Washingtonblade.com, Volume 50, Issue 19, May 10, 2019 by Washington Blade

Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

WITH THAT QUESTION IN 2012, JOE BIDEN CHANGED THE MARRIAGE EQUALITY MOVEMENT, PAGE 12

MAY 10, 2019 • VOLUM E 50 • I S S UE 19 • WA S HI N GTONB LAD E.CO M

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VOLUME 50 ISSUE 19 ADDRESS

PO Box 53352 Washington DC 20009 PHONE

Seven years ago this week, Joe Biden changed the marriage equality movement with an interview on ‘Meet the Press.’ A look back at that pivotal moment. PAGE 12

Looking back:

Viewpoint

50 years of the Blade

Andy Cohen talks fatherhood,

Comings & Goings

Celebration of Life for slain trans

QUEERY: Luke Frazier

woman, others set for May 11

Blade’s Rehoboth summer

11 12

14 15

‘Housewives’ and threesomes

Capital Pride honors Blade with

kick-off is May 17

‘Paving the Way Award’

Arts & Culture

Biden’s early support

Gay book club turns 20

for marriage

Crossing Jordan

equality made major impact

The Christian journey

House poised to vote

Lesbian screen gems

on Equality Act

Native inspirations

LGBT marches

On Mother’s Day, reﬂect

cancelled in Cuba 17

Cannabis Culture

Expanded ‘conscience rule’ could block trans care

For distribution, contact Lynne Brown at 202-747-2077, ext. 8075. Distributed by MediaPoint, LLC

on family ﬁnances 53

A life plan community’s beneﬁts through full continuum of care

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 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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APPROVAL

Charlie Rose talks about lesbian moms — May 14, 1982 Classified ads were an essential part of the Blade for decades. An ad that ran this week in 1982, promoted a segment of the “Charlie Rose Show” on lesbian mothers, something that would have been noteworthy and groundbreaking at the time.

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Comings & Goings Freedman-Gurspan joins effort to overturn gerrymandering By PETER ROSENSTEIN

The Comings and Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at: comingsandgoings@washblade.com. Congratulations to Rob Marus, new Senior ROB MARUS Director of Communications and Speechwriting at the Association of American Universities. AAU comprises 62 research universities that transform lives through education, research, and innovation. Their member universities earn the majority of competitively awarded federal funding for research that improves public health, seeks to address national challenges, and contributes significantly to our economic strength, while educating and training tomorrow’s RAFFI FREEDMANvisionary leaders and innovators. Upon accepting GURSPAN the position Marus said, “I am excited about the opportunity to tell the story of America’s leading research universities which advance medicine and the sciences, innovate and stimulate our economy, and enrich our culture.” He has served in the public sector for eight years. He was recently Senior Advisor for Communications for the District of Columbia’s Attorney General, Karl Racine. Prior to that he was Deputy Director/Senior Communications Officer in the Office of Communications, Executive Office of the Mayor, government of the District of Columbia. Before entering government Marus was managing editor and Washington bureau chief with the Associated Baptist Press. Before moving to D.C., he was a coordinator with the Mainstream Missouri Baptists, Jefferson City, Mo. and a news writer with Word & Way in Jefferson City, Mo. He has won numerous awards including a first-place award in news series competition for coverage of the Roy Moore/Ten Commandments controversy in 2004, Baptist Communicators Association, Wilmer C. Fields Awards Contest and a first-place award in interpretive reporting competition for a magazine article debunking Internet rumors commonly spread by evangelical Christians in 2002, Baptist Communicators Association, Wilmer C. Fields Awards Contest. Marcus is a member of the board of directors of the First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C; and a volunteer with Food and Friends. Congratulations also to Raffi Freedman-Gurspan on her new job as Deputy Campaign Director for the All on the Line Campaign. AOTL is a project of the National Redistricting Action Fund, an affiliate of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, chaired by former Attorney General Eric Holder. Its mission is to end gerrymandering and restore fairness to our elections and democracy. She is leaving her position as director of external relations at the National Center for Transgender Equality. Mara Keisling, executive director of NCTE said, “Raffi remains an invaluable asset to the fight for transgender equality and we have always felt so privileged to have her work alongside us. While we certainly wish her well in the next exciting stage of her career, we will always miss her strength, courage, and energy.” Freedman-Gurspan said, “After two years working at the NCTE and the National Center for Transgender Equality Action Fund with an amazing team of individuals I will be moving on to another opportunity to serve the community. To my LGBTQ community, know that this decision was not easy. Although the organization I am joining is not specific to trans/LGBTQ advocacy, the impact is tied. Ending rigged elections and gerrymandering matters to the work of securing equal rights and opportunities, especially for the most vulnerable.” Prior to NCTE, she served the Obama administration as a senior associate director for public engagement, and primary liaison to the LGBT community, and outreach and recruitment director for presidential personnel at the White House. She was the first openly transgender staffer to work at the White House. She currently sits on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council as an appointee named by President Obama.

Creator, owner of D.C.’s famed nightclub Tracks dies at 76 Marty Chernoff hailed as pioneering, inclusive entrepreneur By LOU CHIBBARO JR. LCHIBBARO@WASHBLADE.COM

MARTY CHERNOFF opened Tracks D.C. in 1984. The club is still regarded by many as the city’s greatest nightclub ever. Washington Blade photo by Tyler Grigsby

Martin “Marty” Chernoff, a Denverbased businessman who is credited with employing state-of-the-art technology in video, lighting, and sound systems for the gay nightclubs called Tracks that he opened in Denver, D.C. and other cities, died May 3 in Denver. He was 76. People who knew him said Chernoff, who was straight, hired a cadre of gay managers and employees who he mentored in the art of operating largescale nightclubs. Many of them went on to open their own successful gay clubs. Using the business model and amenities he created for his first Tracks nightclub in Denver, Chernoff opened Tracks D.C. in 1984 in a large warehouse building at 1111 First St., S.E. in the then-warehouse district that has since disappeared following the construction of Washington Nationals Stadium. Nightlife advocates familiar with Tracks D.C. say that in its 15-year lifespan – it closed in 1999 after Chernoff sold the building to a developer – it brought to D.C. a gay nightclub that offered features no other nightclub offered in the region, gay or straight. Ed Bailey, who worked at Tracks D.C. as a DJ and later as its director of promotions, said the sprawling warehouse building’s main room or hall included the D.C. area’s largest dance floor at the time. He noted that Chernoff installed the same state-of-the-art theatrical lighting and sound system he had been using in the Denver Tracks. Unlike most other clubs at the time,

Chernoff had a large outdoor space as part of the Tracks property in which he installed a volleyball court with beach sand rather than a paved cement surface. He also built an 18-inch-deep pool surrounded by a large deck with chairs and an outdoor bar and grill, where hot dogs and hamburgers, among other food items, were served. The outdoor space also featured yet another dance floor and sound system that became highly popular during the warm weather months. “I built what I thought would work well, including some things where people said, ‘Are you crazy? Who ever heard of a volleyball court in a nightclub?” Chernoff told the Washington Blade in a 2013 interview on the occasion of a Tracks D.C. reunion party. “And I said, ‘Well, I tried it in Denver and it worked pretty well. Let’s give it a try here.’” Bailey and others familiar with Tracks said the volleyball court along with the numerous other amenities at the club worked very well, as capacity crowds exceeding 1,000 or more patrons came to the club on most weekends. Under Chernoff’s direction, Tracks D.C. also featured nationally known live performers almost one a month for several years. Among them were Gloria Gaynor, Thelma Houston, Crystal Waters, The Village People, Martha Washington, and CeCe Peniston.

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Celebration of Life for slain trans woman, others set for May 11 SHEILA ALEXANDER-REID (far right) presents copies of Women in the Life Magazine to D.C. Public Library’s KERRIE WILLIAMS (far left). Photo courtesy Alexander-Reid

ASHANTI CARMON was shot to death in March. Photo via Facebook

A Celebration of Life Memorial service for transgender woman Ashanti Carmon and four other local LGBT community members who died within two weeks of Carmon’s death on March 30 is scheduled to be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, at D.C.’s Metropolitan Community church at 474 Ridge St., N.W., according to lead organizer Earline Budd. Carmon, 27, was found shot to death March 30 on a residential street in Fairmount Heights, Md., one block from Eastern Avenue, N.E., which serves as the boundary between D.C. and Prince George’s County. P.G. County Police Chief Henry Stawinski said the case remains under active investigation and the department has developed some “very strong leads” in the case. Budd, a longtime D.C. transgender activist, said friends and family members of four other LGBT community members whose sudden deaths occurred shortly after Carmon’s death decided to celebrate the lives of their loved ones at the same service as the one initially planned for Carmon. The others include D.C. transgender woman Chase ‘Seven,’ 43, who died from a drug overdose; a lesbian named Cleo, who also died suddenly of a drug overdose; Kris Morant, who was in his early 30s, died of as yet unknown causes, according to Budd; and transgender woman and former Casa Ruby employee Keisha Washington, 32, who died April 30 of natural causes, according to Casa Ruby founder and executive director Ruby Corado. Budd said the theme of the service will be, “Gone too soon, but not forgotten,” and will be a celebration of the five people’s lives. LOU CHIBBARO JR.

D.C. officials to hold ‘LGBTQ Nightlife Roundtable’ The recently created D.C. Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture has invited owners, managers, and employees of the city’s gay bars to an “LGBTQ Nightlife Roundtable Discussion” scheduled for May 14 at the Adams Morgan gay bar Pitchers. Pitchers owner David Perruzza said members of the D.C. Police LGBT Liaison Unit, which works with the Office of Nightlife and Culture, approached him and asked if Pitchers would consider

hosting the event. “We’re very close with them and they work with us, so they asked if we can do it and I said sure,” Perruzza told the Blade. Perruzza was referring to the routine D.C. police interaction with bars, restaurants and nightclubs in the bustling Adams Morgan nightlife corridor that includes 18th Street and Columbia Road, N.W. At the request of Mayor Muriel Bowser, the D.C. Council last year approved

legislation creating the Office of Nightlife and Culture and a separate Commission on Nightlife to “promote efficiencies for the District’s after-hours economy by serving as a central point of contact between D.C. government, the nightlife industry, and District residents,” according to a write-up on the office’s website. Among those expected to facilitate the LGBTQ Roundtable at Pitchers is Shawn Townsend, a former investigator at the D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA), who Bowser named as director of the Office of Nightlife and Culture. Townsend couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. People familiar with the office’s recent activities say Townsend has been holding similar meetings with owners and managers of bars, restaurants and nightclubs throughout the city to inform them of the office’s work. Sheila Alexander-Reid, director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs, said her office and the police LGBT Liaison Unit are co-hosting the roundtable event along with the Office of Nightlife and Culture at Pitchers, which she said is not open to the general public. “We think it’s a great idea to do a small introductory meet and greet with the bar owners and club owners and promoters in the LGBTQ community,” Alexander-Reid said. “And this was his idea,” she said, in referring to Townsend. Pitcher’s is one of at least 11 D.C. gay bars or nightclubs along with other clubs that regularly host “gay night” events. “Residents and visitors to Washington, D.C. know that we have world-class food and entertainment options in neighborhoods across the District that appeal to all ages and all tastes – and that those choices continue to grow,” Bowser said in a statement last October when she signed the legislation creating the nightlife office. “We know that this creates fantastic opportunities as well as a few challenges, and the Office of Nightlife and Culture is going to ensure that we’re working across D.C. government, with our residents

and businesses, to ensure a vibrant D.C. nightlife that works for everyone,” she said. LOU CHIBBARO JR.

D.C. Public Library to digitize Women in the Life Magazine The D.C. Public Library will digitize and provide access to Women in the Life Magazine, in honor of the publication’s 25th anniversary. “The D.C. Public Library is proud to add the Women in the Life Magazine to the growing list of journals it will digitize and make available to students, researchers, and residents,” said Richard Reyes-Gavilan, executive director of the D.C. Public Library. “This magazine tells an important story from a unique viewpoint that reflects the rich, diverse and dynamic history of the District.” Independently published by co-founder Sheila Alexander-Reid, what started as a fourpage newsletter evolved over 10 years into a 26-48 page magazine distributed nationally in bookstores. Topics in the magazine included South African lesbian activist Palesa Ditsi; Black Pride in the District and the 1997 Million Woman March. The library will digitize, maintain and make all 90 issues of Women in the Life Magazine available on Dig DC, the online portal maintained by the D.C. Public Library’s Special Collections division. When the work is complete, the story of D.C.’s lesbians of color community will be available to students, scholars, members of the LGBTQ community and anyone else who wants to understand issues that impacted the Black lesbian community from 1993 to 2003. Among other publications the library is digitizing is the full 50-year archive of the Washington Blade. STAFF REPORTS

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Capital Pride honors McIntosh falls short in Blade with ‘Paving bid to become Md. the Way Award’ House speaker By LOU CHIBBARO JR. LCHIBBARO@WASHBLADE.COM

‘We are going to let a white lesbian be speaker of the House?’ By MICHAEL K. LAVERS MLAVERS@WASHBLADE.COM

The Washington Blade is among this year’s Capital Pride honorees.

The Capital Pride Alliance, the organization that produces D.C.’s annual Capital Pride Parade, Festival, and related events, has named 10 prominent local and national LGBT rights leaders and three organizations as recipients of its annual awards recognizing those who have “advanced the causes of LGBTQ+ rights.” Among the three organizations named as award recipients for 2019 is the Washington Blade, which Capital Pride Alliance selected for its Paving the Way Award. The group says the Paving the Way Award acknowledges an “individual or organization that has provided exemplary contributions, support, and/or advocacy that has impacted the LGBTQ+ community, and whose leadership has inspired continued progress.” In its announcement, Capital Pride Alliance noted that the Blade this year is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1969 and its many years as America’s LGBTQ news source. “We are thrilled to honor the Washington Blade for all it has done the past 50 years,” said Ashley Smith, board president of Capital Pride. “As we honor and mark 50 years since the Stonewall uprising we must also look to the impact – including the founding of the Blade in October 1969. Their continued vigilance in covering LGBTQ issues and having a place in the White House press corps speaks to the progress we have made and the need to have a vibrant LGBTQ media in the nation’s capital and across the nation,” concluded Smith. “For five decades, the Washington Blade has been in the vanguard of informing, educating and lifting the stories of our community, from a time when we were ignored by mainstream media to our vital role today providing the kind of comprehensive coverage you still won’t find in the mainstream,” said Blade editor Kevin Naff. The other two organizations selected as recipients were Team D.C., the LGBT sports organization, which will receive the Larry Stansbury Award; and the D.C.based National Center for Transgender Equality, which will receive Capital Pride’s newly created Breaking Barriers Award. In its awards announcement, Capital Pride Alliance named as its annual Heroes Martin Espinoza, co-founder and president of Stonewall Sports; Ben De Guzman, longtime LGBT activist and director of the D.C. Mayor’s Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs; Amanda Hackett, an immigration attorney and specialist in LGBT/Sogi-Minority-based asylum cases; Kimberly Bush, director of Arts and Cultural Programs at the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community; Rea Carey, executive director of the National LGBTQ Task Force; and Tony Nelson, a longtime emcee and comedian for numerous events and causes in the D.C. area. Capital Pride Alliance named as its Engendered Sprit Award recipients Xemiyulu Tapepechul, a playwright and author; and Larry Villegas-Perez, an activist and mental health practitioner who has provided support for numerous LGBT organizations, including SMYAL and Casa Ruby. Named as recipients of Capital Pride’s Bill Miles Ward were Alan Thompson, a longtime Capital Pride volunteer and volunteer supporter at numerous other local LGBT organizations; and Donald Burch, whom Capital Pride says has for more than three decades served as the “quintessential volunteer” at dozens of D.C. area LGBTQ+ community organizations, including groups that provide services for people with HIV.

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Maryland state Del. MAGGIE MCINTOSH (D-Baltimore City) failed to secure enough votes to become the next speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates. Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

Maryland state Del. Maggie McIntosh (D-Baltimore City) on May 1 failed to secure enough votes to become the next speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates. The Maryland House Democratic Caucus backed McIntosh in a 58-40 vote, but she did not have enough votes to become speaker. The caucus later nominated state Del. Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County). Michael Busch, who was the longest speaker in state history, died on April 7. McIntosh would have been the first openly LGBT person and the first woman to hold the position. State Del. Dereck E. Davis (D-Prince George’s County) ran against McIntosh. Jones also sought the speakership, but she ended her bid and backed Davis. The House voted overwhelmingly to elect Jones. She is the first woman and person of color to hold the position. “I extend my sincere congratulations to Adrienne Jones on becoming the 107th speaker of the House of Delegates,” said Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in a statement. “The election of our first AfricanAmerican and first female speaker marks a proud and historic moment for our state.” State Sen. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City), who is the first openly LGBT person of color elected to the Maryland Senate, is among those who also congratulated Jones. Tensions between McIntosh’s supporters and those who backed Davis overshadowed the race. Maryland Matters reported state Del. Regina T. Boyce (D-Baltimore City) in an email she wrote to state Del. Darryl Barnes (D-Prince George’s County), who chairs the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, accused him of saying, “We are going to let a white

lesbian be the speaker of the House?” The Baltimore City Democrat who resigned from the caucus described the comment as “unacceptable and infuriating.” “I was ashamed and embarrassed that our caucus could be so obsessed with having a ‘first black person’ in leadership that they would tear down someone else to express that desire,” Boyce wrote to Barnes. “The white lesbian is my district mate, Maggie McIntosh, a woman who has tirelessly supported me and so many others in the [General Assembly].” Rev. Merrick Moise, a transgender activist who lives in Baltimore City, told the Blade last week he believes Boyce. Moise also noted “all we have to do is look at the votes of Del. Davis and other members of the Legislative Black Caucus regarding same-sex marriage and research the comments made by certain members of the Black Caucus at that time” before the 2012 referendum on Maryland’s same-sex marriage law. “Truthfully, the Black Caucus needs to do some soul searching and work with black same gender loving/LGBTQ leadership to have important conversations that lead to compassion and unity,” Moise told the Blade. “The caucus and community need to understand that our orientations and gender identities do not invalidate nor supersede our blackness. It’s time for homophobia and transphobia to sunset and die in black communities.” “We need each other,” he added. The Blade has made multiple requests to interview McIntosh about her decision to run for speaker and the outcome of the May 1 vote.

James Wellemeyer contributed to this article.

Biden’s early support for marriage equality made major impact 2012 interview expedited Obama’s own endorsement By CHRIS JOHNSON CJOHNSON@WASHBLADE.COM

Seven years ago this week, JOE BIDEN gave an interview that altered the course of the marriage equality movement. Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

Seven years ago this week, former Vice President Joseph Biden gave an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that fundamentally altered the course of the marriage equality movement. Biden — now the front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination — stepped out on a limb with moving remarks on extending marriage rights to gay couples, a memorable act on behalf of LGBT rights that distinguishes him in the field of Democratic candidates. On May 6, 2012, Biden was asked on “Meet the Press” whether his views had evolved on same-sex marriage. The vice president replied the matter “is all about a simple proposition. Who do you love. Who do you love?” “I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual men and women marrying one another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties,” Biden continued. “And quite frankly, I don’t see much of a distinction — beyond that.” Biden had just come out for marriage equality at a time when same-sex couples could marry in just six states and D.C. and then-President Barack Obama was still in the middle a years-long evolution on same-sex marriage. During the interview, Biden added he had just visited the home of a same-sex couple in Los Angeles for a fundraiser, where he had an epiphany after seeing the young children the couple was raising. “And I said, ‘I wish every American could see the look of love those kids had in their eyes for you guys,’” Biden said. “And they wouldn’t have any doubt about

what this is about.’” Moe Vela, who’s gay and served at the time as Biden’s director of administration and senior adviser, said Biden’s comments on same-sex marriage weren’t a surprise to him because the vice president and his wife, second lady Jill Biden, had previously confided to him they backed marriage equality. “I have tell to you from the first personal and private conversation I had with them as an openly gay senior member of his staff, both of them…in that early time period had already shared with me that they were passionately supportive of marriage equality,” Vela said. But Vela said Biden’s interview was also a source of conflict: On the one hand, it was “one of the most affirming emotional moments of my life,” on the other he “knew the president wasn’t there yet.” “I was so proud…to work for these two people and to manage the office of these two people, I mean, had our back…but the conflict for me was I developed almost an antsy-ness,” Vela said. “If my boss could be for this, why isn’t this something this White House is going to support, right?” A Biden campaign spokesperson told the Blade this week the Democratic presidential candidate still remembers his 2012 words on “Meet the Press” and they remain important to him. “Joe Biden’s parents instilled in him an obligation to stand up to the abuse of power or discrimination from the time he was a child,” the spokesperson said. “When the question of marriage equality came up in 2012, at a time when nearly every pundit and prognosticator said that it was politically unwise, Joe Biden spoke up. He stated clearly that for him, and he believed for the vast majority of Americans, it was a simple proposition: who do you love.” Although many, including stars like Debra Messing of “Will & Grace,” saw Biden’s words as an endorsement of same-sex marriage, there was significant confusion about whether Biden had, in fact, come out for same-sex marriage. After all, saying “men marrying men, women marrying women” should have “the same exact rights” other couples enjoy isn’t the same as saying gay couples should be able to get legally married under the law. Arguably, Biden was articulating the position of the Obama administration at the time, which was support for repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, a law that barred the federal benefits of marriage from flowing to married same-sex couples.

The vice president’s office at the time pushed back on interpreting his comments as an endorsement of same-sex marriage, issuing a statement declaring his position was consistent with Obama’s. “The vice president was saying what the president has said previously — that committed and loving same-sex couples deserve the same rights and protections enjoyed by all Americans, and that we oppose any effort to roll back those rights,” the statement said. “That’s why we stopped defending the constitutionality of section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act in legal challenges and support legislation to repeal it. Beyond that, the vice president was expressing that he too is evolving on the issue, after meeting so many committed couples and families in this country.” Vela said Biden, in fact, had come out in support of same-sex marriage at the time and the initial statement downplaying the remarks was the vice president’s way of making trying to make Obama not look bad. “I think that the vice president is a very loyal man,” Vela said. “He’s loyal and he had the utmost respect for his boss, Barack Obama, president of the United States, and so I don’t know why we would hold Joe Biden to any different standard than any of us would hold ourselves. Would you get out in front of your boss on an issue?” A little PR at the time helped move along the widespread interpretation of Biden’s remarks as an endorsement of marriage equality. Chad Griffin, who at the time had been chosen as the new president of the Human Rights Campaign, but was not yet in the role, was among those pushing that interpretation forward. In an interview with the Washington Post, Griffin said “only in Washington and only in politics could someone parse the words of what the vice president said” and Biden was “very clear and very direct when asked if he was comfortable with gay marriage.” That seemed to do the trick. The next day, then-White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was hammered with questions throughout his regular briefing on Biden’s remarks and whether Biden had gotten in front of the president and why Obama continued to oppose same-sex marriage. The fallout was immediate. Days later, Obama gave his own interview with Robin Roberts of ABC’s “Good Morning America” (who was closeted at the time) to declare his evolution on same-sex marriage was complete and say he “just concluded that

for me personally it is important for me to affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.” Senior administration officials at the time told reporters, including the Washington Blade, Obama had actually completed his evolution on same-sex marriage a while back and was planning to make the announcement in conjunction with the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Biden’s remarks, officials said, just made that announcement happen a little sooner. Nonetheless, the perception — which remains to this day — was Biden had taken the lead from Obama and come out first in support of marriage equality. Following the announcements from Biden and Obama, numerous other public figures — ranging from House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) to singer Jay-Z — declared their support for same-sex marriage. The endorsements from the two leaders had the effort of normalizing a position that heretofore was widely considered controversial. Months later, the societal effects were evident with victories in every state where same-sex marriage was on the ballot. Maryland, Maine and Washington State legalized same-sex marriage and Minnesota rejected an amendment that would have made a ban on same-sex marriage part of the state constitution. Nothing like that had ever occurred before. It led to a series of state legislatures legalizing same-sex marriage and preceded the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2015 ensuring marriage rights for gay couples nationwide. Evan Wolfson, who founded and led Freedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage for same-sex couples, said Biden’s words helped move the ball forward to achieve major victories at a later time. “Joe Biden played an important role in helping get the Obama administration out front making the case for the freedom to marry, and together with President Obama gave many millions of Americans permission to change their mind and rise to fairness,” Wolfson said. “They explained their journey to support in personal, emotional terms, talking of the loving and committed gay couples they knew, the kids some were raising and the Golden Rule values of treating others as you’d want to be treated.” CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

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the cato institute presents its inaugural art exhibition

FY20

Freedom

APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE MAY 3

Art as the Messenger

Join us for an evening discussion with a reception to follow.

“I Am Offended”: Art & Free Expression Lenny Campello, Author, Daily Campello Art News Janis Goodman, Panelist, WETA Around Town Philip Kennicott, Chief Art and Architecture Critic, the Washington Post Jason Kuznicki, Editor, Cato Books

Wednesday, May 22, 6:30 p.m. • Cato Institute

To register for the event, please visit cato.org/artmessenger #artmessenger Art exhibition free and open to the public Curated by Harriet Lesser and June Linowitz April 11, 2019–June 14, 2019

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Applications for FY 2020 project-based grants for individuals and organizations will be available online May 3, 2019. For more information on upcoming grant programs, including technical assistance workshops for applicants, contact us at www.dcarts.dc.gov | 202-724-5613

House poised to Congressional Black vote on Equality Act Caucus probes black youth suicide

The U.S. House under NANCY PELOSI is expected to vote next week on the Equality Act. Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

The U.S. House is expected to hold a floor vote next week on the Equality Act, legislation that seeks to ban anti-LGBT discrimination, a senior Democratic aide told the Blade this week. The official announcement on the vote, the aide said, was set for Friday, which is the normal day for when the next week’s schedule is announced in the House. The floor vote on the Equality Act, legislation that was introduced for the first time this year with a Democratic majority in the House, will mark the first time either chamber of Congress has considered the pro-LGBT legislation. The floor vote is expected shortly after the House Judiciary Committee reported out the legislation without any Republican support. Additionally, no GOP amendments were adopted to the legislation. With 240 co-sponsors, including three Republicans, the bill should easily surpass the 218-vote threshold in the House necessary to approve legislation. (The next step, passing the bill in the Senate where the Republican majority controls 53 seats is another matter, as is President Trump signing the legislation into law.) However, Republicans in the House have an opportunity to thwart the bill with a motion to recommit, a legislative maneuver that forces a vote on an amendment the majority would otherwise not allow to come up. It remains to be seen what the nature of the motion to recommit might be for the Equality Act. For example, during the vote on gun background checks, Republicans claimed victory on a motion to recommit requiring the notification of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement when an undocumented immigrant fails a background check when attempting to buy a firearm. A similar motion to recommit on the Equality Act could complicate the effort to prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination. Introduced by Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the Equality Act would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act to ban anti-LGBT discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, education, federal programs and credit. The bill also seeks to update federal law to include sex in the list of protected classes in public accommodation in addition to expanding the definition of public accommodations to include retail stores, banks, transportation services and health care services. Further, the Equality Act would establish that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act — a 1994 law aimed at protecting religious liberty — can’t be used to enable anti-LGBT discrimination. The House is advancing the Equality Act shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would take up legislation seeking clarification on whether the existing prohibition on sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to cases of anti-LGBT discrimination. A decision in those cases isn’t expected until June 2020. CHRIS JOHNSON

The Congressional Black Caucus last week announced it has created an emergency Task Force on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health that will address what it calls a growing problem of suicide and access to mental health care among black youth, including black LGBT youth. The CBC officially launched the new task force at an April 30 news conference at the House Rayburn Office Building on Capitol Hill. Immediately following the news conference, the task force held its first hearing that included testimony by experts on the subject of black youth and mental health issues. Among those who testified was David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, a D.C.based LGBT advocacy organization. CBC members selected Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) to serve as chair of the task force. Watson Coleman, Johns, and others who spoke at the news conference and the hearing mentioned the recent death by suicide of several black teenagers that have been widely reported in their home communities. Among them was 15-yearold Nigel Shelby of Huntsville, Ala., who took his own life after being bullied and harassed at school for being gay. Another case mentioned was that of McKenzie Adams, a 9-year-old girl also from Alabama, who authorities say took her own life after being subjected to racist bullying and taunts by classmates telling her to kill herself. “High-profile cases, like the deaths of McKenzie Nicole Adams and more recently Nigel Shelby, demonstrate how difficult it is to categorize the circumstances that are taking our children’s lives – there are elements of race, trauma, of socioeconomic status, of sexual orientation and gender identity and many more issues at play,” Watson Coleman said. “Today we begin the work of identifying the causes for this crisis, and how to formulate those solutions,” she said. “Over the next several months, in addition to events like this in Washington, D.C., we hope to bring what we learn to communities across the country, connecting parents and other community leaders to the knowledge and tools to be the ‘first responders’ who identify students at risk and get them the help they need.” In a statement released at the news conference, the Congressional Black Caucus noted that a 2018 report published by the American Medical Association journal Pediatrics found that the rate of suicide for black children between

the ages of 5 and 12 in recent years has exceeded that of white children. The report also found that more than a third of elementary school-aged suicides involved black children. “The task force will seek to identify causes and solutions, and will empower a working group of academic and practicing experts led by Dr. Michael Lindsey and the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University, with the goal of developing and producing a report from the task force by the end of 2019,” the statement says. Johns is among those who will serve on the working group. In addition to leading the National Black Justice Coalition, he is a former elementary school teacher, former congressional staffer, and is currently a doctoral student at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College. He told the Washington Blade he is confident that the task force, with the full support of the Congressional Black Caucus, will address issues and seek solutions to LGBT youth suicide, especially suicide and mental health issues related to LGBT youth of color. In his testimony at the April 30 hearing, Johns pointed to data showing that nearly 80 percent of LGBT teens report feeling depressed and that LGBT youth experience violence and bullying nearly twice as much as youth who identify as or are presumed to be heterosexual. Johns told the Blade that among the objectives he will push for in the working group and for the task force is cultural competency training for teachers and school administrators to ensure that students who are racial minorities and LGBT students are treated in a welcoming way at school. He said mistreatment in schools of students of color and LGBT students, including bullying, is widespread throughout the country, including in socalled “progressive” areas like D.C. “What we need most is for every teacher who stands in front of a student to have the kind of cultural competence that’s required in order to create spaces where everybody feels supported,” he said. In addition to Watson Coleman, members of the CBC Taskforce on Youth Suicide and Mental Health include Reps. Alma Adams (D-N.C.), Emanuel Clever (DMo.), Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Tex.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), John Lewis (D-Ga.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.). LOU CHIBBARO JR.

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LGBT marches cancelled in Cuba

Clooney stands by Brunei boycott despite moratorium

GEORGE CLOONEY is among the celebrities backing the Brunei hotel boycott.

The National Center for Sexual Education, directed by MARIELA CASTRO said the ‘uncertainty the country is experiencing’ prompted the decision to cancel pro-LGBT marches. Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

The organizer of Cuba’s annual International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia marches this week announced they have been cancelled. The marches were to have taken place in Havana on May 11 and the city of Camagüey on May 17. The National Center for Sexual Education, directed by Mariela Castro, the daughter of former Cuban President Raúl Castro who spearheads LGBTI issues on the island, in a statement it posted to its Facebook page said the “current uncertainty the country is experiencing” prompted the decision. The statement added the country’s Ministry of Public Health that oversees CENESEX directed the events to be cancelled. “The new tensions in the international and regional context directly and indirectly affect our country and have tangible and intangible impacts on the normal development of our daily life and on the implementation of the Cuban state’s policies,” it reads. The announcement comes less than a week after Title III of the 1996 HelmsBurton Act — a law that allows Americans and Cubans who became U.S. citizens after the 1959 Cuban revolution that brought Mariela Castro’s uncle, Fidel Castro, to power, to sue companies based in the U.S. and Europe who use confiscated property to do business in Cuba — took effect. A U.S. embargo against Cuba has been in place since 1962. President Trump last week threatened to impose a “full and complete embargo” and additional sanctions against Cuba over its continued support of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Trump made this threat, even though media reports indicate his company and four of his associates violated the existing embargo in 1998 and again in late 2012 or early 2013. The White House has also said it plans to further restrict Americans from traveling and doing business in Cuba. “Down with Yankee imperialism and its lackeys,” wrote Mariela Castro in a Facebook post that coincided with May Day commemorations in Cuba. “Respect Cuba, Trump.” MICHAEL K. LAVERS

I N T E R NAT I O NAL NEWS • MAY 10, 2019 • WAS HI NGTON BL A DE . COM • 15

George Clooney has pledged to continue boycotting hotels owned by Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah despite Brunei’s announcement that it has placed a moratorium on executions for same-sex sexual relations. In March, Clooney called for a boycott of the nine international hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei, including the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. Celebrities such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Elton John and Ellen DeGeneres echoed his call. J.P. Morgan, The Goldman Sachs Group and Bank of America also prohibited their employees from staying at the hotels. On Sunday, Brunei announced it would no longer impose the death penalty from its new penal code based on Shariah law. However, Clooney still wants to financially pressure the hotels with a boycott. “This is a huge step forward after a giant leap backwards. It promises that the citizens of Brunei won’t be executed for being gay. It also sends a very crucial message to countries like Indonesia and Malaysia that there is a cost for enacting these laws,” Clooney said in a statement. MARIAH COOPER

Bolsonaro nixes U.S. trip after outcry Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has cancelled an upcoming trip to the U.S. amid growing outrage among LGBT activists and other groups. Bolsonaro was scheduled to accept an award from the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce at its gala that is scheduled to take place at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York on May 14. The American Museum of Natural History last month announced it would no longer host the event with Bolsonaro. Delta Air Lines is among the companies

that withdrew their sponsorship of the event because of Bolsonaro’s participation. GLAAD also called upon the Marriott Marquis not to host the gala at which Bolsonaro had been scheduled to receive the “Person of the Year” award. “President Jair Bolsonaro’s cancelled trip to the United States is a victory for LGBTQ Brazilians,” said GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement. Bolsonaro’s spokesperson, Otávio Santana do Rêgo Barros, on Friday announced the trip’s cancellation. The statement, which CNBC reporter Ryan Ruggiero posted to his Twitter page, described “deliberate attacks from the mayor of New York and the pressure of interest groups on the institutions that organize, sponsor and host the event annually.” The statement also said Bolsonaro cancelled his trip to the U.S. after he consulted with his government. Bolsonaro, a former Brazilian Army captain who previously represented Rio de Janeiro in the country’s Congress, took office on Jan. 1. Bolsonaro continues to spark outrage over his rhetoric against LGBTI Brazilians, women and other underrepresented groups. Bolsonaro shortly after taking office issued an executive order that directed Brazil’s human rights ministry not to consider LGBTI-specific issues. Bolsonaro a few weeks later tweeted “great day” after Jean Wyllys, a member of the leftist Party for Socialism and Liberty who is the first openly gay man elected to the Brazilian congress, resigned and fled the country because of death threats. Bolsonaro on March 19 stressed his government’s “respect of traditional family values” and opposition to “gender identity” as he spoke alongside President Trump during a press conference in the White House Rose Garden. Bolsonaro later met with Pat Robertson and other evangelical Christians and prayed with them. Bolsonaro last week said he does not want Brazil to become a “gay tourism paradise.” MICHAEL K. LAVERS

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Cannabis Culture

The measure also establishes a task force to review cannabis policy and to make recommendations to the legislature by 2021. If signed, the new law takes effect on Jan. 11, 2020. To date, 23 states and the District of Columbia have either legalized or decriminalized (eliminated the possibility of jail time) the adult possession and personal use of marijuana.

N.D. pushes to reduce possession penalties Photo courtesy of Bigstock

Cannabis use not associated with psychosis in young LOGRONO, Spain — Adolescents’ cannabis use history is not an independent predictor of an elevated risk of psychosis, according to data published in the journal Adicciones. Investigators affiliated with the University of La Rioja in Spain explored the relationship between psychotic-like experiences and cannabis use in a representative sample of over 1,500 Spanish adolescents. They reported that initially identified associations between cannabis use and psychosis were no longer present once researchers controlled for confounding variables, such as socioeconomic status, alcohol use, tobacco smoking, and comorbid psychopathology. Authors concluded, “In this study, it was found that after controlling for the effect of the multiple relevant co-variables, the use of cannabis was not related to the frequency and distress associated with psychotic experiences reported by adolescents. ... These results suggest that the relationships established between psychotic-like experiences and cannabis are complex and mediated by relevant variables.”

Hawaii decriminalizes low-level possession HONOLULU — House and Senate lawmakers last week finalized and passed legislation, House Bill 1383, decriminalizing low-level marijuana possession offenses and vacating past convictions. The legislation now awaits action from Democratic Gov. David Ige. The measure reduces penalties involving the possession of up to three grams of marijuana from a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail, a $1,000 fine and a criminal record, to a non-criminal violation punishable by a $130 fine. It also provides a mechanism for the courts to grant an expungement order for those previously convicted of a marijuana possession offense involving no more than three grams. H E A LT H • MAY 10, 2019 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE . COM • 17

BISMARCK, N.D. — House and Senate lawmakers have passed legislation, House Bill 1050, reducing marijuana possession penalties. The measure now awaits action from Republican Gov. Doug Burgum. Under the proposal, the possession of up to one-half ounce (14.175 grams) of cannabis or marijuana-related paraphernalia for a first-time offender is reclassified from a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail, to an infraction punishable by a fine but no possibility of jail time. Those charged with subsequent infractions over the course of a calendar year may face the possibility of misdemeanor charges. In 2016, North Dakota ranked sixth in the nation in per capita marijuana possession arrests. Separate provisions in the measure reduce penalties for the possession of up to 500 grams of cannabis from a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, to a class B misdemeanor. Penalties for the possession of greater amounts are amended from a felony to a Class A misdemeanor. If signed into law, the new penalties will take effect on Aug. 1, 2019.

Iowa approves medical cannabis expansion bill DES MOINES — House and Senate lawmakers have approved legislation, House File 732, to expand the state’s medical cannabis access program. The measure now awaits action from Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. Under existing law, licensed dispensaries may only provide qualified patients with plant-derived extracts possessing CBD and no more than three percent THC. House File 732 eliminates the THC cap. It also permits physician assistants and/or advanced registered nurses to make medical cannabis recommendations, and expands the pool of patients eligible for cannabis therapy to include those with “severe or chronic” pain. The new measure imposes restrictions regarding the total amount of THC a patient may possess in a 90-day period (25 grams). However, this limit may be waived at the advice of a health practitioner. About 1,000 Iowans are currently authorized to access lowTHC cannabis oils. Cannabis Culture news in the Blade is provided in partnership with NORML. Visit norml.org for more information.

Expanded ‘conscience rule’ could block trans care

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WASHINGTON — President Trump last week announced an expanded “conscience rule” to protect health care workers who oppose abortion, sterilization, assisted suicide and other medical procedures on religious or moral grounds, a change that will likely have ramifications for the LGBT population as well, the New York Times reports. The rule establishes guidelines for punishing health care institutions with the loss of federal funds if they fail to respect the rights of such workers, the Times reports. “Just today, we finalized new protections of conscience rights for physicians, pharmacists, nurses, teachers, students and faith-based charities,” Trump said in a Rose Garden event for the National Day of Prayer. “They’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.” After the 440-page rule was released, some groups said they feared the provisions were overly broad and could imperil care for patients seeking reproductive health care. They also said it could lead to discrimination against gay or transgender patients and their children, and weaken public health efforts to expand childhood vaccinations, the Times article notes. The rule was issued by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, which has been substantially expanded under President Trump. The administration has created a conscience and religious freedom division within the office, and the president’s budget sought to expand its funding, the Times reports. It is part of a portfolio of policy changes meant to broaden religious exemptions for certain types of medical practice. The president foreshadowed the new rule early in his term by signing a “free speech and religious liberty” executive order. Several conservative and religious groups applauded the new standards, which they said would protect health providers from being compelled to provide services that conflicted with their beliefs, the Times reports. Laws written in the 1970s to provide protections to workers who objected to sterilization procedures, for example, are cited in the rule. The old laws were brought up in connection with recent cases about health care workers with religious objections to treating transgender patients, the Times reports.

“It’s completely a misapplication of the statues, and a very large leap from anything that it was intended,” said Jamie Gliksberg, a senior attorney at Lambda Legal, which supports LGBT people, in a comment to the New York Times. “They’re taking this out of context and leveraging it against the transgender community.” The rule may be challenged in court. Xavier Becerra, the California attorney general, who has already taken on a number of Trump administration policies, suggested he may fight it, the Times reports.

Gay couples remained serodiscordant during study NEW YORK — The risk of passing on the HIV virus is completely eliminated by effective drugs treatment, a landmark study has shown, in a significant boost to the prospects of ending the AIDS pandemic, CNN reports. A study of nearly 1,000 gay male couples with one partner with HIV who took antiretroviral therapy (ART) found no new cases of transmission to the HIVnegative partner during sex without a condom, CNN reports. Over the course of the eight-year study, 15 men were infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. But genetic tests showed that the transmissions were a result of the HIV-negative men having sex with someone other than their regular partner, CNN reports. The report, published in The Lancet medical journal, shows that using ART to suppress HIV virus to undetectable levels renders it incapable of transmission during sex, according to researchers. If everyone in the world with HIV knew their status and had access to effective treatment, no new cases would occur, the study suggests. Alison Rodger, a professor at University College London who co-led the research, told CNN’s Hala Gorani that if everyone in the world had access to the right treatment, the virus could be eliminated, CNN reports. “We’ve got a way to go to get people easier access to testing and treatment, but if we could get global coverage, then we could really make headway in eliminating the virus,” she told CNN. “It was such a powerful result that we thought we just improve the quality of life for people with HIV.” Rodger told CNN that what the study shows is that the risk of transmission is zero with ART treatment “and that’s quite new and important.”

18 • WA S HI N GTO N B LAD E.CO M • M AY 1 0 , 2 0 1 9 • H EALT H N EWS

10 202.262.7762 michael.moore@compass.com

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KATHI WOLFE

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

BILL WILSON

is a longtime reader of the Washington Blade.

BELO CIPRIANI

is an award-winning author and prizewinning journalist. His new book, ‘Firsts: Coming of Age Stories by People with Disabilities,’ is now available. Learn more at www.olebbooks.com.

VI E WPO I NT • MAY 10, 2019 • WA SHINGTONB L A DE . COM • 21

PETER ROSENSTEIN

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

MARK LEE

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

BELO CIPRIANI

BILL WILSON

is an award-winning author and prizewinning journalist. His new book, ‘Firsts: Coming of Age Stories by People with Disabilities,’ is now available. Learn more at www.olebbooks.com.

is a longtime reader of the Washington Blade.

The Washington Blade saved my life A beacon during a time when many of us suffered in the closet I can’t help but wonder how many lives have been changed by the Washington Blade in the 50 years it has been around. I know it changed my life, and by “changed my life” I actually mean “saved my life.” I have no doubt that without my finding the Washington Blade, I would have ended up a suicide statistic. One of the countless thousands that thought death was the only alternative to living in the closet. There was a time when I believed that I was the only gay person on earth. It sounds crazy, and it was, but back then the admission you were gay would get you labeled as mentally ill. It did to my older brother, who was hospitalized with a “nervous breakdown” when he acknowledged he had engaged in sex with other men. I had no doubt the same would happen to me if anyone knew my secret, so I just remained deeply in my closet. My first job after graduating from the University of Utah in 1972 was as a clerical assistant to a U.S. senator. Not exactly the best job for confidence building, but it did allow me to be on my own and try to find my own path. One of my first stops on the way out of the closet was The Follies, an X-rated movie theater on O Street in Southeast that showed gay porn. They had a lounge and a stage show. They also had the latest copies of the Washington Blade, which became like my personal Internet, because it opened me to a new world of the emerging gay and lesbian community. They covered more than the drag queens and men hating lesbians that were then the prevalent stereotypes – the same stereotypes that convinced me I couldn’t be gay, because I never wanted to wear a dress and I didn’t hate women. Reading the Washington Blade proved to me that those stereotypes were meaningless, and that eroded my ability to deny I was gay. It wasn’t an overnight thing. It took moving to Pennsylvania for a few years, and then living with my parents for a few months before moving back to

Washington in 1981, along with Reagan and the first reported cases of what would become known as AIDS. I finally came out to my parents in 1983. They were accepting. I am convinced that the progress made on marriage equality and other issues would not have been possible without the AIDS crisis. Because AIDS forced America to recognize the inequities that the LGBT community suffered. It also forced the public to realize the same thing that the Washington Blade forced me to realize — that gays and lesbians were everywhere and didn’t fit any one stereotype. It also forced the gay community to unite and to fight for change. A few years after coming out to my parents I was able to introduce them to the love my life, Fernando Orlandi, who I met in 1986. We have been together since. My coming out process came full cycle on Feb. 12, 2004, the day I looked into the eyes of Fernando and he looked into my eyes as we repeated our vows to become “Spouses for Life.” Although the California Supreme Court would later rule that those marriages were “null and void,” what could never be taken away was the knowledge that someone thought me worthy of their love and I finally believed that I could be worthy of their love. We would be re-married again in 2008 and have our marriage registered in Rome as a Civil Union recognized by the state of Italy, because my husband has dual citizenship. As a young gay man of 19, I never dreamed that one day I would be married, yet that is now a reality. What other undreamed dreams will be reality when today’s 19-year-old writes a similar column 50 years from today? Perhaps LGBTQI will just be obsolete labels, as every human being will be seen as belonging to part of the diversity of humanity. I can’t know that, but what I know from what the past 50 years have taught me, is that change will happen.

CW’s ‘In the Dark’ gets the blind experience all wrong

When able-bodied actors play characters with disabilities Over the past year, there has been a lot of public debate on able-bodied actors playing characters with disabilities. From Dwayne Johnson playing a below-the-knee leg amputee in “Skyscraper” (2018) and Joaquin Phoenix playing a quadriplegic in “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” (2018), to, more recently, Bryan Cranston being cast as a quadriplegic in “The Upside” (2019). Some claim it’s an actor’s job to play roles outside their own experience, while many people with disabilities and their allies argue able-bodied actors are taking jobs away from actors with disabilities — a group that is already underrepresented in the workforce across several industries. As an accessibility consultant and a blind consumer of entertainment, I can say a lot of films and TV shows not only lack disability representation, but also accessibility features. A few weeks ago, the Internet erupted with outcries over the casting of Perry Mattfeld as the leading role of Murphy, a blind woman in The CW’s new series “In the Dark.” The National Federation of the Blind protested outside CBS studios, which owns The CW, in New York City and launched the hashtag #letusplayus. While I was disappointed that, yet again, my community would be represented by an outsider, I was happy to hear the show did have one blind supporting character and a blindness consultant on staff. Thus, I decided to give the show a chance. Using Comcast’s audio description feature, which automatically plays the narration for the blind for shows and commercials that offer it, I sat on my couch to listen to the first episode during its Thursday night airing. None of The CW’s shows offer descriptive audio for the blind, and “In the Dark” was sadly not an exception. Still, I was surprised because Calle Watson, the visually impaired actor who plays Chloe, a blind teen, and Lori Bernson, the show’s blindness consultant, who is also legally blind, did an interview where they emphasized the importance of descriptive audio. Some networks, such as Fox, TNT, and TBS, are wonderful about descriptive audio for the blind, while ABC and NBC are hit or miss. I reached out to gay and blind writer Robert Kingett, who singlehandedly got Netflix to add descriptive audio to

the streaming service, to weigh in on film and TV access. He said, “Most of the time, people see audio description, especially on federally mandated TV, for example, as a chore they have to do or else — whoops! — don’t want to get a fine from the FCC!” Kingett says financing plays a major role when it comes to accessibility features for film and TV. Also, the studio must have the desire to not do a sloppy job when it comes to access. It took Kingett five years of calling, emailing, and blogging to get Netflix to add descriptive audio, and now they are the leader in providing access to films and shows to the blind. With the second episode of “In the Dark,” I took a different approach. I recorded it with my Comcast DVR, which also would have recorded the descriptive audio feature had it been available, to help me understand the events in the scenes. A 42-minute show turned into an hour and a half of constantly hitting the rewind button. Ultimately, I got frustrated with the show and stopped listening to it. Up to this point, I had enjoyed the acting of Calle Watson who plays Chloe. The banter between she and her father is heartwarming and fun, while Murphy, played by Perry Matfeld, came across as forced and stiff. I was also horrified by how Murphy treated her guide dog, and was unclear why her mother did not know how to interact with her blind daughter. I could not help but wonder: how can a show with a blindness consultant get the blind experience so wrong? Greg Shane, artistic director at CRE Outreach, told me, “I would recommend for studios wanting to do disability-themed productions, to hire at least two or three consultants. It is limiting to think that one person alone can hold the experiences of an entire community.” I reached out to “In the Dark’s” publicist, Cyndee Ellefson, but did not get a reply. Matffeld was described to me as tall, thin, and pretty, and if the show gets cancelled, she will have the ability to go on and get roles playing all types of characters. However, Watson, the stronger actor, will have limited roles to audition for over the next few years. Studios may see her talent, but ultimately pass on her because she would have limited credits to her name as a result of losing parts to sighted actors.

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PETER ROSENSTEIN

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

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And Mayor Pete hits his first bump in the road Last week was a good one for two of the more than 21 Democratic candidates for president — Robert Francis ‘Beto’ O’Rourke and Sen. Kamala Harris. Over the next nearly nine months or 36 weeks before the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3, 2020 many of the candidates will have both good and bad weeks. Beto released his Climate Change policy while touring beautiful Yosemite National Park in California. According to Politico he labeled climate change “the greatest threat we face” as he called for $5 trillion to be spent over the next decade with the goal of neutralizing carbon emissions in the U.S. by mid-century.” Beto’s campaign said it was vetted by a wide variety of experts in the environmental field. Politico went on to report, “Environmentalists were generally pleased with O’Rourke’s plan, which drew praise from groups ranging from Greenpeace to the League of Conservation Voters.” This comprehensive policy proposal from his campaign served as a response to some doubters about his willingness to get into the weeds on policy. It appears we will see more detailed policy papers from him as the campaign moves forward. On the purely political side he and his supporters had to be excited by the CNN/SSRS poll showing him with a double digit lead in a hypothetical matchup against Trump 52%-42%. His lead was more than any other Democrat against Trump. Then to top off his week he got great PR for defending Mayor Pete and chastising Texans who protested and attacked him for being gay during an appearance in Texas. Kamala Harris’s week was made great by the really positive response to her questioning of Attorney General Barr during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Barr was lying through his teeth and avoiding all difficult questions thrown at him by Democrats but Harris really had him squirming. She again proved what a tough prosecutor she is. As reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, Harris opened by asking how Barr had concluded there was

not enough evidence to establish that the president had obstructed justice. Rather than debate the merits of his decision, Harris zeroed in on whether the attorney general or his staff had actually read the underlying evidence in the report before making his decision. When Barr said no, Harris ended the line of questioning by saying, “I think you’ve made it clear, sir, that you’ve not looked at the evidence and we can move on.” All-in-all it made for great TV and a good week for Harris. Not having quite such a good week was Mayor Pete. During his town hall with Anderson Cooper he was challenged about not having any detailed positions or policy statements. According to CNN, “South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg defended his campaign website not having a policy section, arguing that he believes policy is important, but Democrats need to do a better job of not drowning voters in “minutia.” The mayor also said his campaign will roll out a tool “shortly that will make it possible to just enter a key word and see, visualize, pull all the video on what I’ve said about that particular issue. He then added “We’ll continue to roll out specific policy proposals, too,” he said. “But I also think it’s important we don’t drown people in minutia before we’ve vindicated the values that animate our policies. We go right to the policy proposals and we expect people to be able to figure out what our values must be from that.” I guess you need to be a Rhodes Scholar to decipher that statement. Again there are many weeks between now and that first caucus in Iowa for many of the candidates to shine or in some cases disappear from the news. Some will take to saying outrageous things trying to generate a headline for themselves. It will be difficult for the media to cover the race with so many candidates in it and many members of the media will take the easy route and only cover a few of them. It will get easier after Iowa when I predict there will be only about eight still in the race with a chance to be the nominee.

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MARK LEE

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

Pete makes us proud, won’t be nominee Buttigieg rise reflects Democratic anxiety over candidate roster A few weeks ago barely anyone knew the guy. Since announcing his improbable presidential campaign, South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg has utilized a savvy strategy of seeking and accepting any and all media appearances to change that. His coordinated effort has been a successful undertaking, fast propelling the 37-year-old gay politician toward generating both growing name recognition and generally positive reviews. Until poll-dominating Joe Biden entered the fray two weeks ago, Buttigieg had recently begun to overshadow the combined coverage and attention garnered by most other Democratic contenders. “Mayor Pete,” as the fresh face with the hard-to-pronounce surname initially became known, quickly provided concrete proof of how far the nation has come in accepting the LGBT community. The mere fact that a softspoken, thoughtful, intelligent, compelling, and openly gay candidate could occupy the center-stage of national politics was testament to how fully integrated the gay community has now become in American life. He has encouraged that unabashed public embrace by presenting a positive and relatable personal and professional story emblematic of the straight-talking style and down-to-earth demeanor of his Hoosier habitat. The let’s-give-a-listen reaction Buttigieg garnered has more to do with his innate ability to speak like an actual human instead of ideological automaton, not for the uniqueness of his sexual orientation. He has also benefited from the common sense of his calmly elucidated statements when contrasted with the flamboyant artificiality and vacuous sloganeering of stereotypic vote-seekers. Although he has so far intentionally conveyed thematic messages and not specific policy proposals during his time in the spotlight, centrist voters aligned with the Democratic Party have found Buttigieg a refreshing and compelling standout among a mind-numbing and sight-blurring array of what is already nearly two-dozen competitors. He comes across as authentic amid a bevy of either shop-worn or contrived political personas. Even last week’s Time magazine cover photo with affable husband Chasten

Buttigieg had the look of a Midwestern couple possessing simple and straightforward bearing, more Walmart-wearing normal dudes than fancy-pants urban gay men. It was not only in stark contrast to the image-stylin’ portraiture of the recent Vanity Fair magazine cover and pictorial feature on Beto O’Rourke by renowned photographer Annie Liebovitz, but helped explain why Pete was besting Beto in polls. While Buttigieg has well represented LGBT Americans, he won’t be the Democratic nominee in the 2020 presidential campaign. But his not being nominated won’t be because he’s gay. A Quinnipiac poll late last month indicated only 23 percent of all voters nationwide would not be willing to support a gay male presidential candidate. A nominee planning to eliminate private health insurance and enact ‘Medicare for All’ would lose the support of far more voters than that. The fear of a repeat of the electoral humiliation in 2016 poses a distinct dilemma for Democrats, and dictates evaluation of potential nominees. Party loyalists struggle with an array of candidates uncertain which, if any, of them can beat the incumbent Republican. Newly released national polls by both CNN and Gallup indicating that support for Donald Trump has currently risen to his personal-best high of 46 percent, coupled with 56 percent approval for his handling of an increasingly strong and stable economy with the lowest unemployment rate in 49 years, only heightens Democratic anxiety. A temperate and, if only by comparison, politically moderate Middle American Buttigieg candidacy could provide a winning formula. Democrats, also needing to satiate a delusional far-left activist party base, are too nervous about another national loss to select a relatively inexperienced young mayor of a modestsized mid-nation town as standard-bearer. It’s exactly that conundrum that has boosted Buttigieg’s campaign but will eventually render him an also-ran. In the meantime, and in a glorious manner that has greatly mattered, Mayor Pete has made us proud – and has already won a victory in doing so.

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ANDY COHEN says it’ll be AC2 redux with all-new material in Baltimore Saturday night. Photo courtesy Bohlsen Group

Andy Cohen talks fatherhood, ‘Housewives’ and threesomes The ‘WWHL’ host also reveals what he and Anderson Cooper fight about the most By MARIAH COOPER

Andy Cohen has become a media mogul as executive producer of “The Real Housewives” franchise, host of SiriusXM radio show “Radio Andy” and the first openly gay talk show host of an American late night talk show on “Watch What Happens Live.” He’s also a New York Times best-selling author and Vito Russo Award winner at the 30th annual GLAAD Media Awards. In February, Cohen, 50, added yet another accolade to his list of accomplishments, the father of Benjamin Allen Cohen. The proud new dad is hitting the road with his best friend and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper for their AC2 tour, which stops in Baltimore on Saturday, May 11. The unscripted night of conversation promises to include “deeper talk” and “more shallow tales.” From New York City, Cohen spoke on the phone with the Washington Blade about fatherhood, why he loves the cast of “Real Housewives of Potomac” and his dream celebrity threesome.

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a woman. If you had to choose, what celebrity male and female would you have a threesome with? COHEN: This is so hard. Whoever Cristiano Ronaldo is with right now. BLADE: You and Anderson Cooper are bringing your AC2 tour to Baltimore. You’ve done this show together before. What about this show is different? COHEN: It’s an all-new show. Everything is new. It’s all new stories. We updated the whole show. It’s us telling stories and having fun and bringing you guys into our lives and dishing. We have a blast.

ANDY COHEN (left) with pal ANDERSON COOPER. Photo courtesy Bohlsen Group

WASHINGTON BLADE: Congratulations on becoming a father. How’s fatherhood going so far? ANDY COHEN: It’s going great. BLADE: Has there been anything you didn’t realize about yourself until you became a father? COHEN: Every day is a new learning experience. Just falling a little bit more in love with him every day is something that you can’t describe. You just have to go through it. It’s great. BLADE: On your Instagram you have photos of your parents with your son. What’s the best piece of advice that your parents gave you that you want to pass along to him? COHEN: Speak up for yourself and be yourself and follow your bliss. BLADE: Any plans for more kids? COHEN: I would love to but I just have to see how this goes. BLADE: Have you found dating to be difficult since becoming a father? COHEN: I haven’t dated much so I don’t really know. BLADE: In a pinch, which of the housewives would you call to babysit? COHEN: I wouldn’t call any of them to babysit. Most of them are parents and I don’t think they would want to mess up the boss’s kid. BLADE: “The Real Housewives of Potomac” is our local “Housewives” series. The season four trailer shows Katie Rost has returned. Is she back as a housewife and what was the decision behind bringing her back?

COHEN: She’s a friend. We always look at people who are part of the show. It’s like the mob, you never leave. BLADE: What’s your favorite thing about the ladies of Potomac? COHEN: You know what, they’re really funny. I think it was a surprise for people that we chose Potomac but it’s a really beautiful community. This is a group of people who’ve known each other for a long time. They’re very funny, outspoken and unique. I loved launching them. I’m about six episodes into the new season and I’m really into it. BLADE: Can you give us a sneak peek at what’s to come this season? COHEN: It’s good because the reunion kind of brought Karen (Huger) and Gizelle (Bryant) back together a little bit. It’s interesting to see them figure out their friendship. Juan (Dixon) and Robyn (Dixon) are at an interesting place in their relationship. There’s a whole lot of drama with Ashley (Darby) and Michael (Darby). Candiace (Dillard) gets married in the second episode. A lot happens. BLADE: “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” also has an interesting storyline with Joe Giudice’s deportation issues. Will you guys follow that on the show? COHEN: Yeah. We always follow whatever is going on in their lives. BLADE: There hasn’t been a new “Housewives” series in awhile. Will there be a new city anytime soon? COHEN: No. BLADE: Recently, there’s been a call for a Brunei-owned hotel boycott from

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celebrities like George Clooney and Ellen DeGeneres. Do you stand with them? COHEN: I absolutely do. I said on my show that I think the gay porn companies should start making gay porn at those hotels and making sure that you can tell where it’s being made. I think that would really piss the Sultan of Brunei off. I was kind of only half joking. But of course, I stand by that boycott. But you know the workers could go on strike too, which was Lisa Vanderpump’s idea and I think she’s right. It’s gotta hit them from all sides. BLADE: Another popular news topic has been Pete Buttigieg running for president as an openly gay candidate. What you do think about that? COHEN: I think it’s great. I’m really intrigued by him. I had him on my radio show a couple weeks ago. He’s so smart. I think what’s so great is he just happens to be gay. He’s also a military veteran, a mayor, a husband, he’s a million other things. He’s really great. BLADE: Switching gears to your talk show “Watch What Happens Live,” one of your popular segments is when you do “Plead the Fifth” with your guests. What was the most jaw-dropping confession someone made on there? COHEN: There’s not been one. It’s been 10 years of the show so there’s a new one every week, really. Last week it was John McEnroe revealing that his mortal enemy on the courts Ivan Lendl was the most well-endowed person he’s ever seen in the locker room. That was surprising. BLADE: Speaking of confessions, you told Howard Stern about your failed threesome attempt with a man and

BLADE: You guys are friends and working with a friend can be fun but sometimes you can butt heads. What’s the most controversial behind-the-scenes moment you’ve had with Anderson? COHEN: Well we’re in something right now where we’re trying to decide if we should take the train to Baltimore or drive or fly. He hates the train and I love the train. I think we’re going to wind up taking the train and then he’s going to wind up getting mad at me because he’s not going to like it. That’s what we’re into now. We don’t fight hard. We kind of quibble with each other but we never fight. I think that’s part of the reason the friendship is so great. BLADE: Anderson has mentioned his mother having a fling with Marlon Brando. Does he ever tell you little tidbits like that and you want to share but can’t? COHEN: Oh yeah, absolutely. BLADE: What do you want audiences to take away from the show when they leave the theater? COHEN: Just that it’s a lot of fun. I think people will be surprised by how funny Anderson is. I don’t think people are usually prepared for that. It’s just a great night out. It’s not political. It’s just fun. BLADE: What don’t people realize about you until they come to see the show? COHEN: I think what they see is what they get actually.

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QUEERY Luke Frazier Photo by Glorianna Picini; courtesy Frazier

QUEERY: Luke Frazier

The American Pops Orchestra conductor/ founder answers 20 queer questions By JOEY DIGUGLIELMO JOEYD@WASHBLADE.COM

The great American songbook — the popular standards of yesteryear — is important to conductor Luke Frazier because it connects people. He prefers the term “American popular music.” “It’s so important to me because it’s a way to immediately share something with people,” Frazier, who founded the American Pops Orchestra in 2015, says. “You can have a martini and talk about your favorite artists and remember where and when you heard it, what was going on in your life, what it always reminds you of.” Frazier’s vision for the orchestra is “to keep classic American music alive while bringing new people to orchestras.” The APO, which performs 20-30 concerts per year mostly in Washington, will perform “I Am What I Am: The Music of Jerry Herman” on Saturday, May 18 at 8 p.m. at Arena Stage (1101 6th St., S.W.) with a bounty of guest musicians including Kathy Najimy, Paige Davis, Mauricio Martinez, Alexis Michelle (from “RuPaul’s

Drag Race”), Congressional Chorus, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, up-andcoming singer Paul Roeckell, who won an APO vocal competition, and others. Tickets are $25-75 at theamericanpops.org. Frazier became interested in conducting in high school and began studying in his native West Virginia (he’s from Parkersburg). He went on to get a master’s degree at Ohio University and came to Washington 10 years ago to further his career. “I love the collaborative nature of conducting,” Frazier says. “I love taking many pieces of art and combining them to something higher.” He says audiences thrill to Herman’s music because it’s “so poignant and so joyous” and “immediately relatable.” Frazier and partner Robert (Frazier declined to give his partner’s last name) live in Cathedral Heights with their two Shih Tzus Ella and Daisy. Frazier enjoys antiques, cooking, reading and dinner parties in his free time.

How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell? When I went to college at 18. No one was particularly hard to come out to.

What’s your favorite LGBTQ movie or show? “The Hours” What’s your social media pet peeve? That people are on it too much. I hate my phone!

Who’s your LGBTQ hero? Mary Oliver What LGBTQ stereotype most annoys you? That we’re superficial. What’s your proudest professional achievement? Conducting for concerts with the top artists of every genre, from Harry Connick, Jr., to Joshua Bell, Patti Labelle to Luis Fonsi. What terrifies you? Boredom, not moving forward. What’s something trashy or vapid you love? Absurd comedy shows. What’s your greatest domestic skill? Cooking and gardening

What would the end of the LGBTQ movement look like to you? When we have no need to differentiate, that people are people. What’s the most overrated social custom? Small talk What was your religion, if any, as a child and what is it today? Methodism, not active. What’s D.C.’s best hidden gem? Periwinkle, a gift shop near Chevy Chase Circle (and APO of course). What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime? Not really my scene.

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Counterclockwise from top: A production still from Washington National Opera’s ‘Tosca,’ Photo by Elise Bakketun; Capital Trans Pride is next month Washington Blade photo by Michael Key; and JILL BIDEN will be at Sixth & I May 14. Photo courtesy Flatiron Books

Blade’s Rehoboth summer kick-off is May 17 The Washington Blade hosts its 12th annual Rehoboth Summer Kickoff Party at the Blue Moon (35 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, Del.) on Friday, May 17 from 5-7 p.m. Sarah McBride will be the special guest speaker. She is the National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign and author of “Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss and the Fight for Trans Equality.” In 2016, she became the first openly transgender person to address a major party political convention when she spoke

at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. There is a suggested $20 donation to the Blade Foundation. Admission includes a drink wristband and entry into a drawing for prizes. For details, visit facebook.com/ washingtonblade.com.

Trans Pride is next weekend Capital Trans Pride holds a series of workshops, panel discussions, networking and entertainment celebrating the transgender community next weekend, May 18-19. The Workshop and Resource Fair is at the Eaton Hotel D.C. (1201 K St., N.W.) on Saturday, May 18 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. About 25 organizations will share services,

information, employment opportunities and more. There will also be educational workshops, seminars and panel discussions on issues affecting transgender people. A happy hour follows from 5-8 p.m. at a to be announced location. Principal to Trans Equity Consulting Cecilia Gentili will deliver a keynote address. There will also be food, beverages and entertainment. A screening of the film “The Garden Left Behind” is at Studio Theatre (1501 14th St., N.W.) on Sunday, May 19 at 6 p.m. The film follows Tina, a young transgender woman, and her grandmother Eliana as they navigate Tina’s transition and being undocumented immigrants in New York City. For more information, visit capitalpride. org/trans-pride-2019.

Amy Ray has two regional dates planned The Amy Ray Band (Ray is also one of the Indigo Girls) performs at Rams Head On Stage (33 West St., Annapolis, Md.) on Tuesday, May 21 and the Birchmere on Thursday, May 23. Americana band Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters will open both shows. Doors open at 7 p.m. at Rams Head on Stage. Show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $27.50. The Birchmere show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $29.50. Ray is touring behind her sixth studio album, “Holler” (2018). For more details, visit ramsheadonstage. com and birchmere.com.

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TODAY D.C. Bear Crue presents Jail and Bail at Uproar Lounge and Restaurant (639 Florida Ave., N.W.) tonight from 7-10 p.m. Attendees can pay $5 to have someone arrested, frisked and jailed by motorcycle men in leather. The inmate has to spend ﬁve minutes in jail or pay $5 to bail themselves out of jail early. All inmates will receive a full body search. There will be $5 rail cocktails, $5 32 oz. draft pitchers and free appetizers. For more information, visit facebook.com/bearhappyhour. Gamma D.C., a support group for men in mixed-orientation relationships, meets at Luther Place Memorial Church (1226 Vermont Ave., N.W.) tonight from 7:30-9:30 p.m. The group is for men who are attracted to men but are currently, or were at one point, in relationships with women. For more information about the group, visit gammaindc.org.

Saturday, May 11

Night Out at ‘Tosca’ The second annual Pride Night Out at the Opera is at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) on Wednesday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. Washington National Opera and Capital Pride join up to experience “Tosca,” an opera by Giacomo Puccini. Set during Napoleon’s invasion of Italy, the story follows Tosca, a singer whose lover is being persecuted by chief of police Scarpia. After the show, there will be a Night Out reception. Tickets range from $39-99. For more details, facebook.com/ washingtonationalopera.

May Is? All About Trans presents its inaugural art exhibition curated by Matt Storm at Westminster D.C. (400 I St., S.W.) today from 3-5 p.m. Participating artists include Ahanu, Alex Ramirez, Ameirah Neal, Dorian Blue, Edith Flores, Kay Wrenn, Sir Max Even, Molly Stratton, Nona Conner, Star Bennett from Check It Enterprises, Yuri Littlebear, Zayn Thiam and Xemi Tapepechul. All artists identify as transgender, non-binary, two-spirit, genderqueer, gender-ﬂuid or a-gender. There will be an open mic from 5-7 p.m. followed by a ﬁlm screening from 7-9 p.m. For details, visit mayistransdc.com. Uproar Lounge and Restaurant (639 Florida Ave., N.W.) hosts Nicks Flix 2, presented by Night of 1000 Stevies DJ Travis Island, tonight at 10 p.m. DJ Travis Island will remix video edits of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac. Suggested dress code is Stevie Nicks-inspired. For more information, visit facebook.com/ uproarloungedc. The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) presents Arty Queers: a LGBTQ art market, today at 11 a.m. Local LGBTQ artists will sell their working including paintings, pottery, photography, jewelry, glass work, textiles and clothing. For details, visit thedccenter.org. Distrkt C hosts Leather Pride at Karma D.C. (2221 Adams Pl., N.E.) tonight from 10 p.m.-4 a.m. Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather 2019 Emerson Aniceto and Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather 2018 Gerard Turner host the party. DJ Oscar and DJ Edgar Velazquez will play music. There will also be a leather market. Cover is free before 11:15 p.m. and $30 after. For more information, visit distrktc.com.

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Sunday, May 12 DCATS hosts Masculinizing through Fitness: a discussion for Transmasc folx at Whitman-Walker Health (1525 14th St., N.W.) today from 5-7 p.m. This will be a facilitated discussion on fitness and techniques to masculinize the bodies whether you’re on hormones or not. The meeting will start at 5:05 p.m. If you’re late, text the number on the door and a DCAT member will get you. Binder donations will be accepted. There will also be a needle/ syringe exchange. DCATS meetings are open to trans men, non-binary, genderqueer and questioning individuals. For more information, visit dcats.org. Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.) hosts its Spring Yard Sale, a pop-up flea market, today from 2-6 p.m. If interested in selling, message Trade on Facebook or email aaron@tradebardc.com. Uproar Lounge and Restaurant (639 Florida Ave., N.W.) hosts CopCakes for a Cause, a wine and dessert tasting and silent auction, today from 5-8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and include wine, soda, cupcakes and desserts from local D.C. bakeries. A full cash bar will be open. Ticket sale proceeds will benefit the LGBT Fallen Heroes Fund and silent auction proceeds will benefit the Concerns of Police Survivors, an organization that provides resources to rebuild the lives of surviving families and co-workers of law enforcement officers who have died on duty. For details, visit facebook.com/lgbtfallenheroes.

Monday, May 13 LGBT Fallen Heroes Memorial Service is at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial (2 Memorial Ave., Arlington, Va.) today from 2-5 p.m. Volunteers will read stories aloud about fallen heroes. The flags flown over Washington in their honor will be presented to the hero’s significant other. The significant others will also be given a commemorative portrait of their loved one. The memorial precedes the Candle Light Vigil for National Police Week. For more information, visit facebook.com/ lgbtfallenheroes. Busboys and Poets Anacostia (2004 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., S.E.) presents a screening of the documentary “From Selma to Stonewall: Are We There Yet?” tonight from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The screening is part of Busboys and Poets’ Focus In! Film Series. After the screening, there will be a panel discussion with Bishop Gene Robinson; Ashley Smith, board president

of Capital Pride Alliance; Sheila AlexanderReid, director of Washington D.C. Mayor’s Ofﬁce of LGBTQ Affairs; and Rebecca York, SMYAL’s community engagement and youth leadership coordinator. For details, visit facebook.com/busboysandpoets.

Tuesday, May 14 Jill Biden discusses her memoir “Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself” at Sixth and I Synagogue (600 I St., N.W.) tonight at 7 p.m. The memoir chronicles her ﬁrst heartbreak, her relationship with then U.S. Senator Joe Biden, and how she balanced life as a wife and mother. Tickets are $45 and include one book. Doors open at 6 p.m. For details, visit sixthandiorg. Desiree Dik and Bombalicious Eklaver host drag bingo at Red Bear Brewing (209 M St., N.E.) tonight at 7 p.m. Bingo is free to play and there will be prizes. Attendees can’t join in the game mid-round. There will be six games in two hours. For more information, visit redbear.beer.

Wednesday, May 15 Going the Extra Mile, a beneﬁt for Whitman-Walker’s Legal Services, is at City Winery (1350 Okie St., N.E.) tonight from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The cocktail reception will raise funds and celebrate the staff, volunteers and allies working to give every person the legal right for equality and inclusion. Monika Nemeth will receive the 2019 Robert Fenner Urquehart Memorial Award and Akin Gump of Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP will receive the 2019 Stonewall Award. Tickets start at $200. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.

Thursday, May 16 Venus Valhalla hosts Thirst Trap Thursdays at Pitchers D.C. (2317 18th St., N.W.) tonight at 11 p.m. Drag queens from throughout the DMV area will perform. After the show, there will be dancing until 1:30 a.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/pitchersdc. Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.) hosts a viewing party of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 11 tonight from 9-10:30 p.m. Desiree Dik hosts the party. WesstheDJ will spin tracks during the episode and after. There will be games and free drinks. Happy hour is extended until 10 p.m. For more details, visit facebook.com/ tradebardc.

This Week in the Arts provided by CultureCapital.com

The Music of Jerry Herman May 18. American Pop Orchestra. theamericanpops.org.

DANCE

Featuring Kathy Najimy (“Sister Act,” ”Hocus Pocus”), Paige Davis (TLC’s “Trading Spaces,” “Chicago” on Broadway), Mauricio Martinez (“On Your Feet!”), Tracy Lynn Olivera (“Ragtime”), and Paul Roeckell from APO’s NextGen competition. This thrilling tribute to musical theatre legend, Jerry Herman, is sure to uplift! Come enjoy the lilting classics from Hello, Dolly!, La Cage aux Folles, Mack and Mabel and more.

Jewish Film & Jewish Music Festival May 8-26. Edlavitch DCJCC. jxjdc.org.

Three weeks | 120 + performances and screenings, the JxJ project encompasses the Washington Jewish Film Festival and the Washington Jewish Music Festival, taking over the greater Washington region.

Spring Art Market May 11. Del Ray Artisans. delrayartisans.org.

Del Ray Artisans’ Spring Art Market is an annual, outdoor, family-friendly event featuring original creations by local artisans in a variety of mediums. Perfect gifts for your home, Mother’s Day, or other occasions!

Queens of Egypt Thru Sep 2. National Geographic. nationalgeographic.org.

This multisensory exhibition will bring you back in time some 3,500 years, to the 18th and 19th dynasties of ancient Egypt. Get to know such legendary queens as Nefertari, Nefertiti, Hatshepsut, and Cleopatra VII; see more than 300 prestigious objects, including monumental statues, sparkling jewelry, and impressive sarcophagi; and take a 3-D tour of one of the most well-preserved tombs in the Valley of the Queens. PHOTO COURTESY OF AMERICAN POP ORCHESTRA

THEATRE FAME, The Musical, US Premiere in Spanish. Thru Jun 9. GALA Hispanic Theatre. galatheatre.org. God of Carnage. Thru May 25. Keegan Theatre. keegantheatre.com. Grand Hotel, The Musical. Thru May 19. Signature Theatre. sigtheatre.org. Into the Woods. Thru May 16. Ford’s Theatre. fords.org. Ken Ludwig’s A Comedy of Tenors. Thru May 12. Mary Stuart. Thru Jun 9. Olney Theatre. olneytheatre.org. Three’s Comedy. Thru May 16. DC Arts Center. dcartscenter.org.

Oslo by J. T. Rogers. Thru May 19. Round House. roundhousetheatre.org. Pride & Joy. Thru May 12. National Theatre. thenationaldc.org. Love’s Labor’s Lost. Thru Jun 9. Folger Theatre. RSC Live: As You Like It. May 13. folger.edu. Shear Madness. Thru Jun 19. Kennedy Center. shearmadness.com. Sooner, Later. May 16-Jun 16. Mosaic Theater Company. Atlas. mosaictheater.org. Spunk. Thru Jun 23. Signature Theatre. sigtheatre.org.

La Fille Mal Gardée Petite Performance. May 11. BalletNova. BalletNova.org. NEXTgeneration Showcase. May 11. Dance Place. danceplace.org.

MUSIC Anxiety Bernstein & Beethoven, Part I. May 11. National Philharmonic at Strathmore. nationalphilharmonic.org. Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. Thru May 11. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. May 16-May 18. NSO at Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org. Chick Corea & Béla Fleck. May 10. Strathmore. strathmore.org. Eva Salina and Peter Stan. May 16. Library of Congress. loc.gov. Following the Fiddle with Seán Heely. May 15. Saturday Family Jam Sessions. Thru May 18. Seán Heely, Celtic fiddle. Thru May 22. The Mansion at Strathmore. strathmore.org. Marimba & Friends with Robert Schroyer. May 11. Arts on the Green at Arts Barn. gaithersburgmd.gov. Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival. May 10May 11. Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org. Street Scenes: Monika Herzig’s SHEroes. May 15. Hill Center. hillcenterdc.org. The Canales Project:. May 12. National Gallery of Art. nga.gov. Theo Croker. May 10. The Seldom Scene. May 11. BlackRock. blackrockcenter.org. Tosca. May 11-May 25. WNO at Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org. Twilight Tuesdays: Scarlet Begoniaz. May 14. SSTCi at Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza. silverspringdowntown.com.

MUSEUMS AU Museum at the Katzen. Kenneth Victor Young: Continuum. Thru May 26. Testament of the Spirit: Paintings by Eduardo Carrillo. Thru May 26. Turbulence. Thru May 26. american.edu.

Anderson House. Revolutionary Reflections: French Memories of the War for America. Thru Oct 27. societyofthecincinnati.org. Dumbarton Oaks. Written in Knots: Undeciphered Accounts of Andean Life. Thru Aug 18. Beyond Knotting: Wari and Inka Tunics from the Collection. Thru Aug 18. Asian Art from the Bliss Collection. Thru Jun 1. doaks.org. Folger Shakespeare Library. The Architecture of the Folger Shakespeare Library. Thru Jan 5. folger.edu. Kreeger Museum. Charles Hinman: Structures, 1965–2014. Thru Jul 31. kreegermuseum.org. Library of Congress. 50 Years of Stonewall: LGBTQ+ Activism in the U.S.. Thru Jul 11. Baseball Americana. Thru Jul 27. Whitman 200: Whitman Bicentennial Display. May 15-Aug 15. Art in Action: Herblock and Fellow Artists Respond to Their Times. Thru Aug 17. loc.gov. National Archives. Rightfully Hers. May 10-Jan 3. archivesfoundation.org. National Gallery of Art. Drawing in Tintoretto’s Venice. Thru May 26. Venetian Prints in the Time of Tintoretto. Thru May 26. nga.gov. National Museum of Women in the Arts. Ursula von Rydingsvard: The Contour of Feeling. Thru Jul 28. More is More: Multiples. Thru Sep 15. nmwa.org. Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. The Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire. Thru Jun 1. Our Universes: Traditional Knowledge Shapes Our World. Thru Sep 30. americanindian.si.edu. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian. Lincoln’s Contemporaries. Thru May 19. Champions. Thru May 19. One Year: 1968, An American Odyssey. Thru May 19. Daguerreotypes. Thru Jun 2. npg.si.edu. Postal Museum. Postmen of the Skies. Thru May 27. Beautiful Blooms: Flowering Plants on Stamps. Thru Jul 14. postalmuseum.si.edu.

GALLERIES Arts Barn. Black and White. Thru May 12. gaithersburgmd.gov. Del Ray Artisans. Sacred Feminine Art Exhibit. Thru Jun 2. delrayartisans.org. gallery neptune & brown. Ben Tolman & David Nash: Drawings. Thru Jun 14. galleryneptunebrown.com. Glen Echo Park. May Art Walk in the Park. Thru Sep 6. glenechopark.org. JCCNV. Meaning Making Through Art Making. Thru May 10. jccnv.org. Korean Cultural Center DC. Korean Craft: Yesterday and Today. Thru Jun 21. koreaculturedc.org. Zenith Gallery. Crisis Mode: Endangered Earth. Thru May 11. zenithgallery.com.

AND MORE... Alliance Française. Digging Deep Into The Shadows: Film Screening & Book Talk. May 10. francedc.org.

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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: All Proceeds Support the MCCDC Drama Ministry!

~ 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

474 Ridge St. Washington DC 20001 mccdc.com/mccdc-fund-raising-events/

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Gay book club turns 20

Top photo: BOBBY JO VALENTINE will perform in Silver Spring this weekend. Photo courtesy Valentine NATHAN MANSKE, center, interviewing one of his I’m From Driftwood subjects in Kansas. Photo courtesy Driftwood

Bookmen D.C. is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month and claims it’s the longest continuously operating gay book club in the region. The group first met on May 11, 1999. In lieu of its regular book discussion, the group plans a 20th anniversary party on Wednesday, May 15 at the D.C. Center at 7:30 p.m. The group started as the Potomac Gay Men’s Book Group under the leadership of first facilitator Bill Malone. The club was later known as BoysnBooks, and have been Bookmen D.C. since 2007. The group meets the first Wednesday of each month at Cleveland Park Library (3310 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) to discuss books and the third Wednesday of each month at the D.C. Center (in the Reeves Building) where members discuss sections of anthologies or shorter works. Dinner often follows. The group considers itself fairly relaxed. There’s no official roster or time commitment. Organizers say it “helps” to have read the book at hand in advance but there’s no policy against attending for those who have not or haven’t finished. “We explicitly welcome guys who haven’t finished the book or even started it in some cases,” facilitator Steve Honley says. “That doesn’t usually inhibit the discussion since I warn them we’ll discuss the ending.” Former facilitator Tim Walton helps current facilitator Honley come up with titles, which are nominated by members. A list of nearly 300 books the group has completed can be found at bookmendc.blogspot.com. Average attendance is six-eight per month. There have been meetings of nearly 20 in previous years although the group has never been large. The group is comprised of mostly gay men but some members over the years have been bi. The group reads fiction, non-fiction, biography, poetry and other genres. Previous facilitators Malone, Walton and Greg Farber will be at the party on May 15. Another, Tom Wischer, is unable to attend. Honley hopes former members will come for the anniversary event. Upcoming books the group plans to read and discuss include novels such as “Julian” by Gore Vidal and “Leading Men” by Christopher Castellani, non-fiction classic “And the Band Played On” by Randy Shilts and presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg’s memoir “Shortest Way Home.”

Out singer Valentine to perform Singer/songwriter Bobby Jo Valentine will perform a concert at Christ

Congregational Church in Silver Spring, Md. (9525 Colesville Road) on Saturday, May 11. He will also sing at the church’s worship hour on Sunday, May 12 at 10:30 a.m. In promotional material from the church, Valentine is described as a “multifaceted songwriter and storyteller,” whose songs are “both earthbound and mystical and speak of the gentle, everyday spiritual awakenings of an openhearted life.” Valentine has given a Ted Talk, won various “song of the year” awards from the West Coast Songwriter’s Association and is openly gay. He performs at festivals, house concerts, gay men’s retreats, churches and other venues. He often performs accompanying himself on acoustic guitar in a classic singer/ songwriter vein. “We first met Bobby Jo in 2017 at a national gathering for open and affirming churches in Baltimore and knew we had to have him come to CCC because of his message … which especially resonated with us,” says Tim Carrigan, member. “We thought our neighbors across the D.C. region, LGBTQ or otherwise would also find it uplifting particularly in these uncertain times.” Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

I’m From Driftwood series celebrates 10 years I’m From Driftwood, an LGBTQ story archive and the work of founder/executive director Nathan Manske, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with a “50 State Story Tour Exhibition” in four cities this month. The group has its Washington stop on Thursday, May 16 at 6 p.m. at All Souls Church in the building’s Pierce Hall (1500 Harvard St., N.W.). It’s free. The I’m From Driftwood website launched in 2009 and was inundated with written narratives from all over the world. Soon after, Manske and his friend Marquise Lee started producing videos filmed in New York and Philadelphia. With a desire to stay true to the small-town spirit of I’m From Driftwood, Manske sought to collect stories from people outside major metropolitan areas, from all 50 states. The I’m From Driftwood 50-state Story Tour took place from Sept. 2010-Jan. 2011. Celebrating the organization’s 10th anniversary, the crew pored over more than 10,000 photos and artifacts, recorded 30 hours of audio with historian Hugh Ryan, and are now sharing their work on the anniversary tour. Full details at imfromdriftwood.com. The Blade profiled Manske two years ago when 30 of his films were added to the Comcast Xfinity LGBTQ Film & TV Collection.

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Crossing Jordan

Harrowing new book tells of lesbian’s plight

Image courtesy Greystone Books

Your father’s hands were always rough. In your memories, they were nimble, too; enough to fix a doll or thread a hook as easily as holding a fork, and it was never a problem for your little fingers to fit around his. Your father’s hands were calloused and strong but, unlike the new non-fiction book “Inside an Honor Killing” by Lene Wold, they were not meant for murder. She had to lie to set up the interview. Lene Wold knew that, as a lesbian, she was in danger just traveling through Jordan, so she made up a fictitious husband for her own safety. She lied to be prepared, should the subject come up during conversations she had with “Rahman” who, after over a year of effort, finally sat across from her in a small café. He was a killer, but she knew that he deserved to tell his side of the story. When he was a child, Rahman told her, he witnessed the death of a young classmate buried up to her shoulders in desert sand. The 7 year old had been raped, he said, but that act brought shame on her family because villagers believed that she had caused it. Stoning her brought honor back. Rahman wasn’t supposed to have witnessed the killing and when his mother learned that he did, she packed her things and left, a departure that impacted him for the rest of his life. He vowed that what happened in his father’s house wouldn’t happen in his when he married a very conservative woman and raised two daughters and a son. Years later, as the younger daughter, 17-year-old Amina, prepared for marriage, she noticed that her 19-year-old sister Aisha seemed preoccupied. Only when Amina

overheard intimacies and learned that Aisha had fallen in love with another woman, did she understand her sister’s fears: there is no law against homosexuality in Jordan, but it’s a cultural sin that brings shame on a family and Aisha’s secret couldn’t be held. And so, pressured by his wife, Rahman acted to restore honor. There is no way to soften this: “Inside an Honor Killing” is absolutely chilling. An ice-down-the-spine account of a rape that inexplicably didn’t happen opens this book, illustrating the dangers author Lene Wold endured to get the interviews she needed to tell this story. That, and the how and why of it, are the books’ introduction and while you’re there, Wold also shares statistics that will put you in a heightened state of anticipation, though you ultimately know what happens. Take a quick breath, then, before you plunge into chapter one, because that’s the last chance you’ll get for air as this story alternates between “Arabian Nights” and “Nightmare on Elm Street,” between idyll and magic and horrors we can only imagine. This book isn’t one bit easy to read but if you’re concerned about women’s rights or current events, it’s essential that you do. But beware: “Inside an Honor Killing” will stun you almost the minute you get it in your hands.

‘Inside an Honor Killing’ By Lene Wold Greystone Books $26.95 224 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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The Christian journey

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MCC drama team to present new work by group’s leader By PATRICK FOLLIARD

Jules Christian’s faith was tested but never wavered. An ordained minister and playwright, she began a nine-month exploration of her sexuality and spirituality about the same time she moved to Washington from Greensboro, N.C., in 2015. This journey is reflected in her new play “Maker of Zoe,” currently poised to premiere at Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, the city’s largest mostly LGBT church. As a newly minted member of MCC in April 2017, Christian eagerly agreed to support the church with her “time, talents and treasure.” “I’d done drama ministry as a youth pastor in North Carolina, and really liked it, so I approached the pastors about doing it here, and they agreed,” Christian says. “Every month we do a presentation, usually a skit or spoken word.” But with MCC’s permission, she was also working on a bigger, long-range project, “Maker of Zoe,” a two-act fun, supernatural play that strives to illuminate the compatibility of sexuality and spirituality for LGBTQ people, and looks at common misconceptions of scripture concerning homosexuality. “Typically, writing is hard but rewarding work for me,” Christian says. “This play wasn’t work at all. It flowed. I feel God put this play on my heart.” And she believes that might have something to do with the work’s message. “Its aim is to spread God’s love to all of those who are in the LGBTQ community, to say, ‘God loves you unconditionally despite what you might have heard.’ It’s about setting people free. My other intention is to start and continue a conversation about sexuality and spirituality in the church. Both for denominations that are open and affirming and those that teach homosexuality is sinful. There are good people who love God but believe being LGBTQ is wrong because of what they’ve been taught.” She’d like to set those people straight. “Maker of Zoe” is the story of Avery, a whimsical, non-binary toy designer (played by Tina Renay Fulp), who beneath an upbeat exterior, is missing something inside. After falling into a state of despair, Avery receives an invite to meet the maker and is transported from D.C. to Zoe, a mystical, magical, peaceful place. There Avery meets different characters — a Jamaican landscaper, a pillar of salt, a hog, a platypus, a tomato and assorted angels — who explain that it’s OK to be LGBTQ and a believer.

Christian, 43, loves all aspects of theater. In addition to writing the play and directing the production’s 18-person cast, she also plays a small part. “Expressing myself through theater is truly awesome,” she says. “And drama done well connects with people in a special way; it touches their hearts.” Growing up in a small town outside Greensboro, N.C., Christian attended services at an ultra-conservative Christian church three times a week. At age 8, she felt called to be a minister. Her parents weren’t pleased. They told her they’d rather she be dead than preach. Preaching was a man’s job. This was the first of many conflicts young Christian would encounter. But Christian’s love for God and the church trumped anything naysayers threw her way. She detached herself from conservative circles moved forward, receiving a master’s degree in theology in 2008 and being ordained the following year. In Washington, she’s a hospital chaplain. Though she has never doubted that God loves gay people, prior to coming out, Christian bought into the “hate-the-sin-notthe-sinner” model. That stopped after she ended her engagement to a man and came to terms with her sexuality. She studied scripture and realized passages regarding homosexuality have been blanketly interpreted incorrectly for centuries. Slated for three performances in MCC’s expansive, glass sanctuary, “Maker of Zoe” is part of the congregation’s fundraising push. The ticket price includes an Italian dinner. “We like to make it a big experience,” Christian says. The play’s takeaways are a good time, and an important lesson for audience members — LGBTQ or straight — that access to Christian faith is not contingent on sexuality. “I want people to be free to be who God made them, and open to exploring an area of spirituality they may have shutoff,” Christian says. “And I’d like those who aren’t LGBTQ to be more understanding.”

MCC-D.C. Drama Ministry Dinner Theater ‘Maker of Zoe’ May 17 at 7 p.m. May 18 at 1 and 7 p.m. Metropolitan Community Church of Washington 474 Ridge St., N.W. $40 mccdc.com

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Top photo: SAMANTHA MUGATSIA and SHEILA MUNYIVA in ‘Rafiki.’ Photo courtesy Film Movement CHERRY JONES and AMY POEHLER in ‘Wine Country. Photo by Colleen Hayes, courtesy Netflix

Lesbian screen gems New light for Emily Dickinson; ‘Rafiki’ is tender Kenyan-made romance

By BRIAN T. CARNEY

Lesbian Visibility Day has recently passed, but this week LGBT cinephiles can catch three interesting films about lesbians in very different times and places. The passionate Kenyan romance “Rafiki” is a must-see for all LGBT audiences. The award-winning movie about two young women who fall in love was initially banned under Kenya’s strict anti-LGBT laws, but writer/director Wanuri Kahiu won an important international legal victory by convincing the Kenyan Supreme Court to lift the ban. “Rafiki” is about Kena (Samantha Mugatsia) and Ziki (Sheila Munyiva), who are anxiously awaiting the results of their all-important school exams. Their friendship is challenged by the political rivalry between their fathers, but their lives are threatened when Mama Atim, the vicious gossip who runs the local café, tells everyone about their relationship. Although this is only her second feature-length film, Kahiu directs with remarkable confidence and a strong sense of pacing and style. She paints a vibrant picture of the Nairobi neighborhood where the story unfolds and creates vivid multi-dimensional characters. Across the board, the acting is strong and interesting. Mugatsia and Munyiva are utterly convincing and heart-breaking as two young women falling in love for the first time. Jimmi Gathu is wonderful as Kena’s selfish father who proves to be an unexpected ally and Muthoni Gathecha gives a surprisingly rich performance as Mama Atim, creating fascinating layers of comedy, menace and resentment. “Rafiki,” by the way, means “friend” in Swahili, but the word is also used by queer people as a coded way to refer to their partners. The film will be shown at the Avalon Theatre (theavalon.org) on Connecticut Avenue. Fans of Amy Poehler’s work on “Saturday Night Live” and “Parks and Recreation” will certainly enjoy “Wine Country,” a genial comedy that drops on Netflix today (May 10). Poehler stars and serves as director and producer; the screenplay is by Emily Spivey and Liz Cackowski. The premise is familiar, but the jokes are generally wellexecuted by a great ensemble of female comedians, most of whom have worked with Poehler before. Rebecca (Rachel Dratch) is about to turn 50 and Abby (Poehler) decides to get the old gang together to celebrate. The old gang includes homebody Jenny (Spivey); Catherine (Ana Gasteyer) a workaholic chef on the brink of a major decision; weary mom Naomi (Maya Rudolph); and Val, a brassy lesbian who owns a vintage shop in Portland (Paula Pell, a lesbian comic who was a writer on “SNL” for over a decade). Abby plans a Napa Valley weekend where the friends can relax and reconnect in a guest house owned by Tammy (Tina Fey), who fails to mention that the dim-

witted Devon (Jason Schwartzman) “comes with the house.” Wine-fueled hijinks ensue. The freshest and funniest bits involve out actor Cherry Jones as a wacky but eerily accurate tarot card reader (it’s great to see her flex her seldom-used comic muscles) and Maya Erskine as Jade, a young server/artist who flirts with Val and whose exhibition inadvertently ignites a very funny inter-generational debate about pop culture. With a running time of under two hours, “Wine Country” is a great way to spend an evening with a group of friends and a few bottles of wine. Finally, “Wild Nights with Emily” is a movie with a mission. Openly lesbian writer/director Madeleine Olnek draws on the latest scholarship about legendary poet Emily Dickinson to prove that your high school English teacher had it all wrong. Dickinson was not a reclusive virginal spinster who sequestered herself in her bedroom, dressed all in white, hiding her poems in a trunk. That was the creation of her selfappointed literary executor Mabel Loomis Todd, a Dickinson family friend who was also the mistress of Emily’s brother Austin. Recent scholarship by Martha Nell Smith and others has demonstrated that Emily Dickinson cared deeply about getting her poems published (but on her own terms) and carried on a long-term affair with Susan Gilbert, who later married an unwitting Austin to provide protection to the lesbian couple. Olnek lets this delightful domestic soap opera unfold in a pleasantly fluid fashion. She gently weaves together three time frames: the adolescent courtship between Young Emily and Young Susan (Dana Melanie and Sasha Frolova); the adult shenanigans of the two adulterous couples who try to hide their affairs; and Mabel’s ridiculous lectures about Emily. Olnek has enlisted a top-notch cast that includes Molly Shannon as Emily, Amy Seimetz as Mabel and Susan Ziegler as Susan, but the movie frequently feels more like a research paper than a fully realized film. There are some very funny bits (although they sometimes feel more like sketches from “Saturday Night Live” than fully developed scenes), but the characters and situations never really catch fire. Fans of Emily Dickinson and Molly Shannon will enjoy the revelations about their favorite poet and the transformation of their favorite comic. And, the movie has an important lesson for all LGBT audiences about how our presence can be all too easily erased from history. “Wild Nights with Emily” will open at Landmark’s E Street Cinema and Bethesda Row Cinema on May 10 and at the Old Greenbelt Theatre on May 17. There will be Q&As with Dickinson scholar Martha Nell Smith after select performances at both theatres. Go to landmarktheatres,com or greenbelttheatre.org for details.

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Stop Cannabis Arrest & Prosecution in Washington DC

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

Please visit www.kingweedy.org to sign this petition M AY 1 0 , 2 0 1 9 • WA SHINGTONBLA DE.COM • 45

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Chef Enrique Limardo of Seven Reasons believes presentation is an art form. Photo courtesy Seven Reasons

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Chef Enrique Limardo has a built-in fan base for Seven Reasons, his handsome new dining destination on 14th Street. More than 10,000 Instagrammers follow Limardo’s every stylishly plated move on the handle for Alma Cocina Latina in Baltimore, where he serves as executive chef. At Seven Reason (2208 14th St., N.W.), however, Limardo’s dishes need no filter. Across a wide-ranging menu that spans Atlantic to Pacific, Limardo successfully captains diners on an inventive journey. Though hailing from Venezuela, Limardo draws inspiration from cuisines across the Americas, from the Andes to Argentina. “For me, inspiration came from everywhere, from nature, landscapes and art,” Limardo says. “But my memory palate comes from my native country, Venezuela, as the main spine of my concept. Otherwise, I use my background working for more than 20 years in different countries.” Seven Reasons, while reflecting Limardo’s appreciation of numerology, also appropriately reflects the Seven Seas, given his philosophy of taking diners on journeys. “Seven is the seeker, the person who is intuitively trying to find the truth by looking for something different and unique,” Limardo says. The number seven, he says, symbolizes the search for new experiences, as well as power and creativity. Occupying the former Piola space just north of U Street, the 90-seat venue itself is transportive. Amazonian vines slink down from the ceiling, embracing exposed-brick walls and will continue to grow as the restaurant evolves. Across three stories (be prepared for steps), mid-century-style furnishings like purple tweed and charcoal suede chairs atop slim legs reflect the restaurant’s contemporary vibe. An outdoor patio seating 30 is set to open for summer. Limardo was excited to open Seven Reasons because “Washinton, DC, is growing and booming … and 14th Street is the perfect location because it’s a mix of a range of people in a modern and casual location.” Limardo comes to D.C. not only with panLatin influences, but equally diverse kitchen methods. He employs freeze drying, sous

vide, liquid nitrogen and dry ice treatments, among other techniques. The dishes, he says, are to be experienced “in new ways through unexpected flavors and fun, innovative plating that reminds the diner of the landscapes where the foods come from.” Chicharron, a classic Latin dish traditionally of fried pig skin, is instead crafted from duck tongue, prepared in an Asian-influenced sweet and sour sauce. It’s finished flecks of onion ash. One already Insta-famous dish: octopus, its tentacles splayed over sunflower-yellow aji amarillo, set aside a bold salad of jet-black lentils. “We did extensive research into old recipes from Venezuela to try to recover them, as recipes are forgotten,” he says. Regardless of presentation, he works to “keep the same flavor profile and memories intact.” While Limardo may claim playfulness in his dishes, each of them is a near-baroque affair. Plantain foam or rosemary gel is placed by steady hand, droplet by droplet, evoking artistry and design as much as Venezuelan highland jungle. For the cocktails, LImardo plucked bar manager Josue Gonzalez, lately of Bresca and St. Anselm. Drawing on his own Cuban roots, his drinks are as diverse as the food. Fruits, vegetables and spices sourced from the Amazon and Caribbean end up in drinks crafted using anything from cachaca to pisco to sake. The sour-style Primavera (“springtime”) mixes highland Mexico tequila with lavender-infused sake, brightened by pink guava and egg white. Pink guava also stars on the dessert menu, resting as a jam atop a guava cheesecake served alongside goat cheese foam. The Coconut Delirious dessert is a representation of the jagged, frigid Andes: a server arrives at the table with a bowl of liquid nitrogen and gently pours it over the ingredients, cracking and freezing coconut pieces into rugged, frosty slivers. Limardo and his team, true to form, have divided the menu in seven sections: snacks, small plates, medium plates, large plates, desserts, cocktails and wines. Seven more reasons that no filter is needed.

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On Mother’s Day, reflect on family finances Good time to revisit estate and financial plans By ALEX GRAHAM

It’s always a good time to make sure your estate plan is up to date. Photo by Jirapong Manustrong; courtesy of Bigstock

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, it’s a good time of the year to reflect on two key issues impacting each family’s finances. First is your estate plan and a revocable living trust, which applies to both traditional families (those formed through legal marriage/adoption) and non-traditional families. A revocable living trust sets the foundation for your financial and legal future as it can shield your assets from probate (if funded properly) and allows you to give advance directives on how you want these assets to be used in case you are unable to make those decisions on your own. Most importantly, it allows you to appoint a successor trustee that doesn’t have to be a traditional family member. Ultimately, what legal framework you need depends on where you live, but our office can make sure you are referred to appropriate counsel. While our society continues to evolve on the image and definition of what constitutes a family, our legal system has not always kept pace. The second issue is ensuring your financial plan is up to date. This goes beyond adjusting how much money you save or which debts to pay off first. A comprehensive plan includes a set of achievable short-term goals (e.g. achieving a balanced budget, paying a weekend trip in cash) along with necessary long term goals like saving for a future child’s adoption and education. It should also coincide with a review of what level of risk/reward you want to take in achieving

that goal. While it’s a common tendency that people invest more conservatively as they get older, for a certain goal, that may not be the case. Your general financial plan should be checked on an annual basis, while an associated investment plan should be reviewed at least quarterly. As you reach out to your mother or the mothers in your life, whoever that may be, it may be timely to ask about how their estate and financial plan is going. Unfortunately, as the Baby Boomers begin retiring, the country is experiencing a surge in Elder Abuse. This often involves distant family members or robocallers extracting money and control away from unsuspecting seniors. Recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission introduced new rules requiring major financial institutions to ask older adults to appoint a trusted contact. A trusted contact cannot transact in your account, but if a concern arises your financial institution is authorized to raise its concerns with that individual. While it may not be a hot topic on Mother’s Day, it is surely an important discussion to have to protect the ones we love.

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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A life plan community’s benefits through full continuum of care A good option whether living independently or needing more support By DONNA FULLER According to the National Institutes of Health, a nutritious diet, physical activity, social engagement and mentally stimulating pursuits have all been associated with helping people stay healthy as they age. Maintaining a healthy balance of these shines light on the strengths of life plan communities and their full continuum of care, which offer a stimulating experience through various avenues such as holistic fitness and wellbeing programs, person-directed service plans that incorporate multiple aspects of their overall wellness, therapeutic recreation programs incorporating music and art, and more. In addition, today’s scientific advancements create a new dimension of technology-based engagement opportunities in their daily lives than ever before. These communities provide an all-inclusive model and offer independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and memory care support. Independent living residences provide a variety of housing choices, including apartments, condominiums, and cottages, among others. A vast array of amenities are available that provide an abundance of opportunities to maintain an engaged lifestyle with fitness programs, educational classes, cultural opportunities and more. If an individual requires help with daily living activities, they can choose an assisted living residence, which includes wellness

Ingleside is a charitable not-for-profit provider of comprehensive older adult opportunities in the D.C. area. Photo courtesy of Ingleside

activities and life-enriching programs that keep bodies and minds active and spirits fulfilled. As part of a life plan community, assisted living residents can benefit from the extensive programming and stimulation of being welcomed into a larger family. For those experiencing Alzheimer’s or cognitive change, a specialized memory care program can offer a secure, engaging environment that meets every person where they are and provides personally tailored life enrichment programs based on the needs, preferences and ability level of each person. These programs are designed to help individuals thrive by connecting them through persondirected care, genuine relationships and meaningful living at every stage. When searching for a community, it is important to keep its philosophy in mind, as each has its own identity. For example, we follow a well-being philosophy, which is at the heart of helping every individual in its memory support program flourish by

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supporting these principles: • Authentic Living – Continuing the routine that has been central to one’s life. • Autonomy – Honoring each person’s natural human right to self-determination, choice and control in daily life. • Wellness – Having access to and participating in purposeful and meaningful activity. • Purposeful Living – Recognizing that people experience purpose in a variety of ways. • Connection – Feeling seen, heard and valued simply for the sake of being who they are. • Being seen – Enhancing each person’s engagement in knowing themselves as a valued and important member of the community. Another aspect to take into consideration when looking for a life plan community is accreditation by CARF International, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.

This accreditation ensures that the community meets standards recognized internationally and promotes the quality, value and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative process that centers on enhancing the lives of persons served. Understanding the benefits of the full continuum of care life plan communities offer is important whether you and a loved one are looking at retirement options now or in the future. And, it is a good option for any stage of life, whether you are living independently or need more support.

Donna Fuller DFuller@Inglesideonline.org, is director of outreach for Ingleside. Ingleside is a premier, charitable not-for-profit provider of comprehensive older adult opportunities in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. For more information, visit inglesideonline.org.

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