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Mark Glaze, gun reform advocate, dies at 51

Longtime D.C. resident worked to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ FROM STAFF REPORTS

Mark Charles Glaze, a longtime D.C. resident who was gay, died Oct. 31 in Scranton, Pa., by suicide while being held on DUI and other charges at the Lackawanna County Prison, according to a statement posted to his Facebook page by family. Glaze was involved in a car accident on I-81 in Dunmore, Pa., on Sept. 9 and fled the scene, according to police. “As we celebrate the life of our beloved Mark, we would be remiss not to mention his harrowing struggle with alcohol, depression, and anxiety,” the Facebook statement said. “In the last years of his life, Mark actively sought help. He completed several treatment programs, with the hope of finding peace and breaking free of the addictive cycle that caused him to feel so desperately alone and in pain. … We pray that by being open about Mark’s cause of death, something positive may emerge from our devastating loss.” Glaze was born on Oct. 21, 1970, in Pueblo, Colo. He was a Truman Foundation Scholar at The Colorado College and an honors graduate of the George Washington University Law School. He worked as a principal at the D.C.-based political affairs firm the Raben Group and had a variety of issues in his portfolio, including campaign finance reform, government ethics as well as LGBTQ issues and served as director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the largest gun violence prevention group in the country. In 2010, Glaze was hired by the Human Rights Campaign to push for Senate legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” In a 2014 interview with the Blade, Glaze said the country was “at a tipping point” in the wake of shootings like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in which 20 children and six school officials were killed. “The mass shootings are happening more and more rapidly, and they’re becoming more and more deadly,” Glaze said. “The Newtown shooting was the second biggest mass shooting in U.S. history after Virginia Tech in 2007. And, you know, the kids who were shot and murdered were my son’s age, and it was right before Christmas. So, I think that combination of things has just got the public and the president ready to say, ‘Enough is enough, let’s finally get this right.’” Glaze’s father was a gun dealer and he was raised in a house that was attached to a general store selling guns. “My dad is like most gun dealers,” Glaze told the Blade in 2014. “He thinks that lawabiding people should have to take background checks, so everybody should have to take background checks. And gun dealers don’t like that guns get a terrible reputation

MARK GLAZE was widely known in the D.C. LGBTQ community.

because unlicensed sellers are handing guns out to people with criminal records. It gives the entire industry a bad name.” Robert Raben, head of the Raben Group, praised Glaze in a 2014 Blade interview. “We are unbelievably proud of Mark’s leadership; he has enormous responsibility and meets it well, with vision and delivery,” Raben said. “That he is an openly gay man helping lead such an important effort is a tribute to his professionalism, and how the country and its understanding of our talent has

changed.” Glaze later served as executive director of Everytown for Gun Safety, a bipartisan group chaired by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and became a nationally prominent advocate for reform of gun laws. In 2014, after a long and successful career in public affairs and political strategy, Glaze founded his own consulting practice. Glaze was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Glaze and Nancy Green. He is survived by his 14-year-old son, Archer; aunts, uncles, cousins and a wide circle of friends in D.C. and beyond. Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff was a longtime friend of Glaze’s. “Mark’s work as an LGBTQ rights and gun reform advocate undoubtedly saved lives and he will be missed by many,” Naff said. “I commend his family for being so transparent about his cause of death; that candor will surely help even more people. I hope Mark has found the peace that eluded him for so long and I will miss his friendship, sense of humor, and his brilliant skill at debating and skewering Fox News hosts.” Contributions in Glaze’s name may be sent to Everytown for Gun Safety, The Marshall Project, and/or Ashley Treatment Center, according to the family’s Facebook statement. A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date. Details will be posted on social media. If you are thinking about suicide, the Trevor Project offers 24/7 crisis counseling for LGBTQ young people at 1-866-488-7386. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States at 1-800-273-TALK.

Kris Fair seeks to be first out delegate from Western Maryland Frederick activist to officially announce campaign on Nov. 15 By STEVE CHARING

Kris Fair, a Democrat and lifelong resident of Frederick County, plans to officially announce his candidacy for the Maryland House of Delegates in the current District 3A at a free event on Nov. 15. It will take place at the Monocacy Brewing Company (1781 N. Market St., Frederick) at 6 p.m. The program is scheduled to run from 6:45-7:15 p.m. State Del. Karen Lewis Young will introduce Fair at the kickoff event and KRIS FAIR is running for the Maryland endorse him for the seat she currently Legislature. holds. Lewis Young is preparing her run for the Maryland Senate with the impending retirement of state Sen. Ron Young. Fair has served as Lewis Young’s legislative director and former campaign manager. In addition, speakers will include local activists and campaign co-chairs Tracy Racheff and Wil Graham. At the announcement, numerous local businesses and organizations will be represented, including Brewer’s Alley beer, Dublin Roasters coffee, and food from Traditional Authentic Mexican Food truck. Additionally, the Frederick County Health Department will be providing COVID-19 vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson). Love for Lochlin will be providing free flu vaccines. The campaign asks attendees to bring hygienic items (toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrush, hairbrush, deodorant, body wash, toilet paper, etc.) that 0 6 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • NOVEMBER 1 2 , 2 0 2 1 • LO CA L NE WS

will be donated through a local nonprofit to families in need during the holiday season. Fair will outline his message of “progress starts on day one.” His campaign will focus on post-COVID recovery, access to quality education and healthcare for all, fighting for social justice and equity, and investing in critical community needs, including the environment, fair wages, housing, and mental health. He will also share how he is uniquely qualified with vast experience in the nonprofit, for-profit, and public sectors and how he will harness his lived experience to support all Frederick residents with a powerful voice in Annapolis. “As delegate, I will apply my lived experience growing up gay in rural Frederick County, surviving the many adversities in our community to become one of the leaders that built the largest LGBTQ+ organization in western Maryland,” Fair told the Washington Blade. “I will fight every day for Frederick residents and my LGBTQ+ family.” Fair, who is the current executive director of the Frederick Center, a support and advocacy organization serving the LGBTQ communities in the broader Frederick area, has 20 years leadership experience in civil rights and community outreach organizations serving the disenfranchised with a strong track record of inter-agency coordination. Previously, he chaired the Frederick Center board of directors for over four years and had been the director of Frederick Pride since 2012. A graduate of Linganore High School in 2002, Frederick Community College in 2008, and Hood College in 2012, Fair has been active with numerous organizations besides the Frederick Center. They include the Frederick Arts Council, the Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership (SHIP), MOM’s Demand Action, the Golden Mile Alliance, Marylanders for Marriage Equality, the Greater Frederick Advertising Federation, the Frederick County Democratic Party and the Weinberg Center for the Arts. Fair lives in Frederick with his husband Dominick.

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Man who shouted slurs at Alexandria gay couple found not guilty of assault But judge rules neighbor guilty of misdemeanor disorderly conduct By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

own property. Both Woods testified that in the weeks prior to the July 3 incident, they An Alexandria, Va., General District Court judge on Monday, Nov. 8, issued a verdict repeatedly and politely came to the front door of the Metz’s house to ask them if they of not guilty for 57-year-old Thomas Wood on a charge of misdemeanor simple assault could move the planter to make more room for them to park their car. against a gay man that police and prosecutors listed as a hate crime. But the Metz’s testified that Thomas Wood yelled both anti-gay and anti-Asian slurs at Following a four-and-a-half-hour nonjury trial, Judge Thomas Kelley Jr. ruled that two them for at least a month or more prior to the July 3 incident that led to the assault and video and audio recordings that captured Wood repeatedly shouting anti-gay slurs at disorderly conduct charges against Thomas Wood. Leo Metz is Asian American. his two next door neighbors, Kyle Metz and Metz’s husband, Leo Liu Metz, in a July 3 The July 3 incident received widespread publicity on social media and on local incident did not provide sufficient evidence to prove Wood physically assaulted either TV news broadcasts when the Metz’s released the video and audio recording of the of the two gay men or committed a simple assault under Virginia law. incident captured on their Ring camera video surveillance system. A second video of Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Joe Cahoon, who acted as the lead prosecutor the incident was taken by another nearby neighbor, Julia Kennedy, who testified at the in the case, argued that both Kyle and Leo Metz testified at the trial that Wood raised trial that she witnessed what she believed to be Thomas Wood subjecting Kyle and Leo and swung his arms over a fence that separated the properties of Wood and the Metz’s. Metz to homophobic slurs during the July 3 incident. He said Wood would have struck Leo Metz if Kyle Metz had not pulled Leo away from Prosecutor Cahoon played both videos the fence. on a large video screen several times In a separate verdict, Judge Kelley found during the trial. He noted that Thomas Wood guilty of disorderly conduct, the Wood’s loud and prolonged shouting second of the two charges filed against him of anti-gay slurs and other insults that by prosecutors in connection with the July the Metz’s interpreted to be threats 3 incident. The misdemeanor disorderly reverberated across the neighborhood, conduct charge was not classified as a hate creating a disturbance that clearly crime under Virginia law. constituted disorderly conduct. Under Virginia law, misdemeanor cases Defense attorney Hicks pointed to such as simple assault or disorderly conduct Thomas Wood’s testimony in which are brought to trial before a judge without Wood claimed he was shouting the word a jury. “maggot” and not “faggot” most of the While finding Wood not guilty of the time when he became outraged that he hate crime assault charge, Kelley stated could barely park his car in the space on from the bench while delivering his verdict his own property because of the Metz’s that he disagreed with arguments made by planter blocking access to his parking Wood in his testimony as a witness and by space. The Metz’s have said the planter Wood’s attorney that the altercation began was completely within their property line. as a dispute over Wood’s parking space in an They testified that the incident began alley that separates Wood’s house from the about 9:30 p.m. on July 3 when they house where Kyle and Leo Metz live. heard a loud crashing sound outside their “There is nothing that is said about house and became worried that someone parking,” Kelley said in referring to the two The July incident was captured on a Ring doorbell camera. hit their own car. Before going outside, they video recordings with full sound that captured said they watched the video from the Ring Wood shouting the word “faggots” and asking camera linked to their cell phones and saw Thomas Wood shouting insults over the which of the two gay men was the “wife,” among other insults. fence that separates the two houses. “Are you the wife?” Wood is heard yelling on the video and audio recording. “Are you The two gay men testified that they then went outside to find out what was happening, fucking him every night?” Wood shouts multiple times as captured by the recording. and immediately were subjected to anti-gay insults by Wood. “It is all about sexual orientation,” Kelley said from the bench while announcing his In response to questions from defense attorney Hicks, Wood insisted he is not verdict, even though the hate crime designation ended when Kelley found Wood not homophobic and his anger on the night of the incident was based completely on the guilty on the assault charge. parking dispute and not on the sexual orientation of Kyle and Leo Metz. Minutes later, Kelley handed down a sentence for Wood on the disorderly conduct “He is not a homophobe at all,” defense attorney Hicks told the Washington Blade conviction that includes a $1,000 fine, 90 days in jail with all 90 days suspended, one after the trial. year of unsupervised probation, and a requirement that Wood undergo counseling for A friend of the Metz’s who attended the trial told the Washington Blade that the anger management. parking space on the Wood’s property was too small for their car and that they, not the Under court rules, Wood could be ordered to serve some or all of the suspended 90 Metz’s, were responsible for their parking problems. days of incarceration if he violates the terms of his probation. Although Kyle and Leo Metz testified that Wood reached over the fence and attempted At the request of Kyle and Leo Metz, and without objection from Wood’s attorney, to assault Leo, which prosecutor Cahoon said constituted a simple assault under Virginia B.R. Hicks, Kelley approved a stay-away protection order that prohibits Wood from law, defense attorney Hicks argued that nowhere on the two videos was there any image threatening, intimidating or approaching the two gay men. showing an assault or an attempted assault. The dispute between Wood and Wood’s wife, Mary Wood, and the Metz’s began in Prior to the judge’s verdict, Hicks argued that Wood should not be convicted of a hate April of this year, according to testimony at the Nov. 8 trial. Thomas and Mary Wood crime because his words of “anger” were protected under the free speech provisions of testified during the trial that the dispute began when the Metz’s moved into the house the U.S. Constitution, even though his words were not “politically correct.” in Old Town Alexandria on Duke Street next door to the house they had been renting. Hicks couldn’t immediately be reached after the trial to determine if Wood plans to According to the Woods, the Metz’s placed a large planter at the edge of their appeal the verdict finding him guilty of disorderly conduct. property line that made it very difficult for the Woods to park their car in a space on their

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Business experts split on criticism of Buttigieg over supply chain issues Right wing attacks as ships stack up outside port cities By CHRIS JOHNSON | cjohnson@washblade.com

Amid images of goods stranded on ships near America’s ports and notable price increases in basic commodities, including food and gasoline, right-wing critics are lambasting Pete Buttigieg in his role overseeing the supply chain as transportation secretary, although business experts in the field are split over whether that criticism is valid. Business experts who spoke to the Blade — and whose own views may be colored by their political affiliations — offered a range of explanations for the break down in the supply chain, such as a sharp increase in demand among American consumers, the coronavirus pandemic, and a shortage of truck drivers responsible for transporting goods, which led to different conclusions as to whether Buttigieg, the first openly gay person confirmed by the U.S. Senate for a Cabinet position, was responsible. Daniel Innis, a professor at the University of New Hampshire Peter T. College College of Business and Economics and who specializes in marketing and logistics and is a board member of Log Cabin Republicans, said criticism of Buttigieg is “certainly warranted” because he isn’t showing leadership in bringing stakeholders to the table. “Pete can help by sitting down with the trucking industry, the railroads and so on and saying, ‘Look, this is a crisis that we have to solve,’” Innis said. “Eventually, you know, we’re going to get to a place where things that are really important aren’t available to us, and this has to be fixed. So you know, we need some leadership coming from Mayor Pete.” As a result of supply chain issues, consumers are seeing increased prices for goods, including basic necessities like food and gasoline. With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, experts say prices for turkey could be the most expensive in history for American consumers. Innis, who said the supply chain depends on flow and “if any part of the chain breaks down, the whole thing collapses,” said the problem he’s hearing is on the receiving end at terminal hubs where truck drivers are supposed to pick up goods. As an example, Innis offered a personal anecdote about being in Savannah, Ga, and seeing about 20 ships on the coastline waiting to come into the port. Such a port, Innis said, would be a first stop for goods before they’re loaded on trains and headed to terminal hubs, where truck drivers then pick it up. “That’s where it’s breaking down,” Innis said. “Things are not getting picked up. And maybe a month or so ago, the Union Pacific Railroad basically barred anything coming out of LA for a week, so they could clear out the stuff from the Chicago terminal that wasn’t being picked up. So it seems to me based on my observation that we’ve got a real problem with truck drivers at the final destinations, and they’re not able to pick things up. So it backs up the entire system, and it’s backed up now all the way to the ocean.” Specific things Buttigieg should be addressing with the trucking industry, Innis said, are why there is an such an acute truck driver shortage and what could be done to

Experts say Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG should work with the trucking industry to address supply chain issues. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

address it, including whether or not to change hours of service limiting the number of work hours truckers can drive each day, at least in the short term. Other ideas Innis brought up, amid a national discussion about making community college free, was whether or not to make truck driver training free or giving 0 percent loans for the cost of school. Additionally, Innis said regulations prohibiting truckers under age 21 from driving across state lines should be scrapped. “If you can drive from Miami to Jacksonville, which is eight hours, shouldn’t you be able to drive from Jacksonville to Charleston, which is four?” Innis said. “So you see, these are the things that he needs to be talking with the industry about, and maybe taking steps to address. And with just those little things, even if you pick up 10 or 15 percent of capacity, you have really moved things forward, maybe enough to start to gradually bring down the backlog.” But defenders of the Biden administration say the supply chain breakdowns are complications of the increased demand, not any mismanagement at the top. Jason Miller, associate professor of supply chain management at the Michigan State University Eli Broad College of Business, echoed the sense the blame for supply chain issues should be placed on increased demand and not Buttigieg. “The disruptions the import supply chain is experiencing are due to record demand for imports due to record consumer spending on durable goods,” Miller said. “As such, there is nothing Secretary Buttigieg could truly do in such a scenario.” Indeed, as Miller pointed out, waterborne containerized imports by weight through the first nine months of 2021 are up 17 percent from the first nine months of 2019, according to data from the Census Bureau obtained from USA Trade Online. “This is why I like to characterize the import supply chain as strained due to record demand, as opposed to broken,” Miller concluded.

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Innis, however, said ascribing supply chain issues to the simple increase in demand for goods — while valid in some respects — was over-simplifying matters, pointing out supply chain issues include goods produced and distributed domestically. “Meat is not being imported from China,” Innis said. “It’s not sitting on a container, nor is bread, nor paper products nor all of these things that aren’t showing up in our stores. My nephew works at Whole Foods. He says they’re getting half shipments from companies. That is not sitting out on the ocean. And so, I’m not buying it across every category.” Lisa Anderson, a supply chain expert and blogger with the Claremont, Calif.-based LMA Consulting Group, said Buttigieg has fallen short in his role as transportation secretary amid the supply crisis, concluding with respect to objections over his performance: “Unfortunately, the criticism is warranted.” Among the tasks Buttigieg should take on, Anderson said, are touring the ports, talking to truck drivers and owner operators to understand the constraints from the front lines, coordinating with groups such as the Inland Empire Economic Partnership, the center of the logistics supply chain and conduit from Asia to the rest of the United States and finding ways to bridge government interests with business interests for the common good. “It is a complex issue and will require strong leadership, involvement, collaboration, innovation and new thinking (breaking the traditional thinking) to resolve,” Anderson concluded. Right-wing critics have seized on the supply chain issues and turned them into an indictment of the transportation secretary, who with his spouse Chasten Buttigieg, is a new parent, electing to stay on paternity leave for two months as the crisis unfolded. Fox News’s Tucker Carlson, in a segment last month calling Buttigieg missing in action over the supply chain crisis, speculated Buttigieg may have taken off work “learning how to breast feed,” which defenders of Buttigieg denounced as a homophobic attack (although the snide comment could easily be made of a man in an opposite-sex relationship opting to go on paternity leave). Later, Carlson in a subsequent segment posited affirmative action is only the reason Buttigieg has the role of transportation secretary, implying the position was given to the former South Bend mayor and presidential candidate simply because he’s gay. Innis, distancing himself from other critics in right-wing media despite his conservative political affiliations, said he was “not going to criticize” Buttigieg’s decision to go on paternity leave, which he called “something that is a part of life.” The coronavirus pandemic, which disrupted livelihoods and economies from top to bottom across the globe, has also been identified as a factor in complications with the global supply chain, regardless of the administration in power. Continues at washingtonblade.com.

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Lesbian couple killed trying to aid pregnant daughter What started as an ordinary Wednesday night in Norfolk, Va., turned to tragedy when a gunman shot five women, killing three and injuring two. Among the victims was a lesbian couple attempting to save their teenage daughter. Nicole Lovewine, 45, and her partner, Detra Brown, 42, were enjoying an evening with friends after coming home from work when the shooting took place, reports The VirginianPilot. As they spoke with other adults, approximately a dozen children played nearby, some using a trampoline that Lovewine had bought after a nearby recreation center shut down. Then, at around 6 p.m., a car pulled NICOLE LOVEWINE and her partner, DETRA BROWN. (Screen capture via CBS3 WTKR Norfolk, VA) up. The newspaper reports that the rear door swung open and Lovewine’s 19-year-old daughter, who was pregnant, jumped out. Shortly after, a man — Ziontay Palmer, 19 — reportedly exited from the passenger side. That’s when shots were fired. When the shooting stopped, Lovewine and Brown — as well as 44-year-old Sara Costine — were dead. Lovewine’s daughter and a 39-year-old woman were injured and taken to the hospital. Both are expected to recover, according to the newspaper. Police report that Lovewine and Brown ran outside to render aid when they were shot and killed by Palmer. “As the community was trying to render aid, this coward shoots them,” said Norfolk Police Chief Larry Boone, per 13 News Now.

“We need to start speaking up because this, I’ve never seen this in my 30 years career — five women shot at one time,” he said. Palmer, who was in a relationship with Lovewine’s daughter, is now in police custody, charged with three counts of seconddegree murder, two counts of malicious wounding and several firearm charges. He is being held without bond after his arraignment Thursday in Norfolk General District Court. Boone adds that police believe this was a domestic issue. Robin Gauthier, executive director of Samaritan House, a domestic violence support group, told 13 News Now that she was surprised to see bystanders get hurt, as she’s rarely seen that happen in her 20 years helping domestic violence victims. “Just a real disturbing trend that the bystanders are also getting hurt or killed,” she said. “It concerns me because people aren’t going to want to help the victims if they are in danger.” “This is an epidemic and we have to pay attention to our African American women,” Gauthier said. “This is serious. They’re getting killed.” Lovewine leaves behind four children, three boys and a girl, according to WTKR. The community is grieving the losses of the three who died. “They loved to dance,” Burt McManus — bartender and manager at 37th & Zen, where the couple were regulars — told the news station. “That’s what I really loved about them. They would love to come and sing karaoke. They came out every Wednesday, like our shrimp night. They were just a big part of our community.” “I can see them rushing to the scene, probably, even if it wasn’t her daughter because that’s who they were. If something’s happening, they’re going to go see what’s up,” McManus said. ZACHARY JARRELL

Politics guru for LGBTQ Victory Fund declares run for Congress to the organization, Meloy would have to go Sean Meloy, the political director for the through the same process as LGBTQ political LGBTQ Victory Fund who has taken a lead candidates seeking an endorsement from role in helping LGBTQ hopefuls get into the organization, which exclusively seeks to elected office, has now taken the goal on for help LGBTQ people get into elected office. himself and launched a campaign to run for Annise Parker, CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, Congress. commended Meloy in a statement for taking Meloy, who has also served as a member the leap from helping other candidates get of the Democratic National Committee, elected to seeking elected office himself. announced on Monday his run to represent “There is no bigger advocate for Pittsburgh Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district in and the surrounding communities than Sean, Congress via video on Twitter, emphasizing who invests enormous amounts of time and his background as a middle-class native son resources to building up the Democratic of Pittsburgh. Party and its candidates throughout the “I was born and raised in Allegheny state,” Parker said. “Not driven by ideology County,” Meloy said. “I’m a public school or absolutism, Sean is a leader who prizes kid, a lifelong organizer and the product of progressive pragmatism and believes a a middle class upbringing that is no longer government that reflects the diversity of available for so many families. I’m running to America will perform best for its people.” fix that.” SEAN MELOY, political director for LGBTQ Victory Fund, has declared his run for a seat representing Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district. Other candidates seeking the Democratic Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district nomination to run for the congressional seat are is currently represented by Rep. Conor Lamb Christopher Deluzio, a voting rights attorney, (D), who’s vacating the seat at the end of the and William Murphy, an engineer at GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy and member of the his term to pursue a run for U.S. Senate. If elected, Meloy would be the first openly Democratic Soclalists of America. The date of the primary is not yet announced. gay person to represent in Pennsylvania in Congress. CHRIS JOHNSON Meloy is not yet an endorsed candidate by the LGBTQ Victory Fund. According

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U.S. Navy supply ship USNS Harvey Milk launches The Milk is a fleet oiler and will be assigned the tasks of replenishing fuel oil and dry The United States Navy christened and launched its latest John Lewis class of fleet goods to U. S. naval vessels at sea. The Milk is the second ship in the new John Lewis replenishment oilers Saturday as the U.S. Naval Ship Harvey Milk slid down the ways at class of fleet oilers. The future USNS John Lewis (T-AO-205) , is named for the former the General Dynamics-National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, NASSCO, shipyards civil rights leader and Georgia Congressman, and is also under construction at NASSCO into the waters of San Diego Bay. San Diego. The ship is named after slain gay LGBTQ The first six vessels in the Lewis class of rights activist and former San Francisco fleet oilers are named after prominent civil Supervisor Harvey Milk, who along with rights activists and leaders, in addition to LGBTQ ally Mayor George Moscone the USNS John Lewis (T-AO-205) are; USNS was assassinated by disgruntled former Harvey Milk (T-AO-206) – LGBT activist Supervisor Dan White, in their offices in Harvey Milk; USNS Earl Warren (T-AOSan Francisco City Hall on Nov. 27, 1978. 207) – Chief Justice of the United States The time-honored christening ceremony Earl Warren; USNS Robert F. Kennedy (Twith a bottle of Champagne broken over AO-208) – U.S. Attorney General Robert F. the bow was executed by Paula Neira, the Kennedy; USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO-209) – Clinical Program Director for John Hopkins Women’s rights activist Lucy Stone; USNS Center for Transgender Health. Also in Sojourner Truth (T-AO-210) – abolitionist attendance at the ceremony was Stuart and women’s rights activist Sojourner Milk, the late San Francisco Supervisor Truth. Harvey Milk’s nephew, Secretary of the Also addressing those in attendance, Navy Carlos Del Toro and California State Stuart Milk, the co-founder and president Senate President pro Tem, Senator Toni of the Harvey Milk Foundation referring Atkins, whose Senate district includes the to his uncle’s naval service said: “He has area of San Diego where the U.S. Navy’s a less-than-honorable discharge. He was sprawling naval base is located as well as forced to resign because he was gay,” the NASSCO shipyards. Stuart Milk said, adding that “we have to Dignitaries also included out San Diego teach our history to prevent ourselves from city and county commissioner Nicole going backwards and repeating it.” Murray Ramirez, San Diego’s gay Mayor Milk told the audience that although Todd Gloria, Supervisor Milk’s campaign USNS Harvey Milk christening and launch ceremony there is a process for reversing such manager and adviser Anne Kronenberg (Photo courtesy of General Dynamics-National Steel and Shipbuilding Company) discharges, he said it was important to not and Chair of the San Diego County Board do that for his late uncle in order “to keep of Supervisors Nathan Fletcher. the memory of how we did not honor everyone in this very honorable service.” Addressing the audience of attendees, Secretary Del Toro told them, “The secretary of Milk enlisted in the Navy in 1951 and attended the U.S. Navy Officer Candidate School the Navy needed to be here today, not just to amend the wrongs of the past, but to give in Newport, R.I. By 1954 he was a lieutenant (junior grade) stationed at Naval Air Station inspiration to all of our LGBTQ community leaders who served in the Navy, in uniform Point Mugu, which during Milk’s tenure of service was the Naval Air Missile Test Center today and in the civilian workforce as well too, and to tell them that we’re committed to near Oxnard, California. He was serving as a diving instructor. them in the future.” As the Bay Area Reporter wrote in an article in February 2020, Milk was given an The secretary then directly spoke to Milk’s sexual orientation and his being forced “other than honorable” discharge from the U.S. Navy and forced to resign on February 7, from naval service. 1955 rather than face a court-martial because of his homosexuality, according to a trove “For far too long, sailors like Lt. Milk were forced into the shadows or, worse yet, forced of naval records obtained by the paper. It contradicted an archival document housed in out of our beloved Navy,” he said. “That injustice is part of our Navy history, but so is the the San Francisco Public Library’s San Francisco History Center that authors of several perseverance of all who continue to serve in the face of injustice.” recent biographies of Milk had used to claim that Milk was honorably discharged from In 2016, then-Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus decided that six new fleet oilers the Navy. scheduled to be built would be named after civil and human rights leaders. BRODY LEVESQUE Del Toro told Mabus, who attended the christening, that it was a courageous decision.

Pro-LGBTQ ballot measure dead as Michigan court denies appeal A ballot drive to include LGBTQ+ rights to Michigan’s civil rights law is officially dead after the Michigan Supreme Court last week declined to hear an appeal of an LGBTQ-rights ballot committee. The decision was handed down after the Board of State Canvassers unanimously voted not to certify the petition of Fair and Equal Michigan, according to the Detroit Free Press. Bureau of Election officials estimated the group submitted 263,460 valid signatures — roughly 76,000 signatures short. Fair and Equal Michigan argued that officials wrongly disqualified tens of thousands of voter signatures it submitted. “While we are disappointed that the court won’t act to recognize legally-valid signatures thrown out by the state, it’s clear the best opportunity to achieve LGBTQ equal rights in Michigan is to place full focus on Attorney General Dana Nessel’s historic case currently before the

Michigan Supreme Court,” Fair and Equal Michigan CoChair Trevor Thomas said in a statement, per AP. The group’s challenge related to the disqualification of signatures collected online and some signatures collected in person. The proposal would have revised Michigan’s ElliottLarsen Civil Rights Act to include LGBTQ+ protections in employment, housing and public accommodations. According to AP, organizers wanted to put the measure before the Republican-led state legislature. If lawmakers didn’t act, it would be put on the November 2022 ballot. “After 38 years of lawmakers ignoring us, we set out to collect and leverage citizen signatures to compel lawmakers to finally come to the table and negotiate — and for that we succeeded,” Thomas said, according to the Free Press. “That conversation will continue until Elliott-Larsen is finally amended. ZACHARY JARRELL

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Jamaican minister expresses support for LGBTQ community Jamaican Health and Wellness Minister Christopher Tufton last week said people who access his country’s mental health care system should not experience discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. “Mental health services have been experiencing a number of reviews. For the LGBT community, clearly, I do not know what the specific concerns are, but I would say, as a blanket statement, that we promote the concept of non-discrimination in terms of access, and any service that we offer to the population would include all segments of the population,” Tufton said on Nov. 3 during a forum the Jamaica Gleaner, a Jamaican newspaper, organized. “I think the whole issue of the LGBT community and non-discrimination has evolved, and frankly speaking, I think it is getting better,” continued Tufton. “In fact, there is more accessibility and more willingness to provide service without any prompting or punitive oversight measures.” The Jamaica Gleaner said Tufton made the comments in response to a question that Glenroy Murray, the interim executive director of Equality for All Foundation Jamaica, a Jamaican LGBTQ rights group, asked. Equality for All Foundation Jamaica has created two handbooks that specifically outlines ways to ensure LGBTQ Jamaicans don’t suffer discrimination when they access mental health services. The Washington Blade has obtained a statement from Tufton in which he applauds the organization’s work on the issue. “It is well recognized that mental illness is highly stigmatized, even at the primary care level, which, for many people, is the first point of contact with the health system,” said Tufton. “Due to this stigma, individuals will either avoid or delay seeking care for fear of being treated differently from others, fears over losing their jobs or out of concern for their relationships within family and friends.” “This, in turn, can result in poor health outcomes and the loss of productive years,” he added. “Persons from the LGBT community will have an additional layer of stigma due to sexual orientation or gender identity and are therefore at higher risk of poor outcomes than other persons living with mental illness.” Tufton in the statement also notes “this stigma is driven, at least in part, by a lack of

Jamaican Health and Wellness Minister CHRISTOPHER TUFTON (Photo courtesy of Jamaican Health and Wellness Ministry)

knowledge among mental health practitioners.” Jamaica is among the dozens of countries around the world in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized. Violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity also remain commonplace on the island. An 18-year-old man last month was hospitalized in critical condition after a group of men in the resort city of Montego Bay targeted him on a gay dating app. Kelly West, a transgender Jamaican woman, was one of the 47 people who were living at Jardín de las Mariposas, a shelter for LGBTQ asylum seekers in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, on July 12 when the Blade visited. West said she asked for asylum in the U.S. because of the anti-trans discrimination and persecution she suffered in Jamaica. MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Alleged mastermind of Bulgaria LGBTQ center attack charged Bulgarian authorities have charged an ultranationalist presidential candidate in connection with an attack against an LGBTQ community center. Media reports indicate Boyan Rasate, who leads the Bulgarian National Union, has been charged with hooliganism and infliction of injury in connection with the Oct. 30 attack against Rainbow Hub, an LGBTQ community center in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia that the Bilitis and GLAS (Gays and Lesbians Accepted in Society) Foundations operate. Bulgarian authorities detained Rasate for 72 hours after they charged him in connection with the incident. The Bilitis Foundation says Rasate led a group of “about 10 men and women” who stormed Rainbow Hub while a group of transgender people were meeting inside. The mob vandalized the community center and assaulted Bilitis Foundation Project Coordinator Gloriya Filipova. U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria Herro Mustafa is among those who have publicly condemned the attack. MICHAEL K. LAVERS

(Photo courtesy the Bilitis Foundation)

Mexico beach shooting prompts lockdown of LGBTQ event A shootout on a Mexico beach last week prompted the lockdown of a hotel that was hosting a weeklong event organized by an LGBTQ travel company. Mexican media reports indicate a group of 15 armed men who are members of rival drug gangs began to shoot at each other on the beach in front of the Hyatt Riva Riviera Cancun in Puerto Morelos, a town on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula that is between the resort cities of Cancún and Playa del Carmen. Vacaya organized the event at the hotel.

Social media posts show pictures of hotel guests gathered in the lobby, while others indicate they were told to shelter in place. The attorney general’s office in Quintana Roo, the Mexican state in which Puerto Morelos is located, in a tweet said the shootout left two gang members dead. “There are no serious injuries,” the office added. Officials have also said neither hotel nor the Vacaya event were the gang members’ target. MICHAEL K. LAVERS

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HEN MAZZIG

An Israeli Mizrahi Jewish writer and LGBTQ advocate, is editor-at-large of the J’accuse Coalition for Justice and a Senior Fellow at the Tel Aviv Institute. Follow him @HenMazzig.

Support for Israeli queer ﬁlm festival an unnecessary show of solidarity Advocates of TLVFest boycott denounced ‘pinkwashing’

Last year, when I discovered that more than 130 filmmakers and artists signed a pledge to boycott Tel Aviv’s TLVFest, a locally sponsored queer film festival, in solidarity with LGBTQ+ Palestinians, my heart broke. The signatories denounced “pinkwashing,” a term frequently deployed by supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which falsely accuses Israel of pointing to our respect for LGBTQ rights as a way to distract from the government’s denial of rights to Palestinians. The news didn’t just hurt because I’m from Tel Aviv, or because I am a gay man. It hurt because rather than lift up queer Israelis or Palestinians, it actually tore us down. So I was relieved to see more than 200 members of the entertainment industry— including notable names like Mila Kunis, Neil Patrick Harris and Dame Helen Mirren—sign a letter rejecting the cultural boycott of TLVFest. The letter expressed solidarity with “all the participating filmmakers against the divisive rhetoric espoused by boycott activists who seek to misinform, bully and intimidate artists.” While I commend these brave individuals for taking this stand, the controversy begs the question: How is it that, in 2021, a group of actors, musicians and film executives even needs to vocalize support for artistic freedom while denouncing those who call to boycott LGBTQ filmmakers? Such a letter would never have been necessary in defense of a queer film festival in any other country. While this boycott claims to serve the interest of oppressed minorities, the logic of the pinkwashing accusation effectively delegitimizes any advancements made in Israeli LGBTQ rights, weaponizing victories for our community against us. And there are many victories to cite. In 2019, for example, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled against discriminatory surrogacy laws targeting gay men. Days before that, Israel’s Justice Ministry approved new rules allowing trans Israelis to change their gender on their IDs without undergoing surgery. And, of course, gay Israelis including myself have been serving openly in the military since 1993. Israel is not perfect, but its flaws are not good enough reasons to wholly reject its achievements. When police brutality occurs in the United States, that doesn’t mean we refuse to attend celebrations of LGBTQ Americans. Whether in America or Israel, a country’s most marginalized individuals should not be forced to pay a price for the misdeeds of their governments. By declining to take part in TLVFest, those crusading against alleged pinkwashing also erase the important work done by queer Israelis who, like LGBTQ+ people around the world, are often at odds with our own country’s government. We too are dissenting voices in Israel, speaking out against the very policies that these boycotting filmmakers detest and working to reverse the status quo in the Palestinian territories. Perhaps more disturbing than invalidating Israel’s LGBTQ+ progress and diminishing queer Israeli voices is how the activists behind this boycott appear, like most in the BDS movement, to be singularly focused on Israel. Meanwhile, the deplorable treatment of LGBTQ Palestinians by their own government gets little to no attention. In 2019, Palestinian Security Forces spokesperson, Col. Louai Irzeiqat, described LGBTQ activism as “a blow to, and violation of, the ideals and values of Palestinian society.” This followed the Palestinian Authority’s decision to ban a Palestinian gay and transgender rights group from holding events in the West Bank, threatening to arrest any participants. It’s not surprising then that 95 percent of Palestinians believe that homosexuality is “unacceptable.” The failure to recognize, or at least hold equally accountable, the Palestinian regime for its crimes against LGBTQ Palestinians demonstrates a stark double standard that singles out Israel while emboldening the discrimination of Palestinian oppressors. So, to those who claim to truly want to help Palestinians—particularly queer ones—I encourage you to lift up LGBTQ Israelis and Palestinians, not boycott us. Two hundred celebrities seem to understand that this is a much more effective way to fight for LGBTQ rights. It’d be nice if the rest of the activist community could do the same. 1 8 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • NOVEMBER 1 2 , 2 0 2 1 • V I E WP O I NT

TIM MCCASKELL

is a longtime Canadian gay activist and author of ‘Queer Progress: From Homophobia to Homonationalism.’

We must support Palestinians ﬁghting Israeli apartheid Film festival boycott an important act of protest and solidarity

Hen Mazzig denounces queer filmmakers boycotting the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival (TLVFest), omitting the fact that this boycott was initiated by Palestinian queers over the festival’s partnership with Israel’s apartheid government. The international artists who have withdrawn their films and sacrificed the opportunity to show their work are acting in solidarity with the millions of Palestinians, straight and gay, who live under an Israeli system of apartheid and military occupation. They are refusing to support Israel’s siege of two million Palestinians in Gaza and its pass system that restricts the movement of Palestinians everywhere, separating roads and facilities for Palestinians and Israeli settlers. They refuse to be silent about Israel’s apartheid wall, its ongoing destruction of Palestinian homes and farms and expropriation of land, and its decades-old denial of the basic rights of millions of Palestinians. These are just a few of the crimes that make up Israel’s apartheid system, a system of racial segregation similar to that developed by the white minority in South Africa from 1948 to 1991. Both Human Rights Watch and Israel’s largest human rights organization B’Tselem agree that Israel has established an apartheid regime against all Palestinians. Boycotts, divestment and sanctions were successful strategies used in the 1980s to put pressure and support the struggle in South Africa to dismantle apartheid. In 2005, Palestinian civil society adopted BDS as a main strategy. Both Palestinian and Israeli queer organizations have endorsed that call. BDS is a peaceful, inclusive, antiracist strategy that facilitates the effective solidarity of millions of people to foster social change and challenge Israel’s ongoing violence and oppression. Boycotts have been used in many situations to change government policy. For example, the International AIDS Society refused to hold its international conferences in the U.S. for years, until the U.S. changed its discriminatory immigration laws barring HIV-positive people. Bruce Springsteen and many other celebrities boycotted states in the U.S. over their suppression of queer and transgender rights. LGBTQ activists in Israel have managed to win a series of rights that Palestinian queers living under Israeli apartheid are still struggling for. Far-right Israeli governments, often including Jewish fundamentalist parties that radically oppose queer rights, cynically use those rights to portray Israel as modern and progressive, to distract from the brutalities of the ongoing occupation. This is called pinkwashing. In his article, Mazzig refers to a petition circulated among members of the entertainment industry opposing the growing cultural boycott of Israel. Despite its liberal language, the petition organizer “Creative Community for Peace” is actually linked to “StandWithUs,” a far-right, settler supporting lobby group working closely with the Israeli government and well-known homophobe John Hagee and his group, Christians United for Israel. Israel’s propagandists speak out of both sides of their mouths, working with homophobes one minute and bragging about gay rights the next. Mazzig himself has worked for both StandWithUs and the Israeli government. Part of BDS is a cultural boycott of Israeli institutions that are complicit in the apartheid system. Unfortunately, TLVFest is one such institution. Despite numerous requests, the festival continues to partner with Israel’s apartheid government. As a result, Palestinian queer groups have called on queer filmmakers to boycott the festival. Nearly 200 filmmakers have pledged not to participate in TLVFest, and 50 have withdrawn from it. Many of these filmmakers are participating in an alternative festival, Queer Cinema for Palestine (QCP), a feminist, anti-racist, anti-colonial festival organized by more than 25 global queer groups and festivals. QCP will run a 10-day program across 13 cities around the world including London Ontario, Pristina, Beirut, Paris, Belfast, Brasilia, Berlin, Tunis, Montreal, Seoul, Turin, Bilbao, and Sofia. We have a moral obligation to support Palestinians struggling against Israeli apartheid, including Palestinian queers struggling under multiple layers of oppression. Those who truly believe in equality for all should join in.

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

Biden has won big twice — third win will come soon Build Back Better Bill promises more positive change

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Last week President Biden got a big win when the House passed the hard infrastructure bill. We shouldn’t forget it was his second big win; the first came in March when Democrats passed the Coronavirus Relief Bill. In the weeks ahead he will get his third big win when Democrats pass a version of the Build Back Better bill doing more for children, the elderly, the middle-class, and the poor; giving help to those living in rural communities. Democrats must remind people after four years of failed ‘infrastructure weeks’ under Trump and Republican control, President Biden delivered on his promise to work across the aisle and shepherded through a historic investment in our nation’s infrastructure. Democrats must stop talking about these bills in terms of cost and what was left out and rather talk about all the great programs in the bills and how they will lift people out of poverty, keep businesses from going under, and are rebuilding our economy. These bills are about creating jobs, the infrastructure bill alone will create 2 million good-paying new jobs a year for 10 years. It will allow us to rebuild our roads and bridges, and expand broadband so every American has access to highspeed internet. As President Biden said, “This bill is for the kids in rural communities who now have to do their homework in the McDonald’s parking lot because they don’t have WiFi. This bill is for families who have to boil their water to make it safe to drink. This bill is for those who rely on rail to get back and forth to work. This bill is for Americans who care about our climate. And yes, this bill is for the elderly man I met years ago in rural South Carolina, who just wanted his damn dirt road paved.” Most Americans, whatever their politics, agree it was past time to invest in rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure. They understand it is a major step in growing our economy and will give people in every community, large and small, rural and big cities, the chance to compete and succeed. Americans can now look forward to the Build Back Better Bill, which will go a long way in fighting climate change, keeping children out of poverty, provide universal early childhood education, help keep the elderly in their homes, reduce the cost of some drugs, and so much more. Recently Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), a more moderate Democrat, spoke about President Biden saying to the New York Times, “Nobody elected him to be FDR they elected him to be normal and stop the chaos.” Well that is true for many voters who might just be happy they don’t have to wake up each morning to another nasty tweet, more craziness, and endless lies. Yet many Democrats, independents and Republicans voted for him to do that, but so much more. They can now celebrate President Biden and Democrats in Congress having done much more. They have passed, and will continue to pass, legislation giving all Americans a chance to succeed. They have lifted children out of poverty and given each parent hope for a better future for themselves and their children. They’ve given many a chance at a high-paying job and given all of us the chance to move on from the pandemic and return to a more normal life. Democrats need to move on from fighting each other, join hands, and fight Republicans who opposed doing any of this by opposing any legislation to help all Americans. They need to recognize the American public as a whole is moderate. They want change and to move forward but understand compromise. Democrats must find the right words to explain in detail what has been accomplished and how it will benefit families. To explain what Democrats have done by keeping their promise and making life a little better for all Americans. There is still much work to be done — defending a woman’s right to choose, passing voting rights legislation, and protections for all minorities including the LGBTQ community. In the next year Democrats must convince Americans they can only continue to move the country forward if they allow them to keep control of Congress.

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, JD is executive director of interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth and author of ‘XOXY: A Memoir.’ The Biden administration has championed important advances for intersex rights.

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Feds are ﬁnally listening to intersex Americans U.S. begins issuing passports with ‘X’ gender marker

The Biden administration is on a roll when it comes to intersex rights. Late last month the White House convened the first-ever intersex listening session and issued a public statement providing the nearly 2 percent of Americans like me born with physical variations of sex anatomy, or “intersex” traits, long-awaited acknowledgement and promises of protection from the discrimination and harm we’ve endured for more than half a century. In August, the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division for the first time formally interpreted Title IX to apply “with equal force to discrimination against intersex people” based on their sex characteristics. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights issued a new fact sheet, “Supporting Intersex Students: A Resource for Students, Families and Educators” and the State Department issued an intersex and non-binary person the first-ever U.S. passport with an “X” gender marker. In foreign policy new last month the U.S. joined 52 other countries in signing a statement affirming intersex bodily autonomy and condemning harmful medical interventions during the 48th U.N. Human Rights Council. Intersex people aren’t that rare; more prevalent than identical twins and just as common as redheads. Yet, until recently we’ve been invisible due to decades of medical erasure and the resulting stigma and shame that kept us closeted simply due to our physical differences. Despite increasing evidence of long-lasting physical and psychological harms, for years intersex people and their families have been the victims of tragically misguided physicians attempting to “normalize” the healthy bodies of children with hormones and irreversible surgeries including vaginoplasties, clitoral reductions and gonadectomies. These medically unnecessary procedures conducted without the patient’s consent have been deemed human rights violations by the United Nations and every other human rights and legal organization to consider the issue. A recent survey by the Center for American Progress found intersex patients experience discrimination in healthcare at a rate more than four times that of nonintersex patients. Thankfully, there are some promising signs of change. Three former U.S. surgeons general issued a statement condemning these surgeries and last year, two major pediatric hospitals announced an end to some of the most harmful infant surgeries. This summer, the New York City Health and Hospital System announced plans to end unconsented intersex surgeries on children. But we’re not done. While we’re at a tipping point for intersex rights in the United States and have achieved so much, neither the American Academy of Pediatrics or the American Medical Association have been willing to issue strong policy condemning the practice of intersex genital surgery. We need the power and engagement of the Biden administration to continue growing in order to hold the medical community to their own oath to “do no harm.” The health and wellbeing of the intersex community depends on it.

WASHINGTON BLADE

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‘Mayor Pete’ emerges as a likable enigma in new doc An early snapshot of a history-making ﬁgure in the making By JOHN PAUL KING

emerges for us is a bit of an enigma, a light-hearted stoic who exudes sincerity even as For reasons that should be obvious, it’s difficult for a filmmaker to avoid adopting a he fine tunes the optics of his public image with his team, but somehow that manages subjective stance in a political documentary. Many such movies have a tendency to feel to make him even more compellingly charismatic. After all, before he ever ran for any like they’ve crossed the line between journalism and propaganda, which may not seem office he was a real American hero, a military veteran whose tour of duty clearly helped like such a bad thing to a viewer who is on the same “side, but can be infuriating to those to shape what he would become. His entire manner belies his background; his respect, whose political ideas run in the opposite direction. It goes with the territory. his sense of duty, his patriotism, unflappability and get-it-done determination — all these Amazon’s much-touted “Mayor Pete,” which drops on Prime Nov. 12, is bound to are the hallmarks of a former soldier. He even carries himself like a soldier. incur those kinds of reactions from its audience, even though it makes an effort to avoid Unfortunately, though, the self-assured calmness born of Buttigieg’s military service the kind of divisive politicizing that now seems like business as usual. After all, it is the proved to be an issue that, as the documentary reveals, became an issue that would story of the first openly gay man, who is both a millennial and a Democrat, to become plague him throughout his bid to become the youngest American president in history. a serious contender for the office of president of the United States. Depending on His even-tempered demeanor was interpreted by many as coldness, an emotional where you stand with regard to the plethora of potentially thorny issues raised by those distance that made it difficult for would-be supporters to connect with him. Worse, his circumstances, you’re undoubtedly going to have strong feelings about this movie, one compassionate idealism was seen by seasoned politicos as too good to be true, and way or another. some suggested that his inspirational rhetoric was ultimately just a disguise designed to Filmed over the course of a year by a film crew granted unprecedented access to conceal a lack of substantive policy ideas. Pete Buttigieg (as well as his husband Chasten and his ambitious young staff) on the Watching Buttigieg through the candid lens of Moss’ profile, it’s easy to see how campaign trail, it offers a briskly paced profile of the titular candidate during his bid for someone with a cynical bent might the Oval Office, from throwing his hat draw such conclusions; there’s in the ring to his victory in the Iowa something about his careful, primary and beyond, culminating in contemplative discourse that his historic appointment by eventual suggests things hidden below the winner Joseph Biden as Secretary of surface. Yet at the same time, as Transportation. It’s a chronicle that the film (and his quest for victory) will be fresh and familiar to the many progresses, there’s a cumulative viewers who undoubtedly followed effect that reinforces the first it in real time, and one that we impression served up by his know will take a disappointing turn infectious blend of old-fashioned before the triumphant twist in which optimism and forward-thinking America gets its very first out Senateideology and makes it difficult to confirmed LGBTQ Cabinet member. believe he is anything less than What makes it more than merely authentic. Rather, we get the sense a left-leaning rehash of recent that he is evolving as he goes, events, however, is the way director holding back his deepest thoughts Jesse Moss takes a once-in-abecause he himself is still weighing lifetime opportunity to get up close and considering them, and that he and personal with a presidential is taking us with him on the journey hopeful — and his steadfastly as he goes. The end point may be supportive husband — and turns uncertain, but we somehow seem it into a springboard for a wider ‘Mayor Pete’ is out now via Amazon. (Image courtesy Amazon) to know he’s on the right track. contemplation of Buttigieg and his Pete is not the only Buttigieg in the place in American political history. movie, however, and his husband Chasten comes close to stealing the show from him, Through extensive interviews conducted over the course of the candidacy with both matching him every step of the way in terms of positivity and dedication, and adding to Pete and Chasten, we are allowed to get to know them both at a far more intimate the mix the kind of steadfast support that any man — or any person at all, for that matter level than we are usually allowed with political figures; this is enhanced and illuminated — dreams of having from their spouse. Best of all, Moss gives us several quiet, fly-on-theby behind-the-scenes footage, which provide us with in-the-moment glimpses of them wall scenes that show the tenderness of their connection, the strength of their bond, each in action that perhaps tell us as much or more about who they really are than and the thrill of their love for each other. They are, quite simply, an adorable couple, anything they say or show us in the controlled environment of their interviews; finally, and they go a long way in the film (as they continue to do in real time) toward erasing through the inevitable exploration of Buttigieg’s status as a gay man and the impact old prejudices and assumptions about gay relationships that, sadly, still linger in the (or lack of it) that has on his viability as a candidate, we get a snapshot of an American imagination of social conservatives and religious fundamentalists who are too caught culture at a time when it is perhaps more accepting and evolved around the subject of up in their fear of change to see the beauty in two human beings loving each other that sexuality than anyone really expected — despite the occasional purveyors of virulent completely. homophobia who predictably turn up to spout their bigotry every chance they get. In the end, the greatest value of “Mayor Pete” may eventually be as an early snapshot While it’s always interesting to gauge public reaction to an out-and-proud public of a political giant in the making, depending on Buttigieg’s future career trajectory, of figure (particularly when that public figure is able to arrive at a place where the American course. In the meantime, though, it’s a thoughtful, personable, and — yes, I’ll say it — presidency is almost within his grasp), what is most fascinating about “Mayor Pete” is inspiring look at Buttigieg as a man, rather than a phenomenon or a political event. Mayor Pete himself. His face, his voice, and his famously hard-to-pronounce name may And somehow, it makes it even clearer that he is all of these things at once. already be familiar, but here we are given a fuller and more detailed view. The man that

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CALENDAR |

By TINASHE CHINGARANDE

Friday, November 12

Friday Tea Time and social hour for Older LGBTQ+ adults will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. Feel free to bring your beverage of choice. For the Zoom link or more information, contact Justin (justin@thedccenter. org). Women in Their Twenties and Thirties will be meeting at 8 p.m. on Zoom. WiTT is a great way to make new friends and meet other queer women in a fun and friendly setting. For meeting updates, join WiTT’s closed Facebook group.

Saturday, November 13 Our Big Fat Gay Yard Sale will be at 10 a.m. on the sidewalk in front of The DC Center at 2000 14th St., N.W. Guests will get to choose from racks of shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, suits, sneakers, shoes and other kinds of apparel. Suggested donation per piece of clothing is $1.00, or you can give what you can. For more information, visit the DC Center’s website. Universal Pride Meeting will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for People with Disabilities (PWD). The group facilitator will be actor and disability advocate Andy Arias. For more information, contact Andy at andyarias09@gmail.com.

Sunday, November 14 Glitter Glue will be at 5 p.m. at DC9 nightclub. This event is a craft club where guests can create crafts using glue guns and vintage American Girl magazines. Guests are required to bring their own crafts but paper, glue guns, assorted bobbles etc. will be available to share. For more information, visit Eventbrite.

Monday, November 15 Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This support group is for people who identify outside of the gender binary including bigender, agender, genderfluid, and more. For more information, visit Genderqueer DC’s Facebook. The Center Aging Coffee Drop-in will be at 10 a.m. at the DC Center. LGBT Older Adults and friends are invited for friendly conversations and current issues that you might be dealing with. For more information visit Center Aging’s Facebook or Twitter.

Tuesday, November 16 Bi Roundtable Discussion will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting. Visit Facebook or Meetup for more information. Drag Bingo will be at 7 p.m. at Nellies Sports Bar. The event will be hosted by Sapphire A. Blue & Former Miss Gay Arlington - Deja Diamond and includes two drag performances. A portion of the drinks sold will go towards a local LGBTQ+ charity. Visit Eventbrite for more information.

Wednesday, November 17 Job Club will be hosted via Zoom at 6 p.m. This event is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more details, please contact centercareers@thedccenter.org.

Thursday, November 18 DC Anti-Violence Project Open Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. The primary mission of the DC AntiViolence Project is to address and reduce violence against LGBTQ+ individuals (and those perceived as LGBTQ+) through counseling, community outreach, education, and monitoring cases to ensure that the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ victims are respected and protected. For more information, visit Facebook and Twitter. Poly Group Discussion will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is designed to be a forum for people at all different stages to discuss polyamory and other consensual non-monogamous relationships. For more information, visit the DC Center’s website.

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OUT & ABOUT

Clarksburg church to host Trans Day of Remembrance Hyattstown Christian Church will host a service of remembrance on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. in person at 26012 Frederick Rd., Clarksburg, Md., and on Zoom. Rev. Erica Saunders will be a guest speaker at the event. Saunders is pastor of Peace Community Church in Oberlin, Ohio. She is one of the first openly trans women ordained in Baptist life and serves on the executive council of Christian Feminism Today. For more information about the service, visit hytcc@comcast.net.

The DC Center, located in the Reeves Building, is hosting Our Big Fat Gay Yard Sale at 10 a.m. on the sidewalk at 2000 14th St., N.W. (Blade file photo by Michael Key)

THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY! From: PAMALA STANLEY

I am so happy to be well again. Contracting Covid for me was challenging and scary. Getting your posts, prayers, messages, and texts were the highlight of my days. I just wanted to say thank you so so much. You can ask yourself, how do you measure gratitude? I was thinking about this and vivid memories filled my thoughts. I remember the day I left Santa Cruz CA. and bought a one way ticket to NYC. My very first job in New York was in the spring of 1977. It was a Gay piano bar on West 46th St. called “Brothers and Sisters”…right across from Joe Allen. I loved that job and have continued relationships with friends to this day from that particular bar. The start of it all! I was a newly divorced, lonely, lost girl when I moved to NYC in 1977. But that year, the gay community picked me up and embraced my scared little soul. They wined me, dined me, and took me all over that town. I was no longer alone and no longer afraid. I was back!!!!

Looking back on my career, my gratitude cannot be measured. I was discovered in that little piano bar and taken to Germany to be made into a “Disco Diva” in the summer of 1978, all from that little piano bar, the center of my universe at the time. I will always have the fondest memories from coast to coast and throughout the world of all the DJ’s, friends, Disco Acts, Nightclub Owners, Bartenders, Record Pools, DJ Associations, Independent Labels, Drag Queens, Gay Prides, Gay Magazines and Television Shows, AIDS Benefits, and the wonderful DJ’s that single handedly promoted all the dance acts to the next level. I truly came into the business by accident and for some reason the gay community embraced me and stayed with me for the next 40 years. They have nurtured me, supported me, advanced me, and stuck with me through thick and thin. They have showed up for my shows and functions and promoted my venues, and featured me in parades. They have booked me at private parties and special events and so many places I could have been left out…But I never was. So today, I want to acknowledge and especially thank the entire LGBTQ Community for your constant love and support over the last 40 years. It is a true honor to have been inducted into the “Legends of Vinyl Hall of Fame” and to be voted the “Best Live Show” in Rehoboth Beach. I could not have done it without each and every one of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I LOVE YOU

PAMALA STANLEY

56 Baltimore Ave, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 | (302) 567-2726 | www.thepinesrb.com

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‘The Great Leap’ explores change in 1989 China ‘As an Asian American, you rarely play the lead in a play’ By PATRICK FOLLIARD

Sometimes, working on a single play can change an actor’s feelings about his craft and career. For Grant Chang, it was Lauren Yee’s “The Great Leap,” an international sports story set in 1989 at the time of the Tiananmen Square uprising. Chang, who is gay, garnered terrific reviews for playing Wen Chang, a reserved Beijing university basketball coach of the 1970s and ’80s, in the Los Angeles production of Yee’s comic drama, and is now reprising the role in an original production at Round House Theatre. He says, “As an Asian American, you rarely play the lead in a play, so having that opportunity and to be in something good and meaningful is so rewarding. It makes you work harder to be the best you can be on stage.” Like the actor’s parents, his character Wen Chang grew up in China and lived through the Cultural Revolution. “In order to survive, he has to essentially take orders from the government, no questions,” explains Chang. “That’s where we meet him when the play begins. In the second act, 18 years have passed and he has experienced a transformation. Without spoiling things, let’s just say as heartbreaking as the change is, it’s also inspiring.” Chang’s casting story is cute. While playing Whiterose’s handsome assistant on television’s “Mr. Robot,” he became close friends with castmate B.D. Wong, who first shot to fame playing the title role in David Henry Hwang’s “M. Butterfly.” When Wong was tapped to direct the East West Players and Pasadena Playhouse co-production of Yee’s play in 2019, he asked Chang to audition for Wen Chang, a part Wong had previously played in New York. “B.D. thought I’d be right for the role, but I wasn’t so sure. To step into his shoes was really a lot,” says Chang, 42. “They were looking for local L.A. hires, and I’m a New York- based actor. He asked if they couldn’t find someone would I send in a self-tape. I hesitantly agreed.” “That same night B.D. texted me and said ‘put yourself on tape by tomorrow.’ I

GRANT CHANG

(Photo courtesy of Round House Theatre)

‘The Great Leap’

Through Dec. 5 In-person with Streaming on demand beginning Nov. 26 Round House Theatre 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Md., 20814 $34-$71 | roundhousetheatre.org

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thought dammit, I have to do this, so I did,” he recalls. After viewing Chang’s audition tape, the production team made a unanimous decision to cast him: “B.D. believed in me more than I believed in myself. It’s changed my way of acting, and I’m still very grateful for that.” And that was the beginning of “a great and beautiful journey” that continued at Round House under the sensitive direction of Jennifer Chang who was open to letting the actors explore, he says. Chang adds, “I’m Chinese American, my parents are from China, and I majored in East Asian Studies. There’s something instilled in me that I bring to this character. I humanize him in many ways that others might not and I think the audience picks up on that.” Despite an abundance of basketball focused marketing, the play is less about the sport and more about the game of life, says Chang. Incidentally, as a kid in New York City, he struggled with learning to dribble and even longer with how to dribble and run. But he wasn’t unfamiliar with the rules and jargon. His dad and brothers watched a lot of basketball, and periodically he’d join them. In addition to acting, Chang teaches dance and also directs. For his short ﬁlm, “Finding You” (2015), he was awarded Best Actor and Best Director at the 38th Annual Asian American International Film Festival and the 11th Annual 72 Hour Shootout 2015, presented by the Asian American Film Lab. He intends to do more directing when he can: “I have the patience to bring out things in other actors and inspire them to do really good work. Not everyone can do that.” Following his stint at Round House, besides teaching dance, there’s nothing on the horizon, says Chang: “I’m constantly auditioning. Like everybody, we’re all trying to get back to some normalcy by working, but we’re also trying to live day to day, be happy, and accept what life brings us.”

DE PASO

Sara Pérez Dance Co. (Spain) In collaboration with Fundación Flamenco Casa Patas of Madrid Solo Choreography and Music Composition Awards, Madrid’s XXVI Competition in Spanish Dance Choreography and Flamenco

Thru Nov 14

@teatrogala 202-234-7174 | galatheatre.org 3333 14th St NW, WDC 20010

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Michael Kearns, the godfather of LGBTQ authenticity

First ‘out’ actor in Hollywood on his road from porn to fatherhood to latest ﬁlm By ROB WATSON

The arc of LGBTQ+ history over the past 50 years has been one of constant upheaval Stephen Kolzak, who would himself become a prominent AIDS activist before he died at and evolvement. From a period when it was both illegal and insane to be gay, through 37 in 1990. Stephen cast Michael to make a statement. He wanted to signal to the LGBTQ the achievement of being able to serve openly in community that “Cheers” had our backs. “He was the military, to marriage equality and the ability to one of the only ones that had the guts,” Michael create families to today’s fight against the tyranny remembers. against Trans people, the movement has not “There were a lot of stereotypes in television stopped to take a breath. regarding gay portrayals. I was pegged and cast Michael Kearns, the first recognized “out” actor in some of those roles. I did play the stereotype, on the Hollywood landscape, has been a visible but rather than a straight guy playing those roles, presence through it all. More importantly, he I brought authenticity. I was real. Straight guys has always been visible on the gay scene. In the playing gay would always spoof the role. They were seventies he epitomized the free love and erotic always ‘winking’ and signaling to the camera ‘I am freedom that many gay men lived. He was featured not really that way.’ So, the performances are by in classic gay porn movies and did a PR stint as the in large horrible, even with some Academy Award face of the “happy hustler.” winners. The actors were constantly saying that it “That was my introduction to a lot of people,” was not who they were — if they weren’t making that Michael told me when we sat down for a chat on clear on the talk shows, they were doing it in the Rated LGBT Radio. “I kind of captured the zeitgeist performance itself,” Michael says. of the times, the freewheeling seventies. We forget Michael soon morphed into an HIV-positive man that there was that period of time when sexuality playing HIV-positive characters, while off camera was joyful and exciting and thrilling.” becoming a visible and vocal AIDS activist. “It was In the eighties he was visible in mainstream a new kind of cliché. They had to always make me media as a gay man playing gay men characters. look horrible. The ghastlier the better. They could In 1983, Michael was cast in a minor role on the not have an HIV character who looked normal “Cheers” Emmy-winning episode “The Boys in the — as I did when I arrived at the set. Finally, I had Bar.” He was instantly recognized for his gay sexual enough and refused to do that anymore.” Michael iconic status by LGBTQ audiences, even though then immersed himself in theater where he found MICHAEL KEARNS (Photo by Keida Mascaro) the population at large did not know who he was. greater character honesty and truth. The casting director who fought for his casting was As gay men captured their identities in the ‘90s as husbands and fathers, Michael was there too — becoming one of the first gay men to adopt a child. It is that role, as a father, that Michael has said is his greatest. Today, Michael has been a driving force behind QueerWise, a multigenerational writing collective and performance group. Through QueerWise, Michael gives poetic voice to talent that would otherwise be voiceless. Its members include published poets, writers of fiction and non-fiction, playwrights, singers, musicians, social activists, dancers, actors, artists and teachers. QueerWise launched its latest work last month, “The Ache for Home.” “The Ache for Home is a video presentation of heartfelt stories from formerly homeless/ unhoused individuals in and around West Hollywood. It was developed through a mentorship program facilitated by QueerWise members. The production represents citizens-turned-writers who share their inspirational stories from those glamorous streets and sidewalks, ranging from soaring self-acceptance to narratives of truth-telling defeats,” said Michael. The production can be seen on QueerWise’s YouTube channel. The “Ache for Home” features a young cis male with a passion for music and art, who finds joy “when I can put a smile on someone’s face and give back”, a retired mixed race bisexual government worker who is a voracious reader and literacy advocate, two trans males who share their experiences of living on the street, and a former resident playwright who was homeless for 44 days and nights in the city. “I am thrilled at our inclusion of trans men in this work,” Michael says. “It is a poorly represented community within a poorly represented community.” On current controversies, particularly the Dave Chappelle issue, Michael notes, “I am glad it is generating passion. It is bringing up conversation on the plights of Black trans women who are victimized at an alarming rate, we should not say victimized… we should say murdered. I am glad we are shedding light on that.” Michael’s work has been described as “collisions of sex and death, of eroticism and grief,” but he has truly dug to an even deeper level. “The Ache for Home” takes its inspiration from the Maya Angelou quote, “The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” Michael Kearns’ work has always encouraged us to go, and live, “as we are.” He is the amalgamation of eroticism, grief, healing, and appreciating the richness of life itself. He is the godfather of LGBT+ authenticity. In earlier days, he may have represented sex; he may have walked us through a period of darkness and death into the arms of the creation of the new family. He has now brought us home, and when we look at him, we see a new quality: wisdom. 3 0 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • NOVEMBER 1 2 , 2 0 2 1

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Oscar Wilde comes alive in new book

His ‘deﬁant individualism’ made him ‘more approachable, more exciting’ By KATHI WOLFE

Oscar Wilde: A Life

By Matthew Sturgis | c. 2021, Alfred A. Knopf | $40 | 838 pages

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The life of playwright and queer icon Oscar Wilde was wittier and more tragic than most any dramatist could imagine. To capture Wilde’s life and spirit in a bio is a daunting task. Wilde, himself, may not have been up to it. Yet, in “Oscar Wilde: A Life,” Matthew Sturgis, an historian, makes Wilde’s story come alive. Maybe you don’t know that Wilde, born in Dublin, lived from 1854 to 1900; that, early on, he wanted to obtain “success, fame or even notoriety;” or that, while lecturing in America, he was kissed by Walt Whitman. Even so, you’ve likely heard of Wilde. In LGBTQ+ history, Wilde, who spent two years in prison for “acts of gross indecency with other male persons” is a hero for not denying his sexuality. If you’ve been to the theater, to a dinner party or to a Starbucks, you’ve likely encountered Wilde’s wit. “Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast,” Wilde’s line from “An Ideal Husband,” is emblazoned on one of my fave T-shirts. “Oscar Wilde is part of our world,” Sturgis writes. One day, Sturgis went to the library at Columbia University to look at one of Wilde’s letters. On his way to Columbia, he encountered quotes from Wilde everywhere he looked. “I passed a chalkboard outside an Irish bar scrawled with the legend ‘Work is the curse of the Drinking Classes,’” Sturgis writes. “Opposite me on the uptown subway sat a girl whose mobile phone case carried the slogan ‘To live is the rarest thing in the world.’” It’s hard to think of an author, other than Shakespeare, Mark Twain or Charles Dickens, who is more omnipresent in the culture. “The Importance of Being Earnest,” “An Ideal Husband” and Wilde’s other plays are still performed and he’s been a character on stage and screen, Sturgis writes. Before Allen Ginsberg or Andy Warhol, there was Wilde. Before Gatsby, Wilde invented himself. In the 1880s, Wilde, because he’d become famous for being famous, went on a lecture tour of America. Louisa May Alcott and Ulysses S. Grant hung out with him. He drank whiskey with miners. Crowds came to hear him talk about art and to bask in his celebrity and eccentricity. Wilde was friends with the actresses Ellen Terry and Lily Langtree, and it was rumored that he’d walked about London with a lily in his hand. Yet, despite his hobnobbing with celebs, Wilde isn’t a lightweight cultural figure. “Wilde’s defiant individualism, his refusal to accept the limiting constraints of society, his sexual heresies, his political radicalism, his commitment to style,” Sturgis writes, “all conspire to make him ever more approachable, more exciting, and more relevant.” “Oscar Wilde: A Life” is the first major bio of Wilde since Richard Ellmann’s 1987 biography. Ellmann, a literary critic, focused a great deal on Wilde’s work. Ellmann’s book illuminates his literary output. Wilde’s work ranged from the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” to fairy tales which, Wilde said, he wrote “partly for children, and partly for those who have kept the childlike faculties of wonder and joy.” Sturgis, who had access to newly discovered transcripts and testimony from Wilde’s trials along with letters and early notebooks of Wilde’s, sheds light on Wilde’s life. It’s well-known that Wilde was sent to prison for two years, and that he died a few years later in Paris in poverty. But Sturgis makes it vividly clear what a cad Wilde’s lover Lord Alfred (Bosie) Douglas was. Sturgis makes you feel how awful it was for Wilde to be in prison where he was isolated, his hair was cropped and the food was gross. It’s heartbreaking to read how his wife Constance prohibited Wilde from seeing their two sons and changed the family name to Holland. It’s easy to forget that until his trials and imprisonment, Wilde led a rich, colorful, productive life. With Sturgis as guide, we’re with Wilde as he hangs out at Oxford, meets Andre Gide in Paris, chats with Sarah Bernhardt and lusts after rent boys. For a Wilde ride, check out “Oscar Wilde: A Life.”

S O C I O - P O L I T I CA L FA B L E

N O W P L AY I N G

REGIONAL PREMIERE

THROUGH DEC 5

BY LAUREN YEE DIRECTED BY JENNIFER CHANG

T’S 1989, THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN Francisco basketball team is headed to China for a “friendship” game, and plucky high school star Manford pesters aging coach Saul enough to talk his way onto the team. Landing in Beijing just before the Tiananmen Square uprising, Manford, Saul, and their Chinese translator/coach Wen Chang are forced to explore their different approaches to basketball and life and to reconcile their own converging histories. Inspired by her father’s shortlived basketball career, playwright Lauren Yee applies her signature technique of colliding the personal with the historical, creating a “stunning” (LA Times), unforgettable fable and reminding us that the best stories—even if they aren’t real—can still be true.

The Great Leap is sponsored by Linda Ravdin & Don Shapero.

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for full details and policies.

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The Blade Foundation was founded in 2010 to promote the accurate reporting of issues related to the LGBTQ community around the world. Our mission: To support, train and encourage diversity in the next generation of LGBTQ journalists by investing in students and enterprise journalism projects focused on LGBTQ and other underrepresented communities. In furtherance of that mission, the Blade Foundation in 2021 is offering a $3,000 scholarship to a student who has received their acceptance to a four-year accredited university journalism program and will begin that program in the winter of 2022 or a student who is already enrolled in such a program.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE You may submit the following via email or postal mail: • • • •

A letter explaining why you should receive this scholarship and why LGBTQ issues are important to you; Proof of acceptance or current attendance in an accredited journalism program; A letter of support from either a professor if you are currently in a program or from a teacher or mentor if you are about to enter a program; A one-page resume and three published clips or links to published material.

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Send application by email to knaff@washblade.com (no phone calls) or mail to: Washington Blade Attn: Kevin Naff, Executive Director 1101 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 450 Washington, D.C. 20036 Deadline for applications is

December 03, 2021

and the recipient of the award will be announced by December 31, 2021.

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EXPECT MORE

Whether you are looking for a vibrant and spirited Independent Living lifestyle, an enriching Assisted Living and Memory Support neighborhood, or the peace of mind and security that comes with a Life Plan Community, Ingleside will exceed your expectations. Discover a rich and diverse community made up of interesting friends and neighbors, living an active and engaging lifestyle.

EXPECT MORE AT INGLESIDE.

INGLESIDE AT ROCK CREEK

202-999-4496 // www.ircdc.org

INGLESIDE AT KING FARM

240-414-8523 // www.ikfmd.org Not-for-profit, CARF-accredited, SAGECare-certified, life plan communities.

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Diana’s disaster

As musically banal as its insipid title, Ross’s new album takes schmaltz to new heights By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO | joeyd@washblade.com

Diana Ross’s solo albums are almost always inconsistent. This isn’t unusual among R&B/pop divas; start wading past the hits and the same could be said for the album tracks of Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, et. al. The few times she’s made a start-to-finish solid effort, like 1991’s “The Force Behind the Power,” 1995’s “Take Me Higher” or even 1985’s “Eaten Alive,” which works even with its campy title cut, they’ve never been huge sellers or featured any of her trademark hits. However — and it pains me to say this — you have to go all the way back to 1983’s “Ross” to find an album as bad as her new release “Thank You” (★½ out of four), her first album in 15 years and her first of new material in 22 years. Pre-COVID, she was highly active with touring (and played the D.C. region many times), but her studio work had ground to a total halt. A few things trickled out from the vault, like 2006’s delightful jazz album “Blue” (recorded in the early ’70s), but there was nothing new. And while it was always great to see her on stage — she looks fabulous at 77 (although you’d never know it from the vintage photo used on the “Thank You” cover) — her show varied little from year to year and her vocals were occasionally pitchy. So while it’s great to finally have something new from the Motown legend — a studio workhorse all through the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s — this extremely uneven new album is a musical Hallmark turd that never met a feelgood lyrical cliche too saccharine or an easy listening musical bed too insipid. It’s hard to place too much of the blame on Troy Miller (a veteran of Amy Winehouse’s band), who produced the bulk of the tracks here, as Ross’s fingerprints are all over it — she’s billed as executive producer and, in a career first, she co-wrote nine of the 13 cuts. Though she took a few songwriting credits here and there over the years (she co-wrote four songs on her 1982 album “Silk Electric”), on most of her albums, her songwriting contributions are zero. And although two of those — the bouncy title cut and second single “If the World Just Danced” — are unequivocally the project’s best tracks, Joni Mitchell she is not. Here’s the good news — she sounds amazing. There’s a lustrous quality to her vocal work here, her range is truly impressive and the pitch never wavers. Some scoff, but I have always felt Ross is a great pop singer with considerable range and impressive interpretive abilities in a wide gulf of genres. She was never a Whitney or Celine, but she could coo (“Baby Love”), yearn (“Cryin’ My Heart Out for You”), burn (“Muscles”) and growl (“Swept Away”) as well as anyone. This album’s “Time to Call,” though weak, gives her a chance to unfurl several melismas in her highest register and she kills it. Stylistically, while varied, the album as a whole is

DIANA ROSS’s new project ‘Thank You,’ while hopeful and optimistic, is too musically weak to catch ﬁre after the one-two punch of its opening cuts. (courtesy Decca)

numbingly mellow. Three cuts (the solid “If the World Just Danced,” retro shuffle “I Still Believe” and hornladen abomination “Tomorrow”) are dance tracks and almost all the rest could legitimately be dubbed easy listening. There’s cascading string work, decent (if hardly impressive) production and stylistic variation, but the flame dies out after the first two songs and, with such banal lyrics and painfully unimaginative melodies, never comes close to reigniting despite Ross’s conviction. It’s like seeing a truly good actress in a turkey of a play knowing she co-wrote it. You’re rooting for her, but you’ve spent most of the outing wincing. One might argue saccharine and Ross have gone hand in hand back to the days of “Reach Out and Touch” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” — true — but it’s taken to a new low here. Of course, nobody expected Deepak Chopra-caliber insight, but with clunkers like “what is isn’t/what isn’t is” (on the Ross co-penned “All is Well”), “I’ll be the pillow where your head will lay,” (on daughter Rhonda’s “Count on Me”) or “the first time I saw your face …” (on mother’s ode “Beautiful Love”) —

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ripping off a lyric that blatantly should be illegal — this album’s scaffolding is so weak, one positively groans at the amateurishness of the songcraft. This is the chorus of “Count on Me”: “count on me/count on me/count on me/count on me.” Siedah Garrett, a respected songwriter who might have momentarily elevated the proceedings, delivers one of the album’s worst cuts with the nauseatingly treacly “The Answer’s Always Love.” I could go on, but you get the idea. One might also argue, hey, couldn’t we use a little positivity today? Cut Miss Ross some slack and just be glad she’s back. True perhaps, but with material this weak and the thought of what this album could have been in more daring, imaginative hands, it’s downright frustrating. With little chance of making any kind of dent on U.S. (or U.K. for that matter) pop radio and in her late 70s, I’d hoped Miss Ross, with no fucks left to give, might have done something brash and daring, but this is called playing it safe folks and sadly it’s a yawnfest.

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SMYAL Fall Brunch

Annual fundraiser held for LGBTQ youth programs (Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

The LGBTQ youth services organization SMYAL held its annual Fall Brunch at the Marriott Marquis on Saturday, Nov. 6. Jonathan Capehart served as the emcee.

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1177 22nd Street NW #7G, 22West / West End Offered at $3,895,000

A rare find, this 3BR+Den/3.5BA offers incredible views of Washington Circle in a true full-service, luxury building.

CHAUVIN-HOUSE TEAM FEATURED FALL LISTINGS

2636 Moreland Place NW, Chevy Chase Offered at $1,699,000

Built in 2007, there is amazing value in this 6,000+ sq. ft. 6BR/6.5BA house on a quiet cul-de-sac.

CHAUVIN HOUSE TEAM

Mobile: 202-256-9595 Office: 202-448-9002 chauvinhouse@compass.com

Compass is a licensed real estate brokerage that abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Compass is licensed as Compass Real Estate in DC and as Compass in Virginia and Maryland. 1232 31st Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 |202.448.9002

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16698 Kings Highway, Suite A Lewes, DE

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| 302.645.6664 (Office)

LEFT PAGE

| LeeAnnGroup.com

18393 Show Jumper Ln, Lewes, DE

35230 Seaport Loop, Lewes, DE

MLS #: DESU2008546

MLS #DESU2009014

STOP SEARCHING, START LIVING. This 5 Bedroom Showﬁeld stunner delivers a long list of architectural highlights and striking exterior. Don’t wait to build, start living your beach life in a sought-after community, close to shopping, dining, recreation, nature - the best of coastal Delaware!

HIGH STYLE, LOW MAINTENANCE! Move right into this 3 bedroom, 3 bath home set on a quiet lot in Bay Crossing. Enjoy the many great features in this home, including hardwood flooring throughout the first floor; gourmet kitchen and stylish and spacious living room with a gas fireplace. This home is the total package! Great East of Rt One location with easy access to shopping, dining, and attractions.

528 Cape Shores, Lewes Beach, DE

1 Swedes St. #8, Dewey Beach, DE

MLS #: DESU2008382

MLS#: DESU2008686

RARELY AVAILABLE

BRIGHT BEACH GETAWAY with 4 bedrooms & 2 Baths, this home makes vacation or year-round living a breeze. The community of Cape Shores oﬀers the best amenities at the beach: ﬁshing pier, pool, tennis, clubhouse, and just a short stroll to direct Bay and State Park beaches.

in the OCEANFRONT Royal Beachcomber building. With ocean views and just steps to the sand and water, this top ﬂoor 2-bedroom condo is furnished and ready to enjoy! This would make a great rental property or enjoy as a 2nd home. Located in the heart of beautiful Dewey Beach within walking distance to area restaurants and shopping and short stroll into downtown Rehoboth Beach along beautiful Silver Lake!

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How has the meaning of ‘home’ changed during COVID? People want peace — a place to get away from it all By JOSEPH HUDSON

During the pandemic, “Home” must have taken on different meanings for many people. As was reported often in the news, many people found themselves dissatisfied with the home they bought before the pandemic, and now, several months or a year and a half later, the home that was meant to be for dinner, sleeping, and the occasional breakfast was now frequently central operations for a squad of 4-6 people, 24 hours a day, all working, zooming, streaming, in class, learning how to cut their own hair online, looking up recipes online because they were tired of the same five meals they have had for four months at a time, and the balcony that was nice to have for a Friday evening glass of Sauvignon Blanc at sunset was now not enough for Mom, Dad, the 3-year-old and the baby on the way. So off they went to find a new “home” and then put the old home on the market. But now that older home is sitting, getting showings but no offers. Did they make a mistake? Are they now going to have two mortgage payments? Well, probably not indefinitely. What I am seeing is that home purchasers were quick to pull a trigger and go aggressively after the new home that was going to be the solution to all their woes, but the buyers for the first home are much slower. Less rushed. They are entering the market maybe. Taking advantage of lower interest rates. They are not feeling rushed and are not competing as much for properties. One agent reported multiple offers, but after the place was on the market for almost a month. Again, people are taking their time. Basically, what I am seeing is that people want space in their new homes. They want room to relax, spread out. They might even want a relaxing environment. A quiet night’s sleep. Many people in the past year have reported higher anxiety levels than at any point of their lives. A good night’s sleep can mean the difference between sailing through that meeting or appointment the next day or feeling like you have to cancel everything and call your therapist. People want peace. Our lives are spent arguing online and hearing news headlines that are more “breaking news” than they were an hour ago. It’s natural to want a refuge. A place to feel you can get away from it all. They don’t want sirens and people wandering the alleys at night. They don’t want fixer uppers as much. They want to move and move now into something they can feel comfortable in. That’s what I am seeing. People want a place they can work in, but still feel at home. They don’t want to feel that their work lives and their home lives are literally on top of each other – they want some separation. Whether it’s a separate room, or an entire floor that is dedicated to work, they want to feel they can step away from it when they need to. I also have a homebuyer seminar on Zoom next Thursday evening at 6 p.m. Feel free to contact me to get the access link.

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Many buyers are still looking for space in a new home.

JOSEPH HUDSON

is a Realtor with The Rutstein Group of Compass. Reach him at joseph@dcrealestate.com or 703-587-0597.

Offered by Martine and Alexander Irmer 703.346.7283 Martine@Lnf.com

703.403.2465 Ai@Lnf.com

www.theirmergroup.com

The Irmer Group

@irmergroup

619 & 621 N COLUMBUS ST, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314 $1,490,000 | 3BR/2.5BA | DETACHED CAR GARAGE

Don’t miss this quintessential Old Town Victorian sitting on a 38 ft wide double lot! Both lots being sold together. Over 3,500 sqft lot with oversized detached garage. Light filled open floorplan with 9 ft ceilings, reclaimed random width oak flooring & original heart pine. Double parlor, crown molding, recessed lights & dual HVAC system. Retreat to your private oasis great for entertaining with mature landscaping. Spacious primary en-suite with built in closet systems & full bath including double sink vanity with marble tops, stand up shower & soaking tub. Large basement for extra storage and additional storage in the garage. Minutes away from Reagan National& only blocks away from Braddock Metro, two grocery stores (Harris Teeter & Trader Joe’s), King St boutiques, restaurant & the Waterfront!

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EMPLOYMENT

DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL FOR BUSY LGBTQ ACTIVIST

RCM of Washington, a premier disability service provider agency with communitybased locations throughout the District of Columbia, is hiring two (2) Direct Support Professionals who will work one-on-one with a life long resident of DC and activist for the LGBTQ community within DC. The person supported is in his fifties, lives in NW, and enjoys bowling in his spare time. Staff will assist with cooking, laundry, household chores/cleaning, reading/organizing mail and correspondence, and attendance at rallies, public meetings, and other events for the disability and LGBTQ communities. When in the community, the person supported uses a motorized wheelchair, prefers to work with a male who is also a lifelong resident of DC and will support and encourage his activism. Must be able to work 24 - 32 hours Mon-Fri. If selected you will be required to attend 1-week orientation session & complete Dept. of Disability Services’ Phase I training. This is during bus. hours (Mon-Fri, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM). The selected candidate must submit your COVID-19 vaccine records or approval of exemption from DC Health in order to successfully complete onboarding process. Please visit the job listing link below for further qualifications and details.

EMPLOYMENT

PART-TIME SALES ASSOCIATE

CLEANING

LIMOUSINES

BODYWORK

wanted at Bite the Fruit, adult store in Dupont Circle. Must be serviceoriented professional, 18+, fully vaccinated. Download employment application form: bitethefruit.com/job

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 information

RCM of Washington, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Please apply online. No telephone calls, please.

https://bit.ly/3bgZjxv

MASSAGE Courthouse, VA

QUIET, PRIVATE RETREAT for a discerning few. Sun, Tues,Wed. Contact Gary, 301-704-1158 www.mymassagebygary.com

CLEANING FERNANDO’S CLEANING: Residential & Commercial Cleaning, Reasonable Rates, Free Estimates, Routine, 1-Time, Move-In/Move-Out 202-234-7050 202-486-6183.

KASPER’S LIVERY SERVICE

Since 1987. Gay & Veteran Owner/ Operator. 2016 Luxury BMW 750Li Sedan. Proper DC License & Livery Insured. www.KasperLivery.com. Phone 202-554-2471.

COUNSELING COUNSELING FOR LGBTQ People Individual/couple counseling with a volunteer peer counselor. GMCC, serving our community since 1973. 202-580-8661. gaymenscounseling.org. No fees, donation requested.

HANDYMAN BRITISH REMODELING HANDYMAN Local licensed company with over 25 years of experience. Specializing in bathrooms, kitchens & all interior/exterior repairs. Drywall, paint, electric & wallpaper. Trevor 703-303-8699.

LEGAL SERVICES

ADOPTION, DONOR, SURROGACY

legal services. Jennifer represents LGBTQ clients in DC, MD & VA interested in adoption or ART matters. 240-863- 2441, JFairfax@Jenniferfairfax.com.

MOVING PROFESSIONAL MOVING & STORAGE.

Let Our Movers Do The Heavy Lifting. Mention the Blade for 5% off of our regular rates. Call today 202.734.3080. www.aroundtownmovers.com

MEN FOR MEN DOMINANT, HORNY, GUY, 6’ 3”, 200 lbs, 9” ISO All American, horny, submissive, well hung, white jock! Calls only after 9 pm. 240-656-0140.

BODYWORK

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

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Place your ad yourself on our website. washingtonblade.com/ classifieds or Email: Classifieds@washblade.com

PROFESSIONAL / BUSINESS 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

YOUR NAME HERE! EMAIL NOW TO PLACE YOUR AD

classifieds@washblade.com 4 6 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • NOVEMBER 1 2 , 2 0 2 1 • C LA S S I F I E D S

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