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D.C. gay man attacked, beaten by Dupont Circle Shake Shack staff
Victim says assault came after he and boyfriend kissed
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
D.C. police are investigating as a suspected hate crime an incident in which a gay man says he was attacked and beaten by four or five employees of the Dupont Circle Shake Shack restaurant on Saturday, Aug. 17, after he and his male partner kissed each other while waiting for their food order.
District resident Christian Dingus, 28, told the Washington Blade the attack came after he tried to defuse an argument between his partner and one of the Shake Shack employees who told the two men not to kiss each other. Dingus said it started inside the popular food establishment and moved outside a side door where several employees knocked him down onto the sidewalk and repeatedly punched and kicked him.
He says after he was knocked down, he positioned himself in a “fetal position” on the sidewalk and remembers being repeatedly punched and hit in the head and body by four or five attackers.
The incident was captured on video taken by another Shake Shack customer on her cell phone, and which has been posted on social media, including Facebook. Although the faces of the attackers and of Dingus and his partner are not clearly visible on the dramatic video, it provides a vivid view of a man being knocked to the ground and being assaulted by several other men who are seen running out the door and attacking Dingus.
Dingus said he declined an offer to take him to a hospital when an ambulance arrived after police also arrived on the scene. But he said a friend took him to a hospital later that day after he experienced intense pain in his jaw, which was severely bruised but was not broken. He said he was released from the hospital the next day and continues to recover from multiple bruises to the head, face, and body.
A D.C. police report says one of the alleged attackers, identified as Suspect 1, told police that Dingus, identified in the report as Victim 1, “placed his hands” on the suspect’s neck.
| lchibbaro@washblade.com Comings & Goings
By PETER ROSENSTEIN
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at comingsandgoings@washblade.com.
The Comings & Goings column also invites LGBTQ college students to share their successes with us. If you have been elected to a student government position, gotten an exciting internship, or are graduating and beginning your career with a great job, let us know so we can share your success.
Congratulations to Erin Reed who was named the recipient of the 2024 Jeanne Córdova Award, by NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists.
NLGJA’s Executive Director, Adam Pawlus said, “Erin Reed serves as a clear demonstration of how much a single journalist can accomplish. Her extensive work has helped uncover the spread of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and has been relied upon by thousands of readers. It is an honor to recognize her and her thorough and insightful work with the Jeanne Córdova Award.”
The award is named for Córdova, who was a journalist and
“Suspect 1 advised that he was defending himself,” the report says.
Dingus called that claim by the suspect a complete falsehood, saying he never touched any of the employees who attacked him.
In response to a request from the Blade for comment, a Shake Shack spokesperson sent the Blade a statement saying employees have been suspended as Shake Shack continues to cooperate with a D.C. police ongoing investigation into the incident.
“We are aware of the incident on Saturday, Aug. 17, involving team members and a guest at our Dupont Circle location and are taking it very seriously,” the statement says. “At Shake Shack, the safety and well-being of our guests and team members are our top priority, and we have a zero-tolerance policy for any form of violence,” it says.
“We are fully cooperating with local authorities in their investigation and have suspended the team members involved pending further review,” the statement continues. “We are committed to taking the appropriate action based on the findings.”
The Shake Shack where the incident took place is located at 1216 18th St., N.W., which is at the intersection of Connecti-
cut Avenue, 18th Street, and Jefferson Place. The police report says the assault took place on Jefferson Place, where a Shake Shack’s side door entrance is located.
The police report lists the incident as a “simple assault” and “suspected” hate crime. It shows that no arrests had been made as of the time the report was prepared on Aug. 17. Dingus said police asked him if he wanted to press charges against the men who assaulted him and he told them yes, “definitely,” he told the Blade.
With all the attackers being Shake Shack employees, Dingus said he was concerned that no arrests were made while police were on the scene speaking with him and witnesses.
A D.C. police spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to the Blade’s request for an update on the investigation, why no arrests were made, and whether arrests would be made.
Dingus said the Shake Shack employees targeted him after he tried to defend his partner, who he believed was being threatened by the employees. “I started yelling at them, saying you have no right to do this. Leave him alone,” he said. “At that point I was pushed very forcefully, and really from that moment all five of them were coming at me. They were pushing me and punching me in my head,” he said.
“And then I got pushed, thrown to the ground,” he told the Blade. “At that point I covered my head and kind of went into the fetal position. And they just continued to punch me in my head and my side and my face.”
the editor and publisher of Lesbian Tide, which chronicled the 1970s lesbian feminist movement. The Jeanne Córdova Award recognizes the achievement of an LGBTQ+ woman for a current body of work in journalism and/or opinion, with an emphasis on, but not exclusively, coverage of issues of importance to the LGBTQ+ community, in any medium and on any platform.
Erin Reed is a transgender journalist based in Washington, D.C. who contributes to the Washington Blade and Los Angeles Blade. One of her earliest data projects was a Google Map tracking the availability of informed consent clinics, locations where trans people can easily access gender-affirming care. The project was inspired by her own journey to transition, and the map has been viewed more than 10 million times.
Reed has also been one of the most visible journalists tracking and analyzing the spread of anti-LGBTQ legislation across the country. As an independent journalist, she frequently leverages social media to share her findings and her work has amassed millions of views across X, Instagram and TikTok. Her blog, Erininthemorning.com, reaches 50,000 subscribers. She is engaged to Rep. Zooey Zephyr.
The award will be presented at the 2024 NLGJA Conven-
ERIN REED
CHRISTIAN DINGUS says he was attacked after kissing his boyfriend. (Screenshot via Channel 4 News)
The Shake Shack where the incident took place is located at 1216 18th St., N.W. (Blade photo by Lou Chibbaro Jr.)
Gay D.C. gym owner delays decision on plea offer in child porn case
Michael Everts pleaded not guilty in April following 2023 arrest
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
At the request of a federal prosecutor and the attorney representing D.C. gay gym owner Michael Everts, who was arrested Nov. 29, 2023, on a charge of distributing child pornography, a judge on Aug. 15 agreed for the third time to give Everts more time to decide whether to accept an offer by prosecutors to plead guilty to a lower charge.
U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled a status hearing for the case on Oct. 23, when Everts is expected to disclose whether he will accept the plea offer or go on trial.
Everts has been held in jail since the time of his arrest. He pleaded not guilty to the charge at an April 4 arraignment hearing. At that time Judge Chutkan agreed to the first request by Everts’s attorney and the prosecutor to give Everts more time to consider a plea offer by prosecutors.
The judge scheduled a hearing for June 10 at which time Everts was expected to disclose through his attorney whether he had accepted or turned down the plea offer, the details of which have not been publicly disclosed. But the hearing set for June 10 was also later postponed until Aug. 15 after Everts’s attorney informed the judge that Everts needed yet more time to decide on the plea offer.
At the Aug. 15 hearing Judge Chutkan ordered the hearing to be temporarily closed to the public, requiring a Washington Blade reporter to leave the courtroom for
about 10 minutes before being allowed to return. A reason was not given for the decision to temporarily close the hearing. Chutkan announced at the time it was reopened that she had scheduled another status hearing for the Everts case for Oct. 23.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Pagan, the lead prosecutor in the case, told the Blade after the hearing the continuation of the case until October was supported by
both prosecutors and the defense and was made to give Everts more time to consider the plea offer.
Everts is the owner and until the time of his arrest was the lead operator of the FIT Personal Training gym located at 1633 Q St., N.W. near Dupont Circle.
Court records show that Everts’s arrest last November came after a joint D.C. police-FBI investigation that prosecutors say determined that Everts allegedly distributed images of underage boys engaging in sexual acts to an undercover D.C. police detective posing in an online gay hookup site as someone interested in underage boys for sex.
Charging documents also show that the investigation began after information was obtained by police from an unnamed source indicating that Everts was exchanging messages on a gay sex hookup site expressing interest in exchanging images of underage boys for sexual gratification. Although Everts has pleaded not guilty to the charge against him, the public court records do not include documents from Everts’s attorneys that dispute any of the specific allegations in the charging documents.
The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison upon conviction and a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Aside from a prison sentence an individual convicted of this offense must register as a sex offender for life.
6 arrested after anti-gay hate crime in Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach Police have charged five juveniles and one adult with a hate crime and other offenses after the group allegedly confronted three women on a street and fired an Airsoft gun at them before fleeing. No injuries were reported. The incident occurred on Saturday, Aug. 17 at 2 a.m. at Baltimore Avenue and Second Street. Three women flagged down an officer after “a vehicle drove past them and then came to stop. Five juveniles exited the vehicle and approached the women, making statements that their behavior in public was not appropriate. During the exchange, one of the juveniles fired an Airsoft gun at the women and all five returned to the vehicle and fled the area,” according to a statement by the Rehoboth Beach Police Department.
Officers in neighboring Dewey Beach located the vehicle and apprehended the five juveniles and an adult driving the car.
“Once in custody, it was determined that the only reason the suspects stopped to confront the victims was due to their perception of the victims’ sexual orientation,” according to police.
All suspects were from Delaware:
• juvenile age 15 from Rehoboth Beach;
• juvenile age 15 from Blades;
• juvenile age 14 from Rehoboth Beach;
• juvenile age 14 from Lewes;
• juvenile age 15 from Rehoboth Beach, and
• Jerome Charleston, 21 of Bridgeville.
All juveniles were charged with the following and released to a parent or guardian:
• Aggravated Menacing X3 Felony
• Offensive Touching X3 Misdemeanor
• Hate Crime X3 Misdemeanor
• Conspiracy in the Third Degree Misdemeanor
• Disorderly Conduct Misdemeanor
Charleston was charged with Disorderly Conduct and ordered to appear at court at a later date.
Airsoft guns are replica guns designed to shoot non-metallic projectiles.
CAMP Rehoboth announced its officials have been in contact with the Rehoboth Beach Police Department and offered support services to those affected.
“The Rehoboth Police Department makes maintaining the public safety of LGBTQ+ people a top priority. For more than 30 years, CAMP Rehoboth has worked closely with local law enforcement providing diversity, equity, and inclusion education and training for their officers on LGBTQ+ issues, as well as providing resources and support to members of the community in times of crisis such as this,” said Executive Director Kim Leisey, PhD.
David Mariner, founder of Sussex Pride, released a statement early Sunday thanking police.
“We want to thank the Rehoboth Police Department for their quick response to this crime, and for their use of the hate crime statute,” he said. “It is important to acknowledge the role hate plays, and the impact it has on our community.” FROM STAFF REPORTS
Two prominent D.C. churches join National Trans Visibility March
D.C.’s National City Christian Church and United Church of Christ announced on Aug. 14 that they will provide supportive religious services to participants in this year’s National Trans Visibility March scheduled to take place in D.C. on Saturday, Aug. 24 along with a full weekend of related events. In a joint statement, the two churches announced their plans for the march include an Empowerment Service on Friday, Aug. 23, at 11 a.m. at the National City Christian Church located at 5 Thomas Circle, N.W. The statement says the ser-
vice will “expand on the theme of this year’s march and be delivered under the message of “Illuminate, Educate, & Advocate: United in Faith and Purpose.”
The statement says faith leaders will also lead a prayer and hold a press conference in front of National City Christian Church at 5 Thomas Circle on Aug. 24 at 11 a.m. before the start of the march. “Then, in a show of solidarity, they will march together to the Human Rights Campaign headquarters where thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies will
be waiting to start the journey to Dupont Circle,” according to the statement.
It was referring to plans by organizers of the trans march to hold a rally outside the HRC building at 17th Street and Rhode Island Ave., N.W. at 1 p.m. on Aug. 24 before the start of the march at that same location at 1:30 p.m. A post-march rally was scheduled to take place in Dupont Circle, where the march will end, at 2:30 p.m.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
MICHAEL EVERTS again delayed a decision on a plea deal. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Gloria Allred at the DNC: Harris is ‘more than ready for this job’
Trailblazing attorney spoke exclusively with the Washington Blade
By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com
CHICAGO — Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominee for president, is “ more than ready for this job,” Gloria Allred told the Washington Blade on the sidelines of an LGBTQ caucus meeting during the Democratic National Convention on Monday.
“ I met [Harris] when she was running for District Attorney of San Francisco, and she came to my office to seek my support, which, of course, I gave her,” Allred said. “ I was extremely impressed with her at the time.”
“ Usually I don’t make time to meet with political figures, frankly, because I’m so busy with the cases,” she said. “And I just, you know, can’t. But for some reason, I said, ‘Okay, I’ll meet her in my office,’ and I did, and I just had a feeling about her. And I’m so happy.”
Allred stressed that “ we have to work to make it happen because it’s not going to happen just if we hope for it, we wish for it, we pray for it. We have to work for it.”
She also pointed out the dangers of Donald Trump’s candidacy for a second term in the White House, warning, “ The Trump administration was just a disaster and a catastrophe for the country. And what they are doing now, Project 2025 in terms of pro-choice, in terms of gay and lesbian and transgender rights, is just a disaster.”
The former president, Allred said, “ wants to distance himself from it” but “ he can’t because so many of his employees, or former employees, I should say, from the administration, were involved in writing it — and also, of course, he’s on video talking about how great it was and is.”
An attorney whose career has spanned five decades, Allred has argued some of the most high profile civil rights cases in America, with a particular focus on LGBTQ and women’s rights, often representing some of the most famous public figures, from politicians to entertainers.
“ I just want to say, my law firm and I have been involved in advocating and litigating for gay, lesbian, and transgender rights since the late 1970s,” Allred said. “ I know what going back means when they we say ‘we won’t go back,’ because I’ve been saying that at pro-choice marches and gay and lesbian protests since that time.”
“ No one has ever given women our rights. We’ve always had to fight for women. And this is the same for gay, lesbian, transgender, you know, bisexual, the whole community — no one’s giving us anything. No one ever gave us anything. We always have to fight to win it.”
At the DNC, “ that’s what we’re doing here, is organizing, and I’m just really proud of the community that they’re here, educating people and helping to mobilize them,” Allred said. “ Because we have to mobilize, we have to organize, and we have to help raise money to win.”
Trump, she said, has “ billionaires supporting him,” and while Harris and the Democrats can win, Allred cautioned “ we have to be really committed. There are not many days left to do it.”
“ We have a real commitment, and we know how much more this election can make in terms of a difference for the community and equal rights for all,” Allred added.
Allred told the Blade about several landmark cases that she litigated on behalf of LGBTQ clients, going back several decades, including one involving two gay men who attended their high school reunion in the 1980s and were told their photo would not be published in the book because “ the publisher felt it was against his religion to publish a photo of two gay men together.”
“ We sued them, and after 16 years of litigating it all the way up to the California Court of Appeals, we won,” Allred said. The matter earned media attention, as the publisher “ took out advertisements in the newspapers” arguing that “ he had a right of free speech and religious expression to not publish” the photo.
“ Well, we won the case in California decades ago,” she said.
Allred noted that apart from the role of the California Unruh Civil Rights Act in her case, analogous legal disputes were at issue in the U.S. Supreme Court’s Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (2018).
California was, and is, at the vanguard of LGBTQ civil rights movements. So was, and is, Allred and her firm, Allred, Maroko & Goldberg. “ We did the right to marry case,” she said, “ I did AIDS discrimination cases that we also won up in the California Court of Appeals” which ruled that “ you can’t discriminate against someone” because of their HIV/AIDS status.
“ We represented Robin Tyler and Diane Olson and Reverend Troy Perry and Phillip Ray De Blieck, his partner, the four of them in our right to marry case in California,” Allred said. “And we were the first in the state to challenge the family code law that essentially said that two people of the same sex could not marry. We challenged that. We went all the way to the Cali -
fornia Supreme Court and we won.”
Here, too, Allred’s work crossed paths with Harris’s efforts in the public sector, aided by other allies like California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) who was, during this time, mayor of San Francisco.
“ Because we were the first, Robin and Diane were the first, to be allowed to marry in LA County, a day before everyone else, we know that Newsom — actually, the same day that we announced we’re challenging the constitutionality of the law [he] started marrying gay and lesbian couples.”
The attorney — who in 2022 was awarded the highest honor of the LGBTQ+ Lawyers Association of Los Angeles — noted her and her firm’s ongoing work on behalf of transgender clients, which she considers “ part of what we think should be always a teaching moment for what happens so that if people see the injustice and the unfairness, then they will join with us in wanting to right the wrongs.”
Allred highlighted another landmark case in the 1980s in which she represented “ two lesbian life partners, wonderful women, businesswomen, very articulate” who were “ not going to be in the closet” about their relationship when they celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday at Papa Choux, a fine dining establishment in Los Angeles.
“ One was Latina, the other one was African American,” she said. “ They were a couple, and they made a reservation for the romantic booths, which were like a few steps up from the main restaurant” with “ sheer curtains, and violinists [who] came in to play” by the tables.
The couple was told that they were welcome to sit elsewhere but “ two people of the same sex can’t sit in this romantic section” as a matter of restaurant policy and also per a city ordinance. “ They weren’t kissing, they weren’t hugging, they weren’t even holding hands,” Allred said, and they did not want to move. As they would later say publicly, “‘we thought to ourselves, what would Martin Luther King Jr. want us to do? And we decided he would want us to call Gloria Allred.’”
“ They came to us,” she said, and “ we took the case. We had to decide, is this sexual orientation? Is it sex discrimination? Is it important? Or is it not important? Is it ridiculous? And then we decided, if you think that Rosa Parks sitting in the back of the bus was important, even though the bus would still get there, but she was treated in a way that was not respectful of her right to be treated in a dignified, respectful way, so this is the same thing.”
“ So we fought at the lower court,” Allred said. “The trial court said, the judge said, ‘I want to go see the restaurant,’ which was not necessary. It’s a legal issue. But he did, and then he ruled against us, and we went up to the Court of Appeals, and we won, and they reversed, and we set a legal precedent that we’re able to cite in other cases and other attorneys were able to cite that you can’t discriminate against people because they’re lesbian or gay or of the same sex.”
That was 1984. “ It’s still a legal precedent in California,” Allred added.
(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Joyful DNC includes queer voices, addresses LGBTQ rights
Speakers at convention in Chicago denounce discrimination
By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com
CHICAGO — For the second consecutive night on Tuesday, the Democratic National Convention in Chicago’s United Center made reference to LGBTQ rights, including in the context of the 2024 nominee’s record of expanding freedoms and protections for the community.
Vice President Kamala Harris “ has always done the right thing, a champion for voting rights, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, the rights for women and girls,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said during the ceremonial roll call Tuesday night, whereupon she was officially made the nominee.
Leading the roll call was gay Democratic National Committee Secretary Jason Rae, who in 2006 interned at the LGBTQ Victory Fund (which at the time was called the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.)
When Vermont pledged 24 votes for Harris, the state’s first LGBTQ representative in Congress, Becca Balint, was highlighted as an exemplar of its commitment to public education, as she previously served as a middle school history and social studies teacher.
Speeches were kicked off Tuesday by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
The night was headlined by former President Barack Obama, who said, “ We believe that true freedom gives each of us the right to make decisions about our own life, how we worship, what our family looks like, how many kids we have, who we marry, and we believe that freedom requires us to recognize that other people have the freedom to make choices that are different than ours.”
“ Shutting down the Department of Education, banning our books, none of that will prepare our kids for the future,” former First Lady Michelle Obama said. “Demonizing our children for being who they are and loving who they love — look, that doesn’t make anybody’s life better.”
“Americans with LGBTQ kids don’t want them facing discrimination at school because the state sanctioned it,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said.
Monday night saw two LGBTQ speakers, U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia and U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler, Democrats of California.
Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who is widely considered a rising star in Democratic politics, stepped on stage with a printout of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 right-wing and socially conservative governing agenda. Then, when President Joe Biden took the stage to close out the evening with a
rousing and emotional address to his party, he discussed “the freedom to love who you love” among the liberties that are at stake in November.
Rep. Garcia previews LGBTQ priorities of a Harris administration
CHICAGO — U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) addressed LGBTQ-focused legislative priorities Democrats are likely to push for in a Harris-Walz administration during a Democratic National Convention and Harris for President press briefing on Tuesday.
Responding to a question from the Washington Blade, the congressman, who’s gay, referenced Vice President Kamala Harris’s record of fighting for rights and protections for the community throughout her career in public service. He said that by contrast, Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, is “attacking LGBTQ+ people every single day.”
“So I think you can see not just the Equality Act, which we support, but also ensuring we’re not banning books and that we’re not doing horrible things to attack the community,” Garcia said.
“Remember that the Biden-Harris administration has been the most pro-LGBTQ+ administration in history”
and the vice president is “a big part of that,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve ever had any presidential candidate who understands the LGBTQ+ community or has advocated for that community as much as Vice President Harris.”
“LGBTQ equality, actually, she has said herself, is a top legislative priority; she’s spoken to it many times,” the congressman said, “but I also believe that her administration will be reflective of the diversity of this country, including within the LGBTQ+ community.”
“When she was D.A. in the Bay Area, she was one of the first people in the country to marry same-sex couples and started that whole revolution across the country,” Garcia added.
Trump, on the other hand, “has been incredibly homophobic and has been incredibly, I think, shameful in his attacks on the community,” Garcia said.
CHRISTOPHER KANE
PRESIDENT OBAMA delivered a rousing speech on Tuesday night in Chicago. (Blade photo by Michael Key)
DNC at the United Center in Chicago (Blade photo by Michael Key)
A scene from the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 20. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
U.S. contributes more than $90 million to fight mpox in Africa
The U.S. has contributed more than $90 million to the fight against the mpox outbreak in Africa.
The U.S. Agency for International Development on Tuesday in a press release announced “up to an additional”
$35 million “in emergency health assistance to bolster response efforts for the clade I mpox outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa, pending congressional notification.”
The press release notes the Biden-Harris administration previously pledged more than $55 million to fight the outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
“The additional assistance announced today will enable USAID to continue working closely with affected countries, as well as regional and global health partners, to expand support and reduce the impact of this outbreak as it continues to evolve,” it reads. “USAID support includes assistance with surveillance, diagnostics, risk
communication and community engagement, infection prevention and control, case management, and vaccination planning and coordination.”
The World Health Organization and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week declared the outbreak a public health emergency.
The Washington Blade last week reported there are more than 17,000 suspected mpox cases across in Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and other African countries. The outbreak has claimed more than 500 lives, mostly in Congo.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
Santos pleads guilty to wire fraud, identity theft
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos of Long Island, N.Y., who was the first out gay non-incumbent Republican to win election to Congress in 2022 and whose congressional colleagues voted to expel him last year, pleaded guilty on Aug. 19 to felony charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors.
His guilty plea came a little over a year after a federal grand jury indicted him in May 2023 on 13 counts of defrauding campaign donors and falsely claiming unemployment benefits. Last October prosecutors obtained another indictment that included the charge of aggravated identity theft on grounds that he falsified campaign donation information with the Federal Election Commission. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.
CBS News reports that a judge at the U.S. District Court in Central Islip, N.Y., which is on Long Island, set a sentencing date for Feb. 7, 2025, and said Santos faces an estimated sentencing range of between six and eight years in prison. Under the plea agreement, Santos will be required to repay at least $373,000, according to CBS News.
Had he not accepted the plea deal he was expected to go on trial in September.
“I understand that my actions betrayed my supporters and constituents,” the Washington Post quoted Santos as
saying during the court hearing in which he pleaded guilty to the two charges. “I am committed to making amends and learning from this experience,” the Post quoted him as saying.
Santos, 36, who was expelled from Congress last December, is one of only five members of Congress who have been expelled in U.S. history. The Washington Post reports that three were expelled in 1861 for supporting the
Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War, and two others, one in 1980 and the other in 2002, were expelled after being convicted of bribery.
In his 2022 race for New York’s Third Congressional District seat, which includes part of Nassau County on Long Island and part of the New York City Borough of Queens, Santos defeated another gay candidate, Democratic businessman Robert Zimmerman. Political observers have said the two appeared to be the first two openly gay U.S. House candidates to run against each other in a general election.
Santos won the election in what is considered a swing district by a margin of 53.7 percent to 46.3 percent. Following Santos’s expulsion, Long Island Democrat Tom Suozzi emerged as the winner in a special election on Feb. 13 of this year.
The Washington Post reports that from among the total of 23 felony charges that Santos faced before his guilty plea he was alleged to have defrauded campaign donors and used their money for personal expenses, including the purchase of designer clothing; he allegedly stole his donors’ identities and made thousands of dollars of purchases on their credit cards; received unemployment benefits when he was employed; lied to Congress about his finances; and falsified campaign finance reports.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
Hawaii elects first openly trans state lawmaker
In a stunning upset, transgender human rights activist Kim Coco Iwanoto knocked out one of Hawaii’s most powerful politicians, state House Speaker Scott Saiki, in the Democratic primary election last Saturday.
Because there is no Republican in the race, Iwanoto has been elected to represent House District 25, making her Hawaii’s first openly trans state legislator.
This was Iwanoto’s third attempt to win the urban Honolulu district, after close finishes against Saiki in 2020 and 2022, when she lost by less than 200 votes each time. In Saturday’s primary, she won with a margin of 254 votes, according to the latest results posted by the secretary of state — a margin of more than 5 percent.
Iwanoto says she was motivated to challenge Saiki for the seat due to a lack of transparency in Hawaiian politics, and out of concern that everyday issues were being ignored by Democratic Party leadership.
She says a key motivating issue for her was the state’s minimum wage. Although the wage is currently scheduled to rise to $18 per hour in 2028, following a bill passed in 2022, she says Saiki refused to consider a bill to raise the wage from $10.10 per hour in 2020.
“[Saiki] met with the Chamber of Commerce before the session and he held a press conference stating the legisla-
ture will not be taking up the issue of raising the minimum wage. I asked my friends who are representatives, did he ask you guys how you felt about not raising the minimum wage from a poverty wage to a living wage? And they said no,” Iwamoto tells the Los Angeles Blade.
“That made me very angry. He should’ve met with people who are living paycheck to paycheck to learn how their lives are impacted.”
Iwamoto says Hawaiians are tired of politicians siding with moneyed interests over their constituents.
“Pay to play politics is rampant, and it’s blatant and obvious,” Iwamoto says. “It’s an open festering wound on the face of democracy in Hawaii. Through the fact of just sheer people-powered campaigning, I was able to get above Saiki’s vote.”
Iwamoto describes herself a fourth generation American of Japanese descent. Her great-grandparents worked on the sugarcane plantations of Kauai. She studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and earned a BA in creative writing at San Francisco State University and a law degree at the University of New Mexico.
Her experiences as a foster parent and raising her 11-yearold daughter led her to run for the state board of education in 2006. That run also made history, as she became the first
openly trans person to win statewide office in the U.S.
“Back in 2006, it was international news when Hawaii elected me to that statewide position. I got requests for interviews around the world. That election did trigger a lot of people of trans experience to see that they could run for office, where their gender identity and experience is just one aspect of who they are,” she says.
“More importantly, I think the lesson here is listen to the voters. It’s what the voters are concerned about. In my case, it was consumer protections for condo owners, safer streets for pedestrians and bicyclists, resources for homeless people who are sleeping in our sidewalks.”
Hawaii has long been held as one of the most progressive states when it comes to legislation to protect the LGBTQ community, a fact that Iwamoto appreciates.
“My opponent was there for 30 years, and he was an ally to the LGBT community,” she says. “What he ignored was the overrepresentation of the LGBT people within the homeless community, within the working community.”
“We are part of every marginalized experience. Whether it’s minimum wage earners, the homeless population, LGBT are overrepresented in youth homelessness, and that persists in cycles.”
ROB SALERNO
The U.S. has contributed more than $90 million to the fight against the mpox outbreak in Africa.
(Photo courtesy of the CDC)
Former U.S. Rep. GEORGE SANTOS faces years in prison. (Blade photo by Christopher Kane)
CHARLES FRANCIS
is president of the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C. and author of ‘Archive Activism: Memoir of a ‘Uniquely Nasty’ Journey.’
Project 2025: A time machine to send us back to invisibility
LGBTQ Americans a prime target of Trump’s blueprint
A think tank in Washington has built a time machine, an invention right out of H.G. Wells’s science fiction. They call their Time Machine a “transition plan for the next conservative President.” In fact, this plan is an invention designed to transport LGBTQ Americans back six decades to an unrecognizable landscape of isolation and invisibility.
The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 is a policy and personnel database for MAGA warriors ready to take over all federal departments and agencies. LGBTQ Americans are nailed in “Promise #1.” Out of 992 pages, “sexual orientation” is introduced on page four — ahead of global threats, national sovereignty, the U.S. border and immigration issues, the economy, and “God-given individual rights”.
“The next conservative President must make the institutions of American civil society hard targets for woke culture warriors,” the Time Machine plan begins. “This starts with deleting the terms sexual orientation and gender identity, diversity, equity and inclusion, gender, gender equality, gender awareness, gender-sensitive….out of every federal rule, agency regulation, contracts, grant regulation and piece of legislation that exists.”
Big government’s “purpose is to replace peoples’ natural loves and loyalties with unnatural ones,” according to the Time Machine that will enforce what is “natural law” in politics and religious morality. It is ready to transport us back in time to Federal policy and personnel issues before sexual orientation, before gender awareness and our identity itself.
The fight for gay and lesbian civil equality began on the battlefield of the U.S. Civil Service Commission. Decades of investigations and ruined lives were rooted in the language of federal personnel policy. Words like “revulsion,” “notorious,” and “nasty” morphed into the numbing regulatory-speak of “proper metonyms,” “suitability” and “overt conduct.” Prior to Stonewall, the struggle for equality began in Washington with hard-fought litigation and individual plaintiff’s challenges to federal personnel policy preserved today in the briefs, opinions, activists’ letters and declassified memos in the National Archives. For gay men and lesbians in the day, it was a brutal fight to build a new world of equality and shared legal status.
The Civil Service Commission Chairman John W. Macy (1917-1986), Lyndon Johnson’s “personnel man,” in 1966 cut to the core of the federal ban on gay and lesbian employment in a three-page letter written to the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C. Macy’s letter can be summarized as follows: you don’t exist.
“We do not subscribe to the view, which indeed is the rock upon which the Mattachine is founded, that “homosexual” is a proper metonym for an individual. Rather we consider the term “homosexual” to be properly used as an adjective to describe the nature of overt sexual relations or conduct… We see no third sex, no oppressed minority or secret society, but only individuals, and we judge their suitability for Federal employment in the light of their overt conduct.”
The world of John Macy is where the Heritage Time Machine will land. Homosexual is not the right “metonym” (oh, please), his figure of speech for human beings. You are not a noun. You are an adjective! You are a conduct, not an “oppressed minority.” There is no such thing as “sexual orientation.” The significance of the formal apology of the United States government delivered in 2009 by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director to Mattachine Society President Frank Kameny, would be deleted. “I am writing today that this policy (of discrimination) which was at odds with the bedrock principles underlying the merit-based civil service, has been repudiated by the U.S. Government, due in large part to your determination, life’s work, and to the thousands of Americans whose advocacy your words have inspired.” John Berry, OPM Director, continued, “I am happy to inform you that the memorandum signed by President Obama directs the OPM to issue guidance to all executive departments and agencies regarding their obligations to comply with these rules and regulations.”
For LGBTQ Americans, our greatest achievement was the establishment of identity. We are a community, a people with a shared legal status facing discrimination and hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills from state legislatures nationwide. There is a moment when the Time Traveler in Wells’s story “The Time Machine” is terrified to find himself stranded in another era. “At once like a lash across the face, came the possibility of losing my own age, of being left helpless in this strange new world.” With the Project 2025 Time Machine, we face that real possibility.
“History is written by the winners,” said Donald Trump’s Attorney General William Barr after the Justice Department’s decision to drop charges against Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn for lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian Ambassador. It was actually George Orwell who wrote, “history is written by the winners.” Barr knows his Orwell. “So it largely depends upon whom is writing the history,” concluded Barr.
Will that be Heritage, or us?
JAKE STEWART
is a D.C.-based writer and barback.
Recurring characters in a polyamorous world Your relationship is about as customizable as your latte
As I worked on this piece, I received a rare WhatsApp notification on my phone. What did it say? Stay tuned, but first:
Ever imagine your life as a sitcom? Like most writers with Main Character Syndrome, I do all the time. I reflect on my setting, my episodic plots, my seasonal arcs, and the supporting cast making life more interesting. However minor the role these recurring characters play, one thing is certain: they shape our universe, for better or worse.
Often, my daily episodes start in a setting familiar to many: a coffee shop greeting me with the aroma of freshly ground beans and the chatter of patrons ready to seize their day. Well, that’s the romanticized version, anyway. Since I work late at a bar, it’s usually early afternoon by the time I stroll in. By now the morning rush is long gone while I’m in disheveled clothes that may as well be pajamas, but regardless, my day’s first recurring character remains: my barista, Spencer.
With Technicolor dreads, anime memorabilia, and punny Steven Rhodes T-shirts, it’s evident Spencer marches to the beat of their own drum. It makes sense, then, that Spencer became a welcomed friend when I moved into the neighborhood during the pandemic. Our encounters often made the 10-minute walk worth the overpriced cold brew.
Yet as I got to know Spencer, I found myself confused by their relationship status. They would recount their weekend speaking of their boyfriend, their daughter, their girlfriend, their partner, or their other partner. At first, I figured my memory was shit (partially true), until I finally learned that Spencer is in a polyamorous relationship.
challenges most monogamous parents run into,” Spencer explained. “The main benefit I’d say is that [our daughter] has three parents who love and support her, will defend her, and will always take care of her. She has three people she can talk to or cry to, and we have all different opinions and experiences, so we’re able to give her unique advice or teachings.”
This highlights another important aspect of polyamorous relationships: they are often more than fleeting affairs. To reach this label requires serious thought, deep conversation, and mutual agreement. The rest of us can snicker or balk at these triads all we want, but they easily become as serious as monogamous couplings, if not more so.
Over the years, the term “poly” has been casually tossed into relationship conversations. Typically, the natural follow-up is, “what exactly is poly?” Turns out polyamory is a catchall term, so poly relationships can take various configurations. Open relationships, throuples, and even polygamy can be considered polyamorous, but the common theme is this: polyamory rejects the notion of a singular love in life and accepts that people can love multiple partners at the same time. Now polyamory is so widespread your barista might even partake, proving these days your relationship is about as customizable as your latte.
So, how exactly do these relationships start? It’s hard enough for me to get serious with one person, let alone two or more. Through my conversations I learned it’s a gradual count as simple as one, two, three. This was the case for Spencer, since their boyfriend and girlfriend were a couple before they entered the picture. “We had some mutual friends who introduced us,” Spencer told me. “We talked on and off for about a year and a half before they invited me over for dinner and vibes, which led to us hanging out more and more, until my boyfriend asked me to join the relationship.”
Earlier this year, I read an article in the Atlantic about the rise of polyamory, which described the lifestyle as a luxury of the elite. “From their gilded pedestals,” wrote the author of the rich, “they declare polyamory superior to monogamy.” From what I see, however, this is simply untrue. Perhaps our awareness of polyamory coincided with online images shared by the elite, but that doesn’t make it elite-only. Case in point: Spencer has been in their polyamorous relationship for nearly three years.
Moreover, Spencer is not an exception. Beyond baristas, coworkers appear in our sitcoms more often than friends or family sometimes. In a previous piece I wrote about Kelsey, our bar’s stylish door girl, who I learned was in a polyamorous relationship nearly a decade ago, exploring the trend before the trend was a trend.
Like Spencer, Kelsey’s throupling didn’t happen overnight. “Back in college, I was exploring my bisexuality but hadn’t come out yet,” said Kelsey. “I started casually dating a guy who casually dropped the bombshell that he was in an open relationship. I saw a picture of his partner and knew I had to meet her. When we finally met, sparks flew, and the three of us started hanging out. Before long, we were inseparable.”
And Just Like That, Kelsey’s sitcom went from “Felicity” to “Three’s Company.” What I didn’t know until recently was the extra curveball thrown in. “Fast forward,” she started, “they got pregnant, and we were all raising the baby together.”
I was surprised to find not one but two polyamorous relationships raising a child. This might sound messy, but it works better than I thought. “We run into a lot of the
In fact, polyamory can even resolve the woes of monogamy. “I used to feel the pressure of having to be everything to one partner,” said Kelsey, “and vice versa, but with two partners, that weight lifted. If one partner wanted to do an activity I didn’t want to, they could enjoy those activities together while I got to opt-out guiltfree.”
Interestingly, while poly is considered solidly queer, homosexual relations are not a requirement. For both Kelsey and Spencer, there was at least one in their trio who remained heterosexual. This is because throuples often find a balance enabling all involved to be their optimal sexual selves. “I didn’t know at the time,” Kelsey recounted, “but I’m definitely a vers and got to express both my submissive and dominant sides.” This makes sense, for sexual dynamics are complex. It can be a tall order to expect one person to satisfy everything we want.
That said, polyamory doesn’t come without its own complications, one being the perceptions of others. “My mom didn’t really understand our dynamic at first,” said Spencer, “but once I explained our dynamic, she’s been super supportive. I have run into judgment from strangers who have ‘traditional’ family values.”
This echoed Kelsey’s experience. “When we moved in together, my friends were initially shocked but ultimately accepting. For work events or family gatherings, it was always stressful figuring out if it was OK for all of us to go or only two.”
And as in all relationships, emotions are entangled, which ultimately ended Kelsey’s experience. “After about two years, I noticed the romance between the two of them started to fizzle. Their date nights became as rare as a unicorn sighting, eventually disappearing altogether. I felt like a referee in a never-ending match of jealousy and tension.” Naturally, more people mean more feelings to manage, so the work that relationships require never truly goes away.
Relationship drama — now that I can relate to, bringing me back to WhatsApp. The notification turned out to be a message from a special friend in South Africa. He and I met nearly a decade ago, when I studied abroad in the UK. Our chemistry was instant, and although we live separate lives in separate places, we’ve managed time for friendly banter, romantic getaways and, on occasion, a quasi-lovers quarrel, which was the case just over a year ago.
We have barely spoken since our spat, yet here he was reaching out with an apology. I promptly apologized back. We both recognized that, at the end of the day, we still care about one another.
So, as I wrote this piece like some anthropologist analyzing a vastly different polyamorous culture, it struck me how the notion of “many loves” may not be as distant as I thought. I, like many queers, have experienced romantic connections that never truly went away. These few individuals check in on me, consistently root for me, and refuse to turn their back on me, even if we go a while without speaking. They know me well, often better than family, and they’re almost always worth an apology.
I’d venture to say most of us have this kind of recurring character in our sitcoms. Perhaps someone comes to mind as you read this. Perhaps they’ve stayed in your orbit because the best is yet to come or, like Janice to Chandler or that creepy scientist to Phoebe, to help clarify what you truly want.
Perhaps, then, we’re all a little polyamorous, and the details of how and when we balance the loves of our lives are trivial at best. A polyamorous society of queers and queers-adjacent? Now that’s a twist I can get behind.
PETER ROSENSTEIN
is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.
We now know ‘size matters’ to Donald Trump
Harris continues to electrify Democrats and pile up endorsements
Funny to read the debate about who has the bigger one. Trump keeps saying he does. Clearly it matters to him. Then you hear Democrats saying no, Harris does. One has to remember they are both referring to political rallies. Democrats are right, Harris has the bigger ones.
Again, we can laugh at this, but the reality for Democrats is this is screwing with Trump’s mind, and the size of the Harris/Walz rallies is a clear sign of the renewed energy that has consumed the party since Harris became the candidate and named Walz her running mate. This kind of joyful energy has clearly been missing.
Democrats now have their work cut out for them to ensure it continues for the next two and a half months. The result will be large numbers coming out to vote on Nov. 5. And all this was happening even before the Democratic convention began. It started with Harris’s first rally in Atlanta after Biden dropped out, and endorsed her. Then it continued in Philadelphia after she named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her choice for vice president, and did a joint rally with him. Since then, the large crowds have kept coming. Democrats saw them as they moved on to Michigan and then Wisconsin. What is really promising are the endorsements Harris is getting as she travels to her rallies. The first one came before her rally in Arizona. For the first time in its history, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the oldest organization representing Latinos, founded in 1929, has endorsed a presidential candidate, Harris. LULAC’s mission “is to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of the Hispanic population of the United States.” They clearly see Harris as the person to help them achieve their mission.
Then just before Harris and Walz appeared at another huge rally in Nevada, Harris won the endorsement of the Culinary Union, in existence for nearly 90 years. It’s the largest organization of working women in Nevada, and as the endorsement noted, “the chance to elect the first Black and South Asian woman president of the USA is both energizing and historic, and we are ready to make history together.” The union represents 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno. The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest Latinx/Black/AAPI/immigrant organization with members who come from 178 countries and speak more than 40 different languages.
All this energy is clearly making a difference. The respected Cook Political Report moved Georgia, Nevada and Arizona, from leaning Republican, to toss-up. Then the NY Times/Sienna poll showed Harris up by 4% in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. All of this is a huge change in just a few weeks. Harris then campaigned in Raleigh, N.C., on Friday, Aug. 16 where she outlined some basic economic proposals. Greeting her there was a new Cook Political Report poll, which showed she had a one-point lead in North Carolina, putting the state squarely back in the swing state category.
Then on Monday, the Democratic National Convention, being held in Chicago, began. Its first day honored President Joe Biden. He was honored for more than 50 years of public service, which began when he was first elected to the New Castle County Council, Delaware, in 1970. He will leave a positive legacy not matched by many in our country’s history. In his gracious speech, he turned the party, and the mantel of leadership, over to Kamala Harris. In doing so he continues to serve the country. We heard from the incredible Hillary Rodham Clinton, who received a well-deserved lengthy standing ovation, as she talked about finally seeing Kamala Harris break that glass ceiling. Over the next few days, two more presidents will endorse Harris. Trump couldn’t even get his own vice president to endorse him. The Democrats’ only problem is how to schedule so many great speakers for prime-time TV coverage. There is a wealth of talent wanting to speak for Harris and Walz. Democrats will be speaking directly to young people, to women, to the LGBTQ community, to African Americans, Latinos, and Asians and to every American.
I have been to five conventions. The first as a 17-year-old in Atlantic City in 1964 that nominated Lyndon Johnson. The last, the history making one in Philadelphia in 2016, where the first woman to lead a major party ticket, Hillary Clinton, was nominated. This one I will watch on TV, but it is no less exciting. While Trump continues to worry about size, Kamala Harris will win this election. Then on Jan. 20, 2025 she will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States of America.
Hillary Clinton Won The Convention’s First Night
NicholasF. Benton
FALLSCHURCHNEWS-PRESS
Hillar y Clint on’s speec h Mo nda y night was themo st, amon g man y,insp ir ing to me on the op en in g nig htof th e
D emoc r atic N ati o nal Conventi on. Isawfar mo re tha nw ha t wasonthe surf ace w hen she spo ke so el oq ue n tl y and w it h su chpa ss io n atthe pr o sp ect of K amala Ha rr isb eingelecte d th e nextpresiden t of the U.S. Thiswasabatteredbutnot beatenwoman,againstwhom all thefuriesof hellhadbeen unleashedto deny her the presidencyin 2016. Therewerebruisesandscars,blood stains and bloodied bandages, tears and aaries to seethere. I’m sorry, but noone on that stage Monday night hadgone through what she has tobeable nowtostandtall, speakloudlyand boldlyherald
everwomanto rise tothe highest on thisplanet. Taking nothingaway from Kamala Harris to besure,but it wasHillary Clinton whodove headlonginto awall offerocious malechauvinist hateand resistance to movetheball, so to speak,towithin inchesof the goal. As Kamalabarges across the goallinethisfall,it will be Hillarywho willbe cheeringthe loudest becauseshe sufferedso
have made it possible. She’sthe one whogotthenationto see, to envision, thisshining future. Apologiesforsubstitutingmetaphorsrelatedtoasportingevent overonesaboutcracksinglass ceilings, but you get the idea. Twoof the photos I have up areof me with Hillary in one, andwith Joe intheother.In the former,I amchatting with Hillary alongwith MaryMeredith, a hugeHillary fanandmother of mylongtime friendandnow CEO of Boomi,David Meredith, at aneventattheClintonhome
in D.C. sometimein the 1990s. In thelatter photo, I am posing with a big grinningBiden,his leftarmaroundmyback,and legendaryLGBTQ+ pioneer and my friend,thelate Frank Kameny,withBiden’sright arm aroundhis back. Itwas at asmall White House event whenBiden wasVP andhadbeaten President Obamatothepunchby coming out publiclyin supportfor gay marriage in 2009
As limited as itmaybe, I have usedmy“inside the Beltway” weeklygeneralinterest newspaper, themighty Fall s Chu rch New s- Press ,inas many waysas possibleto stand for thekind of justice-seeking,honesty,truth tellingandcompassionatequalities that Hillary Clintonand Joe Bidenhave broughttotheir jobs leadingour nationand the world
Since ourDay Onein March 1991, 33 years agonow,my newspaper has published aSeven-Point Platform that we have strivedtoliveupto. Itwas writtenby the legendary Thomas MoreStorke,an FDRsupporter who asa youngster in1900 boughtand developed what became the SantaBa r ba ra( Calif. ) New s- Press That waswhereper job asasophomore inhigh school.The New s- Pre ss ’ Platformwasprintedinevery edition of thatdaily newspapersuchthat it was the frameworkfor everything notjust thenewspaper, but theentire community, collectively strived for.
Sadly, uponhisretirement, Mr.Stroke soldhispaperin the 1960s and subsequentdeals founditinthehands of the Ne w YorkTimes fora period,andthen acquiredby awealthylocal who wasarightwingtype,totally out ofstep withthecommunity that the paper andits platform had helped shape,andthepaper nosedived,goingcompletely under in recentyears That Seven-PointPlatform has beenpublishedinmy newspaper everyweek sinceitsfoundingin1991contains thekernels ofwhatmakes mynewspaper tick,especiallyintermsof its so-called“business plan”being summedup inthe lastof the seven points, “Make the papershow keep it clean, fearless and fair.” -
Miss Major is committed to defeating Trump, electing Harris
Activist joins Task Force Action Fund at DNC before hitting campaign trail
By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com
Before traveling to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention as an honored guest of the National LGBTQ+ Task Force Action Fund, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy connected with the Washington Blade by Zoom for an interview from her home in Little Rock, Ark.
Raised in the South Side of Chicago during the 1940s and 50s, the author, activist, and community organizer has been at the forefront of queer and trans liberation movements for decades, a witness to the 1969 Stonewall Riots who then had a front row seat to the scourge of HIV/AIDS in San Francisco in the 1980s and 90s.
“And right now,” she said, the trans community is “facing the same bullshit they tried in ’69, ’65, ’64.”
Before Thursday’s call, Miss Major had received a letter from Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R), a White House press secretary during the Trump administration and one of the conservative officials who objected to the Biden-Harris administration’s policy of allowing U.S. citizens to select “X” as a gender marker on official documents, including passports and other forms of identification.
A few months ago, Miss Major’s assistant Muriel Tarver explained, Sanders “issued a proclamation saying that anyone that had an ‘X’ on their driver’s license or state-issued ID, that it would have to come off. She said that they would not be harassed, that just when you went to renew your identification, it would be changed at that time.”
The letter, Tarver said, certainly seems like harassment. “They didn’t wait for her to go and get her new ID. And her ID has not expired. It’s not getting ready to expire. But here’s the letter.”
Those who are familiar with Miss Major’s brand of activism might be surprised by her work with the Task Force Action Fund, her appearance at the DNC, and perhaps especially her commitment to criss-crossing the country to talk voters out of supporting Donald Trump and into supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’s historic bid for the White House.
As shown in “Major!” the 2015 documentary about her life, and a 2023 memoir comprised of interviews with journalist Toshio Meronek called “Miss Major Speaks: Conversations with a Black Trans Revolutionary,” the activist’s foremost concerns have always been centered around providing for her trans brothers and sisters. Her work on this front is never ending: Tarver gave the Blade a virtual tour of Miss Major’s property, which she has used as a refuge for trans folks who are free to stay and relax on the well-kept grounds, which are complete with a guest house and a pool.
Where she may have sidestepped electoral politics in the past, however, there is “so much happening to whereby you had to get involved in it now,” Miss Major said. “But before it was just — my community has suffered so bad for so long, so often, that you’ve got to do something to help them navigate the bullshit that goes on in the world.”
This usually means ensuring that basic needs are met. “And I don’t feel as if politics helps that,” she said, because “it’s got to be people and the relationships you build and what you build together with another person that makes it better.”
Miss Major added, “I want things to be better for all of us. You know, transgender and non transgender people.” And as society has begun to make space for those with non-cisgender identities, the backlash has been vicious. “They’re so afraid of opening up to us,” she said.
When it comes to political candidates, she said, “As an ordinary person, you know, I’m concerned about food and gas and clothing and shit like that. And, you know, who else cares about this? I need to know the person who’s in charge cares and is going to do something to alleviate the stress on me to get it.”
By the time President Joe Biden announced his decision to step aside on July 21 — well before that pivotal moment, Tarver stressed — Miss Major and the Task Force Action Fund were ready to spring into action.
“It was quite a service act that he did for the country,” Miss Major said. “Because I really believe that he could have gone further, but he just didn’t have what it took. And so when he stepped out and made her the nominee, he invigorated, and he poured such joy to this country, and hope, and belief that it can be done, that [Trump] can be stopped.”
“As we all heard about the potential for Biden stepping down and putting aside his personal and political interests for the sake of democracy, which is a pretty historical and brave thing, we all wanted to be ready to respond to what would happen,” Task Force Action Fund Communications Director Cathy Renna told the Blade by phone.
Issuing a joint endorsement of Harris was historic for both Miss Major and the Task Force Action Fund, Renna said. “We have not endorsed anyone since Jimmy Carter, which was shortly after our founding, right? So, we’re talking about almost 50 years ago.”
“We wanted a bold choice,” she said, “and we also understand what’s at stake in this election.”
Miss Major sees the contrast between the two candidates as clear and compelling; the difference between sanity and insanity, competence and chaos. “Do you want someone who lies to you? Or do you what someone who tells the truth?”
Trump spreads filth and disorder like the character from Charles M. Schulz’s “Peanuts” comic strip who is perpetually surrounded by a cloud of dust and detritus, she said.=
Harris, on the other hand, represents the future. “She’s breaking the ceiling. There’s a glass ceiling. And when she breaks through, she’s gonna go on,” Miss Major said. “And after this, something like 10s of 1000s of people are gonna go through that, too. It’s just going to be phenomenal.”
By the time Harris was first elected to serve as San Francisco District Attorney in 2004, Miss Major for years had worked in food banks and in other roles providing direct services to the trans community and home health services to those living with HIV/AIDS. That year, she was tapped to lead the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project.
Reflecting on Harris’s tenure, Miss Major said, “We became people to her. We weren’t some oddity that she reached for. She accepted the whole bunch, all of us. It was just a marvelous thing to be a part of. You know, finally, find somebody that believed in us.”
MISS MAJOR speaks at the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Creating Change conference in 2018. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Miss Major plans to hit campaign trail for Harris
Along with her leadership on marriage equality — as one of the earliest and most strident public figures who advocated for same-sex marriage — as district attorney, Harris fought against the so-called gay and trans panic defenses, courtroom arguments used to seek lesser penalties for violent crimes against LGBTQ people.
“For us, it’s incredibly important to get behind the candidate who is already an ally to our community and who we know, no matter what, is going to have an administration where we’ll have a seat at the table,” Renna said.
She added, “We may not always agree, but it’s an administration that will be willing to listen to us and hear us out and try to hopefully better understand the variety of issues, especially from the perspective of the Task Force Action Fund, which is very intersectional and will bring to the table not just the siloed queer issues.”
“For us,” Renna said, “it’s about more than marriage equality and trans affirming care. It’s about reproductive justice. It’s about climate. It’s about disability rights. And racial equity. So for us, you know, this [Harris-Walz] ticket really represents all the issues we care about.”
Harris is unflappable, Miss Major said. “They can’t shake her up or piss her off or anything to disturb her. She knows exactly what she’s going to do. She knows how she’s going to do it. And if you get in the way, I pity you.”
“Miss Major has been part of the family and orbit of the Task Force and Task Force Action Fund for years,” Renna said. “She was honored at Creating Change many years ago, she participated in Creating Change this year in New Orleans, and so many of the staff and folks who are at the Task Force love, respect, and are connected to her.”
So, Miss Major’s participation in the DNC is “not just a unique opportunity to partner and collaborate with her, but a really important piece of work to do for for our community, particularly for trans people of color,” Renna said.
“We are also giddy with anticipation,” she added. “Everyone we’re talking to is so excited she’s going to be there. She’s an icon. She is a pioneer. She’s an inspiration, but she’s also someone who speaks to the moment that we’re living in right now, because she’s lived through it in the past. And so, for, especially, younger folks to hear from her, I think it will give them context and hope and inspire them to be more engaged in the process.”
“I have a feeling we’re going to blow the roof off the United Center and all the other venues at the convention, because there’s so much positive energy around this,” Renna said.
“You can’t help but be excited” about Harris’s candidacy, Miss Major agreed. The energy and enthusiasm, Renna said, are “what you need to counteract the level of lies, misinformation, and hate that’s coming at us, that has been coming at us from the other side” particularly since Trump’s emergence as a national political figure.
“I plan on going to every place Trump goes and speak to the tender loving people in those places and tell them what a liar he is and how insane he is and that they just shouldn’t vote for him,” Miss Major said. “So wherever it is from now till November, I will be there. Wherever he goes.”
“I’m gonna explain to the people that he not only lies, but he doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” she said. “And that we can feel safe and warm and secure in the fact that Harris is going to lead this country into the future.”
“We’re not going back — you know, I lived back there,” Miss Major said. “No, we’re not going there, because it hurts to think about that shit, you know, and it’s aggravating to have lived through it already, you know, I don’t want to go through
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy (‘Miss Major’) at the 2024 National LGBTQ Task Force Creating Change Conference in New Orleans (Photo courtesy National LGBTQ Task Force)
CALENDAR |
Friday, August 23
“Center Aging Monthly Luncheon and Yoga” will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Lunch will be held in the climate-controlled atrium at the Reeves Center. For more details, email adam@thedccenter.org.
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.
GoGayDC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Social in the City” at 7 p.m. at Courtyard Dupont Circle. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, August 24
GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. 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.
Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. Join the DC Center and the Beta Kappa Chapter of the Beta Phi Omega Sorority for a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black Lesbian. For more details, email supportdesk@ thedccenter.org.
Sunday, August 25
GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Dinner” at 6:30 p.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. Guests are encouraged to come enjoy an evening of Italian-style dining and conversation with other LGBTQ folk. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
AfroCode DC will be at 4 p.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.
Monday, August 26
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.
Queer Book Club will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This month’s book is “Glassworks” by Olivia Wolfgang-Smith. Copies are available at the DC Public Library. For more details, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org.
By TINASHE CHINGARANDE
Tuesday, August 27
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.
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more details, visit www.genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
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.
Wednesday, August 28
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.
Asexual and Aromantic Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom and in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a space where people who are questioning this aspect of their identity or those who identify as asexual and/or aromantic can come together, share stories and experiences, and discuss various topics. For more details, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org.
Thursday, August 29
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
United Night Out at Audi Field on Aug. 24
Enjoy world-class soccer at Audi Field and celebrate United Night Out on Aug. 24. Bring your friends and family for an evening full of fun and inclusivity. Experience the thrill of the crowd at Audi Field, have some delicious food at the concessions, and cheer on DC United as they take on Dallas FC. Visit D.C. United’s website for tickets.
New gallery opening in D.C.
Dandelion Collective, a new space in Columbia Heights for LGBTQ healers and artists, will open on Saturday, Aug. 24 with an opening reception at 2 p.m. at 3417 14th St., N.W.
This first exhibition features the incredible, ethereal artwork of John Von Sauerhoff. His stunning pop surrealist paintings that will transport you to another world.
More information is available at www.dandelioncollectivedc.com/art-gallery.
Celebrate United Night Out on Saturday. (Washington Blade photo by Kevin Majoros)
Hillary Clinton like you’ve never seen her before in ‘Soft Power’
Musical fantasia employs humor to explore contrasting cultures
By PATRICK FOLLIARD
There’s a wonderful scene in “Soft Power” where Hillary Clinton goes underground. She’s just lost the election and she’s eating a lot of bad takeout and seeing no one. But she’s willing to make an exception for one man. He’s Xue Xing, a Chinese theatrical producer from Shanghai whom she briefly but memorably met on the campaign trail.
Once he convinces her to venture outdoors, Hillary doffs the food-stained robe and dowdy sleeping cap to magically reveal a chic black shirt dress with full skirt and a bouncy bob of blonde tresses. Next, the duo elegantly dances across the stage (and presumably the country) for a better view of the romantic Golden Gate Bridge. It’s quite the moment.
Billed as a musical fantasia, “Soft Power,” a terrific collaboration between playwright David Henry Hwang (“Yellow Face,” “M. Butterfly”) and composer Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home,” “Kimberly Akimbo”), is currently playing at Signature Theatre in a revised, taut version of its earlier off-Broadway incarnation. At about 90 minutes, it’s substantially shorter, and this time an Asian actor, the marvelous Grace Yoo, is playing Hillary.
The story unfolds at a rapid, highly entertaining pace. On the cusp of the 2016 election, Xue Xing (an all-around pitch perfect Daniel May) is eager to peddle some soft power (i.e. “to co-opt rather than coerce”). His mission in America is to put a pro-Chinese musical on the Great White Way. Sadly, DHH the playwright he’s commissioned to do the job can’t find a viable way into the assignment.
graffiti, and some smoky glass.
Billy Bustamante’s choreography conveys energy and emotion ranging from a tiki torch bearing mob to a Fred and Ginger expression of budding romance. And music director Angie Benson skillfully conducts the 10-person orchestra beautifully rendering Tesori’s both eclectic and memorable score.
The show’s razzle-dazzle number “I’m With Her,” features Hillary in full campaign mode at a busy McDonald’s restaurant. Initially, high above the crowd, dressed in an ivory-colored coat, she evokes Evita. As she descends into the adoring fray, it’s more a blend of oily Harold Hill, brassy Reno Sweeney and a bit of Baby June really selling it on the Orpheum circuit. In short, all the glad-handing madness of an American election.
The feel-good fun is abruptly interrupted when a preppy kid in a red baseball cap, Holden Caufield (an aptly angsty Joey Urgino standing in for Nicholas Yenson), crashes the lovefest proclaiming how he can’t stand “phonies” so he’s voting for the other guy.
With varying degrees of success, the playwright employs humor to explore contrasting cultures, democracy, exceptionalism, and gun control. At one point, a delightfully fey Chief Justice (Andrew Crispi) musically lays out just how voting works including the Electoral College, which doesn’t ensure a victory for the candidate garnering the most votes. Xue Xing isn’t impressed.
Like David Henry Hwang, DHH (Steven Eng) is the son of immigrants. He possesses limited knowledge of China and doesn’t speak Chinese. Also, like Hwang, who was stabbed by a random stranger near his home in Brooklyn in 2015, DHH is violently attacked on the streets of New York. It’s while recovering in hospital that DHH falls into a prolonged fever dream in which he reconciles feelings about China and America set against a backdrop of ardor, and classic Broadway and Hollywood musicals. Like so many dreams, the characters are blends of real people and places.
Staged by Ethan Heard, Signature’s associate artistic director who also happens to be Chinese-American, queer, and proficient in Mandarin, “Soft Power” boasts a top-notch, largely Asian cast that ably plays varied races from wide-ranging walks of life. Broadway costume designer Helen Q. Huang creates a rather soigné look drawn from the real-life candidate’s practical workaday uniform. Set designer Chika Shimizu cleverly creates distinct settings using straightforward signage, subtle
Hwang’s isn’t the only work about Asians suffering at the hands of emboldened racists. Chisa Hutchinson’s “Redeemed,” a piece inspired by an uptick in anti-Asian hate crime in the early days of the pandemic (think “kung flu”), made its world premiere at the Contemporary American Theatre Festival in West Virginia in the summer of 2023.
The Black bisexual playwright’s compelling two hander is set in the visiting room of a high security prison where an Asian American woman meets with the white man who murdered her gay brother when he heard him speaking Chinese in line at an ATM.
There’s no singular way to talk about domestic terrorism. Both pieces work but in different ways.
GRACE YOO (Hillary Clinton) and DANIEL MAY (Xue Xing) in ‘Soft Power’ at Signature Theatre. (Photo by Daniel Rader)
Restored ‘Caligula’
is still no
classic
Sumptuous trash that’s worth seeing on the big screen
By JOHN PAUL KING
Anybody who loves movies knows the thrill of returning to an old favorite for a repeat viewing; it allows us to appreciate things we missed before. Alternatively, re-watching a bad movie (or at least, one you disliked) can help you find a new perspective on it – but that comes with the risk of discovering that it’s still bad, and then you’ve wasted a couple of hours that you’ll never get back.
But what if it’s a “bad” movie that is technically not the same movie anymore? Does it deserve another chance?
No, that’s not a riddle. It’s something to ponder before deciding to experience the newly re-edited and re-constructed 4K re-release of 1979’s “Caligula,” the notorious historical epic about the famously unhinged titular Roman emperor, which featured a boldly stylized reconstruction of its ancient Roman setting, a youthful Malcolm McDowell in the title role, and a roster of distinguished British actors adding their prestige in support. Controversial even before the cameras started rolling, it was an ambitious multi-national production that spared no expense in bringing the despot’s personal rise and fall to the screen in all its lavish and debauched glory – conceived by none other than porn magnate Bob Guccione, the founder and editor of Penthouse magazine.
As in its original form, helmed by Italian filmmaker Tinto Brass, the movie opens as Caligula – heir to the throne of his increasingly deranged great uncle, the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who rules from a private island sanctuary and spends most of his time satisfying his perverse sexual appetites – fears that the old man views him as a threat to his power and decides to get ahead of the problem by disposing of him first. This, of course, makes Caligula the new emperor, and from there the tale depicts a chronology of his reign, in which his own lust for power – and other things – transforms him into a depraved tyrant. That’s not great for Rome, of course, but it ends up even worse for Caligula. We won’t spoil what happens, but you can look it up in any history book about the Roman Empire if you want to know.
The production was, to put it mildly, a mess. Guccione hired Brass to direct, and contracted renowned author Gore Vidal to write the screenplay, only to wrangle with both over creative differences. Vidal was eventually fired, and Brass assigned to adapt his script – but in the end, conflicts over the approach to sexual content led Guccione to remove Brass from the process and hire a team of editors to assemble a final cut according to his own specifications. He also snuck into the studio after-hours to film additional scenes of un-simulated sex featuring several hand-picked “Penthouse Pets,” which were then inserted into the movie to provide the flavor of softcore eroticism he assumed audiences would expect from his “brand.” He may have been right about the audiences – “Caligula” was a box-office hit, a status no doubt fueled by international outrage from conservatives who decried it as “pornographic.” The most expensive independent film in history, it made back its cost and then some – but critics largely tore Guccione’s long-in-the-works pet project apart (legendary film reviewer Roger Ebert famously walked out on it), and though it had its defenders, it quickly achieved status as a notably embarrassing “flop.” Cinema lovers, however, have a habit of favorably reassessing the film failures of previous generations, and inevitably, “Caligula” gained a reputation over the years
as just such a movie. Enter Thomas Negovan, a film historian who discovered nearly 100 hours of unused footage - rejected takes, deleted scenes, and other material abandoned in Guccione’s final vision for the film – and undertook a full re-creation of the originally conceived “Caligula” as far as was possible, replacing every frame of footage from the 1979 release with alternate takes and reincorporating abandoned elements to create a stunningly restored new version in an effort to realize screenwriter Vidal’s original conception as closely as possible.
The resulting film, dubbed the “Ultimate Cut,” premiered at 2023’s Cannes Film Festival, where it earned praise from critics who cited its success in restoring both the movie’s artistic integrity and thematic cohesion, as well as its expanded showcase of the strong performances from McDowell (fresh from his breakthrough “Clockwork Orange” role when cast here) and future Oscar-winner Helen Mirren, as Caligula’s wife Caesonia. It restores at least some of Vidal’s intended theme highlighting the corruption that comes with absolute power – though not the openly gay author’s stronger emphasis on queer sexuality, a major point of contention with Guccione despite his willing inclusion of explicit same-sex and bisexual intimacy. Those moments largely take place as part of the background, a scenic element establishing the moral decadence of its title character’s reign and presenting a fetishized representation of queer coupling that – like all of the movie’s sex – seems more performative than passionate.
Even so, it’s a better film than it was, particularly in a restored print that emphasizes the rich color of Silvano Ippoliti’s cinematography and the “seventies chic” re-imagination of Ancient Rome by production designer Danilo Donati. McDowell’s performance, seen in its fleshed-out entirety for the first time, reclaims a coherent arc that was lost in the original cut, while Mirren’s work is similarly
expanded to reveal a layered nuance that somehow anchors the movie’s extremities to a recognizable humanity. Additionally, Negovian’s work in de- and re-constructing the original film is praiseworthy for its meticulous devotion to delivering a unified whole.
At the same time, there are missteps that alternative footage can’t correct. “Caligula” still plays like a confused art house costume drama duped into becoming an exploitation film. Gratuitous sex and over-the-top violence are still the predominant tactics for eliciting audience response, and while the “star” performances – even legendary ham Peter O’Toole’s Tiberius, a case study in untethered-yet-irresistible overacting – and an elegantly trashy visual aesthetic lend it a semblance of artistic dignity, it can’t quite overcome the disingenuousness inherent in its blend of “serious” themes with blatantly exploitative underpinnings.
All of which begs the same question presented by the classic thought experiment called “The Ship of Theseus,” which asks us to contemplate whether a vessel that has had all of its parts replaced over time can still be considered the same vessel. It’s a moot point, however, because “Caligula” – disavowed even in its new incarnation by director Brass – is still plagued by the creative conflicts that marred its production. Its various elements seem to work at confused cross purposes, undermining any effort to impose a genuine sense of depth or artistic unity and leaving us with something that, despite the earnest contributions of many of its participants, still feels like a cynical effort to pass off porn by dressing it up as art.
Not that we’re judging that; in fact, we’re encouraging you to catch “Caligula: the Ultimate Cut” during its road show rollout in theaters, which commenced earlier this month, before it releases on VOD and streaming platforms later on. It might still be trash, but it’s sumptuous trash, and that’s always worth seeing on the big screen.
MALCOLM MCDOWELL and HELEN MIRREN in ‘Caligula.’
Two books to read when your child comes out as trans
Explaining what science knows about genetics and sexuality
By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
Your child has recently told you a secret that they can’t hold tight anymore.
You’ve suspected what they’re about to say for a long time. When they were small, they weren’t like other children. They may have even told you what they were thinking, even before they knew it themselves. But now you know, for sure, and so, going forward, you’re the loving parent of a child who’s trans, and there’s a learning curve.
These two books might help.
Surely, you must think that there has to be some science behind gender and identity, right? In “Free to Be: Understanding Kids & Gender Identity” by Jack Turban, MD (Atria, $29.99), you’ll follow the lives and struggles of three trans and gender diverse kids, Kyle, Sam, and Meredith, as Turban explains what science knows about genetics and sexuality.
To gain a basic understanding of the subject, says Turban, we need to look back in history to see how gender identity was perceived in the past and the attitudes that our ancestors held. He then touches upon language and “misnaming,” how social constructs attempt to set a child’s gender identity before it’s fully known, and why mothers often catch “blame” for something that’s never anyone’s “fault.” Further information on biology, puberty blockers, gender reassignment surgery for young trans people, and the “politics” of gender diversity round out this book nicely.
For the parent who wants a deeper dive into what makes their child tick and what they can do to make that kid’s life easier, this compassionate book is the one to read.
If you’re just finding out that your child is trans, then “My Child is Trans, Now What?” by Ben V. Greene (Rowman & Littlefield, $26.95) is a book to reach for now.
Beginning with the things you’ll want to know and understand immediately, this book is assuring and soothing – look, and you’ll see the word “joy” in its subtitle. Greene calls trans kids “VIPs,” and he means it, which sets a relaxing tone for what’s to come here. In sharing his own experiences, Greene stresses that every trans experience is different, and he touches often upon his coming out. This launches discussions on topics like bathrooms, therapy (if you or your VIP want it), finding support, the politics of being trans, the stressors of medical treatment, and what it might be like to have even brief regrets. Greene finishes his book with advice on getting an education and living as a trans person.
“My Child is Trans, Now What?” is truly more of a book for parents and loved ones of trans teens or young adults. What’s in here goes well beyond childhood, so be aware before you reach for it on the shelf.
And if these books aren’t enough, or don’t quite fit what you need, be sure to ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for more. In recent years, more and more authors have been willing to share their own journeys, making the transition one that doesn’t have to be so secret anymore.
is
Now What?’
‘Free to Be: Understanding Kids & Gender Identity’ By Jack Turban, MD | c.2024, Atria | $29.99
Wednesday, Sep 18 & Oct 2
Admission Tour
Lower School: 9 - 10:15a
Middle & Upper School: 11a - 12:15p
Saturday, Oct 19
Fall Admission Program
Lower School: 9 - 10:15a
Middle & Upper School: 11a - 12:15p
Following the program, stay for our annual Fall Festival, 1-4p! Fun for the whole family!
At Barrie School, every student feels a great sense of belonging. Join us for an upcoming admission event to see for yourself!
Ask about our Millennium Scholarship & Fall Expeditions for Grades 6-12
2024 Democratic National Convention
Multiple LGBTQ organizations hold events throughout week in Chicago
The 2024 Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago from August 19-22. The Human Rights Campaign joined with other LGBTQ organizations to hold a “We Show Up” event on Monday at the McCormack Place Convention Center with celebrities Sophia Bush and Wilson Cruz as well as movement leaders.
The convention was held in the United Center. Among the thousands of attendees were local politicians Gov. Wes Moore (D-Md.) and openly-gay D.C. Council member Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5).
As the summer winds down, are you still thinking about owning a second home at the beach? What if I told you that you could make those dreams a reality for very little cash?
What I mean is that there are several ways to creatively look at methods to purchase a second home at the beach and have very low overhead. First, you should realize that you will only be approved for what you can afford. While most of us have Tito’s tastes on a Bernett’s budget, we need to come back to reality and realize that a pre-approval with a reputable local lender will provide a budget for you – while still needing to think through the lifestyle you maintain and what getting a second home with additional responsibilities might look like. If you’ve decided that YES you want to purchase a second home at the beach – let’s look at creative ways to pay for said beach house.
House shares are a great way to split up the cost of beach house ownership. If you have a few good like-minded friends that have similar beach house aspirations as you - then see if they would go halfsies with you. If you are not keen on the idea of three parties having an ownership interest in a piece of real estate, then think through a lease arrangement. You would be the owner of the residence but friend group A would have a lease stipulating they can use the house every other weekend and then friend group B can use the house every third full week in the month. This allows you as the owner of the home to buy down the mortgage and other home ownership expenses while still having a reasonable amount of time to use the home. This is a great option if your beach home is located in a town or community in which short-term rentals are not permitted.
Speaking of short-term rentals, I think almost everyone automatically thinks about Airbnb when thinking about a vacation home. Let me be clear: Each city, town, and community are so different in what they do and do not allow. For example, my community at the beach in Delaware does not allow any rentals less than one year. This is what attracted me to that community. That community, however, would turn off 90% of beach house buyers because they want the option to rent out a home. This is where the above mentioned friend house share would come in handy. If you have identified a home that allows for short-term rentals of a
that second home
week or a three-night minimum then you are good to go.
This is a great way to offset a mortgage, however, it’s always important to realize that if you are looking to have a beach house and rent it out some of the time to offset your expense that you will incur other expenses by having a high volume of guests in and out of the home. While your mortgage might go down your incidentals will likely go up.
Off-season rentals are still very much a thing. Those quaint beach towns that you only visit in the summer when they are thriving and serving orange crushes do actually calm down a bit in the winter months. While the tapestry of beach towns in Delaware has changed dramatically over the years, there are still rentals referred to as “off-season” rentals. These rentals are available typically between Labor Day and Memorial Day. Renting your home in the off season instead of winterizing and closing up the home is a great way to have funds coming in all year long. This typically works for homes within close proximity to the beach or downtown districts and is not always guaranteed. You also offer this rental at a substantial discount.
The dream of a beach home is within reach for many. Like with most things in life it’s all about compromise and how much you are willing to work for it. A second home in a sought after location within close proximity to metropolitan areas is always a great idea for an investment property. It’s important to ensure you are partnered with a Realtor in a secondary market that understands your clear intentions with a property and can assist with providing rental pro-formas for rental income, market statistics, lawyers etc., to ensure that you are making a sound decision in your beach dream future.
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 provides white glove service at every price point. Reach him at 202-5034243, Justin.Noble@SothebysRealty.com or BurnsandNoble.com.
Dream no more! A second home at the beach is more attainable than you thought. (Washington Blade photo by Daniel Truitt)
MASSAGE MASSAGE
FOR MEN
Private studio near Rosslyn/Courthouse,weekends (FriMon), 12-9. Text Gary @301-704-1158 or visit www.mymassagebygary.com
MOBILE MASSAGE
Professional Mobile massage delivered to you. 60 Minutes $175 plus outcall fee to the DC area add $100 http://zenmassagerichmond.com Scot 804-855-9093
BULLETIN BOARD
Academy of Hope
Adult Public Charter School
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
IT MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDER
The Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School located in Washington, DC requests proposals for IT Managed Service Provider. Proposals are due 9/6/2024. You can find the detailed requested for proposal and submission information at https://aohdc.org/get-involved/jobs/
Academy of Hope
Adult Public Charter School
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TECHNOLOGY
The Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School located in Washington, DC requests proposals for Technology. Proposals are due 9/6/2024. You can find the detailed request for proposal and submission information at https://aohdc.org/get-involved/jobs/
Please tell our advertisers,
“I saw your ad in THE BLADE!!”
BUY / SELL
LABYRINTH’S ANNUAL USED GAME SALE
Is Almost Here! Add amazing, gently used board games to your game collection for bargain prices. Our Saturday auctions include many out-of-print, deluxe, & hard-to-get games. Our Sunday rummage sale prices drop to $0 at the end of the day.
Saturday, Sept. 7, is Auction Day!
Sunday, Sept 8, is our all-day Rummage Sale: Prices drop throughout the day! Come to: Labyrinth, 645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20003, to participate in this charity event!
Learn More: labyrinthdc.com/ugs Proceeds support community initiatives like the Labyrinth Teacher Fund & free community game nights. Thank you for your support! Labyrinth is a safe inclusive space for all.
This weekly queer-led therapy group, approached from an interpersonal process perspective, aims to create a warm, welcoming, & supportive space in which to foster resilience with other members of the LGBTQ+ community. Members will support each other & learn ways to develop deep, authentic relationships with other queer-identified folks both in & outside of the group space. $10 per session.
202-994-4937
https://psyd.columbian. gwu.edu/clinic
EMPLOYMENT
SODEXO
CAREER LGBTQ+
At Sodexo, we’re proud to support our LGBTQ+ and Ally employees, champion an environment of acceptance, and create a belonging culture for all. We do this through our PRIDE EBRG, employee engagement, community involvement, education and awareness. If the ability to be authentically YOU at work, and a commitment to DEI matter to you, we invite you to join our team. https://us.sodexo.com/careers
THE WASHINGTON BLADE PUBLISHESLEGAL NOTICES
including probate, small estates & foreign estates. Public notices are required to be published in newspapers of general circulation because these venues (now both print & online) reach the largest number of people in the community, while offering an easily archivable & verifiable outlet to make sure the notice was published when & how it was intended. Further, newspapers display notices in the context of other news & information that people in the community read. Newspapers & their associated websites are the appropriate forums for notices that affect citizens & the general public. Ask the court to publish yours in the Blade. The courts will take care of the set-up process. Another way to support your LGBTQ newspaper!
PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
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.
