Washingtonblade.com, Volume 51, Issue 23, June 5, 2020

Week of protest, heartbreak Killing of George Floyd leads to unrest during pandemic PAGE 06

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A week of protest, heartbreak Killing of George Floyd sparks demonstrations amid pandemic

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com Dozens of businesses and office buildings in D.C. were damaged this week in incidents of looting, window smashing, and fires set by protesters in more than a week of protests triggered by the killing of Minneapolis African-American resident George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer who has since been charged with third-degree murder.

The 14 bars and restaurants that openly cater to an LGBTQ clientele mostly escaped damage by what D.C. police have listed as acts of rioting, vandalism, theft, and arson along multiple streets in downtown D.C. and Georgetown.

David Perruzza, owner of the gay bar and restaurant Pitcher’s and its adjoining lesbian bar League of Her Own, told the Washington Blade he remained open for carryout service and for food and beverage service on his roof deck terrace on Saturday and Sunday.

Perruzza said he has been closing at 10 p.m. on Sundays during the COVID-19 restrictions, but said he stopped taking reservations for customers seeking to patronize his limited roof deck space on Sunday as soon as he learned of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s order putting in place a curfew.

The Sunday protests joined by about 1,000 people began peacefully at the site of the White House and Lafayette Park earlier in the day.

But shortly after nightfall when police blocked access to the White House area the protesters scattered into smaller groups and marched through downtown streets. Some of them wielded metal baseball bats to smash windows and glass doors of stores and office buildings, according to media reports.

Some of those engaging in vandalism, whom D.C. police and Bowser have said appear to be radical agitators who do not share the goals of protesting the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, set fires inside the buildings they broke into.

Among the buildings partially damaged by fire was the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church located across the street from Lafayette Park near the White House known as the Church of the Presidents. A day later, President Trump held a widely condemned photo op in front of the church. Also set on fire was the lobby of the AFL-CIO building two blocks away at 815 16th Street, N.W. According to local TV news reports, it took D.C. police and fire department personnel close to an hour to arrive on the scene to clear away protesters and begin putting out the fires at the church and the AFL-CIO building.

The offices of the LGBTQ labor group Pride At Work were not damaged by the fire at the AFL-CIO building, according to an AFL-CIO spokesperson.

The spokesperson, Kalima Newman, said the fire damage was confined to the AFL-CIO building’s first floor lobby area. She said none of the building’s upper floors, including the second floor where the Pride At Work offices are located, were damaged.

Several media outlets, including the Advocate, erroneously reported that Pride at Work’s offices were “destroyed.”

Jerame Davis, Pride At Work’s executive director, told the

Protesters took to D.C.’s streets all week following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.

Violent clashes this week left widespread damage, including to the first floor of the AFL-CIO building in downtown D.C.

Washington Blade he was relieved to learn from an email message sent by the AFL-CIO on Tuesday that none of the building’s upper floors had been damaged by the fire.

“Despite this, we believe that black lives matter more than a building or its contents and we stand firm in our commitment to fight for racial, social, and economic justice,” Davis said. “The murder of George Floyd was not an isolated incident, but the latest in a series of harms visited upon black communities in this country,” Davis told the Blade “We will continue to work to end systemic racism and dismantle white supremacy,” he said.

Newsham announced at a news conference called Tuesday morning by Mayor Bowser that D.C. police made more than 300 arrests Monday night, June 1, and in the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 2, of protesters engaging in “illegal actions.” He said most were charged with violating the curfew that Bowser put in place barring city residents and visitors from going outdoors between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The more than 300 arrests on Monday and early Tuesday followed what D.C. police said were 106 arrests made from Saturday through early Monday. Newsham said that in addition to curfew violation charges, other charges filed against those arrested were felony rioting and burglary related to looting of businesses.

The Washington Blade on Monday visited the sites of the 14 bars and restaurants that specifically cater to an LGBTQ clientele and found that none of them as of Monday afternoon had been damaged during the looting and disturbances, including looting on the same streets where at least four of the LGBT bars and restaurants are located.

However, Jeff McCracken, co-owner of the Duplex Diner at 2004 18th St., N.W., which has a large LGBTQ clientele, told the Blade one of the diner’s front windows was smashed sometime Monday night. McCracken said it did not appear as if anyone entered the diner to steal items inside. He said the Duplex, which was offering carryout food service during the coronavirus restrictions, was closed night Monday because of Mayor Bowser’s 7 p.m. curfew.

At least three of the establishments, Pitcher’s gay sports

bar and League of Her Own lesbian bar that share the same building in Adams Morgan, and the Dupont Italian Kitchen, above which the 17th Street, N.W. gay bar Windows is located, prominently displayed signs on the outside of their buildings stating, “Black Lives Matter.”

The locations where multiple businesses, office buildings, or parked vehicles were damaged, include the 1500 block of H Street, N.W.; 1100 block of Vermont Avenue, N.W.; 1600 block of K Street, N.W.; 300 block of H Street, N.W.; 1200 block of K Street, N.W.; 400 block of 8th Street, N.W.; 800 block of H Street, N.W.; and 1300 block of Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. None of the city’s LGBTQ bars or restaurants is on those listed blocks. However, gay Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Randy Downs posted on Facebook early on Monday that looters broke into the CVS store at 17th and P Streets, N.W. between 1:30 a.m. and around 4:30 a.m. on Monday, June 1.

“Residents called MPD many times but they didn’t have the capacity to respond,” Downs stated in his Facebook post.

The gay bars JR.’s and Windows and the LGBTQ friendly restaurants Annie’s and Floriana are located within two blocks of the CVS at 17th and P Street, N.W., but there were no reports that they were damaged by looting on Monday morning.

Several national LGBTQ rights organizations issued a joint statement on Friday condemning the action by the white Minneapolis police officer that led to the death of George Floyd, which has triggered protests and in some cases rioting in cities across the country.

Bowser has called on President Trump not to send in federal troops or to continue what the mayor called the president’s inflammatory statements that she said have raised tensions instead of seeking to calm the nation.

“What I could see just like you all could see, I didn’t see any provocation that would warrant the deployment of munitions, especially for the purpose of moving the president across the street,” Bowser told the news conference on Tuesday.

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

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(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

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Comings & Goings Former Us Helping Ferrero to lead Fund for Us leader Ron Investigative Journalism Simmons dies at 70

By PETER ROSENSTEIN

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

Congratulations to Eric Ferrero on his appointment as executive director of the Fund for Investigative Journalism (FIJ). Mark Greenblattt, President of FIJ’s board and senior national investigative correspondent for the Scripps Washington Bureau said, “The Fund for Investigative Journalism’s work has never been more critical, and Eric Ferrero brings a unique blend of experience to help broaden our impact in the years ahead.

Ferrero brings extensive management experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, with a deep background helping investigative journalists uncover groundbreaking stories. The entire FIJ family is thrilled to welcome him and looks forward to his leadership.”

Ferrero said, “I am humbled and excited to join the Fund for Investigative Journalism – especially right now, when so much is at stake. For more than 50 years, the Fund for Investigative Journalism has shown that one ERIC FERRERO reporter, given proper support to dig deep and keep digging, can make a profound difference in the world.”

Ferrero previously served in senior roles at the Innocence Project, the Open Society Foundations, Amnesty International USA, the American Civil Liberties Union and other national and global organizations. He has worked closely with some of the nation’s leading investigative journalists to help them cover high-impact stories, including those published or broadcast by The New Yorker, CBS News “60 Minutes,” the Washington Post, the New York Times and PBS “Frontline,” as well as in regional and specialty outlets including the Texas Tribune, the Marshall GUSTAVO M. VENTURA Project and WBUR. He has served on the board of directors of Suicide Prevention International and has been a featured panelist for numerous organizations including the National Association of Hispanic Journalists; National Association of Black Journalists; Hollywood for Social Change; Ford Foundation and at the Big Pitch Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Faculty Training Retreat.

Congratulations also to Gustavo M. Ventura on the publication of his important article “The Development of Patient Evacuation Resource Classification System (PERC) Using Systems Engineering to Assist Hospital Evacuations in a Disaster” in the Journal of the Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. He said, “I am proud that my research may provide a solution for hospitals evacuating under duress.”

Ventura’s 20 years of active duty service in the U.S. Navy included global program management, and extensive civilian-military coordination with humanitarian NGOs. He has diplomatic experience including as peace envoy staff, and significant executive experience as a member of the White House staff.

Most recently, he served in the areas of Emergency Management and Public Health developing the Patient Evacuation Resource Classification System for Residential Healthcare Facilities. He served as a United Nations Peacekeeper in 1996 selected as the UN Military Observer stationed at rebel headquarters of the POLISARIO in Tindouf, Algeria and was responsible for monitoring military maneuvers, briefing senior UN personnel on political and military conditions, and assisting international relief efforts at rebel camps throughout southwestern Algeria. In that role, he escorted various congressional and senior UN factfinding delegations on their inspection of humanitarian and political conditions.

Earlier in his career, Ventura was on the White House Staff in the National AIDS Policy Office as Chief Administrator. In addition to other roles the office at the direction of the president developed and managed AIDS in the workplace training for all federal employees.

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‘Our black HIV-positive gay big brother’

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com Ron Simmons, an assistant professor at Howard University’s School of Communications before serving for 24 years as executive director of the D.C. AIDS service organization Us Helping Us People Into Living, died May 28 at George Washington University Hospital from complications associated with prostate cancer. He was 70.

Simmons has been credited with playing a key role in transforming Us Helping Us from a volunteer support group for black gay men with HIV in 1992 into a nationally recognized health and wellness center with 27 full-time employees and an annual budget of $2.5 million at the time of his retirement in October 2016.

Those who knew Simmons said his retirement was short lived. Less than a year later in 2017 he launched Ron Simmons Consulting, LLC, a D.C.-based consulting firm that provided for other nonprofit organizations some of the behavioral interventions related to HIV prevention that he had been developing for many years at Us Helping Us. “This was really Part 2,” said Marsha Martin, Simmons’ collaborator at the consulting firm. “This was something that he said we could develop for the community at large.”

Martin said that up until illness forced him to step back earlier this year Simmons used some of the HIV prevention techniques he developed at Us Helping Us and a new intervention for young black gay men he developed after leaving Us Helping Us to put in place in other parts of the U.S. as well as in Europe and Africa.

Simmons was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. He received a bachelor’s degree in Afro-American Studies, a master’s degree in African History and a master’s degree in Educational Communications from the State University of New York at Albany. He received a doctorate degree in Mass Communications from Howard University in D.C. A write-up about Simmons’

RON SIMMONS came out as gay and became involved in gay rights activities in the early 1970s.

background on his consulting firm’s website says he served on the Howard University faculty for 12 years teaching television production, photography, interpersonal communications and mass communications theory at Howard’s School of Communications.

Simmons told the Washington Blade in a 2016 interview that he came out as gay and became involved in gay rights activities in the early 1970s during his years as an undergraduate student at the State University of New York in Albany.

Around the same time, Simmons said, he also became involved in the anti-Vietnam War movement.

He said he moved to D.C. in 1980 to begin his doctorate studies at Howard. Five years later, unbeknownst to him, Simmons said, Rev. Rainy Cheeks and local activist Prem Deben founded Us Helping Us as a volunteer support group for black gay men with HIV at a time when there was no effective treatment for HIV and an AIDS diagnosis was often a death sentence.

As a gay man with HIV, Simmons said he began attending Us Helping Us workshops in 1991, a development he called life-changing.

CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

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Evans, gay candidates far behind in D.C. primary early returns Pinto leads Kennedy by just 102 votes in Ward 2 race

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com Former D.C. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), a longtime LGBTQ community ally who resigned from the Council in January following allegations of serious ethics violations and who asked Ward 2 voters to give him another chance to represent them, was in seventh place in an eightcandidate race with just 292 votes or 3.8 percent of the vote, according to a preliminary vote count released Wednesday morning by the D.C. Board of Elections.

Gay Logan Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner John Fanning, who political observers say waged a credible campaign for the hotly contested Ward 2 Council seat, and gay Ward 7 ANC member Anthony Lorenzo Green, who received endorsements from the AFL-CIO and the Washington Teachers Union, were far behind with 6.8 percent and 11.7 percent of the vote respectively in the preliminary count.

In the Ward 2 contest, former Assistant D.C. Attorney General Brooke Pinto was in first place in the preliminary vote count with 2,150 votes or 27.7 percent, just ahead of Foggy Bottom Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Patrick Kennedy, who received 2,048 votes or 26.4 percent.

Community activist Jordan Grossman was in third place with 1,562 votes or 20.1 percent as of early Wednesday morning.

With Pinto leading Kennedy by just 102 votes and with her lead over Grossman amounting to 588 votes, it couldn’t immediately be determined whether the as-yet-to-becounted mail-in ballots would change the outcome of the vote between Pinto, Kennedy, and Grossman.

The Board of Elections stated on its website that as of 2:42 a.m. Wednesday it had counted the ballots it has received so far from each of the city’s 144 voter precincts. But the BOE did not disclose whether it knows how many absentee mail-in ballots it has yet to receive. The BOE said it would count all mail-in ballots postmarked before midnight on Tuesday, June 2.

Grossman released a statement Wednesday morning saying more than 4,400 mail-in ballots had not been returned or counted and the race was now a three-way contest between him, Pinto and Kennedy. But Jordan’s statement didn’t say where he obtained that information and a Board of Elections spokesperson couldn’t immediately be reached to confirm the actual number of outstanding mail-in ballots.

Grossman spokesperson Morgan Finkelstein told the Blade in an email that the Grossman campaign based its 4,400 outstanding mail-in ballot figure on the election board’s disclosure that a total of 10,583 mail-in ballots had been requested and that 6,110 mail-in ballots had been counted as of Wednesday morning.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the election board and most city officials, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, urged city residents to apply for absentee ballots to enable them to vote by mail. However, according to media reports on Tuesday, numerous residents waiting on long lines to vote

JOHN FANNING was far behind frontrunner Brooke Pinto in the Ward 2 race; PATRICK KENNEDY is running a close second in early results.

(Photos courtesy of the campaigns)

at 20 special voting stations set up by the BOE said they never received the absentee ballots they applied for.

And although the polling stations were scheduled to close at 8 p.m. Tuesday, the city’s social distancing requirements prevented more than 10 people from entering the voting stations at one time, resulting in the voting continuing until past midnight at several of the polling stations, according to media reports.

Similar to nearly all candidates on the ballot in the June 2 primary, each of the Ward 2 candidates, including Pinto and Kennedy, expressed strong support for LGBTQ rights, with Pinto, Kennedy, and especially Fanning pointing to actions they have taken in the past to support the LGBTQ community.

The final but preliminary vote count in the Ward 2 D.C. Council race for all eight Democratic candidates is as follows: Brooke Pinto, 27.7 percent; Patrick Kennedy, 26.4 percent; Jordan Grossman, 20.1 percent; Kishan Putta, 9.8 percent; John Fanning, 6.8 percent; Yilin Zhang, 4.1 percent; Jack Evans, 3.8 percent; and Daniel Hernandez, 1.3 percent.

Republican Ward 2 candidate Katherine Venice, who has expressed strong support for LGBTQ rights, ran unopposed in the D.C. Republican primary on June 2, ensuring that she will be on the ballot in the November general election in the Ward 2 contest.

Venice released a statement on Tuesday calling for President Donald Trump to resign from office because of what she called his mishandling of the civil unrest that has erupted across the country during the past week over the death of African American George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis.

Surprise in Ward 4 In what most political observers will likely consider a surprise outcome, incumbent Ward 4 Council member Brandon Todd appears to have been defeated by community

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activist Janeese Lewis George by a margin of 54.1 percent to 43.6 percent in a three-candidate race. Ward 4 community activist Marlena Edwards finished third with 2.1 percent of the vote.

However, the final but preliminary unofficial vote count as of Wednesday morning shows George was leading Todd by 1,540 votes. If in fact more than 4,000 mail-in ballots remain uncounted, the outcome of the Ward 4 race could change, although it would be unlikely that many outstanding mail-in ballots were for Ward 4.

Todd and George have each expressed strong support for LGBTQ rights. George, who identifies herself as a Democratic socialist, received a rating of +6.5 out of a possible +10 on LGBTQ related issues from the D.C. Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance. Todd received a +6 GLAA rating. Todd, a longtime ally of Mayor Bowser, received Bowser’s strong endorsement in the Ward 4 race.

With George leading Todd by 1,540 votes it appears unlikely that the outcome would change after the remaining mail-in ballots are counted.

In the Ward 7 race, incumbent D.C. Council member and former D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray finished first in a six-candidate contest with 45.7 percent of the vote. Gray, who is considered one of the city’s strongest LGBTQ community supporters, received the endorsement of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, the city’s largest local LGBTQ political organization.

Gray received a +8 rating from GLAA compared to Gray’s closest rival, Ward 7 community activist Veda Rasheed, who received 22.7 percent of the vote and a GLAA rating of “0.”

Rasheed expressed support for LGBTQ issues during the campaign, but GLAA said it assigned her and three of the other candidates in the race — Rebecca Morris, James Leroy Jennings, and Kelvin Brown — a “0” rating because they did not return a GLAA candidate questionnaire and the group wasn’t aware of their records on LGBTQ issues.

Gay candidate Green, who has a record of support on LGBT issues and who has spoken out on those issues, received a +4 GLAA rating rather than a higher rating because he too failed to return the questionnaire, according to GLAA. The final but preliminary outcome in the Ward 7 race is as follows: Vincent Gray, 45.7 percent; Veda Rasheed, 22.7 percent; Kelvin Brown, 17.8 percent; Anthony Lorenzo Green, 11.7 percent; Rebecca Morris, 1.4 percent; and James Leroy Jennings, 0.3 percent.

In the Ward 8 D.C. Council race, incumbent Democrat Trayon White finished a strong first with 58.7 percent of the vote in a four-candidate contest. White has expressed support for LGBTQ issues during his first term on the Council and has appeared at events hosted by the LGBTQ youth organization Check It Enterprises, which is based in Ward 8. White received a +4.5 rating from GLAA. CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

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‘It means giving up some privilege’ Black leaders on how gays can fight racism

By CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com As anger over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis continues to rage — with protests, #BlackOut posts on social media and even violence — some are asking what action is needed from the LGBTQ community.

The LGBTQ community is no stranger to discrimination — and LGBTQ people who are black live at the intersection of the two communities — but as institutional racism has risen to the fore, what concrete actions can LGBTQ people take, especially white gay men?

Black leaders who spoke with the Blade said identifying the intersectionality between the communities is a first step, but acknowledging the systematic problems that enable racism is next.

Earl Fowlkes, a D.C.-based black gay Democratic activist, called on the white gay community to “stand in solidarity with the black community to promote the end of racism in our country.”

“That means, first of all, to acknowledge racism exists, and I think that’s very difficult for some people to do, and to also recognize every white American benefits from racism in some form, and to acknowledge that,” Fowlkes said.

Fowlkes called for empathy and for white gay people to sit down and listen to the issues facing black Americans, which he said “means also giving up some privilege, but in the long haul, we’ll have a better country.”

“It means that, for example, to ensure that through public and government funds that the institutions that serve black Americans are funded fully,” Fowlkes said.

“Racism has caused inequities around health, social and economic issues, and education.”

As an example, Fowlkes said the D.C.-based WhitmanWalker Health is important, but urged contributions to other groups like Us Helping Us, which seeks to improve the lives of gay black men.

Fowlkes also pointed out in D.C. during the coronavirus pandemic, 70 percent of the people who have tested positive for coronavirus have been African Americans, although black people make up 42 percent of the population.

“It means that you have to put resources in the African-American communities to close the gap of health disparities, and that means to invest money, it means to shift money around that has traditionally gone to large institutions and putting them into the black community,” Fowlkes said.

Protests in the days after Floyd’s killing continued throughout the country. In D.C. on Tuesday, despite D.C. Mayor Muriel Bower’s curfew order, peaceful protesters demonstrated at the now heavily fenced-in White House throughout the night. Among the signs they carried read, “Abolish Police,” “Defund the Police,” “Blue Lives Murder” and “White Silence is Violence.”

The death of Floyd, who was killed by Minneapolis police officers by asphyxiation, is but one incident in the news generating anger over persistent problems with racism in the United States.

Others are the killing of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia;

Protesters defy curfew order to demonstrate at the White House.

(Blade photo by Chris Johnson)

the death of Breonna Taylor in a shooting with police in Louisville; a white woman in New York City calling the police on Christian Cooper, a black gay man who told her to obey the rules in Central Park and leash her dog.

David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, said recognizing the totality of the problem of racist acts is important.

“Well-intentioned white gay folks are learning how to say George Floyd’s name, fewer are saying the name of Breonna Taylor,” Johns said.

Johns also identified Tony McDade, a black trans man who was murdered by police in Tallahassee, Fla., as a victim of racist police violence.

McDade was killed on May 27 when a Tallahassee Police Department officer was responding to a deadly stabbing incident, according to a report by ABC News.

Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell is quoted as saying the police came across McDade, whom he said matched the description of the stabbing suspect. McDade allegedly pointed a gun at the officer, who fatally shot him, Revell reportedly said.

Johns said McDade had experiences common for black transgender people, such as past trouble with the law, but said his death should be recognized.

“Tony, less than 24 hours before he was murdered, was a victim of a hate crime,” Johns said. “As a result of him living as a black trans man, he has been incarcerated and has experienced a lot of the things that we know sadly have come to be reflected publicly in the lives of trans folks, which may explain people’s silence, but saying his name is one of the most powerful things people can do at this moment.”

With annual Pride celebrations cancelled this year as a result of the coronavirus, John said resources intended for those events “should be invested in organizations that are backed by native, indigenous black queer folks.”

“The fact that there are literal fires did not obscure the fact that our country has been on fire for a long time, especially for black trans folks in particular,” Johns said.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and President Trump are offering starkly different approaches to the problem, to say the least.

Joseph Biden, in a speech in Philadelphia on Tuesday addressing the unrest, said “the moment has come for our nation to deal with systemic racism,” but conceded it may take a generation to achieve.

As an intermediate step, Biden identified legislation introduced by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to ban police from using choke holds, saying Congress should pass it and “put it on President Trump’s desk in the next few days.”

“There are other measures: To stop transferring weapons of war to police forces, to improve oversight and accountability, to create a model use of force standard — that also should be made law this month,” Biden said. “No more excuses. No more delays.”

Trump, who has faced criticism over Floyd’s death and for forcibly removing protesters in Lafayette Square to arrange a photo opportunity at St. John’s Church, has yet to articulate a vision for the national issue.

During an interview on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday morning, Trump said “police departments have to do better” when asked about distrust of police in the black community, but didn’t identify what that should be, according to CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang.

A dark side of the unrest is the violence, destruction of property and looting that have occurred throughout the country concurrently with the protests.

In D.C. the headquarters for the AFL-CIO and the historic St. John’s Church were set on fire, and U.S. monuments and private property were damaged and defaced.

Looting continued in New York City on Tuesday night despite a curfew instituted by Mayor Bill de Blasio. In St. Louis, retired police chief captain David Dorn, who’s black, was fatally shot when responding to an alarm at a pawnshop during looting.

Rob Smith, a black gay Iraq war veteran and a member of the pro-Trump group Turning Point USA, talked about the Second Amendment when asked what the gay community should be doing to address police brutality.

“Any gay people who want to help need to realize that the best thing we can do as American citizens is to protect our Second Amendment right to bear arms,” Smith said.

“As we’ve all seen over the past week, protests can too quickly turn into chaos and when police aren’t there to help you, who will? It’s time to stop conflating being gay with being a leftist and start learning how to protect ourselves.”

LGBTQ groups last week issued a statement, led by the Human Rights Campaign, calling for the integration of anti-racism and an end to white supremacy into the LGBTQ movement. As of this week, the statement now has more than 100 signers.

Fowlkes, however, was skeptical about the statement, saying it’s not the first time LGBTQ groups have expressed solidarity with black people, but then didn’t follow through.

CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

NATI ON A L N E W S • JUN E 0 5 , 2 0 2 0 • WAS H IN GTO N B LAD E.CO M • 1 3

Biden recognizes Pride month Joseph Biden issued a statement on Monday recognizing June as Pride month, saying “much work remains” to advance LGBTQ people despite the progress made after the first Pride march 50 years ago that commemorated the Stonewall riots.

“Despite our progress, much work remains,” Biden wrote. “As our nation grapples with the uncomfortable truths of systemic racism, a devastating pandemic that’s claimed more than 100,000 lives in the United States and left more than 40 million people filing for unemployment, and a president that’s waged an all-out assault on the rights of our most vulnerable, including LGBTQ+ people, we are reminded of why those first brave souls took to the streets to march 50 years ago.”

Meanwhile, President Trump as of Wednesday has issued no statement or proclamation recognizing June as Pride month. Last year, Trump in a tweet became the first Republican U.S. president to recognize Pride, but said nothing in his first two years in office.

Biden issued the Pride statement as the nation is gripped in horror over police brutality following the killing of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis.

Protests followed in the days afterwards, but also riots that have damaged monuments and private property throughout the country.

“Pride has come to be recognized as a global movement of love, self-expression, and community — resilient in the face of oppression and fear and hopeful for a better future,” Biden wrote. “This month, let us recommit to those principles of Pride and remain steadfast in the fight for justice and equality.”

Biden also invoked the memories of LGBTQ activists who have died in recent weeks: Larry Kramer, a gay rights pioneer and AIDS activist who founded ACT UP; Aimee Stephens, a transgender plaintiff in a lawsuit before the Supreme Court that will decide whether federal civil rights law applies to LGBTQ people; and Lorena Borjas, a transgender immigrant activist.

Biden also cited the anti-LGBTQ policies of the Trump administration, such as the transgender military ban, and condemned Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for having “given safe harbor to white supremacists and other forms of hate.”

In contrast, Biden expressed his commitment to legislation known as the Equality Act pending before Congress and says he’ll take “swift action to reverse” the Trump administration’s anti-LGBTQ policies.

The White House hasn’t responded to repeated requests from the Blade to comment on why Trump hasn’t issued any statement recognizing Pride Month.

Last week, the White House issued five proclamations from Trump designating June as Great Outdoors Month, African-American Music Appreciation Month, National Homeownership Month, National Ocean Month and National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, but nothing on Pride Month.

CHRIS JOHNSON

‘Despite our progress, much work remains,’ JOE BIDEN said of Pride month.

Anti-LGBTQ Rep. King loses primary Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who long before his remarks embracing white nationalism was known for his draconian anti-LGBTQ views, lost his primary race in Iowa, but to a challenger who also has an anti-LGBTQ record.

According to the New York Times, Iowa State Sen. Randy Feenstra defeated King for the Republican nomination to represent Iowa’s 4th congressional district in Congress. Feenstra claimed 45.7 percent of the vote compared to the 36 percent won by King.

King was rebuked in a House resolution and stripped of all his committee assignments after remarks suggesting he was in favor of white nationalism, but before then had built an anti-LGBTQ record — as well as an anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim record — over his 17 years in Congress.

In 2009, when the Iowa Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, King called for the resignation of the justices and residency requirements for marriages so “Iowa does not become the gay marriage Mecca.”

When three of those justices were up for retention at the ballot in 2010, King bought $80,000 of radio advertising to campaign against them. None of the three were retained.

Years later, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide, King said the decision “perverted” the word marriage and he called for a resolution on the House floor that would encourage states to defy the decision.

But his replacement isn’t much better.

Feenstra, who has been in the Iowa Senate since 2008, introduced in 2011 a state constitutional amendment that sought to reverse the Varnum v. Brien decision that legalized same-sex marriage in Iowa. The amendment never came up for a vote.

Additionally, Feenstra voted for a health and human services appropriations measure that banned the use of Iowa Medicaid dollars to pay for transgender surgeries.

CHRIS JOHNSON

1 4 • WAS H I NGTO NBLA D E.COM • J UNE 05, 2020 • N ATI ONA L NE W S

Rep. ADAM SCHIFF has introduced a resolution against the gay blood ban.

(Blade file photo by Michael key)

Schiff calls for end to gay blood ban Rep. Adam Schifff (D-Calif.) is leading a group of Democratic lawmakers in the introduction of a resolution calling for an end to the gay blood ban in favor of new guidance based on individual risk assessment.

“There is a large contingent of healthy people that are able and willing to donate blood and plasma, but antiquated regulations prevent them from doing so,” Schiff said in a statement. “This resolution calls for a repeal of discriminatory guidelines against members of the LGBTQ community, and encourages them to be replaced with science-based criteria for individual-risk assessment. It’s long past time these changes were made, especially during the current global crisis.”

The resolution calls for a blood donation policy grounded in science with minimal deferral periods. Further, the resolution should be based on individual risk factors, not unfairly single out any group of individuals and allow donations by all those who can safely do so.

Joining Schiff in introducing the resolution is Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), and Katherine Clark (D-Mass.).

Amid the blood supply shortage during the coronavirus crisis, the Food & Drug Administration eased the restrictions on blood donors, including donations from men who have sex with men. The previous policy, established in 2015, required gay men to be abstinent for 12 months before making a donation, but the FDA eased the policy to require a shorter period of 3 months without having sex.

The FDA has placed restrictions on gay blood donors since the height of the AIDS crisis in 1983, when a lifetime ban on donations from men who have sex with men was implemented. The 2015 policy under the Obama administration eased that ban to require the 12-month period of abstinence.

Although the Trump administration eased the ban even further, LGBTQ rights advocates have said the change isn’t enough and remains discriminatory against gay and bisexual men. Instead of a broad-based ban, they call for screening based on individual risk practices, such having multiple sex partners or engaging in unsafe sex practices.

CHRIS JOHNSON

JUN E 0 5 , 2 0 2 0 • WAS H IN GTO N B LAD E.CO M • 1 5

Zambia president pardons gay couple The president of Zambia has pardoned a gay couple that was sentenced to 15 years in prison under the country’s colonial-era sodomy law.

Reuters reported the two men are among the upwards of 3,000 people who President Edgar Lungu pardoned on May 22 in commemoration of Africa Freedom Day, which marks the anniversary of the creation of the Organization of African Unity.

A Zambian court last fall sentenced the couple to 15 years in prison after they were convicted of “crimes against the order of nature.”

Then-U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote sharply criticized the sentence. The U.S. subsequently recalled him after Lungu condemned his comments.

Zambia is among the dozens of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain illegal.

President Trump last year tapped outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell to lead a campaign that encourages nations to decriminalize homosexuality.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Zambia President EDGAR LUNGU

(Photo by kremlin.ru via Wikimedia Commons)

New Puerto Rico civil code omits LGBTQ protections Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez on Monday signed a new Civil Code that LGBTQ activists have sharply criticized.

Vázquez in a statement referenced George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis who died last week after a police officer put his knee on his neck for more than eight minutes. Vázquez also quoted Martin Luther King, Jr. “Abuse, mistreatment, discrimination nor the violation of human rights in any way is neither acceptable nor permitted,” said Vázquez. “We all have a civic duty to respect that is fundamental in a peaceful society.”

Pedro Julio Serrano, founder of Puerto Rico Para Tod@s, a Puerto Rican LGBTQ advocacy group, in a statement noted the new Civil Code does not specifically mention LGBTQ Puerto Ricans.

“They removed the discrimination bans in order not to include sexual orientation and gender identity,” said Serrano. “When they gouge LGBTTIQ+ people’s eyes out, they gouge everyone’s eyes out.”

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz also criticized Vázquez.

“With this signature to the Civil Code, the governor makes it clear that she has no words,” said Cruz in a tweet with a screenshot that shows Vázquez signing the bill. “And worse, she creates the scenario for a rollback of our rights.”

Vázquez signed the new Civil Code against the backdrop of continued criticism of her administration’s response to the murders of nearly a dozen LGBTQ Puerto Ricans over the last year and a half.

Five transgender Puerto Ricans have been killed in the U.S. commonwealth since the beginning of 2020. These include Serena Angelique Velázquez and Layla Pelaz, two trans women who were murdered in April in Humacao

Puerto Rico Gov. WANDA VÁZQUEZ was widely criticized over the new code.

(Photo via Twitter)

before their bodies were placed inside a car that was set on fire.

Two men have been charged under the federal hate crimes law in connection with the trans women’s murders.

“Puerto Rico’s governor signed into law significant revisions to the island’s civil codes that shamefully ignore the urgent calls of local advocates to explicitly include vital, comprehensive non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ residents,” said Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David in a statement. “The government has failed to carry out its primary duty of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all Puerto Ricans, including LGBTQ Puerto Ricans.”

“This year, there has been an alarming uptick in killings of LGBTQ people on the island,” added David. “The government should be doubling down on passing legal protections for the LGBTQ community and sending a clear message that LGBTQ people’s lives are worthy of equal dignity and respect.”

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

1 6 • WAS H I NGTO NBLA D E.COM • J UNE 05, 2020 • I NTE R N ATI ONA L NE W S

Death threats for LGBTQ activists in Cuba HAVANA — An anonymous individual sent threats to activists and media correspondents of the Cuban LGBTI+ community this week. The threats were sent as direct messages from a false Facebook profile, which was reported to Facebook and deactivated soon after.

The artist Nonardo Perea, known for his activism for the free expression and freedom to work of artists in Cuba, wrote about these threats the next day in a piece for the Havana Times, They Threaten Me with Death: “On Saturday, May 23rd, I received death threats on my Facebook account, and not only were they threats against me. The person, under a false identity, also threatened that something could happen to my family, and it would look like an accident, or a medical problem.”

Perea, who left Cuba under duress and now lives in Spain, also pointed out that those threatened “are all part of the LGTBIQ community, and we also actively work in [social media.]”

The writer and journalist Jorge Ángel Pérez, who collaborates with Cubanet Noticias (Cubanet News), also spoke out on Facebook, having been threatened by the same profile with violence and public scandal.

Yet another of those threatened, Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, an activist who left Cuba under duress and now lives in the United States, published screenshots of his exchange with the same false profile. The screenshots revealed homophobic and serophobic content similar to that used against Perea, who also published images of the death threats he received.

In the cases of both Perea and Mayeta, the harasser seemed to have information about the activists’ private lives.

Maykel González Vivero, director of Tremenda Nota, also spoke out after receiving threats. In a Facebook post and a Facebook Live broadcast, he shared that he had been “threatened with death for practicing [independent] journalism in Cuba.”

In the broadcast, transmitted from Havana on the afternoon of Saturday, May 23, González Vivero blamed the incident on an operative of Cuba’s State Security apparatus.

Perea, in his piece for the Havana Times, blamed the Cuban government for greenlighting such harassment.

Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, an internationally famous Cuban dissident, died in the summer of 2012 in a traffic accident.

The journalist also shared in the broadcast that he “truly felt they had private information about me. I’ve never before felt my life was threatened in Cuba, but for a false profile like this to have such information about me is very dangerous.”

Last year Tremenda Nota reported other incidents of homophobic cyber harassment of media figures.

Nelson Julio Álvarez Mairata, known for his YouTube channel Nexy J Show, spoke out after being arrested and accused of “disturbing the public order.”

“The State Security kept my cell phone and hacked all my accounts,” he told Tremenda Nota at the time.

His Facebook profile was plastered with homophobic material and pro-government propaganda until it was deactivated, having been reported hacked by his colleagues and LGBTI+ activists.

TREMENDA NOTA

We are RENEWPR, a DC-based national public relations firm certified as an LGBT Business Enterprise by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

This Pride Month and every month, RENEWPR is proud to be part of the DC LGBTQ community. As we celebrate Pride, we remember and honor all of those who came before us who sacrificed so much to make Pride possible.

We know we have MUCH more work to do to ensure full and equal inclusion in society for all LGBTQ people and we’re committed to continuing to work with others to help secure it.

To learn more about us and our commitment to full LGBTQ equality, send us an email at info@renewpr.com, follow us on Twitter @RENEWPRAgency and like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/renewprllc.

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PETER ROSENSTEIN

PETER PAPPAS is president of Innovation Strategies. He served in the Obama-Biden administration as chief of staff of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and previously served in the Clinton White House and State Department.

Future of our democracy at stake in November Biden deserves our enthusiastic and unwavering support In any other era, the president’s response to the events of the last few days would be viewed as aberrant and appalling. But three and a half years of chaotic, incompetent and corrupt governance has so debased the presidency that many Americans have become wearily inured to this carnival presidency.

Welcome to another week in Trump’s America. The nation mourned the death of 100,000 souls, many of whom died needlessly because the president lied, denied and dithered, and then simply abdicated all responsibility. It was not surprising that he could not bring himself to mourn or comfort a grieving nation and chose instead to golf and to tweet his rosy counter-narrative of roaring recovery. As far as he was concerned, the coronavirus was in the rearview mirror and it was time to change the subject.

The same week George Floyd was asphyxiated by a white police officer as an audience of bystanders recorded his murder on their phones. The harrowing video captured the nonchalance with which a black life was yet again snuffed out.

Protests ensued and riots raged. The four officers were fired but none was arrested.

After days of protests and rioting, and a national outcry, the officer who killed Floyd was finally arrested. Such instances of police brutality are hardly new, but it bears noting that no other president has openly encouraged law enforcement to rough up suspects. No other president has condoned racism, misogyny and anti-Semitism. And no other president has fomented white grievance with clear overtones of white supremacy.

While Minneapolis and other cities burned, Trump took to Twitter to blame the Democratic mayor for the unrest and, essentially, for restraining the police from shooting the protesters. “When the looting starts, the shooting starts,” he tweeted, an incitement to violence that

was too much to countenance even for Twitter, Trump’s primary mouthpiece — his oxygen. He then proceeded to declare life-saving masks to be symbols of “slavery and social death” — a stunningly obscene comparison on so many levels.

Joe Biden spent the week differently.

He spoke with protesters while the president hid. He placed a wreath at a veterans’ memorial and spoke with compassion about the week’s tragedies.

He did what a president does and he acted like one. Yet Trump and his minions pounced on Biden for wearing a mask at the graveside, as if it were an affront to Trump’s absurd refusal to do so. Biden has also been lambasted for his unfortunate, flippant remark that blacks who are still unsure who to vote for “ain’t black.”

A gaffe to be sure and Biden quickly apologized for it. But to be accused of racial insensitivity by the grand master of it is rich. Biden’s lifetime missteps put together pale in comparison to the lies and vitriol spewed by Trump on any given day.

We have a president who is openly racist, who has contempt for the rule of law, who has incited violence, and who sat idly by, in denial, while a pandemic needlessly raged across the country. This president must be defeated if this country, as we know it, is to survive. In your eyes Joe Biden may not be perfect; neither perhaps was Hillary Clinton. But the overhyped e-mails that probably cost her the presidency seem trivial in hindsight.

And the result of the outsized focus on them is the disastrous presidency we are living through today. We can ill afford to make the same mistake again.

There is a world of difference between the worst of Biden’s faults and missteps, real and perceived, and Trump’s pathological dishonesty, callousness and manifest incompetence. Voters should not let themselves be swayed by meaningless distractions. The future of our democracy is at stake. Joe Biden will make a great president and he deserves our enthusiastic and unwavering support.

Those who lose sight of that will rue the day if Trump gets re-elected.

is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.

America, we’re at a tipping point Will we work to solve problems or follow Trump?

I join with those calling for the arrest and charging of the three additional officers who clearly stood by and let Officer Derek Chauvin murder George Floyd.

Police officers must be subject to the law and held accountable. We must demand from the overwhelming number of good officers, those who risk their lives every day to protect us, that they speak up when those in their ranks commit a crime.

We must do more. We must end the structural racism that has existed in our country from the day it was founded. We must make it easier for federal authorities to charge officers like Chauvin with a crime.

As Democrats we must tell the AfricanAmerican community what we will do to change and make their lives better when we get rid of Trump.

Always exacerbating the situation is the pig in the White House masquerading as a president. Instead of calling for calm, showing understanding, empathy and promising change, he threatens to use ‘vicious dogs’ and ‘ominous weapons’ against protesters. His small, warped mind cannot separate legitimate protesters, whose anger is real and totally understandable, from the few who would use the protests to riot. He cannot comprehend and refuses to acknowledge both racism and the structural racism that is prevalent in our society.

The words of this president have shocked many decent people, including D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who said she was “shaken” by Trump’s threat about unleashing “vicious dogs” on people protesting the death of George Floyd, saying it called up associations of segregationist violence.

Trump’s tweets and retweets including ones such as “A good Democrat is a dead Democrat” and “When the looting starts, the shooting starts” only made the situation worse. The president claimed he had no idea where the phrase “the shooting starts” he tweeted came from and I believe him.

He doesn’t read and doesn’t know history and is himself a racist. The phrase chilled the many who knew where it came from.

It has its history in the civil rights struggles of the 1960s, when “In late 1967, as armed robberies and unrest gripped black neighborhoods in Miami, the city’s white police chief — a tough-talking former U.S. Army Cavalry officer who parted his hair straight down the middle — held a news conference ‘declaring war’ on criminals.”

Then Chief Walter Headley warned he “would use shotguns and dogs at his command” and went on to say, “I’ve let the word filter down that when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”

We are at a tipping point in this great nation of ours. The question we must answer is will we begin to recognize some truths about the problems our nation faces and start to solve them, or will we continue down the road Trump is taking us on? A road leading to the sure destruction of our democracy forever. We cannot succeed as a nation if black men and boys cannot feel safe in our society. If every black parent has to think like the mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, who said, “When I saw the murder of George Floyd, I hurt like a mother would hurt. And yesterday, when I heard there were rumors about violent protests in Atlanta, I did what a mother would do, I called my son and I said ‘Where are you?’ I said, ‘I cannot protect you and black boys shouldn’t be out today.’”

My African-American friends with sons have told me they speak to them every day about how to act when they are outside knowing they face issues I can never even perceive of. If we are ever to reach a time when the words and promise of the preamble to our Constitution refers to all of us, not just those of us with white privilege, we must act and make changes now.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

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Reworking the rainbow U.S. cities think outside the box for Pride 2020 amidst pandemic

By KAELA ROEDER Pride festivals around the U.S. have been moved to virtual platforms, postponed or canceled altogether due to the coronavirus and social distancing requirements.

Because many events are being moved online, LGBT people and allies now have the option to attend Pride events all over the country.

Some organizations have opted for an extensive list of events for the entire month of June — such as Houston, Seattle and Los Angeles — while others have postponed the festivities or completely canceled events for the year, like Phoenix and Philadelphia.

New York City: The “NYC Pride Special Broadcast Event” is Sunday, June 28, from noon-2 p.m. EST. This broadcast on ABC7 will feature performances by Janelle Monáe, Deborah Cox, Billy Porter, Luísa Sonza and others. The grand marshals of this year’s NYC Pride include writer and producer Dan Levy, The Ali Forney Center and LGBT activists Yanzi Peng and Victoria Cruz. This year, NYC Pride “is committed to saluting front-line workers.” For more information, visit nycpride.org.

Los Angeles: The “L.A. Pride 50th Anniversary Celebration” is Saturday, June 13, from 7:30-9 p.m. PST to be broadcast on ABC7, iHeartRadio social platforms and local radio stations. iHeart Radio will also broadcast daily episodes throughout June featuring LGBT artists and activists and other Pride-related programming. iHeartRadio Los Angeles and the L.A. Pride association will also launch the “L.A. Pridecast” podcast in June, which will cover LGBT topics and feature a different member of the Los Angeles LGBT community each episode. Learn more about L.A. Pride at lapride.org.

San Francisco: The “S.F. Pride 2020 Online Celebration” will be held on Saturday, June 27 from 1-9 p.m., and Sunday, June 28 from 2-7 p.m. PST. The virtual event will include performances from celebrities, speeches from LGBT activists, DJ sets and drag performances. Learn more at sfpride.org.

Phoenix: The “40th Annual Phoenix Pride Festival” has been delayed to be celebrated in-person on Nov. 7-8. The festival is expected to have 150 entertainment performances and over 300 exhibitors displaying food, shopping and community resources. Learn more at phoenixpride.org.

Dallas: The “Dallas Pride 2020” board of directors has announced the event is going virtual and programming and dates are to be determined. Learn more at dallaspride. org.

Houston: The “2020 Houston LGBT+ Pride Celebration” in-person events have been moved to fall with dates to be announced. But there are several virtual events throughout the month of June, such as a Pride film festival on June 20 at noon, the “Rights of Human” conference with breakout sessions and presentations focused on transgender rights, immigration rights and more, “Pride Stars,” an LGBT talent competition and many other digital functions. Learn more at pridehouston.org.

Philadelphia: “Philly Pride” organizers have canceled the PrideDay Parade and Festival, and no virtual events have been scheduled. “OutFest,” an LGBT film festival scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 11, is still tentative. Learn more at phillygaypride.org.

Chicago: The Northalsted Business Alliance will host “Boystown’s Virtual Chicago Pride Fest” on June 20-21 from 7-9 p.m. CST streaming on the platform Twitch. The event will feature a lineup of entertainment and speeches from LGBT activists. The event is free but will be accepting donations benefitting the Center on Halsted, an LGBT community center, and Howard Brown Health, and LGBT health services center. Learn more at northalsted.com/pridefest.

Seattle: Seattle Pride has a series of events planned throughout June, like Pride book clubs in partnership with the Museum of Pop Culture and “Sans Bar Where You Are” hosted by DRY Soda & Sans Bar on June 19 at 5 p.m. PST on Facebook Live featuring drag queen karaoke and a panel discussion on the issues of sobriety in the LGBT community. There are also events for a younger crowd: “Youth Pink Prom & Pride 2020” hosted by Lambert House on Saturday, June 27 from 5-11 p.m. is specifically for ages 13-22 on the gaming platforms Minecraft Java Edition and Discord. Learn more at seattlepride.org.

“Trans Pride Seattle” organizers have scheduled virtual events for June 26-28, featuring live performances, workshops and film screenings with more details to be announced. Learn more at transprideseattle.org.

Portland: Portland Pride has scheduled virtual events throughout June. The Portland Pride Virtual Festival will take place on Saturday, June 13 from 4-6:30 p.m, featuring performances from local artists, speeches from elected officials and local LGBT organizations. Organizers will stream a recording of the 1999 Portland Pride Parade on Sunday, June 14 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m in “Parade Like it’s 1999!” Other events include karaoke events and performances from local drag queens. Learn more at portlandpride.org.

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Pride in the region

By PHILIP VAN SLOOTEN

NOVA Pride, Frederick Pride, Annapolis plan virtual, postponed events WASHINGTON Capital Pride #StillWe launches a virtual series of streamed events June and beyond through a partnership with The D.C. Center.

Programs include monthly online town halls, expanded resources available through its website and a shared community calendar. Pride 2020 Reimagined includes new Pride month programming as well as ongoing virtual versions of the D.C. Center’s Reel Affirmations film series, Outwrite Literary Festival and more.

For more information and a listing of events, visit capitalpride.org and thedccenter.org.

D.C. Youth Pride, which ordinarily would be this weekend, is cancelled.

D.C. Leather Pride has been postponed until further notice.

D.C. Trans Pride and Silver Pride (60 and older), usually held in May, may have fall events.

The Washington Blade hosts weekly Pride-themed live events each Thursday in June at 4 p.m. Visit the Blade’s Facebook page for details.

MARYLAND Annapolis Pride has cancelled its second annual parade and festival due to COVID-19 concerns and gathering restrictions. But in its place will be an online event live-streamed via YouTube and Facebook on June 27 at 4 p.m. Participants are encouraged to turn their home into a “float” and show off Pride-themed outfits during the virtual event. Visit annapolispride. org to register and for more information.

Baltimore Pride 2020, originally scheduled for Saturday, June 20, has been postponed to either August or September, depending how the COVID-19 situation in Maryland and globally unfolds. The community is encouraged to monitor the Baltimore Pride website for further updates.

Frederick Pride events have been postponed due to pandemic concerns. On Sunday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. the rescheduled parade will travel along Carroll Creek Linear Park in historic downtown Frederick. Vendor registration is now open at frederickpride.org. News about Pride events and entertainers will be posted at a later date.

Howard County Pride has been postponed due to the spread of the coronavirus.

However, they are planning virtual drag queen story times, poetry slams, a talent show and other virtual events throughout Pride month. For more information, email info@hocopride. org or visit howardcountypride.org.

Hagerstown Pride plans a virtual Pride Festival on Saturday, July 18 at 11:30 a.m. Details at hagerstownhopesmd.org.

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VIRGINIA Hampton Roads Pride announced on its Facebook page a decision to postpone its 32nd Annual PrideFest, ninth annual Pride Block Party and second annual Pride at the Beach all scheduled for June 19-21, 2020 due to pandemic-related health concerns. New dates have not been announced.

However, Pride Night at Harbor Park hosted by Hampton Roads Pride and the Norfolk Tides has been rescheduled to August 26 at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $13 on Ticketmaster.

Continue to monitor this event’s Facebook page for any changes due to COVID-19.

Ghent Pride, presented by the Ghent Business Association and Hampton Pride, has not announced dates for this year’s event. The public is invited to monitor ghentpride.com and its Facebook page for updates as pandemic guidance evolves.

Winchester Pride is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24 at noon in the Downtown Walking Mall. Its third annual Pride celebration will include guest speakers, entertainment and more. For details and information about this event, the Miss Winchester Pride Pageant scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 29, or for possible postponements or adjustments, visit winchesterpridecelebration.com.

NOVA Pride, usually in August, is cancelled.

Reston Pride is cancelled.

Shenandoah Valley Pride hopes to have its event on Saturday, Sept. 19 from noon-6 p.m. Details at shenandoahvalleypride.org.

VA Pride (Richmond) is also looking to fall with a Sept. 26 event. Details at vapride.org.

WEST VIRGINIA Eastern Panhandle Pride in Shepherdstown, W.Va., is postponed indefinitely. Look for the organization on Facebook later in the year for updates. “Alternatives” are being considered, organizers said.

INTERNATIONAL Global Pride is June 27 and is an international response to multiple Pride cancellations due to the ongoing global health crisis. This first-ever gathering of the worldwide LGBTQ community includes an impressive slate of speakers to include the President of Costa Rica, Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil of India and more. The show will be livestreamed on the Global Pride website and YouTube, and will be free to view. More information is available at globalpride2020.org.

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Youth reflect on their first Pride Remember the roots of LGBT activism amid celebrations

By KAELA ROEDER LGBT rights are rooted in rebellion. But my Pride experience last June was filled with drinking, rainbow apparel, musical performances and parade floats. There was no rebellion and little advocacy to be seen, even though LGBT people of color, especially transgender individuals, are targeted, abused and murdered at skyrocketing rates.

I have a privileged life as a white, cisgender bisexual woman. I celebrated my first Pride month last year in Washington: I had recently come out to my friends and family and was eager to spend a weekend celebrating my identity, but this excitement was short-sighted. I expected to witness rallying for the needed expansion of LGBT rights, but instead it was a simple celebration of our progress thus far.

It does not matter what Pride means to me on an individual level. My experience in coming out was relatively smooth, and I have never struggled with violence or systemic inequalities that countless transgender individuals and LGBT people of color endure every day.

We cannot rejoice this June in our privileged identities while so many in our same community suffer.

Aimee Stephens was fired from her job for being transgender. Monika Diamond was murdered. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were pushed out of the LGBT rights movement, even though they were leaders of the Stonewall rebellion.

For white LGBT people, being an ally means remembering and spreading the history of our movement. Transgender women of color were the leaders at Stonewall, and the uprising was rooted in anguish and the rejection of institutional norms.

I urge white LGBT allies to take an honest look at the present. We can no longer sit quietly while transgender people are violently murdered and fired from their jobs for being themselves while myself and many others enjoy the same freedoms with little repercussions.

While celebrating identities is freeing, we cannot ignore the violence that many still endure. This Pride month, let’s work to lift marginalized individuals among us. Let’s remember where Pride month stemmed from.

Kaela Roeder is a Blade intern and journalism student at American University.

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A scene from last year’s Capital Pride festival.

My picket-fenced first Pride

By JOSHUA KELLER “I’m just like you,” said my newly out and proud self to my formerly ashamed self as I reflected on my first Pride.

Seeing all these happy people dressed in rainbow colors proved to me that being gay is nothing to be scared of. In fact, all the good things I’ve been watching on TV all these years must be true. I can have a boyfriend, just like Kurt and Blaine. Maybe I’ll even get married one day and have a baby, just like Mitch and Cam. I can have a normal life, whew.

Seeing Time make its cover a picture of a nice young mayor and his husband posing in front of a white picket fence added to my relief at knowing that being gay doesn’t prevent me from living a perfectly respectable, assimilated life.

If only I could find a way to be just gay enough to prove that I’m proud of it, then I could still be “the best little boy in the world” who just happens to like boys.

My first Pride was about proving to myself that being gay did not make me a fundamentally different person. I now know that being gay is not an isolated part of me that I can take out for a parade each June, it informs everything I do. Pride for me is now a time to celebrate being a part of what Ned Weeks in “The Normal Heart” described as a culture that includes some of history’s greatest leaders, artists and thinkers.

This month, I’ll take Larry Kramer over “Love, Simon” as a guide for how to show my pride.

Joshua Keller is a Blade fellow and journalism student at Washington University in St. Louis.

THE TEAM AT SMYAL

BRIAN WENKE

is executive director of the It Gets Better Project.

‘It’s gay Pride, fool!’

Discovering my first Pride in LA changed me forever I was 17 years old when I came out to my mother. We were watching TV. As she adjusted the pillows during a commercial break, I blurted out, “mom, I’m gay!” She froze as she was tucking a pillow between her legs and stared at me for what felt like an eternity. Her face softened a bit, and she said, “I support you, and I love you no matter what…but, I am afraid for you. The world is a scary place for gay people.”

I am afraid for you. It was an unintentional punch to the gut, and it stuck with me for years. But, I understood her concern. It was a dark time for gay men. HIV infection rates were on the rise, and the disease was quickly becoming a leading cause of death for young men. Everyone was afraid, and it was a dominant feature of my coming out experience. It took me what seemed like a lifetime to acknowledge my sexual orientation and many more years to feel safe with the physical expression of it.

The next few years were difficult.

I grappled with my own internalized homophobia and depression, but I persevered by clinging to a shred of hope that there was meaning to be found. And, sure enough, it was – and it landed on my lap in California.

I discovered Pride in 1997. I had recently moved to Los Angeles and found an apartment on the edge of West Hollywood. As June approached, I noticed an upswing in activity all around me. Businesses were hanging rainbow

flags and signs with messages of support for residents. During a local happy hour, I asked a bartender what it was all about and was flashed a look of shock before he responded with a laugh, “it’s gay Pride, fool!” It was the beginning of a tidal change in my life. I stumbled into the meaning I was looking for.

I compare my first Pride experience to Dorothy stepping out from her black and white life in Kansas into the technicolor world of Oz. There was beauty, weirdness, and joy all rolled up into a giant celebration of life. It was overwhelming, but it gave me a profound sense of community. It opened me up to the simple fact that I was not alone. There were others, just like me, who fought or were fighting their own battles to own and celebrate their worthiness. Pride was the forum I needed to release my fear, to fill the reserves of hope, and to embrace my true self in the company of others doing the exact same thing.

I now get to help other young LGBTQ+ people find the joy in their personal journeys through the work of the It Gets Better Project, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting, empowering, and connecting LGBTQ+ youth around the world. I reflect daily on how my life has unfolded, and I feel truly blessed to have the means to bring community to young LGBTQ+ people every day. Coming out is tough, but no one has to do it alone.

Whether online or in-person, Pride has the power to connect all LGBTQ+ people to a deeper sense of meaning for themselves and their community.

For more information and to support the work of the It Gets Better Project, visit www.itgetsbetter.org.

For more than 35 years, SMYAL has worked to empower LGBTQ youth.

Learn more at smyal.org.

Ways to take action, honor Pride this month Study history, surround yourself with community Pride looks very different this year, and quite honestly, there doesn’t feel like there is a lot to celebrate. Parades and festivals have been postponed because of a pandemic. Our city, and cities across the country, are pushing back against police brutality, racism, and systems of oppression.

As we enter Pride month, we must acknowledge the deep wounds that have brought us here; wounds that the LGBTQ community knows well. As protests and collective actions in the face of injustice forge ahead, we are reminded of the history of Pride, reminded of how trans women of color led protests against police brutality, and reminded that these fights are long from over.

Today, we want to offer ways that you can take action and honor your first Pride in today’s context: Take Care of Yourself This means emotionally, mentally, and physically. Listen to yourself and if you feel overwhelmed or need to take a break, do so. Self-care comes first.

Learn the History of Pride Pride is rooted in a deep history of claiming space for ourselves and fighting for the rights of our community. Pride is celebrated in June as it commemorates the Stonewall Riots that

began in the early hours on June 28th, 1969 when police raided the Stonewall Inn. What followed were days of protest led by trans women of color. The first parade was celebrated in 1970, just a year later, and is now marked throughout June across the country. Learning this history can help you better understand the significance of Pride today.

Surround Yourself with Community Know your capacity to interact with others, either in person or over social media. Build a supportive community around yourself of people who affirm you and are there to listen and support you through this time.

Feel What You Need to Feel This year especially. There are things to be proud of and celebrate, but there is also plenty to be enraged and saddened by. Feel anger, feel grief, feel motivated.

Give yourself the grace to feel what you need to feel.

Support Your Community Do your research, learn what actions are being taken in your city, share information, uplift voices of color, educate others, speak out. Get involved, either as a volunteer as a donor, with LGBTQ organizations that are working to support, house, and feed queer and trans people of color.

The first Pride was a riot rooted in community and collective action. This work does not, and cannot, end in June.

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Larry Kramer’s artistic legacy

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com

LARRY KRAMER in 2007.

(Photo by David Shankbone via Wikimedia)

Fueled by anger, gay iconoclast used writing to great effect Larry Kramer holds a singular place in LGBTQ history — he’s remembered equally for both his art and activism and the two are inextricably linked. Today we focus on the former and revisit what Hollywood and Washington and New York theater people have to say about the gay iconoclast who died May 27 at 84 of pneumonia in Manhattan.

Looming over his canon is, of course, his autobiographical 1985 play “The Normal Heart,” which depicts the rise of the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York from 1981-1984 through the eyes of writer/activist Ned Weeks, the gay founder of an advocacy group.

It ran Off-Broadway in the ‘80s, but was revived on Broadway in 2011. Ryan Murphy directed a star-studded 2014 TV adaptation that aired on HBO. Gay playwright Tony Kushner wrote in the May 30 New York Times that Kramer, a Washington native who left when he went to Yale at age 18, wanted to be known as an artist.

“Sometimes he’d say that nothing mattered more to him than being respected as an artist,” Kushner, who had an off-and-on friendship with Kramer, wrote. “I believe that he was an extraordinary writer and I also believe that he sacrificed for the sake of his unceasing activism some of what he might have accomplished artistically.”

Kushner also acknowledges “deep indebtedness” to Kramer “as a writer.”

“I was indebted to him as a gay man and as a citizen. As a person who tries to stay politically engaged, I was in awe of him,” Kushner writes.

Other artists who commented on Kramer include: • Elton John who called Kramer’s passing the “saddest news.” “We have lost a

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giant of a man who stood up for gay rights like a warrior,” he tweeted and shared on Instagram. “His anger was needed at a time when gay men’s deaths to AIDS were being ignored by the American government … a tragedy that made the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and ACT UP movements so vital. He never stopped shouting about the injustices against us. His voice was the loudest and the most effective.”

• “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda said he doesn’t “know a soul who saw or read ‘The Normal Heart’ and came away unmoved, unchanged. … What an extraordinary writer, what a life.”

• Chelsea Clinton tweeted that reading “The Normal Heart” “as a kid changed my life and I was completely overwhelmed when I first met its author during its 2011 Broadway run.”

• Actor Mark Ruffalo, who starred in the TV adaptation, tweeted, “Rest in power, king!”

• Julia Roberts, also in “The Normal Heart,” called Kramer “ferocious and tireless in his beliefs,” in a statement to Variety. “A true hero that so many people owe their lives to today. I was honored to spend time in his orbit.”

• Andy Cohen, who’s gay, tweeted “God bless you, Larry Kramer. Everyone in the LGBTQ community owes you a debt of gratitude.”

• Out actor Zachary Quinto tweeted that “every single out and proud gay man stands on the shoulders of Larry Kramer for his tireless advocacy, his searing intellect, his lifelong commitment to equality and his singular impact on the fight against HIV/ AIDS. We would literally not be where we are without him and now without him we must

The cast of Larry Kramer’s landmark play ‘The Normal Heart’ at Arena Stage in June, 2012.

(Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy Arena)

carry on. His work is far from over … now it is all of our work. May he rest in peace.”

• Lesbian actress/comedian Rosie O’Donnell tweeted that he was “invincible” and that his death is “heartbreaking.”

• Out columnist/activist Dan Savage tweeted that Kramer “valued every gay life at a time when so many gay men had been rendered incapable of caluaing our own lives.

He ordered us to love ourselves and each other and to fight for our lives. He was a hero.”

• Local gay author/newspaper editor (The Falls Church News Press) Nicholas Benton wrote in an op-ed that Kramer, with whom he was friends, was “a charming, funny and highly intellectual person who never stopped cautioning his fellow gay men about the risks and dangers of unprotected and uncautious sex, not because he was a prude or a hater, but because he was a passionate lover of his fellow human beings.”

• Actress Ellen Barkin, who won a Tony for her work in the 2011 Broadway production of “The Normal Heart,” tweeted that Kramer “changed me in the same way he changed the world with love, compassion and an indomitable spirit. He taught me the meaning of the word resist and how one person can change the world. I will keep fighting Larry, just like you taught us. SILENCE=DEATH.” • Out actor Anthony Rapp tweeted that he met Kramer as a teen during a reading of his play “The Destiny of Me.” “Getting to converse with him and soak up some of his incredible energy was galvanizing and was one of the main reasons I then chose to live my life as a publicly out actor at a time when few did.”

• Trans writer/TV host Janet Mock tweeted, “Rest in power to an icon and true fighter until the very end. We thank you, Larry Kramer.”

• Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith called Kramer “a firebrand” and said “his loss is deeply felt and oh we need more Larry Kramers in our world right now,” in a comment to the Blade.

“When Arena produced ‘The Normal Heart’ in 2012, decades after it first played and made its impact, Larry had lost none of his fire. He was handing out pamphlets to people on the sidewalk. He was unstoppable. Sometimes that ruffled more than a few

feathers, but he was determined to get his point across.”

Smith also said, “He changed the world and is proof of the incredible impact one person can make through their work and action.”

• Actor Matt Bomer who starred in the TV adaptation of “The Normal Heart” wrote on Instagram that Kramer’s writing was “bold, courageous and urgent. It educated, stirred people to action and saved lives.” He also called Kramer “a towering intellect and an amazing wit. My time with you is something I will treasure for the rest of my life.”

• Out screenwriter Dustin Lance Black tweeted that, “Larry Kramer’s rage helped lift us out of invisibility. It was an honor to know him. Today our movement has lost one of its greatest fighters.”

• Actress Jamie Lee Curtis tweeted that, “He was a warrior when there was nothing but fear. We all owe him a debt.”

Kramer, who lived with AIDS for more than 30 years, kept sharing his message throughout his life. In a letter he handed out himself to patrons attending the Broadway production and included in the press packet for the 2012 Arena Stage production, Kramer shared the following: “Please know that AIDS is a worldwide plague. Please know that no country in the world, including this one, especially this one, has ever called it a plague or acknowledged it as a plague or dealt with it as a plague. Please know that there is no cure. Please know that after all this time, the amount of money being spent to find a cure is still minuscule, still almost invisible, still impossible to locate in any national health budget and still totally uncoordinated.”

A Blade review of the 2012 Arena Stage production of “The Normal Heart” said the play was “aging well, breathtakingly so,” long-time Blade theater critic Patrick Folliard wrote. He called Arena’s production “powerfully searing” and praised the “terrific cast.”

Joey DiGuglielmo is the Washington Blade’s features editor. He interviewed Larry Kramer at length in 2015 in a piece titled “Larry Kramer’s magnum opus.”

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What’s your social media pet peeve?

Oversharing content. Think quality over quantity!

What would the end of the LGBTQ movement look like to you?

I do not believe movements ever end.

I only believe they advance. We are always continuing to refine how we are treated and how we treat others.

QUEERY Mick Bullock

What’s the most overrated social custom?

That rose wine can only be enjoyed in the summer. I mean why not enjoy some rose during a blistering snowstorm?

What was your religion, if any, as a child and what is it today?

I grew up in the church and was third generation Church of God or Pentecostal.

What’s D.C.’s best hidden gem?

Rock Creek Park, especially its plethora of running trails.

What’s been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?

The closest I get to NASCAR is “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

What celebrity hardest?

Princes Diana

(Photo courtesy Bullock)

QUEERY: Mick Bullock The D.C. Front Runners coordinator answers 20 queer questions

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com Mick Bullock ran off and on since high school but got more serious about it in the last few years since moving to Washington six years ago and joining the D.C. Front Runners.

“It’s an opportunity to put everything else aside and enjoy the outdoors,” the Columbia, Miss., native says. “Clear your head, put your phone down and enjoy the scenery. Especially in the summer with all the shirtless men.”

The Front Runners have bumped their annual Pride Run 5k to Oct. 10 but they still wanted to do something for Pride month so they’re planning a virtual Run for Love June 13-22 in which they’ll raise money through $30 registration fees for local LGBT charities. Last year’s Pride run had 1,600 participants and raised $40,000.

This year’s charities are the Wanda Alston Foundation, Casa Ruby, Teens Run D.C., The Blade Foundation, Ainsley’s Angels and the Team D.C. Scholarship Fund.

Details at runforlovedc.com. Runners will submit times by June 21 and a virtual awards ceremony will be held online.

Bullock works as a public affairs director for the National Conference of State Legislatures. He’s been with partner Justin Fritscher, also a runner, for 12 years.

They live together in Adams Morgan.

Bullock enjoys running, traveling, food and wine in his free time.

How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?

My dad was the toughest to tell. Dad actually visited me my first year after

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moving to D.C. and I told him then over some beers. He was so cool with it and was like, “Yeah I know, you have one bed in your apartment.” And he already knew Justin, my partner, and they bonded over Cajun cooking.

Who’s your LGBTQ hero?

My fellow Mississippian — Lance Bass What LGBTQ stereotype most annoys you?

That LGBTQ people are not athletic, give me a break.

What’s your proudest professional achievement?

Earning my master’s degree.

What terrifies you?

The unknown.

What’s something trashy or vapid you love?

McDonald’s coffee What’s your greatest domestic skill?

Cleaning the condo. Justin is the cook.

What’s your favorite LGBTQ movie or show?

“The Birdcage!”

death

hit

you

If you could redo one moment from your past, what would it be?

There was this time my mom did question me about my sexuality in a heated discussion and I denied it when I knew deep down it was true. I wish I would have been truthful with her.

What are your obsessions?

Staying fit and healthy.

Finish this sentence — It’s about damn time: … dry January is over.

What do you wish you’d known at 18?

That being gay was not wrong. And knowing that one day I was going to meet the love of my life and travel the world together.

Why Washington?

It’s a large city but small enough to be personal. When I first moved to D.C. from Mississippi, I never would have thought that I would love this city as much as I do.

I honestly can’t imagine living anywhere else. Everytime we run on the Mall and I see the U.S. Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial I think, “Wow this is home.”

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CALENDAR

OUT&ABOUT

BY PHILIP VAN SLOOTEN

Protest march planned Sunday A D.C. Black Lives Matter March is Sunday, June 7 at 3 p.m. beginning at Dupont Circle.

This peaceful march is planned in protest of the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and others who are victims of race-based violence over the past few years and to call for additional police training as well as other institutional reforms.

For more information, visit this event’s Facebook page.

Free Linda Ronstadt doc

Singer LINDA RONSTADT is the subject of a new documentary being screened for free online.

(Photo courtesy PCH Films)

TODAY A Protest to End Police Brutality in America is today at 3 p.m. in front of the White House. For more information, visit this event’s Facebook page.

SMYAL’s Q Chat Space for LGBTQ Youth is today at 4 p.m. This virtual chat space for queer youth ages 13-19 is available via qchatspace.org and his hosted on Discord. Visit smyal.org for more information on this and other events.

Pitch a Queer: Quarantine Edition is tonight at 8 p.m. This event offers friends the opportunity to sell a single friend via PowerPoint and Facebook live to an interested virtual audience. For more information, visit this event’s Facebook page.

Saturday, June 6

Scorpio Entertainment presents Virtual Dance Party 5.0 Pride Night tonight at 8:30 p.m. DJ Edward Daniels hosts this dance-party concert featuring DJ Tezrah, international hoop artist Zbu and singer Tiffany Lyn Royster. To RSVP, visit scorpiodjs.com.

Sunday, June 7

“Genderosity” hosted by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington has been postponed from its original March dates to tonight at

8 p.m. at the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.). While a few pandemic restrictions have been lifted, it is still uncertain if this concert will continue as scheduled. Ticket holders should visit gmcw.org for updates and more information.

Monday, June 8

true events. For more information, email info@storydistrict.org.

Wednesday, June 10

Drag Story Time: Reading is FUNdamental!, a Facebook Live event is today at 1 p.m. Creative Alliance invites parents to bring their children for an afterlunch event featuring some of Baltimore’s drag performers. More information on this event, including venmo information to tip the performers, is on the Creative Alliance Facebook page.

Our Time is Now: A Virtual Conversation with Stacey Abrams hosted by Sixth and I is tonight at 7 p.m.

Tickets for this online event start at $10.

Abrams ran as the Democratic nominee for governor in Georgia in 2018 and will speak about voter suppression and citizen empowerment. For tickets and information, visit this event on Eventbrite.

Urban Uprisings: Then and Now hosted by Profs and Pints Online is tonight at 7 p.m. This virtual discussion is moderated by Ashley Howard, an assistant professor of history and African American studies at the University of Iowa and a scholar of urban unrest in the 1960s. Tickets are $12 via the event’s Facebook page.

Tonight is Virtual Trivia Night at 7 p.m. hosted by Red Bear Brewing via Zoom. Interested participants can purchase $10 tickets at redbear.beer. store. All prizes can be picked up at Red Bear Brewing. For tickets and information, visit redbear.beer.

Thursday, June 11

Story District’s Out/Spoken hosted by Capital Pride, Team Rayceen Productions and Whitman-Walker Health is scheduled for tonight at 7:30 p.m. This event will be live streamed on YouTube and will feature a diverse group of LGBTQ individuals sharing stories of

The Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company performs “Hyphen,” a 25-minute dance integrating the work of video artist Nam June Paik, via web video. This work explores the concept of a “hyphenated person” such as AsianAmerican and how hyphens connect and disconnect identities. For more information, visit dtsbdc.org.

Tuesday, June 9

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The documentary “Linda Ronstadt: the Sound of My Voice” will be presented free now through June 10 in a special online presentation from nonprofit BrightFocus Foundation.

The film follows one of the world’s best-selling artists as she defied genres and paved the way for her own sound and place in the world. Illustrated with concert footage, interviews with musical legends like Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Jackson Browne and narrated by Ronstadt herself, viewers will learn of her glorious career rise and untimely retirement in 2011 due to a neurodegenerative disease.

As bonus materials, the at-home movie night will feature an introduction from producer James Keach, as well as key scientists discussing their research funded

by BrightFocus Foundation on ending diseases of mind and sight.

Blade plans Pride editions For decades, the Blade has run one main Capital Pride edition each June. But because of coronavirus restrictions and the cancellation of the Capital Pride parade and festival, we’re instead planning Pride content in each of our June papers. There will also be a live webchat devoted to each that will happen at 4 p.m. EST the day prior to publication.

Today’s edition has Pride content on pages 21-25 in case you missed it.

In the June 12 edition, the topic will be “Pride in business.” A webchat will be held on Thursday, June 11 at 4 p.m. EST with various guests.

In the June 19 edition, the topic will be “reflections of Pride.” The webchat will be on Thursday, June 18 at 4 p.m. EST. In the June 26 edition, we’ll examine “global virtual Pride.” A webchat will happen on Thursday, June 25 at 4 p.m. EST with officials from Capital Pride, L.A. Pride and others TBD. Links to the webchats will be published each week on the Blade’s Facebook page.

Welcome to 603 North St. Asaph - $885,000 Arts and Crafts Meets Industrial Chic

Portner’s Brewery was originally a four-story industrial property housing the Robert Portner Brewing Company from 1865 through 1916 when prohibition ceased its operations. In 1999, it was reinvented as unique, loft-style residences that still retain the strong visual association to its industrial heritage. The owners of this fabulous property have embraced that heritage with unmatched custom finishes that work with any style.

MAIN LIVING LEVEL

The drama starts here with wide rooms, abundant light, and superb detailing at every turn. Twelve-foot ceilings with oversized palladium windows frame tree top views. Arts & Crafts interior woodwork and doors, stained to capitalize on the beauty of the wood, set the tone for a casually elegant lifestyle.

Form and function have equal weight. Natural light accentuates the exposed brick walls, wood flooring, antique metals accents, and warm wood finishes. Bronze, brass, and copper complement the wood tones. A pulley wheel for the double fans delivers a powerful graphic punch. Note the handrails and newels – bronze, brass, and copper with antique patina add a clean, cool, functional sensibility, and lend just the right nod to the location’s industrial roots. Natural light pours in at each landing while still maintaining privacy.

The kitchen is a culinary work of art and will satisfy the most discerning chef. With its adjoining dining room, it offers unsurpassed entertaining options. Casual suppers with friends or dinner for eight, it is your place to create great memories.

Viking gas range, wine cooler, paneled fridge, floor-to-ceiling cabinets, and task and ambient lighting.

One-of-a-kind concrete countertops with unique edge profile and embeds, slate and wood flooring, smashing backsplash No outdoor view is sacrificed with your window seat overlooking the terrace - perfect for morning coffee or evening cocktails. Don’t miss the extra storage The powder room with up-lit amber vessel sink creates a distinctly polished look.

UPPER LEVEL 1 : GUEST SUITE/OFFICE

Built-in desks for 2 Wall-to-wall bookshelves Walk -in closet Full bath with window, jetted soaking tub, generous storage, linen closet Custom window shades Wall-to-wall sliding glass doors to private brick-walled terrace.

UPPER LEVEL 2: OWNER’S SUITE

SUSAN TAYLOR

Realtor e. susan@callsusantaylor.com t. 703 927 3000 t. 703 286 1178 Lifetime Top Producer McEnearney Associates 109 South Pitt Street Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Relax overlooking the treetops in this owner’s suite that fits a king with ease and room to lounge.

10’ Ceilings Wall-to-wall window with custom blinds Thoughtful custom cabinetry with mega-storage and lighting Recessed lighting and ceiling fan Two walk-in closets Custom-designed vanity with concrete counter, vessel sink, designer tile and lighting Laundry

LOCATION

This sophisticated residence is in luxuriously convenient reach of all that makes DC Metro distinctive. Ideally located one block east of Washington and six blocks north of King Street, it is a “walker’s paradise” with Trader Joe’s across the street, Harris Teeter one block away, and a pleasant stroll to the shops, restaurants, and galleries that rank Old Town the 5th best downtown in the nation. It is approximately a 7-block walk to Metrorail, 15 minute drive to DC, and a 10 minute drive to the new Amazon Headquarters.

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Gaga just so-so on new album ‘Chromatica’ Indigo Girls shine, Adam nails it and Perfume Genius — wtf?

By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO joeyd@washblade.com Lady Gaga Chromatica (1/2 out of four) Streamline/Interscope

Although Lady Gaga has never had an out-and-out bomb, she lost her footing a bit with her 2013 album “Artpop.”

Her fans point to its decent chart performance (it debuted at no. 1 and went platinum) and say that’s more perception than reality, but she was starting to experience a law of diminishing returns. The danceclub hits and outrageous fashion upon which she built her brand, didn’t resonate the same way five years into her career.

She wisely recognized that and veered hard left making an album with Tony Bennett (of all people; 2014’s “Cheek to Cheek”), recapturing the pop culture zeitgeist with movie debut “A Star is Born” (pleasantly, she actually can act) and go mellow and subdued with her last studio album, 2016’s more singer/songwriter-oriented “Joanne.”

“Chromatica” (out May 29) is her official return to form. It all goes down breezily enough — it’s an easy, catchy listen — yet it’s also not quite the reclaiming of the pop diva throne she clearly intended it to be. It’s good, not great; her fans will love it and it will make a respectable chart dent but creatively she’s painted herself into a corner. You can’t build a whole career on stunt casting — the meat dress! the Tony Bennett duets! “American Horror Story”! a “normal” album from kooky Gaga!

Eventually you have to return to the business of doing what it is you supposedly do and a decade in to her admittedly impressive career, it feels like she’s reaching the bottom of her bag of creative tricks. “Chromatica” suggests to me we’ll look back on her in 50 years more as a Petula Clark (the singer of a decent string of era-defining standards)-type figure rather than a Bette Midler or, heck, even a Kelly Clarkson.

Gaga takes the “Confessions on a Dancefloor” approach here — there’s not a ballad in the batch. Track after track — first single “Stupid Love,” “Plastic Doll,” “Replay” and dozens more — are full of big, luscious, vaguely ’80s-tinged club beats courtesy of producer BloodPop (Justin Bieber, Britney Spears), et. al., and melodies that take advantage of her impressive set of lungs. The lady can sing — nobody is arguing otherwise.

But it all gets a little samey sounding by the album’s end and a trio of orchestral interludes (dubbed “Chromatica,” “Chromatica II” and “Chromatica III”) sound like they were yanked off some poor man’s Ralph Vaughan Williams imitation attempt and tacked on for contrast and gravitas. They backfire though, sounding like ludicrous non sequiturs.

plaintive title cut (in which they sound vocally as lovely as Emmylou Harris) and sonic curveball “Favorite Flavor.” Musically overall, this is Americana.

Topics are lyrically varied. “Feel This Way Again” is an urge to teens to savor emotions, album closer “Sorrow and Joy” is a wellcrafted examination of ‘80s-era politics and it varies outward from there. Only occasionally (the chorus of “Flavor” or the slightly cloying “Country Radio”) do things feel a tad forced.

Perfume Genius Set My Heart on Fire Immediately (1/2) Matador

In fairness, though, could this be one of those magical albums that just needs time to seep into your pores? An album you endure on the first listen but can’t get enough of three months later? It’s a fair question, but I’m going with no. Texture solely for the sake of texture — and that’s what this feels like — just isn’t enough for me.

Adam Lambert Velvet (1/2) Empire Distribution

Indigo Girls Look Long (1/2) Rounder Records

It’s easy to take the Indigo Girls for granted. Although it’s been five years since their last studio album (2015’s “One Lost Day”), they keep busy with constant (preCOVID-19) touring, regular solo outings from both members (Emily Saliers and Amy Ray, both lesbians) and even a live symphony album “Indigo Girls Live with the University of Colorado Symphony Orchestra” (2018).

Their new album “Long Look,” (May 22) however, is a pleasant reminder that not only are they greater vocally than the sum of their parts — their harmonies are truly heavenly — their songwriting is so assured and mature, they’re doing some of their best work now ages after aging (sadly) out of commercial relevance. John Reynolds, who also produced their 1999 album “Come On Now Social,” is back at the reins.

Standout cuts are the groovey, swampy opener “Shit Kickin,’” dance-around-thecampfire-esque “Howl at the Moon,” the

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Perfume Genius (aka Michael Hadreas) is back with his fifth album (it dropped midMay) and while it’s more accessible (which isn’t saying much) than his previous efforts — some tracks actually feel like songs — it’s still a tough listen and something you have to be in the mood for.

Atmospherically, there’s a lot here to appreciate — the dreamy, ethereal “Whole Life,” the gauzy, fuzzy rock guitars on “Describe,” the retro organ underpinnings of “One More Try” and so on. One senses here that no instrumental choice or sonic effect was chosen haphazardly; Hadreas (38 and gay) and producer Blake Mills (who returns after 2017’s “No Shape”) took obvious care and mood and texture, to them, is everything (it certainly trumps melody and tempo).

The degree to which you like this album will be proportional to how much avant garde you can stomach. I tried to just close my eyes and savor it on its own terms but I also couldn’t wait for it to be over. The too-precious-byhalf, whispery falsetto vocals on “Jason,” the plodding, uncategorizable “Your Body Changes Everything” and the sonic whiplash of “Some Dream,” which sounds like silly nonsense, had me itching to go put on some Jonas Brothers.

An album you might have missed (somehow I did) that dropped in late March is the new Adam Lambert project “Velvet,” the gay “American Idol” runner-up’s fourth.

Lambert here manages to hit that sonic sweet spot where the production sounds both retro yet uber contemporary. There’s a funky, groovy, ’70s/Stax vibe here but also a 2020-kind of top coat on everything that sounds utterly of the moment.

Stylistically it’s still varied. “Superpower” is slutty and all attitude, “Loverboy” is a neodisco shuffle, “Comin’ in Hot” is slinky and skanky and “Love Don’t” is a gritty rocker.

“Ready to Run” has rock swagger and gospel organ accents. First single “Roses,” a duet with Nile Rodgers (of Chic) has lovely hooks and atmosphere to spare. It’s a romantic kiss-off to a lover who offers gestures but little else.

There are only a handful of slow songs, a straightforward piano ballad (“Closer to You”) and closer “Feel Something,” the album’s only pensive, moody moment.

Only occasionally and fleetingly does Lambert fumble — a weak chorus on “New Eyes,” a couple spots where the hooks aren’t quite enough to undergird the swagger and energy, but even then, Lambert’s whale of a voice — his calling card — are enough to sustain pleasure throughout. This is my summer car album for sure.

You belong in Hunt Country

The moment you visit, you’ll feel a sense of belonging that makes you want to put down roots. In business since 1967, Thomas & Talbot’s number-one ranking in Hunt Country comes as no surprise based on our long-standing relationships in the area. In addition to locating your perfect home, we introduce you and those you love to a most desirable way of life. Visit our website today and if you’re interested in seeing a particular property, please contact us. Stop longing and start belonging. We are here and pleased to show properties with social distancing in mind.

THOMAS & TALBOT REAL ESTATE Opening the door to Hunt Country for generations 2 South Madison Street | PO Box 500 | Middleburg, VA 20118 | Office: 540-687-6500 | Fax: 540-687-8899 | thomasandtalbot.com

T&T- Washington Blade May 2020_v7.indd 1

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Buyers returning to the market in D.C. Hopeful signs that region is bouncing back from COVID-19

By KHALIL ALEXANDER EL-GHOUL

Spring is typically the time of year when listings in the DC Metro area increase.

However, with the nation experiencing the current pandemic the market is facing unprecedented times. It is still uncertain what the market will look like in the next few months. What we can do is look at data and do our best to find a possible trend.

Under normal circumstances, April generally sees the D.C. listings increase around 10%. However, this April the number of listings saw a decline of 26.1% due to the stayat-home orders in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. As the local market experienced a decline of homes it simultaneously witnessed the price of homes rise. In fact, the month of April brought the highest monthly median sale price the D.C. area has seen in a decade to $507,000. Chris Finnegan of Bright MLS recently stated, “ The DC real estate market preserved this month.” He went on to say that anyone interested in entering the market needs to be aware of the burst of new properties that will be listed once social distancing restrictions mitigate.

Home sales in Arlington and Fairfax counties saw a 20% decrease in sales compared to April of 2019. Listings were down 17.88% from last year, as well. Seeing these numbers can make those entering the market uneasy. Keep in mind that everyone in the D.C. Metro area had spent early April in a shelter-in-place while they prepared for the worst. Even though these are unprecedented times it is common knowledge when fear strikes, people rarely make important decisions such as buying or selling a home. It is not surprising that the COVID-19 pandemic hindered the real estate market.

However, now that D.C. Metro area residents are aligning their lifestyle to the new norm buyers are returning and sellers are feeling more confident listing their property.

The norm for buying and selling homes has changed and people are adjusting well. The new norm is listing appointments over video conferencing like Zoom and offering live virtual open houses over apps like Facebook Live and Skype. Many sellers removed their listings at the beginning of April, leading to a lack of inventory. That lack of inventory plus lower interest rates creates competition among buyers, which in turn develops into a seller’s market. Buyers need to be prepared with solid lender approval, and any cash buyers must have proof of funds.

Keep in mind that with the impact of COVID-19 most major regions nationwide saw a dramatic decline in sales and listings between March 31 and April 13. The biggest decline was seen in cities hit hardest by the pandemic, such as Seattle, the New York Metro area, and the Washington, D.C. metro area. However, according to a recent report the most dramatic bounce-back was seen in the D.C. area, where listings under contract have recently climbed 149% from the early days of the COVID-19 panic.

Although the market forecast is uncertain, what we do know is that today’s interest rates remain in line with all-time lows. In the D.C. area, we have seen buyers returning to the market and sellers listing again, offering some hope that D.C. and the surrounding areas are curving back to a rich market.

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Listings are up since April now that shelter-in-place rules are mitigating.

KHALIL ALEXANDER EL-GHOUL

is principal broker of Glass House Real Estate. Reach him at khalil@glasshousere.com or via glasshousere.com.

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