEY DIGUGLIELMO JOEYD@WASHBLADE.COM Brave Trails is an American Camp Association-accredited summer leadership camp for LGBTQ youth ages 12-18 and ages 17-20 with a counselor-in-training program, the Unicorn Justice League. While Brave Trails includes activities typical of any summer camp like swimming, archery and hiking, the four key elements it focuses on are leadership, community building, self-realization and service. Campers are free to express themselves and explore their identity with support from all staff and without judgment though programs such as dance, theater, drag, cooking/nutrition, sports or arts and crafts. Organizers bring in workshop facilitators to present topics like LGBTQ history or share their coming out stories to serve as positive queer role models. Brave Trails provides space for campers to develop service projects they can implement in their communities and strives to foster an environment where campers can build lasting peer-to-peer connections. Brave Trails also hosts a weekend-long family camp in the spring. This summer will be Krista M. Mastel’s third summer volunteering with Brave

Trails where she works as a cabin counselor and program lead. She volunteers for two weeks each summer in various areas. She will co-lead the Unicorn Justice League program this year. “Camps like Brave Trails are important because they provide a welcoming and supportive place for LGBTQ youth,” Mastel says. “We all know the statistics on health outcomes for LGBTQ youth so camp can provide a place for youth to explore their identity in a safe and healthy environment, surrounded by their peers and LGBTQidentified and ally adult mentors. Our staff embody the “it gets better” slogan, serving as role models for our campers.” For safety reasons, Brave Trails does not disclose its location. Mastel says it’s about a 90-minute drive northeast of the D.C. region. Sessions run June 26-July 9, July 13-19, July 24-Aug. 6 and Aug. 12-18. Full details at bravetrails.org. Mastel, a 35-year-old Columbus, Minn., native came to Washington 10 months ago for work in her field of public health. She’s single and lives in Rockville. She enjoys camping, hiking, snowshoeing, running and gardening in her free time.

How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell? I’ve been coming out to someone in some way since I was 17. I wouldn’t say it was hard to tell anyone, just intimidating and it’s a constant process every time I meet someone new and as I become ever more comfortable in my identity. Who’s your LGBT hero? Marsha P. Johnson. Rest in power. What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present? Sorry DMV, I am obsessed with Suspended Brewing in Baltimore. Describe your dream wedding. Marriage is not for me. What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about? I’d argue just about everything is an LGBTQ issue, including reproductive rights. What historical outcome would you change? Every instance of biological or military colonial genocide. The loss of vibrant cultures and languages is an unfathomable tragedy of our species.

What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime? A little obscure, but when Savage Garden’s self-titled album dropped, it changed my angsty teenage life. On what do you insist? Making memories. What was your last Facebook post or Tweet? I don’t really use either. Probably a check-in to some event. If your life were a book, what would the title be? You should probably read another book. If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do? Nothing. Encourage folks to let their orientation be what it is. What do you believe in beyond the physical world? Nothing. This is it. What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders? Resiliency is not a choice so practice self-care.

2 4 • WAS H IN GTO N B LAD E.CO M • M AR C H 1 5 , 2 0 1 9

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Regret is the most heartbreaking tragedy of all.

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What would you walk across hot coals for? My family. What LGBT stereotype annoys you most? That we’re all artsy. I can’t draw/sing/ act for my life! What’s your favorite LGBT movie? “Frozen” What’s the most overrated social custom? Shaking hands.

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State Del. RICHARD SULLIVAN (D-Arlington County) (left) joined other Virginia lawmakers at the General Assembly Building in Richmond to discuss their support of pro-LGBT bills during the 2015 General Assembly. Photo courtesy of Brad Kutner/GayRVA

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Recent wins for LGBTQ families By DANA RUDOLPH

Silber, Perlman, Sigman & Tilev, P.A.

March arrived like the proverbial lion with a wave of good news for LGBTQ families. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed 3 0 1 . 8 9 1 . 2 2 0 0 • S P - L aw. C o m a bill Feb. 19 expanding the state’s paid family 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 leave law in a number of ways, including by expanding the definition of “family” to include chosen families and expanding the definition of “parent” to include foster parents and those who become parents via gestational surrogacy. “New Jersey is now the first state in the nation to offer paid family leave that is inclusive of all families,” according to the Center for American Progress. A bill also passed the New York Assembly Jack Spratz had several cats; Judiciary Committee Feb. 27 that would more effectively protect families created his partner had a poodle, through assisted reproductive technologies. and so they bought a rowhouse The Child-Parent Security Act would legalize for the kitten and caboodle. gestational surrogacy in the state and simplify the procedure for securing the legal rights of non-biological parents. It has yet to pass the full Assembly and Senate, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has expressed his support. VALERIE M. BLAKE, Associate Broker, GRI, Director of Education & Mentorship And in Virginia, the General Assembly on Dupont Circle Ofﬁce • 202-518-8781 (o) • 202.246.8602 (c) Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com • www.DCHomeQuest.com Feb. 22 passed an update to its surrogacy laws that will now give same-sex couples and single ADVERTISING PROOF parents the same rights as different-sex couples. ISSUE DATE: 190315 SALES REPRESENTATIVE: BRIAN PITTS BPITTS@WASHBLADE.COM The legislation, known as Jacob’s Law, is named after the son of two dads who had to fight for REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Proof will be considered ﬁnal and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 their rights to him after he was born with the hours of the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication. NS Brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any help of a surrogate. A Virginia court had refused IGN material to which users can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement REVISIONS to recognize their Wisconsin surrogate contract, or misapporpriation of any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety E/LOGO REVISIONS right, false advertising, unfair competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of antidiscrimination law or regulation, or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff precipitating a long legal battle. ADVERTISER SIGNATURE ISIONS pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract obligations with blade) harmless from any and all liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal the Judge John F. Walter the washington blade newspaper. This On includes but federal is not limitedlevel, to fees and expenses that may be incurred by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertiser’s placement, payment and insertion schedule. breach of any of the foregoing representations and warranties. of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Feb. 21 recognized the birthright citizenship of Ethan Dvash-Banks, the son of U.S.-citizen Andrew Dvash-Banks and his Israeli husband Elad Dvash-Banks. Two-year-old Ethan was previously denied recognition of his citizenship—even though his twin brother was granted it. (See related story, Page 23.) That means that at least one other family, that of U.S. citizen Allison Blixt and her spouse Stefania Zaccari, an Italian citizen, must continue

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to fight for their children’s right to be U.S. citizens. Like the Dvash-Banks’, they married abroad while the Defense of Marriage Act was still in effect, and then had two sons, Lucas and Massi. The U.S. State Department refused to recognize their marriage and said that Massi was Allison’s son because she had given birth to him, but Lucas, who was carried by Stefania, was not. It thus has refused to recognize Lucas’ citizenship. The Dvash-Banks victory is thus a step forward, but not the end of the story. In news from abroad, France’s National Assembly passed legislation Feb. 19 that will require schools to use “Parent 1” and “Parent 2” on all school forms, instead of “Mother” and “Father,” in order to recognize the variety of families today. Any queer parent (in France or elsewhere) who has had to cross out and write in the appropriate parental titles on a school form will likely applaud the measure. In business news, mega-corporations Samsung and AT&T in February each unveiled commercials featuring same-sex parents — and in both cases, the parents’ queerness was not the focus of the ad. AT&T’s ad touts the idea that “just OK is not OK” in either babysitters or wireless networks. It shows a two-dad couple realizing that their babysitter’s assertion “I’m pretty okay with children” means she doesn’t really have the childcare skills they want in a sitter. Samsung’s ad, which ran during the Academy Awards, among other times, shows two women, one of whom is pregnant, lying in bed viewing an ultrasound on their phone. It’s part of a longer commercial showing people using Samsung products, which ends by displaying the text “What we create today lets you create the future.” Kudos to both companies for showing that same-sex parents are simply a part of society today. This flurry of good news should not blind us to the significant challenges that remain for LGBTQ families, but I hope it reminds us that we can still make progress, even in difficult times.

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FINLEY FREIBERT

is a Ph.D. candidate in visual studies at the University of California, Irvine. He researches the histories of bisexuality, LGBTQ culture, and media industries. Reach him @FinleyFreibert.

MARK LEE

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

PETER ROSENSTEIN

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

Should Jack Evans resign? presented by

Nominate a change agent that is a queer woman under 40 and making a difference in Washington, D.C.

It doesn’t look good, but don’t count him out yet Some are calling for Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) to resign. I am following with interest the federal probe of Evans. Although things don’t look good for him, I wouldn’t yet place a bet on his demise. Over the years he has walked a fine line with his lobbying and Council duties. I’ve known Jack since he was chair of the Dupont Circle ANC 2B from 1989 to 1990. At the time he was living in the Webster House and was a familiar face in the neighborhood. He won the Ward 2 Council seat in a special election after John A. Wilson ran for Council Chair and won. Ward 2 covers a wide swath of Northwest D.C. and includes Chinatown, Logan Circle, Dupont Circle, Sheridan-Kalorama, Foggy Bottom, the West End, Georgetown, Burleith, Hillandale, and much of Downtown Washington (including the White House, the National Mall, and the U.S. Capitol Building). The District includes some of the wealthiest communities in the city and he represents the business community. Jack is clearly the go-to Council member for them. It doesn’t hurt he is also chair of the Council’s Finance Committee. I have had an uneven relationship with Jack over the years often criticizing his work as a lobbyist. I have also been a rabid critic of the so-called Constituent Service Funds for which Council members are allowed to raise up to $40,000 a year. Over a fouryear term they are allowed a slush fund of $160,000. Evans has often been criticized for how he raised and used the money. Over the years Jack has had to answer many questions. In 1999, some questioned his influence to move forward the RitzCarlton Hotel and Condos in the West End for Millennium Partners, the company his wife worked for. But then Jack has not been alone in his outside work for those doing business with D.C. David Catania comes to mind as another one and other Council members had second jobs. I think at the moment only two, Evans and Cheh hold outside jobs. I remember when Jim

Graham was first elected on the promise he would be a full-time Council member and then got caught having a consulting contract with Whitman-Walker, which he was embarrassed into giving up. But Jack has done some good things as well. He is a strong supporter of the arts and has pushed to try to have the Council taken out of the business of approving contracts. Now that could be because it would make it easier for him to lobby the city if that happened because he wouldn’t actually have a vote on contracts. But it is a good idea. Jack has often stepped close to the line of conflict of interest. But he also has a great constituent services staff who are hardworking and make him look good. He is also likely the most knowledgeable person about city finances in the city. Whether that will be enough to save him this time I don’t know but as I said I wouldn’t count him out no matter how bad this looks — and it looks bad. I have supported Jack and worked against him. I am waiting for the results of the federal probe to decide what I will do now. Interestingly, I was contacted by a number of people recently asking if I would consider a run against Jack. Years ago, a few business people who were mad at Jack for one reason or another offered me a healthy war chest if I would run against him. I said no and those same people ended up supporting him in the next election. If Jack goes down this time my thoughts would be the same as they are in the 2020 presidential election where I have written I don’t want to see anyone over 70 on the ballot. It is time for us elders in the party to support the next generation of Democrats. So even if Jack is found guilty of crimes it would be the height of hypocrisy for me to run. If he is guilty or is forced out there are many in Ward 2 who are young, able and interested in the race and I would support one of them. But I don’t think we are quite there yet.

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Publication: WASHINGTON BLADE Insertion date: MARCH 2, 2018 Size: 4.75” x 11.5" 4C NP

KATHI WOLFE

is a regular contributor to the Blade and winner of the 2014 Stonewall Chapbook competition.

Hollywood should tell queer and disability stories authentically New Van Sant biopic on John Callahan an exercise in mimicry Two cartoons are taped to my filing cabinet. In one, a blind man and his seeingeye dog are boarding a plane. “We’ve arranged a window seat for your dog so you can enjoy the view,” the flight attendant says. The other cartoon is a drawing of an aerobics class for quadriplegics. “O.K., let’s get those eyeballs moving,” the instructor says. The cartoons are by John Callahan, a quadriplegic cartoonist who died in Portland, Ore. at age 59 in 2010. A biopic about Callahan “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot,” released last summer and based on his 1990 autobiography of the same name, is now showing on Amazon Prime. His politically incorrect cartoons on disability and other subjects might seem tasteless to you. But not to me or his other aficionados. I’m visually impaired. Every time someone describes one of Callahan’s drawings to me, I laugh. Why are his cartoons so funny to many of us with disabilities? Because they capture the absurdity, gallows humor and spirit of what it’s like to be disabled. Callahan wasn’t someone from the outside laughing at our lives. He himself was disabled. Just as the queer community has often combated homophobia and transphobia with lacerating wit, Callahan cut through disability-related stigma and pity with his razor-sharp cartoons. “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” is directed by Gus Van Sant. Van Sant, known for “Milk,” “Good Will Hunting” and other films is gay. At age 21, Callahan, an alcoholic, got a ride after a party with a friend. Callahan’s buddy, driving drunk, crashed the car into a pole. His pal wasn’t hurt: Callahan, portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, became a quadriplegic. After his injury, he kept drinking until he could no longer open a liquor bottle on his own. At that low point, Callahan joined AA. In the 12-step program, he became friends with his sponsor Donnie, a gay man with AIDS. Callahan, who enjoyed art in high school, begins drawing cartoons after his injury. He had partial use of his arms and hands. The movie’s title is from one of Callahan’s cartoons. In the drawing, there’s a wheelchair in a desert.

A posse of cowboys looks on. “Don’t worry, he won’t get far on foot,” the caption says. As someone who’s disabled and queer, I’m glad Van Sant made “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot.” Just as the LGBTQ community has a culture, the disability community has a culture and history. Though, nearly one in five people in the United States has a disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, many in the queer community are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with disabled people and disability culture. “Don’t Worry,” though not a documentary, brings to light Callahan’s transgressive work – an important part of disability culture. Too often, people like me are isolated within the queer community. Frequently, LGBTQ as well as hetero folks don’t see disabled people as either being able to work or as sexual. I can’t tell you how often I’m asked not about my work or if I’m dating anyone, but about my white cane. In “Don’t Worry,” we see Callahan, who was straight, getting established as a cartoonist and sexual. He has a girlfriend. Yet, “Don’t Worry” doesn’t authentically portray Callahan. Why is the movie’s depiction of Callahan inauthentic? Because Phoenix, though a highly talented actor, is able-bodied. There are talented actors with disabilities. Yet, too often, non-disabled actors, using computer generated imagery (to simulate the loss of arms or legs) play disabled characters. Or they think that they can capture a disabled character’s essence by going by learning how to move in a wheelchair. Non-disabled actors don’t realize how a person’s disability shapes his or her identity, Beth Haller, author of “Representing Disability in an Ableist World, emailed me, “which is something a non-disabled actor can never embody.” “Disability mimicry” is unacceptable, Dominick Evans, a queer, non-binary and trans filmmaker and wheelchair user told me over the phone. “It’s like a cisgender person playing a trans person. It’s degrading.” I hope one day Hollywood will tell queer and disability stories authentically.

VI E WPO I NT • MARCH 15, 2019 • WA SHINGTONB L A DE . COM • 31

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FINLEY FREIBERT

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is a Ph.D. candidate in visual studies at the University of California, Irvine. He researches the histories of bisexuality, LGBTQ culture, and media industries. Reach him @FinleyFreibert.

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In the recent past a number of filmmakers of significance to the LGBTQ community, such as gay activist and filmmaker Pat Rocco, have passed away. However, gay cinema from the 1960s and 1970s was largely adult cinema, and many of the pseudonymous filmmakers go unremembered. While undertaking research on gay film from that era, I felt compelled to investigate a nearly forgotten filmmaker named Dimitri. He was known by numerous pseudonyms including Spartacus, Dick Martin, and Demitri Alexis (a variation on his legal name Dimitri Alexis Svigelj). Dimitri was born on May 8, 1910 in the city of Ljubijana, Austria-Hungry. He lived through a tumultuous period in the city; it was split from Austria-Hungry, annexed by Italy and then Nazi Germany, and became part of Yugoslavia at the close of WWII. After emigrating to the U.S. on June 5, 1939, Dimitri distributed drawings of nude muscular men through mail-order companies called Wessart and West Coast Art Studios, based in Portland, Ore. Under the name Spartacus, his drawings were eventually featured in physique magazines, including Trim Studio Quarterly and Physique Pictorial. By 1968, Dimitri lived in Los Angeles and under the companies Taurus and Art West sold mail-order short films featuring fit young men’s physiques. Eventually, Dimitri ventured into production of feature-length gay films for Shan Sayles’ Continental Theatres, the chain that owned the famous Park Theatre on Alvarado Boulevard. Tom DeSimone, filmmaker and pioneering figure in early gay adult film, explained to me that the features Dimitri shot for Continental would have had a budget of $3,000. During this time, Dimitri’s movies employed a quirky use of classical music that was sometimes contrapuntal to the films’ content. As DeSimone recalled, “Shan and I used to get a kick out of the fact that he always used old recordings of classical music for background in his films. Most of the time, it didn’t lay in quite well. That was Shan’s biggest peeve.”

By March 1969, the Park would dedicate an entire program to Dimitri’s movies, a status only attained by big name directors like Pat Rocco. Filmmaker Toby Ross originally met Dimitri outside the Gold Cup in Hollywood and remembers him as a “jolly older man with a very strong almost funny touch of sleaze.” Reflecting on Dimitri’s filmmaking persona, Ross recalled Dimitri’s excitable directing style, which included exhilarated hollering and arm flailing. In comparison to Pat Rocco, Ross considered Dimitri “a bit less pretentious than Rocco who regarded himself as a great auteur… Rocco was 95% ego and 5% talent; Dimi was extremely talented.” For patrons of gay theaters in D.C. during the early 1970s, Dick Martin, one of Dimitri’s pseudonyms, was among the most recognizable name in overtly gay cinema, rivaled only by Wakefield Poole and Lancer Brooks (the pseudonym of Tom DeSimone). The introduction of Dimitri’s films to D.C. occurred within months of the opening of the area’s first gay theater, the Mark II, a joint operation between physique magazine entrepreneur H. Lynn Womack and legendary West Coast showman Shan Sayles. During the theater’s first months Dimitri’s “One Touching One” was held over as long as more remembered gay films like “Song of the Loon” and “Happy Birthday, Davy.” From August 1972 to March 1973, the Metropole Cinema Club featured six of Dimitri’s films. If feature-length films under all his pseudonyms are included, then Dimitri had at least 12 in circulation across the U.S. from 1970 to 1972. Given that number, he was among gay cinema’s most prolific directors from that period, beside contemporaries like J. Brian and Tom DeSimone. The magazine In Touch for Men mentioned that Dimitri suffered a series of strokes later in life. Dimitri died on Sept. 3, 1981 in Los Angeles. (For the discussions and sharing of resources, I thank Tom DeSimone, Toby Ross, Michael Oliveira of the ONE Archives, and Tim of timinvermont.com.)

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MARK LEE

琀栀攀

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

Bars, restaurants, workers winning in all the states Those battling tipped workers hyped wildly exaggerated claims of nationwide momentum and the dominoes were supposed to start tumbling in D.C. It hasn’t turned out that way. Instead, a literal rag-tag, ad-hoc coalition of restaurants and bars across the country, alongside workers earning tips as well as hourly wage and salaried employees who would also lose, have been the winners. No state in the nation has eliminated the tip credit and outlawed the tip-wage system even as some state legislatures have raised the minimum wage, whether by a little or a lot and under variable phase-in scenarios. Three years ago D.C. raised its minimum wage to $15, to be fully phasedin after two more yearly increases through July 1, 2020, and rising annually by the consumer price increase thereafter. District officials did so while preserving the tipwage system, and late last year repealed a controversial ballot initiative that would have eliminated the tip credit. The successful grassroots effort in the nation’s capital stopping outsider political groups from radically altering the wage system for tipped employees was a critical component of the nationwide victories for workers and venues this year. D.C. set the tone for the debate elsewhere and tipped workers appreciated the nationally noticed leadership local elected officials provided in standing with them. Every state debating raising its minimum wage during current legislative sessions has resisted both special-interest political groups with big bucks and labor unions with opaque intentions. Elected officials have either defeated or never considered measures to end the tip-wage system. Maryland became the latest jurisdiction to retain the tip credit and protect the tip-wage system that restaurant, bar, and nightclub workers overwhelmingly support. Both the House of Delegates and a state Senate committee in recent days have approved a proposed increase in the minimum wage while retaining the current wage system for tipped workers. A vote by the full Senate is expected to occur as early as this week. The vast majority of Maryland tipped bar and restaurant workers, joined by venue owners and managers, testifying at a long-

into-the-evening public hearing last month spoke out against eliminating the tip credit. The provision was subsequently stripped from bills originating in each chamber. The “tip credit” provides that tipped employees receive a base wage from employers in addition to customer tips and requires that total earnings equal or exceed the minimum wage for hours worked in a pay period. This sets an income floor, not a ceiling, and results in servers and bartenders at full-service dining and drinking establishments earning incomes typically well above minimum wage. Only seven states, either historically never having a tip credit or ending it decades ago, don’t sanction the nationally dominant tipping system strongly supported by restaurant and bar employees. Tip credit support extends to workers not earning gratuities, as they know if employers are required to directly pay the full minimum wage to tipped employees the incomes of hourly-wage and salaried staff will stagnate due to massive new labor costs for the already highestearning workers. Nightlife and hospitality workers know that tip-wage teardowns will produce a wide range of negative job, staffing, and shift-hours modifications or result in notipping policies and reduced-tipping practices accommodating much higher consumer prices. The only setback suffered by tipped workers was passage last week by the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee of a bill including elimination of the tip-wage system while establishing a $15 national minimum wage. Although approval by the Democratic-controlled congressional chamber is anticipated, the measure is unlikely to be voted on or approved in the U.S. Senate due to opposition by the Republican majority. While tip-wage supporters in Democratic-dominant cities such as D.C. favor increasing the federal minimum wage, they are largely disappointed in Democrats for supporting an outlawing of the tip-wage system. Tipped workers have one simple request: Listen to them. They know if Democrats do, workers will continue to win.

VI E WPO I NT • MARCH 15, 2019 • WA SHINGTONB L A DE . COM • 33

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Gay filmmaker JOHN WATERS is among those who patronized Martick’s, which was known as a welcoming space for gay and trans artists and others. Photo Courtesy of Admire Entertainment

Martick’s faces demolition in Baltimore

Early gay gathering spot played host to artists before advent of gay bars By ED GUNTS

One of Baltimore’s early gay gathering spots has been threatened with demolition. The former Martick’s Restaurant Francais, the endangered building, is well known locally as one of the first places where Baltimoreans were introduced to French cuisine. It housed a speakeasy during the Prohibition era. It has been a magnet for artists and performers, including Billie Holliday, Leonard Bernstein and, more recently, filmmaker John Waters. It’s one of Baltimore’s few remaining buildings that was constructed before the Civil War. But Martick’s, which is now vacant, was also a place where gay people felt comfortable and came together, long before the advent of gay bars and nightclubs. According to former employees and patrons, it had a following in the 1950s and 1960s that included not only gay men and women but other members of what is now called the LGBTQ+ community, including bisexuals, crossdressers and people undergoing sex change operations by Johns Hopkins Hospital physician John Money. “It was one of the first places where gay people felt comfortable coming,” said Jimmy Rouse, an employee from 1974 to 1981, in recent testimony before Baltimore’s preservation commission. “They had people from the Sun papers, the artistic community, the gay community and the jazz community, all coming there during the 50s and 60s.” The Martick’s building at 214 W. Mulberry St. is endangered because a local developer, Christopher Janian of Vitruvius Development Company and Park Avenue Partners LLC, proposed this year to tear it down and use the land as part of a larger project, a six-story, $30 million apartment building planned for the block. Janian has appeared before Baltimore’s Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) twice in the past three months seeking approval to raze the entire building, and twice he has been rebuffed by the preservation panel. This week he is coming back to CHAP with a compromise plan: He has proposed to save the front third of the Martick’s building in exchange for permission to tear down the rest and make the land part of the residential development. The demolition proposal is coming at a time when some gay bars and meeting places around the country are being recognized and preserved as cultural landmarks. The best-known example is the Stonewall Inn in New Year City, the site 50 years ago of riots during which patrons protested a police raid on the bar. The Stonewall riots are considered a key event leading to the gay liberation movement and the fight for gay and lesbian rights in the United States. The Stonewall Inn, still open, has been added

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The exterior of Martick’s in Baltimore, a pre-Civil War building that has been vacant since 2008. Photo by Ed Gunts

to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a New York City landmark specifically because of its association with an LGBT-related event. In Baltimore, Martick’s restaurant closed in 2008 and the building has been vacant since then. Former owner Morris Martick, who lived in the building for most of his life, died in 2011. CHAP is involved and holding public hearings on Janian’s plans because the Martick’s building is within the city’s Howard Street Commercial Historic District, and any changes to buildings in the district must be approved by the preservation panel. At the two previous appearances, Janian’s proposal to tear down the entire building drew strong opposition from former patrons and employees. They argued that the building should be preserved for its historical significance as a rare pre-Civil War structure, for its association with Morris Martick, and for its cultural significance as a magnet for a wide range of people. Seven hundred people have signed a petition to save the building. At a CHAP hearing in February, several of the speakers noted the building’s significance as a gathering spot for the city’s gay community, at a time when there were few others and many businesses were less tolerant.

Rouse, who is a son of the legendary developer James W. Rouse, waited on tables and tended bar at Martick’s from 1974 to 1981. He said Martick’s role as a hub for the arts community and for gay people came before it was converted to a French restaurant in 1970. During the 1950s and 1960s, he explained, it was a beatnik bar and jazz club, and that made it a center for the arts community. It was also integrated, he said. “Very few bars in Baltimore were integrated at that time. Because of jazz music, Billie Holliday would sing there. It developed a kind of regular clientele of what Morris used to refer to as artists-slash-alcoholics…It was almost a rite of passage for anyone who was interested in art to work at Martick’s.” In his seven years at Martick’s, Rouse said, he worked closely with the owner and got to know him well. He described Martick as a colorful, cantankerous character who put a doorbell on the front door that diners had to ring in order to be let in. Rouse recalled that when firsttime diners asked Martick what he recommended, he would reply, “I recommend you try another restaurant.” If diners wouldn’t leave after that, Rouse said, he assured them that there are hospitals nearby in case they get sick. “If you choose to stay, we’re in a very good location,” he would tell the customers,

M AR CH 15, 2019 • WA SHINGTONBLA D E.COM • 35

Rouse said. “Hopkins Hospital is to the east and the University of Maryland Hospital is to the west.” Rouse said he thought one reason Martick’s became a magnet for gay people is because Martick, who never married, had gay friends, and that made other gay people feel welcome there. In the 1950s, Rouse said, Martick “experimented with being gay, and that’s part of the reason he attracted gay people. But in the 60s and 70s, he was heterosexual, totally.” Martick’s drew writers from The Baltimore Sun, Rouse said, largely because Morris Martick’s sister Rose dated Sun theater and film critic R. H. “Hal” Gardner, and he spent a lot of time there. Beyond that, Rouse said, Martick was non judgmental, and that carried over to his employees and clientele. For the wait staff, there wasn’t a strict dress code like there was at Marconi’s several blocks away, he said. “It was so relaxed. You could do your own thing there. There weren’t strict rules about how you approached the table. It was much freer about how you interacted with the customers. You didn’t have to say your name, I am your waiter. You didn’t have to do that.” Martick’s approach was reassuring to people who may have felt uncomfortable

elsewhere, agreed Ruth Turner, a Baltimore native who worked there in the 1980s and now owns a boutique in Hampden called Caravanserai on the Avenue. Turner said the same non-judgmental attitude that was appealing to the Jewish community and the arts community was appealing to members of the LGBT community, and that included gay African Americans and transgender people. “It was exclusively inclusive,” she said. “He allowed anyone who wanted to come in to come in. No questions asked. It was very inclusive. It was a melting pot. Some people were flamboyant. Some weren’t. Morris was accepting of everyone. There were no divisions. We were all just people.” In terms of human sexuality, Baltimore was a center of experimentation and medical advances, she noted. And the heyday of Martick’s as a jazz club predated places such as Leon’s, the Drinkery and the Hippo. “This was the beginning of the whole transgender movement and the sex change operations at Hopkins. There was a lot going on. That’s when [sex change pioneer] John Money was at Hopkins.” At Martick’s, “you weren’t defined by your sexuality or your skin tone,” she said. “You were defined by your character and your behavior. … He looked at people on a one-on-one level…He made it clear that being different and being eccentric is not a problem, it’s an asset.” Tom DiVenti, another former employee, echoed Turner’s sentiments in an article he wrote for Splice Today entitled “Morris Martick: Last of a Breed.” He called the place a “sanctuary” and said “Morris was the father many of us never had.” DiVenti recalled that at one dinner party for John Waters, Martick “carved miniature penises out of carrots and whipped up a creamy white sauce appetizer for the guest of honor.” He described Martick as “an original Baltimore character who gave others the freedom to be characters too.” Martick’s was “a place of tolerance and acceptance for all kinds of people,” DiVenti wrote. “No one was ever judged or criticized for beliefs or non-beliefs. No one was ever bullied because of gender or sexual preference. Restaurants in Baltimore today could take a cue from his old school finesse.” Will Janian’s partial demolition proposal satisfy the preservationists? The Baltimore Heritage preservation advocacy group testified against Janian’s plans in February; the board has not taken a position on the latest proposal and was slated to meet this week to discuss it. Visit washingtonblade.com for updates on this week’s hearing, scheduled for March 12. Email correspondence about the proposal can be sent to CHAP planner Stacy Montgomery at stacy.montgomery@ baltimorecity.gov.

From top: ARIANA GRANDE, seen here on her last tour, plays D.C. March 25 Flickr photo by Emma via Wikimedia; St. Patrick’s Day is March 17 with many local events planned Washington Blade file photo by Tom Hausman;

MARY GAUTHIER plays City Winery March 24

Photo by Laura Partain

SMYAL for Spring is March 23

St. Patty’s Skate night planned

Court plans seizure benefit

SMYAL for Spring is Saturday, March 23 from 2-5 p.m. at Pitchers (2317 18th St., N.W.). SMYAL is a local group that works to empower LGBTQ youth. Tickets are $25 in advance online or $30 at the door and include drink specials and raffle prizes. Tickets are available at tiny.cc/smyal4spring.

MNSkating is having an “LGBT-plus Shades of Green/St. Patty’s Day Skate” at Laurel Skate Center (9890 Brewers Ct., Laurel, Md.) on Monday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. It’s a non-alcohlic event and attendees are encouraged to wear green. Prizes will be awarded. go to meetup.com/ mondaynightskating or look for the event on Facebook for details.

The Imperial Court of Washington and AGLA present “Seizures are a Drag,” a benefit for the Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia on Sunday, March 24 from 6-9 p.m. at Freddie’s (555 23rd St., Arlington, Va.). Suggested donation is $10 at the door. Look for the event on Facebook for details.

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TODAY

An evening with Ariana Ariana Grande brings her “Sweetener World Tour” to Capital One Arena (601 F St., N.W.) on Monday, March 25 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $39.95-279.95 at ticketmaster.com.

Gauthier touring ’18 ‘Riﬂes’ album Singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier plays City Winery (1350 Okie St., N.E.) on Sunday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m. Jaimee Harris opens. Tickets are $22 in advance or $25 at the door. Gauthier, a lesbian, is touring behind her 2018 Grammy-nominated album “Riﬂes and Rosary Beads” (her 10th) that she wrote with wounded combat veterans over the last four years in a program called SongwritingWith:Soldiers. Details at citywinery.com.

La Fantasy presents “Papa Party — Army of Love w/ Eliad Cohen and DJ Danny Verde” tonight at 10 p.m. at Karma D.C. (2221 Adams Pl., N.W.). TWiN opens with a DJ set. Sexy military gear is suggested. Coat/clothes check available on site. Tickets are $40 at lafantasyproductions.com. Cobalt and Level One’s goodbye party is tonight at 8 p.m. at Pitchers (2317 18th St., N.W.). The party is designed so patrons can say goodbye to staff and reminisce. Local drag legend Kristina Kelly will be hostess and Ba’Naka will co-host. Half the proceeds will go to Cobalt staff. Cash bar only from 8-10 p.m. on the dance ﬂoor. DJ Sean Morris will spin. No cover. Look for the event on Facebook for details. The Birds of Prey Drag Show featuring special guest Naysha Lopez (season eight of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”) is tonight at 10 p.m. at The D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.W.) DJ Icyfunk will spin. Eighteen and up. Ba’Naka hosts with Sasha Adams Sanchez, Brooklyn Heights, Iyana Deschanel and guests Crystal Edge, Katrina Colby, Alicia Love and Kristal Smith. The “Sashay Dance Party” will follow until 3 a.m. Tickets are $10-15 at eventbrite.com. The D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) hosts Woof Happy Hour and Porn Star Bingo today at 5 p.m. Eddie Danger hosts the party. There will be free pizza at 7:30 p.m. Drink specials include $4 rail drinks, $4 draft beers and more. No cover before 8:30 p.m. For more details, visit dceagle.com.

Saturday, March 16 A meeting will be held today at 11 a.m. for volunteers interested in helping with the Trans Visibility Community Festival at 1525 14th St., N.W. The festival will be held on Saturday, March 30 from 1-5 p.m.. Details at transvisibilityfestival.com. A drag brunch will be held today at 12:30 p.m. at Rams Head on Stage (33 West St., Annapolis, Md.). Shawnna Alexander and Victoria Bohmore will emcee. Performers include M’ara Diamond, Ganivah Cache, Jordin Amber Jamison,

M AR CH 15, 2 0 1 9 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE.COM • 37

Gassy Winds and Krystal Nova. The event beneﬁts Annapolis Pride. Eighteen and older. Tickets are #20 at ticketﬂy.com. Peach Pit, a ‘90s gay dance party, is tonight at 10:30 p.m. at DC9 (1940 9th St., N.W.) with DJ Matt Bailer. Look for the event on Facebook for details. Kelly Clarkson brings her “Meaning of Life Tour” to Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore (201 W. Baltimore St.) tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $25 at ticketmaster.com. The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington presents “Let Freedom Sing,” an evening of songs made famous by African-American performers in many genres today at 4 and 8 p.m. at Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.). Tickets are $25-65 at gmcw.org. The Lodge (21614 National Pike, Boonsboro, Md.) has a Shamrock Underwear Dance Party tonight from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. with go-go dancers, an undewear contest, music from DJ Andre and more. Details on Facebook.

Sunday, March 17 The Imperial Court of Washington has a Turnabout Show tonight at 8 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar (555 23rd St., Arlington, Va.). Court members and royalty switch gender roles for the night and perform with proceeds going to its various Reign VII charities. Detiails at imperialcourtdc.org. Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) has a drag brunch today with shows at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Drag entertainers will perform as Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Pink and more. Tickets are $41.91 and include an all-you-can-eat buffet and one mimosa or bloody Mary. For more details, visit nelliessportsbar.com. The Bottom Line (1716 I St., N.W.) hosts a “green eggs and beer” party today for St. Patrick’s Day from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Look for the event on Facebook for details.

Monday, March 18 Drag Bingo at Board Room Game Bar and Brewery is tonight (and the

ﬁrst and third Monday of each month) at 925 B Garﬁeld St., Arlington, Va. hosted by Crystal Edge and Katrina. $5 to play. Details on Facebook. 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, March 19 The Association of University Centers on Disabilities has its AUCD4all Gala tonight at 6 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.). Tickets are $125 at donate.aucd.org.

Wednesday, March 20 Team D.C.’s Spring SportsFest is tonight at 6 p.m. at Room & Board (1840 14th St., N.W.). Information is available on the region’s 40-plus LGBT sports clubs. No cover. First 50 donors get a Room & Board canvas tote bag. Details at teamdc.org. D.C. Log Cabin Republicans have their board elections and March meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at The Chastleton Ballroom (1701 16th St., N.W.) Long-time gay activist Paul Kuntzler will be a special guest speaker and will offer a presentation entitled “The Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government …” Details at logcabin.org.

Thursday, March 21 Annapolis Pride presents Doug’s Third Thursday Pride Happy Hour this evening from 5-7 p.m. at Kitchen on West St. (174 West St., Annapolis, Md.) in the Hilton Garden Inn. E-mail questions to info@ annapolispride.org or look for the event on Facebook.

Easy on the gas

Latest fuel-friendly models are chic, peppy By JOE PHILLIPS Hybrids. Plug-ins. Electric vehicles. Even most traditional gas engines now sip gas rather than guzzle it. Yup, it’s easy to be green these days. Here are three faves. CHRYSLER PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID $40,000 Mpg: 32 city/33 highway Zero-60 mph: 7.4 seconds Sometimes what walks like a duck and quacks like a duck turns out to be, well, no ugly duckling. So it is with the Chrysler Pacifica, targeted directly at soccer moms and dads, but with eye-catching styling and deft handling. As a gearhead who is no minivan fan, I was bowled over with how well the Pacifica handled tight corners and twisty switchbacks. Step on the gas, and this hybrid bursts forward — such is the beauty of electric motors. And when the V6 gas engine kicks in, the acceleration is smooth and peppy. This is one hunky hauler that thinks it’s a dashing Dodge Charger, not a plus-sized ride. That sport-sedan motif continues in the second row, where there are bolstered captain’s chairs instead of a bench seat. Alas, this means less room for passengers. And because the battery pack is stored beneath the footwell, there are no foldaway second-row seats or convenient vacuum-cleaner system like in the traditional Pacifica. But the user-friendly cabin can be decked out with all the bells and whistles, including 20-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, dual 10-inch touchscreens for rear-seat infotainment and a tri-pane panoramic sunroof that stretches the length of a soccer field (or so it seems). Sure, this hybrid costs more than a traditional gas-model Pacifica, but EV tax credits bring the price down. Plus, you get bragging rights: No other automaker makes a hybrid plug-in minivan. FORD FUSION ENERGI PLUG-IN HYBRID $37,000 Mpg: 43 city/41 highway Zero-60 mph: 8.5 seconds Ford will stop producing sedans in the coming years, focusing instead on pickups and crossover SUVs. So why consider the automaker’s latest midsizer, the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid? Three reasons: It’s a great plug-in hybrid, there are oodles of green vehicles in showrooms

(so salespeople are willing to deal) and discontinued vehicles have a way of staging a comeback (Ford Ranger or Toyota Supra, anyone?). The Fusion is nicely styled, with a front end that mirrors a $250,000 Aston Martin Rapide super sedan. The Fusion’s interior may not be as upscale, but it’s more dapper than a Toyota Prius plug-in. Almost every safety and comfort feature is here, including pre-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic braking, 10-way heated/ ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, smartphone integration and more. But for some reason, the power moonroof is an option instead of a standard feature. And the battery eats up half the trunk, leaving just 8 cubic feet for storage. Still, the satisfaction here is knowing you can trek 588 miles without having to fill up or recharge. HYUNDAI IONIQ EV $31,000 Range: 124 miles Zero-60 mph: 8.9 seconds For over three decades, Hyundai has been on the cutting edge, building trendy, reliable vehicles at affordable prices. Now the South Korean automaker has built the iconic Ionic, a dedicated green machine available in three configurations: hybrid, hybrid plug-in or electric. While the hybrid model boasts 58 mpg, the electric can travel up to 124 miles before recharging. And Hyundai plans to increase the battery pack soon, further improving driving range. All three models look similar, though only the electric has a glossy black grille and distinct taillights. Inside, large control knobs and highresolution infotainment screen are a plus, but a low roof line and raised rear seats mean backseat passengers can feel squished. Still, there’s plenty of room in the front seats and a flat-bottomed steering wheel with paddles shifters helps you weave effortlessly through traffic. The Ioniq takes aim at the similarly priced Toyota Prius — no slouch in the eco wars — which comes as a hybrid or plugin (there is no Prius EV). Both the Ioniq and Prius adopt the same (and to me, annoying) split rear-window setup that hinders driver visibility. While the Prius seems a bit quieter inside, the Ioniq offers a better warranty and lifetime battery coverage. Such competition should lead to even more green vehicles in the future.

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Crisp artichokes dusted with parmesan cheese are among the standout appetizers at Frenchy’s. Photo by Evan Caplan

More fries anyone? Frenchy’s Natural is latest from EatWell D.C. team By EVAN CAPLAN Flair, fries and a touch of frivolity landed last month in Logan Circle at the refreshed, relaxed Frenchy’s Natural (1337 11th St NW). The restaurant is gay-owned EatWell D.C.’s reinvention of their erstwhile The Bird, which held that location for two years before EatWell decided it needed a change. Proudly operating longstanding and beloved community institutions Commissary and Logan Tavern, among other restaurants, the EatWell D.C. owners transformed The Bird’s quirky, poultrycentric cuisine into Frenchy’s Naturel, an homage to a fourth arrondissement steakfrites café “bringing a modern French ‘boite’ to the area,” says David Wise, principal owner of EatWell D.C. In Frenchy’s, the design has gone modern and chic. Fanciful mirrors grace the soothing blue interiors, freshened up by casual bistro-style furniture. The food, foremost, centers on beef (though seafood and poultry also make appearances). Alongside the meat? Bottomless fries. “We love offering a complete meal and providing more fries if you’re still hungry,” says EatWell Principal David Winer. “It’s just a neighborhood-friendly concept, which is what we do best.” Like the Parisian bistro of your dreams or Napoleonic aspirations, the menu is short but confidently boasts about what it does best. After a few hors d’oeurves (naturally), the smattering of appetizers is led by glistening, golden-brown, shatteringly crisp artichokes. They arrive airy and crunchy, dusted with Parm by a heavy hand. The main event, however is the “L’Experience de Frenchy’s.” This straightforward entre to the restaurant revolves around a main dish, served simply and alone on a white plate; offerings feature several cuts of local Maryland steak, among other proteins. In the order of “L’Experience,” a green salad comes first; the main is tag-teamed with a choice of one of four sauces, like a creamy horseradish that softens the meaty blow. Arm candy arrives in the form of unlimited bowls of

crispy shoestring frites, dressed up only with a sprig of rosemary. Ask for seconds. Executive Chef Eric McKamey captains the kitchen. He just joined EatWell DC after stints at Momofuku, DGS Delicatessen and Mintwood Place. Frenchy’s also focuses on pouring natural wine, crafted from familiar grapes in unfamiliar ways. The restaurant defines these as “hand-harvested grapes grown in low-yielding vineyards with organic and biodynamic farming techniques.” Partner Heran Mane says, “This is an exciting time in the natural [wine] movement, and though challenging, we look forward to introducing D.C. to some new tastes.” Warm weather will welcome an outdoor street-level patio, as well as a second-floor balcony. Upstairs, mixologist Ben Bronstein will reign at the Rose Bar, where he’ll offer mixology classes and wine tasting to take some of the mystery out of natural wines. Weekend afternoons bring in brunch, led by a hefty hanger-steak-and-eggs plate, as well as a croque Madame and other French-inspired egg offerings. In a fan-fave holdover from The Bird, brunch also offers a fried chicken Benedict. Opening this spot is not new for Winer, who has been in hospitality for his entire career; he opened his first restaurant in Miami Beach in 1991. “We’ve been ‘out’ operators for the past 28 years, starting in the South Miami Beach heyday,” Winer says. “We’ve always supported every facet of our community from the drag scene, gay youth and transgender long before it was fashionable.” As for his latest venture, Winer’s strayed from the homey American cuisine that has been a hallmark of his various restaurants. French cuisine represents an adventurous exploit for a group that finds comfort in its soups, quinoa salads and mac n’ cheese. Yet, Winer says, “Frenchy’s Naturel is a progression of long-standing ideas we’ve had for a neighborhood restaurant. It’s cozy and casual, has modest prices and a little something for everyone, and you get an entire meal for one price.”

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JOSE ZAYAS says he’d like to do more LGBT-themed work. Photo by Michael Palma; courtesy Studio

Brutal, sexual ‘Basel’ Out director helms world premiere at Studio Theatre By PATRICK FOLLIARD

José Zayas says his career is complicated. While the out director mostly focuses on new plays, he appreciates staging classics and beloved musicals. He works a lot in Spanish, but also in English. And he’s a self-defined “genre freak” with a weakness for horror and sci-fi. As director of Studio Theatre’s world premiere production “Queen of Basel” by playwright Hilary Bettis, Zayas brings together his love for what’s old and new. A Latin-infused take on August Strindberg’s naturalistic 1888 classic “Miss Julie,” Bettis’ version recreates the sexy and dangerous psychosexual struggle, while moving the action from a Midsummer’s Eve on the estate of a count in Sweden to the kitchen of a South Beach hotel during Art Basel, Miami’s weeklong trendy art party. Like the source material, the new play is about class, power and desire, but also adds race and immigration status to the mix. “I light-designed a production of ‘Miss Julie’ in college” and have seen a lot of productions,” says Zayas, 44. “I love the play’s passion and madness but not the misogyny.” Bettis’ adaptation, he explains, addresses misogyny, updates the story and does something exciting with what it means to be Latinx in the U.S.: “The play tries to figure out who we are as a people, where we’re from and what is our place in this country. Using ‘Miss Julie’ to deal with those issues is a stroke of genius in many ways.” In Strindberg’s classic, Julie is a nobleman’s daughter who becomes too intimately involved with the help. Here, Julie (Christy Escobar) is the heiress to a real estate fortune. Part Colombian and part North American white, she straddles two worlds, and while culturally all over the place, her life is primarily defined by class, money and power. When she unwittingly becomes involved John (Andy Lucien), a Cuban/ Haitian Uber driver and Christine (Dalia Davi) a Venezuelan cocktail waitress with Riveting backstory, things go wildly awry. Now based in New York, Zayas was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands. “There wasn’t a lot of theater where we lived. I didn’t see a play until I was 18,” he says. “But I spent a lot of time reading and writing plays in high school.” As the first person in his family to go to college, Harvard University no less, Zayas was expected to pursue a career in medicine or law, so he majored in pre-med. “I hated it,” he says. “But I didn’t hate theater. There was no theater concentration at Harvard, but there were great resources for those who were interested. So, I happily became involved with the dramatic club and started writing and directing, and

quickly changed my major to English.” After graduating, Zayas worked in theater for two years and then earned a graduate degree in directing from Carnegie Mellon University. “As an adolescent, I was pretty much gay, Catholic and angry. But I accepted my gayness. It’s just that I hid it from everyone else. It took me a long time to talk to family about it — some still don’t know. I am most happy in the rehearsal room working on a new project with communities that we create for a month or two.” He adds, “Today the anger is still there. It just comes out in the work. My personal life is relaxed.” During the first days of rehearsals for “Queen of Basel,” playwright Bettis essentially rewrote the play, Zayas says. “In her effort to adapt Strindberg, she had momentarily forgot herself as a playwright, so she needed to start over to make her voice heard. All of us were willing to play our part in the process. It was like a creation in real time. Our conversations were really of the moment. About what’s happening in the room. And the country.” As a director, Zayas keeps his audience in mind when staging a new play. “I’d like a heavily Latinx audience, but I have to be he has to be realistic. Much of regional theatergoers are older and white, so we address that by defining things that might be new to them. It’s a strong play. Brutal. Sexual. As long as you respect the audience’s intelligence and do things with a modicum of taste, I think people will connect to it.” Zayas’ partner is Stephin Merritt, songwriter and principal singer for The Magnetic Fields, a staple on the indie music scene. The couple have successfully collaborated in the past. Zayas, who directed Merritt’s “The Magnetic Fields: 50 Song Memoir” (a concert based on Merritt’s life and gay history), enjoyed working with his mate and would like to meld talents and energies in the near future. “Gay content isn’t something I get to do all the time,” he says. “I’d like to do more.” There’s no gay content in “Queen of Basel.” “Not explicitly. But some gay men will connect to Julie’s grand diva role. The over-the-top person she is. And how she deals with the world.”

‘Queen of Basel’ Through April 7 Studio Theatre 1501 14th St., N.W. $20-90 202-332-3300 studiotheatre.org

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Top photo: DARREN MANN and JOSH WIGGINS in ‘Giant Little Ones.’ Photo courtesy Vertical Entertainment Bottom photo: MATT SMITH in the title role in ‘Mapplethorpe.’ Photo courtesy Samuel Goldwyn Films

March movie madness

Teen dramedy ‘Giant Little Ones,’ ‘Mapplethorpe’ biopic feature heavy gay content By BRIAN T. CARNEY

Two interesting queer indie films are on screen at the Landmark Theatres this week. Both play with classic cinematic genres, with varying degrees of success. Written and directed by Keith Behrman, “Giant Little Ones” is a coming-out story where no one actually comes out. Instead it’s a timely but timeless coming-of-age story about friendship, betrayal and the power of rumor. Refracted through the lenses of John Hughes movies and current notions of sexual fluidity, the script hearkens back in an interesting way to Lillian Hellman’s classic 1934 queer drama “The Children’s Hour” where vicious (and unfounded) rumors about illicit sexual behavior destroy the lives of two school teachers. The play was adapted twice for the screen. The first version (1936), retitled “Those Three,” turned the play into a heterosexual love triangle; the second version (1961) restored the original title and the accusations that the two teachers (Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine) are lesbians. In “Giant Little Ones,” the rumors about homosexuality are started by one of the boys involved. Best friends since childhood, Frankie Winter (Josh Wiggins) and Ballas Kohl (Darrin Mann) are popular members of the swim team. Both have girlfriends, but while Ballas brags about how often he and Jess (Kiana Madeira) have had sex, Frankie remains a virgin, much to the frustration of his girlfriend “Cil” (Hailey Kittle). After Frankie’s wild 17th birthday party, a moment of unexpected sexual intimacy between the boys becomes the subject of high school and family drama when one of the boys starts to spread rumors that the other one is gay (no spoilers here). Things get especially complicated for Frankie because his father (Kyle MacLachlan) has recently left his mother (Maria Bello) for another man. Behrman’s script is uneven. He’s great at capturing the complicated sexual zeitgeist from gay dads and their new boyfriends to genderqueer high school girls with strapons and high school survivors of sexual trauma, along with the more traditional gay panic defense and violent homophobia in the locker room. But, some of the characters are underdeveloped and their actions don’t make a lot of sense. Behrman’s work as a director, however, is confident and assured, especially his work with cinematographer Guy Godfree and editor Sandy Pereira. The movie is lovely and the flows freely with a sure-footed pacing. The film is nicely grounded in Wiggin’s fine performance as Frankie. Like most

teenaged boys, he’s not always likable, but Wiggins is always available and engaging. He’s surrounded by a great supporting cast, including Niamh Wilson as Mouse, the young lady with a dildo; Taylor Hickson as Frankie’s friend (and Ballas’ sister) Natasha; Maria Bello as his frazzled mother; and, especially Kyle MacLachlan as a dad who’s carefully trying to rebuild his relationship with his son. Quirky and frequently charming, “Giant Little Ones” has earned a place in the LGBT teen movie canon. Directed by Ondi Timoner and written by Timoner and Mikko Alanne, “Mapplethorpe” is a conventional biopic about an unconventional artist. Robert Mapplethorpe (Matt Smith from “Doctor Who” and “The Crown”) rocked the art world with his stunning and crystalline black and white photography that captured a variety of subjects from celebrities to flowers to black and white men (including himself) engaged in explicit BDSM scenes. Unfortunately, Timoner takes a timid connect-the-dots approach to Mapplethorpe’s tumultuous life. We meet all the major players as they rotate in and out of Robert’s life, but we never really see the drive and passion beneath his chilly façade or understand why his lovers/ muses/patrons are drawn to him. The actors, including Smith, fill out their roles as well as they can, but the film never really catches fire despite fine performances by Carolyn McCormack as Mapplethorpe’s mother, Marianne Rendón as rocker Patti Smith, John Benjamin Hickey as Sam Wagstaff, McKinley Belcher III as Milton Moore, Rotimi Paul as Ken Moody and Brandon Sklenar as Robert’s little brother Edward. One exception is a thoughtful cameo by Brian Stokes Mitchell as Father Stark, the Mapplethorpe family priest, who visits an ailing Robert on his mother’s behalf. Because the priest is not part of the traditional Mapplethorpe story, Timoner and company have some fun with his scene. The father and the prodigal son discuss God and the devil while Mapplethorpe takes pictures and Father Stark is literally blinded by the light of the camera’s flash. It’s a welcome change from the boilerplate biography. Still, for anyone who’s not familiar with Mapplethorpe’s life and work, the film is a great introduction to this recent queer hero. For fans of his work, it’s a great chance to see some of his most iconic photos on the big screen and to learn some of the stories behind them. Stay for the credits which include more photography.

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NewYear,more of the same D.C.housing trends Sales remain robust in first quarter of 2019 By ALLISON GOODHART DUSHUTTLE New year, hot market! After a weaker than usual fall market of 2018, the 2019 market came in with a bang. Sales are robust, buyers are entering the market at a rapid pace (more on this later), days on market are short, and off-market activity has increased. So will this fast pace of the market continue throughout the year? What else do we anticipate for real estate in 2019? As I reviewed my 2018 real estate market predictions, I realized that although much has changed since early 2018, much more has stayed the same. So without further ado, here are my predictions for the 2019 real estate market. AMAZON – HOW REAL IS THE HYPE? Everyone is asking how much impact Amazon’s HQ2 will have on our area. While it is too early to tell exactly what the HQ2 future holds, we can tell you what we’ve seen so far. A few Amazon executives have already relocated to our area. We are working and have worked with several buyers from Seattle and have seen a couple of others bring offers on our listings. However, this first round of relocations has been limited and hasn’t impacted the market on a large scale. We have also seen the Amazon effect in two other areas. First, renters (mostly millennials living in D.C., Arlington, and Alexandria) have decided they want to buy before the large relocations begin, causing a buyer influx in the market. The second effect is a significant increase in consumer confidence locally. While the political climate (which we will talk about later) is a bit more unpredictable with furloughs and unstable interest rates, the news of Amazon’s HQ2 has given both buyers and sellers confidence about our

local real estate market — always a good thing. With the news of the New York location possibly being reconsidered, this means only good things for our area. You can read more about our predictions for Amazon’s HQ2 at thegoodhartgroup.com. FEBRUARY 2019 UPDATE This week, Amazon announced it’s halting plans for its other HQ2 site in Queens, N.Y., due to a lack of support from local government officials and the community. Amazon officials insist that pulling out of the Long Island City location does NOT mean they’re searching for a new HQ2 site. Its expansion plans will proceed focused on the National Landing site outside D.C. and Nashville hub locations. Amazon’s 17 other hubs will absorb the remaining jobs. However, local officials are not ruling out the possibility of more jobs at Amazon’s Crystal City location. Stephanie Landrum, president and CEO of the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, said the state’s package was structured to allow for the possibility of up to 37,500 local Amazon jobs, an additional 50% on top of the planned 25,000. Of course, more area jobs means only good news for home values in our region. MILLENNIALS: HIGH EXPECTATIONS This resurgence of high-end millennial buyers who entered the market in 2018 also created demand for new construction and renovated homes. Why are these younger luxury buyers so interested in newer renovated properties, especially in our historic town? Many are dual-income families who do not have the time, vision, or cash to update an older home. But, these buyers still want their home to look good. We millennials have come of age in a visual society (thank you, Instagram and Pinterest) where we expect everything to look good, all the time. This desire for new and improved homes has meant intense competition over the few available lots and small homes on lots over 5,000 square feet that could be expanded and renovated. Unfortunately for many buyers looking for starter homes in our market, most singlefamily homes in close-in neighborhoods

M AR CH 15, 2 0 1 9 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE.COM • 45

listed under $800,000 were scooped up in multiple offer situations by builders making all cash, no contingencies offers. As a result, many first and second time buyers were edged out of the running. THE POLITICAL CLIMATE: IT’S ALL ABOUT POTRUXI So, what in the heck is PoTruXi? ProTruXi is an abbreviation for the three people who will shape the course of the national economy this year. Po = Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve. What the Fed does over the next year will matter, big time. Interest rates have been especially volatile and quite a bit higher than they were at this time last year. It’s been predicted that rates would continue to rise throughout 2019, but we have seen the Fed pump the brakes a bit on their plans to raise rates. Rising interest rates play a huge role in the health of the real estate market as they can dramatically impact affordability. We anticipate rates to rise only subtly this year – versus the expectation at the end of 2018 that they would continue to rise aggressively. This is good news! Tru = President Trump – and actually, Congress too. What happens here in D.C. has major ramifications for our economy and our real estate market, both nationally and locally. With a Democratic House of Representatives and a Republican Senate, the balance of power could provide to be a positive for the market. Why? Often it means that extremist policy on either side of the aisle is unlikely to be passed which improves consumer confidence. The big unknown locally is how we will weather another possible government shutdown. The January shutdown didn’t have a large impact on our market as a whole. However, if Trump and Congress continue their stalemate, it may cause more of a problem in the future. Xi = China’s President Xi. The ability to strike a trade deal between the U.S. and China will also matter. The current turbulence around trade is fueling a lack of confidence and stock market volatility. Many U.S. companies are reliant on growth in China and tariffs on construction materials have made

both renovating and building less affordable. We already have a chronic shortage of housing, especially affordable housing, so I would anticipate trade becoming more of a hot button issue as we get closer to elections. THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY Last year, I predicted biometrics and artificial intelligence would make their appearance as new trends in the industry. Biometrics has become more mainstream in our everyday world as consumers embraced the iPhone X and Clear security at the airport. However, we still haven’t seen it become mainstream in the real estate world but the whispers continue that it is coming. I also predicted artificial intelligence would become a part of the real estate space and there were significant strides in this arena in 2018, both inside and outside of real estate. On the real estate front, last year I referenced a futuristic sign that could interact with consumers that was “teased” at a conference I attended. In 2018, this sign (the first real estate smart sign) was unveiled by Compass! In fact, the moment Robert Reffkin, the CEO of Compass, introduced the idea of the sign, a spark of interest about this growing company was ignited for our team. Of course, in June of 2018, we officially joined Compass and are so proud to be a part of a company that is advancing the world of real estate forward. With the hiring of Microsoft’s former Chief of Technology, Compass is also rolling out an artificial intelligence program that will improve both the consumer and agent experiences. CONTINUTES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

Allison Goodhart DuShuttle

is with Compass Real Estate. Led by Sue & Allison Goodhart, they have been named a Top Agent by both Washingtonian and Northern Virginia magazines. Allison can be reached at 703-362-3221 or allison@ thegoodhartgroup.com.

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BODY & SOUL

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Place your HOUSING TO SHARE ad online at washingtonblade.com and the ad prints free in the paper and online.*

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PhotoDr. Z Tarot Consulting Dr. Z’s readings draw knowledge from eternity, revealing the paths before you, and shows you the light within. Zachary D. Weaver, Ph.D. (Dr. Z) Office: 202-599- 0285 WWW. DrZTarot.com

MASSAGE

BULLETIN BOARD

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ROSSLYN – MASSAGE Low key spot near Rosslyn, SunTues, spa in DC, Thurs-Sat. Call or text Gary 301-7041158, mymassagebygary. com.

LESBIAN SINGLES GROUP AGE 55+ meets Sun, March 17, 2019, 2 pm. in Greenbelt Maryland, Details, email: rickpepper@ protonmail.com.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

LOOKING FOR COUPLES - MET VIA BLADE CLASSIFIEDS On the occasion of our 50th Anniversary year, the Blade is looking for couples to profile who met via Blade classified ads and are still together. If interested, please contact Features Editor, Joey DiGuglielmo at: joeyd@ washblade.com or (202) 731-0829.

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

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

EMPLOYMENT WHOLISTIC SERVICES, INC. Seeking Full Time Direct Support Professionals to assist intellectually disabled adults with behavioral health complexities in group homes & day services throughout D.C. Requirements: Valid Driver’s License, able to lift 50-75 lbs., complete training program, become Med Certified within 6 months of hire, pass security background check. (Associates degree preferred) For more information please contact Human Resources @ 301-3922500.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Results-Oriented • Affordable

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30 years serving the LGBT community

202-244-0903 socialanxietyhelp.com

See website for NPR story on my work

SIMPLE AFFORDABLE PROVEN RESULTS

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202.747.2077

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703-593-3204

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SIMPLE AFFORDABLE PROVEN RESULTS

CALL TODAY TOPLACE YOUR AD

202.747.2077

4 6 • WAS H IN GTO N B LAD E.CO M • M AR C H 1 5 , 2 0 1 9

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

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

LEGAL SERVICES ADOPTION, DONOR, SURROGACY legal services. Jennifer represents LGBTQ clients in DC, MD & VA interested in adoption or ART matters. 240-863- 2441, JFairfax@jenniferfairfax.com. FULL SERVICE LAW FIRM Representing the GLBT community for over 35 years. Family adoptions, estate planning, immigration, employment. (301) 891-2200. Silber, Perlman, Sigman & Tilev, P.A. www.SP-Law. com.

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

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

CLEANING FERNANDO’S CLEANING: Residential & Commercial Cleaning, Reasonable Rates, Free Estimates, Routine, 1-Time, Move-In/Move-Out. (202) 234-7050, 202-4866183.

LIMOUSINES KASPER’S LIVERY SERVICE Since 1987. Gay & Veteran Owner/ Operator. 2016 Luxury BMW 750Li Sedan. Properly Licensed & Livery Insured in DC. www.KasperLivery.com. Phone 202-554-2471.

M AR CH 15, 2 0 1 9 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE.COM • 47

PLUMBERS DIAL A PLUMBER, LLC - FULL SERVICE PLUMBER JUST SAY: I NEED A PLUMBER!

Bathroom Sinks, Tubs, Vanities, Kitchen Sinks, Disposals, Boilers & Furnaces, Hot Water Heaters, Drain Service! 202-251-1479. Licensed, Bonded & Insured. DC Plumbers License #707. Visa, MasterCard, American Express accepted.

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

SHARE / DC CAPITAL HILL ROOMMATE 1400 F Street NE. Unfurnished room $600.00 / month, plus utilities. One month sec. deposit. No drugs, no pets. Avail to see Thurs & Sundays. Call Tomas 202-397-7132.

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Playmates and soul mates...

SHARE / VA 2BR 3BA TOWNHOUSE to share in Clifton Va $800 month, $400 deposit. Utilities included. (703)266-8182 Jeff.

RENT/MD BALTIMORE CHARLES ST. – 2nd Floor Newly renovated, 2BR/1BA, all new appliances, includes heat & water. Walking distance to MICA, UB, Light Rail, Penn Station & Baltimore Eagle. $795/mo plus security deposit. 866474-7000.

OPEN HOUSE / VA OPEN SUN, MAR 17, 2-4 PM Gorgeous, modern, architect/designer house for sale; perfect for professional couple: 1723 Melbourne Dr. McLean, VA 22101: 703-6638378. google listing. Jean.

BEACHES THE LEWES HOUSE- Perfect location - beach, dining, shops! Clean boutique accommodations with roof top deck and much more - BOOK NOW - theleweshouse. com, Facebook, VRBO, Air B&B.

Washington:

202-448-0824

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