Washington Blade, Volume 53, Issue 25, June 24, 2022

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Comings & Goings

Cummings joins White House Office of National Cyber Director

By PETER ROSENSTEIN

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements.

Please share your successes with us at: comingsandgoings@washblade.com.

Congratulations to John Cummings on joining the Office of the National Cyber Director at the White House as Director of Supply Chain and Technology Security. Upon getting the position, he said, “I am beyond thrilled to join the growing team at the National Cyber Director’s Office and bring my experience to our mission of mitigating the cyber threats facing our nation and ensuring every American can enjoy the full benefits of the digital ecosystem. It is truly a privilege to work with this incredibly brilliant and collegial group of cyber experts.”

Prior to joining the White House, Cummings served as Associate General Counsel at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Before that role, he served as interim Chief Counsel for ODNI’s National Counterintelligence and Security Center and as Associate General

Counsel for the Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community.

He has provided legal advice and counsel on matters of government-wide and interagency policy and national security in the areas of executive authority, cyber, constitutional law, civil rights and civil liberties, legislative affairs, and international cooperation. He has worked on recruiting LGBTQ, women, and minority applicants for government roles in national security and is experienced in public relations, stakeholder relationships, and international partnerships.

Cummings began his career clerking for the Honorable Ivan L.R. Lemelle, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and also clerked for the House Committee on Homeland Security and the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Law and National Security.

He attended Villanova University where he received a bachelor’s degree in English. He earned his J.D. from Loyola Law, New Orleans, and his LL.M. in National Security Law from Georgetown Law.

JOHN CUMMINGS

D.C. police hiring program welcomes LGBTQ recruits

The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s LGBT Liaison Unit and the department’s other community liaison units are playing a “huge part” in a steppedup officer recruitment program and members of the LGBTQ community are encouraged to consider applying to become a D.C. police officer, Police Chief Robert Contee told the Washington Blade.

“We welcome everybody. The LGBTQ community – we welcome everybody,” Contee told the Blade after he and Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a new $20,000 hiring bonus to make MPD more competitive in recruiting new officers during a press conference on Friday, June 17, held just outside Stanton Park on Capitol Hill.

“And this is just a great place to work,” the chief told the Blade. “You can follow us on our Instagram, and you can see how much we embrace the LGBTQ community,” he said. “So, join MPD if you’re interested in a career in law enforcement.”

Bowser said the new $20,000 hiring bonus is part of her Fiscal Year 2023 police budget, which funds an

DC Police Chief ROBERT CONTEE speaks at press conference in which he and MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER announce a $20,000 police hiring recruitment bonus. (Blade photo by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.)

additional 347 new officers and takes effect at the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1, 2022.

“We know how critical it is to have a fully staffed and resourced MPD, and that requires us to hire strong talent and to retain experienced officers,” Bowser said at the news conference. “These hiring bonuses will help MPD recruit and hire more officers to keep our city safe,” she said.

A statement released by the mayor’s office says the bonus would be paid in two installments, with $10,000 paid at the time a new officer is hired and the remaining $10,000 paid upon the officer’s successful completion of the police academy training program.

“The starting salary at MPD is currently $60,199, which means that with the new bonus, first-year officers will be eligible to earn more than $80,000,” the statement says. It says full details on how to apply to become a D.C. police officer can be accessed at joinmpd.dc.gov.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

CAMP Rehoboth names Lisa Evans interim executive director

LISA EVANS

Lisa Evans has been named interim executive director of CAMP Rehoboth, an LGBTQ advocacy nonprofit based in Rehoboth Beach, Del. Since April, she has served as acting manager of the organization.

CAMP Rehoboth’s search for an interim executive director began after David Mariner stepped down from the role on May 31. On June 10, Mariner announced the official launch of Sussex Pride, a new LGBTQ nonprofit serving the greater Sussex County, Del. community.

Evans steps into her new role with an extensive background “in the world of nonprofits.” For more than 40 years, she has done nonprofit and government work in Baltimore, primarily in the housing sector.

“The acronyms here at CAMP Rehoboth are different than what I used to use in the housing world,” Evans told the Blade, but “the fundamentals … carry through no matter what the nonprofit is.”

As CAMP Rehoboth continues to develop its strategic plan — a project that was delayed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic — Evans noted that she hopes to lead the organization in determining com-

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munity needs, and particularly how they have changed in the past two years.

While Evans owned a home in Rehoboth Beach she regularly visited for more than 25 years, her permanent move to the city came in 2020, when she retired just before the pandemic. Living in the city full time has helped her realize “that CAMP is very much a [critical] part of the Rehoboth community.”

Beginning her term as interim executive director, Evans emphasized that she has one central goal in mind for the organization: stability.

“I don’t see my role here as turning anything upside down,” but rather “making sure that we continue to do the things that we’re doing — that we continue to do them even better if possible,” Evans said.

“That’s how I see my role: making sure everything’s in great order … so that when a permanent executive director comes in they’ve got something great to build on,” she added. “I’m willing to go back to retirement.”

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One of two gay candidates wins primary for D.C. Council Bowser triumphs in Democratic race for third term as mayor

By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Gay D.C. Board of Education member Zachary Parker emerged as the clear winner in a seven-candidate race for the Ward 5 D.C. Council seat in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, placing him in a strong position to win the November general election and become the first openly gay member of the Council since 2015.

With nearly all of the votes counted shortly before midnight, Parker had 41.65 percent of the vote, with his closest rival, Faith Gibson Hubbard, receiving 23.41 percent. Former at-large and Ward 5 Councilmember Vincent Orange had 16.66 percent of the vote in his unsuccessful bid to return to the Council.

While Parker and his supporters celebrated his primary victory, gay former D.C. police officer Salah Czapary lost his bid for the Ward 1 D.C. Council seat to incumbent Councilmember Brianne Nadeau by a margin of 47.39 percent to 32.09 percent. A third candidate in the Ward 1 race, Sabel Harris, had 20.25 percent of the vote.

Parker had an advantage over Czapary, according to political observers, because he was running for an open seat after incumbent Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie ran unsuccessfully for Attorney General rather than re-election to the Council. Incumbents, such as Nadeau in Ward 1, are considered to have a better chance of winning re-election.

But some political observers, based on reports of a private poll showing Czapary running close if not slightly ahead of Nadeau, thought Czapary had a good shot at unseating Nadeau. That prompted what Czapary’s supporters said was an onslaught of negative campaign attacks against Czapary. The attacks were based in part on a Washington City Paper story disclosing his campaign chairperson was a registered Republican and was associated with a conservative think tank that supports Donald Trump.

Czapary said he immediately secured the resignation of his campaign chair, saying he did not know he was a registered Republican. He also pointed out that as a gay Arab American he was a longtime Democratic Party supporter even though, as Nadeau supporters pointed out, he was an independent and did not become a registered Democratic until earlier this year.

The political attacks against Czapary continued, with large signs accusing him of having “Republican campaign leadership” being posted on light poles in Ward 1 as well as outside the nearby Number 9 gay bar in Ward 2, which Ward 1 residents are known to patronize.

“I’m sure negative campaigning has an effect,” Czapary told the Washington Blade at his election night gathering at the Duplex Diner in Adams Morgan, which drew more than 100 supporters.

“But we made a very essential effort to focus on the issues that voters want to talk about,” he said. “And you know, the election is over, and bygones are bygones.

And I look forward to working with Councilmember Nadeau on some of the issues that resonated with voters that voted for me.”

With Nadeau and all the other candidates running in the June 21 Democratic primary – including Mayor Muriel Bowser and her three Democratic rivals — expressing support for LGBTQ issues or having long records of support — LGBTQ voters are believed to have based their vote on other issues such as public safety and affordable housing among other issues.

As of just before midnight on election day, Bowser

Gay D.C. Board of Education member ZACHARY PARKER won the Democratic primary for the Ward 5 Council seat.

had 49.86 percent of the vote, with rival mayoral candidates D.C. Councilmember Robert White (D-At-Large) receiving 38.51 percent and Councilmember Trayon White (D-Ward 8) receiving 9.8 percent. The fourth candidate in the mayoral race, James Butler, had 1.47 percent of the vote. The Associated Press earlier in the evening projected Bowser as the winner.

D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) had 54.82 percent of the vote compared to challenger Erin Palmer, who had 44.72 percent. In the four-candidate At-Large D.C. Council race, incumbent Anita Bonds was ahead with 38.33 percent of the vote, with rival Democrats Lisa Gore with 26.96 percent, Nate Fleming 26.45 percent, and Dexter Williams with 7.54 percent.

In the hotly contested Ward 3 D.C. Council race, in which nine candidates were on the ballot, Matthew Frumin was ahead with 38 percent of the vote. Eric Goulet was in second place with 31.01 percent. The remaining candidates, including three who dropped out and threw their support to Frumin after it was too late to have their names removed from the ballot, received less than 7 percent of the vote.

D.C. Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) was the clear winner in her bid for re-election, with 86.55 percent of the vote. Her two opponents in the primary, Wendy Hamilton and Kelly Mikel Williams received 6.15 percent and 6.36 percent, respectively.

In the race for D.C. Attorney General, attorney Brian Schwalb was ahead with 45.21 percent of the vote, with rival attorneys Bruce Spiva and Ryan Jones receiving 35.65 percent and 18.32 percent of the vote, respectively.

In the race for U.S. Representative, which is known as D.C.’s shadow representative to the U.S. House of Representatives, with no voting powers, incumbent Oye Owolewa was trailing challenger Linda Gray by a vote of 49.78 percent to 48.64 percent. Owolewa was the only Democratic incumbent on the primary ballot who was not substantially ahead of their opponent.

In a development that surprised some observers, the Capital Stonewall Democrats, the city’s largest local LGBTQ political group, endorsed Robert White over Bowser and backed challenger Erin Palmer over Council Chair Phil Mendelson. The group also endorsed Nadeau

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over gay challenger Czapary. In the Ward 5 race, Capital Stonewall Democrats endorsed Parker.

With the overwhelming majority of the city’s voters being registered Democrats, winners in the D.C. Democratic primary almost always win in the November general election. In the D.C. Republican primary on Tuesday, GOP candidates ran unopposed for the office of congressional delegate, mayor, Council chair, at-large Council member, and Council member for Wards 3 and 5.

Most political observers say that with Republicans having little or no chance of winning, Democrats running against each other in the primaries tend to divide along the lines of moderate Democrat versus progressive-left Democrat.

In Tuesday’s primary, Bowser, Mendelson, Bonds, and Czapary were considered representatives of the party’s moderates. Their opponents, including Ward 1 incumbent Nadeau, are considered representatives of the party’s progressive-left faction. Parker is also considered part of the progressive-left faction.

Parker won election in 2018 as the Ward 5 representative on the D.C. Board of Education. His fellow board members last year elected him as president of the board. He drew media attention earlier this year when he came out publicly as gay in a video message he posted on his Twitter page.

“I am very proud and confident in who I am and who I’ve been,” he said in his video message. “Many already know – my family, my friends, many community leaders,” he continued. “But I recognize that many may not know, and this may come as a surprise. So, I thought it was important for me to share my full self,” he said.

Lesbian activists Sheila Alexander-Reid and Courtney Snowden, who each held high-level positions in the Bowser administration in the recent past, were among the large number of LGBTQ activists who turned out for Bowser’s election night party at the Franklin Hall restaurant and nightclub. Alexander-Reid served as director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs and Snowden served as Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity, the highest-level position an LGBTQ person has held in the D.C. mayor’s office.

Both told the Washington Blade they believe Bowser will continue her commitment to addressing the needs and concerns of all factions of the LGBTQ community, including those who did not vote for her on Tuesday.

“I think we need to come together and work with her,” said Alexander-Reid in referring to LGBTQ voters who supported Robert White. “And if they have some issues and concerns, bring them to her attention,” she said. “I can tell you firsthand when you bring issues to her attention, she takes care of it, and she addresses it.”

Snowden said the diversity reflected in the several hundred people attending the mayor’s election night event symbolized her ability to bring people together to solve problems.

“I am so happy to see the mayor get exactly what she deserves, four more years to make good on her promises she made to our city, to the LGBTQ community, for the District’s long-time residents, to African Americans, and to everyone,” Snowden said. “She is doing incredible work and the city has resoundingly said that she gets to do this for four more years to bring prosperity for all in every single ward of our city.”

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Texas GOP snubs Log Cabin: shortsighted mistake or sign of things to come?

Party declares, ‘homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice’

By CHRIS JOHNSON | cjohnson@washblade.com

With the Texas GOP denying a booth at its convention to Log Cabin Republicans, condemning homosexuality as “abnormal” and repudiating transgender identities — as well as its continued refusal to accept President Biden’s election as legitimate — the resulting fallout has observers wondering if the imbroglio represents the past or the future of the Republican Party.

The Texas Republican Party delivered its full-throated rejection of LGBTQ people — including LGBTQ people who have aligned themselves with the Republican Party and former President Trump — as an official position in the state party platform drafted at a convention in Houston last weekend, which also includes a rejection of the 2020 election results and the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibiting discrimination against Black voters. Also at the convention, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) was booed as he spoke for being part of the bipartisan working group that drafted the gun control agreement now moving through Congress in the aftermath of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

“Homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice,” the Texas GOP platform says. “We believe there should be no granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for homosexual behavior, regardless of state of origin, and we oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values.”

Additionally, the platform rejects “all efforts to validate transgender identity” at a time when states are moving forward with measures banning transgender youth from competing in school sports and instituting criminal penalties for medical providers providing transition-related care to minors. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has declared transition-related care for youth a form of child abuse and has ordered state agencies to investigate the parents of children receiving such care.

Cal Jillson, a political scientist who studies Texas politics at Southern Methodist University, said in an interview with the Blade the Texas Republican Party adopted these positions because “it’s the base of the base of the base” drafting them through a series of party and precinct meetings on the way up to the state convention.

“Many state parties have decided no longer to produce platforms in their conventions, because this happens all the time,” Jillson added. “You’ve got these deeply, ideologically committed conservatives who approve a platform that then asked to be explained away by candidates and others. So many state parties just say we’re not going to do a platform because we don’t want to go through this shit.”

The Texas Republican Party’s denial of booth space at the convention for the Log Cabin Republicans of Texas came despite the group’s commitment to conservative principles — even the repudiation of gender ideology and the Equality Act — and continued defense of President Trump as the first Republican president who was a gay ally.

Charles Moran, president of Log Cabin Republicans, urged the state party in a statement to look at the special election results in Texas last week — which saw the election to a congressional seat of Maya Flores, a Mexico-born Texas Hispanic woman and Republican — as the better alternative for the party.

“Texas Republicans just saw on Tuesday night what happens when the party includes new faces and voices – a Democrat-held seat was flipped for the first time in nearly

a hundred years by a conservative Mexican woman,” Moran said. “It’s clear that inclusion wins, which makes the Texas Republican Party leadership’s decision to exclude the Texas Log Cabin Republicans from their convention not just narrow-minded, but politically short-sighted.”

It’s not the first time the Texas Republican Party has excluded Log Cabin Republicans from the convention. According to the Log Cabin Republicans, the Texas GOP has not allowed Log Cabin Republicans to have a booth in years.

“So what’s going now isn’t a change from anything....just a continuation,” Moran told the Blade. “The only difference is now the media is actually paying attention to it.”

The exclusion this year, however, has inspired commentary on both sides as Democratic opponents crow the situation is perfectly emblematic of a political party with an anti-LGBTQ history and reputation and Republicans call it an isolated incident in a party that has evolved in its approach as recent polls show marriage equality — a once unpopular idea within the GOP — now has majority support among Republicans.

Charlotte Clymer, a Democratic transgender activist, wrote on Twitter the exclusion of Log Cabin from the Texas Republican convention is not unexpected.

“Watching Log Cabin Republicans be denied access at the Texas Republican Convention is like if cows were incredulous over their applications being rejected by the butcher,” Clymer wrote.

Donald Trump Jr, who has become a leading figure in the conservative movement amid the rise of his father as a political figure and has become closely aligned with Richard Grenell, who after being the face of LGBTQ outreach under President Trump has become a star in right-wing media, was among those condemning the exclusion.

“The Texas GOP should focus its energy on fighting back against the radical Democrats and weak RINOs currently trying to legislate our 2nd Amendment rights away, instead of canceling a group of gay conservatives who are standing in the breach with us,” Trump Jr. told conservative outlet Breitbart.

The Texas Republican Party didn’t respond Wednesday to the Blade’s request for comment.

The rebuke of the Texas Republican Party appears to have its own opponents within Log Cabin. On Wednesday, Michael Cargill, acting chairman of Log Cabin Texas, announced in a statement posted to local chapter’s website he’s resigning from the board and as acting chairman, citing “DC and California LCR members inexplicably interceding in Texas affairs and trying to pointlessly bully the Texas GOP.” Log Cabin Republicans of Texas was due to have a booth at the convention by “at best 2022 and worst-case scenario 2024.”

“If the Log Cabin Republicans continue down a path of divisiveness, lack of respect for the chain of command and due process, bully tactics, lack of cohesion and unwillingness to work with all chapter and state LCR leaders in the organization, the state leadership will lose its diverse composition, and its ability to lead with credibility and a unified purpose,” Cargill said.

Additionally, Cargill said David Garza, vice president of Log Cabin Republicans Austin, and Mimi Planas, president of Log Cabin Republicans San Antonio, are also resigning from the Texas board. Further, Cargill writes “neither the Austin nor San Antonio chapters will be sending representatives

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Texas Gov. GREG ABBOTT has declared transition-related care for youth a form of child abuse.

to the Texas Board.”

Cargill via an email sent to Log Cabin Republicans of Texas didn’t respond Wednesday to a request for comment on what he meant by D.C. and California Log Cabin members “inexplicably interceding in Texas affairs and trying to pointlessly bully the Texas GOP.” Moran, asked by the Blade to respond to the announced resignation, downplayed the departure as an acting leader within Log Cabin’s chapter system making an exit based on his temporary status.

“From my understanding, Mr. Cargill was serving in the role only in a temporary capacity, so his resignation comes as no surprise,” Moran said. “Our Texas board represents the 5 chapters in the state and state officers serve at the pleasure of those state boards.”

Brad Polumbo, a gay libertarian commentator, wrote in a column for the conservative Washington Examiner the exclusion of Log Cabin is at odds with the values of liberty and individual freedom within the Republican Party, which “should have room in its tent for both religious conservatives with traditional views on homosexuality and gay Republicans.” “[A] political party’s job is to win elections, and the Texas GOP is openly rejecting a group that wants to support them, agrees with them on most issues, and wants to defeat the Democrats, all because they can’t stomach the thought of having gay people in their party,” Polumbo writes. “I wonder how that will play out with LGBT voters in the next state election?

Jillson predicted the exclusionary approach by Texas Republicans to LGBTQ people within their own party and LGBTQ issues would continue until they suffer losses at the ballot box, which hasn’t happened in years and would likely not happen in the near future with Republicans expected to win in the congressional mid-term elections.

“The Republicans who attend the state conventions are a yesteryear group, even in the Republican primary electorate, which is pretty far to the right,” Jillson said. “And they select the Republican candidates that then go on to defeat the Democratic candidates and statewide elections. So until that stops happening, the Republican Party is not going to look to the middle and say, ‘Oh, sorry. We’ve been ignoring you guys. What is it that you wanted?’ And they just don’t need to do that now.”

AHF urges outreach, education around monkeypox

During a press conference Monday, representatives from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) urged public health officials and other healthcare stakeholders to ramp up educational and outreach efforts to slow the current rates of the monkeypox virus transmission.

“Our hope is this [monkeypox outbreak] is a passing issue, not something that’s ultimately a great cause for alarm and concern,” AHF President Michael Weinstein said. “But it’s better [to be] safe than sorry.”

Weinstein, joined by the organization’s Interim National Director of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Stuart Burstin, and its West Coast Regional Director of Internal Medicine, Dr. Carl Millner, stressed the importance of minimizing community spread through measures that can reduce the likelihood of exposure to monkeypox.

These measures, they said, include avoiding skin-toskin contact with individuals who are known to have an active infection or who were previously infected but may still carry a risk of transmitting the virus.

Weinstein and Burstin both pointed to public health experts’ calls for patients who are recovering from monkeypox to use condoms during all sexual activity for at least 12 weeks, pursuant to guidelines from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) that were last updated June 17.

As the virus can also be spread by exposure to bedding and clothing that has been contaminated by infected persons, contact with these items should also be avoided wherever possible, Burstin said.

“We can reduce [the risk of transmission] by behavioral means,” Burstin said. “What we have to do is to educate people so that the risk remains low to zero,” he said. “If that fails, there’s vaccination and therapy.”

Infections are currently concentrated in Europe: the U.K. has reported 524 cases, and Spain, Germany, Por-

tugal, and France have reported 313,303, 241, and 183 cases respectively. Many of the infections in Europe and the Americas can be traced back to events where gay men gathered — specifically a LGBTQ+ fetish festival in

DR. CARL MILLNER

(Screenshot/Press briefing June 20, 2022 AHF)

Belgium and a Pride event in the Canary Islands.

No deaths have been reported, and most monkeypox cases are mild — symptoms include rashes, initial flu-like symptoms, and lesions or sores.

Men, particularly gay men, and men who have sex with men (MSM), have been disproportionately represented in the clusters of cases documented.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

reports there have been 113 confirmed cases in the U.S. Burstin said that figure is probably far lower than the number of actual cases, as the significant overlap in symptoms caused by monkeypox with those caused by other illnesses, including COVID-19, raises the likelihood of underreporting and misdiagnoses.

Millner said it can even be easy to miss the prototypical rash that develops with monkeypox infections, which he described as a lesion or multiple lesions that usually appear on the hands, mouth, feet and genitals. These are often, and reasonably, misidentified as pimples, infected hair follicles, or – especially when located on or near the genitals – blisters caused by sexually transmitted diseases like herpes or syphilis.

Burstin said that while monkeypox can, in rare cases, cause serious and even life-threatening symptoms, the disease has a low case fatality rate, around one percent.

Plus, he said, the possibility that future variants may be deadlier or more contagious appears to be slim, given what epidemiologists have learned about the widely studied and now eradicated but closely related smallpox virus.

There are vaccinations and treatments available for monkeypox, Burstin said, which are reserved for cases of serious illness and for populations deemed high-risk, which include pregnant women, young children, the elderly and the immunocompromised.

Instead of mass vaccination campaigns, public health experts say immunizations should be administered based on assessments of patients’ risk of becoming seriously ill.

For those deemed eligible, if given within the first four days after contracting the virus, vaccines can reduce the number and severity of symptoms, Burstin said.

CHRISTOPHER KANE

Monkeypox cases rise amid calls for vaccine equity

As of June 16, 2,166 cases of monkeypox have been recorded globally, spanning 37 countries, including places where it is not usually seen. The United States currently has 100 recorded cases of monkeypox — California, New York, and Illinois are hot spots with 21, 17, and 13 cases respectively.

According to the CDC’s latest report, most of the reported cases have occurred in men who have sex with men, but monkeypox can be transmitted to anyone who has had close skin-to-skin contact with an infected person.

Although cases are currently concentrated in gay and bisexual men, Kyle Knight, senior LGBT and health researcher at Human Rights Watch, stressed the importance of managing the outbreak without stigmatizing gay men — or deepening the divide between wealthy and poor countries.

“Whether it’s lessons drawn from HIV, COVID-19, or other public health issues, it is essential to place human rights at the center of the response to infectious disease outbreaks,” Knight said, in a statement.

In an email to the Blade, Dr. Sarah Henn, Chief Health Officer for Whitman-Walker Health, reiterated the need to spread awareness of monkeypox within the LGBTQ community while simultaneously eradicating stigma.

“When dealing with an outbreak of any infection it is important to recognize risk factors for infection and specific communities where the infection is being seen. This must be done without stigmatizing those affected. This is the delicate balance that public health authorities are

currently trying to walk with the outbreak of monkeypox.

There is nothing intrinsic to the monkeypox virus that makes it a sexually transmitted infection, but it is transmitted by close skin to skin contact with the pox lesions, which obviously sexual intimacy involves,” she said.

“People in the queer community need to know what to look for and understand what the potential risks are to their own health. We want to empower the community to help control the outbreak and protect themselves from possible infection without creating stigma or unnecessary fear.”

In addition to its prevalence among gay and bisexual men, monkeypox has a history of unequal treatment options in poorer countries. While some wealthy countries have stockpiles of the smallpox vaccine leftover from when the disease was eradicated in the 1980s, the vaccine — which is effective against monkeypox — is currently unavailable on the entire continent of Africa, where monkeypox is an endemic disease.

Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization, (WHO) regional director for Africa, advocated for a unified global approach that includes vaccine equity.

“We must avoid having two different responses to monkeypox – one for Western countries which are only now experiencing significant transmission and another for Africa,” Moeti said. “We must work together and have joined-up global actions which include Africa’s experience, expertise and needs.”

In countries such as the U.S. and Canada, “ring vaccinations” are being used to prevent outbreaks, in which

close contacts of infected people are given a smallpox vaccine within four days of exposure. This approach prevents serious infection and reduces the risk of further spread, but in places where smallpox vaccines are not readily available, it is not an option.

In Chicago, where the state of Illinois’s monkeypox cases are concentrated, officials are also focusing on providing information about prevention and safer sex to gay and bisexual men. With the San Francisco and New York Prides happening this weekend — the country’s two largest — the future of monkeypox outbreaks in the U.S. appears uncertain.

Guidance from the Chicago Department of Public Health encourages people attending “festivals or other summer events” to be mindful of skin-to-skin contact, get tested for monkeypox if exposed, and monitor for symptoms after exposure. Additionally, the CDPH has printed cards with links to the CDC health tips for gay and bisexual men, for organizers to hand out at events.

In Washington D.C., the outbreak is currently smaller — four cases to Chicago’s seven — but officials are still taking preventative measures to diagnose and treat the illness.

“As of today, four cases of monkeypox have been diagnosed within the District of Columbia,” Dr. Henn said.

“We are working closely with DC Health to screen people for monkeypox who are presenting with rashes that could possibly represent infection and have been coordinating with the city around vaccination of those who have been exposed to a diagnosed case.”

CARIS WHITE

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Democrats reintroduce ‘lavender scare’ firings review bill

Three Democratic lawmakers last week introduced a bill that seeks to rectify the harm caused to LGBTQ federal government employees who were fired during the so-called “lavender scare.”

“Today, as the United States confronts renewed threats to LGBTQI+ rights at home and abroad, we need to remember the far-reaching consequences of institutionalized homophobia,” said U.S. Rep. Joaquín Castro (D-Texas) in the statement that announced he and U.S. Reps.

David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Dina Titus (D-Nev.) introduced the Lavender Offense Victim Exoneration (LOVE) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. “The so-called ‘lavender scare’ handed power to blackmailers and homophobes, stripped thousands of hard-working Americans of their jobs, and weakened our national security.”

The ‘lavender scare,’ as it was called, saw the firing of thousands of gay employees throughout the federal government — particularly the State Department — from the 1940s to the 1960s as anti-communist sentiment raised suspicion toward certain minority groups in multiple spheres of American society.

The LOVE Act has been introduced in previous Congresses, including in both 2019 and 2020. While the bill in 2020 was also authored by Castro and Cicilline, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) introduced the 2019 measure.

U.S. Rep. JOAQUÍN CASTRO (D-Texas) speaks at an LGBTQ Victory Fund National Champagne Brunch in D.C. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

“It is long past time for the U.S. government to recognize the stories of the LGBTQI members of the State Department who were treated unfairly during the ‘lavender scare,’ and to offer them and their families a measure of justice,” Menendez said in a statement after introducing the 2019 bill.

In addressing what its sponsors identified as harm done to the LGBTQ community as a result of the ‘lavender scare,’ the newest LOVE Act proposes measures to

be implemented within the State Department similar to those in previous forms of the bill.

Among its provisions, the bill would mandate the investigation of cases of those in the State Department targeted by the ‘lavender scare’ decades ago. In addition, the legislation would require the creation of an Advancement Board within the State Department to aid LGBTQ diplomats and their spouses both within the department as well as in their interactions with foreign countries.

On the congressional front, the bill would call for Congress to issue a formal apology for the role it played in the propagation of the ‘lavender scare.’

Subsequent bans on employment under the federal government for members of the LGBTQ community have made resurgences in the decades since the ‘lavender scare.’

The Obama administration in 2016 ended a ban on transgender Americans serving in the military that had been in place since the 1960s. The Trump administration reinstated the policy, but President Biden again reversed the ban within days of his inauguration.

Castro framed the proposed legislation as an important step toward both ensuring reparation for the events of the ‘lavender scare’ as well as preventing such discrimination from occurring in the future.

JOSH ALBURTUS

Former GOP lawmakers call for Equality Act passage

In a letter addressed Tuesday to party leaders on Capitol Hill, 11 former Republican members of Congress urged federal lawmakers to pass anti-discrimination legislation to protect members of the LGBTQ community.

Former U.S. Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.), Susan Brooks (R-Ind.), Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.), Claudine Schneider (R-R.I.), Bob Dold (R-Ill.), Jim Greenwood (RPa.), Chris Shays (R-Conn.) and Steve Gunderson (R-Wis.) all signed the letter.

“The status quo is not working for LGBTQ Americans nor is it emblematic of our country’s founding values of freedom, fairness, and equality,” the signatories wrote in the letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Ros-Lehtinen told the Blade that supporting and urging the passage of nondiscrimination legislation was “the right action to take.”

“That is why I am so proud to have spearheaded this letter, signed by 10 other former Republican members of Congress, encouraging lawmakers to pass this bill so that discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community will be a thing of the past,” Ros-Lehtinen said.

The Equality Act has been introduced in Congress multiple times dating back to the 1970s. Its latest iteration was introduced by U.S. Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) in early 2021 and was later passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Equality is a founding principle of our country, and everyone knows discrimination is wrong,” Cicilline told the Blade. “I introduced the Equality Act to guarantee that every LGBTQ+ American would be protected from discrimination in all aspects of our lives. With so much anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being proposed and even passed

in some state legislatures across the country, we must pass the Equality Act to end discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community once and for all.”

The current form of the legislation would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in a number of different areas including public accommodations, employment, housing and education. The bill has now awaited a vote in the U.S. Senate for nearly 16 months, where many see it as unlikely that the bill would be able to garner the 60 votes needed to withstand a potential filibuster and subsequent failure to move forward for President Biden to sign.

Former U.S. Rep. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN (R-Fla.) (Blade photo by Michael Key)

In lieu of federal legislation, the president has taken alternative, executive steps to codify LGBTQ protections into areas under his jurisdiction. Last Wednesday, President Biden held an event at the White House where he signed an executive order aimed at combatting discrimination against the LGBTQ community.

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“As President Biden said during his first joint address to Congress, the president has the back of LGBTQI+ people across the country,” the White House said in a statement marking the signing that took place during a Pride month event. “That is why he [is] taking these bold actions and continuing to fight for full equality for every American — including urging Congress pass the Equality Act and provide overdue civil rights projections for LGBTQI+ people.”

The president’s executive order took aim at the continued practice of so-called conversion therapy and hundreds of discriminatory state laws passed in the last year.

The order tasked entities under his command, such as the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education, with combatting such legislation and harmful practices.

LGBTQ nondiscrimination advocates have similarly been able to make strides in certain areas in recent years without the Equality Act. The landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County in 2020 ruled that discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity was illegal in employment under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. However, multiple states still permit such discrimination in areas outside of employment.

Ros-Lehtinen described how she believes passing comprehensive nondiscrimination legislation would make fairness and equity in all states a reality.

“The sad truth is that in our wonderful nation, it is still permissible to discriminate against individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “We need federal protections and not a patchwork of state laws that may or may not grant protection from this unfair discrimination. I urge the U.S. Senate to pass the Equality Act which will grant this protection.”

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Blinken pledges U.S. support for LGBTQ rights, Griner’s release State Department holds first roundtable with queer journalists

By MICHAEL K. LAVERS | mlavers@washblade.com

Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week reiterated the promotion of LGBTQ and intersex rights around the world is a key element of U.S. foreign policy.

“We are determined, starting with our boss, the president, that the United States be a champion for these rights around the world and a defender of the rights when they are under siege,” said Blinken on Wednesday during a roundtable with six LGBTQ and intersex reporters at the State Department. “Unfortunately, this is something that we see, you know very well, to be the case all too often in all too many places: Basic human rights, out of reach, under threat, active rollback in many places. And for that reason we try to focus all of our missions in our embassies as well as the senior officials here on the challenges that we see.”

The Washington Blade was among the media outlets the State Department invited to the roundtable, which was the first time a secretary of state sat down with a group of LGBTQ and intersex journalists during Pride month. Jessica Stern, the special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ and intersex rights abroad, and State Department spokesperson Ned Price, who is gay, are among those who attended the roundtable with Blinken.

The roundtable took place a day after a Russian court once again extended the detention of Brittney Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist who is a lesbian and married.

The State Department has determined that Russia “wrongfully detained” Griner at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February after customs inspectors allegedly found hashish oil in her luggage.

Blinken on May 14 spoke with Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner.

Officials with the State Department’s Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs and Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs on Monday met with Griner’s teammates to discuss her detention and efforts to secure her release.

“We’re very much engaged with them,” said Blinken.

The Washington Blade attended a roundtable with LGBTQ and intersex reporters at the State Department on June 15. (Photo courtesy of Ronny Przysucha/State Department)

He added the State Department is “very focused” on securing Griner’s release.

“We are determined to bring her home along with Paul (Whelan, an American citizen who is serving a 16-year prison sentence in Russia after a court convicted him of spying) and for that matter, any and every American who is being unjustly detained anywhere in the world,” said Blinken. “It’s something that I am personally focused on, and I want to leave it at that because it is obviously an ongoing issue. But just know that this is a matter of intense focus for us.”

Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine who had been in a Russian custody since 2019, returned to the U.S. in late April after the Kremlin released him in exchange for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian citizen who had been in an American prison on drug trafficking charges.

“We are working day and night relentlessly to bring Brittney, to bring Paul home, to bring every American who’s unjustly detained around the world,” said Price.

Price further described the decision to extend Griner’s detention through at least July 2 as “an injustice on top of broader injustice.”

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“She should be released,” said Price.

Griner was supposed to have her first phone call with her wife on Monday, the couple’s anniversary. But Cherelle Griner told the AP that the 11 attempted calls went unanswered at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. A State Department spokesperson said they “deeply regret that Brittney Griner was unable to speak with her wife because of a logistical error.” It turns out the number Brittney Griner had been given to call is not answered on weekends.

LGBTQI rights part of ‘efforts to defend democracy’

President Biden in February 2021 signed a memo that committed the U.S. to promoting LGBTQ and intersex rights abroad as part of his administration’s overall foreign policy.

The White House four months later appointed Stern, who was previously the executive director of OutRight Action International.

Blinken noted the State Department in April began to issue passports with “X” gender markers. Blinken also highlighted the U.N. General Assembly’s adoption of a free elections resolution last November that specifically includes sexual orientation and gender identity.

Price during a May 2021 interview with the Blade said the decriminalization of consensual same-sex sexual relations is one of the Biden administration’s five priorities in its efforts to promote LGBTQ and intersex rights around the world. Stern recently noted “among a wider set of priorities, marriage equality is one element of our longstanding and ongoing commitment to advance the rights of LGBTQI+ persons.”

Blinken during the roundtable said U.S. efforts to promote LGBTQ and intersex rights around the world are “attached to our own efforts to defend democracy and human rights around the world.”

“This is a deadly serious time around the world,” said Blinken. “And in some ways whether or not the rights of this community remain protected or defended and advanced or whether they are being increasingly trampled on is the canary in the coal mine because we know as go the rights of critical groups, ultimately so goes everyone, so that’s another reason we’ve got to be so attentive to this.”

“If threats, acts, violence, repressive repression, laws are being increasingly wielded against the LGBTQ community, then you can almost bet that that’s going to be expanded to other groups, other communities,” he added. “It’s indicative of an even larger problem.”

The roundtable took place two days after the White House announced Biden would travel to Saudi Arabia in July.

The kingdom is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death.

“The president will be bringing up rights issues across the board when he’s in Saudi Arabia, as he does in any country where we have or he has concerns,” said Blinken in response to the Blade’s question about the trip. “As he said the other day, his views on human rights have not changed. The challenge, and I think the responsibility that we have, is to make sure that we are most effectively advancing the issues of values of this country.”

Blinken said the U.S. welcomes the Saudi government’s efforts to combat extremism — 15 of the 19 men who carried out the Sept. 11 terrorism attacks were Saudi citizens — and to counter Iran’s influence in the Middle East. Blinken also noted the country’s role in the continued ceasefire in Yemen.

“We have an opportunity … to maybe have something enduring in terms of the longer lasting cease fire and peace negotiations that profoundly advances our values, as well as our interests in putting in the rights of people of all kinds in Yemen who’ve been suffering terribly,” he said.

“At the same time, we have been very determined from day one to recalibrate the relationship, not rupture it, recalibrate, because we had concerns that it wasn’t as effectively as it could be advancing our own interests and our own values,” added Blinken. “So, we took the time to do that.”

Blinken noted the State Department has used the “Khashoggi Ban” — named after Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who was killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018 — to sanction more than 70 Saudi citizens and others who have targeted journalists, government critics and others in a third country. Blinken also told the Blade that he raises “individual cases where we have concerns, as well as systemic challenges” with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud during their meetings.

“We have a real engagement on these issues,” said Blinken. “We’ve also seen some positive steps on individual cases, but there are also systemic challenges.”

“It’s a long way of saying that there are complex issues,” he added. “Human rights, including LGBTQI rights, are something that is central to our foreign policy, but it’s not the totality of it. And everything has to be reflected in what we do and we have to make a judgment, which may be right or may be wrong, about what is the most effective way to advance these issues in this agenda.”

Blinken told the Blade that he is “quite confident that everything I’ve just said to you will be reflected in what the president does and says when he’s in Saudi Arabia.”

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is an author, pastor, activist, and public theologian working at the intersections of spirituality, sexuality, and social renewal. He currently serves as the Lead Pastor of Metanoia Church, a digital progressive faith community.

How do we respond to rising anti-LGBTQ rhetoric?

Pastor invokes Bible to call for death of gays

On Sunday, June 4, Pastor Dillon Awes stepped behind the pulpit at Steadfast Baptist Church in Watauga, Texas and declared, “What does God say is the answer, is the solution for the homosexual in 2022?...That they are worthy of death.” His statement was greeted by shouts of “Amen” from within his congregation. He continued preaching, saying, “they should be sentenced to death, they should be lined up against a wall and shot in the back of the head.” Again, his words were greeted by “Amens” from within his church.

This clip soon spread online, causing widespread backlash from religious and non-religious alike. But for me, an openly gay, former evangelical, Christian pastor, Pastor Awes’s words are not surprising at all. In fact, I’ve heard similar sentiments regularly. The only difference between Pastor Awes and most other conservative Christian pastors across the United States today is that Pastor Awes was willing to say the silent part out loud. After all, Pastor Awes was not wrong — the passage he was preaching on, as commonly interpreted by conservative Christians, does in fact say, “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:32) If you put any evangelical pastor on the spot and asked if they believed that this verse was true and was in reference to LGBTQ+ people, they would have to answer, even if reluctantly, “yes.”

In a strange way, I am glad Pastor Awes preached what he did so clearly, because he is revealing the truth that most other evangelicals don’t want to acknowledge — that their theology related to the LGBTQ+ community is a theology of death. Despite attempts in recent years by evangelicals to seem more welcoming and inclusive, their core theological claim that the lives and love of LGBTQ+ people is sinful, broken, and abomination is a claim that has resulted in the suffering, oppression, and death of millions of queer people around the world, and it is high time that they own up and are honest about the beliefs they hold and their impact on LGBTQ+ people. Because again, Pastor Awes view is not a minority view, as hard as that might be to believe.

He simply said what a majority of evangelical churches teach in a horrifyingly clear way. While most evangelicals would probably disagree with Pastor Awes graphic call for the execution of LGBTQ+ people, the would still affirm the truthfulness of Romans 1:32: “They are worthy of death.”

And even if evangelicals attempted theological gymnastics to get out of this horrifying interpretation of scripture that calls for violence toward queer people, their theology, which tells LGBTQ+ people that they must suppress their sexuality or gender identity or seek to change it to be acceptable to God and welcome in the church does, in fact, cause death. A 2015 study published by the National Institutes of Health found that LGBTQ+ people who are subjected to non-affirming religious teachings have a significantly higher rate of attempted suicide. These numbers have been reaffirmed in study after study, and are certainly true in my experience as a young gay evangelical who was forced into conversion therapy by my Christian college in my early twenties. When you’re told that a fundamental aspect of your identity is evil and realize that there is nothing you can do to change it, for many, death can seem like the only viable escape from this mental and spiritual anguish.

So how are we to respond to the truth that this dangerous theology is being preached in literally every corner of our nation? How can those of usreligious or not- who are allies to the LGBTQ+ community protect our queer friends and family from violence and harm in the face of millions of people who hold to these dangerous beliefs and are feeling more empowered than ever to say them out loud and to act on them?

First, it’s important that we do our work and are informed. The truth is that

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while this interpretation of the biblical texts is unfortunately common among Christians around the world, it is not an accurate understanding of the biblical texts. The six verses in the Christian scriptures that reference any sort of same-sex behavior are all condemnations of a very particular practice that was common in the ancient world — sexual exploitation related to temple prostitution. Same-sex relationships and queer gender identities were well known throughout the ancient Near East and especially within the Roman Empire — instead of speaking about these realities, every condemnation of homosexuality in scripture is tied to “idolatry,” which means worshipping something other than God, and in context is clearly a condemnation of temple prostitution, a practice where people who have sex with priests or priestesses in pagan temples as a way to honor various gods and goddesses. That is what is being condemned in Scripture; there is not a single condemnation of same-sex relationships or queer gender identity anywhere, and we must challenge these teachings the same way we challenged the church’s teachings on slavery, the equality of women, and the panoply of other backwards beliefs that have been perpetuated in the name of Christianity.

Second, we must challenge our conservative Christian friends and family members to be honest about what they believe and the harm that it causes.

The reason so many Christians shy away from saying things as clearly as Pastor Awes is because they inherently know that these beliefs are dangerous and wrong. How can one follow Jesus, whose central command was to “love your neighbor as yourself” and hold on to a belief that a group of people are abominations who are worthy of death? These are wholly inconsistent, and this inconsistency should be drawn out and turned into an invitation for our friends to change their damaging and dangerous beliefs.

Third, we must continue to uplift and celebrate LGBTQ+ people and relationships in our society. The hatred spewed by Pastor Awes is a clear reminder of why Pride is still so important — Pride celebrations began to increase visibility of queer folks, decrease stigma around our lives and loves, and to use celebration and joy as a tool for resistance in the face of fear and bigotry. Despite the broad progress the LGBTQ+ rights movement has made in the U.S., our lives and rights are consistently under attack and in the post-Trump era, there has been a reinvigoration of anti-LGBTQ+ policies and rhetoric across the nation rooted in fear being perpetuated by the altright. Old tropes conflating queer people with pedophilia and sexual abuse have found new life, and the demonization of LGBTQ+ people as a threat to basic morality is now commonly heard on Fox News and across social media. The way we combat such dangerous rhetoric is ensuring more people see and know LGBTQ+ people and for our allies to speak out whenever anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric is used or policies are proposed, signaling the broad support of queer people by the American public.

During this Pride month, it’s time for a renewed commitment to the fight for LGBTQ+ dignity and equality in the United States. It’s time for queer people to stand up and let our lights shine brighter than ever before, so that LGBTQ+ youth can see our example and know that there is space for them, in all their uniqueness, in our society.

It’s time for allies to be bold in their condemnation of bigotry wherever it occurs. It’s time for our nation’s leaders to reaffirm their commitment to fight for LGBTQ+ rights in every corner of this nation and around the world. If we remain complacent, fear-based views like those of Pastor Awes will spread and will result in more abuse and violence against LGBTQ+ people. Progress is not inevitable, and the fight has not yet been won. This Pride month, may we return again to the spirit of the earliest Pride marches, standing boldly in the face of fear and bigotry and declaring that love will win in the end.

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PETER ROSENSTEIN

is a lon time ri hts and Democratic Party activist. He writes re ularl for the lade.

Re-elect Reps. Sean Patrick Maloney, Mondaire Jones Why are some Democrats challenging strong incumbents?

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There are two outstanding gay members of the House of Representatives running for reelection in New York. ean atric alone is runnin in the redrawn th district. e was first elected to represent the Hudson Valley in 2012. He defeated Congresswoman Nan Hayworth, a member of the ea art . alone has been effective wor in across part lines to invest in and improve our infrastructure stren then the health and financial securit of mericas retirees and to eep the United States safe and free. He understood constituent services and won tax relief for small businesses in the Hudson Valley. He knew what it meant to bring investments to his district and the importance nationally of improving schools, making the highways and Metro North (in his istrict safer and more reliable and fi htin for the mone to hire more police and firefi hters giving them the resources they need to keep everyone safe. Maloney signed onto the Green New Deal resolution.

The second gay incumbent we must support is Mondaire Jones, now running in the new th district. hile he is a first term representative this is a safe district for emocrats which is why 14 others have announced their candidacies. Jones made history when he was sworn in on an. 2 2 as the nations first openl a lac member of on ress. is bio is impressive.

“He grew up in Section 8 housing, raised by a single mom who worked multiple jobs to provide for their family. He attended public schools before earning degrees from Stanford University and Harvard Law School and working in the Obama administration. Jones has championed strengthening our democracy, protecting fundamental rights like abortion and marriage equalit ma in housin affordable edicare for ll and universal childcare. e has served on the s ational oard of irectors and on the board of the ew or ivil iberties nion.

Once he won his seat he was elected unanimously by his colleagues as Freshman Representative to House Democratic Leadership, and he was appointed a Deputy Whip of the Congressional ro ressive aucus and o hair of the ualit aucus. e currentl serves on the ouse udiciar ducation and abor and thics ommittees where he has established himself as a leader on issues of democracy reform, civil rights, child care, and climate.” oda ew or ers have the chance to reelect these two effective con ressmen. et one member of the ew or dele ation Rep. le andra casio orte has endorsed a candidate running against Maloney in the new 17th congressional district. She is advocating the defeat of a progressive and proven effective, gay congressman who is also the House Democratic ampai n hair. nother member of the dele ation has endorsed someone runnin against Jones.

Some questioned why Maloney entered the race for the new 17th District after lines were redrawn. ut ones now runnin in the newl redrawn th understood a more leftist candidate like himself would have had a harder time winning the redrawn 17th had he won a primar there. o ou reall have to uestion wh didn t simpl endorse both stron members of the New York delegation and work to ensure they both win. emocrats have been screwed in the final redrawn con ressional lines in ew or . he will lose a Manhattan member of the House with Carolyn Maloney pitted against Jerold Nadler. he new th in which alone is runnin is not a uaranteed emocratic win. ven if s candidate were successful in defeating him there is a good chance she would lose the District to a Republican. Maloney, a rational progressive, who has served part of the District, has a much better chance of keeping it in Democratic hands. his will be a difficult ear for emocrats. ith in ation and redistrictin around the nation eepin the ouse of Representatives won t be eas . o wh would emocrats ma e it even harder b challen in incumbents with a reat chance of winnin . side from an thin else it is a huge waste of money that could go into winning seats now occupied by Republicans. s a part we need to stic to ether if we are to ma e an pro ress on issues we all care about. e ma have differences on how to et there how fast it will happen. ut we must remember the founders of the nation set up a system calling for compromise to move forward.

Sean Patrick Maloney has proven he wants to move forward and knows how to do it. ur e all ew or ers to focus on a better future. future that is closer if we re elect both ean atric alone and ondaire ones. et s ma e sure we don t lose an members of Congress.

Celebrating diversity, supporting the community, and sharing our pride.

At Kaiser Permanente, the region’s leading health system,1 we’ve always supported the LGBTQ+ community. From inclusive, compassionate care provided by physicians knowledgeable about LGBTQ+ health issues to a welcoming and safe environment, you’ll always get care that makes you feel like you belong.

kp.org/pridemedical/mas In the survey Best Health Insurance Companies for 2021 by Insure.com, Kaiser Permanente as a national enterprise is rated #1 overall among 15 companies.

In the NCQA Commercial Health Plan Ratings 2021, our commercial plan is rated 5 out of 5, the highest rating in MD, VA, and DC. The 2019 Commission on Cancer, a program of the American College of Surgeons, granted Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation to the Kaiser Permanente cancer care program (extended through 2022). The Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group is the largest multispecialty medical group in the Washington, DC, and Baltimore areas and exclusively treats Kaiser Permanente members. Permanente doctors are recognized as Top Doctors in Northern Virginia Magazine (2022), Washingtonian magazine (2021), and Baltimore magazine (2021). According to NCQA’s Quality Compass® 2021, we’re rated 5 out of 5 in 29 measures, including: controlling blood pressure (heart disease), blood pressure control (140/90) (diabetes), glucose control, colorectal screening, breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, childhood immunizations, prenatal check-ups, and postpartum care. Quality Compass is a registered trademark of the NCQA.

1

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc. 2101 E. Jefferson St. Rockville, MD 20852 2022BD0702 MAS 6/3/22-12/31/23

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JEREMY BUTLER

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Celebrating Pride within the military

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Discrimination weakens us and when it exists within a community like the military, where its members constantly rely on each other to survive, it is particularly destructive. As a Black man and veteran, I have first-hand experience of the very real and prevalent discrimination that exists within our military. But racism is just one type of prejudice the military community is grappling with; LGBTQ+ discrimination is another.

Last Pride month, I called upon fellow Americans to consider each individual’s role in helping champion and support long-awaited change for LGBTQ+ servicemembers and veterans.

Now, almost exactly a year later, the progress we’ve seen is minimal at best.

Out of a veteran population of 19 million, an estimated 1 million U.S. veterans identify as LGBTQ+. Yet, in spite of their significant presence, LGBTQ+ veterans continue to face unequal treatment, blatant discrimination, and a far greater number of obstacles than their nonLGBTQ+ counterparts.

Throughout the history of the military, an estimated 100,000 LGBTQ+ servicemembers have been discharged from service simply because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. At least 14,000 of them were discharged under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. These other-than-honorable discharges have caused countless servicemembers to confront unprecedented and life-altering losses, many of them are still dealing with the ramifications today.

An other-than-honorable discharge is more than just a job loss. Its effects can compound further into a series of negative consequences far beyond the discharge itself. Those who are forced to leave the military under such circumstances are not likely to be allowed to re-enlist in the Armed Forces or reserves. Bad paper discharges also hamper future employment opportunities for LGBTQ+ veterans, particularly in the government. This significantly affects the financial security and the overall career trajectory of many.

The direct impacts of these discharges, as well as the constant burden placed on LGBTQ+ veterans to avoid them, have led to horrible health consequences for too many. Ex-servicemembers who were forced out of the military under DADT have reported debilitating mental health issues, including depression and trauma disorders. Thus, it is no surprise, that DADT has left a legacy of high suicide attempt rates (15 times higher than veterans overall) among LGBTQ+ veterans.

Other than honorable discharges under DADT also led to housing instability among LGBTQ+ veterans. Often ineligible for housing vouchers afforded to other veterans, coupled with financial insecurity, many LGBTQ+ veterans have experienced homelessness. Long after the DADT repeal, LGBTQ+ veterans are still struggling with homelessness LGBTQ+ servicemembers today have inherited major burdens from the era of DADT and even earlier. They are still less likely than non-LGBTQ+ active-duty servicemembers to report that they are currently covered by any form of health insurance, less likely to report owning a home, and are four times more likely to report an overall financial difficulty getting by.

COVID-19 has only amplified the dangers faced by at-risk veterans over the past two years.

My organization, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America’s comprehensive care program, the Quick Reaction Force (QRF), has seen a nearly 500% increase in veterans reaching out for help since the start of the pandemic. 72% of the outreach included veterans seeking support for mental health needs, economic insecurity, homelessness, or a combination of those issues.

Our nation has failed to protect those who dedicated their lives to protect others. So how do we push for change? Passing the Equality Act into law is certainly a start. The bill aims to expand federal civil rights protections and prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The bill passed the House with bipartisan support, and advocates are pushing for a vote in the Senate in the coming months.

In addition to the Equality Act, Congress must work to include the proposed “Truman Amendment” to the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The amendment aims to ensure that eligibility for service in the military is not influenced by race, color, national origin, religion, or sex (including gender identity, sex characteristics, or sexual orientation) of an individual. Such non-discrimination policies, while significant on their own, are limited in their application and enforcement as executive orders. Through inclusion in NDAA, the Truman Amendment would codify these protections into law.

Policymakers saying they are “encouraged” by the advancement of legislation like the Equality Act and Truman Amendment in Congress without working to actively pass them, is not enough. We must call on our Senators to pass the Equality Act and to include the Truman Amendment in the NDAA. While we cannot undo the harm suffered by LGBTQ+ servicemembers and veterans, it is our responsibility to ensure that their sacrifices are recognized and they are given the acceptance and protection they are owed. Together, we can achieve this.

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Celebrating Arab and Muslim heritage, art, gastronomy Three new books open a window to influential cultures

By KHELIL BOUARROUJ As a college student, I hungered for Arab and Muslim representation. Prejudice against our communities was mainstream and demoralizing. Things, however, can sometimes change sooner than we expect.

Although Muslims and Arabs are still maligned, it is no longer as widespread and is often counterbalanced by allyship and, crucially, Muslim and Arab representation. From Hulu’s “Remy,” Netflix’s “Master of None,” HBO Max’s “Sort Of,” to the upcoming premiere of Disney+’s “Ms. Marvel” to Muslim characters on “Love Victor,” “Never Have I Ever,” and “Genera+ion,” Muslim characters and creators are now common. And these creators are diverse, proud, and often queer.

Mahersalah Ali is a two-time Oscar winner (one for the Black queer Best Picture winner “Moonlight”) and Riz Ahmed is the first Muslim to be nominated for Best Actor; he won an Oscar this year for a short film taking on British xenophobia, and spearheading an initiative to boost Muslim representation in Hollywood from screenwriters to actors.

From starving to satisfied, it has been quite a transformation in American culture. And it’s not only TV and film. Political representation isn’t novel anymore. I still remember when former Rep. Keith Ellison was asked on CNN to prove his loyalty by the conservative host Glenn Beck. Today, Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib are progressive trailblazers. Irvine, Calif., has a Muslim mayor in Farrah Khan. Joe Biden has nominated the first Muslims to the federal judiciary, one has been confirmed and the other, civil rights lawyer Nusrat Choudhury, awaits Senate confirmation. And Biden, lest we forget, said “inshallah” (God willing) on the presidential debate stage. “We’ve made it,” I want to shout. But I know we’re still fighting for full normalization in American life.

Hence my excitement over three new books (two cookbooks and one art text) that feature Arab and Muslim heritage, art, and gastronomy.

Arab roots of Portuguese cooking

“To these new rulers [the Moors], cuisine was an art, and food a gift from God that should be consumed in moderation and shared with those in need,” writes Leandro Carreira, the author of “Portugal: The Cookbook.” It’s not surprising to learn that Arabs and Berbers shaped the evolution of Portuguese cuisine, but what’s striking is the nature of its legacy. In this cookbook of 700 recipes, half draw from the Moors.

When Moors conquered the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain) they brought with them not only warriors and administrators but architects, astronomers, poets, and, inter alia, cooks along with cookbooks, such as the Medieval “Kitab al Tabikh.”

The Moors introduced hydraulics that irrigated the farmland (along with orchards and leafy gardens) and beautified the land by planting citrus trees both for the fruit and scent. The list of crops introduced by Moors includes eggplant, artichoke, carrot, lentils, cucumber, and lettuce. The latter would later christen the residents of Lisbon, who are colloquially known as Alfachinhas (“little lettuces”). Moors popularized sour oranges, apricots, dates, melons, and watermelons; spices such as pepper and ginger; pickling of olives and nuts; sour marinade to preserve fish; rose water and orange blossom. The Moors’ vinegary salads were the precursor to gazpacho. The introduction of sugarcane later severed Portuguese colonization and fueled the slave trade, and transformed sugar from luxury to staple.

Naturally, the North African rulers brought couscous, the main consumed wheat until the late 16th century. To this day, northwestern Portuguese villagers prepare couscous using the methods and utensils introduced by Berbers 900 years ago.

The Moors cultivated hospitality and conviviality at the table along with the order in which food is served: soups followed by fish or meat and concluding with sweets. The Arabs’ cousins, the Jews played their part in shaping Portuguese cooking, too. Jews prepared their post-Sabbath meal by laying aside 2 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 24, 202 2

a slow-burning stew of meat, chickpeas, collard greens, hardboiled eggs, and vegetables; today, the Portuguese call it Adafina. Jews introduced deep-fried vegetables and Portuguese missionaries later brought them to Japan and (voilà!) tempura.

In its history, “Portugal” evokes our interwoven humanity.

Arabiyya: Cooking as an Arab in America

The past few years have seen cookbooks with narratives of culture and personal journeys foregrounding recipes — many focused on Arab culture. “The Gaza Kitchen” by Laila el-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt and “The Palestinian Table” and “The Arabesque Table” by Reem Kassis, for example. To this list, we can add “Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora” by the James Beard finalist Reem Assil.

For connoisseurs of Arab food in America, Reem is no stranger. Reem’s California, a bakery in Oakland and San Francisco, has acquired temple status for its use of California’s ingredients in the service of Arab dishes. A few years ago, the New York Times praised Reem’s as an “Arab Bakery in Oakland Full of California Love.” (The bakery was, sadly, the target of vulgar anti-Palestinian prejudice for its mural of Palestinian activist Rasmeah Odeh.)

Food was Reem’s saving grace. Facing a debilitating digestive disorder, and the wreck of familial stress, Reem left college and headed to the Bay Area live with her Arab uncle and Jewish aunt. Soothed by California’s climate, nature, and ingredients, she found mental and physical healing — and roots and purpose.

“Arabiyya” is a guide to California-based, Arab-rooted recipes alongside tales of Reem’s journey and her family’s. Her grandparents fled the Nakba — the 1948 “catastrophe” of the forced exile of roughly 750,000 Palestinians at the hands of Israeli troops — and the Naksa, the 1967 War that forced her family to decamp once more for Lebanon. The Lebanese Civil War led to one more flight to Greece, and finally, California.

Growing up American, Reem knew little of her grandmother’s resilience. After her sitty’s (colloquial Arabic for grandmother) passing, she pasted together tales from relatives of her grandmother’s determination to uphold Arab hospitality no matter where she landed. Her identity as a Palestinian was threatening both in Lebanon and America — but she walked with dignity. Arab hospitality meant that home was a safe comfort no matter the headwinds outside, and, at times, her grandmother went lengths to survive. A tale of sneaking out during a pause in fighting in Beirut became family lore: sitty couldn’t forget her lemons (who would serve fish without lemons?!) even after a rocket attack knocked her down.

Food’s healing and grounding became the thread uniting Reem with sitty. “I’ve come to realize that my grandmother, who loaded the table to its edges with tasty morsels of my favorite foods, lives through me,” Reem relates.

Reem’s journey to cook and bake as love and spontaneity opened a window to heritage — a family’s history and Arab pride. Her recipes (like the California Fattoush Salad where traditional tomatoes are swapped for oranges and citrus and fried sunchokes) overflow with love. “Arabiyya” is destined to be a classic among Arab-Americans.

Arab artists in their prime

Artists from the Arab world exhibiting in the West face a challenge: Our culture is ubiquitous in Western depictions but poorly understood; a dilemma for the artist who must inevitably “interrogate the stereotypes that spectators bring to the practice of looking at mythologized places,” in the words of critic Omar Kholeif in his review of the Abu Dhabi-born and NYC and Dubai-based Farah Al Qasimi.

Al Qasimi is one of five Arab artists featured in the new collection on “art’s next generation” entitled “Prime.” In “After Dinner 2” (2018), Al Qasimi captures the pressures of domestic

‘Portugal: The Cookbook’ explores the Arab roots of Portuguese cooking.

life in her native UAE and the misconceptions westerners have about Arab domesticity. A mother stands behind her daughter kneeling on the couch while looking out at the window. The mother’s stance is recognizable to any child raised by an Arab mother: head tilted up and her arms stretched out — a plea for God’s mercy in the face of a stubborn child. The pink and white staging of the drapes and couch suggest the mother-daughter dispute is about marriage, the daughter having sights on another admirer. Neither the daughter’s nor the mother’s face is visible. The mother’s face overflows out of frame while the daughter’s rests behind the drapes. Al Qasimi’s photograph turns on its head the Western conception that Arab women are hidden “behind the veil;” their life is plain to see if one discards their preconceived notions and recognizes that mothers and daughters differ universally.

Gulf Arab states, soaked in oil and gas money, however, pander to Western standards. Alia Farid scrutinizes the imitation.

Urbanization has upended life in the Gulf, including in the official representation of culture. Seeking to parade heritage, Gulf states are crafting historical narratives that embody less the realization of culture and more a contrived display that weaves together disparate artifacts, as Farid displays in a mock-museum exhibition titled “Vault” (2019). These exhibitions stand as staid advertisements — a defensive declaration: “We, too, have culture!” — placing together all manners of ancient and modern objects without telling a coherent story or inspiring new creativity.

In a juxtaposition, “At the Time of the Ebb” (2019) is a video installation documenting the celebration of Nowruz Sayadeen (Fisherman’s New Year) on the island of Qeshm, Iran. “We are brought close to culture at its grassroots level — the suggestion being that cultural life is built in communities as opposed to something to represent within the entanglements of a global museum industry, one that willfully neglects the culture it seeks to validate,” observe critics Hana Noorali and Lynton Talbot.

The Middle East’s wars and rivalries inform the work of Lebanese artist Rayyane Tabet, who works in Beirut and San Francisco. “Steel Rings” (2013) is a recreation of the Trans-Arabian Pipeline that was abandoned due to political upheaval but not before hundreds of miles of pipes were laid (and remain) underground. In Tabet’s exhibition, steel rings laid on the floor stand in for the pipeline’s route with engravings on the rings marking the locations passed underneath. The uncompleted pipeline is the only material project to exist between five regional nations. It is a sad statement on the region’s divisions that the only thing crossing that many borders is abandoned and buried steel. Humanization of the region’s troubles comes into relief in “Cyprus” (2015). The installation consists of a 1,800-pound wooden boat suspended from the ceiling. The boat was deployed by the artist’s father to flee Lebanon’s civil war but was unable to complete the journey to the neighboring island. Years later, the family found it on the coastline. Suspended in midair, solitary, the boat speaks to the anguish burdening people in the face of conflict — a hardship that is often insurmountable, like the boat drawback by the current. “Cyprus” centers our thoughts beyond the headlines — obscuring the human toil — and toward people struggling in their wake.

It is refreshing to see Arab artists creating thought-provoking art on their own terms. And so, the wheels of American life roll on as we crave our hearts on its road.

Pride on the Pier is proud to acknowledge The Leonard Litz LGBTQ+ Foundation as a Platinum Fireworks Sponsor! The Leonard Litz LGBTQ+ Foundation helps LGBTQ+ people achieve their full potential by supporting organizations that advance the interests and well-being of our community. Now, more than ever, we need to celebrate our equality, our dignity, our humanity.

We need to celebrate our Pride. We look forward to celebrating with our entire community this June.

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OUT & ABOUT

By TINASHE CHINGARANDE

Friday, June 24

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 at justin@thedccenter.org.

Trans Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This support group is intended to provide emotionally and physically safe space for trans* people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more information, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org.

Saturday, June 25 Volunteer with Food & Friends will be at 9 a.m. at 219 Riggs Rd., N.E. Food and Friends prepares and delivers meals and groceries to people living with HIV, cancer, and other life challenging illnesses. If you need a ride from the Fort Totten Metro, call the Food and Friends shuttle at 202-669-6437.

Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 11 a.m. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black lesbian. For more information, send an email to supportdesk@thedccenter.org.

Sunday, June 26 Souldate DC will host “LGBTQ Pride Prom” at 7 p.m. at Tokyo Pearl. Guests will be offered $10 sushi rolls, $6/beer and $8 rails. There will also be music, a red carpet, chemistry building games, superlatives, prizes and a crowned LGBTQ+ King and ‘Kween.’ Tickets cost $30 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Coffee Mixer” at 12 p.m. at As You Are. This event is ideal for those trying to make more friends in the LGBTQ community. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Monday, June 27 Center Aging Coffee Drop-In will be at 10 a.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community and online on Zoom. LGBT Older Adults — and friends — are invited to enjoy friendly conversations and to discuss any issues you might be dealing with. For more information, visit the Center Aging’s Facebook or Twitter.

Mayor’s office to celebrate older LGBTQ individuals The Mayor’s Office for LGBTQ Affairs will host “District of Pride: Seniors Brunch” on Monday, June 27 at 11 a.m. at Frank D. Reeves Center of Municipal Arts.

This event is a celebration of Pride and a “thank you” to the District’s senior community members for their contributions to the LGBTQ+ community.

This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Rayceen Pendarvis hosts District of Pride Showcase The Mayor’s Office for LGBTQ Affairs will host “The District of Pride Showcase” on Thursday, June 30 at 7 p.m. at Lincoln Theatre.

This event is to celebrate the resilience of D.C.’s LGBTQ community with a night of entertainment and performances that will feature the diverse queer talent.

This event will be hosted by Rayceen Pendarvis, with announcer Krylios, featuring DJ Honey. There will also be a performance by “Real Housewives of Potomac” star Candiace.

This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Tuesday, June 28 Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary — whether bigender, agender or genderfluid, among other identities. For more information, email supportdesk@ thedccenter.org Art Party will be at 5:30 p.m. at Crossing DC. This is an art class hosted in partnership with ArtJamz. After a one-hour art class, guests can experience all of Crossing’s unique amenities while enjoying beverages and snacks served by Slipstream.

All proceeds from the event will be donated to SMYAL. Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Wednesday, June 29 Job Club will be at 6 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community and online on Zoom. The Job Club 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.”

DC Fray will host a free bingo series “Feeling Lucky” at 7 p.m. at As You Are. Fray will provide the game night host, bingo materials including daubers, and prizes.

This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Thursday, June 30 The DC Center’s Food Pantry Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. To be fair with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required.

For more information, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org or call 202-682-2245.

Brooklyn Thersdays will be at 5 p.m. on Brooklyn on U. This is a ladies night where guests can experience grown and sexy vibes. Hookah will be available. Tickets are free and can be accessed on Eventbrite.

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RAYCEEN PENDARVIS hosts District of Pride Showcase on June 30.

(Blade file photo by Michael Key)

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Be prepared to clap for ‘Nollywood Dreams’ at Round House

JOEL ASHUR (Wale Owusu) and JACQUELINE YOUM (Adenikeh) in ‘Nollywood Dreams’ at Round House Theatre.

(Photo by Margot Schulman Photography)

Theatergoers asked to play audience of Nigerian chat show

By PATRICK FOLLIARD stock characters – the heartthrob, a shady film auteur, an aging film actress, squabIf you see “Nollywood Dreams” at Round House Theatre, be prepared to clap a bling sisters – but despite all, they aren’t without nuance. The characters prove dilot, whether you like it or not. For almost a third of Jocelyn Bioh’s 100-minute-long mensional and worthy of some investment. comedy, theatergoers are asked to play the audience of an Oprahesque Nigerian Also, along with the over-the-top comedy, Bioh’s work refreshingly shows an Africa chat show with a big personality host and large projected words (cheer, applause) that isn’t always presented on stage. People’s dreams, desires, and relationships are prompting the house to make lots of noise. It’s tough not to comply. set against a bustling urban sprawl culturally glued together by the cult of celebrity.

Set in ‘90s Nigeria, it’s all about Nollywood, the nickname for the Lagos-based film The action plays out on Jonathan Dahm Robertson’s terrific revolving (sometimes industry that ranks above Hollywood and second only to India’s Bollywood in the dizzyingly so) set made up of three locales — the travel office, daytime TV set, and number of films produced annually.

Gbenga’s well-appointed Nollywood Dreams Studio (with the outsized signage to Decked out in fabulous traditional attire, the spirited finger-snapping TV host Adprove it). It’s an energizing and memorable design. enikeh (Jacqueline Youm) leads with niceties before going in for the kill. Her bigBrandee Mathies’s costumes are almost a show in themselves. Exuberantly colorname guests prove central to the story: director Gbenga Ezie (Yao Dogbe) recently ful, they cleverly bring together traditional garb and western silhouettes with joyful returned home from America and looking to make a Nollywood hit; gorgeous veterflourishes of Nigerian flare. The showbiz folks are costumed, well, showier. It’s short an star Fayola (Yetunde Felix-Ukwu), who’s counting on a comeback to revive a slipskirts and glittery stilettos for fan favorite Fayola, long touted for her Tina Turner legs. ping career; and Wale Owusu, Nigeria’s “Sexiest Man Born,” played by the faultlessly A Ghanian-American writer, playwright and actor, Bioh grew up on Nollywood cast Joel Ashur. flicks. In fact, “Beyonce: The President’s Daughter” (2006), one of her favorites, was Glued to the TV in the office of the family travel business, sisters Dede and Ayaman inspiration for “Nollywood Dreams.” Her debut work “School Girls; Or, the African ma Okafor (played by Renea S. Brown and Ernaisja Curry, respectively) faithfully Mean Girls Play,” an entertaining tale of teenage trials and tribulations set at a boardwatch Adenikeh’s eponymous program, breathlessly taking in every Nollywood ing school in provincial ‘80s Ghana was a great success for Round House in 2019. scoop and subsequent development. While elder sister Dede is content to swoon And at the helm of Round House’s current offering is Theater Alliance’s producing over male pulchritude, Ayamma has aspirations to be more than a fan, she wants to artistic director Raymond O. Caldwell. As gay, Black, and Asian, Caldwell sometimes act. When director Gbenga holds an open casting call to find a fresh face for his new refers to himself as third culture. In this instance, the Helen Hayes-winning director love triangle romance, “The Comfort Zone,” she grasps at the chance. has heartily plunged into Bioh’s vision and with relish and created a piece rife with A broad comedy broadly acted by an appealing cast, Bioh’s storyline is predictfun and feeling. able, a Cinderella story without surprise. It’s a loud world seemingly inhabited by 3 0 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 24, 202 2

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Crazy Aunt Helen’s to host ‘Pride-a-palooza’ Barracks Row restaurant celebrating all month long

By EVAN CAPLAN The menu is just as homey and eclectic, overseen Shayne Mason’s restaurant is as colorful as his by chef Mykie Moll. Mason waxes poetic about the language. His multi-hued American eatery Crazy fried green tomatoes, the chicken fried steak smothAunt Helen’s debuted last July on Barracks Row, just ered in chicken sausage gravy, and a Jewish-style a few days after Pride concluded. But as Pride is 365, braised brisket. Yet many of the dishes are also vegthis restaurant has spent its first year with flair and an and vegetarian, like the “fab” cakes made of soy fanfare, and this June, Mason, who identifies as gay, and mushroom and a vegan steak. isn’t holding back.

As for the drinks, Mason says that the “signature “I LOVE PRIDE MONTH,” Mason wrote (caps are cocktails are also seasonally driven, and I only use his). “I love everything we have at Crazy Aunt Hellocal distilleries like Republic Restoratives, another en’s for Pride. Check out our events and get blown LGBTQIA business.” There’s also a list of beer, wine, away,” he says. and zero-proof drinks.

This isn’t Shayne Mason’s first Pride – but it is his Mason has been in the restaurant business since first as owner of Crazy Aunt Helen’s, a delightfully he moved to D.C. in 1984, working first at Mr. Henfabulous neighborhood restaurant in Barracks Row. ry’s on Capitol Hill, and most recently as director of Thus far in June, Mason has already held comebusiness development for the restaurant group of dy shows, book readings, a ladies’ tea dance, play the highly lauded restaurant industry leader, and readings, bingo, and a Story District event. Coming SHAYNE MASON (Photo courtesy Shayne Mason) lesbian, Jamie Leeds. up on June 25, to end Pride month with Mason is using Pride this year as Craeven more color, is “Pride-a-palooza,” zy Aunt Helen’s coming out, both as a featuring a host of drag queens, food, restaurant and a safe space. “I can say drinks, prizes, and plenty of surprises that I have had experiences in my life that Mason has been waiting an entire where I didn’t feel welcomed places. year to showcase.

The staff and I work very hard to make Crazy Aunt Helen’s “serves American sure everyone who walks into Crazy comfort food with a southern slant,” Aunt Helen’s feels welcome,” he says. explains Mason. Taking over the space “I find it’s the small things that build of Irish pub Finn McCool’s, Crazy Aunt to allow folks to feel safe,” he notes.

Helen’s spreads over two floors, plus a There’s no required uniform, allowing patio and streatery. The interior is wildstaff to dress however they feel most ly bright: a Prince-esque purple host comfortable. Mason also makes an efstand and staircase welcome guests, fort to support local LGBTQ artists and and a highlighter-green wooden banperformers, giving them space in the quette runs the length of the dining second-floor Peacock Room to share room. A set of wicker chairs and flowtheir talents. er-print cushions recall that southern To that end, Mason is offering The influence.

Rainbow Theatre Project, a theater Mason enlisted Pixie Windsor – the group that has been dark since panvery same of eponymous Miss Pixie’s – demic closings, a home until they are to design the restaurant (the two have back up and running. During June, they been friends for years). “Pixie has a way performed four staged readings from with creating fabulous comfortable Crazy Aunt Helen’s ‘serves American comfort food with a southern slant.’ (Photo courtesy Shayne Mason) four LGBTQ playwrights. “I can’t wait to spaces,” Mason says. have the Peacock Room buzzing with Windsor and Mason partnered to entertainment every night of the week and to hear all the people laughing and enjoying the craft the whimsical aesthetic, from the brilliant paint job to a bright-pink neon sign. food, each other and the show,” Mason says.

Mason is quick to note that his Aunt Helen “was charming, warm, and funny, with an amazMason’s goal at Crazy Aunt Helen’s is twofold: create a space “that’s welcoming and nouring laugh, and I wanted my restaurant to have that same feeling,” he says. “I wanted our ishing to both our bellies and our spirits.” guests to feel like they are getting a big’ol hug each time they walk in the doors.”

The Ring

The Symbol

Mon-Sat 10am-6pm Open Thurs 10am-8pm Closed Sundays

Family owned and operated for over 65 years.

3 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 24, 202 2

The Love

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‘Wildhood’ explores queer Indigenous experience An example of personal filmmaking at its most sublime

It’s hardly news to say that the movies have a less-thanideal track record when it comes to authentic representation – or, really, any representation at all – of Indigenous people.

For most of its history, Hollywood’s “dream machine” dutifully perpetuated the narrative that, with very few exceptions, “the only good Indian is a dead Indian,” and even after the cultural tide began to turn, filmmakers who attempted to propagate a more compassionate viewpoint usually muted their efforts with stereotyped portrayals of Native Americans that presented them either as comic relief or tragic victims of oppression – when they weren’t being idealized as magical fonts of ancient wisdom, that is – and did little to convey the reality that they were really just human beings like the rest of us.

It goes without saying that the LGBTQ community can relate. But though things have gotten somewhat better for us in recent years, we are still hard pressed to think of many examples of films in which Indigenous people have not been essentially marginalized – and when we try to think of movies with Indigenous people who are also queer, the best most of us can do is “Little Big Man,” the 1970 Arthur Penn western in which Dustin Hoffman is raised by a Sioux Nation tribe and grows up with a Two Spirit character named Little Horse (played by Native actor Robert Little Star) as his friend.

For the record, it’s a sympathetic portrayal, if not quite fully drawn. It was also nearly 60 years ago, and we’re still waiting for another mainstream movie to show us a more authentic vision of queer Native experience.

While Hollywood continues to drag its feet on correcting that gap, however, Canadian/L’nu Two Spirit/nonbinary filmmaker Bretten Hannam has been hard at work to bring their own perspective to the screen – and their debut feature film, “Wildhood,” which launches on Hulu June 24, is as much a breath of trope-free air as one could wish.

Disregarding expectations about Indigenous identity right out of the gate, it centers on Link (Phillip Lewitski), a half-Mi’kmaq teenager who lives with his younger half-brother Travis (Avery Winters-Anthony) in a rural trailer park on the coast of Nova Scotia. Their home life is toxic, with an abusive father (Joel Thomas Hynes) more interested in training them for a life of crime than in taking care of their basic needs; when Link learns that his Mi’kmaw mother may still be alive – despite what he had been told since early childhood – he abruptly decides to steal away with Travis and make a run for it, hoping to locate her and find a better life in the process.

Ill-prepared for a cross-country journey, an early encounter brings them quickly under the wing of Pasmay (Joshua

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By JOHN PAUL KING

JOSHUA ODJICK and PHILLIP LEWITSKI star in ‘Wildhood.’

(Photo courtesy Hulu)

Odjick), a Two Spirit Mi’kaq pow wow dancer traveling from gig to gig. Though Link is hesitant to trust this interloper and the two are frequently at odds, he gradually warms to Pasmay, and an emotional bond begins to grow between them as the three young travelers make their way across the Canadian wilderness together.

It’s not hard to gather where things go between Link and Pasmay, and together with the quest to reconnect Link to his estranged mother and the Native heritage she represents, it should be obvious enough that this is a coming-of-age tale whose protagonist yearns to embrace more than one neglected facet of his identity. Yet though it might be easy to classify “Wildhood” as a teen “coming-out” movie, it would also be misleadingly dismissive.

Like its central character, it’s a movie with many questions to be asked and answered, and sexuality is only one of the many elements woven together in Hannam’s briskly paced yet intricately layered screenplay. No one in the movie needs to “come out,” exactly; it’s easily gleaned that Link knows from the start that he is gay, or at least someplace on the queer spectrum, even if he doesn’t know that getting comfortable with that fact might be tied up in the journey ahead of him. As for Pasmay, they’re fully comfortable with their Two Spirit nature, yet the past trauma of family rejection is something they have yet to fully overcome. As these two walk together – accompanied by the one-eyed but clear-sighted Travis, who is working through family issues of his own – their growing closeness requires them to grapple with these lingering fears, providing a framework through which Hannam can subtly illuminate the differences between the world views held by white and Indigenous

cultures.

With an Indigenous queer filmmaker behind the camera, the takeaway from that contrast inevitably emphasizes the opposition between two different cultural conceptions of queerness itself, and rightly so. As for their direction, Hannam’s remarkably self-assured visual storytelling effortlessly complements the nuances of their screenplay to mesmerizing effect, making all these intellectual-sounding themes arise like thoughts in a meditation, to be noted as they pass and remembered later. No doubt it helped that “Wildhood” was expanded by Hannam from an award-winning 2019 short; in any case, the result is a film with an easy, natural flow that neither shies from emotion nor dwells in it, and culminates exactly where we hoped while taking us places we never expected to go.

As for the acting – a crucial element in making any film rise to its highest aspirations – Hannam’s cast not only serves them well, but are so perfectly attuned to their movie’s delicate spirit that they seem not to be performing at all. The nonbinary Odjick, charismatic without being showy, exudes a confident compassion that makes a perfect complement to Lewitski’s awkward and angry teen rebel, and the easy chemistry between them helps to make the latter’s lowering of defenses all the more believable. Winters-Anthony gives a stunningly genuine performance as Travis, helping to bring full weight to the all-important theme of chosen family; and Michael Greyeyes (the film’s most recognizable face, thanks to TV roles in “True Detective” and “Fear the Walking Dead,” among other titles) gives a memorable turn as a helpful stranger who facilitates Link’s eventual reunion with his mother – in exchange for a favor, of course.

“Wildhood” comes to Hulu after becoming a hit on the Festival Circuit in 2021, where it was an official selection at both TIFF and AFI Fest and won awards at both the Canadian Screen Awards (for Odjick’s performance) and the Palm Springs International Film Festival. That provenance is a testament to the importance of such festivals in amplifying the voices of marginalized artists and allowing them to tell their stories – but it’s not the reason for putting the movie at the top of your must-stream list, nor is the fact that it’s an embarrassingly rare example of Indigenous queer inclusion on the screen. Ultimately, the reason for watching “Wildhood” is that it is an example of personal filmmaking at its most sublime, existing at the intersection of personal experience, public enlightenment, and popular entertainment.

That’s a big burden to bear, but “Wildhood” never feels weighed down. On the contrary, it leaves us with a sense of freedom and acceptance that is lighter than air.

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Fascinating mystery novel features gay private eye in 1947 Philly

‘Knock off the Hat’ explores a world before LGBTQ rights advances

By KATHI WOLFE The Horn & Hardart automat is a great place to meet friends and eat (on the cheap) delicious meatloaf and coconut cream pie.

People wonder when Connie Mack, the Philadelphia Athletics’ manager, will retire and have a ballpark named after him.

If you’re queer, you dance, drink and hook-up in gay bars.

Life is good. Even on summer nights when few places are air conditioned. Except that if you’re queer, you can be arrested if you’re in a gay bar that’s raided by the police. If you’re arrested, your name will likely appear in the Philadelphia Inquirer on a list of “deviants.”

This is the world of Clifford Waterman, a gay private eye, the protagonist of “Knock Off the Hat,” the fascinating new mystery by Richard Stevenson.

The novel is set in 1947 in Philadelphia. During World War II, Clifford, a former police detective, was in the Army. He was an Army MP in Cairo, where he jokes, “I was working with US Army unintelligence.”

‘Knock Off the Hat: A Clifford Clifford was dishonorably discharged from the Waterman Gay Philly Mystery’ Army for being gay. Though ironically, his job in the

By Richard Stevenson service was to round up “drunks,” “dope fiends” and c.2022, Amble Press | $18.95 | 200 pages “perverts.”

An officer found him one night, “enjoying the company of a nice man named Idriss, who normally cleaned the latrines,” Clifford says. “On this particular occasion, this pleasant chappie was cleaning my latrine.”

The era in which Clifford lives is repressive. The House Un-American Activities Committee is going after queer people and suspected Communists. If you’re LGBTQ and arrested in a bar raid, you’ll lose your job if your employer reads about it in the paper.

Yet Clifford respects himself. He proudly hangs his dishonorable discharge on his office wall.

In “Knock Off the Hat,” Clifford is called upon to use his detective skills, street-smarts and connections in the queer community, to solve a terrifying, puzzling mystery.

Usually, queer people who are arrested in a gay bar raid for “disorderly conduct,” can pay off Judge Harold Stetson. (Stetson is called “the Hat” because his surname is the name of a type of hat.) If they pay the judge $50 (a lot of money, but, with some belt-tightening, doable), they’ll avoid “public humiliation along with a hefty fine or even jail time,” Stevenson writes.

But now, the judge and his clerk have gone bonkers. They’re requiring queer people to pay Judge Stetson $500. If they don’t pay up, their professional and personal life will be ruined.

Scarcely anyone can afford this sum. A gay man, who’s proud to be a salesperson in the shoe department of the glam department store Wanamakers, is comparatively lucky. After he’s arrested in a bar raid, he sells his car to get the $500 to pay off the judge. Other queer people end up working at gas stations or even kill themselves because they don’t have that kind of money.

“Knock Off the Hat” takes place at a time when queer lives were, largely, devalued. Yet it’s far from grim.

The novel is filled with dark humor and engaging characters from an actress who pretends to be a deceased gay man’s fiancee to a left-wing queer farmer. In one scene, after Lauren Bacall drops into a dinner party, it’s revealed that her “dick” is “bigger than Bogie’s.”

Richard Stevenson is the pen name of the groundbreaking mystery writer Richard Lipez.

“Knock Off the Hat,” was published after Lipez, who was openly gay, died at 83 in March 2022.

Lipez envisioned “Knock Off the Hat” as being the first in a series featuring Clifford Waterman.

Also, under the pseudonym Richard Stevenson, Lipez over four decades (beginning in 1981 with “Death Trick”) wrote 17 mysteries featuring the queer detective Donald Strachey. “Chasing Rembrandt,” the last of the Donald Strachey series, will be released by ReQueered Tales in fall 2022.

The Strachey mysteries, set in Albany, N.Y., in the late 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, are less dark than “Knock Off the Hat.” Donald Strachey, his lover Timmy and many of the other queer characters dance, cruise, and indulge in camp humor. Yet without being preachy, the Strachey mysteries address AIDS and other serious issues.

“Knock Off the Hat” is as riveting as the best of Raymond Chandler. Though it’s highly entertaining, reading it in this “Don’t Say Gay” era, is sobering. The novel with its depiction of a time when queers had no rights is a chilling reminder that we can’t afford to be complacent.

This isn’t meant to be a downer. Libation in hand, treat yourself this summer. Check out “Knock Off the Hat.” 4 0 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 24, 202 2

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In today’s hot market, there are often stories of bidding wars and multiple offers.

How much home can I afford with rising interest rates?

Put your best foot forward when making an offer

By JEFF HAMMERBERG

For many, purchasing a home is a significant, exciting expenditure. It’s one of the biggest financial decisions many people make, and it’s one that is worth considering carefully.

Often, in a market as competitive and fast-moving as the current one, homebuyers find themselves looking at potential homes and realizing that a highly competitive offer may be necessary. There are often stories of bidding wars and multiple offers being made on available homes in a matter of days.

While that may not be the case forever, what will remain true is that most homebuyers want to put their best foot forward when making an offer. Most buyers want to find a home they love, that they can bid on competitively, and that they can afford if they end up being the chosen buyer. This begs the question – what type of offer is reasonable to make given your financial circumstances? How much home can you afford? These are important questions to ask.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CALCULATIONS

Determining how much you can comfortably spend on the mortgage for a new home while still meeting all of your other existing financial obligations is an important calculation to make ahead of time. After all, purchasing a home is a decision that can significantly impact your financial situation, so you want to be sure that you’re fully informed and that you feel confident in the choice you make.

Often, the rule of thumb where mortgages are concerned is that you can “afford” a mortgage that is around 2 to 2.5 times your income. A mortgage payment is typically made up of four primary components – principal, interest, taxes, and insurance. It is important to consider each of these components when determining the total amount of the mortgage, and what percentage of your annual gross income will go toward that payment. Often called the front-end ratio, or mortgage-to-income ratio, you’ll want to consider that percentage and usually seek to secure a mortgage payment that does not exceed roughly 28 to 30% of your annual gross income. Considering the numbers is only a part of the picture, however.

LOOKING BEYOND THE NUMBERS

Making this decision is not always strictly a matter of numbers and calculations. It also involves carefully considering your priorities and preferences and truly making a decision that you feel will give you the freedom to live in a home that you love and enjoy, while also continuing to maintain the lifestyle that you love. Determining how much house you can 4 4 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 24, 202 2 • B US I NE S S

afford will depend on a variety of factors, including: • Your loan amount and the term of years over which your mortgage will last; • Your income; • Your total monthly expenses; • Any taxes you might be required to pay, property or otherwise; • Current mortgage rates and estimated closing costs; • Any homeowners’ association fees; • Any other relevant factors that you determine should be considered in consultation with a trusted agent.

After considering all of these factors, be certain to keep in mind that it’s also important to be realistic as you make your decision about what you can comfortably afford. Don’t underestimate your monthly expenses. It may not be helpful to tell yourself that you’ll cut back on leisure spending if you don’t think you really will, or to underestimate what you might need in an emergency fund for unexpected events. Doing so can often leave you in a difficult spot where debt can accumulate quickly. If anything, it’s best to overestimate your expenses so that you have some breathing room in your budget.

WE’RE HERE FOR YOU

Wherever you are in the real estate process – if you’re searching for the perfect home to buy, considering whether now is the time to sell, or anywhere in between – at www.

GayRealEstate.com, we’re here for you. We are passionate about connecting LGBTQ buyers and sellers across the country with talented, experienced, and LGBTQ-friendly real estate agents who know and love the communities in which they live and are ready to help you calculate just how much home you can afford, and connect you with a top LGBTQ+ mortgage lender for prequalification. Having the right agent can make all the difference to your real estate experience, and we want it to be the very best it can be. If we can help you, visit us at www.GayRealEstate.com today to get connected and get started.

JEFF HAMMERBERG

is founding CEO of Hammerberg & Associates, Inc. Reach him at 303-378-5526 or jeffhammerberg@gmail.com.

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831 51st St, SE 20019

HANDYMAN

HANDYMAN SERVICES Interior/exterior, residential & commercial. DC Only.

Call or text 202-368-2628, gcmanagers@aol.com.

BRITISH REMODELING HANDYMAN Local licensed company with over 25 years of experience. Specializing in bathrooms, kitchens & all interior/exterior repairs. Drywall, paint, electrical & wallpaper.

Trevor 703-303-8699

STELLAR HOME IN 16TH ST Heights NW, Available Aug, but flexible. 4 bd 3.5/ba tastefully decorated home, featuring: new kitchen & appliances, furnished optional, huge landscaped backyard, garden, Vivint security system w/ cameras, one-car garage, unrestricted free street parking, walkable to numerous bus lines, 1.8 mi from Takoma metro (red line), across the street from Rock Creek Park, 0.3 mi from tennis center, 0.5 mi from golf course.

Utilities not included.

Kimfhassan@gmail.com 619-890-4851

4 6 • WA SHIN GTO N BLADE.COM • JUNE 24, 202 2 • C LA S S I F I E D S

MEN FOR MEN

READING PARTNER:

ROOFERS

The Physicist & the Philosopher: Einstein, Bergson, & the Debate That Changed Our Understanding of Time. Meet in my condo at 16th & U to analyze each chapter.

No Progressives. Contact: Stevenstvn9@aol.com.

HORNY GUY, 6’3’, 200 LBS, 9”, ISO short stocky, athletic, hung jock. Must be affectionate and into pleasure. Calls & texts after 9 pm only.

240-457-1292.

BODYWORK

THE MAGIC TOUCH

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

202-486-6183

J UNE 2 4 , 2 0 2 2 • WA S H I N GTO N B L A D E.CO M • 4 7

Sick of STDs? Free STD Testing · AHF Wellness Centers (833) 243-7411

Baltimore

11 E Lexington St Ste 100

Capitol Hill 650 Pennsylvania Ave SE Ste 310

Temple Hills

4302 Saint Barnabas Rd Ste B