Biden’s powerful legacy
ADDRESS PO Box 53352
Washington DC 20009
PHONE
202-747-2077
news@washblade.com
INTERNET washingtonblade.com
PUBLISHED BY Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc.
PUBLISHER
LYNNE J. BROWN
lbrown@washblade.com ext. 8075
EDITORIAL
EDITOR
KEVIN NAFF
knaff@washblade.com ext. 8088
SR. NEWS REPORTER
LOU CHIBBARO JR. lchibbaro@washblade.com ext. 8079
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT
CHRIS KANE
ckane@washblade.com extg 8083
INTERNATIONAL NEWS EDITOR
MICHAEL K. LAVERS mlavers@washblade.com ext. 8093
POP CULTURE REPORTER
JOHN PAUL KING
PHOTO EDITOR
MICHAEL KEY mkey@washblade.com ext 8084
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
DANIEL ITAI, EDICIÓN CIENTONCE, QUORUM, WDG, STEPHANIE MONDRAGÓN, ISAAC AMEND , TINASHE CHINGARANDE, DUNIA ORELLANA, REPORTAR SIN MIEDO, PETER ROSENSTEIN, MARK LEE, LATEEFAH WILLIAMS, KATE CLINTON, KATHI WOLFE, ERNESTO VALLE, YARIEL VALDÉS GONZÁLEZ, PHILIP VAN SLOOTEN, KATLEGO K. KOLANYANEKESUPILE, KAELA ROEDER, TREMENDA NOTA, ALBERTO J. VALENTÍN, MAYKEL GONZÁLEZ VIVERO, ORGULLO LGBT. CO, ESTEBAN GUZMAN, ANDRÉS I. JOVÉ RODRÍGUEZ
CREATIVE DESIGN/PRODUCTION
AZERCREATIVE.COM
SALES & ADMINISTRATION
DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING
STEPHEN RUTGERS srutgers@washblade.com ext. 8077
SR. ACCT. EXECUTIVE
BRIAN PITTS
bpitts@washblade.com ext. 8089
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION
PHILLIP G. ROCKSTROH prockstroh@washblade.com ext. 8092
NATIONAL ADVERTISING
RIVENDELL MEDIA
212-242-6863; sales@rivendellmedia.com
For distribution, contact
Gender Liberation March targets Supreme Court, Heritage Foundation
Participants rally for bodily autonomy
By ERKKI FORSTER
Upwards of 1,000 people gathered in D.C. on Saturday for the first-ever Gender Liberation March, rallying for bodily autonomy and self-determination outside the U.S. Supreme Court and the Heritage Foundation headquarters.
The march brought together advocates for transgender, LGBTQ, feminist, and reproductive rights, uniting the movements to protest attacks on healthcare access and individual freedoms.
The event kicked off just after noon at Columbus Circle, outside Union Station, where organizers had set up a stage. Throughout the day, speakers such as Elliot Page, Miss Major, and Julio Torres shared personal stories and highlighted the intersectional challenges of trans rights, abortion rights, and LGBTQ rights. Raquel Willis, a core organizer of the event, outlined the broad coalition of communities represented in the Gender Liberation March.
“This march is for the queers, and the trans folks of any age. It’s for the childless cat ladies and babies and gentlemen and gentlethem. It’s for the migrants and our disabled family. It’s for intersex folks and those living and thriving with HIV. It’s for Muslims and folks of every faith. It’s for those who believe in a free Palestine. It’s for our sex workers. It’s for our incarcerated and detained. It’s for all of us who believe there is a better way to live and love than we are today,” she told the crowd.
Nick Lloyd, an abortion storyteller from the organization We Testify, underlined the interconnectedness of the movements by sharing his experience as a trans man who had an abortion and discussing the support he received from trans women, emphasizing the significance of “radical solidarity.”
“When we fight for liberation, we need to make sure we are fighting for liberation for all of us,” he said in his speech.
The Gender Liberation March is organized by a collective of gender justice-based groups, including organizers behind the Women’s Marches and the Brooklyn Liberation Marches. Rachel Carmona, the executive director of the Women’s March, also addressed the importance of soli-
Comings & Goings
darity across movements.
She acknowledged that some within the feminist movement have questioned the inclusion of trans issues but countered this view.
“The women’s movement necessarily includes trans people,” Carmona asserted.
The march organized buses from nine East Coast cities, and many attendees arrived in D.C. in the days prior. Chris Silva and Samy Nemir Olivares left New York early that morning to make sure they could participate.
“I actually heard [about the march] from my dear friend, Samy, two weeks ago, and I got energized by the idea, and we woke up really early today to take a 5 a.m. bus and make it here this morning,” Silva said.
At 1 p.m. the crowd began marching toward the Supreme Court on a route that also passed by the Capitol. Marchers held signs and banners proclaiming “You can’t legislate us out of existence,” and “Our bodies, our futures.”
The Supreme Court has eroded individual liberties with recent decisions such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and is set to hear U.S. v. Skrmetti, a case with wide-reaching implications for trans healthcare, in October. Speaking through a speaker system in front of the Supreme Court, activist Aaryn Lang urged the crowd to remain vigilant.
“We do not have the luxury of treating very real threats like a difference of opinion. It’s not that type of time. They really want us dead,” Lang said.
Republican lawmakers in state legislatures are relentlessly attacking the rights of LGBTQ people, particularly trans individuals. This year alone, 70 anti-LGBTQ laws have been signed into law, most targeting trans rights, and at least 26 states have laws or policies banning gender-affirming care, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
From the Supreme Court, the march proceeded to the Heritage Foundation headquarters. The far-right think tank created the Project 2025 initiative, a blueprint to overhaul the federal government and attack trans and abortion rights under a potential second Trump administration.
Marchers chanted, “Abortion rights are trans rights,” as
Hoffman named LPAC communications director
By PETER ROSENSTEIN
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at comingsandgoings@washblade.com.
Congratulations to Joanna Hoffman, the new Communications Director for LPAC, the national political organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ women and nonbinary people to public office. LPAC Interim Executive Director Janelle Perez said, “We are thrilled to welcome Joanna Hoffman as our new Communications Director. Her impressive background, spanning over a decade in LGBTQ communications, will be an invaluable addition to the team here at LPAC.”
Prior to this, Hoffman served as Communications Director for Athlete Ally and was Events and Communica-
tions Manager for Peace is Loud in New York. She has also been a Special Projects Manager and Program Associate with Women Deliver in New York; and Partnership Coordinator with The Synergos Institute.
Hoffman is an award-winning poet honored by the Obama White House as a Champion of Change for LGBT Advocacy Through Art. Her full-length book of poetry, “Running for Trap Doors” (Sibling Rivalry Press) was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award and featured in the American Library Association’s list of recommended LGBT reading. She lives in Houston with her wife, two stepsons, and dog.
they approached the Heritage Foundation, where DJ Griffin Maxwell Brooks and booming music received them. The crowd quickly fell into an impromptu dance party and formed a circle where marchers took turns showcasing their vogueing. Trans queer performance artist Qween Amor noted that the march was attended by a group diverse in both identity and age.
“I think it’s very empowering to see not just my generation, but also seeing younger generations coming up and finding themselves in a moment where we can be liberated together and to see a mix of intersectional identities. I think, for me, [that] lets me know that, you know, I’m alive and that there’s hope,” she told the Washington Blade.
The march then returned to Columbus Circle, where health organizations and political organizations had set up booths. Hundreds of banned books were distributed for free and all copies were claimed within two hours of the event’s start.
It was a particularly hot Saturday with temperatures reaching 87 degrees, but Columbus Circle continued to be filled with people late into the day.
Page, known for his roles in films and series such as “Juno” and “The Umbrella Academy,” drew a large crowd when he took the stage to speak about his journey as a trans man.
“When I was finally able to step back from the squirreling, foreboding, the self-battering, and torment, the messages to lie and hide grew faint. I was able to listen, at last, to embrace myself wholly. And goodness, do I want that feeling for everyone,” he said. “I love being trans. I love being alive, and I want everyone to have access to the care that has changed my life. So let’s fight for it.”
Congratulations also to reporter and editor Jeffrey Schmalz, film critic Kevin Thomas, and editor and songwriter Judy Wieder, the 2024 inductees into the NLGJA LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame
The LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame was launched to
honor outstanding LGBTQ+ journalists who have exemplified the association’s mission to advance fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities and issues. To date, the LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame has honored 56 individuals, living and deceased, who have left a lasting mark on their profession.
The Gender Liberation March took place in D.C. on Sept. 14. (Blade photo by Erkki Forster)
JOANNA HOFFMAN
Big night for LGBTQ Emmy winners
It was a banner night for queer performers and television creators at the 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, with Jodie Foster, Richard Gadd, and Greg Berlanti among the night’s big winners.
Lesbian icon Jodie Foster took home her first Emmy in the category Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her role in “True Detective: Night Country.” Foster thanked her wife and kids in her acceptance speech, telling her kids to remember that “Love and work equals art.” Foster has previously been nominated for her work behind the camera, directing “Orange is the New Black,” and producing “The Baby Dance” and “AMC: Film Preservation Classics.”
The Netflix drama “Baby Reindeer,” Richard Gadd’s autobiographical miniseries about his experiences with sexual assault and a stalker, was a big winner at this year’s ceremony. The show took home the award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, while Gadd took home awards for writing and lead actor, and his co-star Jessica Gunning took home the award for supporting actress in the category. The show also took home honors for casting and picture editing at the Creative Arts Emmys earlier in the week.
Peacock’s “The Traitors” won in the Outstanding Reality Competition category, earning an Emmy for producer and host Alan Cumming. Cumming also won Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Show at the Creative Arts Emmys, ending an 8-year streak of wins by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” host RuPaul. Cumming, who is openly bisexual, has been nominated four times before –three times for his role on “The Good Wife” and once as the host of the Tony Awards broadcast. He has also been nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his work on “Arthur: Show Off.”
Longtime writer and producer Greg Berlanti was honored with the Governor’s Award in recognition for his work depicting underrepresented communities on screen across his nearly 25-year-long career. Berlanti’s
career has written, directed, and produced dozens of television shows, including such milestones as the first on-screen kiss between two gay characters on his first show, “Dawson’s Creek.”
He later achieved acclaim creating and producing shows like “Everwood,” “The Flight Attendant,” and the CW’s various “Arrowverse” shows, and set a record with producing 18 shows that were on air during the same television season in 2019-2020. His shows frequently broke ground in LGBTQ representation, including the first transgender recurring character on “Dirty Sexy Money” and shows that put gay characters in leading and title roles, like “Batwoman,” “Brilliant Minds,” and “Freedom Fighters: The Ray.”
In his acceptance speech, the 52-year-old Berlanti spoke of the impact of the lack of LGBTQ representation in television when he was a kid.
“There wasn’t a lot of gay characters on television back then, and I was a closeted gay kid, and it’s hard to describe how lonely that was at the time,” Berlanti conti-
nued. “There was no Internet to connect with other queer kids, no LGBTQ+ advocacy groups in schools. Back then, the only way to tell if another kid might be gay was if he also watched ’Dynasty,’ ‘Dallas’ and could name all four of the Golden Girls.”
He said it wasn’t until the AIDS crisis in the 1980s that he saw gay men on television “holding hands with other men, marching and fighting for their rights.”
“They gave me hope that I might one day have their courage to come out and share my truth with the world,” Berlanti said.
A queer creator also made history at the Creative Arts Emmys last weekend.
Benj Pasek, who is gay, together with his songwriting partner Justin Paul, who is straight, became the 20th and 21st people to achieve EGOT status – winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony – with their win for Best Original Song for “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It” from the Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building.” The pair have previously won the Grammy and Tony Awards for their musical “Dear Evan Hansen,” and the Oscar for writing the song “City of Stars” from the movie “La La Land.”
With only seven years between their first and most recent awards, the pair set a new record for shortest time span for competitive EGOT winners, beating previous record holder Robert Lopez’s 10-year span.
Several other queer-themed shows took home honors at this year’s Emmys.
Max’s “Hacks” took home the award for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, and Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for star Jean Smart.
Netflix’s “Ripley” series took home the awards for directing, cinematography, and special visual effects in a single episode in the limited or anthology series category.
“Feud: Capote vs. The Swans” took home the award for period costumes in a limited or anthology series.
ROB SALERNO
New twice-a-year HIV prevention drug found highly effective
The U.S. pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences announced on Sept. 12 the findings of its most recent Phase 3 clinical trial for its twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir show the drug is highly effective in preventing HIV infections, even more so than the current HIV prevention or PrEP drugs in the form of a pill taken once a day.
JOANNA HOFFMAN
There were just two cases of someone testing HIV positive among 2,180 participants in the drug study for the twice-yearly Lenacapavir, amounting to a 99.9 percent rate of effectiveness, the Gilead announcement says.
The announcement says the trial reached out to individuals considered at risk for HIV, including “cisgender men, transgender men, transgender women, and gender non-binary individuals in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Thailand and the United States who have sex with partners assigned male at birth.”
“With such remarkable outcomes across two Phase 3 studies, Lenacapavir has demonstrated the potential to transform the prevention of HIV and help to end the epidemic,” Daniel O’Day, chair and CEO of Gilead Sciences said in the announcement.
“Now that we have a comprehensive dataset across multiple study populations, Gilead will work urgently with regulatory, government, public health, and community partners to ensure that, if approved, we can deliver twice-yearly Lenacapavir for PrEP worldwide for all those who want or need it,” he said.
Carl Schmid, executive director of the D.C.-based HIV+ Hepatitis Policy Institute, called Lenacapavir a “miracle drug” based on the latest studies, saying the optimistic findings pave the way for the potential approval of the
drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2025. “The goal now must be to ensure that people who have a reason to be on PrEP are able to access this miracle drug,” Schmid said in a Sept. 12 press release. “Thanks to the ACA [U.S. Affordable Care Act], insurers must cover PrEP without cost sharing as a preventive service,” he said.
“Insurers should not be given the choice to cover just daily oral PrEP, particularly given these remarkable results,” Schmid said in the release. “The Biden-Harris administration should immediately make that clear. To date, they have yet to do that for the first long-acting PrEP drug that new plans must cover,” he said.
Schmid, through the HIV+ Hepatitis Policy Institute, has helped to put together a coalition of national and local HIV/AIDS organizations advocating for full coverage of HIV treatment and prevention medication by health insurance companies.
A statement by Gilead says that if approved by regulatory agencies, “Lenacapavir for PrEP would be the first and only twice-yearly HIV prevention choice for people who need or want PrEP. The approval could transform the HIV prevention landscape for multiple populations in regions around the world and help end the epidemic.”
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
GREG BERLANTI accepts the Governor’s Award at the 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 15. (Blade photo by Susan Hornik)
The Washington Blade interviews President Joe Biden Oval Office sit-down was the first for an LGBTQ newspaper
By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com
Writing about President Joe Biden’s legacy is difficult without the distance and time required to assess a leader of his stature, but what becomes clear from talking with him is the extent to which his views on LGBTQ rights come from the heart.
Biden leads an administration that has been hailed as the most pro-LGBTQ in American history, achieving major milestones in the struggle to expand freedoms and protections for the community.
Meanwhile, conservative elected officials at the local, state, and national levels have led an all-out assault against LGBTQ Americans — especially those who are transgender, and especially transgender youth, who face an uncertain future with Donald Trump promising to strip them of their rights and reverse the gains of the past four years if he is elected in November.
Biden shared his thoughts and reflections on these subjects and more in a wide-ranging sit-down interview with the Washington Blade on Sept. 12 in the Oval Office, which marked the first time in which an LGBTQ newspaper has conducted an exclusive interview with a sitting U.S. president.
Looking back on the movement, the president repeatedly expressed his admiration for the “men and women who broke the back of the prejudice, or began to break the back” starting with those involved in the nascent movement for gay rights that was kicked off in earnest with the 1969 Stonewall Riots.
They “took their lives in their own hands,” Biden said. “Not a joke. It took enormous courage, enormous courage, and that’s why I’ve spent some time also trying to memorialize that,” first as vice president in 2016 when President Barack Obama designated a new national monument at the site of the historic uprising, and again this summer when speaking at the opening ceremony of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center.
“I think it set an example,” Biden said, not just in the U.S. but around the world.
Stonewall “became the site of a call for freedom and for dignity and for equality,” he said, and at a time when, “imagine — if you spoke up, you’d be fired, or you get the hell beat out of you.”
The president continued, “I was really impressed when I went to Stonewall. And I was really impressed talking to the guys who stood up at the time. I think the thing that gets underestimated is the physical and moral courage of the community, the people who broke through, who said ‘enough, enough,’ and they risked their lives. Some lost their lives along the way.”
Through to today, Biden said, “most of the openly gay people that have worked with me, that I’ve worked with, the one advantage they have is they tend to have more courage than most people have.”
“No, I’m serious,” he added, “I think you guys underestimate that.”
The president has spoken publicly about his deep respect and admiration for LGBTQ people, including the trans community, and trans youth, whom he has repeatedly said are some of the bravest people he knows.
A record-breaking number of LGBTQ officials are serving in appointed positions throughout the Biden-Harris administration. Among them are Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay Senate-confirmed Cabinet member; Rachel Levine, the highest-ranking transgender appointee in history, who serves as assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Ser-
vices; the first out White House communications director and press secretary, Ben LaBolt and Karine Jean-Pierre; and 11 federal judges (the same number of LGBTQ judicial nominees who were confirmed during the Obama-Biden administration’s two terms).
Even though “everyone was nervous,” Biden said, “I wanted an administration that looked like America,” adding, “all the LGBTQ+ people that have worked for me or with me have reinforced my view that it’s not what your sexual preference is, it’s what your intellectual capacity is and what your courage is.”
“I never sat down and said, ‘it’s going to be hard, man, she’s gay, or he’s gay,’ or ‘she’s a lesbian’” he said, and likewise, “it wasn’t like the people I work with, I went, ‘God, I’m surprised they’re competent as anybody else.’”
And then there is Sarah McBride, the Delaware state senator who is favored to win her congressional race in November, which would make her the first transgender U.S. member of Congress, a sign that “we’re on the right track,” Biden said.
A close friend of the Biden family, McBride worked for the president’s eldest son, Beau, who died from cancer in 2015. (As the Blade reported on Friday, Biden called to congratulate her on winning the Democratic primary race last week.)
While the president’s close personal and professional relationships with LGBTQ friends and aides has often been highlighted in the context of Biden’s leadership on efforts to expand freedoms and protections for the community, he credits first and foremost the values he learned from his father.
“I think my attitude about this, from the very beginning, was shaped by my dad,” Biden said. “You think I’m exaggerating, but my dad was a well-read guy who got admitted to college just before the war started” and in addition to being well educated was “a decent, decent, decent, honorable man.”
“My dad used to say that everyone’s entitled to be treated with dignity,” the president said, recalling a story he has shared before about a time when, as a teenager, he was surprised by the sight of two men kissing in downtown Wilmington, Del., and his father responded, “Joey, it’s simple. They love each other.”
“As a consequence of that, most of the things that I’ve done have related to just [what] I think is basic fairness and
basic decency,” Biden said.
In his 2017 memoir, “Promise Me, Dad,” Biden writes that the country was too slow to understand “the simple and obvious truth” that LGBTQ people are “overwhelmingly good, decent, honorable people who want and deserve the same rights as anyone else.”
Plus, “It’s not like someone wakes up one morning says, ‘you know, I want to be transgender,’ that’s what I want to do,” he said. “What do they think people wake up, decide one morning, ‘that’s what I wanted’ — it’s a lot easier being gay, right?”
As vice president, Biden had pushed for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and for the designation of a national monument to honor Stonewall, but he took a lot of heat — along with a lot of praise from the LGBTQ community — for voicing his support for same-sex marriage before Obama had fully come around to embracing that position.
His remarks came in the heat of the 2012 reelection campaign during an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Biden told the Blade he had just “visited two guys who had children” and “if you saw these two kids with their fathers, you’d walk away saying, ‘wait a minute, they’re good parents.’”
At the event, a reception hosted by Michael Lombardo, an HBO executive, and Sonny Ward, an architect, Biden pointed to the children and said, “Things are changing so rapidly, it’s going to become a political liability in the near term for someone to say, ‘I oppose gay marriage.’”
Nevertheless, “I remember how everyone was really upset, except the president,” Biden said, when he told David Gregory, “I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men and women marrying women and heterosexual men and women marrying men and women are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties and, quite frankly, I don’t see much of a distinction beyond that.”
It was a watershed moment. Obama would pledge his support for marriage equality three days later. And 10 years later, as president, Biden would sign the Respect for Marriage Act, a landmark bill codifying legal protections for married same-sex and interracial couples, rights that conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has expressed an interest in revisiting.
The president glanced at a print-out with bullet points, presumably a list of the various ways in which he and his administration have advanced LGBTQ rights over the past four years. “I forgot half the stuff I had done,” he said. “But you know, I’m just really proud of a lot of things we did.”
Ticking through some highlights, Biden started with the Respect for Marriage Act. “I was very proud” to sign the legislation, he said, with a ceremony in December 2022 that included Vice President Kamala Harris, first lady Jill Biden, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
Biden pointed to several advancements in health equity, such as the FDA’s decision to change “the law so that you could no longer discriminate against using the blood of a gay man or a gay woman,” progress in the national strategy to end HIV by 2030, an initiative coordinated by HHS, and a push to expand access to prophylactic drug regimens to protect against the transmission of HIV.
He added, “I directed the administration to promote human rights for LGBTQ [people] everywhere, particularly, for example, Uganda — they want help from us; they’ve got to change their policy, in terms of the discrimination.”
CONTINUES ON PAGE 12
President JOE BIDEN and Blade White House reporter CHRISTOPHER KANE in the Oval Office on Sept. 12. (Blade photo by Michael Key)
Leaders of terrorist group targeted
‘Black, immigrant, LGBT, Jewish people’ FBI arrests two leaders of ‘Terrogram Collective’
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
In a little-noticed development, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Sept. 9 that federal prosecutors obtained indictments against two leaders of a U.S.-based terrorist group that allegedly was arranging for the murder of federal government officials and soliciting others to commit hate crimes against “Black, immigrant, LGBT, and Jewish people.”
The Sept. 9 announcement says Dallas Humber, 34, of Elk Grove, Calif., and Matthew Allison, 37, of Boise, Idaho, who are leaders of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist organization, were charged in a 15-count indictment for “soliciting hate crimes, soliciting the murder of federal officials, and conspiring to provide material support for terrorists.”
It says the two men were arrested on Sept. 6, but it does not say where they were at the time of their arrest.
“Today’s indictment charges the defendants with leading a transnational terrorist group dedicated to attacking America’s critical infrastructure, targeting a hit list of our
country’s public officials, and carrying out deadly hate crimes – all in the name of violent white supremacist ideology,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the announcement.
“This indictment charges the leaders of a transnational terrorist group with several civil rights violations, including soliciting others to engage in hate crimes and terrorist attacks against Black, immigrant, LGBT, and Jewish people,” Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in the announcement. “Make no mistake, as hate groups turn to online platforms, the federal government is adapting and responding to protect vulnerable communities,” Clarke said.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, Phillip A. Talbert, one of the prosecutors in the case, added in the announcement, “The defendants solicited murders and hate crimes based on the race, religions, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity of others… My office will continue to work tirelessly with our partners
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
in law enforcement and in the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute those who commit such violations of federal criminal law.”
The announcement also says federal investigators determined Hunter and Alison helped to develop a “hit list” of targets for terrorist attacks and hate crimes that included “U.S. federal, state, and local officials, as well as leaders of private companies and non-government organizations, many of whom were targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.”
Biden talks LGBTQ legacy in exclusive Blade interview
President Yoweri Museveni in May 2023 signed a law that carries a death penalty provision for “aggravated homosexuality.” The U.S. subsequently imposed visa restrictions on Ugandan officials and removed the country from a program that allows sub-Saharan African countries to trade duty-free with the U.S. The World Bank Group also announced the suspension of new loans to Uganda.
Several of the administration’s pro-LGBTQ accomplishments and ongoing work address Republican-led efforts to restrict rights and freedoms. For instance, the president noted the importance of protecting in-vitro fertilization treatments, which are threatened by Trump “and his buddies” who were involved in Project 2025, the 900+ page governing blueprint that was drafted in anticipation of the former president’s return to the White House. The document contains extreme restrictions on reproductive healthcare and provisions that would strip away LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination rules.
“Fighting book bans” is another example, Biden said, adding, “I mean, come on, these guys want to erase history instead of make history.”
Last year, the president appointed an official to serve in the Education Department for purposes of advising schools on instances where their restrictions on reading material, which have been shown to disproportionately target content with LGBTQ characters or themes, may run afoul of federal civil rights law.
Before “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was repealed, Biden said, “I spoke up when they were dismissing people, discharging people in the military because they were gay.” In 2021, just a few days after his inauguration, the president issued an executive order reversing the Trump administration’s ban on military service by transgender service members. Lowering his voice for emphasis, Biden added, “They can shoot straight. They can shoot just as straight as anybody else.”
Other major pro-LGBTQ moves by the Biden-Harris ad-
ministration include:
• Issuance of a new Title IX policy prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools, educational activities, and programs;
• A proposed rule from HHS that would protect LGBTQ youth in foster care;
• Expansion of mental health services, including the establishment of a 988 suicide and crisis lifeline, which provides the option for callers to be connected with LGBTQ-trained counselors;.
• Legal challenges of anti-trans state laws, such as those restricting access to health treatments;
• Repeated pushback against these bills by the president and other officials like Jean-Pierre;
• The president’s remarks reaffirming his support for the LGBTQ community, including in all of his State of the Union addresses;
• The administration’s work tackling the mpox outbreak;
• Expanded non-discrimination protections in the healthcare space;
• Issuance of new guidelines allowing for changes to gender markers on official government-issued IDs;
• Efforts to bring justice to veterans who were discharged other than honorably under discriminatory military policies, and;
• ‘The biggest Pride month celebrations ever held at the White House.
“But the one thing I didn’t get done was the Equality Act,” Biden said, “which is important. important.”
The president and his administration pushed hard for Congress to pass the legislation, which would codify LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination protections in areas from housing and employment to lending and jury service.
Biden raised the issue again when the conversation turned to his plans to stay involved after January 2025.
“Look,” he said, “when a person can get married” to a spouse of the same sex but might “show up at a restaurant and get thrown out of the restaurant because they’re LGBTQ, that’s wrong.”
“That’s why we need the Equality Act,” Biden said. “We need to pass it. So, I’m going to be doing everything I can to be part of the outside voices, and I hope my foundations that I will be setting back up will talk about equality across the board.”
“Lawmakers, aides, and advocates say that significant obstacles to progress on the Equality Act remain, including polarized views on how to protect the rights of religious institutions that condemn homosexuality and Republicans’ increasing reliance on transgender rights as a wedge issue,” the Washington Post wrote in 2021, after the bill was passed by the House but left to languish in the Senate.
On LGBTQ issues more broadly, Biden said, “I think there are a lot of really good Republicans that I’ve served with, especially in the Senate, who don’t have a prejudiced bone in their body about this but are intimidated.”
“Because if you take a position, especially in the MAGA Republican Party now, you’re going to be — they’re going to go after you,” he added. “Trump is a different breed of cat. I mean, I don’t want to make this political, but everything he’s done has been anti, anti-LGBTQ, I mean, across the board.”
Project 2025, the president said, “is just full of nothing but disdain for the LGBTQ community. And you have Clarence Thomas talking about, when the decision was made [to overturn] Roe v Wade, that maybe we should consider changing the right of gays to marry — I mean, things that are just off the wall — just pure, simple, prejudice.”
“What I do worry about is I do worry about violence,” Biden said. “I do worry about intimidation. I do worry about what the MAGA right will continue to try to do, but I’m going to stay involved.”
“I’m going to remain involved in all the civil liberties issues that I have worked for my whole life.”
The FBI and Justice Department arrested two men in connection with a terror plot targeting LGBT people, among others. (Photo by BILLPERRY/Bigstock)
How data helps — and hurts — LGBTQ
‘Even when we prove we exist, we don’t get the resources we need’
By HENRY CARNELL
When Scotland voted to add questions about sexuality and transgender status to its census, and clarified the definition of “sex,” it was so controversial it led to a court case.
It got so heated that the director of Fair Play for Women, a gender-critical organization, argued: “Extreme gender ideology is deeply embedded within the Scottish Government, and promoted at the highest levels including the First Minister.”
Data, like the census, “is often presented as being objective, being quantitative, being something that’s above politics,” says Kevin Guyan, author of “Queer Data.”
Listening to the deliberations in parliament breaks that illusion entirely. “There’s a lot of political power at play here,” says Guyan, “It’s very much shaped by who’s in the room making these decisions.”
Great Britain has been a ‘hotspot ’ for the gender-critical movement. “You just really revealed the politics of what was happening at the time, particularly in association with an expanded anti-trans movement,” explains Guyan.
Ultimately, the LGBTQ community was counted in Scotland, which was heralded as a historic win
This makes sense, says Amelia Dogan, a research affiliate in the Data plus Feminism Lab at MIT. “People want to prove that we exist.”
Plus, there are practical reasons. “To convince people with power, especially resource allocation power, you need to have data,” says Catherine D’Ignazio, MIT professor and co-author of the book “Data Feminism.”
When data isn’t collected, problems can be ignored. In short, D’Ignazio says, “What’s counted counts.” But, being counted is neither neutral nor a silver bullet. “Even when we do prove we exist, we don’t get the resources that we need,” says Dogan.
“There are a lot of reasons for not wanting to be counted. Counting is not always a good thing” they say. D’Ignazio points to how data has repeatedly been weaponized. “The U.S. literally used census data to intern Japanese people in the 1940s.”
Nell Gaither, president of the Trans Pride Initiative, faces that paradox each day as she gathers and shares data about incarcerated LGBTQ people in Texas.
“Data can be harmful in some ways or used in a harmful way,” she says, “they can use [the data] against us too.” She points to those using numbers of incarcerated transgender people to stoke fears around the danger of trans women, even though it’s trans women who face disproportionate risk in prison.
This is one of the many wrinkles the LGBTQ community and other minority communities face when working with or being represented by data.
There is a belief by some data scientists that limited knowledge of the subject is OK. D’Ignazio describes this as the “hubris of data science” where researchers believe they can make conclusions solely off a data set, regardless of background knowledge or previous bodies of knowledge.
“In order to be able to read the output of a data analysis process, you need background knowledge,” D’Ignazio emphasizes.
Community members, on the other hand, are often primed to interpret data about their communities. “That proximity gives us a shared vocabulary,” explains Nikki Stephens, a postdoctoral researcher in D’Ignazio’s Data plus Feminism lab.
It can also make more rich data. When Stephens was interviewing other members of the transgender community about Transgender Day of Remembrance, they realized we “think more complicated and more meaningful thoughts, because we’re in community around it.”
Community members are also primed to know what to even begin to look for.
A community may know about a widely known problem or need in their community, but they are invisible to institutions. “It’s like unknown to them because they haven’t cared to look,” says D’Ignazio.
That is how Gaither got involved in tracking data about incarcerated LGBTQ people in Texas in the first place.
Gaither received her first letter from an incarcerated person in 2013. As president of the Trans Pride Initiative, Gaither had predominately focused on housing and healthcare for trans people. The pivot to supporting the LGBTQ incarcerated community came out of need—trans prisoners were not given access to constitutionally mandated healthcare
Gaither sought a legal organization to help, but no one stepped in—they didn’t have expertise. So, Gaither figured it out herself.
As TPI continued to support incarcerated, queer Texans, the letters kept rolling in. Gaither quickly realized her correspondences told a story: definable instances of assault, misconduct, or abuse.
With permission from those she corresponded with and help from volunteers, Gaither started tracking it. “We’re hearing from people reporting violence to us,” says Gaither, “we ought to log these.” TPI also tracks demographic information alongside instances of abuse and violence, all of which are publicly accessible
“It started off as just a spreadsheet, and then it eventually grew over the years into a database,” says Gaither, who constructed the MySQL database for the project.
Gaither’s work especially focuses on the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), which ostensibly includes specific protections for transgender people.
To be compliant with PREA, prisons must be audited once every three years. Numerous investigationshave shown that these audits are often not effective. TPI has filed numerouscomplaints with the PREA Resource Center, demonstrating inaccuracies or bias, in addition to tracking thousands of PREA-related incidents.
“We are trying to use our data to show the audits are ineffective,” says Gaither.
Gaither has been thinking about data since she was a teenager. She describes using a computer for the first time in the 1970s and being bored with everything except for dBASE, one of the first database management systems.
“Ever since then, I’ve been fascinated with how you can use data and databases to understand what your work with data,” Gaither says. She went on to get a master’s in Library and Information Sciences and built Resource Center Dallas’s client database for transgender health.
But gathering, let alone analyzing, and disseminating data about queer people imprisoned in Texas has proven a challenge.
Some participants fear retaliation for sharing their experiences, while others face health problems that make pinpointing exact dates or times of assaults difficult.
And, despite being cited by The National PREA Resource Center and Human Rights Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law, Gaither still faces those who think
communities
her data “doesn’t seem to have as much legitimacy.”
Stephens lauds Gaither’s data collection methods. “TPI collect their data totally consensually. They write to them first and then turn that data into data legible to the state and in the service of community care.”
This is a stark contrast to the current status quo of data collection, says Dogan, “people, and all of our data, regardless of who you are, is getting scraped.” Data scraping refers to when information is imported from websites – like personal social media pages – and used as data.
‘To
AI has accelerated this, says D’Ignazio, “it’s like a massive vacuum cleaning of data across the entire internet. It’s this whole new level and scale of non-consensual technology.”
Gaither’s method of building relationships and direct correspondence is a far cry from data scraping. Volunteers read, respond to, and input information from every letter.
Gaither has become close to some of the people with whom she’s corresponded. Referring to a letter she received in 2013, Gaither says: “I still write to her. We’ve known each other for a long time. I consider her to be my friend.”
Her data is queer not simply in its content, but in how she chooses to keep the queer community centered in the process. “I feel very close to her so that makes the data more meaningful. It has a human component behind it,” says Gaither.
Guyan says that data can be seen as a “currency” since it has power. But he emphasizes that “people’s lives are messy, they’re complicated, they’re nuanced, they’re caveated, and a data exercise that relies on only ones and zeros can’t necessarily capture the full complexity and diversity of these lives.”
While Gaither tallies and sorts the incidents of violence, so it is legible as this “currency,” she also grapples with the nuance of the situations behind the scenes. “It’s my family that I’m working with. I think it makes it more significant from a personal level,” says Gaither.
Guyan explains that queer data is not just about the content, but the methods. “You can adopt a queer lens in terms of thinking critically about the method you use when collecting, analyzing, and presenting all types of data.”
(This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab through News is Out. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.)
convince people with power, especially resource allocation power, you need to have data,’ says MIT professor Catherine D’Ignazio.
Brownstone Khaki Greystone
ERIN WHELAN is executive director of SMYAL.
Celebrating 40 years of empowering LGBTQ+ youth A
testament to resilience and hope
For four decades, the SMYAL organization has stood as a lifeline of hope, support, and empowerment for LGBTQ+ youth. It is with immense pride and heartfelt gratitude that I pen these words as we celebrate SMYAL’s 40th anniversary. As I refl ect on our history, I am overwhelmed by the incredible heart and vibrancy of this community, an enduring spirit that has consistently uplifted queer and trans youth.
From the very beginning, SMYAL has been committed to building a community where LGBTQ+ youth are not just respected and protected, but celebrated, seen, affi rmed, and safe. We strive to create opportunities where our youth can live authentically and freely, without fear of discrimination or harm. It is our honor to ensure that every young person who walks through our doors feels the warmth of acceptance and the strength of solidarity.
As we look ahead to the upcoming election, the uncertainty of the future looms large. The rights and protections we have fought for so tirelessly could be at risk. Yet, as James Baldwin profoundly stated, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” In this spirit, we will show up to stand with queer and trans youth, no matter the challenge. Our commitment is unwavering; our resolve is unbreakable. We are ready to face whatever obstacles come our way because the well-being and dignity of our youth are worth fi ghting for.
We owe our enduring success to the visionary leaders, dedicated community members, and tireless advocates who have built this organization into what it is today. Their legacy is one of courage and compassion, and it is on their shoulders that we stand. To each of you who have contributed your time, energy, and resources to this cause, we offer our deepest thanks. Your efforts have transformed countless lives. And we need your continued support, advocacy and engagement to help protect LGTBQ+ youth and their futures.
Moreover, we celebrate our strong community of alumni. These individuals are not just benefi ciaries of our programs but are living testaments to the power of love and support. They have grown into advocates, leaders, and changemakers in their own right, continuing the cycle of giving and resilience.
As we commemorate this milestone anniversary, let us also look to the future with hope and determination. We have much work ahead, but with the incredible heart of our organization and the unwavering support of our community, we will continue to empower, protect, and uplift LGBTQ+ youth.
Thank you for standing with us. Here’s to another 40 years of SMYAL.
MICHAEL KEY is the photo editor of the Washington Blade.
I was a SMYAL kid
‘For the first time in my life, I knew that I was not alone’
I was a SMYAL kid.
When I began to come to terms with my sexuality in my teens, I thought I was the only person in the world struggling with a secret identity that I could not share with my friends. I was 16 when I moved with my family from tradition-bound rural Oklahoma to cosmopolitan Fairfax County. As my family settled into our new life, I felt that I could no longer pretend that I was straight — not that I was particularly good at the pretense. This move gave me the perfect opportunity to reinvent myself as someone more authentic than I had ever dreamed possible. However, I felt that I had nowhere to turn for advice.
I first went to my parents for counsel. While well-meaning, they had no experience in dealing with having a gay child and had internalized many messages society had foisted upon them about gay people. But still, seeing their son suffering, they suggested I speak to clergy and counselors at our church.
In the early 1990s, members of our church were still mixed in their opinion on sexuality. I had three youth ministers who confronted me and suggested “reparative therapy.” I shrugged off their suggestion, and one of the priests found out about the exchange. He asked to speak with me in his office.
Much to my surprise, this priest was not there to scold me or to gleefully tell me of my eternal damnation. Rather, he chided the youth ministers for their treatment of me and reminded me of my worth. He handed me a pamphlet for a youth organization for others like me: SMYAL.
The SMYAL pamphlet my priest gave me included a helpline number to get more information. I called the number and was greeted by the friendly voice of a volunteer counselor. He gave me encouragement and support in a conversation that may have only lasted a few minutes, but was revelatory for me. The counsellor told me about the programs offered at SMYAL and I began imagining what it must be like to meet other people who were going through the same things I was.
This was at a time before GSAs were in schools. Seeing no support in my new school, I was elated yet nervous to make the trek to D.C. for my first SMYAL “drop-in” session on a Saturday. Getting to D.C. from Fairfax was no easy task for a 16-year-old who had just earned his driver’s license practicing on the dirt roads of Pontotoc County, Okla. But I braved the Beltway and made it to the rickety row house that would come to mean so much to me.
I walked up the stairs to the drop-in center. There was a long hallway filled with LGBTQ books: more than I had ever seen. Pro-LGBTQ books were hard to find even in the public library at the time. But even as I was marveling at the literature display, I was almost brought to tears coming into the room filled with other young people. For the first time in my life, I knew that I was not alone.
SMYAL would become my touchstone and the place I would look forward to going to every week. I met so many friends and even my high school boyfriend there. In our meetings, we would discuss our struggles and triumphs as well as get information on sexual health and healthy relationships, which we were not being taught at school. Many of us would go out after SMYAL meetings to explore what was then the “gayborhood” of Dupont Circle. We would drink sodas and tea at the Pop Stop, find stickers, literature and more at the gay bookstore Lambda Rising, and check out the new albums at Melody Record Shop.
By National Coming Out Day my senior year, SMYAL had given me the courage I would need to come out at school. And when administrators tried to stop me from bringing my boyfriend to the Winterfest Dance, SMYAL gave me the confidence and language to be able to advocate for myself, know my rights, know my worth and refuse to accept second-class citizenship.
By the end of my senior year, I wasn’t the only out kid in school anymore. Other students — including my younger brother — had attended SMYAL’s drop-in sessions and had begun to come out by the time I walked across the graduation stage. I was happy to no longer be alone. Thanks in large part to SMYAL, I had the skill set I would need to launch into the many adventures of college and adult life. And for that, I will be forever grateful.
1994 - MICHAEL KEY (courtesy Michael Key)
GLENN D. MAGPANTAY is a member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, an independent, bipartisan federal agency that advises the White House and Congress on federal civil rights policy. He is former executive director of NQAPIA. The views expressed herein are Commissioner Magpantay’s own and does not represent the entire commission. Magpantay may be reached at: Glenndmagpantay@gmail.com.
U.S Commission on Civil Rights reveals racial disparities among crime victims
For first time acknowledges violence against trans women of color
I don’t think President Eisenhower ever thought of transgender people when the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights was founded in 1957. But today the horrific killings of transgender women of color is too much to be ignored. In 2018, 82% of recorded transgender homicides were of women of color.
So it was critical that the Commission examine the violence against transgender women of color as part of its larger investigation of racial disparities among crime victims.
On Wednesday Sept. 18, as a Commissioner, I am proud to present to Congress and the White House our findings and my recommendations to address the rising violence and killings of transgender women of color.
The Commission’s report, and its documentation of this violence, recognizes transgender women of color under federal law. They are entitled to all of the protections of the Constitution and federal civil rights laws.
Over the past year, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights investigated racial disparities in crime victimization as violent crime rose from 2017-2021. The Commission’s investigation did not find differences in the risk of victimization for different races at a national level, as some might have suggested. But the data shows that LGBTQ+ and transgender communities of color are at a higher risk of violent crime.
Transgender people, especially transgender African Americans face persistent and pervasive discrimination and violence. Kierra Johnson, the Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force,[1] testified in how transgender individuals are victimized four times more often than non-trans people, with young Black and Latina transgender women at the highest risk. It was historic for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to recognize that sexual and/or gender minorities face increased risk for violent victimization.
Still, we must more accurately capture the rates of violent victimization against LGBTQ+ people. There are inadequate data collection measures of gender and sexuality. A large percentage of Black transgender deaths are unaccounted for.
Transgender homicides are likely undercounted for because of misgendering and “deadnaming” in police and media reports. Audacia Ray at the New York City Anti-Violence Project, explained that transgender individuals often do not share their legal names so when they are reported missing under their known name, their loved ones do not know what happens.[2]
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 only considers “sex” and does not look at “gender” or “sexual orientation.” So as the Commission advises Congress and the federal agencies on the enforcement of modern civil rights, we must incorporate “race” and “gender” under our civil rights purview. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program should include disaggregated data on sexual and gender identity.
Transgender and gender-diverse victims of crime are unable to access crucial assistance and vital services. The Commission’s investigation formally documented how LGBTQ overall, and especially those of color or transgender experience, continued to face discrimination and harassment by law enforcement. The U.S. Transgender Survey, found that 61% of Black respondents experienced some form of mistreatment by police, including being verbally harassed, or physically or sexually assaulted.
Victim service providers testified that LGBTQ+ survivors hesitate to seek help because of fear of being blamed themselves; distrust or discrimination by the police; and expectations of indifference. Survivors of violence -- of any race, sexual orientation, gender, or gender-identity -- must be able to receive essential services and assistance to help them heal from the trauma of violence. Mandatory and proper training for law enforcement and victim service providers can help victims can feel safe when reporting incidents.
Queer and trans Americans often fear retaliation by a world where they are living their true selves. The intersectional experiences of race exacerbates this fear. Our federal government needs to do more to ensure that all marginalized communities are better protected in our society.
I never would have imagined that a federally authorized report to Congress would have the powerful statement on its public record “Black Trans Lives Matter!” That was until Kierra Johnson of the National LGBTQ Task Force said, “I am here to say that Black Trans Lives Matter!” I am proud of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’s report to Congress and the country on the rise of violent crime in America and is highlights of the violence against transgender women of color.
BEACH TOWN ALLURE
IMMACULATELY MAINTAINED!
OKTOBERFEST SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Saturday, September 21st 4pm: Tapping of the Ceremonial Oktoberfest Keg
Sunday, September 22nd 12-3: Bavarian Brunch and Live German Folk Music
Saturday, September 28th 12-3: Pig Roast
Sunday, September 29th 3-6pm: Live German Folk Music
Sunday, October 6th 12-3: Bavarian Brunch and Live German Folk Music
Sunday, October 12th 12-3: Pig Roast
Sunday, October 13th 3-6pm: Live German Folk Music
Monday, October 14th 2-5pm: Kidstoberfest with Live German Folk Music
Sunday, October 20th 12-3: Bavarian Brunch and Live German Folk Music
DINNER: LUNCH: HH: WED-SUN 3-10PM WED-FRI 11:30-2:30PM WED-FRI 2-6PM
PETER ROSENSTEIN
is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.
What is an ‘independent’ voter?
And why are they calling themselves that?
We should know what it is about the various parties that keep some who call themselves ‘independent’ from registering as a member. Are they so unhappy with the Democratic, Republican, Green, Workers, or other parties in their state? Each state may recognize different parties, and have different requirements to get a ballot line for a particular party. So, the questions may be slightly different depending on where the voter, who claims to be an independent, lives.
The media are doing a poor job of dealing with the detail when they focus on those who call themselves independents. They need to ask different questions than they now do. They need to get to the bottom of why a person would rather call themselves an independent, instead of joining a political party. One thing we would want to know is do they have a set of principles and positions so different from any existing party, that they would want to make up a new party? Would they be willing to do the work to get that new party on the ballot in their state?
If the answer is no, they would not be willing to work to get a new party in their state then the first uestion to as the voter is hat does bein an independent mean to you?” They should ask them what they believe that stops them from joining an existing political party? What are the principles they have that aren’t represented by any existing party? Then the follow up questions should include: Is there a party they lean to? Is there a party they currently would not consider supporting under any condition?
We are living in interesting times to say the least. Intelligent people should realize there will never be one candidate of any party, who meets all their expectations. o toda when an independent is interviewed on or in newspapers the first uestion the are as ed should be is there an candidate runnin toda who has a set of positions ou could never vote for he second uestion should be is there any candidate today whose personal history makes him/her one you could never vote for?” Their answers to those questions would then lead to the next ones, giving the viewer of a TV interview, or reader of a newspaper interview, a greater understanding and potential to make sense of what the person being interviewed is really thinking.
If the independent voter says he/she can’t vote for Trump, then you focus on what they want to hear from Harris to get their vote. What she needs to say to them that she hasn’t. Then maybe ask if they have read the Democratic platform which Harris endorses, or looked at her website. Ask them what in the administration she has been a part of, and the votes she actually cast in the Senate, both as senator, and as vice president to break ties, they disagree with? Then, the follow up to that might be would ou consider not votin f the sa es the interviewer mi ht su est to them if you don’t consider Trump acceptable, and you don’t vote for Harris, are you in essence helping Trump? Would that make a difference to you? Getting answers to these questions may be a better way to understand what it means to some to be independent.
here is an initiative on the ballot in . . to allow independents to vote in part primaries. They would not have to indicate they are a member of the party to vote. n . . the uestions bein as ed of independents who support this is wh should they help choose the person who will represent a party in the general election, if they don’t even believe in the party enough to join it?”
In D.C. it’s easy to join a party even just to vote in its primary. If you are a registered voter, but haven’t chosen a party, you can register to join a party up to 21 days before the primary. Anyone listening to the candidates debate the issues will know by then if they want to cast a ballot for one of them. Unfortunately, this initiative has been paired with another proposal giving D.C. ranked choice voting. So there won’t be a clear outcome on whether people like either one of the proposals and because of their being joined, the initiative will most likely be defeated.
Independents are here to stay. We all need to better understand what each person means when calling themselves that.
Interestratesarethelowestthey’ve beenin2years!
Movingfrom7.5%justafewmonthsagotothe upper5sasreportedbyReuters,significantly boostsyourpurchasingpower.Andwithaseller offeringaninterestrateinthe3s,theopportunity becomesevenmorecompelling.
Local LGBTQ+ Media Giving Day
Celebrating 100 years of local media for and by our community.
The first gay publication in America was 100 years ago this year—1924’s Friendship & Freedom, produced by Henry Gerber. It was shut down by police after just two issues. Through the years, LGBTQ+ media faced similar censorship and hardships. But 100 years later, there is a chance to revitalize this journalism and make it stronger to face the anti-LGBTQ+ backlash, providing critical coverage of this vital part of the U.S. media landscape.
This first year, with one donation, you can support six of the top LGBTQ+ outlets serving our community: n Bay Area Reporter n Dallas Voice n Philadelphia Gay News n Washington Blade n Windy City Times n Tagg Magazine
This project is a program of News Is Out, a collaboration of six of the top local LGBTQ+ media across the country, supported by Local Media Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization. Tax-deducible donations can be made anytime from now until Oct 8th. Learn more here: givebutter.com/LGBTQequityfund Give today!
Malevo
Sun, Oct 27
Modern Argentine malambo
Indigo Girls
Thu, Dec 12—limited tickets! Folk duo with rich harmonies
Sat, Jan 25
Co-presented with Washington Performing Arts
Patti LuPone A Life In Notes
Thu, Feb 6
Personal reflections through song
Drag superstar at her most playful and entertaining
L–R: Patti LuPone by Douglas Friedman, Malevo, Indigo Girls by Jeremy Cowart, Sasha Velour by Greg Endries
SMYAL set to celebrate 40th anniversary D.C. LGBTQ youth advocacy group remains focused on the future
By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com
Founded in 1984 by a small group of volunteer gay and lesbian activists who recognized the need for a safe place for LGBTQ youth to meet and receive support, the group SMYAL has evolved over the past 40 years into one of the nation’s largest organizations providing a wide range of support, including housing and mental health counseling, for LGBTQ youth in the D.C. metro area.
SMYAL’s work over its 40-year history and its plans for the future were expected to be highlighted and celebrated at its annual fundraising brunch scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21 at D.C.’s Marriott Marquis Hotel. SMYAL says the event will be hosted by a “star-studded group,” including MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart.
“What a profound moment and opportunity to be able to be here while celebrating the 40th anniversary,” said Erin Whelan, who began her role as SMYAL’s executive director in September 2022. “It’s an exciting time for us,” Whelan told the Blade in a Sept. 11 interview along with SMYAL’s Director of Communications Hancie Stokes.
“We just finished a strategic plan,” Whalen said. “Not only are we reflecting on the previous 40 years but really looking to the next three to five years,” she said, adding that the plan calls for continuing SMYAL’s growth, which accelerated over the past four or five years.
Whalen and Stokes spoke with the Washington Blade at SMYAL’s headquarters and LGBTQ youth drop-in center located steps away from the Eastern Market Metro station at 410 7th St., S.E. in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. SMYAL’s ability to purchase that building in 1997 through financial support from the community, has played an important role in SMYAL’s history, according to Whalen and Stokes.
The two-story building consists of two attached row houses that it has converted into offices and meeting space.
The two pointed to information posted on the SMYAL website, including information from D.C.’s Rainbow History Project, which tells the story of SMYAL’s founding in 1984. It was a time when many LGBTQ youth faced hardship and discrimination as well as challenges from their families, some of whom were unaccepting of their kids who thought about identifying as gay, lesbian or gender nonconforming.
Local gay activist and attorney Bart Church, one of SMYAL’s co-founders, told fellow activists that he was prompted to help launch an LGBTQ youth advocacy group after learning that gender nonconforming youth, including some who “crossed dressed” and identified as a gender other than their birth gender, were being incarcerated in D.C.’s St. Elizabeth’s psychiatric hospital.
“Recognizing that that these young people were not mentally ill, but instead needed programs that were safe and affirming to explore their identities, Bart and several other allied community members formed a group called SMYAL,” a statement released by SMYAL says. It says Church and other founders named the group the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League.
“We met at first at Bart’s apartment,” said another co-founder, Joe Izzo, who later worked for many years as a mental health counselor at D.C.’s Whitman-Walker Clinic. In addition to the incarceration of some of the youth at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Izzo said the SMYAL founders were concerned about the impact of the AIDS epidemic on gay youth, who may not have been informed about safer sex practices.
D.C. gay activist and economist Chuck Goldfarb, who said he became involved as a SMYAL volunteer in 1986, said he recalls hearing from gay and lesbian social workers who also became involved with SMYAL “that a number of youths who were, in the term they used, cross dressing, were getting locked up in St. Elizabeth’s Hospital psychiatric ward.”
“And Bart Church called together people he knew were service providers and said let’s get together and do something about it,” Goldard told the Blade. “And the first thing they started doing was to put together a referral list of LGBT supportive therapists and counselors,” according to Goldfarb, who could be called to help LGBT youth, and their families address issues such as sexual orientation and gender identity. Among the original group of founders credited with helping to transform SMYAL into
a larger, more comprehensive organization was Stephen Wade, who developed a training program and led a needs assessment effort. The assessment, among other things, determined that what LGBT youth at that time most needed was a safe place to meet and socialize with others like themselves, the SMYAL write-up says.
“Within three years, SMYAL established a well-respected program of youth socialization and education as well as a training program for adult professionals, with outreach to schools, runaway shelters, and juvenile correctional facilities,” the write-up says.
“Many individuals contributed to the SMYAL program, but it was Stephan Wade’s expertise and leadership that turned a plan into reality,” it says. The write-up says Wade died of AIDS-related complications in 1995.
With Wade and his fellow volunteers putting in place SMYAL’s first drop-in center for LGBTQ youth and the other programs supported by volunteer counselors and other professionals, SMYAL hired its first full-time staff member in 1989, the write-up says.
Stokes points out that SMYAL drew considerable media attention in 1990 when vocal opposition surfaced to ads SMYAL had placed in high school newspapers announcing its services for LGBT youth, which were initially approved by school officials. The opposition, coming from some parents and conservative advocates opposed to LGBTQ rights, in the long run may have generated attention to SMYAL and its programs that prompted others to support SMYAL including financially.
The SMYAL write-up says the first annual fundraising brunch, which is the organization’s largest fundraising event, began in 2003. Stokes said in the following years SMYAL has received support from local foundations and through a major individual donor program as well as from grants from the D.C. government that support specific SMYAL programs.
Stokes and Whalen also point out that in 2013 SMYAL changed its name from Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League to Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders, which kept the SMYAL initials. The two said the change reflects SMYAL’s significant expansion of its services beyond its initial core program of providing a safe meeting space for LGBTQ youth.
The two note that in 2017 SMYAL began its housing program for homeless LGBTQ youth; in 2019 it launched its Little SMYALs program, which provides services for youth between the ages of 6 and 12 and their families. And in 2021 SMYAL launched its Clinical Services program, which provides mental health counseling for LGBTQ youth.
Stokes and Whalen said the Little SMYALs program involves parents bringing in their kids mostly to a Saturday gathering where the kids meet, socialize, and play games or do artwork. The two said in the age range of 6 to 12, the Little SMYALers, as they are called, are mostly dealing with their gender identity rather than sexual orientation.
“Kids are expressing to their parents or caregivers that they might feel different,” Whalen said. “Often times that’s expressing that they don’t feel like they are the gender in which they were born. And so, the parents are starting to talk with that youth about what that is.”
Stokes said the Little SMYALs program reaches out to parents as well as the youth. “How do we equip parents to be there to support and believe them when they come out,” is a question that Stokes said SMYAL tries to address. “How do you make sure you are a safe resource when your young person comes to you and says this is who I am? We want people to see you fully and authentically.”
Stokes and Whalen said SMYAL currently has a staff of about 43 and an annual budget of $5.1 million. They said about 90 families are currently enrolled in the Little SMYALs program, with about 30 families with their kids attending on a monthly basis. They said the youth ages 13 through high school age come at least twice a week after school hours and on Saturdays.
“And they do all sorts of things from sharing, just talking, listening to music, eating, and just being in community with each other,” Whelan said of the older kids. Stokes noted that SMYAL also organizes events for the older youth, including a Pride Prom for youth “who might not feel comfortable bringing their partner of choice to their school’s prom.”
The two said SMYAL also organizes an annual activist summit for youth interested in becoming leaders and organizers. They said about 90 youth attended this year’s summit.
“I think one thing that I’m really proud of is that we started as a grassroots organization out of a need in our community,” Whalen said. “And I think through the 40 years that we’ve been in existence, we continue to really anchor in what are the most pressing needs of our communities,” she said.
Further information about SMYAL’s programs and the upcoming branch can be accessed at smyal.org.
ERIN WHELAN began her role as SMYAL’s executive director in September 2022. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
NOVEMBER 5
2024 DC GENERAL ELECTION
VOTING
Monday, October 28 to Sunday, November 3 Vote
SMYAL through the years
LGBTQ youth services organization celebrates 40-year milestone
The D.C.-based LGBTQ youth services organization SMYAL was founded in 1984.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key, Doug Hinckle, Kristi Gasaway, Yevin Yum, Clint Steib, Jonathan Ellis, Pete Exis, Erin Webber and Damien Salas)
CALENDAR |
Friday, September 20
“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email adam@thedccenter.org.
GoGayDC will host “LGBTQ+ Speedfriending” at 7 p.m. at Puro Gusto. 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, September 21
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.
LGBTQ+ People of Color Support Group will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This peer support group is an outlet for LGBTQ People of Color to come together and talk about anything affecting them in a space that strives to be safe and judgment free. For more details, visit thedccenter. org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.
Sunday, September 22
GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community 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, September 23
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 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. This month’s reading is “The Pairing” by Casey McQuiston. Copies are available at the DC Public Library, click here, and for more details, email supportdesk@thedccenter. org.
By TINASHE CHINGARANDE
Tuesday, September 24
Pride on the Patio Events will host “LGBTQ Social Mixer” at 5:30 p.m. at Showroom. Dress is casual, fancy, or comfortable. Guests are encouraged to bring their most authentic self to chat, laugh, and get a little crazy. Admission is free and more details are on Eventbrite.
Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-facilitated discussion group. It is a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook page.
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.
Wednesday, September 25
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 Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a space where people who are questioning this aspect of their identity or those who identify as asexual and/or aromantic can come together, share stories and experiences, and discuss various topics. For more information, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org.
Thursday, September 26
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
Brandon Wolf to speak at Equality Virginia dinner
Equality Virginia will host its annual Commonwealth Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. at the historic Main Street Station in Richmond, Va. Brandon Wolf, a nationally recognized gun safety and LGBTQ civil rights advocate, will be the keynote speaker.
Wolf serves as National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization. The event will commemorate the 10-year anniversary of marriage equality in Virginia and support Equality Virginia’s ongoing fi ght for lived and legal equality for all.
This event will feature two receptions with open bar, live auction, silent auction, and raffl e, bringing together more than 800 community members, business leaders, elected offi cials, and allies to celebrate the progress and resilience of LGBTQ Virginians.
Tickets start at $50 and can be purchased at Equality Virginia’s website.
BRANDON WOLF (Blade photo by Michael Key)
Pickets,Protests,
andParades:
TheHistoryofGay PrideinWashington
RAINBOWHISTORYPROJECT’S WORLDPRIDE2025EXHIBIT
WHERE: FreedomPlaza(14th&PennAve)
WHEN: May17thtoJuly7th,2025
WHAT: AnexhibitchroniclingthelocalLGBTQ+Pride movementandhowthepicketsandprotestsofthe1960s ledtothevibrantcelebrationsofthe2020s.
GETINVOLVED: JoinusatMLKLibraryonOctober16th at6pmforournextexhibitshowcase!
Weneedyourhelp!
DONATE: RainbowHistoryProjectisanall-volunteerrun organizationwhere100%oftax-deductibledonationsgoto collecting,preserving,andpromotingDC’sLGBTQ+history. Thisexhibitisourlargestprojectinour25-yearhistory!
VOLUNTEER: Wearelookingforexhibitdesignersand media&fun draisingprofessionalstojoinourexhibitteams.
SHAREYOURHISTORY: Havestoriesandimagestoshare ofDCPrideActivities?Wewanttoincludeyou!
Trans MMA star battles prejudice in ‘Unfightable’ doc
A harrowing, heartbreaking, inspiring portrait of Alana McLaughlin
By JOHN PAUL KING
It’s no surprise that the fall movie landscape finds an unusually large number of films – most of them documentaries – about trans people and the challenges they face in trying to achieve an identity that matches their own sense of self.
Transgender rights or even acceptance have never been in such a precarious place within the American political landscape since queer rights were acknowledged at all in the mainstream conversation. After eight years of ramped-up efforts by anti-trans activists to essentially legislate them out of legal existence, trans people find themselves facing a divisive and uncomfortably close election that will likely have an existential impact on their future, accompanied by persistent and vocal efforts by the conservative right-wing crowd to ostracize and stigmatize them within public perception. They’re not the only target, but they are the most vulnerable one – especially within the evangelical strongholds that might swing the election one way or the other – and that means a lot of conservative crosshairs are trained directly on them.
It’s a position they’re used to, unfortunately, which is precisely why there are so many erudite and artistic voices within the trans community emerging, prepared by years of experience and education gained from dealing with persistent transphobic dogma in American culture, to illuminate the trans experience and push back against the efforts of political opportunists by letting their stories speak for themselves. Surely there is no weapon against hatred more potent than empathy – once we recognize our own reflection in those we demonize, it’s hard to keep ourselves from recognizing our shared humanity, too – and perhaps no more potent way of conveying it than through the most visceral artistic medium of all: filmmaking
Particularly timely, in the wake of an Olympics marked by controversy over the participation of Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting in the women’s competition, is “Unfightable,” from producer/director Marc J. Perez. Offering up a harrowing, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring portrait of Alana McLaughlin – a U.S. Army Special Forces sergeant who, following gender transition, turned female MMA fighter only to face resistance and transphobic prejudice within the rarified cultural microcosm of professional sports – while also taking a deep dive into the world of Mixed Martial Arts and the starkly divided attitudes of those who work within it, it
aims to turn one person’s trans experience into a metaphor for the struggle of an entire community to be recognized and accepted on its own terms. For the most part, it succeeds.
Unlike many such biography-heavy documentaries, “Unfightable” allows its subject – the charismatic and outspoken McLaughlin, whose presence rightly dominates the film and leaves the most lingering impression – to narrate her own story, without interpretation or commentary from “talking head” experts. From the grimbut-all-too-familiar story of her upbringing in a deeply religious family (and yes, conversion “therapy” was involved) through her struggle to define her identity via a grueling military career, her eventual transition, and her emergence as only the second transfeminine competitor in the professional MMA arena and beyond, Perez treats most of the movie’s narrative thrust like an extended one-on-one interview, in which McLaughlin delivers the story as she experienced it. This one-on-one honest expression is effectively counterpointed by the rhetoric of other MMA personalities who participated in the film, some of which is shockingly transphobic despite protestations of having “nothing against” trans people.
At the same time, the film acknowledges and amplifies supportive voices within the MMA, whose efforts to bring McLaughlin into the fold were not only successful, but ultimately led to her victorious 2021 match against French fighter Celine Provost. It’s a tale that hits all the touchstone marks of queer/trans experience for those whose lives can’t really begin until they break free of their oppressive origins, and whose fight to claim an authentic life for themself is frequently waged against both the families who ostensibly love them and the prejudices of a society eager to condemn anything that deviates from the perceived “norm”. Naturally, as a story of individual determination, self-acceptance, and success against the odds, its main agenda is to draw you in and lift you up; but it does so while still driving home the point about how far the road still stretches ahead before trans athletes – and by extension, trans people in general – are afforded the same legitimacy as everyone else.
To ensure that reality is never forgotten or taken lightly, we are offered some pretty egregious examples; from prominent fighters who insist they “have no problem” with trans people as a preface for their transphobic beliefs about trans athletes, to McLaughlin’s long wait before finding another MMA pro who was willing to fight her we are confronted with a pattern of prejudice blocking her path forward. And though it documents her triumph, it reminds us that three years later, despite her accomplishments, she has yet to find another MMA pro willing to give her another bout.
If nothing else, though, “Unfightable” underscores a shift in attitudes that reflects the progress – however slow or maddeningly hard-won it may be – of trans people carving out space for themselves in a social environment still largely hostile to their success or even their participation. As McLaughlin’s journey illustrates, it takes dogged persistence and a not-insignificant level of righteous anger to even pierce the skin of the systemic transphobia that still opposes the involvement of people like her in sports; her experience also bears witness to the emboldened bigotry that has doubled-down on its opposition to trans acceptance since the 2016 election of a certain former president who is now seeking a second chance of his own – highlighting the dire consequences at stake for the trans community (and, let’s face it, the entire queer community alongside every other group deplored and marginalized by his followers) should his efforts toward a comeback prove successful.
Yet as grim an outlook as it may acknowledge, “Unfightable” doesn’t leave viewers with a belief in sure defeat; in the toughness of its subject – who is, as it proudly makes clear, a veteran of combat much more directly dangerous than anything she will ever encounter in the ring – and her refusal to simply give up and go away, it kindles in us the same kind of dogged resistance that fueled her own transcendence of a toxic personal history and allowed her to assert her identity – triumphantly so, despite the transphobia that would have kept her forever from the prize.
That’s a spirit of determination that we all could use to help drive us to victory at the polls come November. Like Alana McLaughlin, we have neither the desire nor the ability to go back to the way our lives were before, and Perez’s documentary helps us believe we have the strength to keep it from happening.
“Unfightable” opened for a limited release in New York on Sept. 13 and begins another in Los Angeles on Sept. 20. It will air on ViX, the leading Spanish-language streaming service in the world, and in English on Fuse TV, following its theatrical run.
Trans MMA fighter ALANA MCLAUGHLIN stars in ‘Unfightable.’
Author rails against racism and desire, politics, loss
By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
Somewhere up in the clouds.
That’s where your blood pressure is, right there as high as it’s ever been. Hoo, boy, are you angry. Your teeth are clenched, your eyes are slits, and you can’t trust yourself to speak in more than a growl. You’re plenty steamed and, as in the new book “Rage” by Lester Fabian Brathwaite, it shouldn’t have to be this way.
When he came with his family to America from Guyana at just four years old, Brathwaite couldn’t believe what his new home country offered. Malls, new kinds of food, cable television? Shirtless white men on TV and in magazines? Yes, please!
He’s always had crushes on white men, but he loves being a gay Black man – even though racism, overt and subtle, can be an aggravation. When Brathwaite is on a dating app, white men sometimes dismiss him with a racial comment. He’s heard and seen the “n-word” more than once and he doesn’t tolerate it. Wouldn’t a greeting and a no thanks be less rude?
He is bothered by unnecessary meanness. He is bothered in a different way by bodybuilding. Hot, muscular bodies, to be exact and he’s sure that whoever created the sport was a genius. Brathwaite participates in bodybuilding himself sometimes – it’s expensive and he does it for himself, not for other men – though he believes that gay men are bodybuilding’s biggest subset. For sure, he’s
payed homage to his share of bodybuilders, superheroes in movies, and hot shirtless boys on TV.
There were many times, years ago, that Brathwaite ended up drunk and in a stranger’s bed or looking for an old hook-up, and he was arrested once. Nearing 30, though, he realized that that life wasn’t what he wanted anymore. His knees couldn’t take it. Besides, he liked who he was and he liked his blackness. He realized that he didn’t need anyone else to be a hero of his tale. He could do it better himself.
One thing’s for certain: “Rage” lives up to its title.
At times, author Lester Fabian Brathwaite rails against so many things: racism and desire, club society, being a writer and editor, the generational differences between gay men, politics, and loss. At other times, he’s outRAGEous and hilarious, writing to readers as though he’s holding court in a cafe somewhere and you’d better listen up.
You should know that that means honesty – poking in the corners, calling things out for what they are, chastising people who need schooling on how to behave in a way that doesn’t leave room for nonsense. This arrives unabashed and raw, accompanied by plenty of profanity.
You’ve been warned.
And yet, Brathwaite’s candor and his blunt talk is fresh and different. This gay man doesn’t pussy-foot around, and getting his opinions without fluff feels good and right. Readers will appreciate that, and they might come away educated.
Generally speaking, this ain’t your Grandma’s book, unless Grandma likes real talk laced with profanity. If that’s so, then get “Rage.” You’ll both be mad for it.
“Rage: On Being Queer, Black, Brilliant... and Completely Over It”
By Lester Fabian Brathwaite
c.2024, Tiny Reparations Books | $28 | 288 pages
Saturday, Sept. 28 at 8:30 p.m.
Tony Award-winning singer and actress headlines annual ARTS by George! benefit concert
Saturday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m.
Vibrant dance from one of America’s cultural
Saturday, Oct. 19 at 2 and 8 p.m.
A program from “the most successful and influential choreographer alive” (New York Times)
Sunday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.
Don’t miss this 10-time GRAMMY Award-winning jazz virtuoso and Kennedy Center Honoree!
Virginia Pride
Annual LGBTQ celebration held in Richmond
Virginia Pride 2024 was held at Bon Secours Training Center in Richmond, Va. on Saturday, September 14.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
TRINIDAD! Luxurious, Contemporary, 2 bed, 2.5 bath, 2-level Condo with High-end Fixtures, 9+ foot ceilings! www.1417StaplesStNE-201.com | O ered for $619,000 VAN NESS! Updated 11th-floor, Light-filled, 2 bed, 2 bath Condo with Fabulous Views,Amenity-filled Building! www.2939VanNessStNW-1107.com | O ered for $484,000
LISA DUBOIS | lisa@chrissyandlisa.com 202.409.4506 www.chrissyandlisa.com Associate Broker, CRS, ABR • Licensed in VA & DC Top 1% DC Metro Area & Nationwide • RE/MAX Hall of Fame RE/MAX Distinctive 710 W Broad St Falls
DAVID LLOYD | Weichert, Realtors 4701 Old Dominion Dr. | Arlington, VA 22207 dlrealtygroup@gmail.com | 703-593-3204 davelloyd.net
Hauling sass: beauty and the beast
Reviewing Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 and Mercedes E-Class Wagon
By JOE PHILLIPS
Ritzy versus rugged: you choose.
Like forlorn lovers, two iconic vehicles showcase the strengths—and weaknesses—of growing up on different sides of the track.
The revered Jeep Wrangler, first introduced in 1986, traces its roots to the rugged Jeeps of World War II. Believe it or not, one Jeep—dubbed “Old Faithful”—was actually awarded a Purple Heart after surviving the Guadalcanal beach landing.
Then there’s the refined Mercedes E-Class wagon, a high-society hauler. The German automaker debuted its first modern station wagon in 1977 but can boast lineage dating back to Karl Benz’s first patented car in 1886. Ritzy doesn’t begin to describe today’s sensuous ride.
So, beauty or the beast? Trust me, it’s not an easy choice.
JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON 392 FINAL EDITION
$102,000
MPG: 13 city/16 highway
0-to-60 mph: 4.2 seconds
Cargo capacity: 72 cu. ft.
PROS: Kick-ass power. Butch cred. Collector’s edition.
CONS: High ground clearance. High price. Highly impractical.
IN A NUTSHELL: Wranglers are known for their all-terrain prowess, but the roughand-tumble Rubicon trim is the most off-road-capable Jeep ever produced. This Wrangler arrived in 2003, the year Angelina Jolie drove a Rubicon in her second Lara Croft action flick, which led to a special-edition “Tomb Raider” model. Jeeps also played a role in “MASH,” “Clueless” and “Jurassic Park,” as well as “Gilmore Girls,” “Band of Brothers” and “Dukes of Hazzard” (cue Daisy Duke’s beloved “Dixie”).
But now you can star in your own life with the most wicked Jeep of all: the Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition. The renowned Hemi V8 engine—the heart of muscle cars like the Dodge Charger and Challenger—is being phased out, and the Hemi-powered Rubicon is next on the chopping block. But instead of sunsetting later this year, the inyour-face Final Edition has proved so popular that its exit has been extended through 2025.
It’s easy to see why: Press the ignition button and a thunderous roar from the dual-mode exhaust system is enough to wake the dead. With 470 horsepower, this beast screeches from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds.
Bronze 17-inch wheels are paired with thick 35-inch tires, boosting ground clearance to 13.3 inches. That’s more than twice as high as most SUVs, which means climbing—and I do mean climbing—in and out of this vehicle can be a challenge. It was a source of pride to finally step up into this Jeep without looking like a complete klutz.
Inside the no-nonsense cabin are 12-way power seats with gold stitching and an exclusive medallion on the shifter. A commemorative plaque is on the Mopar swing gate, which has a built-in table for roadside picnics. There’s also an 83-piece toolkit. And if you deflate the tires for heavy-duty off-roading, an optional on-board air compressor will inflate the tires back up again.
But my fave feature is the automatic retracting roof, which is just as classy—but much quicker to operate—than fancy-schmancy tops on most high-end convertibles.
MERCEDES E-CLASS STATION WAGON
$76,000
MPG: 22 city/31 highway
0-to-60 mph: 4.6 seconds
Cargo capacity: 64 cu. ft.
PROS: Sleek styling. Cushy cabin. Heavenly handling.
CONS: Lotsa SUV competitors. Irritating infotainment system.
IN A NUTSHELL: The Jeep Wrangler may be all brawn, but the Mercedes E-Class station wagon is a complete brainiac. Think “nerd chic,” with loads of high-tech wizardry hidden beneath shapely sheet-metal.
Promoted as an all-terrain vehicle, with air suspension to raise and lower the chassis, this wagon deftly wends its way over rutted backroads or rolling meadows. And the 360-degree surround-view system includes a “transparent” view, which relays images from various camera angles to the dashboard monitor so that you can see what you’re driving over in real time.
But the elegant E-Class is finest on city streets. A long wheelbase—over 16 feet—ensures smooth sailing in what is truly a land yacht, with plenty of legroom and rear cargo space. And the 375-horsepower V6 turbo is no slouch, proving to be almost as fast as the Hemi-infused Wrangler. The Mercedes engine positively purred during normal driving but growled when I stomped on the gas.
An exquisite cabin showcases the latest electronics, including a 12.3-inch gauge cluster, 14.4-inch infotainment touchscreen and optional 12.3-inch front-passenger display. The 21-speaker Burmester stereo is mic-dropping amazing, putting concert-hall acoustics to shame. And this wagon can become a 5G wireless hotspot, which really boosts connectivity.
My only beef: The less-than-intuitive entertainment system, which left me struggling as I repeatedly swiped back and forth to try and land on my preferred Sirius stations. In the end, it was easier to use the very capable voice-activation system instead.
Overall, both the Mercedes wagon and Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 boast plenty of power and panache. They just haul your ass in very different ways.
JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON 392
MERCEDES E-CLASS WAGON
BMW has enhanced our programs for September, leading to lower payments and interest rates on new and courtesy vehicles. Plus, it’s your last chance to lease remaining 2023 models with unbeatable specials. Don’t miss these incredible offers!
Lease a new 2024 BMW 228i GC: $479/month with 0 down payment or 4.99% APR for 60 months STOCK #R7R31840*
Lease a new 2025 iX 50: $798/month with 0 down payment or 3.99% APR for 60 months
Lease
Lease
Lease a new 2025 X1 28i: $579/month with 0 down payment or 4.99% APR for 60 months STOCK #R5Z82809*
Lease
#99PN244634*
Make your home shine this fall Essential maintenance for LGBTQ homeowners
By JEFF HAMMERBERG
As the LGBTQ community continues to thrive and embrace homeownership, it’s important to ensure that our homes reflect both our values and our commitment to taking care of our spaces. Fall is the perfect season to focus on essential home maintenance, whether you’re preparing to sell or just want to keep your home in top shape. With a few seasonal updates, you can enhance both the beauty and protection of your home as we move into the cooler months. Here are some must-do fall maintenance tips, brought to you by GayRealEstate.com, to make your home shine.
1. Clean Your Gutters and Downspouts
As leaves begin to fall, they often collect in gutters, leading to drainage problems that can cause water damage. Clearing out debris will keep water flowing properly and protect your home’s foundation. It’s a simple task that can make a huge difference in preventing costly repairs later on.
LGBTQ Tip: A well-maintained home is a reflection of pride in ownership. Keep your property in top shape to show the world that your space is a part of the community’s progress and joy.
2. Seal Up Windows and Doors
A drafty home can lead to higher heating bills and discomfort as temperatures drop. Inspect your windows and doors for cracks or gaps and seal them with caulk or weatherstripping to keep the cold out. This also increases energy efficiency, an important consideration as we all work toward more sustainable living.
Pro Tip: This is a great way to save on energy costs, freeing up more budget for community activities or causes you care about.
3. Service Your Heating System
Fall is the perfect time to have your heating system serviced. An efficient system ensures that your home stays cozy throughout the cold months, and prevents any surprise breakdowns during the winter. For those with fireplaces, make sure to have the chimney cleaned and inspected.
Pro Tip: Protecting your home’s infrastructure is essential, especially if you plan to host gatherings or events this fall and winter.
7. Upgrade Your Outdoor Lighting
With shorter days ahead, it’s important to have sufficient outdoor lighting for both safety and aesthetics. Replace old bulbs with energy-efficient LEDs, and consider adding motion sensors for extra security. This not only brightens your home but also creates a welcoming space for guests.
LGBTQ Tip: Outdoor lighting can also serve as an opportunity to showcase inclusive and seasonal décor—whether it’s rainbow lights for visibility or autumn hues for warmth.
8. Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Your home’s safety is always a top priority. Be sure to test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries as needed. This is especially important as you begin to use your heating system more frequently.
LGBTQ Tip: Host friends and chosen family for cozy fall gatherings in a warm, comfortable home that’s ready for the season.
4. Roof and Chimney Check
Inspect your roof for damaged or missing shingles and check your chimney for cracks or blockages. Addressing these issues early can prevent leaks or other damage when snow arrives. Keeping your roof in good condition is key to protecting your home’s overall structure.
Pro Tip: Your home is your sanctuary—ensure it’s well-protected, so it remains a safe and welcoming space for all.
5. Spruce Up Your Yard for Fall
Rake up leaves, trim overgrown trees, and plant fall-friendly flowers like mums to keep your home looking vibrant and inviting. A clean, well-maintained yard can also prevent clogged drains and other seasonal issues.
LGBTQ Tip: Curb appeal is a great way to represent pride in your community and personal space. Use fall as an opportunity to refresh your exterior with warm, welcoming touches.
6. Winterize Outdoor Faucets and Sprinklers
Before the first frost, turn off and drain outdoor faucets and sprinkler systems to avoid frozen pipes. Bursting pipes can be expensive to repair, so this simple task can save both time and money.
Pro Tip: Set a reminder to test detectors regularly. A safe home is a happy home, and it’s the foundation of a strong, supportive community.
9. Declutter and Organize Your Space
Fall is the perfect time to declutter and organize your home, particularly as you prepare for holiday gatherings. An organized space not only feels more peaceful but also makes it easier to welcome guests or host events. Donate unused items to local LGBTQ shelters or community centers for those in need.
LGBTQ Tip: Decluttering isn’t just about cleaning—it’s about creating a space that reflects who you are and what you value. Use this time to curate a home that aligns with your identity and purpose.
10. Add Fall Decor with Pride
As you prepare your home for the fall season, consider incorporating decor that reflects both the beauty of autumn and your unique style. From pumpkins and fall wreaths to rainbow accents, you can create a space that’s both festive and reflective of your pride.
Pro Tip: Balance fall and Pride elements for a personalized touch. Whether you’re hosting friends or simply enjoying a quiet evening, your home should reflect your values and joy.
By following these essential fall maintenance tips, you’ll not only boost your home’s curb appeal but also ensure it remains a safe and welcoming space through the changing seasons. Homeownership is a major milestone, and taking care of your home is a powerful way to contribute to the beauty and strength of the LGBTQ+ community.
For more tips on maintaining your home or if you’re considering buying or selling, visit GayRealEstate.com, where we connect you with experienced LGBTQ real estate professionals who understand the importance of community and inclusion. Let’s make this fall your best season yet.
JEFF HAMMERBERG
is founding CEO of Hammerberg & Associates, Inc. Reach him at 303-378-5526 or jeffhammerberg@gmail.com.
Spruce up your fall curb appeal with pumpkins, mums, and other decor.
With over 50 years of collective real estate experience, our team provides it all: marketing and PR prowess, stellar staging and listing guidance, negotiation skills, and a commitment to get the best results for our clients. At the Jenn Smira Team, we are proud to have several team members who are part of the LGBTQ community and to serve many clients within this community as well. Our mission is to ensure that every client feels valued and celebrated.
We are honored to have been named the Best Real Estate Group in the Best of LGBTQ DC in 2022. We are incredibly proud to be acknowledged for our efforts to create inclusive, welcoming spaces and provide top-notch real estate services to everyone in our community. We hope to receive that same recognition again this year!
Ensuring safer water in rentals with ‘Lead Free DC’ initiative
An excellent opportunity for landlords to replace old service lines
By SCOTT BLOOM
Maintaining a safe and healthy environment for your tenants is a top priority as a landlord in the District of Columbia. One critical aspect of this responsibility is ensuring the water in your rental properties is free from lead contamination. The “Lead-Free DC” initiative, led by DC Water and supported by the District of Columbia, offers an excellent opportunity for landlords to replace old lead service lines and contribute to the broader effort of safeguarding public health.
Why Lead-Free Water Matters
Lead exposure is a serious health concern, particularly for young children and pregnant women. However, even in rental properties where no small children currently reside, lead in drinking water poses an ongoing risk to all occupants. Long-term exposure to lead can lead to various health issues, including cognitive impairment, cardiovascular problems, and developmental delays. As such, addressing lead pipes is not just a matter of compliance but a strategic investment in the long-term value and safety of your property.
Resources Available to Landlords
The District of Columbia, through DC Water’s “Lead-Free DC” initiative, provides several resources to help landlords replace lead service lines:
1. Free Pipe Replacement: DC Water offers free replacement of lead pipes on public property, such as the pipes running under streets and sidewalks. This service is available to all property owners, including landlords, and significantly reduces the cost burden of making your rental property lead-free.
2. Partial Replacement Assistance: For lead pipes on private property (e.g., those running from the property line to your building), DC Water offers partial financial assistance. The cost to replace these pipes is typically shared between DC Water and the property owner, reducing the overall expense.
3. DC Lead Pipe Replacement Assistance Program (LPRAP): This program specifically helps low-income residents replace lead pipes on their property at no cost. While it primarily targets homeowners, landlords with qualifying properties may
also benefit from this program.
4. Federal Programs: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provide grants and low-interest loans to property owners for lead hazard reduction, including pipe replacement. These programs can further alleviate the financial burden associated with removing lead from your rental properties.
Strategic Value of Going Lead-Free
Investing in lead pipe replacement is a strategic move that offers significant longterm benefits:
• Increased Property Value: As awareness of lead-related health risks grows, properties with modern, lead-free infrastructure are likely to become more desirable and command higher market values.
• Tenant Retention and Attraction: Tenants increasingly prioritize health and safety in their living environments. A lead-free property can be a key selling point, helping you retain current tenants and attract new ones.
• Regulatory Compliance: As regulations surrounding lead in drinking water continue to tighten, staying ahead of the curve can save you from potential legal issues and costly retrofits in the future.
• Community Contribution: By participating in the “Lead-Free DC” initiative, you are not only protecting your tenants but also contributing to the broader effort of making the District of Columbia a healthier place to live.
Understanding Potential Costs
While much of the pipe replacement work is covered by DC Water and other programs, there may be some additional costs to consider. For example, once the old lead pipes are removed, the area where the pipes were accessed might need restoration. This could include patching up driveways, sidewalks, or landscaping around the foundation of your property. Although these costs are relatively minor compared to the health and safety benefits, it’s essential to budget for them when planning the work.
A “No-Brainer” Decision for Landlords
Replacing lead pipes is more than just a necessary update—it’s a no-brainer decision that will pay dividends in the long run. The peace of mind that comes from knowing your rental property is free from lead risks is invaluable, and the potential increase in property value and tenant satisfaction makes it a wise investment.
Take advantage of the resources available through the “Lead-Free DC” initiative and other programs to ensure your rental properties offer safe, lead-free water for all tenants, now and in the future.
Further Access Information for Readers: DC Water - Lead-Free DC Program: https://www.dcwater.com/resources/lead
This page provides detailed information about the Lead-Free DC initiative, including how to apply for pipe replacements and available assistance programs.
DC Water - Lead Pipe Replacement Assistance Program (LPRAP): https://www.dcwater.com/lprap
This page offers insights into the Lead Pipe Replacement Assistance Program, focusing on how low-income property owners can receive help in replacing lead pipes.
EPA - Lead in Drinking Water: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water
This URL covers essential information on the risks of lead in drinking water and federal programs available to help property owners.
SCOTT BLOOM
is owner and Senior Property Manager of Columbia Property Management. For more information and resources, go to ColumbiaPM.com.
Clean drinking water is essential and as a landlord there are programs to assist.
MASSAGE
MASSAGE FOR MEN
Private studio near Rosslyn/Courthouse, weekends (Fri-Mon), 12-9. Text Gary @301-704-1158 or visit www.mymassagebygary.com
BULLETIN BOARD
ACADEMY OF HOPE
ADULT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
The Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School in Washington, DC is requesting proposals for Project Management Services, including facilities repair and maintenance, space utilization, lease assistance, etc. See full RFP for details and submission information at https://aohdc.org/get-involved/jobs/ Proposals are due 9/30/2024.
ACADEMY OF HOPE
ADULT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FLOORING CONTRACTOR
The Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School in Washington, DC is requesting proposals from flooring contractors. See full RFP for details & submission information at https://aohdc.org/get-involved/jobs/ Proposals are due 10/7/2024.
CLEANING
FERNANDO’S CLEANING
Residential & Commercial Cleaning, Reasonable Rates, Free Estimates, Routine, 1-Time, Move-In/Move-Out
202-234-7050 or 202-486-6183
CLEANING
EMPLOYMENT
SECRETARIAL & SOCIAL MEDIA
Looking for someone to do secretarial and social media marketing. It could be in person or over the phone. I am located in St. Mary’s County, California, MD. This will be a cash-paid job, looking to hire asap. Call 301-806-6006
HANDYMAN
BRITISH REMODELING
Local licensed company with over 25 years of experience. Specializing in bathrooms, kitchens & all interior/ exterior repairs. Drywall, paint, electrical, wallpaper, roofing & siding. Trevor 703-303-8699
LEGAL SERVICES
ADOPTION, DONOR, SURROGACY
legal services. Catelyn represents LGBTQ clients in DC, MD & VA interested in adoption or ART matters.
MODERN FAMILY FORMATION Law Offices, Slattery Law, LLC. 240-245-7765 Catelyn@ModernFamilyFormation.com
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!
LEGAL NOTICE
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION 2024 ADM 000247
John Christian Weber aka J. Christian Weber, Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
James A. Gillis, whose address is 3033 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 700, Arlington, Virginia 22201, was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of John Christian Weber, aka J. Christian Weber who died on January 1, 2022, with a Will and will serve without court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s Will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., Building A, 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before March 6, 2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills Or to the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before March 6, 2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of. This notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.
Date of first publication: 9/6/24
Name of newspaper and/or periodical: DWLR/Washington Blade
/s/James A.Gillis, 3033 Wilson Blvd, Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22201 610-348-7367
/s/Nicole Stevens, Register of Wills, Clerk of the Probate Division. Joy Allen, Clerk
LIMOUSINES
KASPER’S LIVERY SERVICE Since 1987. Gay & Veteran Owner/ Operator. Lincoln Nautilus! Proper DC License & Livery Insured. www.KasperLivery.com 202-554-2471
MOVERS
AROUND TOWN
MOVERS & STORAGE Local | Long Distance Residential | Commercial Licensed & Insured
Packing | Moving | Unpacking Ask about the Blade discount! Call Today 202.734.3080
for me. You won’t be disappointed. Sincere replies only. answer
or
and your ad will appear in print & online! If you need assistance, please email the text & image to: classifieds@washblade.com or call 202-747-2077 x 8092 leave a message!
Zeiger Realty is THE brokerage for equality and diversity.
Stacey is the host of the popular vidCast and podcast, Real Estate and Leisure. Available on youtube and Apple, Spotify and wherever else you listen to your podcasts.
Owner/Principal Broker
