Washington Blade, Volume 55, Issue 10, March 08, 2024

Here we go again

Super Tuesday sets up Biden-Trump rematch with LGBTQ rights hanging in the balance, PAGE 10

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Casa Ruby receiver appeals decision dismissing lawsuit against former board Case against founder Ruby Corado continues

By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

The Wanda Alston Foundation, which assumed control over the operations of the D.C. LGBTQ community services group Casa Ruby in August 2022 under a court appointed receivership role, last week filed papers before the D.C. Court of Appeals contesting a May 1, 2023, decision by a D.C. Superior Court judge dismissing a lawsuit against seven of the eight former Casa Ruby board members who the Alston Foundation named as defendants.

The lawsuit, which the Alston Foundation filed Dec. 23, 2022, accuses all eight former Casa Ruby board members of violating D.C.’s nonprofit corporation law by failing to “hold regular meetings and/or maintain official records – thereby exercising no oversight or governance over the organization.”

The lawsuit also names Casa Ruby founder and former executive director Ruby Corado as a defendant who it says is also responsible for Casa Ruby’s downfall.

The Alston Foundation’s lawsuit followed a separate civil complaint filed against Casa Ruby in July 2022 by the Office of the D.C. Attorney General, which alleges that Casa Ruby, under Corado’s leadership, violated the city’s Nonprofit Corporations Act in connection with its financial dealings, including Corado’s alleged unauthorized withdrawal of funds from Casa Ruby.

In a report it released last year, the Alston Foundation said its own investigation into Casa Ruby’s financial records show that Corado allegedly embezzled over $800,000 from the organization, with the board failing to take steps to prevent that from happening.

Corado has denied the allegations against her, saying her withdrawal of funds from Casa Ruby accounts, some of which she said was for her establishing a Casa Ruby outpost in El Salvador, were all approved by the board.

The lawsuit calls on the court to require Corado and the

former board members to pay “restitution, compensatory damages, punitive damages, receivership fees and expenses, court costs, attorneys’ fees and expenses, and any other relief the court deems necessary and proper.”

In her May 2023 decision, D.C. Superior Court Judge Danya A. Dayson dismissed the lawsuit against seven of the eight former Casa Ruby board members but did not dismiss the case against Corado. The judge also did not dismiss the case against former board member Consuella Lopez, citing evidence presented in the lawsuit that Lopez received some financial benefits from Corado.

Lopez didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by the Washington Blade. The other board members have declined requests for comment at the time the lawsuit was filed.

Dayson states in her decision that her dismissal of the lawsuit against the seven board members was based on her interpretation of a D.C. law that says members of an organization’s board of directors can only be held liable for harming an organization like Casa Ruby if they “intentionally, rather than negligently, inflicted harm on Casa Ruby.”

The judge states in her ruling that the law in question also says board members can be held responsible for harming an organization if a “board member intentionally violated a criminal law or that the board member received some amount of money to which they were not entitled.” Dayson states in her ruling that the Alston Foundation lawsuit does not provide sufficient evidence that the seven board members committed those types of violations.

Attorneys with the D.C. law firm Wiley Rein LLP, who are representing the Alston Foundation, dispute the judge’s interpretation of the law. They argue in a 23-page legal brief filed with the D.C. Court of Appeals on Feb. 26 that the Alston Founda-

tion’s Third Interim Report in its role as the Casa Ruby receiver provides sufficient evidence that the former board members are legally liable for harming Casa Ruby.

Their legal brief says based on that report, among other evidence, the court could find that the former board members “were deliberately indifferent or ‘willfully blind’ to the alleged wrongful conduct of the non-profit’s executive director amounting to actual knowledge on their part that inaction would harm the non-profit, ultimately and forcibly leading to its financial inability to continue operating.”

The brief adds that if the judge’s dismissal ruling is upheld, it would have an adverse impact on other nonprofit organizations whose board members fail to adequately oversee the organizations.

“If the Superior Court’s order is allowed to stand, directors could both abdicate these responsibilities and claim not to know that such addiction would have adverse consequences for their organizations with impunity,” it says. “Indeed, such a standard essentially provides non-profit directors with an incentive to engage in a ‘see-no-evil’ hands off approach to their responsibilities under circumstances in which the Nonprofit Corporations Act expressly contemplates the opposite.”

Under court rules, the former board members will be given an opportunity through their attorneys to file a response objecting to the Alston Foundation’s appeal of the dismissal ruling.

Former CAMP Rehoboth official pleads guilty to felony theft

Salvatore Seeley faces possible jail time, agrees to reimburse $176,000

By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Salvatore “Sal” Seeley, who served as an official at the Rehoboth Beach, Del., CAMP Rehoboth LGBTQ community center for 20 years, has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of Theft In Excess of $50,000 for allegedly embezzling funds from the organization for at least a two-and-a-half-year period, according to a Sussex County, Del., Superior Court indictment and a spokesperson for the Delaware Office of the Attorney General.

The spokesperson, Mat Marshall, sent the Blade a copy of the indictment, which he said was handed down against Seeley on Feb. 27 and which provides the only specific court information that the Washington Blade could immediately obtain.

“Salvatore C. Seeley, between the 27th day of February 2019 and the 7th day of September 2021, in the County of Sussex, State of Delaware, did take property belonging to

Camp Rehoboth, Inc., consisting of United States currency and other miscellaneous property valued at more than $50,000, intending to appropriate same,” the indictment states.

“I can further confirm that the Defendant entered a guilty plea to one count of Theft in Excess of $50,000,” spokesperson Marshall told the Blade in an email message. “Mr. Seeley also agrees to make restitution of $176,199.78 to CAMP Rehoboth,” Marshall said. “He will be sentenced on April 5 and does face the possibility of prison time.”

Marshall declined to provide additional information on the findings of the law enforcement investigation into Seeley’s alleged theft. The restitution figure of $176,199.79 suggests investigators believe Seeley embezzled at least that amount from CAMP Rehoboth during the time he worked for the organization.

Seeley couldn’t immediately be reached for comment CAMP Rehoboth describes itself as a nonprofit LGBTQ community service organization and the largest organization of its type “serving the needs of LGBTQ+ people in Rehoboth, greater Sussex County, and throughout the state of Delaware.” The statement adds that the organization “is dedicated to creating a positive environment inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Rehoboth and its related

communities.”

Kim Leisey, who began her job as executive director of CAMP Rehoboth in July of 2023, said it was her understanding that officials with the organization discovered funds were missing and opened an investigation in September of 2021, a short time before Seeley left the organization. Leisey said that at the time of his departure, Seeley served as CAMP Rehoboth’s director of health and wellness programs.

At that time, former D.C. Center for the LGBT Community director David Mariner was serving as CAMP Rehoboth’s executive director and reportedly took steps to open an investigation into missing funds. Wesley Combs, CAMP Rehoboth’s current board president, said Seeley resigned from his job around that time in 2021.

“I know that I took this job knowing there was a concern and a problem and an investigation,” Leisey told the Blade. “And I also know that the board of CAMP Rehoboth has done everything it needs to do to ensure that we were compliant, cooperative and that things are going really well here at CAMP Rehoboth.”

Leisey said CAMP Rehoboth currently has a staff of six fulltime employees and several contract employees. She said the organization has a current annual budget of $1.4 million.

The lawsuit names Casa Ruby founder and former executive director RUBY CORADO as a defendant. (Photo via Facebook)

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

D.C. Council votes to update ‘Annie’s Way Designation Act’

The D.C. Council on Tuesday, March 5, voted unanimously in a first-reading vote to approve the Annie’s Way Designation Amendment Act of 2023 to honor the square block on which the longtime LGBTQ supportive Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse is currently located.

D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2), who introduced the legislation last October, said in a statement that it was aimed at changing an earlier measure passed by the D.C. Council in 2014 that designated as Annie’s Way the block on which the restaurant was located at 17th and Church St., N.W. before it moved to its current location at 17th and Corcoran Streets, N.W.

The gay bar JR.’s is now located in the building where Annie’s first opened in 1948.

“This legislation would symbolically designate the public alley system within Square 0179, bounded by Corcoran Street, N.W., 16th Street, N.W., Q Street, N.W. and 17th Street, N.W. as ‘Annie’s Way,’” Pinto says in her statement. “This portion of land is where Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse is located.”

“Since its opening 75 years ago, Annie’s Paramount

Steakhouse has created a distinctive gathering spot providing delicious food, a sense of belonging, and a communal spirit,” Pinto’s statement says.

“Annie’s has been a champion for the LGBTQQIA+

Capital Pride announces 2024 Pride theme

The Capital Pride Alliance last Thursday announced this year’s Pride theme is “totally radical.”

The organization made the announcement at Penn Social in Downtown D.C.

“Capital Pride’s 2024 theme celebrates the courageous spirit and unwavering strength and resilience that defined the LGBTQ+ community during the transformative decades of the 1980s and ‘90s,” said Capital Pride Alliance Executive Director Ryan Bos. “It’s about embracing our authenticity, pushing boundaries and advocating for a world where everyone can live their truth without fear or discrimination.”

Capital Pride on Thursday announced this year’s Pride parade, which will take place on June 8, will begin at 14th

and T Streets, N.W., and end at Pennsylvania Avenue and 9th Street, N.W.

The Capital Pride Block Party and Family Area will once again take place on 17th Street in Dupont Circle. A Tea Dance will also take place on Constitution Avenue, N.W., near the end of the parade.

The Capital Pride Festival and Concert will take place on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., on June 9.

Capital Pride has also launched a campaign to raise $1.5 million for a new D.C. LGBTQ community center.

WorldPride will take place in D.C. in 2025. The event will coincide with the 50th anniversary of Pride events in the nation’s capital.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

community, providing an accepting and loving atmosphere as well as being an early sponsor of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., a continuous presence at the annual Capital Pride Parade, and a recipient of the Rainbow History Project’s Community Pioneer Award,” Pinto states.

The beloved restaurant was expected to celebrate its 75th anniversary in June during D.C.’s Pride month.

The D.C. Council is expected to vote unanimously once again in its second and final vote to approve the Annie’s legislation later this month. Mayor Muriel Bowser was expected to sign the legislation before it is sent to Capitol Hill for a 30-day congressional review required under the city’s Home Rule Act.

The newly designated Annie’s Way will also be located on the section of 17th Street, N.W., that in 2010 was designated Frank Kameny Way in honor of gay rights pioneer Frank Kameny, whose D.C.-based and national gay rights activism dates back to the early 1960s. Kameny passed away on Oct. 11, 2011.

LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Protests interrupt Moms for Liberty meeting in HoCo

When a Howard County chapter of Moms for Liberty wanted to learn how to remove books from schools, they were met with a swarm of protesters sporting rainbow colors and signs looking to send the message that such actions are not welcome in their district.

The conservative parents’ group met Monday night at Howard’s Central Branch library in Columbia to brainstorm how they could get books they deemed inappropriate out of their children’s school libraries. Their guest speaker for the evening was Jessica Garland, who led a successful book-removal campaign in Carroll County. The Howard chapter wanted the playbook.

The chair of the chapter, Lisa Geraghty, knew protesters were coming, but anticipated only a few dozen. However, the meeting room was flooded with protesters in the seats, on the floor and standing along the walls. Geraghty and Garland were heckled throughout their speeches and a librarian warned the audience not to yell during the presentation.

At least an hour before the meeting, protesters crowded the library’s entryway sporting colored leis, flags and signs that read “books not bigots” and “only fascists ban

books.”

Jonathan Tuttle of Columbia, who was clad in a rainbow Roman soldier helmet and gear with a rainbow cape and referred to himself as Rainbow Spartacus, was critical of the books Moms for Liberty is trying to remove.

“They’re claiming it’s [the books] pornographic, but it isn’t,” he said. “It’s really teaching about alternate gender identities. If kids, if they don’t have that reinforcement, they get depressed, they can become suicidal and it’s totally needless.”

Tuttle said a way to prevent that is by having representation in schools.

Fellow protester Suzy Gerb echoed the same sentiments, but added that it’s also important for nonqueer kids to learn about their classmates “because everybody deserves to be understood.”

The Columbia resident also noted the irony of the event being held at a library.

“The place that stands for free expression and free learning is the place that they’re holding their meeting,” Gerb said.

Christie Lassen, spokesperson for the Howard Coun-

ty Library System, told The Banner via email that Moms for Liberty had reserved the meeting room at the Central Branch, which the library system’s policy allows, but “use of library meeting rooms does not constitute HCLS endorsement of the users or their beliefs. As public libraries, it is our role and responsibility to provide space for community conversations, and no one may be excluded based on beliefs, points of view, or affiliation of the sponsors or participants.”

Lassen said the system supports the First Amendment and the freedom to read.

In Carroll County, Moms for Liberty members challenged more than 50 books they said were “sexually explicit.” It prompted the superintendent to remove them all from the shelves until a review process was complete, and led to Carroll’s school board tightening its library and textbook selection policy.

Howard County Public School System’s board members, however, have no plans to entertain any similar campaigns, according to the board chair. Instead, they’ll rely on their librarians and existing book selection processes.

KRISTEN GRIFFITH/BALTIMORE BANNER

ANNE KAYLOR in 1985. (Blade archive photo by Doug Hinckle)

Capital Pride Alliance Executive Director RYAN BOS (left) announces this year’s Pride theme at the Pride Reveal party last week. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

Here we go again

Biden, Trump win big on Super Tuesday, setting up rematch

By CHRISTOPHER KANE & AMBER LAENEN

About a third of all delegates for the presidential nominating conventions were up for grabs as voters in 16 U.S. states and the U.S. territory of American Samoa headed to the polls on Super Tuesday.

As expected, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump trounced their respective rivals in the Democratic and Republican Parties, earning a respective 1,479 and 995 delegates and thereby setting up a rematch of the 2020 presidential election.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley announced the suspension of her campaign on Wednesday, but declined to endorse Trump.

After he delivers the State of the Union address on Thursday, where he is expected to draw contrasts between his record and vision of leadership and Trump’s, the president will travel to Pennsylvania and then to Georgia. Both are swing states. Neither held primaries or caucuses on Tuesday.

The White House aside, the contests on Tuesday across the country shaped key races for state legislatures, Congress, mayors’ offices, city councils, and elsewhere.

Among the most closely watched was the Democratic primary for California’s second U.S. Senate seat. The incumbent — Laphonza Butler, the first LGBTQ Black senator — was appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom after the death of Dianne Feinstein and announced that she would not seek another term shortly after she was seated in October.

The move set up a three-way race between three wellknown Democrats representing California in the U.S. House of Representatives: Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and Barbara Lee.

Schiff pulled ahead on Tuesday and will advance to the general election against former baseball player Steve Garvey, the GOP candidate.

In North Carolina, anti-LGBTQ Lieutenant Gov. Mark Robinson became the Republican gubernatorial nominee. Polls show that he is neck and neck with state Attorney General Josh Stein, the likely Democratic candidate.

“There is no reason anybody, anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality or any of that filth,” Robinson said in 2021. “And yes, I called it filth. And if you don’t like it that I called it

filth, come see me about it.”

He has also made anti-Semitic and misogynistic remarks.

“Mark Robinson’s ascension to the Republican nomination for governor in our state is a disturbing signal of how extreme the GOP establishment has become in North Carolina,” Campaign for Southern Equality Director of Impact and Innovation Allison Scott said in a statement.

Human Rights Campaign Equality Votes PAC released a statement Tuesday that said “all signs point to North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson becoming the Republican Party’s 2024 nominee for governor. Robinson is one of the most radical anti-LGBTQ+ MAGA politicians on the ballot this year, with a long record of demeaning LGTBQ+ people and spreading hateful, vile rhetoric without abandon. Among many other ‘lowlights,’ Robinson has:

• Referred to being transgender and homosexuality as “filth” and said gays are equivalent to “what the cows leave behind” as well as “maggots” and “flies.”

• Called straight couples “superior” to LGBTQ+ couples

• Said transgender women should be arrested over bathroom use and suggested transgender people instead “find a corner outside somewhere” to go to the bathroom

• Said the Pride flag “Makes me sick every time I see it — a church that flies that rainbow flag, which is a direct spit in the face of God almighty.”

The statement continued, “Beyond his bigoted anti-LGTBQ+ views, Robinson is also a Holocaust denier, an election denier, wants to ban all abortions in North Carolina and has mocked victims of school shootings. In short, there are few people who haven’t faced Robinson’s wrath.”

The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, which works to elect LGBTQ candidates to public office, pointed to several races in Texas and California that the organization was watching closely.

Sacramento’s first LGBTQ city councilman, Steve Hansen, is angling to become its first LGBTQ mayor. He is tied with pediatrician and California state Sen. Richard Pan, each with 24 percent of the vote and 13 percent of

precincts reporting.

Silicon Valley might get its first LGBTQ representative in Congress if Evan Low is elected to represent California’s 16th Congressional District, which will be vacant after Democratic Congresswoman Anna Eshoo’s retirement. He is currently in third place among the Democratic candidates with an estimated 51.7 percent of votes counted.

Palm Springs City Council member Lisa Middleton could also make history as the state’s first transgender legislator if she wins her bid for Senate District 28. She was leading incumbent state Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh in Tuesday’s early returns, and both will advance to the general election in November. And Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney Ethan Weaver would bring more LGBTQ representation to the Los Angeles City Council, though he is behind Councilmember Nithya Raman according to early returns reported by the Los Angeles Times.

LGBTQ candidates win in Texas

In Texas, state Rep. Julie Johnson won the Democratic primary in the race to succeed Democratic Congressman Colin Allred, who is running against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Johnson will make history as the first LGBTQ member of Congress from the South if she defeats Republican state Rep. Todd Hunter in November.

Molly Cook finished second in the Senate District 15 Democratic primary. She will face state Rep. Jarvis Johnson in a May 28 runoff. The winner will face Republican Joseph Trahan in November. Cook would become Texas’ first LGBTQ state senator if she wins.

Lauren Ashley Simmons, a progressive candidate from House District 146, defeated anti-LGBTQ Democratic state Rep. Shawn Thierry. Mo Jenkins, who is transgender, finished third in the Democratic primary in House District 139.

Sinema to leave the Senate

In another major political development this week, bisexual U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) announced on Tuesday that she will not run for re-election, thereby setting up a two-way race for the seat between U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Republican former television news anchor Kari Lake, who is a close ally of former President Donald Trump.

The first bisexual woman to serve in the U.S. Senate — and the second LGBTQ woman, after U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) — Sinema was instrumental in shoring up support in the chamber for passage of the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022, which protects the rights of married same-sex and interracial couples.

Sinema mentioned the legislative achievement in a video posted on X announcing her plans to leave the Senate. Registering as an independent in December 2022 af-

ter years of serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and then the Senate as a Democrat, Sinema developed a reputation for imperiling some of her former party’s more ambitious policy goals.

For example, she was criticized for refusing to support abolishing the Senate filibuster and for objecting to a provision of the Inflation Reduction Act that would have narrowed the carried interest tax loophole, which benefits investment managers at private equity funds.

In her video, the senator detailed her objections to what she considers the polarization of partisan politics that has come to dominate Washington.

“I want to thank @SenatorSinema for her nearly two decades of service to our state,” Gallego wrote in a post on X.

Former President DONALD TRUMP and President JOE BIDEN (Blade photos by Michael Key)

U.S. Sen. KYRSTEN SINEMA (I-Ariz.) (Blade photo by Michael Key)

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Pa. state trooper in altercation with prominent LGBTQ leaders

Celena Morrison, husband pulled over on Philadelphia expressway, detained

By LAUREN ROWELLO | PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS

Video footage uploaded to Facebook shows an altercation between a state trooper and two prominent Philadelphia LGBTQ+ leaders. Celena Morrison, executive director of Philadelphia’s Office of LGBT Affairs, was pulled over by a state trooper on the Vine Street Expressway on the morning of March 2 and later detained by police.

Morrison’s sister told PGN that Morrison was pulled over “for not having their lights on while tailgating,” which a video of the encounter that Morrison recorded confirms. Darius McClean, Morrison’s husband and acting COO of William Way LGBT Community Center, was present during the incident and was also detained.

“My sister started recording when the officer became aggressive,” said Morrison’s sister, who uploaded the video to her Facebook. It shows a portion of the traffic stop encounter. It is unclear what occurred before Morrison started recording. Morrison’s sister said that McLean was following his wife’s car in a separate vehicle at the time of the stop and pulled over behind her during the traffic stop.

Morrison told her sister the officer “pulled him out of the car” then Morrison got out of her own vehicle to explain that McLean is her husband.

“She started recording when the officer pulled his taser,” Morrison’s sister explained.

In the video, which is described in greater detail below, Morrison accuses the officer of punching her and drawing his gun on her. In the video, the officer says that both McLean and Morrison are “under arrest for resisting.”

Philadelphia Police confirmed that Morrison and McLean were taken to Philadelphia Police Headquarters at 400 N. Broad St. Morrison’s sister says the pair was processed, charged with disorderly conduct, and detained until approximately 9 p.m. on March 2.

“My concern is over her safety since she is transgender,” Morrison’s sister told PGN. She is especially concerned with “the way the police officer charged at her for recording,” which can be seen on the footage. One commenter replied to the video on Facebook, “This is OUTRAGEOUS. This has to go straight to the governor’s office.”

What the video shows

The video begins with Morrison repeatedly stating, “That’s my husband,” to the officer who is seen kneeling on McLean’s back as McLean lays on the asphalt in fetal position in the rain. The officer tells him to put his hands behind his back. McLean says, “I don’t know why you’re doing this,” then frantically attempts to reassure Morrison by telling her, “It’s OK. It’s OK.”

Morrison repeatedly states to the officer, “I work for the mayor!” McLean appears to attempt to shield his face with one arm in fear as the officer cuffs his other hand. The officer hits McLean’s hand with a closed fist before pointing to Morrison. The officer yells, “Stay the fuck back!” while moving McLean’s hands to his back to finish cuffing.

McLean pleads for the officer to stop then says, “It’s because I’m Black.” The officer appears to respond, saying, “It’s not because you’re Black. It’s because you rolled up on me.”

The officer then lets go of McLean and approaches Morrison, saying, “Turn around,” before lunging toward Morrison with a grabbing motion. The camera is jostled at this time and points at the sky for the remainder of the footage. The officer yells, “Give me your hands or you’re getting tased!” while Morrison and McLean can be heard calling out in distress.

The officer says, “Stay right there!” to which McLean replies, “I am! I can’t go anywhere!” before trying to reassure Morrison again by saying, “Celena, it’s OK baby.” Morrison says she doesn’t know why this is happening and repeatedly states that they’ve done nothing wrong.

She then says, “He just punched me. He just punched me.” The officer appears to stand over McLean and Morrison as Morrison asks what’s going on and McLean cries out for help. The officer calls to dispatch that he has two people detained.

McLean says to the officer calmly, “I’m just getting my glasses.” The officer screams in reply, “Leave that right there!”

McLean says more frantically, “I just need my glasses,” and the officer shouts, “Don’t reach for anything!” Morrison reassures McLean, “Just be still.”

The officer says, “Stay right there! You move, you’re getting taken down.”

McLean is prompted to stand but says he can’t. Morrison says she’ll call the mayor’s office once this is over. When she stands, she asks the officer to pick up her phone. The officer says loudly, “This was a simple traffic stop because you didn’t have your lights on — you didn’t have your lights on and you were tailgating.”

McLean attempts to defend himself, “I wasn’t tailgating!” and the officer repeats, “Simple traffic stop,” to Morrison. The officer appears to tell McLean, “And I don’t know who you are, so I don’t need you rolling up on me.”

“You were about to tase me. You pulled your gun on me,” Morrison says. “Because you were fighting with me,” says the officer, which Morrison is heard denying.

The officer says that both McLean and Morrison are “under arrest for resisting.”

A response from Philadelphia and national leaders

Mayor Cherelle Parker released a statement on X, formerly Twitter, that reads:

“Earlier today, a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper executed a car stop on the Vine Street Expressway in Philadelphia, reportedly for a Motor Vehicle Code violation. Celena Morrison, the City’s executive director of the Office of LGBT Affairs, was in the vehicle that was stopped.

A video circulating on social media that depicts a portion of the incident is very concerning to me, and I will have no further comment until the investigation has been completed.”

State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta addressed the incident in his speech at the Human Rights Campaign Greater Philadelphia dinner on Saturday evening. He emphasized the need for a thorough investigation.

Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign — a national organization that advocates on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community — also underlined the need for a thorough investigation, underlining to PGN that important details often get missed in these kinds of situations. She retweeted the mayor, calling the incident “disturbing.”

In her speech, she said, “When Philadelphia’s very own executive director of the Office of LGBTQ Affairs, Celena Morrison, cannot even ride around the streets of Philadelphia without being harassed by law enforcement, we are in a state of emergency.”

Tyrell Brown, executive director of galaei, accepted an award on behalf of the organization they lead and informed the crowd during their speech that Morrison and McLean had just been released from police custody.

Brown told PGN that leaders from across the LGBTQ+ community and allies were working to “ensure that there is transparency and safety for these two very valued community members.”

They said that this situation demonstrates that an official title will not protect people from mistreatment — but that all people within the queer community need and deserve access to safety and support mechanisms without any barriers.

“The seconds that we miss could be the determination between life and death,” they said, highlighting the importance of working together to ensure that all members of the queer community can access resources that help promote safety and equity — “the same kind of decency and the same kind of reverence and respect that any other community deserves and has afforded to them.”

The Pennsylvania State Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Philadelphia Police Department directed PGN to their public affairs office, which did not appear to be open on March 2. An officer told PGN, “I have no comment at this time.”

(Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania State Police)

Ghanaian president delays decision on signing anti-LGBTQ bill

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo has said he will not sign a bill that would further criminalize LGBTQ people until the country’s Supreme Court rules on whether it is constitutional.

Media reports from the West African country on Tuesday note Akufo-Addo also said the measure has not reached his desk.

Lawmakers on Feb. 28 approved the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill that would, among other things, criminalize allyship. Advocacy groups in Ghana and around the world, along

Ghanaian President NANA AKUFO-ADDO (Screen capture

with the State Department and U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Virginia Palmer have sharply criticized the measure.

The Ghanaian Finance Ministry on Monday said the country could lose billions of dollars in funding from the World Bank if Akufo-Addo signs the bill.

Ghana is among the dozens of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized. Discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity is also commonplace in the country as the Washington Blade has previously reported.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Sheila Weinberg becomes Israel’s first trans council member

Sheila Weinberg on Feb. 27 wrote another chapter in LGBTQ history in Israel when she was elected as the country’s first transgender council member.

Weinberg, the 65-year-old chair of the “Transiot Israel” association and a former teacher, was elected to the Kiryat Tivon Local Council after her “More to Tivon” list won 37.7 percent of the votes.

In the past she was a member of the LGBTQ Committee in Kiryat Tivon and in the last year she was active in the protest against the proposed judicial reforms. Weinberg has two children and a granddaughter. She started the process of affirming her gender about five years ago when she was 60 years old.

SHEILA WEINBERG

“Many people in Kiryat Tivon knew exactly who I was and about my past. It didn’t bother. It seems to me that in certain places it was helpful,” Weinberg told WDG. “The residents of Tivon decided clearly in favor of a liberal, pluralistic and democratic Tivon. I have been a member of Meretz for many years and in these elections we joined

a single list with ‘Yesh Atid’ and ‘Our Tivon’ and ‘Hoze Hadash’ (‘New Contract’), a list whose prominent values are equality among all. On the list were the women who founded the LGBT Committee in Tivon that operates with full vigor.”

Despite the historic title as the first trans council member in Israel, Weinberg is not content with just being active in the issues of the LGBTQ community, and aims (to become involved with) the education portfolio in her locality.

“I intend to use this branding to operate in Tivon in two main areas: Education and the LGBT community. Naturally, I see myself as someone who has a well-founded view of education in Tivon and I would be happy to be incharge of the education in Tivon, alongside the LGBT community. I have been teaching all my life. I taught for 35 years in several places, including the University of Haifa, and since the war started I have also been replacing a teacher who went into the reserves voluntarily.

Furthermore, I think I got my foot in the door for trans girls and trans boys. I will of course also continue to act as the chairman of ‘Transiot Israel’ and at the same time promote the needs of our community, which in the Haifa and Tivon area suffers from a lack of people.

I think I can speak for girls whose life path was less paved than mine. For those girls and boys who were thrown out on the street, out of school, who suffer physical and verbal violence, who are discriminated against economically and socially. And most of all, I would love to hear from my friends in the community and my friends there what the priorities are, not necessarily in Tivon but in Tel Aviv and other places.”

Other candidates from the LGBTQ community won in other municipalities in Israel.

In Tel Aviv-Yafo, Chen Arieli and Moti Reif entered the council for another term, as well as Reut Nagar and Shahar Levy. Assaf Weiss will serve as a council member in Ramat Gan, lawyer Daniela Jacobi in the Ramat Hasharon Council and Ella Kaufman will serve another term on the Kadima Council.

(WDG is the Washington Blade’s media partner in Israel.)

GEORGE AVNI

India announces equal opportunity policy for trans people

The Indian government has announced a first-of-itskind equal opportunity policy for transgender people.

The policy will prohibit the disclosure of a trans person’s gender identity without their consent as the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules 2020 requires. The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry says the Equal Opportunity Policy for Transgender Persons will encourage the fair treatment of trans people and create workplaces free from discrimination, harassment and bias.

The policy seeks to ensure a trans employee’s the right to choose a pronoun, gender and a chosen name — every business, non-governmental organization and other employers in India will be required address the trans individual with the chosen names in all workplace communications. The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has circulated the notice to all the states and chief secretaries and asked them to ensure the swift implementation of the policy.

The notified policy highlights the importance of maintaining confidentiality of gender identity.

“Information related to gender identity will be treated with utmost confidentiality,” it reads. “Employees are

expected to respect the privacy of their colleagues and refrain from disclosing any such information without explicit consent.”

The policy also states a business’ HR department will launch an inquiry that could lead to sanctions if the policy is violated. The policy also prohibits bullying against trans people in the workplace.

“Harassment or bullying based on gender identity is strictly prohibited,” it reads. “Any reported incident will be promptly and thoroughly investigated, and appropriate corrective actions will be taken.”

Every organization will have a grievance redress system in order to address policy violations. Workplaces will also be required to have infrastructure facilities for trans employees — unisex bathrooms and amenities that include hygiene products, for example — for trans people to effectively discharge their duties.

Sudhanshu Latad, an advocacy manager at Humsafar Trust, an organization that promotes LGBTQ rights in India, told the Washington Blade he supports the initiative, while adding a person’s identity does play a role in their experiences.

“The care and support, let’s say in this case a trans person requires will be very different than support a cis woman will require,” said Latad. “They need different short of bases to be covered to be able to perform to the same expectations that a cis man like me would require to perform in a situation or a role.”

“It is important to give everyone an equitable platform, this is a welcome step because it discloses that the government is keen on working with various communities,” he added. “This formal acknowledgement or expression of interest in including gender minorities at workplace by the central government is a welcome move.”

Latad nevertheless told the Blade the policy alone “would not be enough” to address discrimination based on gender identity.

“There needs to be enough focus dissemination of this policy within the existing workforce,” he said. “Until and unless a senior manager from the government understands the use and need of pronouns in the communities … the implementation of this amazing policy will not happen on the ground.”

(Photo courtesy of Carmit Simhi-Rokah)

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is a political communications strategist and freelance journalist based in D.C. He manages media relations for a racial justice organization but has a background in designing media strategies for nonprofits, government offices, and political public relations clients.

If you care about democracy, you should care about America’s newsrooms

Recent layoffs a disturbing development in critical election year

From exposing misconduct to speaking truth to power, journalists have always been the brave actors who hold Democratic institutions accountable. American government and America’s newsrooms are so closely intertwined, and at a time when our democracy has become fragile, our newsrooms are facing unprecedented attacks.

Over the past several months, major media outlets including the Los Angeles Times, Time, Business Insider, The Messenger, and The Wall Street Journal have cut staff by the hundreds, in a wave of layoffs. As someone who works in journalism every day, these cuts are just as personal as they are concerning. We are in an election year, an election year that could very well pit an 81-year-old incumbent against a 77-year-old insurrectionist. Now more than ever we need dependable voices to call out the bullshit. I am deeply worried that stories with the ability to shape our democracy will come and go with no one to tell them.

As America continues to brand itself as the international example of democracy, American journalists continue to uncover truths that force our policymakers to be more accountable, more honest, and frankly more worried about disappointing the people who put them into positions of power. In just one example, in 1972 two reporters at The Washington Post unearthed some deeply disturbing information regarding a break-in at Democratic National Committee offices that led to the indictment of 40 presidential administration officials, followed by the resignation of President Nixon. From Watergate to The Pentagon Papers to everyday breaches of trust, journalists have always been the extra arm of American democracy, the only one dedicated to the truth without exception.

Journalism is not a career someone just happens upon, it is a passionate draw that requires great focus, profound integrity, and unparalleled dedication to the truth. These layoffs are not just an attack on the integrity of our democracy, they are a deeply personal setback to reporters who have spent years in a turbulent field. One of these affected reporters, Emily St. Martin, writes for HuffPost a candid and evocative letter to her career in journalism. Her story is one of loss, of rebirth, and of an incredible love for storytelling, and one that humanizes and contextualizes these layoffs. These cutbacks are not just numbers, America’s newsrooms are letting go of gifted storytellers each with a uniquely cut path to their love of writing.

Unfortunately, these trends are not isolated, and there is no expectation that they will not continue. A recent survey from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and Workforce predicts that one-third of jobs in journalism will be gone by 2031. I hope this comes off as concerning as it should be. America is losing its insurance that someone will be there to be the un-bought and untethered voice to speak truth to power. And we need those voices now more than ever.

I know you hear it all the time, but I am going to say it once again. The year 2024 will be one of the most consequential elections of our generation. On one side of the aisle, we have an indicted insurrectionist who has used his platform to discredit and disenfranchise American media at all costs. Trump’s “fake news” propaganda has created an unfortunate air of distrust around America’s newsrooms, and that damage will be hard to undo. As the legal cases and corruption allegations against the former president continue to pile up, we need people to tell those stories. We need people to hold those with power accountable, without the fear of retaliation. This responsibility is heavy, and those with the courage to take up the job face great uncertainty in our current media landscape.

It is my hope that newsrooms are learning from these layoffs and that our media institutions can be more resilient because they have to be. American democracy is only as transparent as our newsrooms are strong. Without a deeply authentic media landscape, there will be no liability for corruption and misconduct in American democracy, and that reality should be terrifying.

SHEVRIN JONES

is a Democratic Florida state senator (D-35).

New KOSA bill still threatens

LGBTQ access to Internet Republicans would use this law to target our youth

For generations, LGBTQ people have been forced to overcome discrimination, harassment, and violence just to find support networks and build community. Sadly, that remains true today. Anti-LGBTQ hate crimes are on the rise, and the Human Rights Campaign declared a state of emergency in response to the wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation passed in states across the country last year.

That is why it’s deeply troubling to see U.S. senators — including some Democrats who are historically allies of the LGBTQ community — still support a bill that could cut off LGBTQ people from the online resources, communities, and information they depend on, and give partisan anti-LGBTQ politicians one more avenue to persecute gay people and further their hateful agenda.

The Kids Online Safety Act, also known as KOSA, has an alluring name and earnest intentions. We all want to support protecting kids online, but the unintended consequences would be devastating for the LGBTQ+ community and have serious implications for everyone else.

Despite its revamped rollout, KOSA still creates a vague “duty of care” requirement for online platforms “to prevent and mitigate harms to minors.” Sounds nice on the surface, but the harmful content is not adequately defined. You and I may be able to think of some obvious examples, but anti-LGBTQ politicians have their own ideas about what they believe is harmful. That’s where KOSA becomes even more troubling.

The authors of KOSA left enforcement of the bill up to state attorneys general — the same partisan politicians who have sent child protective services agents after the parents of trans minors and banned gender-affirming care. KOSA allows any state attorney general to sue an online platform if they believe the platform is showing harmful content to minors. Perhaps a reasonable idea in the past, we must now consider how a partisan politician might use that power to pursue their far-right ideological agenda. This provision would empower (and further embolden) the most fervent anti-LGBTQ politicians. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis could use their newfound authority under KOSA to sue an online platform for showing content about LGBTQ+ healthcare or hosting online message boards where LGBTQ people build community.

In fact, the lead Republican sponsor of KOSA, Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, has previously not been shy about pointing to KOSA as part of her agenda of “protecting minor children from the transgender [sic] in this culture and that influence.” Her plan is clear: empower right-wing anti-trans attorneys general to force online platforms into censoring any content about LGBTQ people.

Faced with the threat of expensive lawsuits from partisan attorneys general, online platforms will almost certainly be forced to protect themselves by preemptively removing any LGBTQ content for the fear of the liability risks it creates for them. This threat of a lawsuit, or lawsuits, from an anti-LGBTQ attorney general will be enough to force an online platform to remove certain content.

Even still, there are a host of additional unintended consequences from KOSA that go beyond the threat of LGBTQ censorship. To comply with the law, online platforms will be forced to verify the age of their users by collecting even more personal data than they do already, making data breaches that much more harmful. Online platforms would also have to eliminate any secure and private communication service, specifically end-to-end encryption, so they could monitor every message you send for potential content violations. This will end important security features we use daily across the Internet and set back important services like telemedicine. Any remaining anonymity we have online — something many LGBTQ people rely on to avoid harassment or violence — would go away.

I know the Democratic cosponsors of KOSA don’t want to create the disastrous consequences we would see from this bill. I know they don’t support the goals of Marsha Blackburn, Ken Paxton, and Ron DeSantis. The Democratic cosponsors of KOSA have good intentions, but despite their intentions, they cannot give this power to Republican attorneys general. It is just too risky to give them another tool to target LGBTQ people, which is why many LGBTQ organizations continue to express their strong opposition to the “updated” version of KOSA.

We can’t afford to make the world even less safe for LGBTQ people, and I hope Democrats will consider that before moving forward with this bill.

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

We must provide food, medicine to innocents in Gaza Israel cannot ignore plight of women, children who are suffering

Whatever your view of the Israel/Hamas war, we must agree to provide food and medicine to the Palestinian people in Gaza. They are as much victims of Hamas as those who died in Israel, when Hamas began this current war on Oct. 7.

Innocent women and children are dying in Gaza because Hamas uses them as shields. While Israel has every right to fight Hamas, they cannot continue to ignore the women and children who are suffering and dying. Israel should not compound what Hamas did to them, by pretending their bombs are not inflicting death and destruction on innocent people. The only way to a possible lasting peace, is if the Palestinian people reject Hamas, and the Israeli people reject Netanyahu and his government.

But now we must focus on the starving people of Gaza. Israel must declare a pause in the war, and say to Hamas, “If you return the hostages, we will open the floodgates, allowing food and medicine to flow freely into Gaza.”

Clearly the United States has a long and complicated relationship with Israel. We have always supported Israel as the only democracy in the region, one that will stand with us if we need them. I strongly support President Biden’s plan to drop food and supplies into Gaza, while at the same time working to move Israel to declaring an immediate pause in the fighting.

I would also like to see people educated on the history of Palestine. How for thousands of years it was a land considered home to Jews, Christians, and Arabs. The 1947 UN partition of the land was not the first time Jews were in Palestine. Yes, the State of Israel was founded with United Nations Resolution 181, in 1947. It called for the partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states with the City of Jerusalem to be governed by a special international regime. It passed the general assembly with a vote of 33 votes in favor, 13 against, and 10 abstentions. That came about when Britain wanted to leave the land called Palestine they had governed since 1922. Since that time, Jewish immigration to the region had increased, and tensions between Arabs and Jews had grown. In April 1947, after World War ll, Britain referred the issue of Palestine to the UN. According to the History website, “Scholars believe the name “Palestine” is derived from the name of the people — the Philistines — who occupied part of the region in the 12th century B.C.

Over the centuries, Jews, Muslims and Christians, and followers of other religions, have all claimed special connections to the region. The Hebrew Bible contains narratives of ancient Israelites’ presence in the land, including the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, established by King David and his descendants around 1000 B.C. Those kingdoms’ rivals included other Canaanite groups like the Philistines, whose territory encompassed the ancient city of Gaza. The word Palestine derives from ancient Greek  (Philistia), but ancient Egyptian, Assyrian and Hebrew languages also included similar-sounding words to describe the region or its people. Following the 1918 fall of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Palestine typically referred to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. Much of this land is now part of present-day Israel. That is why when Hamas, and others say, they want the land from the “river to the sea,” it is assumed they mean to eradicate Israel.

In 1947, the UN Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) was made up of members from 11 countries. UNSCOP delivered two proposals: that of the majority, which recommended two separate states joined economically, and that of the minority, which supported the formation of a single binational state made up of autonomous Jewish and Palestinian areas. The Jewish community approved of the first of these proposals, while the Arabs opposed them both. This then led to the first Arab/Israel war in 1948 and what some call the Israel fight for liberation. In that war Israel won some land, as did the Egyptians, the Jordanians, and other Arab states. None of the surrounding Arab nations fought for the Palestinian people, and didn’t want them as immigrants. So today this fight continues.

None of this can take away from the dire need of the Palestinian people in Gaza today, for food and medical care. Every nation, including the United States, who should lead, must join together to see the women and children of Gaza have what they need. If we don’t, their deaths will be on all our hands.

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There are many things Sherry Vine is proud of. Throughout her 33-year-long career, the drag queen has accomplished so much — she’s released music, launched her own variety show and toured across the United States and Europe.

But what she loves the most about her career is making people laugh.

This calling to be a comedy queen started before her formal drag career. In high school, she remembers taking part in the musicals, and Vine would find joy in making people laugh by wittily changing song lyrics.

“Then it just evolved into doing that as the act,” Vine said in an interview with the Blade.

From the beginning of her career, she’s made singing live parodies a central part of her performance as a drag queen. And for her 60th birthday, she knew she wanted to put on an extravaganza.

Vine is coming to the Woolly Mammoth on March 9 while on tour for her new show “Smoke and Mirrors,” performed and written by her. It’ll include new parodies, from Bruce Springsteen to ABBA. The D.C.-based drag queen Tara Hoot will be a special guest at the show.

There’s a lot that led up to this milestone year for Vine. It all started with developing her character more than 30 years ago.

Developing Sherry Vine

Vine describes her persona as a down-on-her-luck showgirl from Las Vegas with a heart of gold.

She was always obsessed with stars like Joey Heatherton and Stella Stevens. Not to suggest those stars are down-ontheir-luck showgirls, Vine said, but she wanted to evoke a sex kitten mentality. Her character eventually morphed into what it is today from these inspirations.

But at first, Vine said she thought she had to look funny to be funny.

“I didn’t care about the makeup. I didn’t wear big breasts. I just thought I had to look like a clown,” Vine said.

When she moved to New York City in 1992, she was surrounded by queens who balanced being funny and gorgeous simultaneously. That was eye-opening for her, she said.

Now, she relishes surprising people, she said. She’s been told she looks “too pretty” to be taken for a comedy queen, but that’s OK with her.

Sherry Vine is turning 60 — and she’s not quitting anytime soon

Legendary drag queen coming to D.C. for new show, ‘Smoke and Mirrors’

By KAELA ROEDER

“I want to walk out on stage, and anyone who’s never seen me, maybe they’re like, ‘Oh, she looks good,’” Vine said. “And then I started singing about poop and penis and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s so stupid.’”

When she was starting out as a drag queen, Vine reflected that she didn’t envision doing drag as a career. She remembers not wanting to commit to it. She wanted to be a movie star, she said.

“I kind of fought it. I loved it,” Vine said. “But I was like, I’m not doing this as a career.’”

But once she let go of fighting it, her career exploded. She got connected with RuPaul and was on two television specials in the 1990s. That support was crucial, Vine said, and helped her believe in herself more.

“I was like, ‘Oh, OK. If this person thinks that I have something, then maybe I do,’” Vine said.

Drag has changed — a lot

The drag scene has changed drastically. Vine credits a lot of this transformation to “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

“When we started doing drag 30 years ago, no one in their right mind would have been like, ‘I’m going to do drag so I can make a lot of money and be famous,’” Vine said.

Before RuPaul’s iconic single “Supermodel (You Better Work),” one of the only examples of drag the average consumer saw was “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Vine said.

“You had to have a passion for it,” Vine said. “You had to have a calling.”

When Vine started, drag was a fringe art form that had an audience of mostly gay men.

Nowadays, it’s mainstream. Drag is enjoyed by a much wider audience, and is more of a way to become famous. When Vine was coming up in the industry, there were few ways to get on TV and in films as a drag queen, short of playing a character that was murdered on “Law & Order,” she said.

But even though drag has evolved and grown in popular-

ity, Vine’s advice to drag queens has stayed the same over the years.

“Don’t try to do something because you think someone else is doing it successfully,” Vine said. “Find what you do, and then exploit and explore that.”

Looking back, looking ahead

Out of her multi-decade run as a drag queen, Vine said she’s most proud of the longevity of her career. There are a few people who have been in it as long as she has — Lady Bunny and Miss Coco Peru, for example. Few others have made it as long as Vine, she said.

She stresses that she can’t take credit for creating things, but she takes pride in being one of the first drag queens to go viral on YouTube in the 2000s. Her “Bad Romance” parody, released in 2009, racked up more than 6 million views over the years.

In the next few years, she’s looking into doing more television and film projects. Her latest show, “The Sherry Vine Variety Show,” just wrapped filming its third season. Creating this show is fulfilling a childhood dream of hers, she said. It’s an homage to “The Carol Burnett Show,” which Vine grew up watching.

Whether it’s performing on camera or onstage, Vine doesn’t see herself quitting anytime soon.

“I love performing and drag as much now as I did 33 years ago,” Vine said. “So I don’t see ever stopping.”

To get details on how to buy tickets to “Smoke and Mirrors,” visit woollymammoth.net/productions/sherry-vine.

SHERRY VINE performs in D.C. on March 9.

CALENDAR |

Friday, March 08

Center Aging Friday Tea Time will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. For more details, email adam@thedccenter.org.

GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Bottomless Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Puro Gusto. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Saturday, March 09

Genderqueer DC will be at 1 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary. Whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more details, visit www.genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.

GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Sunday, March 10

AfroCode DC will be at 4:00p.m. at Decades DC. This event will be an experience of non-stop music, dancing, and good vibes and a crossover of genres and a fusion of cultures. Tickets cost $40 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Coffee & Conversation” at 12 p.m. at As You Are. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Monday, March 11

Center Aging: Monday Coffee & Conversation will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of their choice. For more details, email justin@thedccenter. org.

Tuesday, March 12

Pride on the Patio Events will host “LGBTQ Social Mixer” at 5:30 p.m. at Showroom. Dress is casual, fancy, or comfortable. Guests are encouraged to bring their most authentic self to chat, laugh, and get a little crazy. Admission is free and more details are on Eventbrite.

Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-facilitated discussion group and a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook page.

Trans Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This 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 details, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org.

By TINASHE CHINGARANDE

Wednesday, March 13

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email centercareers@thedccenter.org or visit www.thedccenter.org/ careers.

Thursday, March 14

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. 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.

Virtual Yoga with Charles M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breath work, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.

OUT & ABOUT

Queer Birding Club hosts ‘Ospreys and Raptor Rescue’

DMV Queer Birding Club will host “Ospreys and Raptor Rescue” on Saturday, March 23 at 1:00p.m. at Patuxent Research Refuge.

Guests will be able to discover ospreys and understand their behavior, habitat, and the vital role they play in our ecosystem.

Protect raptors: Explore how to safeguard raptors in your own backyard. Discuss threats like habitat loss and pollution, and simple actions we can take to help.

Rescue stories: Hear memorable rescue tales. Learn about the challenges raptors face, from injury to orphanhood, and how rescue efforts make a difference.

More details about the event are available on Facebook.

Virtual Yoga with Charles M. will be on Thursday.

‘Avaaz’ traces journey from Iran to California

Olney production brings comedy, singing, improv, and even magic

By PATRICK FOLLIARD

How better to understand your own mother’s psyche than by playing her on stage?

In his solo show “Avaaz,” queer actor/writer Michael Shayan pretty much does just that. As “Roya” (not his mother’s actual name), he explores how a woman’s fun, larger-than-life presence might belie a deeper sadness. It’s a party but not without truth and moving drama.

And now, after a successful world premiere run in California’s South Coast Repertory last spring, his play is at Olney Theatre Center (through April 7) before kicking off on a national tour.

“Avaaz,” a Farsi word for “a song as it is being sung,” follows Roya’s journey from Tehran to what Shayan cheekily tags “Tehran-geles, CA, formerly known as Westwood.” It’s here where the courageous single mother carves out a life for herself and her closeted queer son.

Recently, via phone, Shayan offered a glimpse into his show, describing how we first meet Roya in her heavily chandeliered L.A. living room where she’s marking Nowruz (Persian New Year) with a lavish party; but despite the festive atmosphere there’s some detectable tension in the air.

Over 80 minutes, Roya’s story unfolds, alternating between dark revelations and her return to fabulous hostess mode. After all, Roya is entertaining guests – in this case it’s the 200 theatergoers seated in Olney Theater’s intimate Mulitz-Gudelsky space.

He adds, “There’s a lot going on. This show brings everything together: writing, acting, comedy, a little singing, lots of improv, and even some magic.”

For Shayan, an early and ardent interest in magic set the stage for theater: “As an illusionist, I was big on the bar mitzvah circuit. With magic, you’re a one man show. There was acting, directing, learning about audience and theatricality. I learned a lot.”

He also did characters -- Elaine Stitch, Bernadette Peters, all the divas, but other than a few snippets of her Persian accent, never his mom.

Higher education lured Shayan eastward. A Harvard grad with an MFA in playwrighting from Brooklyn College, his bio includes gigs like consulting producer for the Discovery+ series “The Book of Queer” and worked on “We’re Here,” the Emmy Award-winning HBO Max show featuring former “Drag Race” contestants.

But the actual genesis of Roya, and in turn “Avaaz,” was sparked at a Lambda Literary Retreat. “We were doing an exercise where you put your hand on your heart and feel the heartbeat of a character. I felt my mom’s heartbeat, and listened to what she had to say.

“I’d always wanted to better understand my mother and had even interviewed her in the past, but it was at the Lambda retreat that a first draft really poured out. And

still, more continues to be revealed about her past and our dynamic.”

When asked exactly how he approaches the part, Shayan, who exudes warmth and humor, replies, “It’s about the channeling of energy and personality.”

Visually, he’s not exactly going for total realness. Shayan paints his nails but keeps his full beard. Costume designer “Domino” Schwartz dresses him in a golden Persian-inspired robe over pants emblazoned by single outsized Gucci logo.

“When I put that on, I become Roya, baby,” Shayan says. “It’s very powerful. It’s a ritual. There are several pieces. My posture changes.”

Roya’s over the top décor comes compliments of Tony Award-winning set designer Beowulf Borritt.

And because Roya leans on humor to pivot away from what’s uncomfortable, Shayan indulges in a bit of standup: “Director Moritz von Stuelpnagel and I share a language – not Farsi, but humor. Recently he surprised me by signing a Persian pop song pitch perfect and almost word perfect. I call him Persian adjacent. He’s a comic ge-

nius.”

As both performer and writer, his solo show is serving up new opportunities for the Iranian American theater maker.

Playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis, whom Shayan describes as both an inspiration and a friend, has given him parts in several readings of some funny and moving new works. He says, “I’d like to be acting more, but my writing career is busier than ever.”

These days, Shayan very happily splits time between New York and L.A., depending on when and where he’s needed for each of his many projects.

There isn’t a lot of down time, and he couldn’t be happier.

‘Avaaz’

Through April 7 | Olney Theatre Center 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, MD 20832 $55-$90 | Olneytheatre.org

MICHAEL SHAYAN in ‘Avaaz.’ (Photo by Jenny Graham)

No problem with ‘Problemista’

Julio Torres’s debut film hints at greater achievements to come

By JOHN PAUL KING

Confronted with the title of queer SNL alumnus Julio Torres’s debut feature film, the first question that comes to mind for many people might be, “What’s a ‘Problemista’?”

For the millions of retail workers, reception staffers, and hospitality clerks, however,  or anyone else whose job it is to interface with the public, the label – coined by Torres to describe the particular kind of driven personality embodied in his movie by headliner Tilda Swinton – may be, if not familiar, at least evocative enough to convey its meaning.

We’ve all encountered them, actually; entitled, self-righteous, demanding, aggressively impatient, and unwilling to accept anything less than complete capitulation for an answer, they are the people every cashier dreads to see (and every customer loathes to be behind) in line. They seem to thrive on drama, and they don’t care how much it inconveniences or disturbs anyone in their radius. In fact, they seem at times to relish doing so, as if they were striking a blow against social injustice by bullying a grocery clerk into honoring an expired coupon. In short, they might be described as a sort of contemporary urban warrior whose response to a problem is to become a problem until they get the solution they want. But by legions of waiters and customer service reps, they are typically just described as “the customer from hell.”

ly relatable human qualities behind the stereotype. By the time it’s over, we might still see her as a “monster,” but perhaps no more so than any of the rest of us. We might even, like Alejandro, start to see her seemingly insufferable approach to life as something a little less clueless and a lot more justifiable than we want to assume – and recognize that, even if it makes people cringe when they see her, it might sometimes be the only way to get by in a world bent on maintaining a veneer of calm banality. It might even be the only appropriate response to – and best rebellion against – the indifference of a system whose first priority is always the preservation of a placid status quo.

The central character in Torres’s stylish, smart, and surrealistically infused contemporary New York fairy tale – Alejandro (played by Torres himself) – is not such a person, at least not when we meet him. His creative imagination nurtured by his artist mother (Catalina Saavedra) in El Salvador, he’s now a young immigrant on a work visa in the U.S., getting by in his daily life by making as few waves as possible while dreaming of being a toy designer for Hasbro. But when a minor flub gets him fired from the cryogenic company where he works, he inadvertently finds himself drawn into the never-peaceful orbit of the titular “problemista” herself: Elizabeth (Swinton), an outcast art-world maven and wife of a terminally ill eccentric painter (Wu Tang Clan founder RZA) that has frozen himself in hope of being revived when a cure is available to save his life.

Tasked with tending to her not-quite-late husband’s legacy and estate, she is harried from her efforts to enforce her husband’s wishes via a campaign of unreasonable requests and non-negotiable demands, and sorely in need of someone to help manage the burden — and with his future in America now hanging by a thread, Alejandro takes on the challenge, hoping this terrifying woman whose path he has crossed can keep him from deportation until he can land the career opportunity he’s been waiting for.

It’s at once a familiar and an oddball conceit, a tale of toxic mentorship with shades of “The Devil Wears Prada” that weaves a strangely heartwarming sense of unexpected but perfectly matched kinship into the mix and takes us past tropes and cliché to discover a perspective that illuminates the extremes instead of reinforcing the bland status quo of our lives. While most audiences may not have experience within the elite cultural circle in which Swinton’s Elizabeth asserts her presence, the core essence of her persona is instantly recognizable to us all. And although Torres’s screenplay gets a lot of mileage – and indeed, the movie gets a lot of its appeal, thanks to Swinton’s masterful performance – out of parodying that “high-maintenance” image, it also takes us slyly past our easy judgments to reveal all the easi -

That, of course, is the joy of “Problemista,” a movie that successfully gets a load of intelligent laughs from the eccentricities of both its unorthodox lead characters – a non-specifically but unmistakably queer protagonist and a ferociously uncompromising “difficult woman” – yet somehow manages to turn them both into aspirational figures. It successfully pokes a savvy kind of fun at the rarified cultural niche in which it takes place – as well as at the not-so-subtly delusional constructs which govern the lives of anyone who fits within its boundaries – without diminishing or degrading its characters or making their individual pursuits feel foolish; it accomplishes this because, even in its unabashedly satirical milieu , it places the greatest emphasis on the humanity of its characters.

Alejandro and Elizabeth, in almost any other film, would be supporting players –comic relief, perhaps – in a story about people whose lives were more comfortably mainstream; here, they take center stage, allowing us to laugh at their eccentricities but never letting us lose sight of the real human impulses behind them.

For that, we can thank the deeply committed performances of Swinton, an actress of legendary caliber whose background in underground and counter-cultural theater and film brings a considerable layer of stature to Torres’ freshman effort, and Torres himself, who comes across as a fully confident and seasoned performer capable of holding his own onscreen with someone of his co-star’s stature. RZA’s amusing but somehow sweet performance in flashbacks as Elizabeth’s husband also has a humanizing effect, and acclaimed Chilean actress Saavedra casts a luminous glow in her limited screen time that nevertheless seems like a keystone element of the film’s delicate balance of magical realism and absurdist comedy.

To be fair, defining “Problemista” within a label is a problematic undertaking from the start; neither comedy nor drama, fantasy nor surrealist ephemera, it combines all these elements to approach something more profound, perhaps, or at least more useful for audiences looking for a new perspective on the sometimes-soul-crushing sea of obstacles that seems to govern our daily lives. At any rate, far more important than any of these esoteric themes, it confronts – gently, if with considerable cynicism – the existential rattlesnake of navigating the immigration system of the US, straddling multiple agendas and managing to succeed with all of them.

Torres, whose stint on “SNL” led to a successful stand-up special and a gig as the creator and star of HBO’s critically acclaimed Spanish-language series “Los Espookys,” has managed an impressive debut as a filmmaker; it’s the kind of movie that hints at greater achievements to come, and we are eagerly on board to watch them unfold in years to come. No small feat for a first-time filmmaker, especially considering the number of ambitious sociocritical comedies that have tried and failed to pull off the same delicate balancing act – especially since it’s also a lot of fun.

JULIO TORRES and TILDA SWINTON in ‘Problemista.’

WINNER OF THE 2022 TONY AWARD FOR BEST PLAY

THE LEHMAN TRILOGY

BY STEFANO MASSINI

ADAPTED BY BEN POWER

DIRECTED BY ARIN ARBUS

EXTENDED NOW–MARCH 30

–DC Theater Arts

“LOVED ARIN ARBUS’S STAGING...

an illuminating departure from the Broadway/Park Avenue Armory version and just as striking.”

—Peter Marks, formerly of The Washington Post, on social media

“WHOLLY SEDUCTIVE AND COMPELLING... Arbus’s production is cohesive and original, elevating the sterling text still further into an electrifying night at the theatre.” Washington City Paper

“THRILLINGLY AMBITIOUS EPIC...

Edward Gero, Mark Nelson, and René Thornton Jr. climb an acting Everest.”—David Smith, The Guardian, on social media

“SUBERB CAST, POWERFUL DIRECTION.”

BroadwayWorld

“NOT TO BE MISSED.”

The Georgetown Dish

“ASTOUNDING.”

Maryland Theatre Guide

“EXCEPTIONAL.”

DC Trending

The Lehman Trilogy is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.

Photo of Edward Gero, Mark Nelson, and René Thornton Jr. by Teresa Castracane Photography.

Please Join Us In Please Join Us In Please Join Us In A Celebration of the A Celebration of the A Celebration of the Wonderful Life Wonderful Life Wonderful Life of William J Troy of William J Troy of William J Troy

April 15, 1955 to January 13, 2024

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We predict an #OscarsSoStraight evening at the Academy Awards ‘Oppenheimer’ poised for big night

By ROB WATSON

HOLLYWOOD – The 96th Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, will take place on Sunday, March 10 at new early time 7 p.m. EST at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles. The ceremony will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast live on ABC.

Depending on whether you are an “Oppenheimer ” lover or a hater, the Academy Awards this year will come off as either a blast, i.e. as in nuclear explosion, or a bomb, i.e. as in the atomic kind.

Spoiler alert: “Oppenheimer ” is set up to create scorched earth against all its competitors.

If you are attending an Oscar party and filling out your predictions list, you will do very well if you mark “Oppenheimer ” down the line. (But uncheck it in the Best Supporting Actress category. Love you Emily Blunt, but, no.)

Here is what an LGBTQ high visibility evening would look like: “Barbie” would win Best Picture because there was Kate McKinnon, and what self-respecting LGBTQ

person does not appreciate pink? It would just edge out “Anatomy of a Fall” or “Maestro,” which feature bisexual main characters. “Anatomy of a Fall” would win Best Director for Justine Triet to make up for the Best Picture snub, however.

Best Actor would go to Colman Domingo for his portrayal of gay civil rights icon Bayard Rustin, just edging out Bradley Cooper as the bisexual Leonard Bernstein. Two-spirit Lily Gladstone would edge out Annette Bening as the iconic Diana Nyad (Lily might actually win this, though Emma Stone is coming on strong). Sterling K. Brown would win for gay Clifford Ellison in “American Fiction” and we would ogle runner-up Ryan Gosling as Ken because even though Ken is presumably straight, we gay boys know the truth.

Lesbian icon Jodie Foster would win playing a lesbian character in “Nyad.” “Nimona” would win Best Animated Feature. “The ABCs of Book Banning” would win Best Documentary Short Film. “Barbie,” “Maestro,” and “May December” would duke it out as front runners in the screenplay categories.

None of those are likely to happen, however, with the exception of Lily Gladstone, as mentioned. Oh, and Billie Eilish may win for best song. That won’t be a particularly LGBTQ moment, however, as Eilish does not like her sexual orientation being talked about, so she won’t mention it, and we won’t either.

Because the Oscars are preceded by so many other award shows and programs, many populated with Academy voters, there usually are strong indications as to who really will get what. This year, that message has been a strong sweep and one name emerges above all others.

Cue explosion: “Oppenheimer.”

It is the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the brilliant physicist who led the Manhattan Project during World War II. Oppenheimer’s complex personality is challenged as he is recruited to head the Manhattan Project, the top-secret effort to build the atomic bomb. With five Golden Globe Awards, seven BAFTAs, eight Critics Choice Awards, the Directors Guild Award, The Producers Guild Award, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, its dominance coming into the Oscars is clear.

Out magazine observed, “It’s been a great year in cinema for LGBTQ+ actors, directors, writers, films, and characters.” It has been. Unless the Oscar awards show producers specifically call that fact out, it may go unnoticed, however, and LGBTQ representation may be minimal. The announced presenters so far do not scream queer, with the possible exception of our favorite mom-of-atrans person, Jamie Lee Curtis.

This is the year when we enjoy the concept of “it was an honor just to be nominated” LGBTQ-wise. It may be the year that we just appreciate that we don’t win all horse races just because we are LGBTQ or the horses are queer.

The Academy loves to be unpredictable, however, so you never know. Rainbows and unicorns may emerge. I wouldn’t bet on it.

But, Academy, come on, surprise us.

My prediction is that in the morning after this year’s ceremony, we may be social media-ing #OscarsSoStraight, and Out magazine’s “hope that the 2024 Oscars could potentially be the most queer- and trans-inclusive ceremony ever” will have gone up in a cloud of atomic smoke.

Oh well. At least you should do well at your Oscar party.

(Photo Credit: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

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Drag Me to the Disco

Four ‘RuPaul’ contestants join local performers at Howard Theatre event

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

District Disco presented “Drag Me to the Disco” at Howard Theatre on Saturday. Performers included Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Jaida Essence Hall, Vanessa Vanjie Matteo and Luxx Noir London of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” as well as local drag performers Crimsyn, Cake Pop!, Crystal Edge and Druex Sidora. Music was provided by DJ Camb and DJ Boyyyish.

Turn your bare walls into captivating focal points

Paint, wallpaper, statement installations and more

By VALERIE M. BLAKE

Are you tired of gray walls and white kitchen cabinets with white granite or marble countertops? Have you gone back to the “Builder Beige” that was popular in the ‘90s?

Your walls are the blank canvases of your home, waiting to be transformed into stunning expressions of your personality and style. Whether you prefer vibrant artwork, paint, eye-catching wallpaper, or statement walls, there are countless ways to adorn and decorate your walls to elevate your space. Here’s a guide to help you turn those bare walls into captivating focal points.

Wallpaper: Wallpaper has again become a versatile option for adding texture, pattern, and color to your walls. Whether you prefer subtle designs or bold prints, there’s a wallpaper to suit every taste.

It now even comes in peel and stick rolls, so you don’t have a mess of water and paste. For some new designs, check out www.spoonflower.com

Before selecting wallpaper, consider the scale of your room and the atmosphere you want to create. For small spaces, opt for light, airy patterns to make the room feel more spacious. Conversely, in larger rooms, you can go bold with intricate designs or vibrant colors to make a statement. Don’t be afraid to mix and match wallpaper with paint, or even wallpaper the ceilings for a unique and dynamic look.

Statement Walls: Statement walls are a bold way to add personality and drama to any room. From accent paint colors to textured finishes, the possibilities are endless. Consider using a contrasting color or texture to highlight a specific wall and create visual interest. For a contemporary touch, try incorporating geometric patterns or asymmetrical designs with strips of wood. Hand-painted murals are another option for creating striking statement walls. Choose a mural that reflects your interests or transports you to another world for a truly immersive experience.

Paneling/Brick: The shiplap phase may be dying out, but there are still many ways to use wood and paneling in your wall décor. Reclaimed wood is a popular option, as are wood slats such as the ones found at www.woodpanelwalls.com. Use them on walls or ceilings, or as a background for wall-mounted televisions and sconces. Amazon also has lots of options for wood veneer available and exposed brick is popular in many contemporary homes. If you don’t have a brick wall to uncover, select from options such as lightweight faux brick or stone.

Artwork: Art has the power to breathe life into any room. When choosing artwork, consider pieces that resonate with you personally and complement your existing décor. Experiment with a mix of styles, sizes, and mediums to create visual interest. Hang artwork at eye level to ensure it is easily visible and balanced within the space. Enhance gallery walls by arranging multiple pieces in a cohesive layout. Remember that art is subjective, so whether you choose an inexpensive poster or a gallery quality painting, select pieces that speak to you.

Photo Displays: Showcase your favorite memories and moments with a curated photo display. Whether it’s a collection of family photos, travel snapshots, or artistic prints, arranging

photos on your walls adds a personal touch to your space. Try out different frames, sizes, and layouts to create a gallery-style display that reflects your unique style. It makes a nice presentation on that odd wall going up your stairs.

Whether you prefer artwork, paint, wallpaper, or statement walls, there are countless ways to adorn and decorate your walls.

Mirrors: Mirrors are not only functional but also serve as decorative accents that can enhance the visual appeal of any room. Strategically placing mirrors on your walls can create the illusion of space, brighten dark corners, and reflect natural light. Choose mirrors with interesting frames or shapes to add an extra layer of style to your décor. Try different sizes and arrangements to find the perfect balance between form and function.

Textile Hangings: Textile hangings are a bohemian-inspired alternative to traditional wall art. From tapestries to woven rugs, textile hangings add warmth, texture, and color to your walls. Hang a large tapestry behind your bed as a dramatic headboard alternative or layer smaller textiles with framed artwork for a cozy, eclectic look. Consider mixing and matching different textures and patterns to create visual depth and dimension. Adorning and decorating your walls is a creative and personal process that allows you to infuse your space with personality and style. The key is to trust your instincts and have fun with the process. Use different techniques, colors, and textures until you find the perfect combination that speaks to you and transforms your walls into works of art. With a little imagination and creativity, you can turn any blank wall into a stunning focal point that reflects your unique taste and aesthetic.

VALERIE M. BLAKE

is a licensed Associate Broker in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia with RLAH Real Estate/@properties. Call or text her at 202246-8602, email her via DCHomeQuest.com, or follow her on Facebook at TheRealst8ofAffairs.

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