Washingtonblade.com, Volume 52, Issue 18, April 30, 2021

Biden’s first 100 days

The good, the bad, and the work ahead, PAGE 12

AP RI L 30 , 20 21 • VO LUME 52 • ISSUE 18 • WASH INGTO N B L A D E . CO M

0 2 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 0 3

Thank you to our sponsors and partners of the Washington Blade.

FULL LOGO (Preferred)

Text Only Stack

Style Guide v.1 | February 2018

Text Only Inline

Community Partners

ONLY A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE READING THIS WILL BE A MEMBER. SUPPORT LGBTQ MEDIA TODAY! WASHINGTONBLADE.COM/MEMBERSHIP 0 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1

VOLUME 52 ISSUE 18 ADDRESS PO Box 53352 Washington DC 20009 PHONE 202-747-2077 E-MAIL news@washblade.com INTERNET washingtonblade.com PUBLISHED BY Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. PUBLISHER LYNNE J. BROWN lbrown@washblade.com ext. 8075 EDITORIAL EDITOR KEVIN NAFF knaff@washblade.com ext. 8088 SR. NEWS REPORTER LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com ext. 8079 NEWS REPORTER CHRIS JOHNSON cjohnson@washblade.com ext. 8083 REPORTER & INTERNATIONAL NEWS EDITOR MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com POP CULTURE REPORTER JOHN PAUL KING PHOTO EDITOR MICHAEL KEY mkey@washblade.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DUNIA ORELLANA, REPORTAR SIN MIEDO, PARKER PURIFOY, PETER ROSENSTEIN, MARK LEE, LATEEFAH WILLIAMS, KATE CLINTON, KATHI WOLFE, ERNESTO VALLE, YARIEL VALDÉS GONZÁLEZ, LYNARE ROBBINS, RACHAEL ESPINET, PHILIP VAN SLOOTEN, KATLEGO K. KOL-KES, VICTOR MAUNG, KAELA ROEDER, TREMENDA NOTA, ALBERTO J. VALENTÍN, ORGULLO LGBT. CO, MAYKEL GONZÁLEZ VIVERO CREATIVE DESIGN/PRODUCTION AZERCREATIVE.COM SALES & ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING STEPHEN RUTGERS srutgers@washblade.com ext. 8077 SR. ACCT. EXECUTIVE BRIAN PITTS bpitts@washblade.com ext. 8089 ACCT. EXECUTIVE JOE HICKLING jhickling@washblade.com ext. 8094 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION PHILLIP G. ROCKSTROH prockstroh@washblade.com ext. 8092 NATIONAL ADVERTISING RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863; sales@rivendellmedia.com For distribution, contact Lynne Brown ext. 8075. Distributed by MediaPoint, LLC

at

202-747-2077,

All material in the Washington Blade is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Washington Blade. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons. Although the Washington Blade is supported by many fine advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by the Washington Blade, but the paper cannot take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit any submission. A single copy of the Washington Blade is available from authorized distribution points, to any individual within a 50-mile radius of Washington, D.C. Multiple copies are available from the Washington Blade office only. Call for rates. If you are unable to get to a convenient free distribution point, you may receive a 52-week mailed subscription for $195 per year or $5.00 per single issue.

Checks or credit card orders can be sent to Phil Rockstroh at prockstroh@ washblade.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Washington Blade, PO BOX 53352 Washington, DC 20009. The Washington Blade is published weekly, on Friday, by Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. Individual Subscriptions are $195 per year for 52 issues (only $3.75 per issue mailed to you USPS). Rates for businesses/institutions are $450 per year. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. Editorial positions of the Washington Blade are expressed in editorials and in editors’ notes as determined by the paper’s editors. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Washington Blade or its staff. To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words; commentaries should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address and phone number for verification. Send submissions by e-mail to knaff@washblade.com.

©2021 BROWN NAFF PITTS OMNIMEDIA, INC.

Making pinkies spontaneously extend on Capitol Hill.

Townhomes from $1.1m | Elevator Townhomes from $1.7m Steps to Metro & Eastern Market | WatkinsAlley.com

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 0 5

Comings & Goings

Cline joins Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

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.

The Comings & Goings column also invites LGBTQ+ college students to share their successes with us. If you have been elected to a student government position, gotten an exciting internship, or are graduating and beginning your career with a great job, let us know so we can share your success.

Congratulations to Troy Cline on his new position as Public Outreach Project Manager at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). Upon taking the position, he said, “The new job is great but keeping me busy as I learn my way around. I’ll have to say that the team at APL is awesome! In my new role I will focus on Public Outreach and Engagement in the Communications Department. The missions I will work with include Parker Solar Probe, and several others. Each is unique and incredible. I love being in a position where I can remind people we are all part of the same universe and made from the same materials created when the stars were born.”

Before coming to APL, Cline was the director of the NASA STEAM Innovation Lab that provided a collaborative (physical and virtual) space for the exploration and development of new ideas related to infusion of media and educational technology into STEAM activities, programs, and approaches. Prior to that he was the E/PO Lead for the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) and was responsible for mission-level public outreach activities and coordination of overall EPO efforts. Before coming to NASA, Cline spent 11 years as a teacher in a variety of challenging locations including the Navajo Indian Reservation, the United States Peace Corps and as an Educational Technology Coordinator at an alternative high school where he worked with ‘at-risk’ students.

Cline was honored with two NASA Silver Achievement Medals: Eclipse Team 2017, Parker Solar Probe Team 2019 and 10 NASA Group Achievement Awards. He was an invited TEDx speaker in Punjab, India in 2019. He received the Pirelli International Award, as co-creator

TROY CLINE

STEVE ALEXANDER

in the development and design of NASA’s Sun-Earth Media Viewer. This Pirelli award is the world’s first Internet multimedia award aimed at the diffusion of scientific and technological culture worldwide.

Cline earned his bachelor’s in education (K-8) at West Virginia University, graduating summa cum laude. He earned his master’s in Educational Technology and Leadership from George Washington University in D.C. Congratulations also to Steve Alexander on his new position as Director of Philanthropy at KUOW, part of the NPR family. On landing the job, Alexander said, “I’m immensely proud to step into the Director of Philanthropy role at KUOW, and to join a huge NPR family. I sure do miss D.C. though. From Food and Friends to Miss Adams Morgan, WAMU and the Duplex Diner — so many fantastic memories. I’m a whole lot quieter these days. Grateful to be a husband and stepdad, and to call Seattle home. It’s beautiful here! Don’t believe what they tell you about the rain.”

Prior to this job he was founder and principal of Alexander Strategies in Seattle. His clients included USA for UNHCR, Amnesty International, Everytown for Gun Safety, SOS Children’s Villages, Coalition for the Homeless, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Before that, he served as senior director of Direct Response USA for UNHCR in D.C. and was vice president of strategy and analytics for Sanky Communications in New York. His previous positions include director of fundraising systems for Doctors Without Borders, also in New York.

Many know Alexander from his roles as vice president of development at the Victory Fund and Leadership Institute; and director of events and corporate giving for Food and Friends, in D.C.

Blade Foundation announces 2021 fellowship recipients 2 aspiring journalists to spend 12 weeks covering LGBTQ issues The Blade Foundation this week announced the hiring of two spring/summer fellows, who will spend 12 weeks reporting on LGBTQ issues while being mentored by Blade editors.

Prince Chingarande, an incoming fall 2021 graduate student at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, will start a fellowship on May 3 focused on covering issues of interest to D.C.’s LGBTQ community.

Chingarande earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Columbia College in Columbia, Mo., in May 2020.

PRINCE CHINGARANDE and ESTHER FRANCIS

0 6 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1 • LO CA L NE WS

“As someone deeply invested in the idea of liberation through storytelling, I feel so honored to have been chosen as a Blade Foundation fellow,” said Chingarande. “Not only will I receive much-needed training in reporting in LGBTQ issues, but I’ll also be a step closer to my goals as a journalist.”

The D.C. reporting fellowship is funded in part by a grant from the DC Front Runners Pride Run 5K event.

The second fellowship went to Esther Francis, who is the recipient of the third Blade Foundation Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship. She will cover issues of interest to Delaware’s LGBTQ community. The fellowship is named in honor of Steve Elkins, a journalist and co-founder of the CAMP Rehoboth LGBT community center. Elkins served as editor of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth in Delaware for many years as well as executive director of the center before his passing in March of 2018.

“I am so grateful to have been named the 2021 Elkins Memorial Fellow and I cannot wait to work with the Washington Blade and the Blade Foundation to report on the community,” said Francis, a rising junior at the University of Maryland majoring in multi-platform journalism.

The Delaware fellowship is funded by the Foundation’s annual Rehoboth Beach summer party, held last September featuring remarks from U.S. Sen. Chris Coons.

“Congratulations to Prince and Esther, two talented young journalists who will gain valuable work experience this summer while telling the important stories of our community,” said Blade Foundation Executive Director Kevin Naff. “Thank you to all of our donors and supporters, especially the DC Front Runners. Without their support, these fellowship opportunities would not be possible.”

STAFF REPORTS

Get a home buying edge

SureStart Pre-approval ®

1

• Confidence throughout your home search • The ability to act quickly with a complimentary mortgage pre-approval letter • A competitive advantage over homebuyers without a pre-approval commitment

Ask how we can help you prepare to buy a home.

Christian Dale Home Lending Officer 301-412-8551 christian.dale@citi.com citi.com/christiandale NMLS# 460674

Anthony Ogun Home Lending Officer 301-332-6017 anthony.ogun@citi.com citi.com/anthonyogun NMLS# 132153

Terms, conditions and fees for accounts, programs, products and services are subject to change. This is not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit and property approval. Certain restrictions may apply on all programs. This offer contains information about U.S. domestic financial services provided by Citibank, N.A. and is intended for use domestically in the U.S. 1 Final commitment is subject to verification of information, receipt of a satisfactory sales contract on the home you wish to purchase, appraisal and title report, and meeting our customary closing conditions. There is no charge to receive a SureStart® Pre-approval. However, standard application and commitment fees will apply for the mortgage loan application. ©2021 Citibank, N.A. NMLS# 412915. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. Citi, Citi and Arc Design and other marks used herein are service marks of Citigroup Inc. or its affiliates, used and registered throughout the world.

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 0 7 373801 - Washington Blade Ad - Campbell.indd 1

4/15/2021 12:43:43 PM

Beloved D.C. bartender Howard Bivins dies at 77 ‘He knew everyone’s name’

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

at the gay nightclub Ziegfeld’s-Secrets at its original C. Howard Bivins Jr., a bartender who worked location on the unit bock of O Street, S.E. up until for six D.C. gay bars over a period of 35 years and 2006, when the club was displaced by construction became known as a congenial conversationist with of the Washington Nationals stadium. many of his customers, died on April 12 at his home Morehouse said Bivins then began bartending at in Burke, Va., from complications associated with the the nearby gay nightclub Wet before that club was lung illness known as chronic obstructive pulmonary also displaced a year or two later by development disease, according to his partner of 39 years Perry related to the new baseball stadium. From there, Morehouse. He was 77. according to Morehouse, Bivins returned to the Morehouse and others who knew Bivins said his former Fraternity House which had been renamed regular customers at some of D.C.’s most popular Omega. He tended bar there until Omega closed its gay bars often sought his advice and viewed him as doors in 2012. an avid listener to whatever was on their minds.

“When Omega closed in 2012, he retired at the “He loved to talk over the bar,” said Morehouse. age of 68,” said Morehouse.

“And he knew everyone’s name. He knew where “Howard was always a spitfire and kept things everybody came from. He was very congenial,” lively and real,” said gay activist Robert York in a Morehouse said. “He was always leaning over posting on Morehouse’s Facebook page. “Treasure the bar talking to people. He was not the type of the memories and know he will be missed by our bartender that would make a drink and walk away.” community,” York wrote. “No doubt he’s keeping Morehouse said Bivins was born and raised heaven on their toes and pouring shots for break in Richmond, Va., and was a 1963 graduate of times. Rest in power Howard.”

Richmond’s Manchester High School, where he Morehouse said Bivins had a special place in his became known as a good dancer at the school’s C. HOWARD BIVINS JR. heart for Morehouse’s grandson Henning. “Trying to student dances. figure out how he was to be referred, he came up He worked in various positions in Richmond, with the name 3-Pa, the third grandpa,” Morehouse including at Reynolds Metals, according to recalls.

Morehouse, before moving to D.C. in the early 1980s. Morehouse noted that a number “He loved eating out and traveling, always surrounded by his close friends Craig, of the bars where Bivins started out as a bartender are no longer in business.

Mike, Ed, Carl, Greg, Chas, and Harry,” said Morehouse.

Among them were the Dupont Circle gay bar Fraternity House, where Bevins worked Bivins was predeceased by his parents. He is survived by Morehouse, his partner of 39 from 1982 to 1986. From 1986 to 2000, Bevins tended bar at the Capital Hill gay country years, and his siblings Dorothy, David, and Beverly, and numerous nieces and nephews. western bar called Remington’s. And from 2000 to 2002 Bevins moved to another gay Contributions may be made in Bivins’ name to the D.C.-area hospice service Capital country western bar a few blocks away near the U.S. Marine barracks called Sheridan’s.

Caring Health at www.cpitalcaring.org/get-involved/donate.

During part of the time he worked at Sheridan’s, Bivins also worked on different nights

High tech sales engineer Steve Collins dies at 66 A longtime LGBTQ marching band member

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

Steven Lee Collins, a technical sales engineer for high tech companies in the Northern Virginia area and an active member and supporter of the local LGBTQ marching band DC Different Drummers for 30 years, died March 23 at Virginia Hospital Center from complications associated with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, according to his husband Mike Merena. He was 66.

Merena said Collins, who had a master’s degree in engineering administration, worked in a discipline known as microscopy, which, among other things, is used to manufacture high tech scientific laboratory and engineering tools and machinery.

Collins most recently worked as a technical sales engineer since 2012 at the Northern Virginia office of ULTRA TEC Manufacturing, Inc., a firm that manufactures and sells precision equipment and other products to high tech companies in the U.S. and abroad.

Merena said that in addition to his many years of work in the high-tech industry Collins enjoyed performing as a percussionist with the D.C. Different Drummers, the local LGBTQ organization that includes several types of bands, including symphonic and jazz as well as its most well-known Marching Band.

“He was a percussionist and participated in D.C. Different Drummers productions of all types,” Merena said. “From marching in the Pride parades in D.C., Baltimore, New York City, and other cities in the Mid Atlantic to the symphonic concerts held here in D.C., the jazz combo and band, Steve was always happy to be involved and did a lot to help younger members participate in these activities as well,” Merena said.

Merena said Collins was especially honored to have performed with D.C. Different Drummers when it was included in both of President Barack Obama’s inaugural parades, which marched along Pennsylvania Avenue from the U.S. Capitol to the White House.

0 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1 • LO CA L NE WS

According to Merena, Collins was born and raised in Elkhart, Ind. He graduated from Concord High School in Elkhart in 1972 and attended Indiana’s Ball State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in communications in 1976. He received his master’s degree in engineering administration at George Washington University in D.C. in 1985, according to his LinkedIn page.

That same year he participated in a Fairfax County continuing education program in the study of the Japanese language for business, his LinkedIn page says.

Prior to joining the ULTRA TEC firm Collins worked from 1997 to 2012 as a technical sales engineer for the South Bay Technology firm in Arlington, Va. And prior to that, his LinkedIn page says, he served as president and sales manager of the tech firm Plasma Sciences, Inc. from 1989 to 1997. Merena said Collins and his partners in the company sold it to another company in 1997.

“Steve was a very kind, loving, and caring person,” Merena said. “He was a wonderful husband, father, and brother.”

Merena said Collins loved to entertain. He said his husband helped organize parties at the couple’s house for the D.C. Different Drummers’ awards ceremony as well as events for other organizations, including the local Brother Help Thyself LGBTQ charity group and the semi-annual banquet for the bowling league the two were members of.

Collins is survived by his husband Mike Merena, his daughter Nichole Collins, his son Matthew Erin Collins, his sisters Linda Miller and Tracy Eash, and numerous nieces and nephews, friends and loved ones, Merena said.

A celebration of life for Collins, who was cremated, will be held at a time and place yet to be decided, Merena said.

Donations in Collins’ name can be made to D.C. Different Drummers at www.dcdd.org.

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 0 9

William & Mary names academic building after gay historian John E. Boswell Hall commemorates acclaimed author

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

“John Boswell’s scholarship inspired the recognition The College of William & Mary, which was founded in of same-sex relationships here and around the world,” 1693 in colonial Williamsburg, Va., announced on April 23 Trammell said in a statement. “And personally, it helped that it has renamed one of its major academic buildings make it possible for William & Mary Chancellor Sandra after the late gay historian John E. Boswell.

Day O’Connor to marry my husband and me in the U.S. Boswell, a 1969 College of William & Mary graduate, Supreme Court.” received his doctorate degree at Harvard University and Evan Wolfson, a civil rights attorney and founder and began his teaching career at Yale University before writing president of the LGBTQ advocacy group Freedom to his highly acclaimed 1980 book, “Christianity, Social Marry, said Boswell’s 1980 book had a profound influence Tolerance and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western on his life and career beginning in his days as a law school Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the 14th student. Among other things, Wolfson said the book Century.” inspired him to write his 1983 law school thesis on wining Using his skills as a linguist who spoke or read 17 marriage equality for gay people. languages, including Latin, Ancient Greek, and Old Three William & Mary campus structures will be renamed in honor “Beyond the evidence that gay love had not always been Church Slavonic, Boswell uncovered and translated of (left to right) JOHN E. BOSWELL ‘69, ARTHUR A. MATSU ‘27 oppressed or stigmatized, what John E. Boswell’s history documents that he argues in his book show that the and HULON L. WILLIS SR. M.Ed. ’56. (Photo courtesy William & Mary) taught me was that if things had once been different, we Roman Catholic Church had not condemned gay people could make them different again,” said Wolfson, who noted that he and Boswell became throughout its history and at times either was indifferent to homosexuality or celebrated friends and Boswell’s work continued to help him in his own legal work on behalf of samesame-sex romantic relationships. sex marriage rights.

The book, which won a National Book Award and the Stonewall Book Award in 1981, In its statement announcing the building renamed in honor of Boswell, the College drew international attention and created a stir in both the academic world and the Catholic of William & Mary announced it has also renamed a campus arcade structure near its Church establishment. sports stadium after Arthur A. Matsu, the college’s first known Asian-American student and Boswell wrote five other books, including the 1994 book, “Same-Sex Unions in Prefootball star. The statement says another building was named after Hulon L. Willis Sr., the Modern Europe,” before he died that same year of complications associated with AIDS first African-American student to enroll at William & Mary. at the age of 47.

“We move forward as a community, as a university, with our renewed commitment to LGBTQ activists have credited Boswell with helping to advance the LGBTQ rights recognizing individuals who have made lasting, pathbreaking contributions to William & movement and efforts to legalize same-sex marriage through his writings and academic Mary,” said John E. Littel, the college’s current rector, who called Boswell, Matsu, and Willis research. “trailblazers.”

“It brings honor to our 328-year-old institution that we name an academic building for Trammell said the renaming was part of a process of reexamining names of buildings an alumnus who used his William & Mary education to improve the lives of millions of that in years past had been named after Civil War-era figures of the Confederacy as well Americans,” said Jeff Trammell, the former William & Mary rector who became the first as segregationists in later years. openly gay chair of the governing body of a major U.S. public university.

Black Va. man shot 10 times by police is gay: report Unarmed victim in critical condition in Spotsylvania

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

The National Black Justice Coalition, a D.C.-based LGBTQ rights organization, issued a statement on Monday disclosing that an unarmed 32-year-old black man who was shot as many as 10 times by a sheriff’s deputy in Spotsylvania County, Va., on April 21 is gay.

An attorney representing the family of shooting victim Isaiah Brown stated at an April 26 news conference that the deputy should have known that Brown was holding a phone and not a gun before the deputy fired multiple shots that struck Brown.

“After viewing the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s deputy’s bodycam video and listening to the 911 call, it is evident that the tragic shooting of Isaiah Brown was completely avoidable,” said attorney David Haynes of the Cochran law firm. “The deputy in question made multiple, basic policing errors and violated established protocols,” Haynes said.

“Isaiah’s Black and gay/same gender loving identity will likely make it more difficult for his family to attain accountability for the officer responsible,” said David Johns, the National Black Justice Coalition executive director, in the group’s statement. “Still, Black LGBTQ+ people continue to die by violence, often unreported, perpetrated by police officers and other state-sanctioned actors who do not value Black Lives Matter,” Johns said.

“We echo the Brown family’s demands that all audio recordings associated with this shooting be released to the public,” Johns said. “Additionally, that the police officer in question, who made careless and basic errors while violating police protocols, should be held accountable,” he said.

The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office has said a sheriff’s deputy gave Brown a ride home in the early morning hours of April 21 after his car became disabled. The Sheriff’s Office said less than an hour later, Brown called 911 to report he and his brother were having a dispute and he told the 911 operator he wanted to kill his brother.

The Washington Post reported that Brown could be heard on the audio recording asking his brother for a gun and the brother can be heard refusing the request. The Sheriff’s Office has said Brown then left his house while still talking to the 911 operator on a cordless house phone.

“Brown goes on to say he is armed, before quickly saying he does not have a gun on the recording,” the Post reports.

Multiple news reports of the incident, including TV news stations, have shown body 1 0 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1 • LO CA L NE WS

camera footage released by the Sheriff’s Office showing that the deputy’s body camera was pointed away from Brown when the deputy arrived on the scene in response to the 911 call. But on the body camera’s audio recording, the deputy can be heard shouting at Brown to drop the gun seconds before he began firing at Brown.

Attorney Haynes has said the 911 operator appears to have given the deputy the incorrect impression that Brown had a gun.

“Isaiah was on the phone with 911 at the time of the shooting and the officer mistook the cordless house phone for a gun,” Haynes said in a statement.

“There is no indication that Isaiah did anything other than comply with dispatch’s orders and raised his hands with the phone in his hand as instructed,” Haynes said.

The Sheriff’s Office has said it has placed the deputy on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation being conducted by the Virginia State Police and a special prosecutor.

“Words do not exist to adequately convey the ISAIAH BROWN was shot 10 times frustration, anger, and sadness associated with the on April 21. (Photo courtesy Cochran law firm) continued violence that Black people face at the hands of the police,” Johns said in his statement.

“The terror and fear that we may have our lives stolen by a police officer who deems themself judge, jury, and executioner is overwhelming.”

A spokesperson for the Cochran law firm said Brown was in critical condition at a hospital in nearby Fredericksburg suffering from 10 gunshot wounds. Spotsylvania County is located about 66 miles south of D.C.

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 1 1

Biden falls short of 100-day goal to sign Equality Act into law Bill stuck in Senate as Manchin claims no knowledge of measure

By CHRIS JOHNSON | cjohnson@washblade.com

has been the focus of legislation advancing through state legislatures and may be a With President Biden’s first 100 days in office coming to a close, the Equality Act doesn’t sticking point in talks on the bill. Although the U.S. House passed the Equality Act largely appear even close to passage after his campaign promise to sign the legislation into law along party lines in March, the Senate Judiciary Committee hasn’t yet voted to advance the within that timeframe, although defenders say talks are ongoing and point to his executive legislation, let alone hold a floor vote on the bill. actions in favor of LGBTQ rights.

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) signaled through a spokesperson work continues behind the Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), the first out lesbian elected to the U.S. Senate and a scenes on the Equality Act and important achievements have been made, including record co-sponsor of the Equality Act, told the Washington Blade on Monday the Equality Act business support announced this week. wasn’t completely dead in the water, alluding to imminent talks with fellow senators on the “The Equality Act has made historic progress within the first 100 days of the Biden comprehensive LGBTQ legislation. administration,” said Martina McLennan, a Merkley spokesperson. “In addition to passing “Conversations continue to try to get to 60 votes,” Baldwin said. “I am hoping to personally the House with a bipartisan vote, this legislation has more Senate cosponsors than ever be involved in several of those before the recess next week, but they’re still tentative.” before, more than 400 major businesses have called for its passage, and, after the Judiciary Asked what the reception has been to lawmakers amid talks on the Equality Act, Baldwin Committee’s first-ever Senate hearing in March, the Equality Act is poised for further action referenced items of traction, but wouldn’t get into details. soon. Sen. Merkley is continuing to have productive conversations with Senate Republicans “I think there’s a commitment among a bipartisan group of getting to ‘yes,’” Baldwin said. and remains committed to achieving a bipartisan vote in the Senate and seeing this “It’s just the, you know, law-making is like sausage-making.” landmark legislation signed into law.”

When the Blade pointed out Biden had said President JOE BIDEN is unlikely to fulfill his The White House continues to insist nothing he’d sign the legislation into law within his first campaign pledge to sign the Equality Act within 100 days. has changed in terms of Biden making the 100 days and asked whether the White House Equality Act a priority. White House Press was being helpful, Baldwin said she had no Secretary Jen Psaki in February twice told the reason to think otherwise.

Washington Blade Biden “stands by” his 100“I’ve been dealing directly with my Senate day commitment, once in February and again colleagues, but I have no reason to believe on the 83rd day of the administration, blaming they’re not being helpful,” Baldwin said. the Senate for inaction.

Senators considered on the fence about the “And as you know, in order to sign legislation, Equality Act wanted nothing to do with inquiries it needs to come to his desk,” Psaki said. “And about where things stand with them on the while he has certainly been a vocal advocate in legislation when the Blade approached them. his support for the Equality Act, obviously, as you Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who remains know and noted, it passed the House; it needs to the lone Democrat in the Senate uncommitted work its way through the Senate. It requires the on the Equality Act amid efforts of trying to pry Senate passing it in order for him to sign it.” him out by winning over the junior Republican Asked what Biden is doing to advance senator from his state, professed to be unaware the Equality Act, Psaki cited a Statement of of the legislation when asked by the Blade if Administration Policy in favor of the legislation anyone has reached out to him. and vaguely mentioned talks Biden is having.

Manchin, who previously signaled he couldn’t “He has talked about his view that this is support the Equality Act because of concerns legislation that should pass,” Psaki said. “And he has a range of conversations about a range over public schools having to implement the transgender protection, told the Blade he of topics, but also so does our legislative team who work to move forward his agenda every “hasn’t seen” the bill. single day.”

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who declined to co-sponsor the legislation this Congress However, exactly what the White House and Biden are doing, if anything, behind the after having previously supported it, pushed back when the Blade made similar inquiries scenes to advance the Equality Act remains unclear. One Democratic insider, who spoke about whether she’s involved in talks on the bill. on condition of anonymity for greater candor, said he’s “disappointed that they haven’t “I’ve talked to several people about it; I’m not going to give you a list of names,” said allocated much energy to it compared to other items on the agenda,” later adding Collins just before a nearby aide closed down further inquiries, citing concerns about the “hopefully they’ll plug along.”

Maine senator missing an imminent floor vote.

A White House official, asked by the Blade for this article if Biden is disappointed he won’t Although the U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year in Bostock v. Clayton County be able to sign the Equality Act within the 100-day timeframe he envisioned, reiterated the determined anti-LGBTQ discrimination is illegal under existing law in the workplace, which president’s support for the legislation. has application to any law banning discrimination, the Equality Act would take things “President Biden believes the Senate needs to act now to pass the Equality Act, and will further to prohibit anti-LGBTQ discrimination in public accommodations and federally continue to prioritize this legislation so that no one can be discriminated against on the funded programs. basis of sex, including gender identity and sexual orientation,” the White House official Additionally, it would expand the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit using the 1993 said.

Religious Freedom Restoration Act as a defense in cases of discrimination, including To be sure, Biden has acted to advance LGBTQ rights through executive action during protections on the basis of sex in public accommodations and federal programs his first 100 days in office, signing an executive order on his first day in office ordering and expand the definition of public accommodations to include retail stores, banks, federal agencies to fully implement the Bostock ruling across the board with regard to all transportation services and health care services for all protected categories, including race laws against sex discrimination. and national origin.

Biden wasn’t done: Days later he signed an executive order reversing former President Biden, whose 100th day in office as president was set for Thursday, promised the LGBTQ Trump’s transgender military ban and a memorandum directing the State Department to community in multiple forums on the campaign trail in 2020 he’d sign the Equality Act make LGBTQ human rights an international foreign policy priority. within his first 100 days in office and included his commitment to that timeframe on the Based on Biden’s Bostock order, federal agencies have signaled that they would take LGBTQ page of his campaign website. up cases of anti-LGBTQ discrimination as sex discrimination, including the Consumer Even in October 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic continued to rage in the United Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Housing & Urban Development. The States and it was clear that would be a priority for him upon taking office, Biden said in an Department of Education also issued a memo signaling anti-LGBTQ discrimination in interview with the Philadelphia Gay News the Equality Act would be a top priority for him school programs, including sports, is illegal under Title IX of the Education Amendments within his first 100 days. of 1972.

“I will make enactment of the Equality Act a top legislative priority during my first 100 But the cornerstone of Biden’s campaign promise to the LGBTQ community was signing days — a priority that Donald Trump opposes,” Biden said. the Equality Act to enact a change in law for LGBTQ protections. Although Biden signaled But the Equality Act faces significant hurdles in the path toward passage in a Senate he’d enforce the law consistent with the Bostock decision, signing the Equality Act into law equally divided 50-50 along party lines where 60 votes would be needed to end a filibuster. within 100 days was what he repeatedly promised in campaign forums.

Anti-transgender groups have pounced on the issue of transgender kids in sports, which 1 2 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1 • NAT I O NA L NE WS

LGBTQ BUSINESS OWNERS! Need Access to Capital?

Got Legal Issues?

Starting a New Business?

Want to Do Business with DC Government?

Want to Avoid Procurement Pitfalls?

Join us at

THE BUSINESS OF EQUALITY:

A VIRTUAL LGBTQ BUSINESS SUMMIT Thursday, May 6, 2021 | 6:30-8:30 PM REGISTER AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM/SUMMIT Connecting LGBTQ Business Owners with government resources Speak to agency representatives in breakout rooms Make connections that will further your business and ensure success

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 1 3

Ortiz Jones poised to become Air Force under secretary

Gina Ortiz Jones, a lesbian Air Force veteran who served in the Iraq war before twice making an attempt to win a congressional seat representing Texas’ 23rd congressional district in the U.S. House, has obtained the nod from President Biden to become the next Air Force under secretary.

Jones, whose nomination is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate, was announced as Biden’s nominee for the role on Tuesday in a White House statement announcing a slew of choices for roles in the service. If confirmed, Jones would become the first woman of color to serve as Air Force under secretary.

During her 2020 congressional bid, Jones ran in a district right on the U.S.-Mexico border as President Trump’s immigration policy was front-and-center in the media.

Jones told the Washington Blade in July 2019 the zero-tolerance border policy under President Trump was “shortsighted at best” and “cruel at worst.”

“It’s an economic crisis,” Jones said at the time. “It’s certainly a moral crisis when you think about what’s happening in some of these detention centers and Texas 23 is on the frontline of this, I mean literally and figuratively.”

When the National Republican Congressional Committee posted a picture of Jones with her spouse on its website for potential attacks against the candidate, LGBTQ rights advocates condemned it as a homophobic attack. Jones ended up raising about $100,000 in campaign funds in the aftermath of the controversy.

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, praised the

selection of Jones as Air Force under secretary and said she “served her country both in and out of uniform.”

“If confirmed, Ms. Jones would be the first woman of color to serve as Under Secretary of the Air Force, marking yet another historic nomination as the BidenHarris administration continues to prove their commitment to building a diverse Department of Defense that reflects the American population,” Smith said.

CHRIS JOHNSON

GINA ORTIZ JONES was picked to become Air Force under secretary. (Photo by Ana Isabel Photography)

Biden to nominate lesbian, trans officials for Defense roles President Biden is set to nominate members of the LGBTQ community with a background in LGBTQ rights for highranking civilian positions at the Defense Department, the White House announced last week.

Brenda Sue Fulton, a lesbian activist who fought for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal and transgender military service, is set to win the nomination as assistant secretary of defense for manpower and reserve affairs, which would make her an adviser for U.S. military personnel affairs.

Shawn Skelly, a transgender national security expert who served on Biden’s transition team after the inauguration is set to be nominated for assistant secretary of defense for readiness, which overseas U.S. military force and health affairs.

From left, BRENDA SUE FULTON and SHAWN SKELLEY

Skelly, who served on active duty in the U.S. Navy for 20 years as a Naval Flight Officer, is also co-founder of Out in National Security, an affinity group for LGBTQ national security experts and officials.

Luke Scheusener, a fellow co-founder of Out in National Security, hailed the news of Skelly’s nomination in a statement.

“Shawn is first and foremost a public servant,” Scheusener said. “She has dedicated her life to serving the United States in and out of uniform. That extends to her decision to cofound and serve as president of ONS. She has been a stalwart advocate for our community and for LGBTQIA+ national security professionals.”

CHRIS JOHNSON

(Photo of Fulton public domain; photo of Skelley courtesy Skelley)

McAufliffe releases LGBTQ platform in Va. The LGBTQ rights platform that Terry McAuliffe released on Wednesday includes a call to repeal the socalled “conscience clause” that allows religious-based adoption agencies in Virginia to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

“Unfortunately, Virginia law enables certain foster care and adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ+ individuals wishing to foster or adopt under the guise of religious or moral convictions,” says McAuliffe’s campaign in a copy of the platform the Washington Blade exclusively obtained. “These policies not only prevent loving families from caring for our most vulnerable children, they also perpetuate stigma and shame for youth in care.”

“It is unacceptable that we continue to exclude families who are willing to provide loving homes to children in need because of who they are or who they love,” adds the platform. “As governor, Terry will work with the legislature to repeal this discriminatory law once and for all.”

The platform notes several other LGBTQ rights priorities that include enacting an “anti-bullying law to protect LGBTQ+ students and implement the Virginia Department of Education’s model policy to protect transgender students.”

The platform calls for expanded mental health resources for LGBTQ youth, improved hate crimes reporting, a

reduction in homelessness among LGBTQ youth and “data collection to support LGBTQ+ communities and break down disparities.” McAuliffe would also require “all health care providers to complete cultural competency training to better support LGBTQ+ communities” and create a “statewide social determinants of health coordinator” within the Virginia Department of Health.

“As the next governor of Virginia, Terry will build on the progress he and Democrats have made over the past eight years to uplift and prioritize the LGBTQ+ community,” reads the platform. “Terry will address inequities and disparities that LGBTQ+ people, particularly people of color, experience by improving data collection and leveraging data to better direct resources to meet their unique needs.”

“He will pass an anti-bullying law to protect students, prohibit foster care and adoption agencies from discriminating against LGBTQ+ people, and expand access to culturally competent and inclusive health and mental health care,” it adds. “Terry will also address housing stability by leveraging federal housing dollars and working to establish safe and inclusive shelters.”

McAuliffe, who was Virginia’s governor from 20142018, is among the Democrats who are running to succeed current Gov. Ralph Northam once his term ends in January 2022.

1 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1 • NAT I O NA L NE WS

Northam, who was Virginia’s lieutenant governor when McAuliffe was in office, has endorsed his predecessor’s bid. McAuliffe from 2001-2005 was chair of the Democratic National Committee.

His first executive order as governor banned discrimination against LGBTQ state employees.

McAuliffe in 2014 oversaw the extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples in Virginia. McAuliffe’s campaign notes he is the first governor of a Southern state to officiate a same-sex wedding.

“LGBTQ+ Virginians have faced discrimination and inequities for too long because of who they are or who they love. I am proud of the progress Virginia has made in protecting the LGBTQ+ community over the past eight years, but our work is far from over,” said McAuliffe in a statement his campaign provided to the Blade. “As governor, I will fight my heart out to make Virginia the most open, welcoming and inclusive state in the nation, and break down the disparities that LGBTQ+ communities, and particularly communities of color, face in education, health care, the economy and more. Together, we’ll move Virginia forward into a better, brighter future for all.”

State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria), who is the first openly gay man elected to the Virginia General Assembly, has endorsed McAuliffe.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 1 5

Harris: Anti-LGBTQ violence a ‘root cause’ of migration from Guatemala

Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday acknowledged violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity is among the factors that prompt Guatemalans to leave their country.

“There are also longstanding issues that are often called the ‘root causes’ of immigration,” said Harris during a virtual meeting with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei. “We are looking at the issue of poverty and Vice President KAMALA HARRIS (Image public domain) the lack, therefore, of economic opportunities; the issue of extreme weather conditions and the lack of climate adaptation; as well as corruption and the lack of good governance; and violence against women, Indigenous people, LGBTQ people, and Afro-descendants.”

The meeting took place a week after Aldo Dávila, the first openly gay man elected to the Guatemalan Congress, survived a robbery attempt in Guatemala City. Many LGBTQ Guatemalans with whom the Washington Blade has spoken say violence forced them to

flee their country.

Estuardo Cifuentes in 2019 asked for asylum in the U.S. because of the anti-gay persecution he suffered in Guatemala.

Cifuentes and his partner ran a digital marketing and advertising business in Guatemala City for six years, but they closed it after gang members attacked them. Cifuentes said Guatemalan police officers also targeted him after they saw him kiss his partner.

“This forced us to leave Guatemala,” Cifuentes told the Washington Blade last fall.

The Trump administration forced Cifuentes to pursue his case in Mexico under its Migrant Protection Protocols program.

Cifuentes — who ran Rainbow Bridge Asylum Seekers, a program for LGBTQ asylum seekers and migrants in the Mexican border city of Matamoros — arrived in the U.S. on March 3. Resource Center Matamoros, a group that provides assistance to asylum seekers and migrants in the Mexican border city, helped create Rainbow Bridge Asylum Seekers.

The White House has begun to reverse some of the previous administration’s hardline immigration policies. President Biden has charged Harris with the task of working with the governments of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to address the root causes of migration from Central America’s Northern Triangle.

“We want to work with you to address both the acute causes as well as the root causes in a way that will bring hope to the people of Guatemala that there will be an opportunity for them if they stay at home,” Harris told Giammattei.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Gay Guatemala congressman survives robbery attempt

organization.

A gay congressman from Guatemala on April 19 survived a Violence based on sexual orientation remains commonplace robbery attempt. in Guatemala. It nevertheless remains unclear whether the Aldo Dávila sent the Washington Blade a surveillance video men targeted Dávila — a vocal critic of President Alejandro that shows three men approaching his vehicle while it was Giammattei, his government and political corruption in the stopped at a traffic light near Guatemala’s National Library in country — because he is gay.

Guatemala City.

Dávila told the Associated Press he “constantly receives The three men appeared to have weapons when they threats because of my work, but nothing more than that.” Dávila approached the vehicle. also said he now travels with several police officers.

One of Dávila’s bodyguards who was driving the vehicle “I will continue working, I will continue speaking out and I shot one of the men. The two other men ran away shortly will continue speaking for people who have been historically before passersby and police officers gathered. excluded,” he said in his Facebook video.

Dávila was not injured.

Dávila told the Blade the Guatemalan Public Ministry is “I am thankful for life,” he said in a video he posted to his responsible for any investigation into the incident.

Facebook page after the attempted robbery.

Guatemalan Congressman ALDO DÁVILA participates in “They would be the ones who would have to determine if Dávila — a member of the Winaq movement, a leftist party a protest in Guatemala City in 2019.

(Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers) there will be an investigation or not,” he said. “There should founded by Rigoberta Menchú, an indigenous human rights be one in theory, but the Public Ministry in Guatemala is not activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner — in 2019 became the the best, or the most trustworthy (institution.)” first openly gay man elected to Guatemala’s congress. Dávila had previously been the MICHAEL K. LAVERS executive director of Asociación Gente Positiva, a Guatemala City-based HIV/AIDS service

Blinken allows embassies to again fly Pride flag

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said he will once again allow U.S. diplomatic installations to fly the Pride flag.

The New York Times and Foreign Policy reported they obtained a cable from Blinken that announced the policy.

The Trump administration in 2019 banned U.S. embassies and consulates from flying the Pride flag on official flagpoles. Georgia Congressman Jeff Duncan (R-Ga.) has introduced the Old Glory Only Act, which would “prohibit the The U.S. embassy in Vietnam flies the Pride flag in flying of any flag other than the 2015. (Photo courtesy of Clayton Bond) U.S. flag over U.S. diplomatic and consular posts.”

Former U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic James “Wally” Brewster — one of the openly gay men who served as ambassadors during the Obama administration — on Friday applauded Blinken’s decision.

“As one of the constant supporters of Human Rights and LGBTQ rights throughout his life, President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken are showing the commitment to fighting for the rights of the marginalized around the globe,” Brewster told the Washington Blade. “So proud of our global leadership once again!”

President Biden in February issued a memorandum that committed the U.S. to promoting LGBTQ rights abroad.

Blinken is among the administration officials who publicly acknowledged the Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31. The State Department has also disbanded the Commission on Unalienable Rights that LGBTQ activists sharply criticized.

“Sec. Blinken is committed to the rights and prosperity of our LGBTQ+ community, both our employees at State and all around the world,” said State Department spokesperson Jalina Porter on Friday in response to the Washington Blade’s question about Blinken’s cable during a press briefing with reporters.

“The department issues Pride guidance to our missions on a regular basis,” added Porter. “Overseas facilities actually don’t require Washington approval. However, flying the flag from the same flagpole as the U.S. (flag) actually doesn’t require approval as well.”

“In prior years the department has issued a blanket authorization or requested that posts request permission from Washington to fly a Pride flag from the same flagpole as the U.S. flag,” Porter further noted to the Blade.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

1 6 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1 • I NT E R NAT I O NA L NE WS

recharge

Painting Plumbing Landscaping Flooring Concrete Work Move In/Out Inspections Property Management Snow Removal Home Inspection Real Estate Sales & Acquisition Ceiling Fans Weather Stripping

Restore your energy after a jam-packed day at the Hampton Inn in Woodstock, where you’ll dream about tomorrow’s adventures and catch up on some much-needed R&R.

WE WANT YOUR BUSINESS!

Mention this ad for $25 off any home service

*ALWAYS BACKGROUND CHECKED & LOCALLY SOURCED LABOR*

CALL US TODAY!

714-408-5404 MyIntegrityDMV.com

ADVE RT ISING PROOF #1 REVISIONS REDESIGN TEXT REVISIONS IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS NO REVISIONS

ISSUE DATE: 21-01-08

PRO OF

SALES REPRESENTATIVE: BRIAN PITTS

REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertiser’s breach of any of the foregoing representations and warranties.

ADVERTISER SIGNATURE

By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract obligations with the washington blade newspaper. This includes but is not limited to placement, payment and insertion schedule.

Treat yourself to a wine flight at Muse Vineyards. You’ll be leaving with a bottle, trust us…

unwind

There’s so much to discover in Woodstock Virginia, located just outside of DC. Visit ourbendintheriver.com to start your adventure!

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 1 7

PETER ROSENSTEIN

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

What to take from the Chauvin guilty verdicts?

We must continue to bend the arc of the moral universe to justice Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.” The Derek Chauvin guilty verdicts bent it just a little bit more but there is a long way to go before there is equal justice and equal opportunity for Black and Brown persons in the United States. It is up to each of us to recognize that and commit to working toward that goal.

I joined with every decent person around the world and cheered as Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts. We knew he was guilty because we saw the video yet one never knows what a jury will do. We held our collective breath because the defense needed only one juror to believe their improbable story for a hung jury. Thankfully this jury was not taken in and instead focused on facts.

After the cheering stops each of us must ask what we can do to make a difference.

This jury punished Chauvin for his crime but it did not change how police departments operate. We can only hope the verdict will get some police officers to think more about how they protect the community they are sworn to serve. We know the culture of policing must change. Some have defined change as officers seeing themselves as guardians of the public rather than as warriors. That won’t be easy.

A good friend, Lt. Brett Parson, retired DCMPD, is working to bring about change through a program called “Active Bystandership for law enforcement” (ABLE). A program described on the website as “law enforcement agencies that serve communities, recognizing that first responders must do a better job intervening when necessary to prevent their colleagues from causing harm or making costly mistakes.” There is research and experience that shows effective active bystandership can be taught. The Georgetown Innovative Policing Program attempts to prepare officers to successfully intervene to prevent harm and to create a law enforcement culture that supports peer intervention. The program’s aim is to “Prevent misconduct; Avoid police mistakes, and Promote officer health and wellness.”

We need to accept this verdict is only a beginning. Collectively and individually we need to continue the fight to rid our country of systemic racism. Each of us must take a long look inside ourselves and ask ourselves what we do that is racist, be it intentional or unintentional, and plan what we are going to do to change that.

I was both moved and educated to understand what it really means to be a Black man in our country when reading the recent personal and riveting column headlined, “Being Black in America is exhausting,” by someone I am honored to know, Jonathan Capehart.

It is a column every white person needs to read and we must think long and hard about what we can do to make life less exhausting for our fellow Americans.

To be clear, I am not a proponent of ‘defunding police.’ I do believe we need police and judging by the impact that phrase had on the recent presidential and congressional elections, many agree with me.

But there is so much more involved than simply saying we shouldn’t defund police.

What we must do with a sense of urgency is reform policing, retrain members of the force and rethink how police operate in our communities. Maryland became the first state in the nation to repeal its Police Bill of Rights. Other states need to follow. The D.C. Council did some of this in the emergency legislation it passed immediately following George Floyd’s murder. Then we must demand Congress pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which was first worked on in the Senate by Kamala Harris and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) as the Justice in Policing Act. Now as vice president, Harris is urging the Senate to pass it. The House of Representatives passed it in March and it’s now sitting in the Senate where it needs the support of at least 10 Republicans as long as the filibuster exists. Those of us with any sense of decency and commitment to justice need to work hard to convince 10 Republicans to get their heads out of their asses and face the reality our fellow Americans are dying because of the actions of some police.

To save lives we must continue to bend the arc of the moral universe to justice but cause it to bend faster so more people won’t die as they wait for it to happen.

1 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1 • V I E WP O I NT

SPECIAL BRING THIS COUPON

Offer Expires 5/31/21 Not valid with any other offer.

New patients only.

LOOK YOUR BEST THIS SUMMER

recognize that your positive body image improves your quality of life and well-being. At Millennium Medical we strive to provide you with the latest in surgical, non-surgical and cosmetic services in a safe, caring and comfortable environment. Our warm and friendly team is here for you, and is available by phone, e-mail, and, in person, to help you with all of your questions and concerns. We will make every effort to make your visit comfortable and informative. Be assured, we are dedicated to understanding your unique goals and providing you with an exceptional experience. Please contact a member of our team today if you have any questions or if you wish to schedule a consultation! 301-652-9005 Breast Augmentation, Liposuction, Male Breast Reduction, Laser Liposuction, Tummy Tuck, Face Lift, Hair Transplant, Botox, Juvederm, Radiesse, Restylane, Zerona, Lipo-Light Cellulite Treatment, Skin & Spa Services

Call our office and mention this ad to find out about our specials on Cosmetic Surgery procedures!

D.C.’s Most Comprehensive Cosmetic Surgery & Medispa Center

www.chevychasecosmetic.com A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 1 9

BROCK THOMPSON

is a D.C.-based writer.

He contributes regularly to the Blade.

Get ready for ‘Shot Girl Summer’ 2021 With masks down, smiling faces will soon be visible

Well, it’s almost May. And that makes it now one month away from Memorial Day — the unofficial start of gay D.C.’s summer, when we all rush to the stilltoo-cold-to-get-in waters of Rehoboth Beach. We crowd on Poodle Beach — our beach — and celebrate the start of the summer and, well, ourselves.

And we should, right? It’s been a year. And we deserve it. We’ve played by the rules (mostly), stuck to our bubbles, and stood in line to get our shots.

The question “you a Pfizer or a Moderna gal?” will be echoed a thousand times up and down the East Coast, from Fire Island to South Beach. Slight prediction here — Moderna will be the shot to have. As that’s the one I got and that’s the one gay icon Dolly Parton championed. That and gay men like arbitrarily separating folks into groups. We can be snobby like that.

And I think we’re all ready for a little sun, a little sand under our toes, a little saltwater on our lips. Just pass by Logan Circle any Saturday or Sunday, and the poor grass is trying to keep up with the burgeoning crowds as best it can.

Almost every square inch of the circle is full. And as the weather warms and more and more folks get the jab in the arm, the vibe is similar to the first day of school – excited faces greet others they haven’t seen in months.

And now word has it President Biden may be as soon as this week dropping the mandate of wearing a mask outdoors. Probably long overdue really. I was only wearing a mask outside around town so folks wouldn’t think I was a Republican. But with masks down, smiling faces will soon be visible.

I myself am off to Fire Island this summer. And wherever you’re planning on going or even if you’re just staying put, the question on everyone’s lips seems to be: “Do you think this summer will be somewhat normal?” The answer seems to be “I think so.” At least we know that it will certainly be better than it was. Incrementally we will get there. Every so often a new marker will be set — no masks for the vaccinated, more concerts, etc. And before we know it we’ll be back at underwear parties.

And many have predicted this summer will be a wild one. A new Roaring 20s, as we’ve been sitting on a spring for a while now — nowhere to go and nothing to do. But as we all prepare to go a little buck wild this summer, never regret it. We deserve it, and we’ve earned a ‘Shot Girl Summer.’ And yes the shot is a miracle, but one decades in the making. Let’s remember that just one reason why the vaccine was produced so quickly was that the mRNA technology it relies on came about largely due to the AIDS epidemic.

Yes, it was all brought about by some incredibly talented scientists who deserve the credit and admiration of the entire world. But we can also credit the countless gay men who were in the streets, quite literally clashing with police and facing arrest, in order to pressure the government to act on AIDS. Just Google groups like ACT UP and people like Larry Kramer and you’ll see what I mean.

So, we deserve it. We made it, and in more ways than one. So have that Shot Girl Summer you so deserve. And don’t forget a lot of people helped get us here.

2 0 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1 • V I E WP O I NT

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 2 1

ERIC TANNEHILL is an 18-year-old high school senior and trans man living in Fairfax County, Va.

GOP targeting trans youth ‘like watching a murder in slow motion’ With a smile on their face and a Bible in hand

My name is Eric Tannehill, I’m 18 years old, and I’m a trans man. I have been out as trans for approximately four years now. I started testosterone two years ago, and have been competing as a boy in sports for all four year of high school. I am a coxswain and rower for my school’s crew team (coxswains give orders and steer the boat).

A lot of anti-trans bills targeting people like me passed recently and more are being proposed. Republicans have decided that the most important thing to do in the middle of a pandemic is to take away life-saving treatment from children and ban them from playing sports. This has been painful for me. It’s like watching a murder in slow motion. I see what they’re doing and recognize that it’s going to get people killed and there’s nothing I can do but just watch as they target kids like me with a smile on their face and a Bible in hand.

My time on the men’s crew team means the absolute world to me. Without a doubt it was the best part of high school. The only reason I didn’t opt to graduate early was it would disqualify me from the crew team. My coaches and my teammates correct people when they mess up my pronouns. It’s a small thing, but that little supportive gesture is why I care so deeply for my team and why I’m willing to commit so much time and energy to the sport.

Most of my friends in high school are from the crew team. It’s made me a better person because I’ve gotten to meet a more diverse group of people.

The reason I worry so much about these laws banning trans athletes is because crew saved my life. My mental health completely fell apart during my sophomore year, due mostly to a concussion that caused me to fall behind in school, the after-effects of sustained bullying I endured while we still lived in a rural red state, and my first real heartbreak. I couldn’t have combatted my depression and anxiety without my team’s support. My teammates and coaches were a constant for me when I needed them most and I will forever be grateful.

I have invested so much time, energy, and love in my crew team and they have in turn given me friendship, trust, and the strength to persevere through everything life has thrown my way. Being accepted on the men’s team reaffirmed my identity when I was most insecure. I know in the longrun high school sports don’t mean much, but for teens actively facing adversity a sports team really can prevent a tragedy.

I’m lucky. I live in the one of the most progressive parts of Virginia so I didn’t have to worry about legalized discrimination. I don’t think I would have survived if I lived in a state like Texas passing these discriminatory laws. To reiterate, the laws taking trans kids away from competing in 2 2 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1 • V I E WP O I NT

the category that aligns with their gender identity is keeping trans kids from finding a community and does nothing but harm their mental health.

Even though I’m in a blue area I was still aware that any and all actions I made in this sport not only reflected on me but reflected on my community.

I wanted to make sure that every trans athlete who came after me wouldn’t need to deal with a mistake I had made. I was an ambassador for all trans athletes that would come after me.

I can also say with absolute certainty that getting medical care saved my life. I would be dead without them. I remember the relief and sense of elation I felt when I was finally prescribed testosterone. My body had betrayed me and testosterone would both help me pass as male and would make me feel whole. The argument against this medical treatment is that kids will recklessly choose to undergo irreversible hormone therapy then go on to regret it.

I don’t know a single trans youth who has received hormone therapy without talking with multiple doctors for at least several months. For me it was more than a year of counseling before finally receiving the care I so desperately needed. It’s a choice between trusting young adults to know themselves, and doctors to do their job, versus making children miserable to the point of suicide. Call me crazy but I think I’ll take the option that’s less likely to get someone killed.

Republicans have heard stories like mine before, and know the harm they will cause. They just don’t care. I’ve been through enough active shooter drills that I already knew Republicans couldn’t care less about innocent children dying. Credit where credit is due, they are good at staying on brand and reaffirming I made the right decision to attend a Canadian university.

Republicans have decided to attack two of the things that were most important to my mental health when I was going through difficult times. It fills me with rage and sadness knowing that my trans brothers, sisters, and siblings are going to die. If there are any sponsors of these bills reading this, I hope for your sake the God you use to excuse your cruelty doesn’t exist because that means you won’t receive the eternal punishment you deserve. Just remember, Jesus was a Middle Eastern Jewish anti-capitalist and the modern image of “white Jesus” is based off of Michelangelo and DaVinci’s gay lovers.

These legislators should mind their own damn business, let kids like me compete for a plastic trophy in peace, and pay attention to trained medical professionals who actually treat trans patients.

They should focus on real issues, rather than pandering to the idiots on Fox News who have never so much as met a trans person.

10”x10” Ad

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 2 3

presents

presents

SPRING AFFAIR 2021 A RUBY JUBILEE A virtual fundraising event

MAY 1, 2021 7:00PM ET Free with registration Visit GMCW.org to register

Hosted by Tony Award-Winner

NOW STREAMING! THREE LGBTQ+ YOUTH CHORUSES UNITE FOR ONE SPECIAL CONCERT

ALAN CUMMING

MAJOR MINORS YOUTH PRIDE CHORUS

THIS

SAT URD AY!

2 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1

STREAMING NOW THROUGH MAY 9 FREE FOR ALL REGISTER TODAY AT GMCW.ORG

In diverse slate of winners, Oscar is the biggest loser LGBTQ invisibility as producers aim to tell a ‘story’ with disastrous ending

By JOHN PAUL KING

with audience members, who were asked to identify movie songs that did NOT win the We knew the Academy Awards were going to be different this year.

Academy Award. The latter situation was almost saved by nominee Glenn Close, who did Forced by COVID to reimagine its traditional presentation format, the movie industry’s an “impromptu” rendition of “Da Butt” that was as goofily charming as it was obviously premost prestigious awards show convened not at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre — at least, not for planned. most of it — and opted instead to broadcast the ceremony from the relative intimacy of Los As the show wore on, the cinematic conceit chosen to revitalize the proceedings Angeles’ historic Union Station, where a small audience of nominees, presenters and guests became mostly irrelevant in the face of Oscar’s usual baggage. Further, the absence of any gathered under “live set” safety protocols while other participants connected from various performances of the year’s nominated songs, typically a favorite feature of fans at home, remote hook-ups across the world. meant there was little respite from the dullness, which was made all the more apparent by Instead of auditorium seating, tables; instead of an orchestra, Questlove. In addition, the increasingly bored faces of the onscreen audience. The omission may have been due show producers Steven Soderbergh, Jesse Collins, and Stacy Sher chose to shoot the event to the difficult logistics of additional COVID protocols, but surely pre-taped performances cinematically, employing the tricks and techniques of film to transform the evening from the might have helped to perk things up. For the record, Best Original Song went to “Fight For stodgy affair so many of us love to hate into something resembling a movie. As promised You,” from “Judas and the Black Messiah.” during the week ahead of the broadcast, the show was going to tell a “story.”

Along the way, there were noteworthy wins. The much-loved Pixar-Disney film “Soul” took It was a gamble that didn’t pay off. the award for Best Animated Feature, as well as winning Best Original Score for composers Things started out promisingly enough, it must be said, with an opening tracking shot Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste; the virally popular “My Octopus Teacher” won that followed host Regina King from the bright L.A. sunshine into the cool darkness of Union for Best Documentary Feature; David Fincher’s black-and-white old-Hollywood homage Station. The motion, the music, and most of all King’s commanding presence, gave us the “Mank” took the prizes for Best Production Design and Best Cinematography, continuing sense that something big was about to happen. Then, early in her opening comments to the trend of spreading the audience, King brought out the wealth among the substance to the weight front-running contenders; by commenting that “if in presenting Best Film things had gone differently Editing to “The Sound in Minneapolis this week, of Metal,” still-hunky I might’ve traded in my Hollywood curmudgeon heels for marching boots” Harrison Ford gave an — reminding us (as if it were amusing nod to “Blade needed) of the national Runner,” the revered focus on Black justice that 1982 sci-fi film in which hung alongside Oscar’s he starred, by reading the long-lamented struggle scathingly negative studio with diversity like a shadow notes from a pre-release over the evening. The screening; and Best central theme of this Oscar Supporting Actress went “movie,” it seemed, had to veteran performer Yuhbeen firmly established.

Jung Youn for her work in For a while, it seemed to “Minari,” making her only be working. The evening’s Best Actor winner ANTHONY HOPKINS with co-star OLIVIA COLMAN in ‘The Father.’ (Photo courtesy Sony Pictures Classics) the second woman of first winners were Emerald Asian heritage to win the Fennell for Best Original award (the first was Miyoshi Umeki for 1957’s “Sayanora”) — and making Close, who was Screenplay, for “Promising Young Woman,” and Florian Zeller for Best Adapted Screenplay, nominated for her role in “Hillbilly Elegy,” tied with Peter O’Toole as the actor with the most for “The Father,” appearing to set a tone for the ceremony in which recognition would be nods (eight) without a single win. spread around to all — something very much in tune with the presumed subplot of the By the time we reached the presentation of the four top prizes, there was little left of “story” we were being told, in which Oscar would redeem itself from the #OscarsSoWhite whatever enthusiasm had been drummed up by the opening segment of the show. Chloe associations of its past and prove itself to be a champion for fair and equal diversity, after all.

Zhao’s expected win as Best Director, for “Nomadland,” making her the first Asian-American Soon after, Daniel Kaluuya took the award for Best Supporting Actor — no surprise there, woman (and only the second woman, period) to receive the award, was an appreciated high as his performance as slain Black Panther leader Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black point for her enthusiastic gratitude alone, but at this point, things had become pretty much Messiah” had won the equivalent prize from every other major film awards so far — firmly business as usual, despite the grand designs and cinematic flourishes of the producers. establishing the “redemption” theme by celebrating the powerful work of a Black actor in Then, the big twist came. Best Picture, always the final award of the evening, was being a true-life story that addressed the corruption and tragedy of systemic racism in America. announced before the Lead Acting awards. What was happening? Was the Oscar “movie” A pair of awards for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Best Makeup and Styling, Best Costume about to give us a surprise ending?

Design), as well as a win for the police-violence-themed “Two Distant Strangers” as Best The winner, “Nomadland,” had been favored, and star Frances McDormand helped to Live-Action Short, reinforced it even further. Better still, a shout-out to trans acceptance make the moment a highlight with a “wolf” howl (dedicated to sound mixer Michael “Wolf” from “Ma Rainey” stylist Mia Neal in her speech, and a plea from “Strangers” writer/director Snyder, who passed away last month) when she joined the film’s other producers at the Travon Free for audiences not to be “indifferent to our pain” in his, lent a powerful sense of podium, but surely neither of those things warranted switching the order. Perhaps a clue to earnestness that made the whole thing feel authentic. Maybe this year, Oscar was finally what was really happening could be found in the choice of presenter — Hollywood icon Rita getting it right.

Moreno, still fabulous at 89, whose Best Supporting Actress win for 1961’s “West Side Story” Unfortunately, the Oscar “story,” in its effort to be inclusive, allowed all the winners to happened to have made her the first Hispanic woman to win an Oscar. Was this reminder of talk until they were done. In other words, Questlove did not start playing anyone off when diversity from the Academy’s past a sign that the “redemption” theme was about to pay off? they had used up their time, and the ambitious “movie” of the Oscars soon began lose any It suddenly became obvious. The Oscar “movie” was leading up to an emotional finale, momentum it had built. This is not to say that the winners don’t deserve their time in the a big and uplifting triumph that would not only be a celebration of diversity, but a tribute spotlight, or that some of the things that were said were not worthy of being heard; but to a gifted young man whose talents had been taken away from us too soon. The story of anyone in show business should know the importance of keeping your audience interested, Oscar’s redemption would culminate in the posthumous awarding of the Best Actor prize to and the Academy Awards have such a long history of running ponderously overtime that it Chadwick Boseman, whose nominated performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” was the seems some kind of middle ground might have been reached. last work he completed before losing his private battle with colon cancer and passing away There were other familiar complaints, too. The annual “in memoriam” segment inevitably at 43 last August. That would definitely be a “wow” finish. left out some important names (Ann Reinking, Jessica Walter, “Glee” star Naya Rivera, and former Oscar nominee songwriter Adam Schlesinger, to name just a few), and there was an awkward segment in which Questlove played “Oscar trivia” CONTINUES ON PAGE 28 A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 2 5

CALENDAR

The Blade’s CHRIS JOHNSON is part of a panel discussion on the role of media in covering the presidency.

By PHILIP VAN SLOOTEN

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Today

REEL Affirmations screens “A Boy Like That” from today at 12 a.m. until Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Virtual tickets are $10 for this film about a Mexican theater acting coach who travels to New York and obsesses over a youth he believes is the reincarnation of his first love. The cost includes access to the film as well as a pre-recorded Q&A with the director and cast via Zoom.

For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

The Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs and the D.C. Public Library host the #DCQueerFlix virtual viewing of “Reaching for the Moon” tonight at 7 p.m. This biographical drama imagines American writer Elizabeth Bishop’s relationship with Brazilian architect Lota de Macedo in the 1950s. Participants will watch the film together via Kanopy and chat interactively on Twitter using #DCQueerFlix and #ReachingForTheMoon. To register for this free screening, visit the event’s pages on Eventbrite and on the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs Facebook page.

The May is Trans Kick Off Event: Meet and Greet Cocktail Party is tonight at 8 p.m. via Zoom. This free event hosted by Stoli is an opportunity for attendees to celebrate and socialize with the sponsors, panelists, moderators and everyone who contributed to the month of upcoming events to honor trans lives. To RSVP, visit mayistransdc.com.

Saturday, May 01

A transgender youth town hall is today at 1 p.m. via Zoom. This event is part of the monthlong series of educational and entertaining discussions and more for May is Trans. Visit mayistransdc.com to RSVP for this free event.

The LGBTQ People of Color virtual support group is today at 1 p.m. This peer support group is an affirming and judgement-free space for queer people of color to watch movies, enjoy poetry events, and more. More information is available at thedccenter.org/poc and at facebook.com/centerpoc.

Sunday, May 02

DC Gaymers hosts a virtual Dungeons and Dragons One Shot event today at noon. Level 1 games are for newer players while level 3 are for the more experienced. Participants need to create a character, sign up for Discord and Roll20, and sign up for a game before noon on game day to play. More information is available on the event’s Facebook page.

Sharing our Stories: Conversations with LGBTQIA+ Parishioners hosted by the Holy Trinity Catholic Church is today at 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. This event is facilitated by members of the parish’s Restorative Justice Group and will feature members of the LGBTQ ministry sharing stories about what it is like to be queer in the Catholic Church. For more information and to RSVP, visit the event’s Facebook page.

Monday, May 03

The Capital Pride Interfaith Service Planning Meeting is tonight at 6 p.m. via Zoom.

Planning meetings take place on the first Monday of every month between March and May. Visit thedccenter.org for details.

OUT & ABOUT

Press symposium explores role of media in covering presidency The Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service and the White House Correspondents’ Association host “The Press, The Presidency and Trust,” on Wednesday, May 5, beginning at 11:30 a.m.

This virtual three-panel symposium explores the important role of the media in covering the presidency. Topics include previous challenges, diversity and the way forward.

Panel 1 features former and current White House correspondents and press secretaries discussing the evolving norms and challenges shaping their relationship. Panel 2 focuses on diversity in the briefing room and panelists include Yamiche Alcindor from PBS NewsHour, Janet Rodriguez from Univision, Seung Min Kim from The Washington Post and Chris Johnson from the Washington Blade.

Panel 3 panelist Jen Psaki, Biden-Harris Administration White House Press Secretary, discusses lessons from past 2 6 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1

Trans Activist Charley Burton shares his story at the Recovery from Alcohol and Drug Addiction session of the May is Trans series tonight at 8 p.m. via Zoom. All are welcome to this session on experiencing addiction and recovery. For more information, visit mayistransdc.com.

Tuesday, May 04

The May is Trans month series continues tonight at 7 p.m. with a virtual discussion with the transmen and transmasculine communities. This discussion is hosted by Mavrick Hill and includes panelists Sam Davis, Luckie Fuller and August K. Clayton. Also at 7 p.m. is a community discussion for transwomen and transfeminine folks with panelists Sharon-Franklin Brown, Diana Feliz Oliva and Bianca Humady Rey. Both discussions are followed by a Q&A. For more information and to RSVP, visit mayistransdc.com.

East City Bookshop presents “Finding Junie Kim’’ author Ellen Oh in conversation with Hena Khan and Linda Sue Park tonight at 7 p.m. Oh is also the president and founder of We Need Diverse Books, and this book shows the strength of a young girl who experiences racism in middle school but is inspired by her mother’s real-life experiences during the Korean War. Registration is required to attend this event. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

Wednesday, May 05

May is Trans presents Stop killing Us! Now this has got to Stop, a panel discussion about ongoing violence against the transgender communities. More information is available at mayistransdc.com.

BookMen DC meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. This informal group of men meets the first and third Wednesdays monthly for about an hour to discuss gay literature. Most members live in or near D.C., but visitors and those from outside the area are welcome to join the discussion. More information is available at bookmendc.blogspot.com.

The D.C.-area Transmasculine Society hosts a virtual social hour today at 8 p.m. Participants do not have to be in the DC area to join, and the event is open to all trans, nonbinary and gender diverse individuals aged 17 and up. For more information, visit dcats.org/socialhour.

Thursday, May 06

The Asian Pacific Islander Queer Support Group is tonight at 7 p.m. via Zoom. This support group for the API queer community meets the first Thursday of every month and is co-sponsored by the Asian Pacific Islander Queer Society DC and Asian Queers United for Action. For more information, visit thedccenter.org or email supportdesk@thedccenter.org to join the meeting.

May is Trans hosts a mental health in the transgender community discussion tonight at 7 p.m. Details on this session are available at mayistransdc.com.

administrations and their relationship with the press moving forward.

To register for this virtual event, visit bit.ly/TrustSymposium or visit politics.georgetown.edu/trust.

Storytelling workshop series for LGBTQ seniors begins May 8 The D.C. Center’s seniors program and the D.C. Department on Aging and Community Living host a storytelling workshop series May 8, 15, and 22 via Zoom.

This three-part series of Saturday afternoon workshops features writer and communications consultant Erin Becker leading participants in storytelling activities.

The topic for the first session on May 8 is story structure, while May 15 is about bringing a scene to life, and May 22 is a discussion on the power of stories to change minds and lives.

The first few D.C. residents aged 60 and up who register are eligible to receive a $50 Uber Eats gift card.

For more information and to register for these events, visit thedccenter.org.

Out/Spoken 2021 streams live worldwide May 14 Story District and Team Rayceen Productions present the 11th annual Out/Spoken 2021 on Friday, May 14 at 8 p.m. via livestream from Union Stage (740 Water Street S.W.).

Tickets are $20 for this LGBTQ storytelling event hosted by Rayceen Pendarvis and The Ask Rayceen Show Announcer Krylios. Ticketholders can access the live show and the recording for a 24-hour period.

This year’s program honors the District’s Pride celebrations, including Capital Pride, DC Black Pride, Capital Trans Pride, DC Latinx Pride, Youth Day and Silver Pride.

Story District’s mission is to teach and showcase the art of autobiographical storytelling in order to inspire, connect and build a diverse community of voices in the D.C. area and beyond.

For tickets and information, visit unionstage.com or storydistrict.org.

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 2 7

Oscars: A colossal screw-up born of its own hubris CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

Best Actress came first, accompanied by some suspense due to being one of the few categories without a clear front-runner. McDormand took the statue for “Nomadland,” joining a small handful of other performers as a three-time-winner and preventing “Ma Rainey” star Viola Davis from becoming the first Black actress to win twice. Her speech was refreshingly short and humble, a tribute to the joy of “the work” which included a quote from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” (“My voice is in my sword”) — a play considered by actors worldwide to be “cursed,” which in retrospect casts an interesting light on what happened next.

To present the final award, last year’s Best Actor winner Joaquin Phoenix (looking exceptionally uncomfortable) came to the mic and, after a feeble joke about his reputation for method acting, read off the five nominees before opening the envelope to bring about the now much-anticipated denouement.

“And the Oscar goes to… Anthony Hopkins, ‘The Father.’”

It wasn’t quite “fade to black, roll credits” after that, but it might as well have been.

There was no uplifting finale, no redemption of the Academy as a reward for its show of diversity. There was only another in a long-running series of gaffes (remember the “La La Land” vs. “Moonlight” debacle from just a few years back?) that have made the Oscar show’s tendency to mess things up a running joke.

This one, however, was possibly the worst. In an arrogant attempt to shape a narrative out of real life events that hadn’t even happened yet, the Academy seems to have chosen to manipulate its audience into an emotional reaction — one that would have bolstered its own reputation and perhaps made up for some of its former perceived missteps — while exhibiting a cynical overconfidence in its own ability to predict the sentiments of its voters. As a result, its “wow” finish turned into an abrupt and uncomfortable faux pas, diminishing both Hopkins’ victory for a career-topping performance (which, at 83, makes him the oldest acting winner in Oscar history) and Boseman’s searingly powerful work by obscuring their accomplishments behind a colossal fuck-up born of its own hubris.

It’s worth noting that a plan was (reportedly) in place in the supposedly “unlikely” event

329 Rhode Island Ave NE Suite #A 2 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1

that Hopkins would win, in which “Father” co-star Colman - known for her disarming grace and humor in awards situations - would have accepted the award in his absence.

As reported by The Guardian, Phoenix forgot to call her to the stage, resulting in the dull thud that was the end of the 93rd Academy Awards. Regardless, the Academy has only itself to blame. In its eagerness to tell the story it wanted to tell about itself, it appears to have forgotten that you have to know the ending first.

Ironically, when removed from all the drama, the list of winners does represent one of the most diverse and inclusive slates in Oscar history. It’s not enough, but it’s a start.

On that note, as a final observation, the LGBTQ community, despite recent strides in being acknowledged by Oscar, went largely unacknowledged at this year’s ceremony, with queer front-runners like “Two of Us” (a French contender for Best International Feature) and David France’s devastating “Welcome to Chechnya” (shortlisted for Best Documentary Feature) having been shut out of the nominations and no significant queer content among most of the nominated films. Apart from Neal’s aforementioned invocation of trans acceptance as part of a possible future in which the recognition of all women for their achievements would be “normal,” the only other time we came up was during Tyler Perry’s acceptance speech for the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

Perry, whose popular films are frequently criticized for embracing borderline homophobic and transphobic humor and perpetuating problematic tropes about gender and sexuality, gave a speech calling for people to “refuse to hate” anyone “because they are Mexican, or because they are Black or white, or LBGTQ” or “because they are a police officer” or “because they are Asian.” Apart from the conflation of being a police officer (a choice) with being an LGBTQ person or a person of color (not a choice), the fact that he mixed up the “B” and the “G” is a clear indicator that, while he may refuse to hate us, he’s not exactly a committed ally, either.

If the LGBTQ angle seems like a footnote to the story, that’s because it is. Once more, the queer community is left feeling like an uninvited guest by the Academy.

If Oscar wants its story to be about diversity, it’s clear that next year’s “story” needs some better writers.

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 2 9

At 75, John Waters has no plans to retire ‘I’d go nuts if I didn’t work’

By ED GUNTS

When writer and filmmaker John Waters turned 70 five years ago, he said he took six friends on a first-class trip to Paris for his birthday and “we had the best time.”

This year, for his 75th birthday on April 22, he was going to take his friends to Rome but the COVID-19 pandemic got in the way and they couldn’t all travel.

Instead, a friend is having a small dinner party for him in New York City, and he’s going with a friend. “Everybody has had their shots, and that’s what I’m going to do…It will be low-key this year.”

The older he gets, he said, the less he cares about making a big fuss out of every birthday anyway.

“What difference does it make? Old means old. It doesn’t matter which one.”

Though he’s taking some time to celebrate his 75th birthday, Waters has no plans to retire.

“No, God no,” he said last weekend while on a Zoom call with fans from London. “I jump out of bed every morning. It hurts to jump out of bed. I have aches and pains. But no, I’d go nuts if I didn’t work.”

That’s probably just as well because he has a lot going on. Between shooting episodes of “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” getting ready for film festivals in several cities, planning a guided tour in Provincetown, and preparing for an exhibit of his private art collection at the Baltimore Museum of Art, he’s staying busy.

The ultimate multitasker, he didn’t even stop working when he went for a COVID vaccination recently.

“I signed an autograph when I was getting the shot,” he said. “Well, not at the moment, but right before.”

In a Zoom session organized by London’s Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities — an early birthday present of sorts because it drew fans from at least three continents — Waters announced that he just last week finished the book he’s been writing for the past three years, “LIARMOUTH,” a novel about a woman who steals luggage at the airport. It’s due out next year from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

He also expressed optimism that some events that had to be cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic will be back in 2021, including his Camp John Waters “sleepaway” weekend for superfans in Kent, Conn., and a new, renamed iteration of the Burger Boogaloo punk rock

music festival that he hosts in Oakland, Calif.

There’s even a chance he’ll make another movie. Waters told his fans there’s still interest in “Fruitcake,” the children’s Christmas film that he’s been trying for years to make. “There is new possibility,” he teased. “That’s all I’ll say. I’m not going to jinx it.”

He’s waiting to hear about the several dozen spoken-word shows he performs around the country every year between JOHN WATERS is anxious to get back out into the world after a year in lockdown.

Thanksgiving and Christmas. “I think a lot (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key) of those decisions are going to happen in September.”

Most of all, he said, he’s just eager to make in-person appearances after a year in lockdown.

Some of his engagements that were cancelled due to COVID have been rescheduled for the coming year, including appearances in New York, California, and Pennsylvania, and he’s adding others.

“I’m dying to get back on the road,” he said last weekend. “I’m still amazed that 20-something-year-old kids know who I am. I want to see what they look like.”

He’s wondering whether Meet-N-Greets – the sessions where he signs autographs and poses for photos with fans after a performance – will be possible in a post-pandemic world.

“Even before this, when I did the Christmas tour, I had Meet-N-Greets for usually 50 people” after a show, he said. “I’d always get sick because you have to hug everybody and then get on an airplane the next day. So I think Meet-N-Greets might never come back. I don’t know how they’re ever going to do that safely.”

On a personal basis, too, he’s yearning to get out and travel more.

“I want to go to a movie theater. I want to go to a concert,” he said. “I want to be able to have even a dull day out with other people.”

Seeking Generation X

Gay Men for research study My name is James Hersey; I am conducting research to gain insight into the aging experience among Openly Gay Generation X Men. This study is part of my doctoral education program at the Harold Able School of Psychology at Capella University.

If you are a gay man born & living in the US (exclusive of military service), have been openly gay from the age of 25, were born between 1965 & 1980, & are willing to commit to a one hour video interview you are eligible.

To enroll in the study, or if you have any questions please contact me at gaygenxresearchstudy@outlook.com This study is not right for you if you were born in a different generation, are straight/bisexual/questioning, not raised in the U.S., or came out after the age of 25.

3 0 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1

Our Therapy Clinic Understands the Challenges People Face Seeking help for sexual performance isn’t easy, especially when combined with the regular anxiety that people face about going to the doctor.

That’s why we’ve staffed our facility with only the most caring and discreet staff that do everything they can to make the process smooth and judgment-free. Talk to our experts today for more information on how we help men find solutions to their sexual problems.

Asking for help with sexual performance can be embarrassing, but it’s often necessary for your health, happiness, and romantic relationships. Millennium Wellness is here to simplify it for men and women at our health and therapy center in Chevy Chase, MD. We work with clients of all ages to access the services they need to improve their performance and well-being. With over 20 years of experience in this field, you can count on us to serve you well.

Our men’s health clinic is completely up-to-date regarding our equipment and the techniques we use to treat medical issues.

Millennium Wellness strives to be an all-in-one source for men needing therapy, medication, or a similar solution to a sexual problem. Some areas we commonly work with are: • • • •

Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy Erectile Dysfunction PRP Shot Testosterone Therapy

Millennium Wellness

4407 Willard Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 (301) 476-1275

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 3 1

Did Doris Duke get away with murder?

New book explores death of heiress’s gay designer

By KATHI WOLFE

I don’t know if there is an afterlife. But if there is, I hope I don’t meet up with Doris Duke.

Why wouldn’t I want to hang out with Duke, the art collector and tobacco heiress, known as the richest woman in America, who lived from 1912 to 1993?

Because in the fascinating book “Homicide at Rough Point,” investigative journalist Peter Lance illustrates how Duke, believed to have had affairs with many men and women, including Errol Flynn, was likely the meanest woman in EDUARDO TIRELLA, 42, was the artistic curator America. and designer for Doris Duke’s estates.

On top of that, Lance convincingly argues, Duke got away with murder.

For starters, she’d hire ex-FBI agents

By Peter Lance to go after her ex-lovers and former c.2021, Tenacity Media Books employees to make sure they wouldn’t $28.79/438 pages ruin her rep in the media. One night, Duke got angry at Joseph Armand Castro, one of her ex-husbands. He reportedly made a wisecrack while Duke was playing jazz on a piano. Ticked off, she slashed Castro’s arm with a butcher’s knife.

This was child’s play for Duke. Lance, who won five Emmys for his work as a correspondent for WNET and ABC News, makes a compelling case that Duke not only killed a trusted confidant, but used her money and influence to cover up her crime.

Duke had several estates – including “Falcon Lair” in Beverly Hills, the estate Rudolf Valentino purchased in 1925.

One of Duke’s estates, Rough Point, was in Newport, Rhode Island. The estate was on Bellevue Avenue, known as Millionaire’s Row. On Oct. 6, 1966, Eduardo Tirella, 42, flew to Newport from the West Coast. For a decade, he’d been the artistic curator and designer

‘Homicide at Rough Point’

+ Largest LGBT owned title company + Billions of dollars in transactions closed annually + 6 in house attorneys + Residential and commercial transactions + In home and in office refinance settlements + Licensed in DC, DE, MD, NJ, VA & WV

3 2 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1

for Duke’s estates. The billionaire hadn’t purchased any art without consulting Tirella. She’d wanted to keep Tirella, who was gay, by her side.

Tirella no longer wanted to work for Duke. Against the warnings of his partner, the sculptor Edmund Kara, and his friends, he decided to tell Duke in person that he was quitting.

Tirella, a New Jersey native, grew up, one of nine children, in a working class family. He earned a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts fighting in World War II. After the war, Tirella designed hats for Saks Fifth Avenue and the gossip doyennes Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons. He moved to the West Coast, where he and Kara lived fairly openly as a gay couple. Tirella designed Elizabeth Taylor’s shack for the movie “The Sandpiper.” Kara designed the bust of Taylor that’s seen in the same movie. The couple partied with friends from Kim Novak to Bobby Short.

As Tirella prepared to leave Duke, his work on the West Coast was amping up. He was the set designer for the Tony Curtis movie “Don’t’ Make Waves.” He’d earned $43,000 (about $351,000 in today’s money) the year of his death, Lance reports.

Duke, who Lance calls “the possessive, often violent heiress” wasn’t at all pleased that Tirella was leaving. People who were around Duke and Tirella then, told Lance that on Oct. 7, 1966, after Tirella said he was leaving, the two had a “wicked fight.”

Minutes later, Duke ran Tirella over with her car outside the gates of Rough Point, Lance reports. “Because Doris Duke had the money and the power,” he writes, “she succeeded in effectively erasing his death from the narrative of her controversial life.”

The Newport police said Tirella’s death was an “unfortunate accident.” Soon after Tirella died, Lance reports, Duke, who hadn’t contributed to Newport before, became philanthropic. She created the Newport Restoration Foundation to revive the city’s tourism.

For Lance, a Newport native, something about the case, “sat unsolved, like a stone in my shoe,” he writes.

When F. Scott Fitzgerald said the rich “are different from you and me,” he was so on point! “Homicide at Rough Point” is a captivating memoir of gumshoe journalism and an entertaining travelogue of Newport, where the rich and eccentric have lived since the American Revolutionary War. Above all, it is an arresting reminder: If you’re rich and powerful enough, you can coverup anything – even murder.

Come Home to a Gorgeous New Apartment, Near the New Carrollton Metro

THE REMY IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A N A PA R T M E N T C O M M U N I T Y. It’s an escape. When you live here, you’ll have a stunning home featuring the latest styles, access to the most enviable amenities around and a location in the heart of the Harkins District, a new neighborhood springing up around the New Carrollton Metro. It’s an amazing way to live.

Studio, one- and two-bedroom apartment homes, featuring open floor plans

Resort-style saltwater pool with poolside cabanas

Gourmet kitchens, including quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances

Rooftop deck, featuring grilling areas and scenic views

Hardwood-inspired flooring and spa-inspired baths

State-of-the-art fitness facility, including Pilates, spin and yoga studio

Washer and dryer in every home

Pet-friendly living with pet spa and dog run

Luxe clubroom with bar area, billiards table, foosball and more

Immediate access to New Carrollton Metro and train stations

Visit TheRemyApts.com or call 301.637.8065 to schedule your tour!

7730 HARKINS ROAD, LANHAM, MD 20706 /

T H E R E M YA P T S .C O M

/ 3 0 1 . 6 3 7. 8 0 6 5

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 3 3

Renovations in the time of COVID Clean and de-clutter your home before listing

By JOSEPH HUDSON

What do I need to do to make my house pretty and ready to sell in the time of COVID? Some people are telling me that I don’t have to do anything, that it is a sellers’ market. Well, maybe. Do you know your market? Do you know the idiosyncrasies of your market? In many places, homes are flying off the market “as-is.” But in many places a much more nuanced home is getting the attention.

I am seeing more movement in the single-family home market. So, a seller might get by with doing basic repairs and some sprucing up/decluttering to get their house ready for the market. Then again, you never get a second chance to make a first impression, so when in doubt, clean it out. (Paint it out, stage it out, etc.)

If you want to do renovations, you might want to get estimates from multiple sources, and see who gets you the best deal. I am hearing some stories that there is a backlog in the supply chain for hardwood and some other materials. Also, many contractors are booked up right now, or have been scheduled to get work done for months now. If timing is going to be

In the time of COVID, cleanliness is almost the No.1 factor people are looking at when buying homes.

JOSEPH HUDSON

is a Realtor with The Rutstein Group at Compass.

Reach him at 703-587-0597 or Joseph.hudson@compass.com.

3 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1 • B US I NE S S

an important part of the puzzle, you might want to double check that the work can get done when you need it to be done, especially if you live in a building where you have to get permission to use elevators, do work between certain hours of the day, etc.

At the very least, find a good house cleaner to get in and do a good job on the type of cleaning that is not done on a normal basis. For many reasons. In the time of a pandemic, cleanliness is almost the number one thing people are looking at. Also, we all know that the carpets get vacuumed, the windows get cleaned, and the shelves get dusted. But what about deep in the corners and under the counters and in the air vents and filters?

That being said, there seems to be a shortage of homes on the market right now for the amount of buyers that are looking. A lucky seller right now might not have to do a total renovation and might want to leave some decisions to the next buyer, but I would still advise that they err on the side of cleaning, de-cluttering, and getting it photo ready to maximize their return on their investment.

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 3 5

BULLETIN BOARD

Seeking Generation X

Gay Men for research study

My name is James Hersey; I am conducting research to gain insight into the aging experience among Openly Gay Generation X Men. This study is part of my doctoral education program at the Harold Able School of Psychology at Capella University.

If you are a gay man born & living in the US (exclusive of military service), have been openly gay from the age of 25, were born between 1965 & 1980, & are willing to commit to a one hour video interview you are eligible.

To enroll in the study, or if you have any questions please contact me at

gaygenxresearchstudy@ outlook.com

This study is not right for you if you were born in a different generation, are straight/bisexual/questioning, not raised in the U.S., or came out after the age of 25.

COUNSELING

LEGAL SERVICES

MASONRY / PAVING DMV PAVING & MASONRY

ADOPTION, DONOR, SURROGACY legal services. Jennifer represents LGBTQ clients in DC, MD & VA interested in adoption or ART matters.

240-863- 2441, JFairfax@jenniferfairfax.com.

for all your paver & brick needs.

Driveways, patios & walkways, walls, foundations, landscaping, aprons, drainage systems. 30 Years Exp. Insured, Affordable.

Free Consultations. www.dmvpavingandmasonry. com. Call 202-340-1185.

LIMOUSINES KASPER’S LIVERY SERVICE

MOVING

Since 1987.

Gay & Veteran Owner/Operator.

2016 Luxury BMW 750Li Sedan.

Proper DC License & Livery Insured. www.KasperLivery.com.

Phone 202-554-2471.

PROFESSIONAL MOVING & STORAGE. Let Our Movers Do The Heavy Lifting. Mention the ‘Blade’ for 5% off of our regular rates.

Call today 202.734.3080.

CLEANING

HOUSING SHARE/ DC

FERNANDO’S CLEANING:

GWM ISO SAME TO SHARE ELEGANT home in SW DC. Utilities, maid & parking are included. W/D, DW, Filtered Water/ice machine, cable & WiFi, garden (but no yard work), outdoor galleries for tanning, cocktails, etc. Friendly, but non- intrusive, housemate/ landlord. Please call Bruce (202) 488-4888. rbrucm@aol.com.

Thank you!

www.aroundtownmovers.com

Residential & Commercial Cleaning, Reasonable Rates, Free Estimates, Routine, 1-Time, Move-In/Move-Out. (202) 234-7050, 202-486-6183 .

COUNSELING FOR LGBTQ People.

Individual/couple counseling with a volunteer peer counselor. GMCC, servicing since 1973.

202-580-8661. gaymenscounseling.org.

FOR SALE / DC

MAGNIFICENT EFFICIENCY $230,000

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Results-Oriented • Affordable

Larry Cohen, LICSW

33 years serving the LGBT community

202-244-0903 socialanxietyhelp.com

See website for NPR story on my work

SIMPLE AFFORDABLE PROVEN RESULTS

CALL TODAY TO PLACE YOUR AD

202.747.2077

No fees, donation requested.

EMPLOYMENT

PROOF #2

WHOLISTIC SERVICES INC.

is looking for dedicated individuals to work as Direct Support Professionals assisting intellectually disabled adults with behavioral & health complexities in our residential location in the District of Columbia & Maryland.

Job Requirements Ability to lift up to 75 lbs.

Completion of required trainings prior to hire, Completion of Trained Medication Certifications (TME) and/or CMT (Certified Medication Technician) within 6 months of hire, Cleared DOH background Check prior to hire, Valid Driver’s License, Valid CPR & FIrst Aid, NEgative COVID-19 test results prior to start of work (taken within 3 days prior to date of hire). COVID-19 vaccination within 45 days of hire.

Contact the Human Resources Department @ 202-832-8787 for further information.

PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD ONLINE

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

MASONRY / PAVING

CAPITOL HILL MASONRY

Free Estimates, paving/asphalt, concrete, brick, flagstone, chimneys, driveways, patios, walkways, walls and foundations. Drainage systems, repairs & maintenance. http:// capitolhillmasonry.com Call Frank 202-931-8889.

3 6 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1 • C L A S S I F I E D S

ISSUE DATE 170414

REVISIONS REDESIGN TEXT REVISIONS IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS NO REVISIONS

SALES REPRESENTATIVE PHIL ROCKSTROH prockstroh

REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertiser’s breach of any of the foregoing representations and warranties.

Dupont Circle EfficiencyCondominium. Seller willing to contribute to closing costs.

Contact Ron Ziegel (240) 949-4445 of The Jane Fairweather Team (240) 223-4663 with Long and Foster (310) 907-7600

BODYWORK

THE MAGIC TOUCH:

Swedish, Massage or Deep Tissue. Appts 202-486-6183, Low Rates, 24/7, In-Calls.

NOW LEASING

Courtyard Townhouses

833.837.5678 thegloverhouse.com

2101 WISCONSIN AVENUE NW, WASHINGTON DC, 20007

PERSPECTIVE: COURTYARD

2101 WISCONSIN AVENUE 2 1 0 1 Wi s c o n s i n Av e , N W Wa s h i n g t o n D C 2 0 0 0 7

L.13

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 3 7

D ec em ber 14, 2016

3 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • APRIL 30, 202 1

A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 2 1 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 3 9