Washington Blade, Volume 53, Issue 51, December 23, 2022

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Photo of Amelia Workman and Michael Urie in the 2022 New York production of Jane Anger by Valerie Terranova.

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GARY ESPINAS RUSSELL ROYBAL

Earline Budd honored with historic D.C. mural Mayoral proclamation presented at alleyway dedication ceremony

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

Longtime D.C. transgender rights advocate and community activist Earline Budd was honored on Dec. 19 at a ceremony offcially unveiling a large mural depicting Budd as the frst transgender person to be included in D.C.’s citywide wall mural program.

The mural depicting Budd is in an alley next to the Atlas Performing Arts Center at 1333 H St., N.E. that has been named an “Allery” to which the Budd mural now joins multiple other murals.

They are part of a citywide mural program called MURALSDC funded by the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Nearly 150 murals in all of the city’s eight wards have been commissioned under the program.

“As mayor of Washington, D.C., it is my pleasure to commend Earline Budd for more than 35 years of outstanding service to the LGBTQ+ community,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a proclamation presented at the Dec. 19 ceremony.

“As founder of Empowering the Transgender Community (ETC) and a transgender rights advocate, you have provided life-saving support and harm reduction services to our most vulnerable populations and used your platform to address critical issues affecting these communities,” the mayor’s proclamation says.

The proclamation refers to Budd’s longtime role in addi-

Baltimore police aren’t seeing

By JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IV | BALTIMORE BANNER

When Brendon Huffman steps behind the bar at The Manor, an LGBTQ bar in Mount Vernon, he has a number of things going through his mind: being friendly to customers, pouring well-balanced cocktails in a timely manner, and making sure that drinks are not unattended.

The frst two priorities are important to any bartender; increasingly, Huffman is paying special attention to the third.

The 25-year-old Abingdon resident said he has been “roofed” — or unknowingly drugged with sedative or hypnotic substance such as Rohypnol in a drink — four times in the past seven years. The frst time was at a popular gay bar in Baltimore. He likens the feeling afterward to a bad hangover — but far worse.

“It’s a feeling that you never want to … have,” he said. “You don’t remember anything that happens past a certain point. It’s just black. You feel like shit the next day. Your body hurts. Your head hurts. Everything feels like a blur. You feel gross about yourself. You feel like you blacked out, but you didn’t.”

Baltimore police don’t have any data showing an upward tick in such crimes, and bar managers play down the frequency of the incidents. But such actions have been linked to sexual assaults and robberies in other cities, and advocates and some Baltimore-area patrons say the problem is real.

The Pride Center of Maryland has been tracking drugging reports at gay bars for the past year. The group said that based on 1,200 surveys, 11% of respondents have reported being drugged in gay bars.

The center’s director, Cleo Manago, calls this “an epidemic waiting to happen.”

“It’s a problem,” he said, adding that the crime is usual-

tion to director of ETC as a program manager D.C.’s sex worker support and advocacy group HIPS where she “shepherded countless individuals through illness, homelessness, and family rejection.”

Japer Bowles, director of the Mayor’s Offce of LGBTQ Affairs, read and presented the mayoral proclamation to Budd at the Monday ceremony.

“Ms. Budd has impacted, for the better, hundreds, if not thousands of LGBTQIA people’s lives through her direct services and her advocacy work that has made D.C. one of the leading cities in the world for our community,” Bowles said at the ceremony.

“The mural behind us is more than paint on a brick wall, and today is more than a gathering of community in an alley,” Bowles said. “It is a recognition of the hard work and perseverance of one woman, who has led and at points pulled the movement forward to better the lives of all, particularly our Black and Brown trans and GNC neighbors, friends and family,” he said.

Budd, 55, said she was honored when local artist Shani Shih contacted her about doing the mural. Shih told the Washington Blade she applied to participate in the MURALSDC program, and they assigned her to their art alley project.

“I hoped to use the opportunity to lift up a community

story connected to H Street and having known of their critical work I reached out to HIPS DC, who connected me to Ms. Budd,” Shih said.

The dedication ceremony was followed by a reception, dinner and show at the Chateau Remix restaurant and club on Benning Road.

Budd said she’s been informed that city offcials were planning a follow-up ceremony for the Earline Budd mural in February at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

uptick, but survey fnds rising concerns

ly combined with robbery and/or sexual assault. “It’s not a small problem. It’s going to get worse. It won’t change unless the conditions changed. There has been no focus on it.”

been removed from her son’s accounts, the newspaper reported. She took the information to police.

In August, the Los Angeles City Council approved a plan to purchase drink-spiking test strips and distribute them to businesses and patrons. The strips are designed to detect the presence of drugs used to incapacitate victims, such as Rohypnol (funitrazepam), GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) and ketamine. Distribution of the kits followed reports from individuals feeling they may have been drugged at entertainment venues in West Hollywood — including the famed gay bar The Abbey.

Lindsey Eldridge, a spokeswoman for the Baltimore City Police Department, said the agency has not received any reports and does not have any statistics or complaints about incidents of drugging at gay bars. “We continue to work with all of our businesses organizations to thwart illegal activity and will continue to support these organizations in crime-fghting efforts,” Eldridge said.

Nationally, drink-spiking at gay bars has made news with a string of high-profle incidents.

In New York City, a slew of deaths that were once treated as isolated drug overdoses by LGBTQ members are now being investigated by the Police Department’s homicide unit for a connection to drugging attacks and robberies. In one case, the mother of a Washington, D.C., political consultant who was found dead on New York’s Upper East Side discovered that more than $20,000 had

Some say that a mistrust of law enforcement by the LGBTQ community — or the feeling of shame associated with sexual assault, especially when many of the victims are men — leads to the crime often not being reported. Complicating the discussion is the fact that many of the drugs used to spike drinks, like GHB and ketamine, are also recreational drugs consumed by gay partygoers. Some may fear prosecution associated with drug use.

People “are apprehensive to report it, or they didn’t want people to know that they had anything [of value] to steal,” he said, which could make them future targets.

How often the crime is occurring is subject to debate.

Continues at baltimorebanner.com

(This story is published with permission in partnership with the Baltimore Banner.)

Is there a growing risk of being ‘roofed’ at a gay bar?

an

(Washington Blade photo by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.)

BRENDON HUFFMAN, a bartender and manager at The Manor, says he has been drugged four times in the past seven years. (Kaitlin Newman for The Baltimore Banner)

Meet Gisele Fetterman, bisexual wife of Pennsylvania’s incoming freshman senator

An exclusive interview with the Blade after her husband’s hard-won Senate bid

By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com

When the Blade caught up with Gisele Barreto Fetterman this month, she was looking forward to some upcoming travel plans.

First up is a trip to Washington in January to witness the swearing-in ceremony for her husband, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who was just elected to represent the Keystone State in the U.S. Senate after one of the year’s most ar -foug mi erm races

Then, in March, she plans to visit family in Brazil for the firs ime since ravel o er na ive coun r as res ric e in the early days of the pandemic, and just in time to celebrate another electoral victory as Brazilian voters have ousted their far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.

Travel of the more rote and routine variety also lies ahead for Fetterman and the senator-elect, who will be dividing their time between Washington and the couple’s home with their three children in Braddock, Pa.

Gisele Fetterman is eager for the opportunity to better acquaint herself with the nation’s capital. Having already met some very nice people in the city, she told the Blade, “I’m so excited to make some more fun memories and get to know D.C. better.”

is ifficul o imagine s e ill ave rou le ma ing friends. Even over the phone, she is disarmingly funny, sensi ive, an in un inc ingl sincere in er e ica ion o service on behalf of those in need.

At the same time, because the breathless and exhaustive press coverage of her husband’s race against Republican opponent Dr. Oz sometimes included unwarranted scrutiny and criticism of the Democratic candidate’s wife, some folks who were not previously familiar with her might have been left with an incomplete or distorted picture.

Gisele Fetterman was under the microscope as much for her sartorial choices (almost all thrifted), as for her stalwart presence as one of the Fetterman campaign’s most effective surrogates.

Regarding the right-wing attacks that were focused on her identity as a bisexual woman and immigrant from Latin America, she jokes, “they made me sound like a superhero.”

Still, this type of partisan rancor, mean spiritedness, cynicism, and guilefulness are so anathema to Gisele Fetterman’s character and core values that you are left with the impression that she would probably prefer to keep politics at an arm’s length but for her marriage to an incoming U.S. senator.

Leading by example with love and unconditional acceptance

Children are a comforting reminder that human beings are not predestined to fear or harbor prejudice against each other, she said, recalling a memorable exchange that happened as her family was hosting a wedding for a gay couple.

She had rushed to Costco to pick up a big rainbow cake and was fastidiously preparing their home for the ceremony when one of her boys asked what the fuss was about. “Daddy marries people all the time,” he said. “What’s the big deal?”

“This time it’s two boys who are getting married,” Gisele Fetterman said. For her son, it was still just another wedding. “Oh my God, it was just such a sweet and normal and beautiful reaction,” she said, “but that’s all he knows.”

John Fetterman has married same-sex couples for years, including when such unions were illegal under Pennsylvania

law during his tenure as mayor of Braddock. Raising children to be “loving and accepting and non-judgmental is really easy if we live that example for them,” Gisele Fetterman said.

She would know, having grown up around LGBTQ people who were embraced unconditionally. After moving with her family to New York at the age of eight, a gay couple who lived nearby stepped in to help care for Gisele and her brother when their mom had to work long hours, she said. The neighbors “became like uncles.”

“My best friend in middle school was gay, my best friend in high school was gay, and I consider myself a member of the community, too, so it’s always just felt very natural” to enjoy the company of other LGBTQ people, she said. “I always choose them.”

More broadly, she said she has always felt closest to “those who have been underrepresented, or historically ignored,” a personal ethos that has informed her work as an activist, philanthropist, and founder-director of mission-driven non rofi organi a ions

A nutritionist by trade, 10 years ago she launched a program to cut down on food waste while helping people who are experiencing hunger. More than 24 million pounds of good, safe-to-eat food from retailers, wholesalers, and grocers as since een rescue from lan fills an rerou e o help feed people who are food-insecure.

Gisele Fetterman also leads initiatives to provide those in need with other essential items, support services, and emergency funds, including through the organizations that she founded or co-founded, Free Store 15104, For Good PGH, and 412 Food Rescue.

long i er non rofi or , s e sai e a in ic she has approached her role as a politician’s wife has also een in uence er memories of an e eriences i financial ar s i in o Bra il an e ni e a es

For instance, in 2019 when her husband was elected to become Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor after 13 years as Mayor Fetterman, the new house that came with his new job, complete with a swimming pool, made her uncomfortable. “I would never want to live in a mansion that taxpayers are paying for,” she said. “It just felt wrong.”

Ultimately, the family opted not to live in the lieutenant governor’s mansion. The pool, however, was a different story.

She knew that generations of Black people in America have been denied access to swimming pools through segregation, redlining, and other racist policies, suffering consequences like higher rates of accidental drowning as a result. So she decided to open the pool for public use.

“I really believe you have to see yourself in places to know that you belong in them,” she said. Welcoming historically excluded people to learn about water safety and enjoy themselves in a space that otherwise would be reserved for the couple and their three children made for some “amazing summers,” she said.

In October, a Fox News columnist characterized as “bizarre” Gisele Fetterman’s rationale for opening the swimming pool for public use, writing that Pennsylvania’s second lady had called the act of swimming itself “racist.”

Was it possible that the author had not understood her words rather than deliberately mischaracterizing them and the context in which they were delivered to make a bad-faith attack with Election Day less than two weeks ahead?

Gisele Fetterman appears to think so, as she did not entertain the notion that perhaps the columnist should be tossed into an outdoor pool in December. Instead, she suggested a history book, adding that America’s record of racism and segregation is “really painful, and it can be ugly, but it’s really important to know.”

Asked how she might advise her husband on the challenge of ealing i ifficul colleagues in ongress, articularly the senator from Texas whom former GOP House Speaker John Boehner memorably called “lucifer in the es , s e again urge a ience an un ers an ing

T e a or i ifficul or un in eo le, s e said, is to make up a narrative, a story about something or someone that may have caused the poor behavior because imagining there is an underlying reason can help lower the temperature.

At the same time, she said, while it’s true that hurt people ur eo le, ever one is ca a le of re ec ing, consul ing a therapist, and otherwise doing whatever it takes to forge a different path.

There may be a dearth of kindness and empathy in Washington’s political circles, but there is certainly no shortage of self-aggran i emen or in a e egos

Here, too, she may be able to offer some guidance, given her habit of never taking herself too seriously or missing the opportunity for a self-deprecating joke (often directed at her husband).

For instance, after becoming the second lady of Pennsylvania, she shortened her title to its acronym, preferring instead to call herself and be known by others as “the SLOP.”

She also shares photos on social media with her 6-foot-8 husband’s head partially cropped out so that her shoes are visible in the frame, and insists that their marriage operates with the unspoken understanding that Gisele is always right when there are differences of opinion.

On that latter point, should anyone long for the same dynamic i eir s ouse or significan o er, Gisele e erman offers the following advice: “You just have to be really confi en in our ru , s e sai , a ing, en ou us , li e, ignore him when he’s speaking.”

GISELE BARETTO FETTERMAN with her husband SenatorElect JOHN FETTERMAN and their children. (Photo courtesy of Gisele Fetterman)

Critics call on incoming gay GOP Rep. Santos to resign

e ia re or s is ee ave igni e eman s for e resignation of incoming freshman gay Republican Rep. George Santos (N.Y.) and calls for investigations by congressional e ics an elec ion officials an la enforcement agencies.

i misre resen a ions, lies, an omissions concerning a variety of subjects.

record.

n on a , e e or Times u lis e an invesiga ive s or a re rene e a en ion o issues concerning an os s allege financial malfeasance along

an , er a s mos , of e e ails in is re or ere covered prior to the election by other press outlets, mostl serving smaller local me ia mar e s, as ell as antos’s gay Democratic opponent Robert Zimmerman. ever eless, un il is ee li le a en ion as ai to the revelations about and questions concerning Sanos from is allege falsifica ion of e e ails a ou is biography to his failure to list the clients of his asset managemen firm in congressional financial isclosures Santos has not responded publicly except through a s a emen rovi e is a orne oe urra , o ro e f er four ears in e u lic e e, an on e verge of eing s orn in as a mem er of e e u lican le ongress, e e or Times launc es is s o gun las of a ac s, urra sai in a s a emen Murray also accused the paper of launching attacks agains an os o smear is goo name i ese efama or allega ions an os s vic or for e or s r congressional isric as a mil u se in a mi erm elec ion c cle a cos emocra s eir con rol of e ouse onl narro l o, en rene e a en ion as ra n o e race is ee , ues ions moun e a ou e er emocra s a faile o a e ua el arn vo ers a ou an os s con uc an

e same ime, e u lican officials in e or an as ing on ere lame for ei er ignoring e issues i eir can i a e or failing o a e ua el ve im Log Cabin Republicans President Charles Moran declined to comment because Santos has not yet personally addressed the allegations against him.

T e ues ions a ou financial im ro rie an ossile viola ions of elec ions la s ma raise e s ec er of serious consequences for Santos. Responding to this ee s re or ing, immerman oine a c orus of voices on T i er o calle for inves iga ions e ouseics ommi ee, e eral lec ions ommission, an orne s office

Legal issues asi e, e rea of ma ers a ou ic it appears Santos has lied, misrepresented, or omitted key facts is remarkable.

The Times reported, for instance, that Citigroup and Goldman Sachs said they had no record of Santos ever or ing ere, es i e is re ea e claims o e contrary. The paper also noted that public records contradict an os s asser ion a four of is em lo ees ere ille in e ulse nig clu s oo ing

T e ongressional LGBTQ uali aucus i no respond to a request for comment.

CHRISTOPHER KANE

Trump addresses Log Cabin Republicans at Mar-a-Lago

Former President Donald Trump addressed an audience gathered at his Mar-a-Lago club and estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Thursday night for the Log Cabin Republicans’ Spirit of Lincoln gala, the conservative LGBTQ grou s ags i even e are fig ing for e ga communi , an e are fig ing an fig ing ar , Trum sai Las nig , e a over LGBT conserva ives an our straight allies join us for another amazing Spirit of Lincoln gala, Log a in e u licans resi en arles Moran told the Blade.

ile e s ea ers an a ar onorees s anne e conservative spectrum, all of them, including President Trump, articulated a deep appreciation for our community and committed to our broader inclusion and support for ga rig s, oran sai , a ing, T is is e ar e ll e ol ing all G can i a es o in an Last year, the Log Cabin Republicans honored Melania Trum i i s iri of Lincoln a ar , ci ing er or com a ing ull ing in er role as firs la o ever, e grou s su or of e former resi en , is famil an is a minis ra ion as no come i ou con rovers even among mem ers of i s o n lea ership, prompting Jerri Ann Henry to resign from her posiion as e ecu ive irec or in

Log Cabin Republicans’ embrace of Trump also comes amid fractures that have perhaps reemerged or deepene e een LGBTQ conserva ives an o er fac ions i in e G

T is summer, e grou s Te as- ase c a ers ere re uffe e s a e s e u lican ar , ic enie their requests for space for a booth during the party’s annual convention and called homosexuality “an abnormal lifes le c oice in i s official la form

T e move recalle inci en s in e la e s en

e Log a in e u licans ere la ele e o iles an com are o e u lu lan Te as G lea ers o denied the group’s requests to host booths at their conventions.

The dangerous smear linking LGBTQ people to child sexual abuse and exploitation is once again ascendant on the right, propagated by many of Trump’s political allies.

men of is grou is summer G officials in Te as, ri ing in a To a o -e a e former resi en is a lea er of LGBT inclusion

s ifficul o un ers an us o game-c anging Trum s resi en ial cam aigns an resi enc ere for LGBT conserva ives, o ere su enl inclu e as elcome mem ers of e ar af er eca es of eing si eline , ro e oran

The positions held by Moran and the Log Cabin Republicans differ sharply from those held by LGBTQ organizations and LGBTQ Americans more broadly — at least, as evi ence e ercen age of LGBTQ vo ers o su or e Trum in e an resi en ial elections.

ne of e firs ac ions resi en oe Bi en oo af er a ing office las ear as o re eal e Trum a ministration’s ban that prohibited thousands of transgender Americans from enlisting and serving in the armed forces.

ollo ing Trum s announcemen of is lans o run again in , GL release a s a emen arguing a e former resi en s recor as efine ani-LGBTQ ac ions an r e oric an olic a em oere i e su remacis s an fuele racism, eno o ia, an isemi ism an misog n

Members of Log Cabin Republicans’ San Antonio chapter joined a protest of a family-friendly drag performance Tues a nig in ic a rons an organi ers of e even ere accuse of grooming c il ren for a use on no an ing a ou e rag ro es or an involvemen our c a er a in i , oran ol e Bla e oran soug o ra a con ras e een e Trum administration’s positions on LGBTQ issues and the treat-

The group pointed to its “Trump Accountability Projec , ic , i ro e, rac e e Trum a minis ra ion s attacks against the LGBTQ community, documenting more an nega ive olicies an angerous r e oric agains LGBTQ mericans uring is resi enc

T e uman ig s am aign, mean ile, as lise e Trum a minis ra ion s armful olicies an ositions concerning LGBTQ people in categories ranging from healthcare and education to representation and foreign affairs.

CHRISTOPHER KANE

From left, candidates ROBERT ZIMMERMAN and

GEORGE SANTOS (Screen captures via YouTube)

DONALD TRUMP (Screen capture via CNBC)

Polish president vetoes anti-LGBTQ bill that targeted schools

A controversial bill that would further limit access to comprehensive sexual education and anti-LGBTQ discrimination preventative classes in schools in Poland was vetoed last week by President Andrzej Duda.

T e measure, similar in na ure o an earlier measure also ve oe u a, oul ave im lemen e restrictions on curriculum and school activities, giving the country’s central government more control over the regional school systems and administrative staff.

The legislation was put forward by the majority ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party in Poland’s arliamen , no n as e e m an ena e r em s a Czarnek, the ultra-conservative education minister who backed both bills, has publicly claimed that reforms are needed to “protect children from moral corruption.”

Both measures would give school administrators and superintendents the power to remove books, lessons, and ban student participation in events or clubs that are LGBTQ affirming

T e firs asse e lo er ouse of olan s arliamen , no n as e e m, is as an , in avo e u a ve oe a ini ial version in arc ndeterred law makers then drafted a later version, which moved control over directly to the education ministry.

arne , o as een ve emen l o ose o e LGBTQ rig s an e coun r s e uali movemen , oring with lawmakers was able to get the second version through the Parliament this past October.

The law, if signed, would have allowed education minis er-a oin e rovincial e uca ion su erin en en s o suspend headteachers [principals/headmasters] if they conclude there is an “urgent threat to the safety of students during activities organized by a school.”

arne , as een a lea ing figure in a cam aign against what he has labeled “LGBT ideology,” which the mins er alleges comes from e same roo s as a ism

T e legisla ion s ecifie a sc ools oul ave a to submit details of extracurricular activities for the superintendent’s approval at least two months before they take place. The legislation also introduces additional hurdles for seeking the consent of parents for such activities.

Opponents of the measures say they were intended to prevent certain outside groups — such as sex educators or those speaking about LGBTQ issues — from entering schools.

arne as s a e ou several u lic vi riolic ani-LGBTQ osi ions a as inclu e an a ac on e LGBTQ communi in e , s ecificall es ollwood, Calif.

ea ing i a re or er on er is nfo orane i e na ional s a e-run T nfo T ols a las une, e education minister said (translated from Polish): “Let’s end the discussion about these LGBT abominations, homosexuality, bisexuality, parades of equality. Let us defend the family, because failure to defend the family leads to what you see.

As he spoke these words, he was holding a phone in his hand, on the display of which he showed a picture of several people.

“These are the Los Angeles guys in downtown last une as on a elega ion ere, as assing roug , there was a so-called gay pride parade there,” he added.

e are a an earlier s age, ere are no suc ings i us yet, but such chaps shamelessly (shamelessly – ed.) al e s ree s of e es ern ci of Los ngeles, e added.

Passage of the second measure led to widespread protest by students and advocates across Poland.

uman ig s a c no e a s u en s an ac ivis s regularl ga ere in fron of arsa s resi en ial alace and across the country to demand respect for their rights.

They called on Duda to veto a controversial bill that would further limit access to comprehensive sexuality education and anti-discrimination classes in schools.

Last Thursday Duda told reporters:

refuse o sign is ill, sai u a un ers an a some people will be disappointed, but a large part of our society will be calmed by this [decision].”

BRODY LEVESQUE

raine asses LGBTQ-inclusive me ia regula ion ill

La ma ers in raine las ee unanimousl aproved a media regulation bill that will ban hate speech and incitement based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

s a ig s e for raine, o s ar a o ion of our legislation to European values,” Olena Shevchenko, c air of nsig , a rainian LGBTQ an in erse rig s

grou , ol e as ing on Bla e e o e our governmen ill recogni e LGBTQ eo le as e ual as soon as possible.”

raine since as anne em lo men iscrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. resi en olo m r elens in le ge raine oul con inue o fig iscrimina ion ase

on sexual orientation and gender identity after he met i resi en oe Bi en a e i e ouse

ussia on e , , launc e i s ar agains raine elens less an si mon s la er sai e su or s a civil ar ners i s la for same-se couples.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

e eruvian resi en s vie s on LGBTQ issues unclear

as een a vola ile mon in eru

The country has a new president, Dina Boluarte, after former President Pedro Castillo’s attempted selfcoup. But since Boluarte was sworn in, unrest and violent protests have erupted and continued unabated aroun e coun r an are erefore on ering if Peru’s first female president will remain in office for muc longer as illo on ec announce e as issolving ongress

Castillo made this announcement on the same day that Congress was scheduled to hold a vote on is im eac men ile i asn clear if ere ere enough votes to impeach the embattled former president; Castillo was swiftly voted out of office after his announcemen i vo es in favor, si agains an a s en ions

Boluarte, who was Castillo’s vice president, was immediately sworn in. She is Peru’s sixth president in five years, and her ascendance has come to signify the ongoing political instability that has become character-

is ic of e n ean na ion

Castillo supporters, mostly poor and indigenous Peruvians, have since taken to streets in every big city in Peru to demand Castillo’s reinstatement, Congress’ dissolution and new elections. These protests have le o violen clas es i olice a ave lef a leas seven ea an o ens more in ure

Lima s ri e arc ollec ive, com ose of man of e ci s LGBTQ an in erse organi a ions, as release a s a emen con emning e cessive force Peruvian police against protesters. The statement also calls for dialogue between the Executive Branch and civil and political leaders of the protests.

Despite Boluarte being a former member of Castillo’s government, she is viewed as a traitor among as illo su or ers as ags suc as ina enuncia a an ina sesina ave een ren ing on T iter, the latter hashtag accusing the president of being res onsi le for e ea of e ro es ers

Castillo, meanwhile, who is currently being held by police, is calling his detention a “kidnapping” and

is accusing Boluar e of eing a usur er e is no alone in not recognizing the new president. The governmen s of e ico, Bolivia, rgen ina an olom ia have all come out in support of Castillo and have refuse o recogni e Boluar e as eru s ne resi en n res onse o e ongoing ro es s, Boluar e roposed moving up the next general election to April as reviousl sc e ule for Bu rotesters are not satisfied and demonstrations across e coun r ave no cease as of e nes a Boluar e s governmen as a resul as eclare a - a s a e of emergenc for e en ire coun r

Promsex, one of Peru’s most prominent LGBTQ and intersex rights groups, addressed Peru’s new presien in a s a emen os e o T i er

e eman a e ecu ive Branc guaran ee the safety of all people, including that of law enforcement personnel, and that there be no more deaths in the democratic and legitimate exercise of the right to protest,” said Promsex.

JACOB KESSLER

olis resident ANDRZEJ DUDA (YouTube screenshot via PBS)

KEVIN NAFF

is editor of the Washington Blade. Reach him at knaff@washblade.com

BRANDIE BLAND

Las ee s i e ouse ceremon in ic resi en Bi en signe e es ec for arriage c in fron of un re s of LGBTQ ac ivis s from aroun e coun r as a is oric, surreal, full-circle momen for me af er ears a e as ing on Bla e as a moving al o n memor lane ma ing m a across e i e ouse la n, gree ing long ime ac ivis s an oli icos, man of om ave re ire or move on from LGBTQ ac ivism remin e me of m firs i e ouse even resi en ama s ri e rece ion an all e unfinis e usiness a a ime a a rill o e aroun o i ness is or as resi en Bi en, o famousl lea frogge is ol oss ama in en orsing marriage e uali , sign e ill co if ing fe eral recogni ion of interracial and same-sex marriages. en oine e Bla e in ecem er of , marriage e uali i n e is an almos no one as al ing a ou e ossi ili George Bus as resi en an us r ing o an recogni ion of our rela ions i s in e ons i u ion as -for ar ears an e rogress is rul rea a ing inclusion of se ual orien a ion an gener i en i in e fe eral a e crimes la , re eal of on s , on Tell, e Bos oc ruling oos ing em lo men ro ec ions, marriage e uali in all s a es, elec ing e firs Blac resi en an firs oman vice resi en , an so muc more mi e cele ra ions las ee ere remin ers of e or a ea en a erson can e marrie in e morning an ro n ou of a res auran in e af ernoon, is is s ill rong, sai Bi en e mus s o e a e an violence To a ress e ongoing issue of or lace an o er iscrimina ion, e s ill nee ongress o ass e uali c , ic en e u s ran e in e ena e T e measure is surel i e u licans a ing con rol of e ouse ne mon T ere are o er ro lems a surface las ee , ironicall on e i e ouse ou La n us fee a a from ere Bi en as ma ing is or everal mains ream me ia o ogra ers ere over ear using an i-ga slurs a e ceremon T o asing on Bla e con ri u ors o ere on an a acen o e risers ere vi eo an s ill o ogra ers ere s a ione on e i e ouse la n over ear a s ream of slurs an invec ive irec e a gues s an erformers T e ra en nerve of ese o ogra ers o raffic in an i-ga slurs ile covering resi en Bi en s is oric signing of e marriage ill is s oc ing an re ulsive T eir e avior isres ec s no us e LGBTQ communi an e resi en , u e ar or coun less a voca es over ears o arrive a is momen s oul ave een a momen of cele ra ion an o u i as marre e la an , over omo o ia of a few bad apples. i ors a mains ream ou le s li e e as ing on os an ssocia e ress s oul inves iga e an com el eir s affs o a e sensi ivi raining or e fire T a inci en no i s an ing, e ceremon mar e an im or an miles one a so man of us foug for over ears, en uring isa oin ing cour rulings an elec ion resul s an o er se ac s o arrive a is momen an i ness e resi en vali a e our unions oine ice resi en amala arris, ouse ea er anc elosi, an ena e a ori Lea er uc c umer arris elivere a o erful s eec em asi ing e in erconnec ivi of e momen e sai e u reme our s o s ecision is a remin er a fun amen al rig s are in erconnec e , inclu ing e rig o marr o ou love, e rig o access con race ion, an e rig o ma e ecisions a ou our o n o Bi en no e ongress asse e es ec for arriage c ecause of an e reme u reme our as s ri e a a e rig im or an o millions of mericans a e is e for alf a cen ur n ee e o s ecision roug a rene e sense of urgenc o assing e es ec for arriage c af er us ice larence T omas e resse a esire o revisi e ergefell ruling in is concurring o inion in o s as a eau iful, sunn a fea uring u lif ing erformances, insig ful s eec es, an emo ional ri u es e s oul en o is momen as e re are o ga er for e oli a s T en e s oul re urn in rea for e a les a ea o ro ec an ean on our man vic ories

T e official en of ers el al er s ena e can i ac earlier is mon rings o a close ano er faile saga in e e u lican ar s in mac ine s a em s o e lo o enism o cloa a la form of la an racism an o en ir a ion i i e ris ian na ionalism in e isguise of a iversi i c an sa al er s nomina ion for a ena e sea in Georgia for a i as a oorl lanne oli ical a em o crea e a ne narra ive a ou race ile cour ing o en ial crossover vo ers in re ominan l Blac regions of e s a e s no secre a e G i ever ing i coul o r an res le ac conrol of e ena e n al er s nomina ion as a solu el a ac ic esigne o confuse Blac vo ers

Le s e clear T e G as full em race racism, an using al er as a token Black friend is a prominent example of that. m gla a Blac vo ers in Georgia sa rig roug e s in an vo e for a can i a e o ac uall lives in Georgia an is assiona e a ou fig ing for is cons i uen s an eir s are values Blac vo ers over elmingl ercen vo e for ev arnoc , refusing o fall for e c imera can i a e in e G s Blac man versus Blac man ra al er asn c osen for is a ili o o e o or is oli ical e erience ns ea , al er go e no ecause of is lo al o former resi en onal Trum , is illingness o arro ar lines on cue an , mos im or an l , ecause e s Blac enoug ne of al er s rime c eerlea ers on e cam aign rail as en Lin se Gra am, o s en a lo of is ime cam aigning ou ling o n on e o ic of race, sugges ing a a al er in oul ac ui e G of racism uring an a earance on ean anni s s o on o e s in c o er of is ear, Gra am sai , al er c anges e en ire narra ive of e lef a a ens en e e u lican ar elec s an nomina es ersc el al er, an frican- merican, Blac , eisman Tro inner s cringe or as Gra am s commen s are, i s o s a Gra am an fello conserva ives are using al er s s in color for eir o n oli ical gain, ic is ironic consi ering o lou conserva ives li e Gra am ge enever ere is an iscussion of race eing ea oni e in oli ics

Gra am also claime a , e re scare o ea of ersc el al er ecause if ersc el al er ecomes a e u lican, ma e ever o er oung c il in merica of color mig an o e a e u lican u ging is insul ing an ignoran commen s, a Gra am an is colleagues fail o reali e is a Blac eo le in is coun r ave een avoi ing racial Tro an orses on e allo li e al er since e classic ivil ig s ovement.

oosing al er, in fac , s o s o ignoran an igo e e G is en i comes o Blac vo ers an o ou of ouc e are i e c anging oli ical landscape.

Blac vo ers are no a monoli an eing melana e enoug isn going o au oma icall ge ou a vo e n assuming a eing Blac is a sufficien oli ical la form is insul ing o e in elligence of Blac vo ers ecen is or an vo ing ren s s o a Blac vo ers en o vo e for can ia es a fig for emocrac , even en our communi is eing overloo e

T e G s ac ics uring is race ro uce no ing s or of a meri less, unresearc e circus ac f e G a one e are minimum, e oul ave reali e a al er is so ou of ouc i e Blac communi an las - i c effor s o us im on vo ers in re ominan l Blac an emocra ic areas as a as e of ever one s ime n e en , e racial olari a ion in Georgia as cr s al clear in e i olls s o ing arnoc inning ercen of Blac vo ers an e arel sen ien al er inning ercen of i e vo ers

al er can i ac insul s in elligence of Blac vo ers Being melana e enoug isn going o au oma icall in ou su or

arriage ill ceremon a full-circle momen af er ears a e Bla e n o is momen en re are for e fig s a lie a ea

is a Bla e oun a ion fello

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

2024 congressional

Democrats

If Democrats want to take back the House and keep the Senate in 2024, they must begin the campaign today. Republicans, especially those Trumpers newly elected in the midterm elections, like Santos in New York, must be held accountable for their votes and statements, and voters need help to focus on them. In the way Media Matters (proud to say I was a founding incorporator) does nationally. We should help local Democratic organizations focus on local district seats we can take back. It will be crucial if we want to motivate voters of all ages to come out in 2024 and vote their interests.

The Democratic National Committee and the president need to work with the left wing of the party to have them understand while they support many of their goals, the general election voter is moderate to moderate right. We can see that by looking at recent election results. We must accept were it not for the total insanity of some of the Trump candidates, Democrats would have had a much worse result in the midterm elections. It is clear if a moderate Republican candidate had run for governor of Arizona, or for Senate in Pennsylvania and Georgia, and these are just three examples, those seats would now be in Republican hands. We only need to look at two congressional races in South Texas, one being that of Henry Cuellar (D) who won his seat by 13% after a close primary election where he had to face a run-off against a left-wing candidate. Then in the Texas 15th progressive Michelle Vallejo, eked out a win in the primary, then lost the general election by 9%. If progressive Democrats are smart, they will understand it isn’t just primaries they have to win, but Democrats must be able to win general elections if they hope to make progress on the issues they care about. Again, they must accept the general election voter is moderate to moderate right. If they don’t, Republicans will win and take the nation backwards. The Democratic Party can only hope the Bernie Sanders and AOCs and their followers will accept that.

e mus in if e are o con inue o fig in ongress o move e na ion for ar President Biden has done a great job and progress has been made on issues crucial to the nation. But it’s important to remember that the way our founders set up our government in nearly every case progress is incremental. Remember in 1992 Hillary Clinton fought for universal healthcare and it wasn’t until 2009 that we got any form of national healthcare, even just the beginning with the Affordable Care Act, which only passed the House by one vote.

To continue to make progress on issues like climate change, equality for the LGBTQ community, women’s rights, and civil rights, we better elect Democrats and the only way to do that is by putting up moderate candidates who can relate to the communities in which they are running. One example was the candidate who ran against Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.). He lost by only 500 votes in a Republican-leaning district. That is a race we can focus on in 2024 and maybe win. Adam Frisch “campaigned on a largely conservative platform and against what he dubbed Boebert’s “antics” and “angertainment.” The former city council member in the posh town of Aspen hoped to entice disaffected Republicans and build a bipartisan political coalition. He rarely mentioned he was a Democrat on the campaign trail and backed removing Democrat Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House, saying he wanted to lower the partisan temperature in Washington. It was an indirect dig at Boebert that resonated with voters in a highly rural district that, though conservative, have often backed pragmatists.

“We have shown the country that extremist politicians can be defeated, loud voices are not invincible, and shouting will not solve problems,” said Frisch. Yes, in that district a candidate like Frisch needs to be supported because when it comes to being in Congress he will vote for a Democratic speaker and the predominance of the Democratic platform. Democrats must look at this district by district and determine what kind of a candidate can defeat the Republican.

The nation is divided and we must look at the reality of what that means. Just think, a complete moron like Herschel Walker, who can’t even tell you how many kids he has, got more than 1.7 million Republican votes. They voted for him because they believed he would simply rubber stamp the Republican doctrine.

If we focus early and correctly, Democrats can win.

must begin

campaign today

If we focus early and correctly we can win

sam ling of s LGBTQ-affirming oli a services ris mas, anu a , an aa cele ra ions lanne

By TINASHE CHINGARANDE

The holiday season is upon us once again and if you’re looking for LGBTQ-affirming religious services, offers some ing for ever one T is lis is no mean o e all-inclusive, as man c urces an s nagogues in e area are affirming

Hanukkah

Shabbat services with Bet Mishpachah ill e el ec a m T ere ill e a anu a can le lig ing so bring your own Menorah and candles o lig efore services s ar n if ou re loo ing for some ing o o on ris mas a , Be is is a en ing a s o ing of T e ale a ree inema a m

Ohr Kodesh Congregation

Meadowbrook Lane) will host “Let’s Gelt Li on T urs a , ec a m a B nai srael T is re ro anu a ar is for o gra ers o an o en o some ancing, music, gel , can le lig ing, games, an ri es or more informa ion, visi o r o es org

Christmas Eve

Augustana Lutheran Church e am s ire ve , ill os Lessons an arols i ol ommunion a m or more e ails, visi augusana c org

Metropolitan Community Church of Washington D.C. i ge , ill os a ri ris mas ve service a m or more e ails, visi mcc c com

Dumbarton United Methodist Church um ar on , ill os a ris mas ve service a m T ere ill be singing from the new children and youth chime choir and lessons and carols or more informa ion, visi um aronumc org

National City Christian Church T omas ircle, ill os a ris mas ve ors i a m or more e ails, visi na ionalci cc org

Christ Church on Capitol Hill G , ill os ris mas ve services a a m , m an m or more e ails, visi as ing on aris org

Saint John’s Episcopal Church , ill os a agean service a m an ano er service a m i a c oral relu e Bo services ill en i ilen ig sung can lelig or more e ails, visi s o nsgeorge o n org

Washington National Cathedral isconsin ve , ill os a e cas of ris mas ve ol uc aris a m T ere ill e rea ings from ol scri ure, mns, seasonal c oral and instrumental music and preaching a e ral ean an ol ars all olleri or more e ails, visi ca e ral org

Christmas Day

Seekers Church arroll , ill os a ri ris mas service a a m or more e ails, visi see ersc urc org

Washington National Cathedral isconsin ve , ill os ris mas a uc aris a a m T ere ill e rea ings from ol scri ure, favori e mns, seasonal c oral an ins rumen al music an reac ing rovos an alor o e ncense ill e use or more e ails, visi ca e ral org

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church , ill ave ris mas a uc aris a a m or more e ails, visi smar s ne

St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church onnec icu ve , ill os ris mas a ol uc aris a a m in erson an online or more eails, visi s margare s c org

Kwanzaa

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ ou a i ol , ill os a an aa service on un a , an a a m T e service ill fea ure re ecions seven mem ers of ovenan on e rinci les of an aa or more eails, visi c ucc c org

a iva ing ven s i ill os “Kwanzaa & Kulture Unity Brunch” on on a , ec a m T is famil even is a ga ering o cele ra e frican eri age T ere ill e foo an rin s, games an ri es o in Tic e s s ar a an can e urc ase on ven ri e

r of oi e ill os “Habari Gani! Kwanzaa Fundraiser” on ri a , ec a m T ere ill e local oe s, ar is s an crea ives o ill e lore e seven rinciles of an aa rocee s ill go o e ra Lee mi ancer esearc oun a ion, an local ar is s an crea ives in e Tic e s s ar a an can e urc ase on ven ri e

osts an arra of af rmin ser ices for t e olida s as in ton lade oto ic ael e

CALENDAR |

Friday, December 23

Center Aging Monthly Lunch and Yoga will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Lunch will be held in the climate-controlled atrium at the Reeves Center. To RSVP for this event, visit the DC Center’s website.

Women in their Twenties and Thirties will be at 8 p.m. on oom. It’s a social discussion group for queer women in the D.C. area and a great way to make new friends and meet other queer women in a fun and friendly setting. For more information, join WiTT’s closed Facebook group.

Saturday, December 24

Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 11 a.m. in-person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community and also on Zoom. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black lesbian. For more information, email to supportdesk@thedccenter. org.

GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Brunch” at 10 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Admission is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Sunday, December 25

The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Christmas Day Zoom Hangout” at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This event is for anyone who would like to hang out with folks on the holiday to chat and share. For more information, email Adam at adamheller thedccenter.org.

GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Coffee + Conversation” at 12 p.m. at As You Are. This event is for those looking to make more friends in the LGBTQ+ community and trying to meet some new faces after two years of the pandemic. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Monday, December 26

Center Aging Monday Coffee and Conversation will be at 10 a.m. 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 acebook or Twitter.

Not Another Drag Show will be at 8 p.m. at Dupont Italian Kitchen. This event will be hosted by Logan Stone and will feature a rotating cast of local DMV performers. Admission is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

By TINASHE CHINGARANDE

Tuesday, December 27

Queer Book Club will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This club meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month to discuss queer books by queer authors. or information, email supportdesk thedccenter.org.

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, genderfuid, or not 100% cis. or more information, visit www. genderqueerdc.org or check Genderqueer DC out on Facebook.

Wednesday, December 28

Asexual and Aromantic Group will meet at 7 p.m. on oom. This is a space where people who are questioning this aspect of their identity or those who identify as asexual and/or aromantic can come together, share stories and experiences, and discuss various topics. For more information, email supportdesk thedccenter.org.  GoGay DC will host “Drag Bingo” at 8 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. Guests are encouraged to bring about $20 in dollar bills to give to the performers. The bingo winners get a chance to win a fabulous assortment of prizes. Admission is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Thursday, December 29

“Wasted & Gay Thursdays” will be at 9 p.m. at Wasted Lounge. The event will be hosted by Nelly Nellz and there will be music by DJ Ro. Tickets cost $5 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

“Adams Morgan Comedy Night (Stand-Up Comedy Show)” will be at 8 p.m. at Town Tavern DC. Guests will get to see the best comics in the DMV, comics from The Tonight Show, Conan, The Late Show, and comics who have specials on Comedy Central, HBO, Netfix, Dry Bar among others. Tickets are limited at a donate-what-youwant price and can be accessed on Eventbrite.

OUT & ABOUT

“LGBTQ Social Mixer - Pride On The Patio at Showroom” will be on Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 5:30 p.m. at Showroom.

There will be happy hour cocktails and dinner on the heated patio at the venue. Dress is casual, fancy, or comfortable. Guests are encouraged to bring their most authentic selves to chat, laugh, and get a little crazy.

Admission is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

The Iconic International House of Balenciaga will host “Naughty or Nice: A Holiday Extravaganza” on Thursday, Dec. 22 at 10 p.m. at Privilege.

There will be a limited buffet and open bar, hookah, VIP packages, bottle specials and music by DJ Dave Thom and DJ Obie. There will also be a sweater contest with a cash prize.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

“Hip Hop Garden DC Day Party” will be on Saturday, Dec. 24 at 4 p.m. at Lost Society. This exclusive day party experience will feature non-stop music, dancing, and good vibes. Music played will be a crossover of genres and fusion of cultures.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Here’s your guide to the merriest gay holiday season!

The holidays are here and it’s time to party.

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

“And Mary gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger…”

Celebrate Christmas Eve with First Baptist Church. Worship includes Christmas carols, the music of choir, organ and brass, holy communion, and a Christmas Eve meditation from Pastor Julie. The service ends with the lighting of congregational candles.

By PATRICK FOLLIARD

In “Jane Anger” (now at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre), Ryan Spahn plays Francis, a middle-aged peasant unsuccessfully passing himself off as a “fair youth” in hopes of wrangling both a place in William Shakespeare’s inner circle and a good acting gig.

The clever pandemic comedy kicks off in 1606, a plague year, and theater people are at loose ends. Somehow, Spahn’s character convinces the great Shakespeare (Michael Urie) to let him stay in his comfortable apartment, a place where Francis, now nicknamed Frankie, can ride out the quarantine emptying the playwright’s chamber pots and transcribing his words.

Initially, the writer is slow going. Locked away from bars and brothels, a bored Bard needs to be “unblocked” to ge is crea ive uices o ing, a as i ic fe ranie is happy to assist. But that’s a hard pass. This boss is repulsed by the mere sight of his unwashed, snaggletoothed helper, an opinion he feels compelled to repeat again and again.

s a ilarious se u a lessl e ecu e o s ille ac ors Bo are errificall ac ing an loo ing e ar s rie is a eringl a ire in as ing aco ean gar as a cele ri a es eare in nee of is ne mone ma ing i , ile a n is ou fi e for a u onic lague- eme party, a look that gets laughs from the moment he makes is en rance in is fas - ace , gag-fille s o

During a recent mid-morning phone interview, Spahn e lains is a roac o come isn a ou re earsing bits. He’s more of a sad clown comic.” Whatever the method, it works. And playwright Talene Monahon’s anac ronis ic giggle fes c oc fille i sur rises, sical comedy, pathos, and a little harmless smut gives him a lot to work with.

Aside from lampooning Shakespeare and having fun with pandemic humor that riffs on social distancing and variant strains, Monahon and director Jess Chayes present a tale of towering feminist revenge.

The title character portrayed by Amelia Workman is based on the same-named historical person famed for

writing a seminal feminist pamphlet. In the play, Jane climbs through Shakespeare’s window seeking her intimate friend’s help in securing publication. A lowborn but genius writer, she makes her living as a cunning woman (similar to a barber/surgeon, but “the differences are the person has breasts and makes less money”). In time, Shakespeare’s rich but disenfranchised wife Anne Haa a la e ona an arrives on e scene also through the window.

Spahn says, “There’s a female voice but anyone can relate if they’re a minority that’s been silenced or has gone unheard. In the play, women arrive who aren’t being heard. They get louder and angrier.

“Sometime silencing the most dominant person in the room takes getting angry. It’s all very relatable,” he adds. “We’re in a time of people recognizing they’ve been undervalued or underappreciated and this is that story.”

Spahn and Urie, 41 and 42 respectively, have worked together before — it’s something they’ve liked, especially if it’s a joyful project like this one. But bringing home darker subject matter every night can be hard, he says.

When COVID closed theaters in March of 2020, the partners made a conscious decision to remain in New York and create work. After all, Shakespeare wrote “King Lear” through the 1606 plague.

A month into lockdown, Urie reprised his role in “Buyer & Cellar,” (the comedy about a struggling actor weirdly

employed at the Malibu estate of Barbra Streisand) live from the couple’s apartment. Spahn, who has self-prouce fea ure films, ran e cameras as a successful and widely viewed collaboration.

The pair’s precocious foray into pandemic theater making ma e ona on a are of e ac l a as ossi le during shutdown. They could put something on if she wrote it, and by May they were performing a short oneact version of the play (then tentatively titled “Frankie and Will”) written for the duo, plague be damned.

“Jane Anger” premiered off-Broadway at the tiny New Ohio in February 2022. What was intended to be a workshop became a positively reviewed, sold-out show. Now a ear s en , a ea e , more e ensivel ro uce version is playing in a theater four times the size of the original venue.

in i s e e erience a eo le an an eserve now,” he says. “It’s frivolous, thought provoking, and political without being preachy…a really joyful time.”

RYAN SPAHN, AMELIA WORKMAN, MICHAEL URIE, and TALENE MONAHON in ‘Jane Anger.’ (Photo by DJ Corey Photography)

Brendan Fraser reclaims his star in ‘The Whale’

Film overcomes criticism of straight casting, use of fat suit

By JOHN PAUL KING

We’re not going to lie to you: “The Whale” is a hard movie to watch. This should come as no surprise to those familiar with the work of Darren Aronofsky, who has been disturbing audiences ever since “Requiem for a Dream” – his second feature, released in 2000 – subjected them to a grueling portrait of multiple characters driven to debasement and self-destruction by addiction. It was the kind of can’t-look-away cinematic experience that turned many viewers into instant fans even if they never wanted to see it again.

by consultations with the Obesity Action Coalition – which acknowledged the controversy aroun e use of ros e ics u en orse e film for i s realis ic or ra al of one erson’s story with obesity” – and bolstered by extensive dance training to help him capture the physicality of moving with excessive weight, he seems to fully inhabit Charlie; there is no performative self-awareness to make us doubt his sincerity or distract from the emotional nuance he brings to the role, and he deploys the characteristic earnestness that made him an audience favorite in the ‘90s to undercut any suggestion of the morose. No ma er ere ou s an on e cul ural con ic over on-screen re resen a ion, i s ar no to be impressed by a performance so refreshingly devoid of ego.

T e same canno e sai for e film in ic a erformance e is s T e ever- olarizing Aronofsky has been explicit in his insistence that “The Whale” is meant to be empathetic, yet for many viewers its messaging contradicts that assertion. Shooting the movie in an old-fashioned 1:33 aspect ratio, the director crowds his protagonist into the frame, further amplifying our impression of his size; his editing and camera angles emphasize –even exaggerate – the grotesque, treating close-ups of Charlie’s body like “jump scares” in a orror film an infusing is e iso es of sical is ress i a fascina ion a or ers on fetish. He does everything he can to confront us with Charlie’s weight in ways that seem designed to repulse us.

T ese ouris es of e cess are visuall ar o a e af er all, is is arren ronofs – but what makes them even more unsettling is the challenge they present to our self-perception. Our visceral response to them forces us to measure our own level of empathy, to question the judgments we carry, and to think about the deeply ingrained cultural stigma a in uences our a i u es a ou o acce ance

is la es film is com ara ivel less s oc ing, u i some o manages o e almos as disturbing. Adapted for the screen by Samuel D. Hunter from his original play of the same name, “The Whale’’ documents a crucial week in the life of Charlie (Brendan Fraser), a 600lb shut-in who teaches a writing course for an online college. Consumed by grief over the death of his partner and haunted by guilt over abandoning his wife and child to be with another man, he has survived in his reclusive lifestyle thanks to regular visits from his only friend (Hong Chau), a professional nurse; now, with his health declining, and painful memories being stirred by a persistent young Christian missionary (Ty Simpkins) determined to “save” him, he decides to reach out to his estranged daughter (Sadie Sink) in the hope of being reconciled with her before it’s too late.

It’s a movie that comes with considerable fanfare, thanks in no small part to its star, who disappeared from the limelight nearly two decades ago after a series of personal setbacks – including an alleged sexual assault, revealed by the actor in 2018, in which he claims to have been groped by former Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Philip Berk during a 2003 function in Beverly Hills – led him to abandon his career as one of Holl oo s mos li a le lea ing men e s a raser a een cas in ronofs s film prompted a wave of social media attention from a legion of Millennial fans eager to see a much-deserved comeback, and when the movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September, glowing praise for his performance – as well as a six-minute standing ovation for the movie itself – only served to heighten the buzz.

Yet alongside the feel-good narrative of a beloved actor’s triumphant return, there has also been a swirl of controversy – some over the casting of the heterosexual Fraser as a gay man, but mostly over criticism over the choice to put him in a prosthetic “fat suit” and what some cultural observers perceived as a stigmatizing portrayal of obesity.

For his part, Fraser rises above the fray to deliver a truly hype-worthy performance which validates the promise he showed but could never fully realize in his early career. Guided

The same confrontational approach pervades Hunter’s script. Embracing its theatricality, his adaptation never expands the action beyond Charlie’s cramped apartment and indulges in lengthy didactic exchanges that serve as a litmus test for our prejudices around religion, omo o ia, mari al infi eli , an more ur er, rom e elville s oby-Dick” as a central element in Charlie’s obsessions (SPOILER ALERT: that’s why it’s called “The Whale”), we are strongly encouraged to interpret things with a strong dose of literary irony.

All of this might make a case for Aronofsky and company’s good intentions in making a film a romo es em a , u i s no li el o sa isf vie ers o elieve ose in entions fail to justify a portrayal they see as demeaning. Though a majority of reviews so far have been positive, many critics have taken a harsher perspective, rebuking “The Whale” and its director over what they deem an insensitive depiction, and it’s not our place to say they’re wrong.

Even so, it has much to recommend it for cinephiles who take a wider view; though i s a roac ma raise some ac les, i us es us o loo as self-sa isfie re ensions of supportive solidarity and consider the reality of existence for those who struggle with e reme eig arlie s self-es eem can e fi e a o ing a o osi ive ou loo , nor can the life-threatening impact of his size on his health be erased by acceptance; in the face of his profoundly traumatic lived experience, such solutions feel like shallow platitudes – and that’s a big part of what makes “The Whale” such a bitter pill to swallow.

That doesn’t mean it’s a masterpiece; constrained by its structure, it requires us to acce oo man a -an - erfec coinci ences among i s five c arac ers o u in o i s narrative, and some of its most cathartic moments feel unearned, even hollow, as a resul T en again, consi ering ronofs s enc an for ma ing films a feel more li e parables than cinema, an expectation of realism might just be one more pretension the irec or is aiming o e a e

In any case, Fraser is reason enough to give “The Whale” a chance. The movie belongs to him (though the whole cast is excellent, with standout turns from Chau and Sink), and his performance transcends its divisive provocations; and though Aronofsky may fall somewhat short of his ambitions, sometimes even undermine them, he nevertheless succee s in s a ing us ou of lac -an - i e oversim lifica ion an oin ing us o ar a deeper understanding of the world. In our book, that’s never a bad thing.

BRENDAN FRASER delivers a powerful performance in ‘The Whale.’

ee e ga cou le a as save coun less ogs orever

ome fea ures s ories of neglec i a a ou come

By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

The leash is hooked tight. ne en on our og s collar or arness, e o er en firml ra e aroun our ris , an e s no going an ere i ou ou escuing is u er as e es ing ever an no , as in e ne oo on an a, ann o er s a , an Larr Lin ner, e s orever ome all s ar e on orse ac ann o er s a , o love orses since e as small, as ell no n as a ri er an rainer u an o n e as oas on an a a move is orses o ou arolina o a farm e urc ase i e o e of launc ing a usiness T e o men a me u i asn un il eir lives egan o circle closer o one ano er a e ecame goo frien s no long af er e eci e o ecome usiness ar ners, an a ivorce is ife an a an e i an T e o men ecame ar ners in life el e a o a ee an en less loves of orses an ogs en o men ere o s, gro ing u in se ara e s a es, eir mo ers im resse u on em e a i of a o ing s ra ogs an un an e , unlove u s ll eir lives, o men a ic e u si e-of- e-roa , mis rea e , or el erl ogs, re a ili a e em, an re- ome em asn c ea T e ogs e s el ere a var ing me ical ro lems, an man a issues s emming from fear, a an onmen , an a use an a an o er s a ai for e ogs ve ills ou of oc e , en ouse an raine eac u un il e ogs coul e ro erl a o e ou as ann on ogs T a as a ure la or of love, u eir ouse as soon rec e an eir furni ure, s re e one ime, aving un re s of ogs in eir care, e urne eir ome in o a og ouse is, es i e errif ing ersonal eal crises in e mi le of urricanes, filming a ocumen ar , an eir marriage overseas, an in con unc ion i causes an eo le close o eir ear s s goo o no a rescue eing love , living i igni , elonging is aening on more an one fron e can resis an a ora le u Bu a a ou e ogs o ve seen e er

a s an ou resis scoo ing em u f e ans er is no, en ou ll an orever ome n a consis en l u ea manner, au ors o er s a , an a, an Lin ner s are e s or of a movemen a as save e lives of coun less ogs an o er animals roug e ears, an e o men e in i ile ese s ories are sure ear -ca urers, e re also ver re e i ious, as if e animal s name an ree are all a c anges from ale o ale ea ers ill no ice, oo, a ere are lo s of a s ories ere u e re ui e of en rece e incing accoun s of a use an neglec ill, a s no ne s o e lovers eav sig es i e fur er confusion as o o s elling e s or , orever ome ill a eal o an one o s s are a e i a og, a sofa i a ca , or a ri e i a orse en e cover, rea a age, an ou ll e oo e tight.

“Forever

Home: How We Turned Our House into a Haven for Abandoned, Abused, and Misunderstood Dogs – and Each Other”

By Ron Danta & Danny Robertshaw and Larry Lindner c.2022, HarperOne | $27.99 | 262 pages

‘Pelosi in the House’ a fascinating, must-see documentary

Speaker is a force, whether doing laundry or surviving Jan. 6

By KATHI WOLFE

It’s often said that Washington, D.C. is Hollywood for ugly people. This may be true for uncharismatic politicos. But “Pelosi in the House,” a documentary just out on HBO, directed by documentarian Alexandra Pelosi, shows that this trope doesn’t describe Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

rom e ge -go, in is -minu e film, anc elosi, , who announced that she’s stepping down as Speaker of the House, holds your attention.

Whether she’s at her home doing her laundry during a (remote) meeting with former Vice President Mike Pence, dancing with one of her grandchildren or going through the halls of the Capitol (stilettos clacking), Pelosi is captivating.

She’s an extraordinary vote counter, fundraiser, campaigner, and party lea er, ile figing sexism and the glass ceiling. And she looks great wearing a red coat and sunglasses, or pajamas.

If politics is your jam, you’ll enjoy this documentary. If you’re expecting an intimate look into Pelosi’s psyche, you’ll likely be disappointed.

It’s hard to think of a more steadfast LGBTQ ally than Pelosi - alif rom er firs oor s eec a ou in o er pivotal role in securing passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, Pelosi has championed the queer community.

During her decades of service, Pelosi shepherded the passage of much legislation, perhaps most notably the Affordable Care Act.

“You’re a tough nut to crack,” Alexandra Pelosi, one of Nanc elosi s five c il ren, sa s o er mo er in elosi in e House.”

Alexandra Pelosi tries to keep up as her mother power-walks through the Capitol, reminds Democrats who resist voting for Obamacare that there are no “free passes” and advises Barack Obama (then president) not “to go too far left.”

Bu le an ra elosi s alen as a filmma er oesn el her to decode her mother. We watch as Nancy Pelosi dances with a grandchild and looks for a birthday card for a grandkid. Though totally consumed by her work, the Speaker is devoted to her family. You sense that she has feelings about life — her family, etc. — but Pelosi isn’t going to reveal them. Not even to her daughter.

f a s a ou an o o, e ea er sa s o er filmmaker daughter trying to break her facade, “Crack your mom.”

You can tell that Alexandra Pelosi loves her mother. But,

s e s no a ar isan filmma er elosi in e ouse is e documentary she’s made for HBO. er ocumen ar ourne s i George is a ou e mon s s e covere George Bus s resi en ial camaign as a B e s ro ucer T e film receive si mm nominations.

Her other documentaries include “Friends of God: A Road Tri i le an ria elosi, a film on evangelical ris ians and “Outside the Bu le, a film about Trump supporters. Contrary to what you might expect, these documentaries aren’t hatchet jobs.

Alexandra Pelosi isn’t a right-winger. But her documentaries on evangelicals and Trump voters are illuminating, not demeaning.

“Pelosi in the House” doesn’t reveal Nancy Pelosi’s inner world. But it’s revealing to anyone who cares about not only politics, but democracy.

T e film, s o in cinema veri e s le, gives us a e in - escenes look at vote counting and negotiating. There are poignant moments. Scenes of Pelosi and George W. Bush – of Pelosi on the phone with John McCain – remind us of when politicians saw each other as human beings, not just as demonized opponents.

“Pelosi in the House” is terrifying in its last half hour when it shows Nancy Pelosi in the midst of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

This footage has been shown at the Jan. 6 committee hearings. But watching it on screen, you get in your solar plexus, how our democracy nearly imploded.

Hitchcock couldn’t have dreamed up anything more frightening than the riot in the Capitol. Or more sinister than the recent brutal attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband.

Pelosi has received death threats and been the object of vicious right-wing ads. Being Speaker makes you a target “sometimes of mockery,” Nancy Pelosi says in the documentary, “sometimes of violence.”

“It’s not for the faint of heart,” she says.

“Pelosi in the House” is a fascinating must-see.

‘Pelosi in the House’

‘Pelosi in the House’ a fascinating look at an LGBTQ ally. (Photo via HBO)

Directed by Alexandra Pelosi Available on HBO platforms

Ugly Sweater Party

Imperial Court holds holiday event at Freddie’s

The Imperial Court of Washington, D.C. held an Ugly Sweater Party at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Grill on Sunday, Dec. 18.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

The dogs that stole Christmas

The tree was in shambles yet there was more the presents were strewn on the foor

By VALERIE M. BLAKE

I was chatting with a friend the other day about the Christmas presents she got for her dog, Dot, and where she was hiding them so Dot couldn’t fnd them until they were wrapped and placed under the tree. We spoke quietly so Dot couldn’t hear us.

During our conversation, I remarked on the items I purchased this year for my six-pack of Miniature Schnauzers: an assortment of festive, red and green bow ties and bandannas, to highlight the rainbow of new collars I had ordered for each pup – red, pink, purple and lime green for the girls and turquoise and orange for the boys.

“Is that it?” she asked. “Let me ask you: How did you like getting clothes for Christmas when you were a kid?” I admitted that socks and underwear were never my favorites, but if you consider a collar as pet jewelry, it sounds like a more elegant gift. Besides, playing with dog toys doesn’t hold much interest at my house and with rescues, there’s usually some residual food aggression, so treats are only distributed when I am there to monitor their consumption.

I hung up the phone feeling like Scrooge, as if Santa Paws wouldn’t be coming down the chimney this year. This was probably a good thing, though, since I had just had the chimney inspected in November and had found that the damper still wouldn’t stay open. Sometimes I can still smell the smoke wafting through my living room from the freplace fasco of 2019.

It’s a funny thing about pets. When you talk to them, they often react as if they a) understand what you are saying, b) are interested in the subject matter, and c) want to respond. “Good boy” is always a popular topic, as is “suppertime.” The repeated nudge of a wet nose on my arm means, “tell me a story,” so, for them and for you, I offer you the tale of The Dogs That Stole Christmas.

‘Twas the weekend of Christmas (so it says in the fable) and I’d just gotten up from the settlement table. With documents signed and notarized too, it was time to step out for a nosh and a brew, so I strolled to the neighborhood bar down the street to order some wings and a Glenlivet neat.

While I sipped on my drink and it warmed up my tummy, I looked at the menu for something else yummy. As I pondered which tidbit I should order next, I heard my phone buzz and I noticed a text. “Come back to the house and please hurry,” it stated, yet no more was written about what awaited.

I sprang from my seat, paid the bill and departed, and off to my home on the hillside, I darted. To the east of the river I flew like a flash. I parked and went in, as I heard a loud crash. When I looked all around there appeared such a torrent, like a scene that resembled a search with a warrant.

The tree was in shambles and yet there was more: the presents were opened and strewn on the floor. The branches were broken, the ornaments shattered, the stockings that hung by the chimney were tattered. No elf on a shelf could be found in its place and nor was the wreath I had hung in its space.

I scowled at my dogs and I called them by name to try to determine just who was to blame. “Now Sasha, Fiona and Maxwell and Cory, someone enlighten me. Tell me the story. Out with the truth. I am totally vexed. Did Cammie or Jelly Bean learn how to text?”

“And why would you do this to our lovely house? Were you playing a game? Were you chasing a mouse? Did I leave you too long or did you get bored? Were you hungry or thirsty, or feeling ignored?”

Their innocent faces gave nary a clue, ‘til I noticed some soot at the base of the flue. And there were the prints of a four-legged critter and no sign at all of my hired dog sitter. “Aha,” I exclaimed as I deduced the cause. Why, the reprobate must have been Santa Paws!

They nodded assent as they hung their wee heads, before settling into their crates and their beds. I told them good night with a pat and a hug, then discovered that someone had peed on the rug.‘

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, & Happy Kwanzaa from my family to yours.

VALERIE M. BLAKE

is a licensed Associate Broker in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia with RLAH Real Estate / @properties. Call or text her at 202-246-8602, email her via DCHomeQuest.com, or follow her on Facebook at TheRealst8ofAffairs.

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BULLETIN BOARD

Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Real Estate Contractor

The Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School located in Washington, DC requests proposals for Real Estate Contractor. Proposals are due January 6th, ou can fin e e aile request for proposal and submission information at https://aohdc.org/jobs/

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