Washington Blade, Volume 55, Issue 14, April 05, 2024

Our exclusive interview with Georgia Democrat Shawn Harris, PAGE 12

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Medical

Examiner: Two beloved D.C. gay men died of accidental drug ‘toxicity’ Christmas week deaths prompted response by LGBTQ community

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

The D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has confirmed for the Washington Blade that the cause of death of two widely known and beloved gay men found unconscious at one of their homes in Northwest D.C. on Dec. 27 was an accidental consumption of several drugs that created a fatal ‘toxic’ effect.

D.C. police and Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department reports show that prominent D.C. attorney and LGBTQ rights advocate Brandon Roman, 38, and historic preservation expert and home renovation business owner Robert “Robbie” Barletta, 28, were found unconscious when police and emergency medical personnel arrived on the afternoon of Dec. 27.

The reports show that Roman was declared deceased at the scene shortly after D.C. police and an ambulance arrived at the house in response to a 911 call. According to one of the reports, Barletta was taken to Washington Hospital Center where he died on Dec. 29.

The D.C. gay bar Shakers hosted a celebration of life for the two men on Feb. 3, And people who knew them told the Blade their sudden and unexpected deaths prompted many in the community, including several gay bars, to take steps to address the overdose problem in the LGBTQ community, even though the cause of death of Roman and Barletta had not been confirmed at that time.

The Medical Examiner’s office lists the cause of death for Barletta as, “Cocaethylene, cocaine, fentanyl, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethanmphetamine toxicity.” It lists the manner of death as “Accident/Intoxication.”

It lists the cause of death for Roman as, “Combined toxic effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethanphetamine, cocaethylene, cocaine, fentanyl, ketamine, and xylazine.” Like Barletta, it lists the manner of death for Roman as “Accident/Intoxication.”

A spokesperson for the Medical Examiner’s office didn’t

immediately respond to a request by the Blade for an explanation of whether one or more of the multiple drugs found in the two men’s bodies may have been the main cause of death.

The D.C. Department of Health and officials with health departments in other locations have said one of the leading causes of drug overdose deaths is fentanyl, which victims often do not know is present in other drugs, such as cocaine.

The National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration state on their websites that cocaethylene is formed within the human body when someone consumes both cocaine and an alcoholic beverage. The write-ups say cocaethylene has a longer lasting and more intense psychoactive effect than just cocaine.

According to the NIH and DEA write-ups, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, commonly known as ecstasy or MDMA, acts as a stimulant and hallucinogen, producing feelings of euphoria and is often used as a so-called party drug. The write-ups say ketamine has been used medically as an anesthetic but is also used as a party drug for its hallucinogenic and “dissociative sensations.”

The NIH and DEA write-ups say Xylazine, often called “tranq” or “tranq dope,” is a non-opioid sedative or tranquilizer approved for veterinary use but not for humans. The write-ups say it has been linked to a large number of drug overdose cases in humans, especially when used, most likely unintentionally, with fentanyl as a party drug. Because it is a non-opioid drug, the life-saving opioid overdose prevention medication naloxone or Narcan does not work to stop an overdose of Xylazine, the NIH write-up says.

Johnny Bailey, Community Outreach Coordinator for HIPS D.C., an LGBTQ-supportive organization that provides services and support for those who use recreational drugs, said he strongly believes that Barletta and Roman did not intentionally consume some of the drugs found in their system.

“I’m going to say I do believe this was a poisoning,” Bailey told the Blade. “I think it unfair to call some things an overdose because an overdose is when you do too much of a drug and you die from that drug,” he said. “This is like if you have a few glasses of wine every night and someone puts arsenic in your wine, no one would be like, ‘oh, they drank themselves to death.’ They were poisoned. And that’s what I think is happening here,” he said in referring to Barletta and

Comings & Goings

Freedman-Gurspan takes senior role on Buttigieg’s staff

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at: comingsandgoings@washblade.com

Congratulations to Raffi Freedman-Gurspan on her promotion to Principal Deputy Director of Public Engagement, U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of the Secretary, Washington, D.C. She directs the daily operations for the Office of Public Engagement in the Office of Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Prior to this, Freedman-Gurspanwas Deputy States Director with the National Redistricting Action Fund/The All on The Line Campaign. She has also served as Director of External Relations for the National Center for Transgender Equality. She served a stint as Senior Associate Director in the Obama White House, Office of Public Engagement. She was “White

House Liaison” to the LGBTQ community, responsible for communication with national, state, and local constituency leadership, and other grassroots stakeholders. Before coming to D.C., she worked in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in the Office of State Rep. Carl Sciortino.

Congratulations also to Lindsey Sugar for joining the board of LPAC, the nation’s leading and only organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ women and nonbinary candidates to public office. Shari Weiner, chair of the LPAC Board said, “Her remarkable expertise and dedication to fostering inclusive environments make her an invaluable asset and her background in building inclusive spaces align perfectly with our mission.”

Upon joining the board, Sugar said, “I am honored to join the LPAC Board to contribute to LPAC’s mission of expanding LGBTQ+ representation across every level of government. Throughout my career, I’ve seen the transformative power of diversity and understand the necessity of having a seat at the

Roman.

D.C. police spokesperson Tom Lynch told the Blade in February that police were investigating the Barletta and Roman deaths, but investigators had to wait for the Medical Examiner’s official determination of the cause and manner of death before the investigation could fully proceed. He said the deaths were not being investigated as a homicide at that time.

Police and court records in D.C. and other jurisdictions show that police and prosecutors have filed criminal charges against drug dealers and suppliers in cases involving drug overdose deaths. In some cases, when the drug dealer is found they have been charged with manslaughter, reckless endangerment, or related charges.

When contacted this week to ask about the status of the D.C. police investigation into the Barletta and Roman deaths now that the Medical Examiner has determined the cause and manner of death, Lynch declined further comment.

“The investigation into these deaths remains open,” he said. “There are no updates on the investigation that we are ready to release to the public.”

Bailey said in January that one development that has emerged from the Barletta-Roman deaths is a stepped-up effort to raise awareness of the problem and support by LGBTQ bars in D.C. to host training sessions and to distribute the lifesaving Narcan treatment nasal spray as well as fentanyl test kits.

“It’s horrible when it takes a tragedy for things to come together,” Bailey said. “But this tragedy has truly triggered a powerful response. It was a real wakeup call for a lot of people.”

He said the local gay bars Trade, Pitchers, and JR.’s are among the LGBTQ bars that have hosted training sessions or tables set up by HIPS to provide related information along with test kits and Narcan.

According to Bailey, HIPS is partnering with Whitman-Walker Health, D.C.’s LGBTQ supportive health care center, to officially launch on April 5 a new Harm Reduction Vending Machine Project, “that seeks to put free harm reduction/overdose prevention supplies in areas with high rates of overdose deaths and other barriers to care.” The launch event will take place at Whitman-Walker’s Max Robinson Center in Southeast D.C.

table to shape our political landscape, a factor that’s especially crucial in this election year.”

Sugar is an accomplished executive and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of real estate investment, strategic advisory, and capital raising, experience.

PETER ROSENSTEIN

Shakers posted this Instagram message about a celebration of life for BRANDON ROMAN and ROBBIE BARLETTA held in February.

LINDSEY SUGAR

RAFFI FREEDMANGURSPAN

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Arlington church seeks to offer LGBTQ-affirming senior housing

Project by Clarendon Presbyterian faces opposition from residents

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

Leaders and members of the Clarendon Presbyterian Church, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary on April 13, have said they decided to continue to fulfill their mission of religious faith by using the land on which their church is located in the Clarendon section of Arlington, Va., to develop a new, larger church building to include LGBTQ affordable housing for seniors along with an independently run childcare center that currently operates in the church.

“In line with the church’s deep history of supporting affordable housing, LGBTQ communities, and seniors, in 2021, the church relaunched a visioning process of how we might invest our most valuable physical resources, our church property, for the good of the community,” church leaders said in a Feb. 9, 2024, statement describing the project.

The statement says that in 2022, the congregation voted to partner with the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH), a real estate development company that specializes in affordable housing projects. Through that partnership, the statement says, the two partners in June of 2023 applied to the Arlington County government for a zoning change that would allow the construction of a building that could accommodate as many as 92 residential apartments for seniors 55 or 62 and older.

Among other things, the project calls for demolishing the current church building and constructing a new, larger building that would include a smaller version of the church space for its religious services as well as space for 40 to 58 children ages two through six at the Clarendon Child Care Center, which has operated at the church for more than 60 years.

Rev. Alice Tewell, the current pastor at Clarendon Presbyterian Church, told the Washington Blade another important factor contributing to the decision to redevelop the church property is the high cost of maintaining a 100-year-old building and its aging infrastructure that was becoming less and less affordable for the church’s budget. And like many churches across the country, the membership of Clarendon Presbyterian Church has declined over the years, making it no longer necessary for a worship service space as large as that in the current church building, Tewell said.

The statement describing the development plan says that without a major redevelopment project, the church could no longer afford to remain in the current building, forcing it to move to another location outside of Clarendon and possibly outside of Arlington.

According to Rev. Tewell, the redevelopment decision came after several years of internal discussion, meetings with longtime church allies, including members of the LGBTQ community and other community groups.

“And after all these conversations, we came to where we could serve Christ, which is part of our faith, and where we could be good neighbors in Arlington – would be to tear down our entire property and rebuild so it would include senior affordable housing as LGBT welcoming, a new church space, which we also plan to turn into a community space, and the new space for our preschool center,” Tewell told the Blade.

She noted that the church’s location at 1305 N. Jackson St. is walking distance to the Clarendon Metro station and many local amenities such as restaurants and retail stores, making it a convenient location for the senior residents in the redeveloped space.

She also points out that church members have consulted with the New York-based LGBTQ seniors advocacy organization SAGE, which informed them of the great need for LGBTQ welcoming senior housing, including in Northern Virginia.

But news of the church’s redevelopment project, especially reports that it would include a proposed 92-unit apartment building, prompted many nearby residents to raise strong objections and to call on the Arlington County Board, which must make a final decision on a zoning change, to deny the zoning change request.

Most of the opposition comes from residents of single-family houses, who point out that the church is located in a largely low-density residential neighborhood with just a few nearby low-rise apartment buildings. In August of 2023, a group of nearby residents created an online petition that gathered at that time more than 1,000 signatures calling for the county to turn down the church development project.

“We, the concerned residents of Arlington, Virginia, stand united in opposition to the proposed destruction of the historic, over 100-year-old, Clarendon Presbyterian Church (CPC) and the subsequent construction of a massive 6-story apartment building having 100 units within our cherished residential neighborhood,” the petition states. “We believe that this development project will have serious detrimental effects on our community’s character, quality of life, and historic heritage,” it says.

The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, or APAH, the development company working in partnership with the church, submitted an official application on June 29, 2023, for a Special General Land Use Plan Study calling for the needed zoning change for the church project with Arlington County Zoning Administrator Arlova Vonhm. APAH officials have said the initial application was the first of a multi-step process seeking final approval of the project.

Garrett Jackson, APAH’s Director of Resource Development and Communications, told the Blade that APAH on behalf of the church asked the Zoning Administrator to put the application on hold while the church and APAH consider revisions for the project.

“We are currently working with our architect, engineer, and construction management team to assess the feasibility of different development options while also considering feedback we have received from the county and the community,” Jackson told the Blade in a March 15 email.

In a phone interview with the Blade on March 21, Jack-

son and APAH officials Mitchell Crispell and Brian Goggin, said the decision to put the project on hold did not come as a result of an informal message from the Zoning Administrator that the project was about to be turned down.

“So, we were the ones that put it on hold,” said Crispell, APAH’s Director of Real Estate Development. “It wasn’t the county that said no to us at all. We wanted to kind of pause for a minute and consider our options, the feasibility of different options and the development plans,” he said.

Crispell noted that the decision to put the project on hold came last fall, a few months after the application was submitted in June and after strong opposition to the project surfaced by nearby residents. Crispell, Jackson, and Goggin pointed out, however, that opposition to development projects is a common phenomenon in Arlington and other jurisdictions and that ongoing dialogue between developers and concerned residents often leads to a resolution to the objections.

“We understand the back and forth that it takes to get these projects to fruition,” Jackson said. “So, you’ve got to rest assured that this is very much a part of the very thorough process that both APAH and the county go through regularly to make sure that we’re getting the absolute best product in the actual building that will go up for Clarendon Presbyterian Church and for the future residents,” Jackson points out.

Jackson and his two APAH colleagues said they couldn’t immediately predict when they will resubmit the application for the zoning change. Spokespersons for the Zoning Office, the Arlington County Board, and Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz didn’t immediately respond to a request by the Blade for comment on the church project and the likelihood of the county approving the project.

Among those supporting the church project is James Fisher, a longtime Arlington LGBTQ rights advocate and longtime church member. Fisher and Arlington gay civic activists Jay Fisette, a former elected member of the Arlington Board, and longtime Arlington resident Bob Witeck, who support the project, told the Blade they believe many nearby residents also support the church development project.

Fisette and Witeck said they do not believe anti-LGBTQ bias is a significant factor, if a factor at all, in the opposition to the church project.

“I personally observe this as disquiet about building a larger and taller presence in a space that abuts residential neighbors unsure of the implications or stresses that might come,” Witeck said. “I’m no Pollyanna, but really believe that with time, this change will be smoother than people fear or imagine,” he said.

Fisette said the church project comes a short time after the Arlington County Board adopted an “Expanded Housing Options” policy that allows for larger residential buildings in some areas originally zoned for low-density, single-family homes. This change drew objections among many residents in areas similar to where Clarendon Presbyterian church is located.

“I would say the LGBTQ elements of the proposal are likely more of a plus than a minus,” Fisette told the Blade. “I expect 99 percent of any resistance-anxiety relates to density and the real-feared impacts of that density,” he said.

Clarendon Presbyterian Church (Blade photo by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.)

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Adm. Levine celebrates trans joy on Transgender Day of Visibility

‘We continue to live a life of joy in the face of adversity’

By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com

The day after Sunday’s Transgender Day of Visibility observance, the Washington Blade connected with Adm. Rachel Levine, a pediatrician serving as assistant secretary of health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“Trans joy means authenticity and being comfortable in your own skin and being able to be who you are,” said Levine, who is the highest-ranking transgender official in U.S. history.

“With my transition, I was able to be my authentic self,” she remembers. “At that time, I was still a professor at the Penn State College of Medicine, and an attending physician at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center in pediatrics and adolescent medicine, but then I had this unique opportunity to become the physician general of Pennsylvania for thenGov. Tom Wolf, and then two and a half years later to become the Secretary of Health.”

“So it has been a tremendous journey, which has been very rewarding,” Levine said, adding that it has been “an honor” to work for the Biden-Harris administration under HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra — all allies of trans, nonbinary, and gender expansive folks and of the LGBTQ community more broadly.

Levine recounted how Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, himself the first openly gay Senate-confirmed Cabinet secretary, had singled her out as one of the administration’s other high-ranking LGBTQ appointees during a 2021 Pride celebration at the White House.

At that moment, President Joe Biden “looked me in the eye and, you know, kind of gestured for me to stand up for the applause,” she remembered, and “I thought that that was just truly meaningful and shows his compassion and his attention to the people working for him and his administration.”

At the same time, Levine’s tenure has, unfortunately, come with bigoted attacks from the likes of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), but she said part of trans joy means “we fight hate with love, and we continue to live a life of joy in the face of adversity.”

“For me personally, I am able to compartmentalize those attacks,” she said. “You know, and I’ve learned this in my clinical work as a pediatrician, where, if you are in the emergency department or in the office or in the hospital and you have a very sick patient in front of you, you have to be able to function as a professional and compartmentalize your feelings and then be able to bring them out later and process them.”

Levine explained, “And so it’s the same thing so that if I am attacked, I’m able to compartmentalize any emotions about that and then I work that through with my friends and my family.”

“In addition, though, I’ve also learned the art of sublimation where, you know, the more people attack me, then I’m able to turn that around and it serves as motivation for me to work harder and advocate more.”

Rather than herself, Levine said, “ What I worry about are the most vulnerable in our community, who I think it can be very challenging for, particularly in these times, to vulnerable transgender and nonbinary youth, their families, and even their medical providers in many states across the country.”

Levine shared her thoughts about the public’s eroding faith in science, medicine, and institutional expertise — themes that often arise in the context of debates over gender affirming healthcare, as guideline-directed and medically necessary interventions that are supported by every mainstream medical society have come under fire from rightwing politicians.

“There is a lot of misinformation and overt disinformation about transgender medicine,” she said. “You know, transgender medicine is an evidence-based standard of care, which continues to benefit from continued research and evolution from, you know, standards 10 or more years ago to the current standards now published.”

Levine added, “Transgender medicine is absolutely necessary for transgender and gender diverse people including youth — and transgender medicine is medical care, but it’s also mental health care, and it’s literally suicide prevention care” that has “been shown in study after study to improve the quality of life and can literally save lives.”

Transgender medicine “for young people [is often] conducted at many of our nation’s expert children’s hospitals,” Levine said. “Let me put it this way: if you have a child with a fever, you would take your child, perhaps, to a pediatrician. If they had severe diabetes, you would take them to a pediatric endocrinologist. If they had a mental health condition, you might take them to a child psychiatrist or psychologist.”

“So,” she said, “if you have a child with gender questions or gender issues then you’re going to take them to the pediatric and adolescent gender specialist, and it’s often a team — including the same endocrinologist and it might be the same psychiatrist or psychologist.”

“You’re not going to think, ‘oh, I’m going to call my state legislator.’”

Nevertheless, Levine said, “These issues have been politicized for political and ideo-

logical reasons” over the objections of physicians like Jesse Ehrenfeld, president of the American Medical Association, who during a panel discussion with Levine for the PFLAG National convention in November, agreed that politicians should not get between patients, their families, and their healthcare providers.

“We see other areas where there’s misinformation and disinformation,” Levine said, perhaps partly a consequence of the politicization of the public health response to the COVID pandemic, which has led to vaccine hesitancy for COVID as well as childhood immunizations.

Ultimately, she said, “physicians and other medical and public health professionals are trying to help people,” which is “what I tried to do when I was in academic medicine” where “I really worked to help people, the patients and families that I saw as well as teaching as well as clinical research — and I think, overall, that’s what most physicians and medical professionals and public health professionals are doing.”

When it comes to the work in which her agency is engaged, Levine said “health equity is fundamental to everything that we’re doing at HHS under Secretary Becerra and so many of our key policy initiatives relate to health equity.”

“So,” she said, “that includes health equity for the LGBTQI+ community, working to end the HIV epidemic in the United States with a focus on health equity, working to safeguard LGBTQI+ youth from the harms of conversion therapy, promoting data equity for our community, SAMHSA’s work on on conversion therapy, ARC’s work in terms of a sample patient intake form to improve the patient care experience for LGBTQI+ people, and more.”

“

We have an office of climate change and health equity with a sister office of environmental justice,” Levine added. “We’re working on health equity in terms of reproductive health and reproductive rights, in the face of the Dobbs decision,” which revoked the constitutional right to abortion.

“We’re working in terms of health equity in regards to food and nutrition,” she said, “in terms of long COVID, and more.”

As with many initiatives under Biden’s presidency, “There is a tremendous emphasis on breaking down silos within divisions at HHS and between departments,” Levine said.

She shared a few examples: “One is our work on long COVID. We have an office of long COVID research and practice, which is really working across the administration with that whole of government approach. Another is in terms of our work on climate change and health equity with the EPA, and the White House Climate Council.”

“And then another actually would be our work on syphilis,” Levine said. “We run — and I chair — a syphilis and congenital syphilis federal government task force, which includes all the divisions at HHS, but also includes the VA and the Department of Defense, trying to address the significant increases in syphilis and congenital syphilis that we’ve seen the United States.”

And then, “Another example within the LGBTQ space is a global interagency action plan about conversion therapy, which includes HHS, the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and USAID.”

Dr. RACHEL LEVINE (Blade photo by Michael Key)

Meet Shawn Harris, the Democrat who seeks to oust Marjorie Taylor Greene

‘I wouldn’t be running unless I thought I could win’

By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com

Shawn Harris, a cattleman in Northwest Georgia who served in the military for 40 years and retired as a U.S. Army brigadier general, is running for the congressional seat now held by far-right U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

He connected with the Washington Blade last week to discuss his candidacy as a Democrat in Georgia’s deep-red 14th Congressional District — and why his promise to deliver for constituents who have been failed by their current representative is resonating with voters across the political spectrum.

“As it stands today, I’m the lead candidate on the Democratic side,” Harris said, with “three other gentlemen running against me in the primary,” but “ I am the lead candidate that has already received major endorsements,” including from Marcus Flowers, another Black veteran and Democrat who ran against Greene in 2022, and VoteVets, which is backed by more than 700,000 donors/supporters.

Harris said, “ This race right now is in a situation where the district’s Democrats, Republicans, and independents are actually now truly looking at Marjorie Taylor Greene and saying, ‘she has been up there for three and a half years. What has she actually done for the district?’

He said voters are telling him, “‘I hear her always screaming about, you know, impeaching somebody, but I don’t know what she has actually done for the district.’”

A couple of weeks ago, Harris noted, Greene claimed credit for bringing millions of dollars in federal infrastructure investment to her district, only to retract the statement because the money came thanks to President Biden and the Biden-Harris administration through a bill she had voted against.

“ Marjorie Taylor Greene has got herself in a situation where she’s in a civil war with the Republican Party,” he said. “ She hates every Democrat that walks the face of the earth, and on top of that, she doesn’t have anything that she can stand on that says what she’s actually done here inside the district — so we have a clear path to actually beat her.”

“ Based on information that we received from Marcus on what went right, what he thought he could improve, and how he raised the money, we have taken everything that he did right and brought it to our team,” Harris said. “ Errors that he had, we looked at it and went with a different approach — so where I’m at right now, we’re going to every zip code in Northwest Georgia; we’re not overlooking anybody.”

Harris said he has secured support from Democrats, independents, “and we have figured out how to get Republicans to also vote for me.”

“ I was military and I was high-level military,” he said. “ So, it’s very easy for Republicans to Google my name and look at my history. My last assignment was in Israel. So that was a very high-level position.”

“ The second piece,” Harris said, “ is I raise cattle. I raise Red Angus cattle. I’m actually in my office looking out the window at them right now.”

He noted that agriculture dominates Georgia’s econ -

omy, particularly “cattle and wineries,” and also said he is an active member of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association and U.S. Cattlemen’s Association.

“ Most cattlemen, at least here in this area, are Republicans,” Harris said, so during the group’s meetings, “ they get a chance to meet me just as Shawn, just as another cattleman.” At the same time, he said, “ they come out here and visit me on the farm” and vice-versa.

“ We help each other out” with challenges on the farm, and recently Harris said he has been hearing concerns about Greene’s opposition to the Farm Bill because it includes funding for SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) even though the legislation also “covers when farmers have drought, or hurricanes or tornadoes, or like the fires that just happened out in Texas; it helps them to replace whatever they lost.”

During “ this past cattlemen’s association [meeting] two days ago, we all took up money to send to the farmers out there to try to help them get back on their feet,” Harris said. “ What they’re saying to me is, ‘in three and a half years, Marjorie Taylor Greene has never been to a cattlemen’s association-type meeting anywhere.’ Okay? So you think about that.”

Harris added, “ I just told you that the number one industry up here in North Georgia, northwest Georgia, is agriculture. Then on top of that, it’s cattle, and she don’t even come and talk to that particular group?” “ I think she looks at it like that’s beneath her,” he said. “ When you talk to cattlemen and cattlewomen, we are just everyday people, hard working everyday people, and we don’t get to sit around and watch the news and Twitter and all this kind of stuff — so in order to talk to them you’ve got to come out to their house and go out into the pasture and maybe help them with some things.”

When he visits other cattlemen and farmers, Harris said they often say, “‘you know, that guy was a general and he came over and helped you put your cow back in today.’ That is priceless. That is how you change hearts and minds.”

He hopes the experience will also “ make them say, ‘OK, it’s OK to vote for Donald Trump’” but on “the second line [on the ballot] that will say Shawn Harris and Marjorie Taylor Greene,” these folks might choose to

vote for the Democratic candidate or “ if they skip it, the math starts going in my favor either way.”

“ We have Republicans that have already come to me and are champing at the bit that are ready to start putting up signs, big signs in their pastures that will go out in mid-April that will say, ‘I’m voting for Shawn,’” Harris said.

He also discussed the significance of his military experience in the context of helping to better serve veterans in Northwest Georgia. “[We veterans are] just as diverse as everybody else,” Harris said. “And I’m going and talking to that group because I am a veteran, 100% disabled, so I know exactly what they’re going through,” particularly when it comes to challenges with getting healthcare and other services from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“ So, when I talk to my fellow brothers and sisters that are veterans,” Harris said, “ I talk about those issues and say, ‘you know what? I’m going to help fix this problem, I’m going to join with Sen. [Jon] Ossoff and all of the senators to get at it, but that’s one of the things that Ossoff is really working on up here in Northwest Georgia.”

Harris said many of the policy positions outlined on his website were informed by his experience going out and talking to veterans, famers, cattlemen, teachers, and others.

Harris added that he has not yet had a formal meeting with members of the LGBTQ community, “ but that community has already came to the other things and asked the question and I didn’t shy away from the question — that happened up there in Rome, Georgia.”

Asked whether, if elected, Harris might face blowback from conservative constituents over his support for LGBTQ rights, he was quick to say “ no. ”

“ I’m not worried about any backlash or anything,” he said, because his voters “are picking me because I’m a leader,” which marks the “difference between Marjorie Taylor Greene and me — I’m going to listen to the people in my district, but I’m also going to vote and do the right thing for everybody in everybody in the district.”

Despite the efforts by Greene to “ make everything seem like it’s to the extreme” including with respect to matters of LGBTQ rights, Harris said that in reality “ most people out here — I don’t care if you’re Black, white, blue, or green — most people out here are laser focused on how they can get a high paying job so that they don’t have to drive to Atlanta or drive to Chattanooga, Tennessee, or drive all the way over to Huntsville, Alabama” for work.

Traveling these distances for work means “ they stay over there for the week and come back on Friday,” Harris noted. “ So in our area, we are breaking up the family dynamics, because either the husband or the wife is working two or three hours away from here, and so they are not here during the week.”

“ What I’m trying to do,” Harris said, “and this is how I thread this needle, I’m trying to bring high-paying jobs here and generational jobs here so that people can still stay in this area, actually raise a family, and reach the American dream.”

Continues at washingtonblade.com

SHAWN HARRIS (Photo courtesy of the campaign)

Trump slams Biden over Trans Day of Visibility proclamation

Former President Donald Trump and his far-right allies lashed out at President Joe Biden for issuing a proclamation honoring International Transgender Day of Visibility, an annual event occurring on March 31 dedicated to celebrating trans people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by trans people worldwide.

This year the day happened to coincide when Christians mark Easter, also an annual observance, which however, along with its related holidays are moveable feasts not falling on a fixed date.

In a statement released by Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, the presumptive GOP nominee said: “It is appalling and insulting that Joe Biden’s White House prohibited children from submitting religious egg designs for their Easter Art Event, and formally proclaimed Easter Sunday as ‘Trans Day of Visibility.’ Sadly, these are just two more examples of the Biden administration’s years-long assault on the Christian faith. We call on Joe Biden’s failing campaign and White House to issue an apology to the millions of Catholics and Christians across America who believe tomorrow is for one celebra-

tion only — the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

This was also echoed by transphobic and homophobic Trump ally U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) who said in a X post:

“Biden and the Democrats decided Easter — the Holy Day of our Savior’s resurrection — as Transgender Day of Visibility. There is no length Biden and the Democrats won’t go to mock your faith and to thumb his nose at God. We know that Christ is King and God will not be mocked, just like we know Joe Biden isn’t really the one calling the shots in the White House. Psalm 37:13: ‘but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.’”

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates noted, “It’s unsurprising politicians are seeking to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful and dishonest rhetoric. President Biden will never abuse his faith for political purposes or for profit.”

The Human Rights Campaign reacted to the outrage singling out the former president who famously enacted a ban on military service by trans Americans during his

term of office.

“Really Trump campaign? You’re blaming Biden that #TransDayOfVisibility falls on Easter this year? Not only would Trump’s policies drag us back in time — apparently he also doesn’t know how the calendar works.”

BRODY LEVESQUE

Wisconsin guv vetoes ban on trans student athletes

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a Republican bill Tuesday that would have barred transgender girls from participating on girls’ sports teams.

The expected veto of AB 377 is Evers’s latest rejection of bills passed by Republicans that targeted LGBTQ people. Evers, who also recently vetoed a bill that would ban gender affirming medical care for minors, had repeatedly said that he wouldn’t sign bills that could negatively impact LGBTQ Wisconsinites.

Evers said in his veto message that the bill and “the harmful rhetoric” that produced it “harms LGBTQ Wisconsinites’ and kids’ mental health, emboldens anti-LGBTQ harassment, bullying, and violence and threatens the safety and dignity of LGBTQ Wisconsinites, especially our LGBTQ kids.”

“I will veto any bill that makes Wisconsin a less safe, less inclusive and less welcoming place for LGBTQ people and

kids and I will continue to keep my promise of using every power available to me to defend them, protect their rights and keep them safe,” Evers said.

The bill would have required schools to create three categories of teams — “males,” “females,” and “males and females,” — based on students’ sex assigned at birth. It would have specifically prohibited a “male pupil” from participating on a team designated for “females.”

The bill passed the Assembly with only Republican support. When it passed the Senate, state Sen. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) was the only Republican to join Democrats against the bill.

Evers said in his message that he was vetoing the bill because it ignored the current policy regarding trans student athletes set by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, because it could conflict with current federal law and because it “fails to comport with our Wisconsin values.”

“I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to codifying discrimination into state statutes and the Wisconsin State Legislature’s ongoing efforts to perpetuate hateful and discriminatory rhetoric and policies targeting LGBTQ Wisconsinites, including our transgender and gender nonconforming kids,” Evers said.

The Transgender and Non-Binary Advocacy caucus applauded Evers’ veto in a statement.

Caucus co-chair state Rep. Melissa Ratcliff (D-Cottage Grove) said the “harmful proposal targeted trans and nonbinary students and would have prevented them from participating in sports teams that align with their gender identity.”

“It is a sad day when discrimination and prejudice receive the overwhelming support of Republicans in the state legislature,” she continued.

Two indicted for supplying fentanyl to trans activist before her death

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace on Monday announced that two men had been charged with distributing the heroin and fentanyl that caused the death of 52-yearold Argentina-born Cecilia Gentili, a beloved prominent New York transgender activist.

New York City residents Michael Kuilan and Antonio Vent were named in the court documents, which laid out the events leading to the death of Gentili.

According to the indictment and court documents, on Feb. 6, following a 911 call by Gentili’s partner, New York

Police Department officers reported to Gentili’s home in Brooklyn, N.Y., and found Gentili dead in her bedroom. Gentili died due to the combined effect of fentanyl, heroin, xylazine and cocaine. Text messages, cell site data and other evidence revealed that Venti allegedly sold the fentanyl and heroin mixture to Gentili on Feb. 5, 2024, and Kuilan supplied Venti with those lethal narcotics.

In addition, law enforcement searched an apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, belonging to Kuilan and found hundreds of baggies of fentanyl, a handgun and ammunition.

“Cecilia Gentili, a prominent activist and leader of the New York transgender community was tragically poisoned in her Brooklyn home from fentanyl-laced heroin. Today, the alleged perpetrators who sold the deadly dose of drugs to Gentili have been arrested,” stated Peace. “Fentanyl is a public health crisis. Our office will spare no effort in the pursuit of justice for the many New Yorkers who have lost loved ones due to this lethal drug.”

“Today’s indictment delivers a strong message to anyone who profits from poisoning our communities with illicit drugs: There are dedicated investigators, across

multiple agencies, working tirelessly to disrupt your shameful industry by pinpointing the source of these unlawful substances,” stated NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban. “It is imperative that we continue to hold distributors accountable for their callous actions. I commend the NYPD’s partners at the DEA and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York for their ongoing commitment to this critical mission.”

An undocumented immigrant and then-asylum seeker from Argentina, Gentili came to the U.S. pursuing a safer life to live authentically as a trans woman. She lived undocumented for 10 years, hustling, doing sex work which came with drug use. After surviving arrests and an immigration detention, she accessed recovery services and won asylum.

Among Gentili’s accomplishments was her work as a co-founder of her namesake COIN Clinic (Cecilia’s Occupational Inclusion Network) at Callen-Lorde, a New York-based leader in LGBTQ healthcare. She later was the managing director of policy for the world-renowned GMHC (originally the Gay Men’s Health Crisis.)

BRODY LEVESQUE

BAYLOR SPEARS

Former President DONALD TRUMP (Screenshot/CSPAN)

CECILIA GENTILI

(Photo courtesy of Gentili’s Instagram page)

ISAAC AMEND (he/him/his)

is a writer based in the D.C. area. With two poetry books out, he writes for the Blade and the Yale Daily News. He is a transgender man and was featured in National Geographic’s “Gender Revolution” documentary. He serves on the board of the LGBT Democrats of Virginia and in his free time, runs a chess club in Fairfax. Contact him at isaac.amend35@gmail. com or on Instagram at: @literatipapi.

The beauty in queer relationships

Our love is more inclusive and beautiful than straight love

Recent exposure to social circles of queer men — predominantly gay men — has led me to appreciate how queer people often lead romantic and sex lives. In general, I’ve found that queer love supersedes straight love: in many prior and current interactions, queer people, in my opinion, are more open to flirting with polyamory, varied sexual experiences, and a more general openness to experimenting with romance.

I am someone who generally prides myself on being against stereotypes. I don’t like to stereotype transmen as aggressive, violent abusers, because that is far from true, as my experience with transness has found that transmen can take on all types of dimensions, ranging from feminine, gay types to traditionally straight people interested in women. I also don’t like stereotyping queer women, as many types of queer women abound, ranging from lipstick lesbians to butch girls and all in between.

But I can’t help observe that the men I interact with who identify as gay often are in partnerships where they allow the other spouse or boyfriend to experiment with other people. This doesn’t happen all the time, and monogamy still certainly abounds, but in many cases, relationships are made open, with steady agreements in place.

When I first read the book “The Ethical Slut,” authored by Dossie Easton and Janet Hardy, I was against their theory of polyamory and open sex. I still am a monogamous person in relationships, but when single, I am now more open to sexual encounters with others in open relationships. The premise of “The Ethical Slut” is that non-monogamy can be practiced on moral terms, and safely, and consensually, and respectfully. The book even argues that non-monogamy is a favorable act sometimes, and that couples who practice non-monogamy can still lead healthy lives.

I both agree and disagree with the thesis of “The Ethical Slut.” But once again, as a single person, the book captures my attention. This is all to say that, when socializing with queer men, I greatly appreciate their openness to sleeping with others–even when maintaining a spouse or boyfriend.

I first came out as transgender in 2015, but have since felt a mini-revolution in the way society perceives trans people. We still have a long ways to go, repealing awful bathroom bills and ensuring that gender nonconforming teenagers have access to affirming healthcare. We need to push back against transphobia, particularly in regions like the South and rural areas of the Midwest.

In the year 2024, though, I’ve found more cisgender gay men to be open to sleeping with transmen, and some even do extensive research on how to fulfill our romantic and sexual needs. The relationships between cisgender queer men and transmen should improve over time, and develop through organic interactions at parties, at conferences, and on queer-specific dating apps. There are still plenty of cisgender gay men who openly reject sex with transmen, but that number is shrinking as the years progress. At the very least, cisgender gay men are more and more able to understand the trans struggle on a platonic, friendship-based level. This decency gives me great hope for the future.

All in all, queer love, to me, is more beautiful than straight love. Queer people are more accommodating of differences in sexual preferences, and fulfilling divergent needs in bed. I hope this kind of unfettered and unbound love continues.

Tuesday, April 30th

8am - 3pm

Washington Convention Center

801 Allen Y. Lew Place NW, 20001

PETER ROSENSTEIN

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

Congratulations to D.C.’s amazing Mayor Bowser

Caps and Wizards to stay here after Va. move falls apart

As Ted Leonis said at the press conference announcing the Caps and Wizards would stay at the Capital One Arena in D.C., “When I told Muriel Bowser I was leaving D.C. she said to me “No you’re not!” turns out she was right.”

I must admit I was sad not to see Leonsis beg a little more for the $515 million investment, and other changes the District will agree to at Capital One Arena. But I realize the job of the mayor is to make it happen for the District, not to penalize greedy rich guys like Leonsis. Clearly, he is greedy as was demonstrated by his secret deal with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to try and move his company, Monumental Sports, to Virginia. What we saw go down was the comeuppance of two greedy rich guys, when the Virginia Legislature, and the people of Alexandria, said a loud ‘NO’ to them. That’s what you get when you don’t include people in your plans, and think you can just ride roughshod over them.

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Now to be honest, I don’t really care about either the Capitals or the Wizards, as I am not a huge sports fan. I do care about the economic health of the District. I do read the sports pages and get excited when a young figure skater like Ilia Malinin wins the world figure skating title, representing our country so well. I can get excited watching tennis phenom Carlos Alcaraz, so I understand how many get excited about the Caps and Wizards. Leonsis was happy to screw all those D.C. fans who have for years supported his teams. He said he was not responsible for the businesses near Capital One Arena that could go under, and really didn’t give a damn about D.C.’s downtown, or its recovery after the pandemic. I am only thankful the mayor really cares about all those people, and the recovery of the city, and was willing to continue to talk to Leonsis even after he told us in essence to ‘get over it,’ he was taking Monumental Sports and leaving.

So, the mayor has proven again how amazing she is in so many ways. Mayor Bowser understood she had to keep trying to keep Leonsis here because the economic impact of the arena is so great. Aside from the Capitals and the Wizards, it is home to the Georgetown Hoyas men’s basketball team, and hosts an average of 220 events per year. Abe Pollin paid to build the arena and it opened in 1997. In June 2010, Ted Leonsis became the majority owner of Capital One Arena, and formed Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE). According to its website, since it opened there has been roughly $9.2 billion in redevelopment in the area surrounding it. The arena has hosted 47 million people, and more than 4,500 events. That is the kind of economic engine the mayor knew D.C. couldn’t afford to lose.

As I write this, the bill approving the deal will head to the Council. I have chatted with Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto, in whose Ward the Capital One Arena is located, and she feels confident it will pass and possibly even unanimously. She has worked hard for the people of her Ward and the whole city. She recently shepherded the new crime bill, ‘Secure DC,’ through the Council. She manages to successfully respond to the needs of the people of the Ward, which encompasses both residential areas and the District’s downtown, not an easy task. D.C., like every major city with a big downtown, is struggling to recover from the pandemic. Office buildings are empty and small businesses that were around them are suffering. The loss of the Capital One Arena would have just added to the suffering. Mayor Bowser is working to ameliorate these problems, including working to convert empty office buildings into residences. She has overseen the dramatic bounce-back of the tourist business in the city, and the city’s population has once again begun to increase.

The next big idea the mayor has is to bring the Commanders football team back to D.C. She has managed to get Rep. James Comer, Jr. (R-Ken.), the Republican chair of the committee that oversees the District, to introduce bipartisan legislation that could help D.C. turn the shuttered RFK Stadium site into an attractive new mixed-use development, potentially including a shiny new home for the Commanders. This may be a long way off, but if anyone can pull this off in a way that will benefit all the people of D.C., it is Muriel Bowser.

Instantly access the DMV’s highest quality cannabis (without visiting a doctor) at Takoma Wellness Center!

By EMMA CIESLIK

A brief history of LGBTQ religion in D.C. Road to inclusion gained momentum in 1960s

Editor’s note: Although there has been considerable scholarship focused on LGBTQ community and advocacy in D.C., there is a deficit of scholarship focused on LGBTQ religion in the area. Religion plays an important role in LGBTQ advocacy movements, through queer-affirming ministers and communities, along with queer-phobic churches in the city. This is part one of a three-part series exploring the history of religion and LGBTQ advocacy in Washington, D.C.)

“By integration of homosexuals into the religious community M.S.W. [The Mattachine Society of Washington], means acceptance of homosexuals as homosexuals not as candidates for change or ‘cure,’” said Franklin E. Kameny, the founder of the Washington Mattachine Society.

More than 10 years before the United Church of Christ’s General Synod accepted a resolution encouraging UCC congregations to welcome lesbian, gay, and bisexual people and six years before the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, D.C. was founded, Kameny brought together members of the Mattachine Society and 11 clergymen from Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish communities around the Capital. The conference, held at American University on March 22, 1965, marked a critical moment in which Washingtonian clergy committed to advocate on behalf of LGBTQ individuals.

The result was a more than 50-year partnership between Washingtonian clergy members and LGBTQ individuals that continued through the AIDS crisis, the founding of open and affirming congregations, and farright Christian movements in the late 2010s and 2020s. The need for religious and spiritual meaning and community has existed as long as LGBTQ communities, but traditionally, the historical narrative of queerness and religion has been driven by how religious leaders and communities have inflicted trauma and harm on queer members. This narrative is valid and acknowledges how religious communities and people have hurt LGBTQ folks but fails to acknowledge how queer people were instrumental in forming inclusive communities and how some religious leaders were key players in the LGBTQ rights movement.

The Mattachine Society was originally founded in Los Angeles by activist Harry Hay to protect and advocate for the rights of gay men. The Society published a monthly periodical, One: The Homosexual Viewpoint, which released its first issue focused on religion in December 1960 titled “Homosexual, Servant of God.” Just one year later Kameny and Jack Nicols, a 23-year-old native Washingtonian, founded the Mattachine Society of Washington (MSW).

It wouldn’t be long before Kameny and MSW members began thinking critically about their community’s spiritual needs and how they could partner with local clergy members, since their faiths were largely responsible for public perception and discrimination against gay men at the time. Nichols stepped forward to create the Washington Area Council on Religion and Homosexual, a subcommittee of the MSW. The following year Kameny and Nichols organized the conference between Washingtonian faith leaders and MSW members. The first

meeting in March set the groundwork for the second on May 24, 1965, where the group founded the Washington Area Council on Religion and the Homosexual.

The constitution of the new organization was formally adopted on Dec. 6, 1965. The purpose of this organization is, as the constitution notes, “to effect the integration of the individual homosexual into the religious life of the community be alleviation of the estrangement and alienation, which now exists between the homosexual and the religious community.”

In 1967, Nichols and Reverend Lorey Graham, chaplain at American University, appeared on WJZ-TV Baltimore to answer questions about “The Second Largest Minority.” Both answered questions from the host and the audience, explaining that homosexuality was not a pathology. “The significance of this show lies in the fact,” Nichols wrote in The Homosexual Citizen, “that for the first time, a distinguished Methodist clergyman on the East Coast has publicly associated himself with the civil libertarian aims of the homophile movement and has made his views known to a wider television audience.”

Founding new communities

But this partnership wasn’t confined to television. These conversations in the 1960s laid the groundwork for Washingtonian faith communities to found specific internal organizations and ministries for LGBTQ individuals. In 1971, Dignity/Washington — a chapter of the Catholic LGBTQ organization Dignity USA — was established by six people in the first-floor cafeteria of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Sr. Jeannine Gramick Patrick Mills, Fr. Greg Slamone, Joe Cicero, and another individual saw a need for a queer Catholic ministry and started the chapter. The group became a chapter in 1972 and met at the Newman Center on GWU’s campus. Several of these founders also established the LGBTQ Catholic New Ways Ministry just across the river in 1977.

When Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at St. Matthew Cathedral on Saturday, Oct. 6, 1979, he was greeted by 30 members of the Dignity/Washington chapter

holding a banner reading, “Dignity Gay and Lesbian Catholics Welcome You.” Integrity/Washington, a local chapter of the gay and lesbian Episcopal organization Integrity USA, was founded shortly thereafter.

In 1983, Westminister Presbyterian became one of the first 13 Presbyterian congregations to form the More Light Network, a ministry for the LGBTQ community. The D.C. church had been working with the LGBTQ community since the early 1960s, openly sharing that they “fought for the inclusion of and end of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ family. We do not just accept but celebrate the gifts God has given through our varied sexual orientations and gendered understandings.”

Many churches in D.C. also responded to the call to become “Open and Affirming.” In 1985, the United Church of Christ’s General Synod accepted a resolution encouraging UCC congregations across the country to “Declare Themselves Open and Affirming” after a period of dialogue and reflection. In 1987, the First Congregational United Church of Christ voted to become one of the first Open and Affirming congregations in the DMV area. First Congregational was also one of the first 15 certified Open and Affirming Congregations in the United States.

Within these congregations, LGBTQ individuals were welcomed and celebrated. In 1982, gay activist L. Page “Deacon” Maccubbin and his life partner Jim Bennett were one of the first couples to celebrate a Holy Union and were the second couple to be registered as domestic partners in Washington, D.C.

More denominations followed suit, but in the late 1970s, LGBTQ individuals established their own faith communities. One whole church was established — the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, D.C. — solely to serve the LGBTQ community in 1970. Members first met in Rev. J.E. Paul Breton’s home on Capitol Hill the following year. The wider MCC would become the largest LGBTQ-affirming mainline Protestant denomination, with churches spreading across the country through the 1970s and 1980s. Following suit, Bet Mishpachah was founded by members of D.C.’s LGBTQ community as Washington’s only Egalitarian synagogue in 1975, now identified as “a congregation for gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, trans, and queer Jews.”

Thus begins D.C.’s LGBTQ religious history in the 1960s onwards; the history of LGBTQ-affirming religious organizations and ministries prior to the 1960s is extremely limited and their exclusion here does not mean they did not exist in D.C. before these first two conferences at American University in 1964. But despite these pieces of communion between the LGBTQ community and religious organizations in the 1970s and early 1980s, the former would face significant backlash at the hands of religious leaders in the mid to late 1980s with the 1976 Gay Pride Day and the HIV/AIDS Epidemic.

(Emma Cieslik will present on LGBTQ+ Religion in the Capital at the D.C. History Conference on Friday, April 6. She is working with a DC History Fellow to establish a roundtable committed to recording and preserving this vital history. If you have any information about these histories, please reach out to Emma Cieslik at eocieslik@ gmail.com or the Rainbow History Project at info@rainbowhistory.org.)

Legendary local activist FRANK KAMENY brought together 11 clergymen from Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish communities for a conference in 1965. (Washington Blade archive photo by Doug Hinckle)

Saturday, April 13 10 AM - 12 Noon Constitution Ave NW, between 7th and 17th Streets Washington, DC

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY

Saturday, Apr. 13 at 8 p.m.

Celebrate 100 years of this revolutionary ensemble

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

SMALL ISLAND BIG SONG

Saturday, Apr. 20 at 8 p.m.

A moving concert experience combining music, spoken word, and stunning projections

BAMBERG SYMPHONY

Saturday, April 27 at 8 p.m.

A dazzling concert of Wagner, Brahms, and Schumann

BRIAN GANZ: A CHOPIN RECITAL

Saturday, May 4 at 8 p.m.

A moving concert celebrating this Romantic era composer

Don’t miss the Nation’s Springtime Parade, featuring: The Sugar Hill Gang, hip-hop pioneers and American Idol Finalist Colin Stough

20 Marching Bands from across the country

Grand colorful balloons, including Shrek, Hello Kitty, and Kermit the Frog Disney Properties ©Disney

Scan QR code or visit NationalCherryBlossomFestival.org for full details!

MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY

SMALL ISLAND BIG SONG

‘Nancy,’ soaked in ‘80s nostalgia, is ‘queer AF’ Mosaic production led by out director Ken-Matt Martin

By PATRICK FOLLIARD

Set in 1985, smack dab in the middle of the Reagan years, Rhiana Yazzie’s “Nancy” is totally soaked in nostalgia: shoulder pads, high hair, Van Halen, etc. For some theatergoers, it jogs the memory and for others serves as an introduction to an alien era.

Out director Ken-Matt Martin describes the production (now at Mosaic Theater) as “queer AF.” He continues, “But that’s true with everything I touch. My aesthetics and interests are unapologetically queer. When you first walk into theater, you see a big ass picture of Nancy’s face. The whole play is kind of set on her face.”

Martin, who puts his age as “somewhere over 30,” gives a brief rundown via telephone: “‘Nancy’ places two women on parallel tracks and we get to watch them on a collision course. Esmeralda [Anaseini Katoa], a Navajo mother and advocate determined to improve the condition of her family and reservation. Her story is juxtaposed to that of Nancy Reagan [Lynn Hawley] who’s busy at the White House consulting with society astrologer Joan Quigley to help guide Reagan [Michael Kevin Darnall] and his administration. The women’s worlds come together over Nancy’s direct ancestral connection to Pocahontas.”

The busy storyline also includes a moment surrounding Rock Hudson’s final days, a moment when well-coiffed, clothes-crazy Nancy was presented with the opportunity to make a difference but chose not to.

“And the work doesn’t let Nancy off the hook,” adds Martin. “It’s a full meal of a play.”

Produced in partnership with New Native Theatre based in the Twin Cities, Mosaic’s epic offering, a very D.C. play about ancestry and ambition, almost looks at Ron and Nancy as cartoon characters but isn’t without empathy.

Martin and Yazzie both love satire and absurdity; they enjoy comedy and things that are funny until they’re not. So, the evening shifts in tone as it moves into more serious areas, particularly an exploration of how the ‘80s and Reagan’s failed trickle-down agenda set the stage for many of today’s problems.

The director’s way into theater was as a child actor. After successfully begging his mother to drive him from their native Little Rock, Ark., to a regional Atlanta audition, he booked an appearance on Nickelodeon’s landmark series “All That” and snagged an agent in the process. He continued to act for a time before becoming interested in other facets of showbiz.

After graduating with an MFA in directing from Brown University/Trinity Repertory Company, Martin embarked on a terrifically busy schedule. In addition to freelance directing, he has helmed and helms various prestigious companies as artistic director and managing producer (Pyramid Theatre Company in Des Moines, IA, Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago, and was recently appointed Interim Artistic Director of Baltimore Center Stage and Arkansas Repertory Theatre.)

Currently an itinerant professional (Martin gave up his place in Chicago and hops from job to job where they house him), he says, “It can get a little old, but overall, not bad at all.”

Next up, Martin is directing Olney Theatre’s production “Long Way Down,” the adaptation of a Young Adult novel by DMV native Jason Reynolds. “It’s a big regional tryout that after a limited engagement in Olney leaves for the Apollo Theatre in New York. I’m excited.”

Martin is at home with plays that are tricky to stage, making him a good fit for “Nancy” with its multiple locations, scope, and scale. He’s enjoyed the challenge of the work’s collapsing time lines and the playwright’s tough, complicated, smart, and fast-moving language.

“Perhaps most importantly,” he adds. “Rhiana has entrusted me with the opportunity to tell this very unique story, a story that can resonate with Native people and Native audiences. This part is very new to me as a director.”

‘Nancy’

Through April 21

Mosaic Theater Company at Atlas Performing Arts Center 1333 H St., N.E. | $53-$70 | Mosaictheater.org

KEN-MATT MARTIN (Photo courtesy Martin)

Star turn makes excellent ‘Ripley’ a showcase for Andrew Scott

Reasserting the queerness of an author who boldly pushed boundaries

By JOHN PAUL KING

There’s something about an anti-hero that appeals to us all. Why else would so many of our greatest stories revolve around a character whose behavior goes against everything we’ve been raised to believe is right?

Actually, that question probably answers itself. For many of us, the things we are raised to accept about life in the human world often feel less acceptable once we’ve gone through a few years of adult experience, which tends to put us at odds with the so-called “norms” of conformity. Naturally, this can be frustrating from time to time – and while that might not be enough to make us go “rogue” without regard law or ethics, it’s certainly sufficient to fuel our guilty fantasies.

That, along with the literary skills of Patricia Highsmith, the queer novelist who created him, is why the character of Tom Ripley has been engrossing us in various forms for nearly 75 years. The eponymous anti-hero of “The Talented Mr. Ripley” (originally published in 1955) went on to feature in three additional books by Highsmith, and was subsequently brought to life in multiple small-and-big-screen incarnations, perhaps most prominently by Matt Damon in Anthony Minghella’s 1999 film adaptation. These versions managed to skirt the book’s obvious queer subtext, but queer audiences recognized it anyway. Now, thanks to creator, writer, and director Steve Zaillian, Highsmith’s starry-eyed sociopath has returned in an eight-episode series – which pares the title down to the short-but-evocative “Ripley” – that debuts on Netflix April 4, and portrays his adventures with an eye toward honoring Highsmith’s intent while delivering the kind of up-front queerness that the author could never have dreamed of accomplishing in her heyday.

Not that this “Ripley” is exactly “out and proud,” though the actor who plays him – Andrew Scott (“All of Us Strangers”) – certainly is. The acclaimed Irish thespian brings his own queerness to the table in illuminating a character whose survival depends on never calling attention to himself – and though the series moves the action ahead a few years to1960, it’s still a world where any hint of “deviance” is likely to draw suspicion. That’s the last thing Tom Ripley needs; he’s a con artist, the mid-20th-century equivalent of modern-day “phishing” scammers, grifting gullible marks from his squalid, one-room New York City apartment. He’s good at what he does, an anonymous figure hiding in a sea of strangers – but when a wealthy shipping magnate tracks him down with a request for help and the offer of an all-expenses-paid excursion to Italy, he sees it as an opportunity to change his life for the better.

That opportunity, as it turns out, involves a barely remembered college acquaintance named Dickie (Johnny Flynn), whose post-graduation trip to Europe has become a yearslong vacation on the Mediterranean coast from which his father – Ripley’s surprise benefactor – would like him to return. Sent on a mission to convince his old schoolmate to go home, he is instead spellbound by the idyllic seaside setting and opulent lifestyle that surrounds him – and also by Dickie himself. He ingratiates himself into the young man’s life, winning his sympathies despite some initial awkwardness. Not so easily persuaded is Dickie’s girlfriend, Marge (Dakota Fanning), whose lingering distrust must be overcome if Ripley is to enact his new master plan to claim Dickie’s life of

ANDREW SCOTT stars in ‘Ripley.’

expatriate luxury as his own.

Thanks to its source’s relative familiarity, “Ripley” makes no effort to hide the fact that its anti-hero is a shady guy; we see from the start that he’s a liar and an opportunist. What Zaillian manages to do, unlike others who have adapted the novel, is move past a clinical focus on Ripley’s psychology to give us a less prosaic – and therefore more complex – interpretation of the character. Much of this comes from a script that echoes Highsmith’s hard-boiled style by framing the story (and its protagonist) in a shadowy, amoral universe, enhanced by the stylish black-and-white treatment delivered by Robert Elswit’s cinematography, which leans into both the paradigm-challenging Euro “art cinema” from the period of its setting and the gritty chiaroscuro contrasts of film noir, setting up an instinctual understanding that this narrative, like its visuals, is composed entirely in shades of gray.

In the show’s engrossing first episode, this is a particularly effective hook, style coupling with context to underscore the bleakness of Ripley’s daily routine in New York, which is no less soul-crushing, perhaps, than the more lawful ones into which most of us are locked. Though we see that he’s a predator, it’s hard not to relate to his struggle, and by the time we get to the next chapter and meet Dickie and Marge, we’ve already entered a mindset in which easy ethical judgments become unconvincing and shallow. Our sympathies are effectively split; we’re either on nobody’s side or on everyone’s, and maybe it’s a little bit of both.

Needless to say, perhaps, this tricky transference would not be possible without the presence of a consummate actor in the title role, and Scott fits the bill beyond expectation. Though at first he reads as a bit old for the character, that notion quickly disperses – indeed, his weathered features bespeak the effects of a hard-knock life, the kind that makes a person willing to do anything to break free. More crucial-

ly, the unmistakable authenticity of his inner life is communicated with exquisite precision, engaging our empathy even as we recoil from the Machiavellian logic that guides him, and the clear conflict between his not-so-hidden feelings for Dickie and the agenda to which he has committed is made all the more stark by the ring of queer truth that underpins the performance. It’s a tour-de-force turn by an actor whose skills become more breathtaking with each subsequent role.

Fanning, whose equally adept performance provides a powerful counterpoint to Scott’s, is a strong contender for our sympathies, by virtue as much of the intelligence she brings as the peril into which it will eventually put her, and Flynn’s Dickie wears the weight and damage of his upper class status like a chain he can never quite break, making us dread the seemingly inevitable fate that awaits him even as we subliminally sign on to Ripley’s endgame with a sense of guilty (but unapologetic) satisfaction. Also notable is nonbinary actor Eliot Summers (child of former Police frontman Sting), who brings another level of queer identity into the narrative as another old acquaintance of Dickie’s that throws an unwelcome wrench into the works of Ripley’s endgame.

Based on its first two episodes, “Ripley” certainly lives up to the anticipation that naturally awaits any adaptation of a high-profile story, and reasserts the queerness of an author who boldly pushed boundaries as far as censors of her time would allow. That’s more than enough to warrant staying with it until the end – and, if audience numbers warrant a renewal, through additional installments that might chronicle the less well-known escapades spun in Highsmith’s sequels. What cinches the deal, though, is the masterful performance that takes centerstage, which represents yet another escalation – and well-deserved triumph – in the rise of the talented Mr. Scott.

Have You Checked Your Mail Lately?

DC Medicaid sends renewal info by mail. Check your mail and renew. Don’t risk losing your coverage.

Act Now. Stay Covered!

3 Update your contact information and check or renew your coverage at districtdirect.dc.gov.

3 Fill out the forms anyway. Even if you’re not eligible, your kids may be.

If you have questions, call us at 202-727-5355

Story of paralysis and survival features queer characters

By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

It happened in a heartbeat.

A split-second, a half a breath, that’s all it took. It was so quick, so sharp-edged that you can almost draw a line between before and after, between then and now. Will anything ever be the same again? Perhaps, but maybe not. As in the new book “Unswerving” by Barbara Ridley, things change, and so might you.

She could remember lines, hypnotizing yellow ones spaced on a road, and her partner, Les, asleep in the seat beside her. It was all so hazy. Everything Tave Greenwich could recall before she woke up in a hospital bed felt like a dream.

It was as though she’d lost a month of her life. “Life,” if you even wanted to call it that, which she didn’t. Tave’s hands resembled claws bent at the wrist. Before the accident, she was a talented softball catcher but now she could barely get her arms to raise above her shoulders. She could hear her stomach gurgle, but she couldn’t feel it. Paralyzed from the chest down, Tave had to have help with even the most basic care.

She was told that she could learn some skills again, if she worked hard. She was told that she’d leave rehab some day soon. What nobody told her was how Les, Leslie, her partner, girlfriend, love, was doing after the accident.

Physical therapist Beth Farringdon was reminded time and again not to get over-involved with her patients, but she saw something in Tave that she couldn’t ignore. Beth was on the board of directors of a group that sponsored sporting events for disabled athletes; she knew people who could serve as role models for Tave, and she knew that all this could ease Tave’s adjustment into her new life. It was probably not entirely in her job description, but Beth couldn’t stop thinking of ways to help Tave who, at 23, was practically a baby.

She could, for instance, take Tave on outings or help find Les – even though it made Beth’s own girlfriend, Katy, jealous.

So, here’s a little something to know before you start reading “Unswerving”: author Barbara Ridley is a former nurse-practitioner who used to care for patients with spinal cord injuries. That should give readers a

‘Unswerving: A Novel’

comfortable sense of satisfaction, knowing that her experiences give this novel an authenticity that feels right and rings true, no faking.

But that’s not the only appeal of this book: while there are a few minor things that might have readers shaking their heads (HIPAA, anyone?), Ridley’s characters are mostly lifelike and mostly likable. Even the nasties are well done and the mysterious character that’s there-not-there boosts the appeal. Put everyone together, twist a little bit to the left, give them some plotlines that can’t ruined by early guessing, and you’ve got a quick-read novel that you can enjoy and feel good about sharing.

And share you will because this is a book that may also open a few eyes and make readers think. Start “Unswerving” and you’ll (heart) it.

Do you need title insurance?

Facilitating smoother and more efficient real estate transactions

By VALERIE M. BLAKE

A title search is an examination of public records to determine the legal ownership of a property and identify any claims or liens against it. This comprehensive investigation delves into deeds, mortgages, court records, tax records, and other documents related to the property’s history. The objective is to verify that the seller has the legal right to transfer ownership of the property and that there are no undisclosed issues that could cloud the title.

I would surmise that most buyers have never read their title report or policy and I confess that I was one of them until 2005, when I bought a house in San Diego. While I was “in escrow,” my agent presented me with a title report. My first reaction was, “What do I do with this?” He replied, “review it and sign indicating that it is acceptable.” I had no idea what to look for, since I had always had title companies to rely on for interpreting the results. Thankfully, it was a clean report with no liens on it other than the mortgage the seller would be paying off at settlement.

Here, only if anything is amiss will the title attorney notify the agents and advise what the parties need to do to satisfy any conditions that could prevent them from closing. Otherwise, you won’t see the report up front.

Why are title searches important?

They verify the seller’s legal right to transfer ownership of the property, providing assurance to the buyer that they are purchasing a legitimate asset.

They identify any outstanding liens, mortgages, or other encumbrances that could affect the property’s value or the buyer’s ability to obtain financing.

A title insurance policy provides coverage for losses arising from title defects such as disputes, undisclosed easements, forgery, or fraud, offering peace of mind to both buyers and lenders.

The process starts with the retrieval of documents from various sources, including county clerk offices, tax assessor’s offices, and court records.

The records are then inspected to trace the chain of ownership and identify any potential issues. The title examiner verifies the accuracy of legal descriptions, checks for inconsistencies or errors, and identifies any red flags that may indicate title defects.

If found, resolution of issues or discrepancies, such as unpaid taxes, outstanding liens, or boundary disputes must be addressed before the transaction can proceed. This may involve negotiating with creditors to satisfy outstanding debts, requesting more information from sellers,

and resolving legal disputes.

Once complete, the firm will issue a title report on which to base a title policy. The buyers will receive a copy at settlement. The report provides a detailed summary of the property’s ownership history, any encumbrances or defects found during the search, and recommendations for mitigating risks.

Title insurance for the lender is required, but buyers often ask whether they need owner’s title insurance coverage too. I always recommend buying an owner’s policy. If a buyer chooses not to, then only the lender is protected from any claims revealed after the issuance of the title report. For a one-time fee, an owner’s policy protects your interest in the property and that of any heirs from future claims until the house is ultimately sold.

For example, I attended a settlement with a buyer who was purchasing a rowhouse. A woman who had power of attorney to sign for the seller was also there and, because he was overseas, the actual seller was on speaker phone to address his concerns or ask any questions.

The closing agent began reading the settlement statement aloud to indicate what was being deducted from the seller’s proceeds. The seller was fine with the amount shown for the remainder of his first mortgage, but when she read out the amount of the second mortgage, the seller, now agitated, asked, “What second mortgage?”

It then became clear that the woman, the owner’s former fiancée, had used her power of attorney to obtain a second mortgage after the title search had been done. Thanks to the title companies’ involvement, the seller was able to post a bond for the missing funds to allow settlement to proceed while he took on a legal battle with his former fiancée. Don’t try this at home, kids.

By uncovering potential issues early in the process, title searches help facilitate smoother and more efficient real estate transactions by resolving issues upfront, ensuring a seamless transfer of property ownership. But nobody knows when great Uncle Bob or your former tenant may show up with a claim to the house. You’ll need your owner’s title policy to have someone on your side.

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 www.DCHomeQuest.com, or follow her on Facebook at TheRealst8ofAffairs.

Real estate agents work hard for that commission

Despite recent headlines, buyers and sellers benefit from our expertise

By JUSTIN NOBLE

With there being a lot of noise in the media lately as I am sure you have read and heard headlines like “Gone are the days of the 6% commission” and “End of the good days of Realtors,” etc., I wanted to re-run a very short article of the long laundry list of things that well versed real estate agents bring to the table to earn that seldom 6% commission. It’s typically split in half and it has always been negotiable).

As a real estate professional you will go on listing appointments and buyer meetings to not only attempt to gain business but in doing so you also educate the general public on what it is that we as real estate professionals do. I know what you’re thinking - and if you’ve seen my photo before you wouldn’t be wrong to assume that I am cast in “Selling DC” as the lead villain. I am just waiting for that phone call! But in all seriousness, when I sit down to come up with a list of things to prove to prospective clients the value in working with me as their real estate professional, I am pretty blown away at the items and qualities that a trusted professional representing you in a real estate transaction is responsible for managing a myriad of tasks, including but not limiting to the following:

Realtors work hard for that rare six percent commission.

fluffing and buffing needed pre market for the sale of your home such as a contractor, painter, landscaper etc. We have a book of extremely well vetted vendors that either I personally have used or past clients have used that can assist with your needs. This beats Googling for hours and accidentally choosing the wrong contractor. Section A of the pre-market vendor list includes those in which we real estate professionals use for marketing materials for your property – we will use the best photographers, have floor plans drawn for your property, video, staging, catering for brokers opens and the list goes on. Again - this is a well vetted list that we have worked on for years and done all of the heavy lifting and had those uncomfortable conversations when things are not properly executed – so you don’t have to.

• Have a pulse on the marketplace to truly understand exactly what is happening from a buying and selling standpoint while also understanding the economic side of things - not just looking at interest rates. Why are rates where they are? What employers are laying off and could cause an influx of inventory? What are the trends for individuals moving IN or OUT of an area looking like? Forecasting the marketplace of all things that truly affect real estate is vital.

• Soft Skills - these are the skills often considered as customer service skills. The ability to be approachable by all types of people and ensure that you are open to receive information. Also - when telling you bad news - it’s important to ensure that it is done in a manner in which you, the receiver, will be pleasantly receptive.

• Pre-market vendors - not only are real estate professionals expected to market your home for sale or locate a home for you to purchase, we are also expected to have a list of pre-market vendors to which you can use for your lending needs, home inspection, title work, any

• On Market Tasks - these are the tasks that most clients are unaware that we do. Oftentimes when a listing is on market - folks think that I am just cruising around in my convertible buying nice things. However I am in fact going around checking each listing on market to ensure that they are clean, the booties are replaced, marketing materials are stocked, light bulbs are all working, staging looks crisp and the list truly goes on. That of course, doesn’t include the tasks we do to properly market the property such as weekly email blasts, reaching out several times to follow up with showing agents to get their feedback, check the market to see what our competition looks like, what’s under contract and why, and again…..I could go on. Needless to say the most important and time consuming tasks are those that are done when the property is on market.

Justin Noble is a Realtor with Sotheby’s international Realty licensed in D.C., Maryland, and Delaware for your DMV and Delaware Beach needs. Specializing in first-time homebuyers, development and new construction as well as estate sales, Justin is a well-versed agent, highly regarded, and provides white glove service at every price point. Reach him at 202-5034243, Justin.Noble@SothebysRealty.com or BurnsandNoble.com.

FLORENCE B. GREEN, Name of Decedent

Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs

Derick Graham, whose address is 603 Roxboro Place, NW, Washington, DC 20011 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Florence B. Green who died on March 4, 2021 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, NW, Building A, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20001, on or before 9/29/2024. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or to the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before 9/29/24 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of first publication: 3/29/2024

Name newspaper and/or periodical Daily Washington Law Reporter, Washington Blade. /s/Derick Graham 202-258-4775 /s/Nicole Stevens, Register of Wills, Clerk of the Probate Division

MASSAGE

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CLEANING

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COUNSELING

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

EMPLOYMENT

HOUSEHOLD HANDYMAN/

ASSISTANT Part-time Personal Assistant/Handyman in my Woodley Park DC home. Tasks, hourly wage, and number of hours per week will depend on your skills and availability. Start ASAP. Send resume to DaveDC01@ yahoo.com.

HANDYMAN

BRITISH REMODELING

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

LEGAL SERVICES

ADOPTION, DONOR, SURROGACY

legal services. Catelyn represents LGBTQ clients in DC, MD & VA interested in adoption or ART matters.

MODERN FAMILY FORMATION

Law Offices, Slattery Law, LLC. 240-245-7765

Catelyn@ModernFamilyFormation.com

LIMOUSINES

KASPER’S LIVERY SERVICE

Since 1987.Gay & Veteran Owner/ Operator.

Lincoln Continental Sedan! Proper DC License & Livery Insured. www.KasperLivery.com

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MOVERS

AROUND TOWN

MOVERS & STORAGE

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PETS

ENGLISH BULLDOG PUPPY

Cute, 12 week old, free to a good home! Email: kevmayer303@gmail.com

PLUMBING

REAL ESTATE / RENT / DC LOGAN CIRCLE

1412 Corcoran St NW #1

Spacious 1 BR Japanese Riverbed Garden in the Heart of Logan Circle & steps away from the beat of 14th Street, on a quiet tree lined street, over 700 sq. ft., beautiful maple wood floors & cabinets. BR big enough for a king size bed & a sitting area, spa like bathroom with Carrera marble, gourmet kitchen with granite countertops & SS appliances, in unit W/D, and an intimate private garden sanctuary. 3 blocks from Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, Trader Joes, Safeway, CVS, & multiple gyms. Restaurants (Le Diplomate, MXDC, Etto) & shopping (Room & Board, Cork & Fork, West Elm, Logan Hardware) are steps away. Smoke free, no pets, street parking. $3200 (includes water) + 1 mo. sec. dep. due at lease signing. Call (844) 773-9446

THANK YOU FOR READING THE BLADE! Please tell our advertisers you saw their ad in the Blade!

ROOFING

BEST VALUE ROOFING

LLC, Local Residential & Commercial Roofing Specialists. Roofing, Gutters, Windows & Siding. Contact us today for your FREE estimate!

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