Washingtonblade.com, Volume 50, Issue 15, April 12, 2019 by Washington Blade

Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

A PRIL 12, 2019 • VOLUM E 50 • I S S UE 15 • WA S HI N GTONB LAD E.CO M

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VOLUME 50 ISSUE 15 ADDRESS

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The closing of Town has brought changes to the D.C. drag scene. A look at some of the new queens. PAGE 38

Looking back:

50 years of the Blade

HPV vaccine program expanded to gay men

Comings & Goings

Viewpoint

LGBT Catholics optimistic about

Blade logo through the years

new Archbishop of Washington

Spring Real Estate

Roem looks back on tumultuous

New queens on the block

2019 session

Queery: Avi Strausberg

Man arrested for recording videos

Blossom parade draws top talent

of naked men at Fairfax spa

Arts & Culture

Buttigieg shares personal

Obscure Tennessee

struggle of coming out

Hollywood’s original ‘it’ girl

Lawmakers, activists rally

Shrinking violet

against military trans ban

New online exhibit

12 14 16 18 20 23

Bi Bruneian man speaks out

explores queer AAPI life

against new penal code

Spam folder

Cannabis Culture

Victory Fund Brunch

Classiﬁeds

202-747-2077 E-MAIL news@washblade.com INTERNET washingtonblade.com PUBLISHED BY Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. PUBLISHER LYNNE J. BROWN lbrown@washblade.com ext. 8075 EDITORIAL EDITOR KEVIN NAFF knaff@washblade.com ext. 8088 FEATURES EDITOR JOEY DIGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com ext. 8081 SR. NEWS REPORTER LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com ext. 8079 NEWS REPORTER CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com ext. 8083 REPORTER & INTERNATIONAL NEWS EDITOR MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com POP CULTURE REPORTER MARIAH COOPER PHOTO EDITOR MICHAEL KEY mkey@washblade.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS PETER ROSENSTEIN, MARK LEE, LATEEFAH WILLIAMS, KATE CLINTON, KATHI WOLFE, RICHARD J. ROSENDALL, ERNESTO VALLE, NICOLÁS LEVY, FELIPE ALFACE, YARIEL VALDÉS, LYNARE ROBBINS, RACHAEL ESPINET, KATLEGO K. KOL-KES, VICTOR MAUNG NEWS INTERN JAMES WELLEMEYER CREATIVE DESIGN/PRODUCTION AZERCREATIVE.COM SALES & ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING STEPHEN RUTGERS srutgers@washblade.com ext. 8077 SR. ACCT. EXECUTIVE BRIAN PITTS bpitts@washblade.com ext. 8089 ACCT. EXECUTIVE JOE HICKLING jhickling@washblade.com ext. 8094 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION PHILLIP G. ROCKSTROH prockstroh@washblade.com ext. 8092 NATIONAL ADVERTISING RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863; sales@rivendellmedia.com For distribution, contact Lynne Brown at 202-747-2077, ext. 8075. Distributed by MediaPoint, LLC All material in the Washington Blade is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Washington Blade. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons. Although the Washington Blade is supported by many fine advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by the Washington Blade, but the paper cannot take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit any submission. A single copy of the Washington Blade is available from authorized distribution points, to any individual within a 50-mile radius of Washington, D.C. Multiple copies are available from the Washington Blade office only. Call for rates. If you are unable to get to a convenient free distribution point, you may receive a 52-week mailed subscription for $195 per year or $5.00 per single issue. Checks or credit card orders can be sent to Phil Rockstroh at prockstroh@ washblade.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Washington Blade, PO BOX 53352 Washington, DC 20009. The Washington Blade is published weekly, on Friday, by Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. Individual Subscriptions are $195 per year for 52 issues (only $3.75 per issue mailed to you USPS). Rates for businesses/institutions are $450 per year. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. Editorial positions of the Washington Blade are expressed in editorials and in editors’ notes as determined by the paper’s editors. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Washington Blade or its staff. To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words; commentaries should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address and phone number for verification. Send submissions by e-mail to knaff@washblade.com.

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Hundreds attend AIDS conference in Atlanta on April 19, 1985 Hundreds of health care providers, policy makers and advocates participated in the International Conference on AIDS in Atlanta 34 years ago this month. The conference was the largest gathering of its kind since Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first cases of what became known as AIDS in 1981. WhitmanWalker Health was among the organizations that took part in the conference.

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Comings & Goings Zavos joins new firm, wins Hero Award 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 Michele Zavos who joined Delaney MCKinney LLP as a partner. They are a family law firm MICHELE ZAVOS representing clients in divorce, child custody and other matters in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Zavos said, “In addition to admiring the quality of their legal work for many years, I chose to move to Delaney McKinney because we share a commitment to finding legal solutions that work for all families, and to preserving the dignity of individuals as they make challenging life decisions”. She brings 40 years of experience representing all kinds of families and individuals in the metropolitan D.C. EUGENE community, on issues ranging from the birth or adoption RESNICK of children and family formation, through a change to the structure of a family because of divorce or dissolution of adult relationships, to estate planning and the probate of an estate. She is well known in the community for being instrumental in advancing the legal interests of LGBT families and helping to represent individuals and families with artificial reproductive technology and surrogacy legal issues. She has been named a Top Estate Planning lawyer by Washingtonian Magazine, the Family Law Practitioner of the Year by the Montgomery LGBT CSA BOARD County Bar Association in 2013, and a top lawyer by the Blade’s Best of Gay D.C. Zavos was elected to the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys in the spring of 2005 and to the American Academy of Assisted Reproductive Technology Attorneys in 2010. It was recently announced that she will receive Rainbow Families’ first Hero Award. Congratulations also to Eugene Resnick who joined the press office of New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer. Resnick has extensive communications and government experience in public engagement, media relations and writing. He said, “I am excited to contribute my skills and experience to Scott Stringer’s office.” Resnick recently was Deputy Communications Director and LGBT Liaison with Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams. He developed relationships with major New York City media outlets including journalists and producers across electronic, print, television, and radio. His experience includes organizing press conferences and managing the Brooklyn Borough Hall website and managing day-to-day social media across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Prior to that he worked as a communications and advocacy senior associate with Global Health Strategies, New York. Resnick went to school in London and worked there for Local Dialogue as an account manager. He also spent time working for APCO Worldwide in London. He was an intern in the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence. Congratulations also to the new board of directors officers of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association. The LGBT CSA is a non-partisan, officially sanctioned organization in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Board includes: President Chris Cunningham, Legislative Assistant for Rep. Ben McAdams (Utah); Vice President Hector Colón, Legislative Assistant for Rep. Max Rose (N.Y.); Communications Director Austin Laufersweiler, Communications Director for Rep. Andy Levin (Mich.); Professional Development Director Matthew Ramirez, Outreach Adviser for Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Social Events Director Sarah Jackson, Policy Associate for Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Membership Director Lauren Hughes, Scheduler and Legislative Assistant for Rep. Sanford Bishop (Ga.); At-Large Director Howard Ou, Policy Adviser for Rep. Gil Cisneros (Calif.); and At-Large Director Catherine Jucha, Staff Assistant and Legislative Correspondent for Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (Calif.). Cunningham said, “It’s a tremendous honor to lead the LGBT CSA Board of Directors following the election of the most diverse freshman class in the history of Congress. This year our board hopes to strengthen and expand its membership to all LGBTQ staffers, fellows, and interns on Capitol Hill with mindful inclusion of groups that are currently underrepresented.”

Md. House Speaker Busch dies at 72 Played key role in state marriage equality fight By JAMES WELLEMEYER

Maryland House Speaker MICHAEL BUSCH (D-Anne Arundel County) died Sunday at a Baltimore hospital. Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key

Maryland House of Delegates Speaker Michael Busch (D-Anne Arundel County) died of pneumonia at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore on Sunday. He was 72. Doctors diagnosed Busch, who was the longest serving House speaker in state history, with pneumonia after a follow-up procedure to his 2017 liver transplant. He originally received the transplant from his sister after doctors diagnosed him with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Busch told members of the House last week that he would miss the end of the legislative session due to his pneumonia. Busch, a Democrat, became speaker in 2003 and played an important role in advancing LGBT equality in Maryland in the latter stages of his career. His advocacy largely began with the fight for marriage equality in 2012. “When I first got to the legislature, he wasn’t somebody who worked against us. But he wasn’t our ally,” former Maryland state Del. Heather Mizeur told the Washington Blade on Monday. However, after a conversation with his two daughters, Busch became “our greatest ally,” Mizeur said. “He was pushing marriage before it was popular or easy to do, and I’m really honored that I had an opportunity to work under him,“ she told the Blade. State Del. Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City), a gay member of the House who took office in 2011, remembers working with Busch to pass the marriage legislation. “We thought we were four votes short in the House, and he asked me if I thought we should put a vote on the board

anyway,” Clippinger said. “The trust that he put in me, the trust that he put in other LGBT members is immense.” Then-Gov. Martin O’Malley signed the law in March 2012, but it was brought to voters through a referendum. In the lead up to the November 2012 election, Busch and O’Malley co-hosted a fundraiser for the campaign to defend Maryland’s same-sex marriage law. Voters upheld it, and it took effect on Jan. 1, 2013. In 2014, Busch helped pass a bill in the House that banned discrimination against transgender Marylanders. Clippinger, who sponsored the legislation, called Busch “a very strong supporter of the bill.” Beyond championing LGBT rights, Busch also backed the repeal of the death penalty, the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana and the expansion of gambling. Busch also fought for environmental protections, and supported efforts to raise the minimum wage in the state during his tenure as speaker. Busch joined the House in January 1987. Before his career in politics, he worked as a history teacher and sports coach at St. Mary’s High School in Annapolis. Maryland flags will fly at half-staff until Busch is buried. In a statement on Sunday, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan called Busch “a giant in our government” and said the former speaker “cared deeply about improving the lives of Marylanders, and his legacy is evident in his many legislative achievements.” One of the top contenders to replace Busch as speaker is state Del. Maggie McIntosh (D-Baltimore City), an out lesbian.

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LGBT Catholics optimistic about new Archbishop of Washington

First African American to head D.C. Archdiocese has pro-LGBT record By LOU CHIBBARO JR. LCHIBBARO@WASHBLADE.COM

The leaders of two D.C.-area LGBT supportive Catholic groups say they are optimistic that Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, the newly appointed head of the Archdiocese of Washington, will continue his policies of welcoming LGBT Catholics into the fold of the church that he established during his tenure as the Archbishop of Atlanta for the past 14 years. Gregory, 71, will be installed on May 21 as the seventh Archbishop of Washington. Pope Francis announced on April 4 that he has appointed Gregory to the position as the successor to Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who has headed the Archdiocese of Washington since 2006. Knowledgeable observers of the Vatican’s practice of appointing leaders of the Archdiocese of Washington say Archbishops of Washington traditionally have been elevated to the position of cardinal if they haven’t already become a cardinal. Gregory is thus on the path to become the first African-American cardinal, church observers have said. “It’s incredibility historic, first of all, because he’s the first black Archbishop of Washington and is expected to become the first black cardinal in the U.S.,” said Vin Testa, president of the LGBT Catholic group Dignity Washington. Testa and Francis DeBernardo, executive director of the Mt. Renier, Md., based LGBT supportive Catholic group New Ways Ministry, also point out that Gregory strengthened his reputation in Atlanta as a supporter of LGBT Catholics last fall. The two noted that Gregory forcefully defended two priests who came under attack by conservative Catholic activists for allegedly violating church teachings in their support for the LGBT community. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Gregory expressed support for a proposal by Monsignor Henry Gracz, pastor of the LGBT-supportive Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Church in Atlanta, to invite Jesuit priest and noted author, Father James Martin, to speak at his church about one of Martin’s books. The book, “Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity,” has been hailed by LGBT Catholic activists but condemned by conservative Catholic leaders who consider it a breach of church teachings on homosexuality. A coalition of conservative Catholic activists, the Journal-Constitution reports, organized a petition drive last fall calling on Gregory to remove Monsignor Gracz from his position as a spiritual adviser for survivors of clergy sexual abuse, a position he has held since 2011. The activists cited as their main objection to Gracz his ministry to the LGBT community. In a public statement, Gregory said he had no plans to remove Gracz from that position, calling him one of the “most compassionate and understanding priests who does not hesitate to respond to anyone in need of help.” Gregory added in his statement, “Msgr. Gracz is following the admonition of Pope Francis to accompany people on the periphery of society. His priestly heart is not closed to those who find themselves misunderstood or rejected.” In explaining his action concerning Gracz’s proposal that Father Martin be invited to speak at one or more churches within the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Gregory stated, “Several weeks ago I was asked by one of our pastors to invite Father Martin to share his perspective on ministry to the LGBT community as part of a larger, local parish conversation. I did not hesitate to support that pastor in extending the invitation.” Testa of Dignity Washington called Gregory’s handling of the Father Martin issue a “huge” positive development for LGBT Catholics.

New trial for men charged in trans murder set for 2020

Judge schedules earlier hearing for allegation of ‘misconduct’ by prosecutor By LOU CHIBBARO JR. LCHIBBARO@WASHBLADE.COM A D.C. Superior Court judge on Friday scheduled a second trial for two men charged with the July 4, 2016 murder of transgender woman Deeniquia “Dee Dee” Dodds for Feb. 25, 2020, saying conflicting schedules for defense lawyers and prosecutors prevented him from scheduling the trial sooner. The decision by Judge Milton C. Lee to schedule a new trial for defendants Monte Johnson, 23, and Jolonta Little, 28, came one month after the jury in the first trial announced it was deadlocked over the pending charge of first degree murder while armed against the two men, prompting Lee to declare a mistrial. Less than a week later prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office said they would seek to bring the two men up for another trial on the murder charge and possibly several other robbery and fire arms possession charges against Little and Johnson on which the jury also became deadlocked. Lee’s action took place during an April 5 status hearing in which the defense attorneys urged him to consider dismissing the case over what they called misconduct and possible jury tampering by one of the prosecutors during the first trial. They were referring to the dramatic disclosure by the chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Homicide Section that one of the two prosecutors working on the case had approached a fellow prosecutor about whether a plea bargain deal should be offered in an unrelated case involving the son of one of the jurors in Little and Johnson’s trial. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gorman disclosed the matter in a letter to Judge Lee and the defense attorneys that has been withheld from the court’s public records under seal. However, it was discussed in open court during the trial when the jury was not in the courtroom. Defense attorneys said the letter stated the prosecutor in question, Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Saunders, suggested to his fellow prosecutor that he consider informing jurors there were other options for the juror’s son other than a jail sentence such as probation. “There is no evidence that this has impacted the jury,” Gorman told Lee on Feb. 25 during a session of the trial when the jury was not present. “There is no indication of jury tampering,” he said, noting that none of the jurors, including the one whose son’s case was discussed by prosecutor Saunders,

were aware that this was happening. Defense attorneys Brandi Harden, who represents Little, and Kevin Irving, who represents Johnson, disputed Gorman’s assessment, calling the action by Saunders a possible attempt at jury tampering. Harden argued that had the juror learned that a prosecutor was suggesting the juror’s son receive a less severe sentence the juror could have become biased in favor of prosecutors in the Little-Johnson trial. Harden said the action by Saunders should be considered grounds for dismissing the case, something Lee declined to do. But Lee said he would address the issue after the trial was over, possibly at a court hearing. When Harden and fellow defense attorney Irving brought up the matter at Friday’s status hearing, Lee agreed to such a hearing. He scheduled it to be held on Aug. 2 of this year. At Friday’s hearing Harden said the action by prosecutor Saunders “rose to the level of obstruction of justice.” She again called on Lee to consider the action by the prosecutor as grounds for dismissing the case. Lee instructed the attorneys to submit to him written statements outlining what they want him to do over the matter by June 17. He instructed prosecutors to respond to the defense statement by June 19. During Little and Johnson’s month-long trial, which took place mostly in February, prosecutors presented witnesses that testified that Little, Johnson and two other men with them during the early morning hours of July 4, 2016 targeted at least seven transgender women, including Dodds, for armed robberies on streets where trans sex workers congregated. The prosecutors pointed to testimony by one of the other two men that Johnson shot Dodds in the neck at point blank range when she resisted his attempt to rob her on Division Avenue, N.E. near where she lived. The defense argued that the government’s case rested almost totally on the two men who allegedly accompanied Little and Johnson on the night Dodds was shot. The two men, Cyheme Hall, 23, and his brother, Shareem Hall, 25, pleaded guilty to second degree murder as part of a plea bargain offer by prosecutors that included their agreement to testify at the trial as government witnesses.

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Roem looks back on tumultuous 2019 session

Prosecutors drop prostitution charge against trans activist By LOU CHIBBARO JR. LCHIBBARO@WASHBLADE.COM

By JAMES WELLEMEYER

HAYMARKET, Va. — Virginia state Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) passed three pieces of her own legislation in her second session in the Virginia House of Delegates. “In my first session, I introduced a lot of really good bills, but as a freshman member from a swing district, they weren’t getting out. This time, we got three,” Roem told the Washington Blade on March 28 during an interview at a restaurant in Haymarket. “Two of these bills were constituent service requests.” One of Roem’s bills, House Bill 2375, aims to increase transparency in the review process of zoning ordinances. Another, House Bill 2400, requires public schools to “post prominently” on their websites an application for free or reduced-price student lunch. Roem, who represents the 13th District, said the piece of legislation has been in the making since before the 2019 session began. “I learned the value of relationship building,” Roem said of her first session in office. In the offseason after the 2018 session, Roem met with several Republican legislators to discuss priorities for the upcoming session. Those meetings included a conversation with state Del. Glenn Davis, Jr. (R-Virginia Beach). “The conversation we had ended up producing HB 2400,” Roem said. Davis carried the bill as one of its chief co-patrons alongside Roem and state Del. Hala Ayala (D-Prince William County). The changes it outlines will take effect on July 1. Roem, a former journalist who is the first openly transgender person seated in any state legislature in the U.S., also worked with Republicans on a bill that would prevent reporters from being penalized for revealing their sources. Virginia is one of 10 states that does not currently have such a law in place. The bill, which Roem introduced last session as well, did not pass but did fare better than before. “I worked with Del. Jason Miyares, another Republican from Virginia Beach, to protect reporters,” Roem said. “Not only did I earn his vote on it in subcommittee, but Del. Miyares made a passionate case for that bill.” Roem said she also received a nod of approval from state Del. Lee Ware (R-Chesterfield). A former reporter and the current chair of the House Finance Committee, Ware signed on as a co-patron to the bill. “To get Republicans to sign onto my shield law to protect reporters when the reputation is that there’s a clash between media and the Republican Party, I think what we were able to demonstrate is that the First Amendment is a bipartisan issue,” Roem said. “And it should be a non-partisan issue.” Despite the legislative successes she saw, Roem said the session was affected by the “unprecedented crisis” that began to unfold on Feb. 1 with the discovery that Gov. Ralph Northam’s medical school yearbook included a photo of one man in blackface and another man in a KKK robe. Northam originally said he was one of the men in the picture but later backtracked on the statement. Roem called for the governor to resign shortly after the release of the yearbook photo. “I was showing solidarity with the Legislative Black Caucus,” she said. “As a lawmaker who will never know the lived experience of a person of color in America or Virginia, I cannot begin to know the pain that they feel when issues of racism come up, especially something that is so visceral and affects them in such a personal way.” She said it was, therefore, important for her to listen to black lawmakers. “While we can have our own opinions on that, I think it’s extremely important to make sure you’re listening to the people who are most affected. We heard them. They had met with the governor. That was the decision they made, and we stood in solidarity with them,” Roem said. A couple of days after she said Northam should resign, Roem also called on Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax to step down due to multiple sexual assault allegations. Roem stopped short at calling for state Attorney General Mark Herring to leave his position. Herring admitted to doing blackface, but “the Legislative Black Caucus never asked him to resign,” Roem said.

DEE CURRY has accused D.C. police of entrapment. Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced at a D.C. Superior Court hearing on Tuesday that they were dropping a charge of misdemeanor solicitation for prostitution against transgender activist Dee Curry. Superior Court Judge Thomas J. Motley immediately approved the prosecutors’ request for a “Nolle Prosequi,” a legal term for stopping a prosecution, and dismissed the case. The two prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marco Crocetti and Joshua Rothman, gave no reason for their decision to drop the charge. William Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said his office would have no comment on the prosecutors’ decision. Curry, 64, a D.C. resident and longtime advocate for transgender rights, denies she was engaging in prostitution at the time of her arrest on Feb. 8 on the 1300 block of West Virginia Ave., N.E. She says she considers the undercover D.C. police tactics used to arrest her a form of entrapment that she feels the LGBT community and the public at large should view as a misuse of police resources to target commercial sex workers, especially trans sex workers. Curry disclosed her arrest in an interview with the Washington Blade last month, saying she wanted to bring to light what she believes to be an improper arrest and unfair police targeting of transgender female sex workers. She acknowledged that she had engaged in sex work in the past and that her arrest took place along a street where trans sex workers are known to congregate. But Curry said she was in the area to visit her godmother who lives in a nearby house. She said an undercover police officer posing as an Uber driver drove up to her and led her to believe he was seeking a passenger. Police charging documents allege that Curry consented to the undercover officer’s suggestion that she engage in sex for money. Curry told the Blade she needed a ride home and may have played along with who she thought was an Uber driver, but says she

doesn’t recall giving consent to sex for money. Regardless of what she may have said to the “driver,” Curry says she believes the police tactic of assigning a cop to pose as a driver for hire who she says solicited her for sex constitutes a misuse of police resources and a possible targeting of transgender women for such arrests. D.C. police spokesperson Alaina Gertz told the Blade last month prior to Tuesday’s dismissal of the case that the department could not comment on the specific circumstances surrounding Curry’s arrest because it was a pending case. But Gertz said the police enforcement efforts do not target any specific population and that prostitution arrests are generated by citizen complaints and are focused on geographic areas were those complaints are located. When contacted on Tuesday, Gertz declined to comment on the dismissal of the charge against Curry. Lt. Brett Parson, who oversees the police LGBT Liaison Unit, has said that protecting the safety of the transgender community at a time when it as well as the LGBT community as a whole has been targeted for hate crimes and other violent crime is a high priority for the department and the liaison unit. Legal observers, including the online legal information site Nolo, say prosecutors decide to drop a criminal charge against someone for a number of reasons, including a reevaluation of evidence, the emergence of new evidence, the failure of witnesses to cooperate, or a desire to give a defendant a second chance. “I believe the reason why it happened – I think a lot of times what they do is they target individuals who are vulnerable,” Curry told the Blade in an interview outside the courthouse on Tuesday, minutes after her case was dismissed. “And I think because I no longer live that lifestyle and because I have a following and because I advocate for people who are in a position of vulnerability, they really didn’t feel it would be worth going up against that kind of dynamic,” she said.

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Man arrested for recording videos of naked men at Fairfax spa By LOU CHIBBARO JR. LCHIBBARO@WASHBLADE.COM

Stein Club, Log Cabin, GLAA leaders meet to find ‘common ground’

Sometimes rival LGBT groups ‘agree to disagree’ amicably By LOU CHIBBARO JR. LCHIBBARO@WASHBLADE.COM

KWAME ANDERSON, a resident of Newport News, Va., is accused of making 152 videos of 81 male customers. Photo courtesy of Newport News Police

Police in Fairfax County, Va., announced last week that a 28-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly clandestinely using his phone to make videos of mostly naked men at a spa in Centerville, Va., and posting and selling the videos on a “prominent” social media site. At a news conference at Fairfax Police headquarters, one of the lead investigators in the case said Kwame Anderson, a resident of Newport News, Va., is accused of making 152 videos of 81 male customers, including thee juvenile males, at the Spa World spa beginning in 2014. A police statement says Anderson has been charged with three felony counts of unlawful filming of a minor, one misdemeanor count of unlawful dissemination of the videos, and one misdemeanor count of unlawful filming of an adult. The statement says he was arrested by Newport News police at his home in Newport News on warrants obtained by Fairfax police. He is being held without bond at the Newport News City Jail while awaiting extradition to Fairfax, where he will be placed on trial, the police statement says. “This case is yet another example and circumstance here in Fairfax County where we’re dealing with inappropriate, unacceptable, and illegal videotaping occurring in a space that should be private,” said Major Ed O’Carroll, commander of the Fairfax Police Major Crimes Bureau, at Wednesday’s press conference. O’Carroll said Fairfax police launched an investigation in May 2018 after a male customer at Spa World saw a video of himself in the nude that was posted online for sale on a social media site. The man notified Spa World about the video and Spa World officials immediately contacted Fairfax Police, O’Carroll said, triggering the investigation. O’Carroll and the lead detective in the case said police would not identify the website on which Anderson allegedly posted the videos of the nude male spa customers and where he sold about 25 percent of them. When asked at the press conference to disclose the name of the site, Detective Sameer Khan said, “I can’t at this point in time, just for the integrity of the investigation. We’re still investigating,” he said. “But it was a very prominent social media website that these were actually posted on.” Earlier in the day on Wednesday another Fairfax Police spokesperson told the Blade he was not at liberty to disclose whether the social media site where Anderson posted the videos catered to a gay male audience or possibly a straight female audience interested in video images of nude men. “We also recovered several videos similar in nature with 84 additional victims that were not taken at Spa World,” the Fairfax police statement says. “We are working with other area jurisdictions in hopes of identifying the additional locations and victims,” the statement says. At the press conference, O’Carroll urged anyone who thinks they may have been videotaped at Spa World or another location in Fairfax to call Fairfax police to report the circumstances surrounding the incident.

At a first of its kind meeting last week, current and former leaders of D.C.’s Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, Log Cabin Republicans of D.C., and the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance discussed what they said were common ground objectives to advance the cause of LGBT equality. Veteran D.C. gay activist Paul Kuntzler, a cofounder of GLAA in 1971 and of the Stein Club in 1976, initiated the meeting and arranged for it to be held at Annie’s Paramount Steak House on 17th Street, N.W. near Dupont Circle. “It was to establish a working relationship between Log Cabin and GLAA and Stein as a final building block in establishing LGBT influence in the District and Metropolitan Washington,” Kuntzler told the Washington Blade on Wednesday. Stein Club President Monika Nemeth and D.C. Log Cabin Republicans President Adam Savit said they were pleased that the outcome of the meeting showed that their respective LGBT partisan groups could find common ground and view one another respectfully. Bobbi Strang, president of GLAA, which is a nonpartisan LGBT advocacy group, said she too was pleased that leaders of the three groups had an “amicable and productive dialogue.” The cordial gathering over cocktails and snacks that Kuntzler provided through Annie’s appeared to be in marked contrast to Democratic and Republican elected officials in Congress, who have engaged in acrimonious exchanges since President Donald Trump took office in January 2017. Log Cabin Republicans of D.C., which is a chapter of the national Log Cabin Republicans LGBT group, didn’t endorse Trump during the Republican primaries in 2016 but several of its members have emerged as Trump supporters since the time of the 2016 presidential election. The Stein Club has been closely aligned with the Democratic National Committee’s effort to unseat Trump in the 2020 election. “Candidly, I was skeptical going into this meeting that much common ground could be reached, and was even concerned there might be hostility,” D.C. Log Cabin president Savit told the Blade. “As soon as I sat down though I was bonding with Monika of Stein and Bobbi of GLAA over common interests in punk and glam rock,” Savit said. “I was also struck by the moderation and pragmatic approach of most

participants,” he said. “As far as what the meeting accomplished, I think the simple act of sitting, talking and drinking together, putting faces and personalities ahead of ideologies, and making basic interpersonal connections was the big victory,” Savit told the Blade.” Nemeth of the Stein Club agrees with that assessment. “First, we all generally liked one another, and after last night I would say each one of them is my friend now too,” she said. “Second, it really did not take long for us to find common ground on issues. There will certainly be areas where we disagree,” she said. “We are able to agree to disagree when necessary. I think we are also able to work together on issues upon which we both agree.” Strang of GLAA said she too was skeptical at the start of the meeting but believes the outcome was positive. “While there are significant ideological and policy differences, there is also common ground that we can and did find,” she said. “I am hopeful that we will all be able to continue the dialogue and find areas where we can work together to achieve common goals for our community.” One issue on which the leaders of the three groups agreed was a proposal by former D.C. Log Cabin President Chris Allen to end D.C.’s closed primary system and to allow all registered voters to vote in primaries. Kuntzler said officials of the three groups agreed to meet again in June at the home of another former D.C. Log Cabin Republicans president, Robert Turner, to further discuss efforts to establish an open primary system, possibly through a voter referendum. “The City Council isn’t going to vote to open the primaries, nor will the D.C. Democratic State Committee support that,” said Kuntzler. “But a city-wide referendum could well address that issue.” Kuntzler acknowledges it’s unclear whether the full membership of the Stein Club would support that proposal. Others who attended the meeting were Jerri Ann Henry, executive director of the national Log Cabin Republicans organization and Earl Fowlkes, the former Stein Club president and chair of the DNC’s LGBT Caucus.

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Buttigieg shares personal struggle of coming out 2020 hopeful zings Pence at Victory Fund brunch By CHRIS JOHNSON CJOHNSON@WASHBLADE.COM

could understand, that if you have a problem with who I am, then your problem is not with me, your quarrel is with my creator,” Buttigieg said. But finding happiness with his spouse, Buttigieg said, was a long transformational process. He recalled during his youth, he would “have done anything to not be gay.” Buttigieg said the realization he’s gay started a “war” within him at the ages of “15, or 20, or frankly even 25” that if he had lost would meant he “would not be standing here.” “If you had offered me a pill to make me straight, I would have swallowed it before you had time to give me a sip of water,” Buttigieg said. “That’s a hard thing to think about now.” Buttigieg added if he could’ve found the part within him that made him gay, he would’ve “cut it out with a knife.” That memory, Buttigieg said, isn’t just “awful to think about” because many youth have the same experience and hurt themselves “figuratively or literally,” but also because it would have meant he wouldn’t have found his spouse. “The best thing in my life, my marriage, might not have happened at all,” Buttigieg said, adding the relationship helped him upon the death of his father earlier this year. “Thank God there was no pill,” Buttigieg

said. “Thank God there was no knife.” The crowd attending the Victory Fund brunch consisted of 820 people — predominately gay men — who each paid $250 for a ticket, according to the Victory Fund. It was the second time Buttigieg had addressed the Victory Fund brunch in D.C., although during his previous appearance in 2017 — fresh from his unsuccessful candidacy as chair of the Democratic National Committee — he had significantly less notoriety than he does now. In terms of policy, Buttigieg talked about the need for a president to be “prepared to sign a federal Equality Act right away” to ban anti-LGBT discrimination and denounced President Trump’s transgender military ban. “The struggle is not over for our community, not by a long shot,” Buttigieg said. “And it is part of a struggle for freedom and fairness and a better life that goes far beyond the LGBTQ experience.” Building on the theme of freedom — a central component to his presidential campaign — Buttigieg said advancing LGBT rights is important because “every American struggles today to experience true freedom. Buttigieg has scheduled a major announcement for Sunday in South Bend, presumably that he is officially entering the 2020 race.

Mass. becomes 16th state to ban ‘ex-gay’ therapy for youth Mayor PETE BUTTIGIEG of South Bend, Ind., speaks at the 2019 Victory Fund National Champagne Brunch. Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

The excitement in the LGBT community over having an openly gay presidential contender was apparent Sunday as South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg wowed an LGBT audience with his personal story of accepting his sexual orientation. Buttigieg, a previously unknown candidate who’s rising in popularity as he pursues the 2020 Democratic nomination, made the remarks during the annual brunch for the LGBTQ Victory Fund in D.C. The crowd — which gave him a standing ovation that lasted longer than the applause for any other speaker — was energized by Buttigieg as he narrated a story to which many of the LGBT attendees could relate. Growing up in Indiana, Buttigieg recalled being “an awkward 18-year-old walking the halls of Saint Joseph’s High School” and dreaming about becoming an astronaut, but being troubled over his sexual orientation. “Back then I would have believed that you could either be gay or you could be married. Not both,” Buttigieg said. “That if you were gay, you could either be out, or you could run for office. Not both. That in our country you could live with a same-sex partner or you could serve in the military. Not both.” First elected mayor of South Bend, Ind.,

in 2011, Buttigieg after serving for three years came out as gay in an essay in 2015, which during the brunch he said was the time when he was ready and for the simple purpose of wanting to date. Buttigieg said he found coming out as gay didn’t seem to matter to his constituents. In 2015, Buttigieg, two years after coming out, was elected with 78 percent of the vote, which was four percent more than when he ran during his first term. (It was the same year Vice President Mike Pence, then Indiana governor, had signed into law a “religious freedom” bill enabling businesses and individuals to refuse service to people for being LGBT.) Soon after, met his future spouse, Chasten Buttigieg. The South Bend mayor said he found him when searching for dates on an Internet app, but joked it was “possibly not the app you’re thinking of.” “I clicked the button on the right,” Buttigieg said. “I had to meet him. And one of the best things about these last couple months has been watching America meet him too, and start to fall for Chasten just like I did.” Reflecting on Pence’s notorious antiLGBT history, Buttigieg had a message with respect to his marriage for the vice president. “I wish the Mike Pences of the world

Massachusetts became the 16th state in the nation to ban “ex-gay” conversion therapy on Monday after Gov. Charlie Baker signed a measure into law prohibiting the widely discredited practice for youth. Brendan Moss, a Baker spokesperson, confirmed via email to the Blade his boss signed the legislation against conversion therapy. “Gov. Baker today signed HR140 into law and is proud of the commonwealth’s history of support for equal rights and protecting all citizens against discrimination,” Moss said. Mathew Shurka, strategist for the National Center for Lesbian Rights’ Born Perfect national campaign to end conversion therapy, said in a statement the signing represents “a huge victory for LGBTQ youth and their parents in Massachusetts.” “These unethical practices destroy families and cause lasting harm to young people who urgently need acceptance and support,” Shurka said. A survivor of conversion therapy, Shurka testified before the Massachusetts Legislature about his firsthand experience with the practice and urged lawmakers to pass the bill. Other jurisdictions that have enacted similar laws against conversion therapy are Connecticut, California, Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Washington State, Maryland, Hawaii and New Hampshire. (Last month, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló signed an executive order against conversion therapy after the legislature failed to pass legislation against it.) Legislation banning conversion therapy has enjoyed bipartisan support. Baker is the seventh Republican governor to sign into law a measure against the practice. (Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage last year became the first governor — Democrat or Republican — to veto such a measure.) Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said in a statement the effort to pass the Massachusetts law “has been a truly bipartisan effort to address one of the most important public health issues of our time.” The practice of therapy aimed at changing an individual’s sexual orientation or transgender status is considered ineffectual at best and harmful at worst. Major medical and psychological institutions — including American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics — widely reject the practice. CHRIS JOHNSON

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Explore the Arts in Howard County

April & May 2019 From live theatre and galleries to musical performance and outdoor sculptures, explore the many arts offerings throughout Howard County.

www.HoCoArtforAll.com | 800-288-TRIP (8747) AP R IL 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE.COM • 17

Lawmakers, activists rally against military trans ban Trump administration policy to take effect Friday By MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Members of Congress and activists denounced President Trump’s trans military ban, which goes into effect on Friday. Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers

Members of Congress on Wednesday joined activists who gathered at the U.S. Capitol Reflecting Pool to rally against the ban on openly transgender service members that is scheduled to go into effect at the end of the week. California Congressman Gil Cisneros, a Democrat who served in the U.S. Navy, noted he was in the armed forces during “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” “Too many were forced to live their lives in secret, unable to be true to themselves,” he said. “We don’t want to go back to those dark days.” “This administration is attacking service members who have already proven their ability to meet strategic needs and pose no risk to unit cohesion or military readiness,” added Cisneros. Maryland Congressman Anthony Brown, who previously served in the U.S. Army, said he is “angry that we’ve got to be here.” “I’m angry that we have to remind our leadership that every single American deserves the right to fight for our nation,” he said. “I’m angry that we have a president who’d rather spend his time attacking people who are willing to fight and die for this country than working for the American people. I’m angry that our commander-in-chief demeans the military

service of others.” National Center for Transgender Equality Policy Director Harper Jean Tobin described the policy going into effect as “a disgraceful moment in our history.” “For the first time, one of our national institutions will be turning back the clock on equality, shutting its door to people who have already proven their ability to do the job. this Friday our country will be taking a big and disgraceful, shameful and unnecessary step backwards,” she said. Human Rights Campaign Press Secretary Charlotte Clymer served in the Army for more than three years. She said at the rally that she handled the remains of service members once they returned to the U.S. “Every casket and transfer case I carried was covered by an American flag, every single one and that’s all I remember about any of them,” said Clymer. “All I know about those I carried was that they died in selfless service and they wore the flag of this country to the grave.” “No one at Dover Air Force Base or Arlington National Cemetery asked if those we buried were secretly transgender,” she added. “It didn’t matter then and it doesn’t matter now.” Retired Sgt. Maj. Jennifer Long of the Transgender American Veterans

Association served in the Army for three decades. She noted at the rally that she was at the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and was deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan and Iraq. “I have served my country with honor and distinction,” said Long. “I am and always will be a patriot. I am a transgender veteran.” National Center for Lesbian Rights Legal Director Shannon Minter; Equality California National Policy Director Valerie Ploumpis and Sharon McGowan, legal director of Lambda Legal, also spoke at the rally. Trans people had been able to openly serve in the military since 2016. President Trump in 2017 directed the Pentagon to reverse the Obama administration policy. The announcement sparked widespread outrage among activists and criticism from then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other members of Congress. Lambda Legal, OutServe-SLDN, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Equality California are among the LGBTI advocacy groups that challenged the ban in federal court. “We’re looking at Americans who want to sign up and serve our country,” now retired U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) told the Blade during a May 2018 interview. “These are the bravest individuals, the most patriotic folks that we would want there.” “It just doesn’t make any sense when we are still fighting in so many parts of the world,” added the Florida Republican. “We need patriotic, committed, able to serve individuals, whether they are male, female, transgender.” The U.S. Supreme Court in January essentially gave the green light for the Trump administration to implement the ban. The Pentagon on March 12 announced it would take effect on Friday. The U.S. House of Representatives on March 28 approved a resolution against the ban that Kennedy introduced. Hannah Tripp, a transgender U.S. Air Force veteran who is on the OutServe-SLDN board of directors, at Wednesday’s rally said Americans “have voiced their support for open service. The leaders of our military have voiced the need for open service and transgender servicemembers have proven themselves integral to the combat effectiveness of our armed forces.” “I cannot promise you that we will win this fight by Friday night, but I can promise you that we will win,” said Kennedy. McGowan agreed, while describing the ban as a “despicable attempt to drive brave transgender men and women out of our military.” “We’re not here to go away,” she said. “We are here to fight. We are here to win.”

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We the people of Washington DC ask that Mayor Bowser and the city council direct the Metropolitan Police Department to stop arresting and prosecuting citizens for Possession or Distribution of any amount of Cannabis , Cannabis oils and Cannabis Edibles . Arresting citizens for Cannabis Crimes is Immoral and against the community standard of the citizens of Washington DC Arresting citizens is a waste of the cit city’s resources and affects People of Color disproportionately. The People of Washington DC have spoken that they want the right to purchase recreational cannabis and smoke cannabis in private clubs overwhelmingly in 2015 . Stop All Arrest & Prosecutions of Cannabis We started this petition because... King Weedy Collective is a 501c3 non profit . Our mission is to bring safe access of Cannabis to all citizens and visitors of Washington DC

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Bi Bruneian man speaks out against new penal code Death penalty for gays triggers protests, boycotts By MICHAEL K. LAVERS A bisexual man in Brunei on April 5 said his country’s new penal code that calls for the death penalty for anyone convicted of consensual same-sex sexual relations is “weaponizing religion.” “Our religion is one of peace and one of tolerance,” he told the Blade during a WhatsApp interview from Bandar Seri Bagawan, the Bruneian capital. “I don’t see it as righteous or pious … it’s weaponizing religion.” The death penalty provision of the penal code, which is based on Shariah law, took effect on April 3. The man with whom the Blade spoke said he identifies as a liberal Muslim and has been with his partner since 2018. He asked the Blade not to publish his name, and stressed his thoughts about the penal code are “personal and my own.” He said the new penal code has been “polarizing” in Brunei with “people who are strongly opposed to it.” He also told the Blade there are Bruneians who “support” it. “The reaction in general has been polarizing,” he said in a follow-up email. “There are those strongly opposed to it, and others in reverent support. But from what I see, those in support don’t seem to really know what they are supporting, at least not in a critical analytical sense.” “I don’t think they are fully aware of the political, socio-cultural and economic impacts these laws may present, or event worse, I don’t think they care,” he wrote. “As they are blinded and feel they will be protected by God for being a more pious nation.” The penal code, which also criminalizes apostasy and adultery, began to take effect in 2014. The man with whom the Blade spoke said the Bruneian government planned to implement the penal code in phases. He said the decision to implement the provision with the death penalty for homosexuality “seems very rushed.” “My reaction to the news is really just now of confusion,” he said. “Why now? After a five-year gap? And all at once?” Fewer than 500,000 people live in Brunei, a small, oil-rich country on the island of Borneo. The State Department last week

said the penal code “runs counter to its international human rights obligations.” President Trump has yet to publicly condemn it, but gay U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell is among those who have done so. More than three-dozen members of Congress on the same day in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the State Department and the Trump administration to “take a stronger role in condemning these actions and take every necessary step in protecting and promoting LGBTQ civil rights on the world stage.” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on April 1 said the penal code would encourage violence against gay Bruneians, women and religious minorities in the country. Ellen DeGeneres, George Clooney and Elton John are among those who support calls to boycott the Beverly Hills Hotel and other properties that Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei owns. “We urge the government to uphold its obligations, to protect the rights and lives of its population,” said ILGA Asia in a statement it released on Wednesday. The man with whom the Blade spoke said he thinks the Bruneian government and most of the country’s residents are unaware “of the bigger repercussions of the law.” He acknowledged the boycott of hotels that Bolkiah owns, but added Brunei’s economy “is already on a downslide.” “Right now, it has been a serious challenge to expand the local job market and attract outside investors into the country,” he said. “With these laws in place, it’s not too far of a stretch to imagine such laws as discouraging to would-be investors. But I suppose that is why there has been more push to grow and upscale local business ventures.” He applauded the governments of New Zealand and other countries that have publicly condemned the penal code. He said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should follow suit. “Government pressure does help,” he added. The man with whom the Blade spoke said the Bruneian government has yet to use the new penal code against anyone

accused of engaging in consensual samesex sexual relations. He told the Blade his “behavior hasn’t changed since the whole thing started,” even though the Bruneian government has banned him from leaving the country because he publicly criticized Bolkiah on YouTube in 2015. He said his family has urged him to keep a low profile and not publicly speak about the penal code.

“I try to live my life the most socially acceptable way that I can,” he said. “It’s both worse and better than what people expect here, but again it’s still early to say.” He said he and his partner have not received any threats since the penal code took effect. “We still go about our daily lives, but I don’t know how much that will change,” he told the Blade.

Netanyahu meets with LGBT activists before election By MICHAEL K. LAVERS Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday met with a group of LGBTI rights advocates on the eve of his country’s election. Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance Chair Eran Globus is among the activists who attended the hour-long meeting that took place at Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem. Globus on Monday told the Blade during an interview that representatives of the Aguda, the Israeli National LGBT Task Force, and Amir Ohana, an openly gay member of the Israeli Knesset who is a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, are among those who were also in attendance. Globus said Netanyahu and his wife welcomed the activists “very warmly.” Globus told the Blade they talked with Netanyahu about hate crimes, hate speech on social media and the “general atmosphere” for LGBTI Israelis. Netanyahu, according to Globus, pointed out he was the first Israeli politician to condemn the murder of Shira Banki, a 16-year-old who was stabbed by an ultra-Orthodox man during the 2015 Jerusalem Pride parade. Globus said Netanyahu also talked about discrimination based on gender identity in Israel’s health care system, government funding to Jerusalem Open House and other advocacy groups and efforts to support LGBTI teenagers. “His words were very powerful,” Globus told the Blade. “I got the impression that he’s sincere, that he’s honest.” Globus added Netanyahu nevertheless told the activists not to expect progress on surrogacy and other LGBTI-specific issues in the Knesset because he will have to form a coalition government with Orthodox parties. “He said because we have to rely on them to make a coalition … we will not be able to offer you things that you want,” said Globus. Globus said Netanyahu attacked Benny Gantz, his primary challenger, when the activists asked him whether he would require parties with which he wants to build a coalition government to support LGBTI rights. “We asked Netanyahu to give us a similar statement to equal what Gantz said,” Globus told the Blade. “Netanyahu said very plainly he’s not going to make such a statement. He said we shouldn’t believe the statement Gantz gave us.” Globus said Sunday’s meeting is the first time Netanyahu has met with LGBTI activists in a decade, even though the prime minister in 2016 spoke with advocates who were at the Knesset. The Times of Israel, an online newspaper, reported many activists sharply criticized Netanyahu’s comments. Globus described them as a “sobering and sad message” that was “honest.” He also described the meeting as “good.” “It’s important to give Israeli society a clear understanding of where politicians stand,” said Globus. Netanyahu faced a tough re-election race amid allegations of corruption and continued global outrage over the Israeli government’s policies towards the Palestinians. He claimed a narrow victory on Wednesday and was working to finalize a governing coalition that includes far-right Orthodox parties as the Blade went to press. President Trump last month announced the U.S. would recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a plateau above the Sea of Galilee the country seized from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967. The Trump administration last year moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem after it recognized the city as Israel’s capital.

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Cannabis Culture The measure, which took immediate effect, also permits adults to privately cultivate up to six cannabis plants (no more than three mature) in an “enclosed, locked space.” Public consumption of cannabis will remain a violation of law. The act creates a new regulatory board to draft rules governing the plant’s commercial production and retail sale. The board has a one-year timeline to adopt rules necessary to permit for the operation of licensed cannabis establishments. Lawmakers resolved that the policy change “enhances individual freedom, promotes the efficient use of law enforcement resources, [and] ... enhances revenue for public purposes.” Guam joins the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Island as the second U.S. territory to legislatively enact adult use marijuana legalization.

Fewer Colo. companies sanctioning employees over marijuana failures N.M. guv signs law decriminalizing minor pot possession ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed legislation into law decriminalizing the possession of personal use amounts of cannabis. Senate Bill 323, which takes effect on July 1, 2019, reduces firsttime penalties for the possession of up to one-half ounce of cannabis from a criminal misdemeanor — punishable by up to 15 days in jail — to a ‘penalty assessment,’ punishable by a $50 fine. Subsequent offenses, or in situations where the defendant possesses greater amounts of marijuana, will remain punishable by the possibility of jail time. Police in New Mexico made over 3,600 marijuana possession arrests in 2016. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have either legalized or decriminalized the adult possession and use of marijuana.

Guam legalizes adult marijuana use HAGATNA, Guam — Democratic Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero has signed legislation legalizing the personal possession of marijuana by adults, and establishing regulations governing the plant’s commercial production and retail sale. Guam is a U.S. territory with an estimated population of 165,000 people. Upon signing the measure into law, the governor announced, “We must regulate this illicit drug that is the most widely used drug in our society. We have to take it and control it, monitor its use and effects, benefit from its medicinal efforts, allow our people to live in a safer environment.” The Cannabis Industry Act (Bill No. 32-35) permits those age 21 or older to legally possess and transfer up to one ounce of marijuana flower and/or eight grams of concentrated cannabis. H E A LT H • APR I L 12, 2019 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE . COM • 23

DENVER — The percentage of Colorado companies that engage in pre-employment screening for cannabis is declining, as is the percentage of businesses that impose policies calling for the dismissal of employers who test positive for THC metabolites on a drug screen, according to survey data compiled by the Denverbased Employers Collective. According to the survey, only 48 percent of Colorado companies with “well defined” drug testing policies will fire an employee for a first-time positive test result for cannabis — down from 53 percent in 2014. Five percent of companies surveyed reported having dropped marijuana from their pre-employment testing within the past two years. “What we’re seeing here is basically it’s (concerns about employees misusing marijuana in the workplace) a nonissue,” an attorney for the group said. Standard workplace drug screening identifies the presence of inert drug metabolites (breakdown products), but not the active drug itself. Carboxy-THC, the most common metabolite of THC, may be detectable in urine for weeks or even months following previous marijuana exposure.

W. Va. guv signs marijuana banking measure CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Republican Gov. Jim Justice has signed legislation into law facilitating banking access to licensed medical cannabis businesses. The law takes immediate effect. House Bill 2538, states, “The Commissioner of Financial Institutions shall not prohibit, penalize, incentivize, or otherwise impair a financial institution from providing services to a person or entity involved in a medical cannabis-related business functioning under the Medical Cannabis Act.” West Virginia legalized medical cannabis access in 2016, but the program is yet to be operational. Federal law discourages banks and other financial institutions from engaging in relationships with marijuana-related businesses. Cannabis news in the Blade is provided in partnership with NORML. Learn more at norml.org.

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NEW YORK — A human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program targeted at men who have sex with men (MSM) can be effectively delivered using specialist sexual health and HIV clinics, according to an analysis of an English pilot study published in Eurosurveillance, AIDSmapreports. Uptake of the vaccine by eligible MSM was high, relatively few men attended speciﬁcally to receive the vaccine and there was no evidence that provision of the vaccine caused disruption to clinics, AIDSmap reports. “HPV vaccine update data and survey results suggest it is feasible to deliver HPV vaccination opportunistically to MSM through sexual health clinics/HIV clinics,” wrote the authors. In 2015, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization for England advised that HPV vaccination programs should be extended from school-aged girls to include MSM aged up to 45 attending sexual health or HIV clinics. The decision was made because MSM have high rates of HPV infection, which can cause anal and penile cancer, and the school-based program has minimal impact in this population, AIDSmap reports. During the 10 months of analysis, the clinics provided services to 18,875 vaccineeligible MSM. Their median age was 31. Overall, 46 percent of those eligible were recorded as receiving the ﬁrst of the three vaccine doses, AIDSmap reports. Uptake decreased slightly with increasing age, from 51 percent among MSM aged 25 years and under, to 37 percent in MSM in their early 40s.

Catholic Church in Spain offers dubious advice

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LONDON — Spain’s health minister called on Wednesday for so-called conversion therapy to be abolished after a report that a branch of the Catholic Church had offered to “cure” gay people, Reuters reports. El Diario, an online newspaper, said a reporter posing as a gay man trying to change his sexuality was told to stop watching porn and masturbate less in a counseling session provided by a diocese of the Catholic Church close to the capital Madrid, Reuters reports. Its representatives called the report “fake news.” But Maria Luisa Carcedo Roces, Spain’s

minister for health, consumption and social welfare, expressed regret that the practice persisted, saying it was illegal and calling for it to be “completely abolished,” Reuters reports. “I thought that in Spain, accepting the various sexual orientations was assumed in all areas, but unfortunately we see that there are still pockets where people are told what their sexual orientation should be,” she said at a press conference. “I regret that this is happening and that a law is being broken,” she said, according to an audio recording sent to the Thomson Reuters Foundation by the ministry press ofﬁce. Promoting or carrying out conversion therapy is banned in the region of Madrid, regardless of whether the person undergoing it has consented or not. Punishments include ﬁnes of up to 45,000 euros ($51,000). Books recommended on the Alcala diocese website include “How to prevent homosexuality: children and gender confusion,” Reuters reports.

PrEP issues compounded for black MSM LONDON — Black men who have sex with men (MSM) in London experience a unique set of motivations and barriers to using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), according to the results of a recent qualitative study published in Sexually Transmitted Infections. This research was carried out by T. Charles Witzel and colleagues at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, AIDSmap reports. Black MSM who had mixed social groups in terms of sexual orientation and ethnicity tended to report limiting discussions about sexual health to their gay male friends. Racism and exclusion in both online and offline gay spaces were barriers to coming into contact with PrEP messaging, AIDSmap reports. Stereotypical understandings of PrEP use intersected with racist ideals of black male sexuality, limiting self-identification as a potential PrEP user. On the other hand, some men viewed PrEP in a positive light as it was seen as a way of mitigating risk, AIDSmap reports. Black MSM in the UK have higher rates of HIV incidence and prevalence, despite similar risk profiles when compared to other MSM. A cross-sectional study showed that 2.8% of black MSM were diagnosed with HIV versus 1.1% of overall MSM in the preceding year. Prior research identified prohibitive costs, lack of risk perception, unacceptable clinical services, concerns about sideeffects and issues regarding stigma as the primary barriers to accessing PrEP for a range of MSM, AIDSmap reports.

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First Gay-Bi Men’s Prostate Cancer Treatment Study Launched By Morgan Wright Being diagnosed with prostate cancer can be very frightening. There’s the fear and stigma that goes with having cancer, plus treatment can have major effects on men’s sexual and urinary function. When you’re gay or bisexual, you can also feel very isolated both from other gay men and from straight men with prostate cancer. As Dr. Simon Rosser, principal investigator of the Restore study, explains, “When my husband was diagnosed, I couldn’t believe so little was known about prostate cancer in gay men. After all, this is the most common cancer affecting all men, including us. But we don’t talk about it, many clinics feel very heterosexual, and for many of us, prostate cancer carries a stigma. We can feel old, sexually broken, and alone.” Now, that’s about to change. Researchers at the University of Minnesota have teamed up with gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer to develop a rehabilitation program designed speciﬁcally for our community.

Are you a gay or bisexual man who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer? Join the ﬁrst study on prostate cancer rehabilitation designed for and by our community.

The Restore I team spent two years interviewing gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer. Those interviews, combined with a comprehensive survey, documented the effects of treatment. They found that while gay and bi men have similar challenges to heterosexual men, there are some additional challenges as well. Most men reported urinary incontinence, with almost half of the participants reporting some urine problems during sex. Weak or no erections, no ejaculation, and difﬁculties in receptive sex were almost universal problems. It also became clear that there was no standard treatment for these very common symptoms. While some doctors did recommend treatments, the recommendations were all over the board. As Dr. Rosser notes, “We need to know what works and doesn’t work in helping men restore their function. An evidence-based, rehabilitation program that works for gay and bisexual men will transform treatment.” The resulting study, RESTORE II, an evaluation of the treatment of prostate cancer side effects in gay and bisexual men, is now recruiting participants. To Dr. Rosser, this is among the most exciting studies funded by NIH. “It’s both and honor and truly exciting to be part of the ﬁrst study in an area. This kind of research really takes a team effort. Our team includes a urologist, oncologist, urinary specialist, gay sex experts, computer scientist, psychologist, statistician, health communication folk, online interventionist, social worker, support network, nurse and clinician. Together, we have developed a start-of-the art, rehabilitation curriculum based on gay and bisexual men’s experience in treatment. Now, we need to test if and how it works. A major challenge in prostate cancer treatment is that rehabilitation takes time. For that reason, participants in this study will be followed for two years. As is common in a randomized controlled study, half the participants will receive the new treatment – a combination of drugs, behavioral exercises, an online guide to good gay sex following prostate cancer treatment, individual coaching and social support; while half will be asked to continue whatever they have been doing up to now. “This study is designed to test what works in improving treatment for gay and bisexual men. We have an amazing opportunity to advance treatment, not just for gay men, but potentially for all men with prostate cancer,” says Rosser.

Visit restorestudy.umn.edu to learn more and take the eligibility survey Email: restorestudy@umn.edu Phone: 612-568-8860 NIH grant #1RO1CA218657-01

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The study is enrolling guys right now. Rosser adds, “The best way to get into contact with my team is through phone or email.

You can contact us by calling 612-568-8860 or send an email to restorestudy@umn.edu. The Restore Study is a National Institutes of Health- funded study through the University of Minnesota. Reach out through email (restorestudy@umn.edu) or phone number (612-568-8860)

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Licensed in DC, MD & VA. If you are already working with an agent this is not meant to solicit your business. 2 6 • WAS H IN GTO N B LAD E.CO M • AP R IL 1 2 , 2 0 1 9

BROCK THOMPSON

is a D.C.-based writer who contributes regularly to the Blade.

PETER ROSENSTEIN

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

VI E WPO I NT • APRIL 12, 2019 • WA SHINGTON BL A DE . COM • 27

MARK LEE

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

BROCK THOMPSON

is a D.C.-based writer. He contributes regularly to the Blade.

10 great things about Mayor Pete He’s young, smart, loves dogs — and he’s the anti-Pence America is falling in love with Pete Buttigieg. The gay mayor of South Bend, Ind., is in the exploratory phase in seeking the Democratic nomination for president. He’s finding himself, among a very crowded field, being taken very seriously. And from what I’ve seen and heard, he’s got a powerful combination of Kennedy youth, Bill Clinton’s ability to connect, and Obama intelligence that might prove unstoppable during the primaries. He’s now promising a serious announcement this Sunday. And ahead of that, I’ve assembled 10 awesome things about Mayor Pete. Chasten Chasten Chasten! Let’s just start with the obvious, this guy would make a great First Gentleman. Often introducing Mayor Pete at events, husband Chasten has a smile for days. A school teacher, a social media phenom, Chasten Buttigieg’s warmheartedness and keen sense of humor makes a perfect match to Mayor Pete’s calm and modest style. Buddy the One-Eyed Dog. Chasten and Mayor Pete adopted a one-eyed shelter dog named Buddy. Buddy shares the home with Truman their other dog who currently has more Instagram followers than I do. ‘Ulysses,’ He Actually Read It. I’ve always contended that no one has ever actually read James Joyce’s “Ulysses.” Even Mayor Pete contends that it’s a book that’s more ‘studied’ than ‘read.’ But it remains his favorite book, so I have to believe he’s indeed the only one. But gays have been known to connect with Ulysses and lines like “. ..think you’re escaping and run into yourself. Longest way round is the shortest way home.” Mayor Pete’s memoir is titled “The Shortest Way Home.” For all I know, he could have read “Ulysses” in Norwegian. Did I Mention He Speaks Norwegian? Last month he was caught talking to a Norwegian reporter in fluent Norwegian. Apparently he’s a polyglot. And I am clearly

not because I had to Google that word. Mayor Pete speaks Farsi, Arabic, French, Italian, Spanish, and (no kidding) Maltese. Stack this up with the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania who at best speaks .75 languages and only reads at a fourthgrade level according to a recent study. He’s Adorable. He’s just adorable. I mean, his political meet-and-greets are called “Pete and Greets.” And He’s Unashamedly Christian. Last weekend as he toured the Sunday political news circuit, Mayor Pete took Trump, Pence, and their evangelical supporters to task, calling them out pointblank on their hypocrisy. If you’re like me and are simply tired of conservatives acting as they own Christianity, this sort of rhetoric comes as welcome relief. And he’s a veteran. Mayor Pete was commissioned an officer in the Navy Reserve in 2009. He was even deployed to Afghanistan in 2014, that is, during his term as mayor of South Bend. If elected president, he’d be the first veteran to do so since George H.W. Bush. Important, considering conservatives have seemingly claimed patriotism with the same vigor as they have done religion. And that makes him the anti-Trump. Soft spoken, intelligent, dedicated — many, many things about Mayor Pete make him the anti-Trump. And the anti-Pence, too. If Mayor Pete doesn’t secure the nomination, him securing a spot on the ticket is a very real possibility. And wouldn’t it be great to match up two Indiana boys for that spot? One, an openly gay veteran against the other, the current Vice President who happens to be the most homophobic politician this country has ever produced. That’s a match up I’d like to see. And he’s just 37. So if it’s not his time right now, there’s still plenty of time. But whatever shakes out during this process, I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more about Mayor Pete.

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PETER ROSENSTEIN

琀栀攀

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

Will we elect a white gay man before a woman?

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Fawning media attention for Buttigieg, but not for female candidates We are living in interesting times. We have a disgusting pig in the White House who constantly denigrates women as well as just about everyone else except white men. Then from all I am reading the press is currently swooning over a 37-year-old gay white mayor from South Bend, Ind., suggesting he could be elected president possibly before the many qualified women running. So you have to wonder: Do misogyny and sexism still rule the media and the Democratic political establishment? Are we mired in the past? It seems we just might be. I want to be clear for the first time in decades I have no favorite candidate as we head into the Democratic primaries. I either was with the incumbent or in 1980 wanted Ted Kennedy to win. In 1984, Walter Mondale; in 1988, Gary Hart. In 1992, after Mario Cuomo decided not to run, and in 1996 it was Bill Clinton; in 2000, Al Gore and in 2004 Wesley Clark. Then in 2008, it was Hillary Clinton; in 2012 Barack Obama was the incumbent and in 2016 Hillary Clinton. Clearly my past choices show I am not always good at picking a winner. Other women besides Hillary Clinton have run for the nomination including Shirley Chisholm and Pat Schroeder. None achieved what Hillary did becoming the candidate of the party and actually getting 66 million votes; nearly three million more than Trump but losing the Electoral College vote. One important question was answered — yes a woman can win the popular vote. I grew up in a time when white men were running everything and it seems we have not moved all that far from those times. While polls at this time don’t mean much they show three white men leading for the Democratic nomination: Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Beto O’Rourke. Two tired old men and one who is interesting but has a long way to go to show the nation he has what it takes to be president. I worked for a leader in the women’s movement, Bella S. Abzug. I marched with her and fought for the ideas of feminism along with Gloria Steinem and Bella in the ‘70s. I fought to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and nearly 50 years later we still can’t pass this simple

amendment to the Constitution that reads: Section 1: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. Section 2: The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. Section 3: This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification. Since we still can’t pass the ERA we are forced to look around and ask how far we have really come. The reaction to and the press coverage of Hillary Clinton’s campaign was a prime example of the misogyny and sexism that still exists in our country. I write this as an acknowledged cisgender gay white male of privilege and can only wonder what women must be thinking. I am dumbstruck when some don’t seem to care. How can they not care we elected an African-American man as president and are now talking about a gay white man as president and still no woman. Women are the majority in our country. For years they made up the volunteer forces that elected all the men. Don’t get me wrong, I have the greatest respect for Barack Obama and think he made a really good president. As a gay man my respect for Pete Buttigieg and his intelligence and drive is boundless. He represents my community well. Yet I have to question why the women in the race who are smart, with longer, more impressive careers, aren’t gaining the fawning press he is. I haven’t endorsed a candidate and my only criteria is no one over 70 should be on the ticket. We must take the time to look at all the candidates over the next year. We are 10 months out from the first primary in Iowa. Much can happen between now and then and it seems we don’t even have the full field announced yet. But there are women like Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar who deserve real consideration. Will misogyny and sexism rule like in 2016? Will we choose a candidate because in some people’s minds a woman has been ruled out as the head of the ticket? Will the comment, “I want a woman, just not this one” rule the day once again? We can only hope the answer to that is a resounding no.

VI E WPO I NT • APRIL 12, 2019 • WA SHINGTON BL A DE . COM • 29

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The proxy war in D.C. that won’t get won

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Spend-big, tax-more types fixate on ousting Jack Evans

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The blood-thirst of special-interest partisans attempting to force an ouster of D.C. Council member Jack Evans belies their transparent political intent. It reveals both lingering anger by far-left activists still stinging from the defeat of an entire roster of challengers citywide in last year’s local elections and a disguised attack borne of spending and policy disagreements. It’s a proxy war and, with any luck, it won’t be won by those waging it. The flashpoint was media discovery last month that Evans had utilized his office email and engaged a staffer, in violation of Council rules, when seeking to continue permitted outside employment with law firms to advise clients on local and federal government relations. In the awkwardly tone-deaf appeals to provide longstanding professional services while in the officially part-time position of citizen-legislator, Evans touted his prominence as influential city leader, Council finance and revenue committee chair, and Metro transit system board chair. It was a boneheaded and stupefying misstep for which he apologized and which resulted in a reprimand by the full Council. His colleagues also voted to temporarily reassign certain matters normally under purview of the finance and revenue committee he chairs. Evans is also currently the subject of a federal investigation regarding prior dealings with a digital sign company hoping to revise local regulations prohibiting electronic billboards. While residents await a determination whether he violated any ethical standards in proposing later-withdrawn legislation to permit such signage, Evans steadfastly maintains his actions were fully legal. These circumstances have so far failed to generate much traction among constituents or citywide for his resignation or removal from office. Public sentiment for reserving judgment pending results of the investigation and a wait-to-see appraisal remain prevalent. Currently the longest-serving local elected official, Evans has represented center-city Ward 2 since winning a special election in 1991. He remains popular in the downtown district stretching from Georgetown through the central business

core and both Dupont and Logan Circle areas to parts of the Shaw neighborhood. Evans, a Democrat, has been strongly supported by the socially liberal and fiscally moderate residents in his business friendly and economically centrist district. He last faced a party primary opponent in 2008, winning easily, and has been re-elected without opposition in the last two general elections despite more than one-in-three registered ward voters not being Democrats, the highest non-majority-party percentage citywide. Evans is perhaps most respected for his leading role in helping to repair city finances and wresting back local fiscal control following a seven-year-long federal takeover due to the city’s financial meltdown in the 1990s not long after taking office. He has been a proven legislative leader, advancing one of the nation’s most progressive systems of tiered taxation, supporting policies and programs benefiting both residents and commerce, and a strong advocate of LGBT equality throughout his 28-year tenure. The Council voice demanding to know where the money is going to come from when colleagues propose new expenditures, Evans prompts cheers for calling-out lax oversight and still-high levels of agency “waste, fraud, and abuse” from the dais. It is that role and reputation as steward and safeguard of the District’s fiscal health and economic well-being that has caused a small gaggle of spend-big and tax-more activists to quickly pounce when thinking he may be vulnerable. As D.C. confronts a population growth slowdown and job creation decline, flat-lining government revenue and disappearance of surpluses, voters are rightly reluctant to lose the steady fiscal hand Evans has always provided. The D.C. CFO warns of economic “yellow flashing signals” and the city auditor cautions a proposed 8.2% spending hike is “not fiscally responsible” or futuresustainable. A 13% government employee increase during the last three years and a spending spree cost rising from $11,000 to $14,000 per person over only four years threaten recent tax reforms. Barring revelation of more serious misdeeds, Evans deserves to continue to serve and we deserve his continued service.

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Blade logo through the years

The name and look has changed over 50 years but commitment remained the same The look and name of the Blade has changed several times throughout its 50-year history: from its beginnings as a mimeographed one-sheeter called the Gay Blade in 1969, to a brief stint as the DC Agenda in 2010, to the well-known Washington Blade of today. Fifty years on, the Washington Blade continues to evolve with the times.

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2019

A place to call home? Washington is a tough market for any homebuyers. A new study finds being LGBT often confounds the buying process. Photo by avmedved; Courtesy of Bigstock

A Freddie Mac study released in October 2018 found that homeownership rates among LGBT people trail behind those of the U.S. population at large. Whereas 64.3 percent of American households own a home, only 49 percent of LGBT households in the U.S. own their own home. These numbers drop for young LGBT people and black LGBT people. Thirty percent of LGBT African-Americans own a home and 23 percent of LGBT Millennials are homeowners. Danny Gardner, senior vice president of affordable lending and access to credit at Freddie Mac, told the Blade he and his team “suspected” results like these. One reason for the lower homeownership rates among LGBT people may be the fact that LGBT people are more likely to leave their hometowns for another city. Sixtyseven percent of those who participated in the study said they did not live in the area where they grew up. Alternatively, only 46 percent of the general U.S. population lives in a different region than their hometown according to a 2015 Heartland Monitor Poll. Another cause for the lower ownership rates may be the fear of discrimination. Nearly half of LGBT renters fear discrimination in the home buying process and 15 percent more are unsure whether or not they should worry about prejudice. On a local level, homeownership is becoming an issue for some LGBT people in Washington. Scott Gilbert, a gay man who lived in D.C. for more than a decade, moved to Silver Spring, Md., two years ago.

New study finds LGBT homebuyers face tougher odds By JAMES WELLEMEYER

He purchased two condos in D.C. before making the move to Maryland. He decided he “wasn’t necessarily happy with a condo situation anymore” but still wanted his own place. “I had the sense of wanting to own something, and owning is a better deal in the long run on taxes,” he says. Gilbert’s desire to own a home is mirrored in the LGBT community at large. In the Freddie Mac study, approximately three-quarters of LGBT people surveyed saw a home as a good financial investment and 72 percent said they want to own a home in the future. When Gilbert couldn’t find any affordable options in D.C. that weren’t condos, he began to look outside the District. He eventually settled on a place in Silver Spring. But leaving D.C. wasn’t easy for Gilbert, a former city government employee. “I struggled a lot. I felt very loyal to D.C. and still do,” he says. He would like to move back to D.C. but knows he “won’t be able to own an actual home” in the District. He doesn’t believe being gay has affected his ability to buy a home in D.C., but he thinks being single has played a large role. “If you’re single and especially if you’re older, it’s harder because you’re only dealing with one income.” LGBT people are twice as likely to age alone, according to SAGE. This factor may play into the lower homeownership rates among LGBT people that Freddie Mac found. Despite the lower rates, the LGBT

population did reflect the general population in some capacities. Like the general population, LGBT people are struggling to save enough money for a down payment, Freddie Mac found. Seven in 10 LGBT renters who would like to own a home told the pollsters affording the price of the down payment is one of their primary challenges. This trend mirrors what researchers have observed among the general population. More than half of LGBT Americans are also unsure how much money is needed for a down payment. The U.S. population at large exhibits a similar lack of knowledge on the subject. “Unfortunately, the rising cost of renting and buying combined with misunderstandings about down payments are slowing homeownership rates among the LGBT community even further,” Gardner wrote in the study. “That is why as an industry — lenders, appraisers, agents, homebuilders and Freddie Mac must understand LGBT housing needs, recognize their challenges and educate them on the buying process.” Freddie Mac commissioned the study to assess “current challenges facing the LGBT community, as well as their current housing choices, preferences, experiences and aspirations,” Gardner wrote. Conducted by Community Marketing and Insights, the study occurred in April 2018 with an online survey of 2,313 LGBT people between the ages of 22-72. These individuals responded anonymously and were randomly selected from a group of about 85,000.

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Tips for simplifying the home buying process Assemble the right team and make a plan By ALEX GRAHAM

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Homeownership looks different depending on the person or couple, but for most it’s a way to build wealth. The New York Times Magazine ran a survey in 2017 that found that homeowners are on average 36 times wealthier than renters. It isn’t hard to imagine why when you shift rent payments into a fixed mortgage payment instead. But, you don’t have to immediately call your nearest Realtor or even feel guilty for not being ready to buy a home. Before reviewing your financial situation, ask yourself — what is your threeto five-year plan and do you plan to stay where you are? Millennials, especially those of us living in Washington, D.C., tend to be more transient and willing to relocate across the country, and even the world, for better job opportunities. The home buying process involves financial investment, including closing costs, down payments, and general home maintenance, so it may not be worth going through it if you see yourself relocating. If you decide to settle wherever you are, then it’s time to get serious about how to finance a purchase. The first step is to determine how much you can afford. I recommend using an online home affordability calculator. In general, housing shouldn’t be greater than 30 percent of your pretax income, but living in D.C., that isn’t always possible. Once you determine an amount, you can figure out your down payment. While lenders have historically preferred 20 percent of purchase price as a down payment, this is rarely the case today, as there are many programs that can lower that figure. As a first time homeowner, you are eligible to pull $10,000 from your IRA, penalty free. This would be taxed like regular income, so the overall cost would be more than $10,000, but if homeownership is a goal all funds should be considered. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have programs that can lower down payments to three percent, as long as proper income qualifications are met. A location of a property, like one in a transitioning neighborhood, may also yield special

loan programs, even at a higher income. As those Census tracts change on a regular basis it is hard to plan to use these programs until you are closer to buying a home. Once comfortable with your finances, engaging a mortgage broker is the next step. (I work with Austin Auger of Caliber Home Loans.) This involves two key activities - pre-qualification and pre-approval. The first estimates what you qualify for based on the data you provide. This is a quick process with little commitment. If you live in a competitive market like D.C., pre-approval is a better option. While it requires a hard credit check and more intensive financial scrutiny, this may be an advantage when competing against other bidders. It also gives you the comfort of knowing a firm budget figure. Finally, once you’ve purchased your property, make sure you monitor your local tax authority to ensure key tax breaks. The homestead deduction is a tax break for primary homes that may take time to process. If you live in D.C., be wary that if you purchase a home in the fourth quarter, you have little recourse to challenging the proposed value of your home for the next year. That means if D.C. deems your house worth more than you paid, then you have to pay total property tax on that higher value. The home buying process may seem daunting, but having the right team and plan in place will make it easier and a more exciting time in your life. Information contained herein is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or recommendations. Advice may only be provided after entering into an advisory agreement with an advisor.

Alex Graham

is a principal at Graham Capital Wealth Management, a registered Investment Advisor located on K Street. Reach him at 202-780-7726 or Alex.Graham@ grahamcapitalwealth.com.

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Choosing a new toilet is your own ‘Game of Thrones’

Ls

Retreat

By VALERIE M. BLAKE

When was the last time you Googled “contemporary toilets?” If the answer is never, then take a moment and do it now; you’ll find about 34 million results. During the past three weeks, I swear I have looked at them all. I began my quest for the perfect toilet to go with the perfect contemporary vanity cabinet (another 114 million hits) naively thinking, “So what will a toilet cost – maybe $500?” Well, think again. Sure, you can go to the orange box store or the blue box store and get one for about $100, but will it have a real chrome handle? Will it look “high end?” Will a potential buyer look at it and say, “Wow! What a beauty. Where did they find that?” I had in mind something that was ecologically sound, such as a dual flush model. For the uninitiated, that does not mean two people can flush at the same time, but that you have independent settings for when you need to flush a little or a lot. I also wanted something that was streamlined, stylish, ergonomically designed and easy to clean. And not stainless steel, please. I spent too many years in law enforcement to be able to think of a stainless steel toilet as chic. I cast aside the models with little painted flowers and Victorian pulley systems. I sped right through the photos of standard, twopiece toilets and went straight for the one-piece models. I looked at round ones, elongated ones, pillbox ones and even square ones (!). I studied toilets both foreign and domestic: Japanese, Italian, English, Chinese, Czechoslovakian and the good old American brands we all know and love. But when the prices shot up over $5,000, I sat down on a Kohler Rialto and put my head between my knees, overcome with the vapors. A toilet for the price of a granite countertop? Oh, puleeease! So, for all you toilet connoisseurs out there, here are the cream of the crap. Toto offers its electronic, dual-flush Neorest NX1 in Cotton White for a mere $7,000. It’s a one piece, wall-mounted, elongated unit that looks like a pill box and has a built-in bidet that prompts you to get off the pot when it determines you’re clean. I’ll bet there are a lot of parents of newborns that would be delighted with that feature. Upgrade to the NX2 and this $13,000 beauty will add a UV light cleaning system, heated seat with temperature control, an air

deodorizer, a warm air dryer, and a night light – all of which can be operated by remote control. Think of the fun you’ll have when your spouse uses the toilet and you have the remote. With “Game of Thrones” entering its ﬁnal season, you can own your own throne – the Dagobert Wooden Toilet in solid ash, named for the last ruler of the Merovingian dynasty and offered by Herbeau for under $15,000. The bowl is hand-painted and plays “Le Bon Roi Dagobert” when you raise the lid. You’ll have to wait to use it, though. It’s made of solid ash and is a special-order item that will take 6-8 weeks to be delivered, so don’t throw out your chamber pot just yet. Like bling? Then the Isis, a Swarovski crystal-encrusted toilet designed by Jemal Wright of Hollywood, Fla., is for you. It costs $75,000 and you can get a matching sink and bathtub too. If you happen to be in Shanghai, visit the Moon River Art Park, where you can relieve yourself in its $750,000, handsculpted toilet, located in a 10,000-foot man-made cave surrounded by stalactites. While you may have missed artist Maurizio Cattelan’s America, an 18-karat gold, functional toilet valued at up to $5 million and heavily guarded when it was at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, you can still ﬂush your money down the drain with a 22K gold roll of toilet paper for only $1.3 million. The most expensive toilet, however, was manufactured by Russia for the International Space Station. It features leg braces to keep the user in place where there is no gravity and cost $19 million to make in 2008. There’s no home delivery, so you’ll have to join the U.S. Space Force to use one. With such an overwhelming number of toilets available, I can’t decide. I guess I’ll order my $24.99 Squatty Potty, featured on Shark Tank and available at Bed, Bath and Beyond, and move on to faucets. The coveted Creative Commode Award will just have to wait.

Valerie M. Blake

is a licensed Associate Broker in D.C., Maryland and Virginia and Director of Education & Mentorship at RLAH Real Estate. Call or text her at 202-2468602, email her via DCHomeQuest. com, or follow her on Facebook at TheRealst8ofAffairs.

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Top photo: (L-R) VENUS VALHALLA, DREW THATCHER, CITRINE, KITTNEY STONE, LOGAN STONE and VAGENESIS make up the sisterhood of the Haus of Stone Washington Blade photo by Michael Key, Bottom photo: VENUS VALHALLA says Town’s closing was ‘the perfect storm’ for local drag community Washington Blade photo by Michael Key.

New queens on the block Local drag community adapts to shifting market By MARIAH COOPER

As people attend drag brunches and shows at bars and restaurants throughout the D.C. area, they may be focused on ordering bottomless mimosas or snapping pictures of the soon-to-come drag performances. But the amount of blood, sweat and sequins it takes for new, local queens to make a name for themselves, especially in a post-Town/ Cobalt D.C. drag scene, is something that isn’t readily apparent. It’s a situation that DMV-based drag group Haus of Stone knows all too well. Comprised of five queens, the house was birthed from a group of college friends who simply loved the art of drag. Citrine (AJ Williamson), 27; Logan Stone (William Burlew), 25; Drew Thatcher, 26; and Vagenesis (Anderson Wells), 28, began putting drag looks together while attending University of Maryland, Baltimore County. After performing a few times, Citrine, Logan and Vagenesis decided it would be easier to brand themselves as a drag house while performing together. “Most drag houses take the matriarch’s last name but since we didn’t have a matriarch or a mother, we thought we should just come up with our own group name,” Citrine says. “Logan was the only one out of the three of us that had a last name. So we were like, Haus of Stone, that has a nice ring to it. Logan didn’t mind, we didn’t mind. We just ran with it.” Haus of Stone was officially born in spring 2018. Citrine, Logan and Vagenesis dipped their toes in the water at attempting more professional drag by performing private talent shows in their living room. The evening included playing instruments, a spoken word performance and lipsyncing, backed by speakers hooked up in their apartment blaring music, all with the intention of asking their friends to pose as judges. Even though the event was fun, the trio asked their friends to sincerely give them critiques. The girls were taking this seriously. Shortly after, Venus Valhalla and Kittney Stone joined the group rounding out Haus of Stone. Thatcher, who originally began performing drag with the group at University of Maryland Baltimore County, realized that he wanted to be a part of the house in a different capacity. Instead of taking on a drag persona he decided to become a self-proclaimed “drag sidekick” to the group. Among his Jack-of all-trades assistance to Haus of Stone, is to serve as a soundboard for the queens’ looks. “One of the things that I really like about being part of the Haus of Stone is just how amazing all these queens are in the house and how much I appreciate their sisterhood and the family we’ve built,” Thatcher says. “And also just being there to help them execute the vision that they have for their drag is an awesome honor. I know there are

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From left: VENUS VALHALLA, DREW THATHCHER, CITRINE and LOGAN STONE. Washington Blade photo by Michael Key.

a lot of times when they have some grand visions, as any artist often does, and I like to be there for them as a resource to help them execute their visions.” The group started to become more active in taking their show from the living room with friends to a public audience. As new queens trying to establish themselves locally, they say they’ve encountered plenty of support. “When we first started, the drag community was extremely welcoming,” Logan says. “We met one drag performer and they told us to go to this event and go talk to this queen named Desiree Dik because Desiree had a show at Uproar and she did nothing but support new girls coming up. We went to that show and we got the booking and through that we made so many friends that we still talk to today and have harbored relationships that are going to last forever. Now is that true of everybody in the community? No, but through that we got to meet other people like Kristina Kelly who has done nothing but support us. While personalities don’t always mesh up, there has been a support of new girls in this city ever since we started.” For Citrine, the drag community is helpful to new girls but there’s an edge of competition in the mix. “I’ve come to find once they notice that you’re working hard and getting close to their level is when that support and fellowship starts to stop,” Citrine says. “I think part of it is that now you’re starting to look like competition and these are the people that have worked just as hard as you and now are trying to build a legacy or maintain it. ‘Yeah, sure, we’ll give you a platform, you can perform at our show, you’re going to come and go.’ That’s the expectation they think when new queens

come about. But once you start to build and get a little bit stronger, that to them is a sign. Some of them love it. And then there are some that are jealous or they don’t want to support that because they’re like, ‘I don’t want you to be just as successful because now you’re taking something away from me.’” Citrine and Logan both note that they don’t often see local drag performers at their shows showing their support, which they agree could be due to a conflict in performance schedules. “It’s this weird melting pot where we all love each other but we’re also out for ourselves but we do support each other,” Citrine says. Haus of Stone’s breakout on the drag scene after the closing of gay nightlife venues Town and Cobalt, which drew significant patronage for drag shows, has placed the group in a transitional period in D.C. gay nightlife. As more venues are now opening their spaces to drag performances, Logan has noticed a surge in non-LGBT specific bars and restaurants hosting drag shows. Venus says that specifically Town’s closing has made “things easier” for local queens. “Town was kind of a central point for the gay community in the city. You had the cast of girls who were there every Friday and Saturday. So now with Town gone, and that rigid cast gone, there’s more opportunities for all of us other girls and people are still looking for places to replace Town, which is something that’s been kind of difficult for the community over the last year. I think Town closing was actually kind of the perfect storm that’s allowed us to be so successful. If Town was still open, I don’t think any of us would have been able to perform there,” Venus says.

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An influx in venues hosting drag shows and seeing the benefit of having one place to look up all things D.C. drag, inspired Logan to create D.C. Drag Digest (facebook.com/dcdragdigest). The directory will allow people to search for drag shows near them, look up if their favorite bars or restaurants are hosting drag shows and to see where their favorite drag performers will be next. “There had been a lot of conversation on social media about supporting and finding the shows. I had always gotten a lot of questions. When people like what they see in a show the first thing they come up and ask you is, ‘Hey, where can I see you next?’ And for a lot of performers we have 10 shows coming up and we want people at all of them. And it’s hard to just be like, ‘You can come here, here and here.’ Nobody is going to remember any of that. So one day I had decided to just make a list of everything going on,” Logan, who runs the directory with a couple friends, says. The queens say that “RuPaul’s Drag Race” does influence the popularity of their shows especially during the times of the year that “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” and the regular season run. They say it sparks an interest in people to check out what their local drag community is doing. The support is welcomed but Haus of Stone members say the jump from “Drag Race” to a local show can lead to unfair expectations. “Drag Race” can pack on the pressure for local talent, according to Citrine. “They’re seeing it on TV and enjoying it and then when they go to a local show and they’re not seeing that same level matched from what they can just see on TV that’s when they start to lose that interest,” Citrine says. “‘Drag Race’ has certainly made it a little bit more difficult for local queens to keep up. When we see it on TV we’re like ‘Oh God.’ Some of us have that internal expectation of ‘How can I be better and impress this audience when I don’t have those kind of resources?” Money is an important factor when watching an episode of “Drag Race” versus checking out a local show. “A prime example of that is girls we get on ‘Drag Race’ end up making a lot more money than us local girls,” Venus says. “A lot of them have connections because of their following on social media and are able to work with designers and have these glorious costumes and they see those costumes on the runway. Then a drag queen comes out who is a local girl who spent $50 on a leotard that she made herself. And it’s not as exciting as the giant Victoria’s Secret wings that Plastique Tiara wore on the runway.” Another added challenge is keeping their shows as fresh as possible. Venus says that an advantage that queens performing at Town had is that

oftentimes audiences included new people due to the larger audience numbers. As smaller venues are tackling drag shows, the audiences are smaller and a good way to drum up interest is to nab repeat patrons who have already seen certain routines and want new material. “It has to do with a shift in the market,” Venus says. Even with a smaller audience size, the queens still don’t always know who is attending their shows. “Even for me I had two girls come up to me at brunch yesterday and I had never noticed them before but they both came up and were like, ‘We saw you at this show.’ You never know who is going to come back and see you and you don’t want them seeing the exact same thing over and over,” Logan says.

Birds of Prey Drag Show Friday, April 12 10 p.m. The D.C. Eagle 3701 Benning Rd., N.W. Brooklyn Heights, Sasha Adams Sanchez and Iyana Deschanel. with special guest “Drag Race” alum Roxxxy Andrews Hosted by Ba’Naka facebook.com/dcbirdsofprey

Pitchers Drag Picnic Saturday, April 13 1 p.m. Pitchers D.C. 2317 18th St., N.W. Hosted by Brooklyn Heights facebook.com/pitchersdc

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Sunday, April 14 7 p.m. Variety show with movie night theme Ten Tigers Parlour 3813 Georgia Ave., N.W. @hausofstone

Haus of Stone Drag Show Wednesday, April 17 8 p.m. Denizens Brewing Co. 1115 East West Highway, Silver Spring, Md. @hausofstone

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Your Home. Our Mission. Compass is a licensed real estate brokerage that abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Compass is licensed as Compass Real Estate in DC and as Compass in Virginia and Maryland. Logan Circle: 1313 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 | 202.386.6330 | Chevy Chase: 5471 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 300, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 | 301.298.1001 Georgetown: 1232 31st Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 | 202.448.9002 Capitol Hill: 660 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20003 | 202.545.6900 McLean: 6849 Old Dominion Drive, Suite 360, McLean, VA 22101 | 703.310.6111 Arlington: 3100 Clarendon Blvd. Ste 200, Arlington, VA 22201703.266.7277

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QUEERY Avi Strausberg Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

QUEERY: Avi Strausberg

The Hadar Institute rabbi answers 20 gay questions By JOEY DIGUGLIELMO JOEYD@WASHBLADE.COM

Passover, Rabbi Avi Strausberg says, is a time in which storytelling is used to “help shape our personal and communal narratives.” That’s one of the purposes of the National Rainbow Seder, a chance for Jews to connect to tradition, to bring their own voices and identities to the conversation and build community. “It’s a chance to see and be seen, to have fun, to be reflective about why we tell the stories we tell and what that means for identity,” Strausberg says. “To work toward redemption and liberation together.” The 12th annual National Rainbow Seder is hosted by GLOE (GLBTQ Outreach & Engagement at the Edlavitch D.C.-JCC) and is Sunday, April 14 from 5-8 p.m. at the HRC building (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.). The National Rainbow Seder is one of the largest and longest-running Passover

Seder events for the queer Jewish community and its allies nationally. This year’s program will feature a full Passover Seder with specially crafted Haggadah (the Jewish text containing the Passover story). Mensch tickets are $54, general admission is $36 and seniors/students are $28. Details and tickets at thejdc. convio.net. Strausberg is director of national learning initiatives at Hadar, an institute that empowers Jews to “create and sustain vibrant, practicing, egalitarian communities of Torah, Avodah and Hesed. The 36-year-old Ocean Township, N.J., native came to Washington last July to work at Hadar and find new adventures. She and wife Chana Kupetz are the parents of Ori (age 4) and Niv (age 1). They live in Adams Morgan. Strausberg enjoys time with her kids, exploring coffee and cupcake shops and haikus in her free time.

How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell? I never had a classic coming-out moment. I fell in love with my best friend in college. I just shared with my family that my once platonic best friend had become my girlfriend. I’m fortunate that my friends and family have all been completely supportive.

What non-LGBT issue are you most passionate about? Respecting and elevating the dignity of all people. Feminism. Anti-racism. Egalitarianism. Lots of isms.

Who’s your LGBT hero? Rabbi Benay Lappe, the founder and Rosh Yeshiva of Svara, a traditionally radical yeshiva (school of Jewish learning) dedicated to the serious study of Talmud through the lens of queer experiences. Rabbi Lappe has a created a place and a home that raises up the voices of many who might otherwise feel marginalized in our tradition and an approach to Jewish learning that is compassionate, critical and courageous.

What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime? Does AOL count as pop culture? I find myself thinking about AOL’s “you’ve got mail,” chats rooms and the sound of a dial-up modem recently.

What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present? As the parent of two small children, I confess to spending little time out at night. I do love a good cupcake or sandwich cookie at Baked and Wired in Georgetown. Describe your dream wedding. I am blessed to be married to my best friend and partner in life. We were married in an intimate ceremony, surrounded by friends, by a rabbi that we both deeply respect with delicious, wholesome food. I suppose the dream aspect of the wedding would be to get married in some place very aesthetically beautiful, maybe Union Station or the Museum of Science and Industry in Boston.

What historical outcome would you change? Any mass genocide.

On what do you insist? Clear, open, honest, vulnerable communication. What was your last Facebook post or Tweet? If one studies a page of Talmud a day, you can learn the whole Talmud in seven-and-a-half years in an international cycle called Daf Yomi (the daily page). I’m over six years into this cycle and each day after I learn the daily page, I write and post a haiku on Facebook and Twitter that attempts to encapsulate a nugget of learning from the day. Today’s haiku was my most recent post! If your life were a book, what would the title be? “InSeventeen: A Life in Haiku” If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do? Nothing What do you believe in beyond the physical world? Partnership, love, kindness

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What’s your advice for LGBT movement leaders? Stay strong, take care of yourself, have patience. I have incredible admiration for the people fighting for the LGBT movement, all of its huge and small incremental changes, day in and day out. I owe a great debt to you and I’m grateful. What would you walk across hot coals for? My kids What LGBT stereotype annoys you most? The idea that all people who identify as LGBT are defined mainly by their identity as gay. This is one aspect of many aspects of my identity. What’s your favorite LGBT movie? Let’s go with a TV show and say “The L Word.” What’s the most overrated social custom? Apologizing too much for things for which we shouldn’t apologize. What trophy or prize do you most covet? Perfect 300 bowler. Nowhere near this one.

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Counterclockwise from top: TODRICK HALL performs at the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade this weekend Photo courtesy NCBF, CHELSEA HANDLER plays the Warner April 13 Photo courtesy Live Nation, and ‘NUREYEV’ explores the life of the late gay ballet legend Photo by Allan Warren via Wikimedia

Blossom parade draws top talent

Todrick Hall headlines the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, which runs from Constitution Avenue between 9th and 15th Streets N.W., on Saturday, April 13 from 10 a.m.-noon. Hall is known for starring in “Kinky Boots” on Broadway and his visual album “Straight Outta Oz.” He has appeared on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” as both a judge and choreographer. Beyoncé is also one of his superstar fans, besides his good friend Taylor Swift. Other performers will include gay singer Rayshun LaMarr, who was a contestant on season 14 of “The Voice,” CeCe Peniston, singer of the ‘90s dance hit “Finally,” “American Idol” contestant Michael Woodard, “America’s Got Talent” contestant Christina Wells, Baltimore drumming duo A1 Chops, Miss America Nia Franklin and the Washington Redskins cheerleaders.

“black-ish” star Anthony Anderson will serve as honorary grand marshal. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.

GLAA to toast 48th anniversary GLAA celebrates its 48th anniversary with a reception at Lost Society (2001 14th St., N.W.) on Thursday, April 18 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. GLAA will honor Center Global, Compassion & Choices and Diego Miguel Sanchez (APR) with its 2019 Distinguished Service Award. Tickets are $50. Discounted tickets for students and seniors are $25. For more details, visit glaa.org.

Baltimore Eagle plans reopening

The Baltimore Eagle (2022 N Charles St., Baltimore) presents “Rise,” its grand reopening party, on Friday, April 19 from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum and D.C. favorite Tatianna will perform. Shaunda Leer, Betty O’Hellno, Gadfrie Arbulu and Iyana Deschanel will also be in the cast. Brooklyn Heights hosts the party. No cover. For more information, visit facebook. com/thebaltimoreeagle.

’Nureyev’ doc depicts late ballet legend

Landmark’s E Street Cinema (555 11th St., N.W.) screens “Nureyev” on Tuesday,

April 23 at 7 p.m. “Nureyev” is a documentary from BAFTA-nominated directors Jacqui Morris and David Morris which explores the life of ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev. It follows his beginnings in Russia to his eventual career domination in the west. The documentary features never-before-seen footage. Tickets are $15. For more details, visit facebook.com/ estreetcinema.

Front Runners meet up for benefit D.C. Front Runners host a fundraiser at Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) on Wednesday, April 17 from 7-9 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the charities Casa Ruby, Team D.C. Student-Athlete Scholarship, the Wanda Alston Foundation and the Blade Foundation. There will be

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TODAY

Camp Rehoboth kicks off its Women’s Fest this weekend through Sunday. Fest passes are sold out but individual events are still on sale. Tonight rock band Betty and singer/songwriter Ruthie Foster co-headline a concert at the Rehoboth Convention Center (229 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, Del.). Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40. For a complete list of Women’s Fest events, visit camprehoboth.com. The Cherry Fund hosts Cherrypop at Echostage (2135 Queens Chapel Rd., N.E.) tonight from 9 p.m.-3 a.m. DJ Alex Lo and DJ Tom Stephan will spin tracks. Maddelynn Hatter, CT Hedden and Beth Sacks will perform. Alan T Hosts. Admission is $50. Dress code is pop art inspired looks. For details, visit cherrypop2019.eventbrite.com. XX+ Crostino (1926 9th St., N.W.) hosts “Get on Bad,” a queer women’s dance party, tonight from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. DJ Elle Groove will spin dancehall music all night. There will be a late night food menu. Cover is $5. For more information, visit facebook. com/xxcrostino. The D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) presents Birds of Prey Drag Show featuring “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Roxxy Andrews tonight from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. DJ C Dubz will play music all night. Brooklyn Heights, Sasha Adams Sanchez and Iyana Deschanel will perform. Ba’Naka hosts the evening. Tickets for the drag show only are $15. Tickets for the drag show and meet and greet are $20. For more information, visit facebook.com/dcbirdsofprey.

Saturday, April 13

a rafﬂe for $5 each or ﬁve for $20. Prizes include gift cards to Bed, Bath & Beyond, Cabanda Day Spa, Carmine’s Restaurant and more. There will also be a silent auction with prizes such as two tickets to Signature Theatre, a signed baseball and signed jersey from Washington Nationals’ Sean Doolittle and more. A live auction is also included with prizes such as D.C. Front Runner Pride Run 2019 posters signed by designer J. Ford Huffman. D.C. Front Runners Pride mugs and posters both framed and unframed will be for sale. For more information, visit dcfrontrunners.org.

The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) hosts the grand reopening of Arty Queers: D.C.’s LGBTQ Art Market today from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The market will include paintings, pottery, photography, jewelry, glass work, textiles and clothing for sale. The market will run on the second Saturday of every month through the rest of the year. Artists can reserve a table for $20. Email kimberly@ thedccneter.org to request a table. For more details, visit thedccenter.org. Chelsea Handler brings her sit-down comedy tour with special guest CNN’s Jake Tapper to the Warner Theatre (513 13th St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Every ticket includes a copy of Handler’s new book “Life Will be the Death of Me.” Books will be given to attendees at the venue on the day of the show. For more information, visit warnertheatredc.com. Vamp, a ladies dance party, is at XX+ Crostino (1926 9th St., N.W.) tonight from 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m. There will be craft cocktails, small bites and a pool and lounge area. DJ Mim will spin tracks. This is also an appreciation party for Washington Prodigy Women’s Tackle Football. Cover is $10 all night. For more details, visit vamp.

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eventbee.com. Roxy Afterhours, the Cherrypop after hours party, is at Tropicalia Lounge (2001 14th St., N.W.) this morning from 3:30-9:30 a.m. The party pays homage to New York City LGBT nightlife. DJ Shane Marcus and DJ Jerac Acevedo will play music. Cover is $40. Fo more details, visit cherrypop2019. eventbrite.com. Team D.C. hosts its Night of Champions Awards Dinner at the Omni Shoreham Hotel (2500 Calvert St., N.W.) tonight from 6-10 p.m. The dinner is in support of Team D.C.’s college scholarship program for LGBT students. The cocktail reception and silent auction is at 6 p.m. followed by the awards dinner at 7:30 p.m. Dress code is business casual. Tickets are $125. For more information, visit teamdc.org. Rhode Island Avenue N.W. Main Street PorchFest is today from 2-6 p.m. Bands will give performances on both residential and commercial porches and stoops. Admission is free. The festival is a rain or shine event. For more details, visit riamainstreet.org.

Sunday, April 14 DCATS hosts Surgery Show & Tell, a discussion for transmasculine people, at Whitman-Walker Health (1524 14th St., N.W.) this evening from 5-7 p.m. A panel of participants will discuss, and some will show, their experience getting gender-afﬁrming surgery in the DMV area. Surgeries that will be discussed include various procedures for top surgery and bottom surgery including hysterectomy, phalloplasty and metoidioplasty. DCATS also hosts Partners of Transmasc Folx, a support group for partners of transgender men, AFAB (assigned female at birth), non-binary, two-spirit and gender expansive individuals, today from 5-7 p.m. Partners of all genders and sexual orientations are welcome. For more information, visit facebook.com/dcatsociety. The Bethesda/Washington D.C. LGBT Wedding Expo is at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Bethesda (8120 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, Md.) today from 12:303:30 p.m. LGBT-friendly wedding vendors will be on-site to offer wedding advice for every budget. Admission is free. Search Eventbrite for details.

Monday, April 15 The Board Room (925 B Garﬁeld St., Arlington, Va) hosts drag bingo tonight from 9-11 p.m. Crystal Edge and Katrina Colby will perform. There will be games, performances and prizes until 11 p.m. Prizes include free drinks, free shots, free food, gift cards and more. Admissions $5 to play. For more details, visit facebook.

com/theboardroomva. La Ti Do presents Darnell Roulhac R&B Night at Bistro Bistro (1727 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:55 p.m. Gaby Hornig, Tiffany Lynn Royster and Michael Santos Sandoval are the guest performers. Don Michael Mendoza and Anya Randall Nebel host the show. General admission tickets are $20 at the door and $15 with a $25 dinner receipt from Bistro Bistro. Student and senior tickets are $10. Non-performing LTD alumni tickets are $5. For more information, visit facebook.com/latidodc.

Tuesday, April 16 Impact Hub Baltimore (10 East North Ave., Baltimore) hosts “Trans Issues Are Not Trans Issues,” a skill share hosted by Ava Pipitone, today from noon-1 p.m. The discussion will focus on gender expansion’s roots in colonization, white supremacy and control. Topics will include how binary gender was used as a domination tactic in colonization. Admission is free. For more details, email joe@baltimore.impacthub.net. Rainbow Youth Happy Hour is at Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) tonight from 6-9 p.m. The event is open to all adults who support LGBT youth. Attendees do not have to be LGBT to attend. Nellie’s will donate a portion of proceeds to Rainbow Youth Alliance. Drag bingo kicks off at 7 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/ryamoco.

Wednesday, April 17 Bookmen D.C., an informal men’s gay literature group, discusses “Becoming a Londoner,” the collected diaries of David Plante, at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome. For details, visit bookmendc.blogspot.com.

Thursday, April 18 Pitchers D.C. (2317 18th St., N.W.) presents Thirsty Thursdays with former “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant Miz Cracker tonight from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Iyana Deschanel, Sapphire Blue and Venus Valhalla will also perform. Brooklyn Heights hosts the show. Admission is free but reservation is required for Miz Cracker meet and greet. For more information, visit pitchersdc.eventbrite.com. Team Rayceen hosts “Rayceen, Fix Me Up,” a spring mixer, at XX+ Crostino (1926 9th St., N.W.) tonight from 7-10 p.m. Rayceen Pendarvis will host the event which will include ice breaker games to socialize, network and meet people. Admission is free. For more details, visit teamrayceen.eventbrite.com.

This Week in the Arts provided by CultureCapital.com

MUSEUMS

DRAGCEPTION Workshop Apr 13. AU Museum at the Katzen. american.edu.

Bring your iPads or sketchbooks to draw from a live Drag Show. Featuring performances by Drag Kings and Queens from the greater Washington, DC area and New York City. Artist Richard Peterson, whose work is included in the exhibition Forward Press, will lead participants in an iPad drawing workshop. Since 1975, Peterson has explored the subject of gender, identity and transformation in Drag culture.

John Wilmerding Community Celebration Apr 14. National Gallery of Art. nga.gov.

Artist Jeffrey Gibson, a half-Cherokee member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, will choreograph performers who self-identify as Indigenous, Native American, LGBTQ, or as people of color, to explore the relationship between injustice, marginalization, and identity. This performance will include garments printed with texts that name significant acts and recent events.

Revolutionary Choices Video Game Launch Apr 18. Anderson House. americanrevolutioninstitute.org.

We promise an evening of fun: an opportunity to play, socialize, and strategize with Washington’s education, technology, and policy communities about inspiring young Americans with the ideals at the heart of our national experience. Come celebrate with the American Revolution Institute, our game designers, and the young people who helped bring our game to life.

Ken Ludwig’s A Comedy of Tenors Thru May 12. Olney Theatre. olneytheatre.org.

The Tony Award®-winning playwright of Lend Me a Tenor is back with another farce set on the precipice of a big concert in 1936 Paris. When star tenor Tito Merelli refuses to perform, the American impresario Saunders and his sidekick Max stumble upon Beppo the Bellman, who happens to look exactly like Tito and has a voice to match. Throw in a couple of young lovers caught in flagrante delicto, Tito’s fiery wife, a randy Russian diva, some slamming doors, and the result is an uproarious adult evening of laughter and love. PHOTO COURTESY OF AU MUSEUM AT THE KATZEN

THEATRE Grand Hotel, The Musical. Thru May 19. Signature Theatre. sigtheatre.org. Into the Woods. Thru May 16. One Destiny. Thru Oct 26. Ford’s Theatre. fords.org. Magician David Meneses. Apr 12. Arts Barn. gaithersburgmd.gov. Shear Madness. Thru Jun 19. Kennedy Center. shearmadness.com. The Shooting Gallery. Thru Apr 27. Native Son. Thru Apr 28. Mosaic Theater Company at Atlas. mosaictheater.org.

Topdog/Underdog. Thru Apr 14. Avant Bard at Gunston Arts Center. wscavantbard.org.

DANCE Mariinsky Ballet: Le Corsaire. Thru Apr 14. Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org. Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival. Apr 13. National Cherry Blossom Festival at Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. Soul in Motion: Earth, Wind, and Fire Tribute. Apr 12. BlackRock. blackrockcenter.org.

MUSIC Camerata RCO:. Apr 13. Dumbarton Concert. dumbartonconcerts.org. Zachary Grim. Apr 14. Anderson House. societyofthecincinnati.org. From Vivaldi to Rossini. Apr 18-Apr 20. NSO. kennedy-center.org. Dénes Várjon. Apr 13. Washington Performing Arts. washingtonperformingarts.org. Michael Mayo. Apr 12. Works of Loeffler, Shostakovich & Brahms. Apr 14. The Music of Black America in Migration. Apr 14. Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org. East Coast Chamber Orchestra. Apr 14. National Gallery of Art. nga.gov. Gallery Voices at Folger Library. Apr 14. Washington. revelsdc.org. Guitar Poetry with Hiroya Tsukamoto. Apr 12. Arts Barn. gaithersburgmd.gov. Jerusalem Quartet. Apr 12. Mokoomba. Apr 15. Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Apr 18. Library of Congress. loc.gov. Lee, Ninomiya, Katz Trio. Apr 12. Kreeger Museum. kreegermuseum.org. Maritime Voices at U.S. Navy Memorial. Apr 13. Washington Revels. revelsdc.org. Miró Quartet. Apr 14. Bender JCC. benderjccgw.org. Ofertório: Caetano, Moreno, Zeca & Tom Veloso. Apr 15. The Triplets of Belleville Cine-Concert. Apr 18. Strathmore. strathmore.org. Pablo Sáinz Villegas. Apr 12. Mason’s Center for the Arts. cfa.gmu.edu. Sakura Sunday. Apr 14. Cherry Blossom Festival at National Harbor. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. Storm Large. Apr 12. Stephen Kellogg. Apr 18. The Barns at Wolf Trap. wolftrap.org. Street Scenes: Kris Funn’s Cornerstore. Apr 17. Hill Center. hillcenterdc.org. The Music of Nat King Cole. Apr 13. Cary Cooper. Apr 18. BlackRock. blackrockcenter.org. Verdi Reqiuem. Apr 13. National Philharmonic at Strathmore. nationalphilharmonic.org.

AU Museum at the Katzen. Peripheral Visions. Thru Apr 24. american.edu. Dumbarton Oaks. Asian Art from the Bliss Collection. Thru Jun 1. doaks.org. Folger Shakespeare Library. The Architecture of the Folger Shakespeare Library. Apr 13-Jan 5. folger.edu. Kreeger Museum. Charles Hinman: Structures, 1965–2014. Apr 18-Jul 31. kreegermuseum.org. Library of Congress. Baseball Americana. Thru Jun 29. loc.gov. National Archives. Emancipation Proclamation 2019. Apr 14-Apr 16. archivesfoundation.org. National Gallery of Art. In the Library: The Evans-Tibbs Archive of African American Art. Thru Apr 12. nga.gov. National Geographic. Queens of Egypt. Thru Sep 2. nationalgeographic.org. National Museum of Women in the Arts. Ambreen Butt—Mark My Words. Thru Apr 14. Ursula von Rydingsvard. Thru Jul 28. nmwa.org. Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. The Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire. April 12-14 Thru Jun 1. americanindian.si.edu. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian. Orchids: Amazing Adaptations. Thru Apr 28. Lincoln’s Contemporaries. Thru May 19. Champions. Thru May 19. One Year: 1968, An American Odyssey. Thru May 19. npg.si.edu. Postal Museum. Beautiful Blooms: Flowering Plants on Stamps. Thru Jul 14. postalmuseum.si.edu.

GALLERIES DC Arts Center. Then/Again. Thru Apr 28. dcartscenter.org. Del Ray Artisans. (No) Comfort Zone. Thru Apr 28. delrayartisans.org. gallery neptune & brown. Foon Sham: Twist of Lime. Thru Apr 20. galleryneptunebrown.com. JCCNV. Meaning Making Through Art Making. Thru May 10. jccnv.org. Korean Cultural Center DC. Painted in Light: Digital Media Artist HyeGyung Kim. Thru Apr 22. Breaking Boundaries. Thru Apr 26. koreaculturedc.org. Glen Echo Park. Space Cowgirls: Ciara Barsotti. Thru Apr 27. glenechopark.org. The Art League. Megan Partridge: Bugs. Or Kafka on Prozac.. Thru May 5. theartleague.org. Waverly Street Gallery. Kristina Penhoet : Indeterminate Identities. Thru May 4. waverlystreetgallery.com. Zenith Gallery. Crisis Mode: Endangered Earth. Apr 12-May 11. zenithgallery.com. Zenith Sculpture Space. Women who Work, Care, and Create. Thru Apr 27. zenithgallery.com.

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SARA BARKER and BRIAN J. SHAW in ‘Clothes for a Summer Hotel.’ Photo by RCG

Obscure Tennessee

Rarely performed Williams work cleverly staged by Rainbow By PATRICK FOLLIARD “Clothes for a Summer Hotel” may never be your favorite Tennessee Williams’ play, but it’s definitely worth seeing. And now’s your chance with Rainbow Theatre Project’s engaging take on the legendary out playwright’s seldomly staged, poignant late work. By peeking into the failed relationship of famed novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald and wife Zelda, Williams’ also explores his own struggles. He employs metaphor, lyricism, his trademark wit and returns to subjects close to his heart: madness and tragic women. Tales of the Fitzgerald’s high times — jumping into fountains, dancing and popping Champagne corks — aren’t the focus here. From the top, Williams tells us it’s a “ghost play,” all of it characters are dead and time and place are fluid. So, unlike “A Streetcar Named Desired” and his memory play “The Glass Menagerie,” chronology isn’t straightforward. The characters know their pasts, presents and their future fates. This lack of linear narrative is one of the reasons the play was almost uniformly panned by reviewers when it premiered on Broadway in 1980. But don’t let that deter you. The action takes place over a one-

day visit at Highland, a windy hilltop asylum near Asheville, N.C., where Zelda Fitzgerald (Sara Barker) spent time and ultimately died in a fire in 1948. When we meet her, she’s futilely pursuing ballet and undergoing insulin shock therapy. After a long absence, Scott (Aiden Hughes) has flown in from Hollywood where he scribbles screenplays without much success. He’s in ill health and his star has dimmed (it will regain its literary luster in a decade or so); still he’s eager to see his wife whom he’s been told is a dramatically improved. Instead, he finds a disheveled woman dressed in a sad tutu, angry and unhappy. Looking equally out of place in his summer suit and white bucks (he packed in haste), Scott is peeved. He’s uncomfortable with the familiarity shown his wife by some of the Highland staff, particularly a soothingly creepy intern (Brian J. Shaw). Soon, it’s revealed that the couple’s storied marriage is over amidst an almost ponderous exchange of recriminations. Clearly, Williams finds in Zelda yet another wronged, faded belle. She’s vulnerable, tough and borderline hysterical. As Zelda, Barker gives glimpses of the beauty and wit that made her the Jazz era’s favorite party girl, and the pathos and frustration brought on by mental illness. Barker’s is a nuanced performance. Out director Greg Stevens has lovingly made some additions including The Writer, a stand-in for Williams played by actor Matty Griffiths, who is creating the play as it unfolds. Perched upstage sipping gin, pecking at his manual typewriter, he occasionally reads aloud Williams’ lively stage directions. A pair of German nuns (Barbara Papendorp and Mary May) made jolly by the contents of a shared silver flask, stand guard at the asylum’s looming

Gothic iron gates (designed by Stevens). And talented Erin Gallalee who plays a manic former Hollywood hairdresser, now patient, intermittently singing bluesy songs from the era. The second act take a break from the sanatorium, and gives the able cast further opportunities to shine. It’s the 1920s, Scott and Zelda are killing time on the French Riviera where Zelda (turned out in in a chic gown compliments of designer Maria V. Blissex) is consummating a flirtation with Edouard (also Shaw), a dashing French aviator, while a briefly sober Scott holes up alone, trying to write. Next, it’s a swank party at a nearby villa belonging to famed American golden couple of convenience, Gerald Murphy (Seth Rosenke who also plays Zelda’s psychiatrist) and Sara (May). On hand are Scott’s contemporary Ernest Hemingway (wonderfully underplayed by Griffiths) and wife Hadley (Gallalee). Barbara Papendorp is a hoot as partygoer Mrs. Patrick Campbell, a grand dame and former actress who deflects insults and levels witticisms with equal aplomb. But among the revelers, Zelda and Scott are singularly miserable: She because Edouard has left her and he because his literary idol Joseph Conrad has died and no one seems to care. Certainly, Sara is more concerned with a drunken Scott possibly breaking her baccarat crystal. In a subtly rendered and well-acted scene, Hemingway and Scott slip away to discuss their uncomfortable friendship. They reminisce about a trip to Lyon when a vulnerable and still pretty Scott became ill and Hemingway nursed him through the night. What else happened might have happened that night is pure conjecture. But Williams fans the flame of rumor. Throughout “Clothes for a Summer Hotel,” Zelda is haunted by a fiery redcolored bush on the asylum grounds. At one point, she recalls how she was never afraid of death, but that was before she knew how she would die. Pure Williams. Poetic and unsettling.

‘Clothes for a Summer Hotel’ Through April 28 Rainbow Theatre Project DC Arts Center 2438 18th St., N.W. $35 rainbowtheatreproject.org

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ELIZABETH McGOVERN and BLYTHE DANNER in ‘The Chaperone.’ Photo by Barry Wetcher; courtesy PBS Distribution

Hollywood’s original ‘it’ girl

New Louise Brooks biopic is from ‘Downton Abbey’ creator By BRIAN T. CARNEY

Louise Brooks need a chaperone. The 15 year old from Wichita, Kan., has just been accepted to train with the acclaimed Denishawn Dancers in New York City. Fame and fortune await, but her parents insist she needs someone to protect her from the evils of the city. Luckily, staid society matron Norma Carlisle is available for the job. Beneath her starchy façade, Norma has her own reasons to get out of Wichita. She’s haunted by memories of her infancy in a New York City orphanage and wants to track down her true identity. She’s also fleeing a queer sexual scandal that could destroy her family’s reputation (no spoilers here). That’s the set-up for “The Chaperone,” the latest cinematic outing from “Downtown Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes. He’s reunited with star Maureen McGovern and director Michael Engler for a refined exploration of Jazz Age passion that has some tasty surprises for LGBT fans of period drama. With style and heart. the movie shows how the summer they reluctantly spend together will change the lives of both women. While studying under Ruth St. Denis and “Papa” Ted Shawn, Louise begins to flex her artistic and erotic muscles and quickly becomes the epitome of the 1920s flapper. After the credits roll, she becomes a sensation on Broadway and in Hollywood before becoming an international pansexual screen goddess in the classic silent German films of G.W. Pabst. Norma also becomes a rebel in her own right. Before returning to Wichita and establishing her own unconventional household, she discovers the truth about her birth mother and reignites her own passions. For fans of PBS period drama, “The Chaperone” will be sheer perfection.

Fellowes’ adaptation of Laura Moriarty’s best-selling novel is elegant and economical. The dialogue is crisp and sharp, the characters are quickly established and clearly drawn and the complex themes are presented with an assured and gentle insistence. The epilogue is an unexpected gem. Out director Michael Engler makes the entire production look lovely and effortless. The movie has a confident flow and a great eye for period detail (especially corsets, both as costume pieces and metaphors). The acting is, of course, sublime. Maureen McGovern shines as Norma. Even at her most dour, Norma is filled with deep concern for her wayward charge and a nascent sense of social injustice. Like Louise, audiences will be surprised and delighted by Norma’s hidden passions and sly humor. Haley Lu Richardson (M. Night Shyamalan’s “Split”) is delightful as Louise. She beautifully captures the spirit of a young woman poised on the brink of international stardom who’s not quite as innocent as she should be but not nearly as naughty as she thinks she is. The strong supporting cast includes a charming Géza Röhrig (“Son of Saul”) as the German handyman who helps Norma in her quest, Campbell Scott (“Longtime Companion”) as Norma’s husband, a delightful Victoria Hill as Louise’s musical mother, Miranda Otto (“The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”) and Robert Fairchild as the somewhat bohemian dance instructors and a stern Blythe Danner as Mary O’Dell, a mysterious Irish visitor. There are also wonderful cameos from Matt McGrath, Jane Houdyshell and Lilias White. For LGBT fans of “Downton Abbey,” “The Chaperone” is an exquisite morsel of art, scandal and uplift that will help pass the time until the television serial makes its big screen debut this fall. For LGBT cinephiles who like their Jazz Age a little less refined and want to experience Louise Brooks in all her decadent splendor, both “Pandora’s Box” and “Diary of a Lost Girl” are available online.

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Photo courtesy Oxford University Press

Shrinking violet

New book explores challenges of LGBT mental health You had a flu shot this year. You watch your cholesterol, eat better, stay active and brush twice a day. So why do you feel so rotten? In “Headcase,” edited by Stephanie Schroeder and Teresa Theophano, you’ll see that taking care of your mind is as essential as taking care of your body. If someone on the street saw you today, he might think you were at the peak of health. He can’t see what’s inside, though. “Real or perceived minority status and … disenfranchisement make us vulnerable to being labeled as sick,” write Schroeder and Theophano. In other words, being LGBT may affect your mental health. Furthermore, Christian Huygen, one of the contributors to this book, says, “Research shows that, while LGBTQ people seek mental health care more often than our non-LGBTQ counterparts, we are more likely to leave care prematurely.” Today, therapy is easier to get, if you feel hopeless or empty but not all practitioners understand LGBT health issues. Mainstream health care has only relatively recently decided that homosexuality was not a disease in need of a “cure.” Too many health care practitioners don’t understand that insurance is sometimes iffy. Never mind those who believe “conversion therapy” is the right “fix.” Have we evolved when it comes to LGBT mental wellness? You might think so, after reading the chapters here: of a lesbian who received comfort from a therapist when her long-time friend wouldn’t stop bringing religion up. Of veterans who no longer have to conceal their sexuality. On fitting in with the local mom’s group when you’re the only “queer” mother and, by the way, you’ve already conquered postpartum depression. On being a lesbian daughter of a lesbian mother who was hospitalized against her will decades ago,

only because she dared love another woman. “Mental illness can be scary for anyone,” says writer Lance Hicks. “You choose between asking for help, knowing you’re being judged or suffering alone.” That latter option doesn’t sound like so much of an option, does it? No, and “Headcase,” a title that comes from “reclamation” of a negative word, takes a real-life look at the first parts of Hicks’s sentiments: mental health, mental help and the history of it all in an LGBT context. What you’ll learn won’t come easy, though. There are several distinct kinds of chapters inside “Headcase,” some easier to read than others. Readers will find arty things, poetry and drawings here. There are mini-memoirs of relevance. You’ll find short stories, too, many of which have a disjointed feel, as though you just wandered into a half-conversation. There are chapters that are plainly meant for physicians, which might not appeal to laypersons. And you’ll find history in this book, some of which — fair warning — will chill you. Overall, “Headcase” could offer comfort but it’s not a substitute for a doctor. It’s got subtle advice, but it’s not a therapist. It’s not even a good stand-in for a sympathetic friend but if you need direction, it’s worth a shot.

‘Headcase: LGBTQ Writers and Artists on Mental Health and Wellness’ Edited by Stephanie Schroeder a nd Teresa Theophano Oxford University Press $29.95 287 pages

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

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Photo courtesy Smithsonian

New online exhibit explores queer AAPI life

Smithsonian helmed multi-media series will continue throughout ’19 By JOEY DIGUGLIELMO

Anybody with internet now has access to a burgeoning world most of us would never otherwise see. The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center has launched a new digital exhibition called “A Day in the Queer Life of Asian Pacific America.” A joint partnership between the Smithsonian, AARP and Kundiman, a New York-based organization dedicated to the creation and cultivation of AsianAmerican creative writing, the series (smithsonianapa.org/day-queer-life) will feature both solicited and crowd-sourced media of all types — film, photography, boomerangs and video poems, that explore queer life in Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities throughout the country including lesser-known areas with a focus on everyday life. “Our center has a long-running commitment to support and develop and provide resources to queer Asian-American artists and scholars,” says Lawrence Davis, curator. He’s straight but considers himself a queer ally. “It’s a long-running push of ours to support and recognize areas of need in communities that have been marginalized and that have a long-running problem of underrepresentation in art history and culture.” There are several components to the series. Among them are: • Queer Elders: a series of four video shorts of queer elders in San Francisco, Los Angeles and sites in the South and Midwest curated by archivist, photographer and filmmaker Mia Nakano

• Queer Check-ins: a series of 12 video poem “check-ins’ by queer diasporic poets in the U.S. and beyond curated by poet Franny Choi • Queer Youth: a crowd-sourced photography and short video exhibit • Queer Motion: a crowd-sourced boomerang series exploring queer survival, heartbreak and joy in motion • Queer Time: long-form essays on the queer experience of time by poet Rajiv Mohabir. Davis says a lot of his team’s work will involve arranging the submissions in ways that make them “cohere in ways that will resonate.” “It’s not a matter of saying, ‘We like this one, we don’t like this one,’” he says. “We find a way to give it shape, not in the process of what we think is good or not good, but thinking about how we can repackage it in a way that amplifies the material, especially the crowd-sourced material.” His team worked on it for about a year. It launched March 25 and elements will continue to be added throughout the year. Davis would not say how much the series cost but says the Smithsonian, AARP and Kundiman all donated “considerable funding resources” to the project. So overall, what is the plight for queer Asian-American and Pacific Islander people? Is it demonstrably better or worse than it is for other queer ethnic groups? Davis, who is Asian himself, says there is “no magical place totally free from queerphobia and transphobia” and that it is pronounced in some AAPI communities. “Also no AAPI person lives in exclusively AAPI communities, we live in other communities and within family spaces and community spaces … so that’s all the more reason to have a project like this that engages the realities of queer life.”

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Get Your Tickets to the Maker of Zoe Today!

Friday, May 17th at 7:00 PM Saturday, May 18th at 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM Doors Open One Hour Before ShowTime. Late Seating Ends Thirty Minutes After ShowTime

In the heart of Washington DC, Avery, an outwardly confident and whimsical toy designer, finds true meaning and purpose, after a supernatural encounter with an angelic messenger. Avery is transported to the Land of Zoe and embarks on a journey filled with mystery and wonder. This moving and suspenseful tale will delight and intrigue audiences, as it unfolds the truth of The Maker’s Love for all and looks at the common misconceptions of Scripture concerning homosexuality. You will be moved by this inspirational and entertaining performance, enjoy a delicious Italian Dinner served right to your table, and help support God’s message of love for all people!

$37.50 Includes Admission to the Play & your choice of: ~ Regular or Gluten Free Pasta ~ Meat Sauce, Turkey Meat Sauce or Vegetarian Sauce ~ Fresh Garden Salad w/Dressing Choice & Garlic Bread ~ Decadent Chocolate or Lemon Pound Cake ~ Water, Tea, or Lemonade

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A sampling of the offerings at Hula Girl Bar & Grill. Photo courtesy Brennan

Spam folder Much maligned meat is front and center at Hula Girl By EVAN CAPLAN

From rocker chick to Spam champion, Mikala Brennan of Hula Girl Bar & Grill (4044 Campbell Ave., Arlington), brings her signature mahalo island vibes to D.C., all while being loud and proud. Self-styled as “chef/owner/dishwasher” of the restaurant, Brennan’s tiki roots and gay identity mean that she likes to stir things up, whether at the bar or “slinging Spam to the masses,” she says. In 2011, Brennan introduced her love and passion to D.C.: Hawaiian food. Before that, however, she was a bit of a rocker. “I lived in San Diego for 10 years where I learned to cook and also had a band,” she says. After moving to D.C. to work for Marriott and then traveling as a hospitality consultant, Brennan settled back in the District to return to her food (and family) roots. “The truck was inspired by my mom, who ended up in Hawaii after meeting my dad on the beach,” she says. And as a child, there was always cooking in the kitchen and kitsch in the living room. “My mom had a lot of gay friends,” she says. “They would come by the house, drink horrible Mai Tais, and do everyone’s hair. By the end, they were totally sauced.” Brennan says her own hair took weeks to recover from that hangover. But Hawaii was conservative culturally and it took her leaving home to come out. But while the girl has left Hawaii, Hawaii hasn’t left the girl. The truck — and later restaurant — pay homage to her family’s culinary roots. On the truck, Brennan’s focus was “plate lunch”: a meat, like braised pork or grilled fish, atop rice and alongside macaroni salad. Of course, there’s the true Hawaiian

special, the Spam musubi. Brennan’s true love is for this beloved tinned meat. “It’s so damn good,” she says, but “it gets a bad rap.” Spam musubi is a convenience-store special of marinated grilled Spam resting on a rectangle of rice, wrapped in nori. Brennan also serves it tempura-style, deep-fried and touched up with teriyaki and spicy mayo. Though Andrew Zimmern, on his “Bizarre Foods America” show, expressed dislike for it, Brennan says “most people that try Spam love it. And the official Spam handle even follows us on social media.” For her, the truck became not just a passion, but a job. “There were so few of us back then — we helped define an industry here in D.C.,” she says. (Brennan even took a couple shifts at fellow gay-food-trucker BBQ Bus to get her feet wet.) Having served Spam on TV, Brennan wanted to go brick and mortar. In November 2015, Hula Girl Bar & Grill arrived in the Village at Shirlington. Brennan keeps the restaurant low-key, in Hawaiian spirit. Sure, surfboards hang from the ceiling and flip flops from the wall. Requisite dancing hula statuettes sway in grass skirts (including one of President Obama, himself a Hawaii native). But the blonde wood paneling and retro low-slung blue vinyl chairs give off more calm than crazy. The restaurant also “was set up to be non-gender-specific. I take great pains to have a safe workplace,” she says. Brennan earned her cooking education in progressive California kitchens, not at formal French institutions. As it happens, she has an all-female kitchen staff. They helm spots that “aren’t usually run by women, like the grill. It’s a very different vibe,” she says. “I’ve brought on men with incredible pedigrees, but they just don’t last.” These chefs churn out street food while also elevating a cuisine that has too often taken a back seat to tropical cocktails (though those make appearances too). Hawaiian food “is a melding of cultures, including traditional island, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, American and Portuguese, but it’s comfort food at the end of the day.” Diners may gravitate toward trendy poke bowls, but Brennan steers them to items she’s just as passionate about. Among napkin-necessary starters are the sticky glazed root-beer ribs. Mains include banana-leaf ensconced pork and cabbage, and the Loco Moco: two burger patties and two fried eggs smothered in mushroomonion gravy. And there’s always Spam. Brennan wouldn’t be herself without something shaking behind the bar. The signature cocktail is the Hula Girl Mai Tai, of rum, ginger, bitters, juice and a black rum float ($14). Also Hawaiian: the pineapple sparkling wine, straight from Maui. Hawaiian draft beers also make appearances. Hula Girl, though infused with rockergirl fun, is about inclusion. “I just want people to feel like they belong.”

6 0 • WAS H IN GTO N B LAD E.CO M • AP R IL 1 2 , 2 0 1 9

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@ 16th & O St NW

PALM SUNDAY

Sunday, April 14 @ 11am Take part in the annual Palm Sunday Parade. After worship on April 14, join FBC as we walk through our neighborhood, led by a Mariachi band!

MAUNDY THURSDAY @ NSBC Thursday, April 18 @ 7-9pm

FBC will enjoy a fellowship meal together with Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, followed by a worship service with communion, foot-washing, the music of the FBC Chancel Choir, and a meditation by Pastor Julie. NSBC is located at 4606 16th St NW (at Crittenden Street). Parking available onsite and in the neighborhood.

GOOD FRIDAY

Friday, April 19 @ 7pm Remember and reflect on Christ's crucifixion in this "Service of Shadows" led by our Chancel Choir, other musicians, and readers from the congregation.

EASTER WORSHIP Sunday, April 21 @ 11am

We celebrate the resurrection of Christ and offer hospitality to the many who worship with us! Communion will be celebrated. The Easter celebration continues after worship in the side courtyard (weather permitting) for light hors d’oeuvres provided by FBC.

1 3 2 8 1 6 T H S T N W, W A S H I N G T O N , D C 2 0 0 3 6 | + 2 0 2 3 8 7 2 2 0 6 www.firstbaptistdc.org

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Victory Fund Brunch

The Victory Fund held its 2019 National Champagne Brunch at JW Marriott on Sunday, April 7. Speakers included Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Rep. Katie Hill (D-Calif.), Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-South Bend, Ind.) and Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas Park). Washington Blade photos by Michael Key

6 6 • WAS H IN GTO N B LAD E.CO M • AP R IL 1 2 , 2 0 1 9

“

I love wandering through Smithsonian museums, eating on H Street with friends, and going to shows at Howard Theatre.

I’m a transgender woman and I’m part of DC. Please treat me the way any woman would want to be treated: with courtesy and respect. Discrimination based on gender identity and expression is illegal in the District of Columbia. If you think you’ve been the target of discrimination, visit www.ohr.dc.gov or call (202) 727-4559.

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