Washington Blade, Volume 55, Issue 47, November 22, 2024

Take a break from the political madness and enjoy recipes from local LGBTQ chefs, PAGE 22

ADDRESS PO Box 53352

Washington DC 20009

PHONE

202-747-2077

E-MAIL

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

Celebrating 30 Years of Maritime Magic

D.C. police arrest two juveniles for robbery of gay man who died

Ongoing investigation has yet to link teen suspects to death of beloved DJ

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

D.C. police announced they have arrested two teenage boys, 14 and 16 years old, in connection with the Oct. 27 robbery of gay DJ and hairstylist Bryan Smith, who died 11 days later on Nov. 7 from fatal head injuries that police have yet to definitively link to the robbery.

D.C. Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith announced the arrests at a Nov. 15 press conference held at the intersection of Vermont Avenue and U Street, N.W., near where police detectives believe the two juvenile suspects targeted Smith and other victims in three separate robbery related incidents.

“We are here today to announce the arrest of two suspects responsible for a series of robberies in this community on Sunday, Oct. 27, including the robbery of 39-yearold Bryan Smith, who was walking home in the 500 block of T Street, N.W.,” Smith told the press conference.

“On behalf of the Metropolitan Police Department as well as myself, I send my deepest condolences to Mr. Smith’s family as well as his friends,” Chief Smith said. “While nothing can undo this senseless loss, we hope today’s arrests are of some measure of justice and a step toward healing,” she said.

D.C. Assistant Police Chief Ramey Kyle, who heads the department’s Investigative Services Bureau and who also spoke at the press conference, gave a detailed description of the police investigation that led to the arrest of the two teen suspects on robbery related charges. But he did not say the two suspects have been linked to the injuries that caused Smith’s death.

“Those suspects are charged with three counts of robbery and one count of assault to commit robbery,” Kyle said at the press conference. But the assault he referred to was against another robbery victim in one of the incidents separate from the robbery of Smith.

“They face additional charges of unlawful use of a vehicle, fraud, receiving stolen property, and unlawful possession of ammunition,” he said, adding that there was no evidence to show the two suspects used a firearm in the robbery of Smith and the others they targeted on Oct. 27.

Kyle said the two teens were linked to the robbery of Bryan Smith and other victims in three nearby locations

Comings &

Goings

through video surveillance camera footage, some of which police released to the public to seek help in identifying the suspects. However, he did not say whether any of the video footage showed the suspects assaulting Bryan Smith.

“Tragically, Mr. Smith succumbed to his injuries on Nov. 7,” he told news reporters at the press conference. “His death is still under investigation. Additional charges may be brought depending on the results of additional testing requested by the Northern Virginia Medical Examiner’s Office.”

In response to reporters’ questions, Chief Smith and Kyle said Bryan Smith, who had been taken to a D.C. hospital at the time he was found unconscious on the 500 block of T Street, N.W., around the time of the robbery, was transferred through arrangement by members of his family to a Northern Virginia hospital, where he later died on Nov. 7.

Kyle said D.C. police investigators were waiting for the Northern Virginia Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause and manner of Smith’s death, which would provide the information D.C. police need to de-

Timothy Atkin prepping debut film, ‘Lillian, Next Door’

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 Timothy Atkin for fol-

lowing his dream and seeing it come to fruition with the film “Lillian, Next Door.” He said, “In 2015, shortly after my husband Steve and I got married, the company I worked for was sold and I took a break from the corporate world I’d known for the prior 16 years. I didn’t want to one day look back and say to myself, ‘What if I’d tried?’ Those four words unlocked a memory. Shortly after writing and directing my first play in 5th grade at Oakton Elementary, my father was transferred by the Navy. On my last day in school, my teacher wrote a note on my folder: ‘To a great playwright.’ Another four words that were etched in my memory and had a major impact. With those thoughts and memories, and encouragement from my husband and friends, I wrote the feature film script ‘Lillian, Next Door.’ After completing the first draft, I returned to the corporate world and my film plans simmered in the background. I’m thankful that several years

termine if murder charges should be brought against the two teen suspects.

People who knew Bryan Smith said they believe he was working as a DJ in the hours before he was found unconscious, according to a D.C. police report, on the sidewalk in front of a house at 514 T St., N.W. The house is on a residential street near the gay bar Uproar.

D.C. Police Chief Smith told the press conference detectives had been working “around the clock” to identify the suspects now charged with the robbery of Bryan Smith and the other victims.

“We are here to send a very clear message today,” she said. “If you commit violence in our city, we will find you and we will hold you accountable. We will take every act of violence seriously,” Smith continued. “And every investigation in this case and beyond, we use every tool and technique at our disposal to bring perpetrators to justice and to protect our community.”

Chief Smith also noted at the press conference that the robbery of Bryan Smith and the other robbery related incidents on Oct. 27 linked to the two arrested juveniles were not related to the assault that same morning against 22-year-old Sebastian Thomas Robles Lascarro.

Lascarro, a gay man, told police as many as 15 men and women attacked and assaulted him at the McDonald’s restaurant at 14th and U Street, N.W., with some yelling anti-gay slurs.

D.C. police, who have listed that incident as a suspected hate crime, arrested a 16-year-old male on Nov. 7 on a charge of Assault With Significant Bodily Injury in connection with the McDonald’s assault against Lascarro.

“I also want to address some concerns we heard from the community in the last few weeks,” Chief Smith said at the Nov. 15 press conference. “There is no indication at this time that these four robbery cases were motivated by hate or bias,” she said.

“There is no connection between these offenses and a particularly hate motivated assault that occurred that morning in the 1900 block of 14th Street, N.W,” Smith said in referring to the McDonald’s assault targeting Lascarro.

later, I met director Janice Engel, whose film ‘Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins,’ was being released in theaters nationwide. My screenplay resonated with her, and we began a collaboration. … we’re casting the lead roles and raising the final funds so we can film in 2025.”

Atkin is founder of 40 Years Running Films, where he works to create and produce films that are thoughtful, stylish, and original. Like all producers, Atkin is always looking for investors.

Prior to this Timothy worked at Anthology, Inc., Boca Raton Florida; was Chief Administrative Officer, Blackboard, Inc.; worked in government as Special Assistant to the Director, The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; and was a White House Fellow, National Security Council. He served with the U.S. Coast Guard, as a Lieutenant Commander / Commanding Officer. He is a trustee, The Children’s Inn, at NIH.

D.C. police last week released a video showing two suspects in the robbery of Bryan Smith that led to his death.

(Screen capture via MPD YouTube)

TIMOTHY ATKIN

Sylvia Bergstrom has been a top producing agent since starting real estate in 1973, and Marin Hagen joined her mother’s successfulreal estate practice in 2007.Theycount among their clients Presidential candidates, Senators, Members of Congress, nearly 100% repeat and referral, a testament to their high ethical standards, strong negotiating skills, energy and discretion. Sylvia

D.C. Log Cabin victory party for Trump draws 150

Local LGBTQ GOP group celebrates president for ‘all Americans’

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

A Donald Trump victory party organized by the Log Cabin Republicans of the District of Columbia, which was held Friday night, Nov. 15, drew more than 150 people, most of whom were gay and lesbian Republicans from the D.C. metro area, according to the group’s president, Andrew Minik.

The event was held at The Admiral Restaurant and Bar located at 1 Dupont Circle, with its large reception room and outdoor patio designated for the event filled to capacity. Nearly everyone was wearing a stick-on button handed out at an entrance table that stated, “Team Trump 2024.”

Among those greeting people as they arrived was Minik. “I did not expect nearly as many people to show up,” Minik told the Washington Blade. “But that just shows how many people are ready for President Trump to come back to the White House,” he said. “It’s a privilege.”

When asked if he and D.C. Log Cabin Republicans have a message for members of the LGBTQ community who supported Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris rather than Trump, Minik said, “Donald Trump has promised to represent all Americans.” Minik added, “He’s going to make America safe again. He’s going to make America healthy again. He’s going to make America great again.”

Asked if he thinks Trump and his administration will apply those ideals to LGBTQ Americans, Minik said, “For everyone. For everyone. He’s demonstrated he’s here for every-

one. And I’m here for it. The 150 people who showed up here in Washington, D.C., are ready for a return to a safe, healthy, and great America. The golden age is now.”

Alphonso Way Jr., who identified himself as a former D.C. Log Cabin vice president, said he too believes the LGBTQ community will fare well under the incoming Trump administration. He said media reports and some LGBTQ activists

‘The Fabric of Freedom’ selected as theme for D.C. World Pride 2025

200 turn out for Capital Pride ‘reveal’ celebration and fundraiser

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

The Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes most of D.C.’s LGBTQ Pride events and that is organizing World Pride 2025 in D.C., announced at its annual Pride Reveal celebration on Thursday, Nov. 14, that the theme for World Pride 2025 would be “The Fabric of Freedom.”

More than 200 LGBTQ community members and allies who attended the Reveal event cheered loudly when The Fabric of Freedom theme was announced and displayed on a large video screen. The event was held at the  Hamilton Hotel’s Schuyler ballroom in downtown D.C.

“We knew we wanted the core of our theme to be wrapped around freedom,” Capital Pride Alliance Executive Director Ryan Bos said in explaining how the theme was selected about two months ago by the Capital Pride board and World Pride organizers.

“That resonated with us because it represents so many different things,” he told the Washington Blade. “Our community is multilayered, intersectional. We all make up the fabric. We are the fabric of freedom as well,” he said. “So, we just felt that with where we’re at in the world today, really representing the Fabric of Freedom is important to us because we have to continually work on it and we are all part of it,” Bos said.

Bos and Ashley Smith, president of the Capital Pride Alliance board, told those attending the Reveal event that the event this year was also a celebration of the life of the late Bernie Delia, the longtime Capital Pride Alliance leader and former co-chair of the World Pride 2025 organizing committee, who died unexpectedly June 21 of this year at the age of 68.

The two said Capital Pride Alliance has set up a special

Bernie Delia fund to raise money for Capital Pride and World Pride events and urged those attending the Reveal event to contribute to the fund.

Smith also served as an auctioneer at the event for a fundraising auction for World Pride that raised more than $10,000 from purchases through bidding made by those attending the event. Smith said the items auctioned, which included a Caribbean cruise, were all donated by LGBTQ supportive businesses, most of which are World Pride corporate sponsors.

Although the name of President-Elect Donald Trump was not mentioned by any of the speakers at the Reveal event, some of the speakers, including Bos, made clear references to the outcome of the Nov. 5 election and the impact it has had on members of the LGBTQ community.

“I know a lot of us have had a lot of emotions over the past week and a half,” Bos told the gathering. “And that is valid,” he said. “Some are angry. Some are sad. Some are confused. Some are disillusioned,” Bos said. “But let’s know you are here in this room tonight because we’re going to fight. We are going to ensure that no matter what, our community is going to be visible,” he said as the audience cheered loudly.

“It’s going to be hard,” Bos continued. “And we’re going to allow ourselves to have joy. And some of what is happening is going to give us joy.”

Danielle Davis, vice president of communications for Destination D.C., an organization that promotes tourism and business-related conventions in D.C. and that is working with Capital Pride Alliance to support World Pride, told the Blade that the outcome of the presidential

who say a Trump administration will have a negative impact on the LGBTQ community were false.

“I like to think that we’re safer now when Trump is in office,” he said. “To anybody that’s worried, our rights are not getting rolled back. We’re not being put in chains or stockaded in public. We’re going to be loved. And I love everybody. So, just keep the love going. Don’t lose hope.”

Way, who is African American, said he is a native Washingtonian and proud of his city. Among other things, he said he supports D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs. “I know some people who work there. I support them,” he said.

Asked if he thinks the Trump administration may curtail and significantly reduce D.C.’s home rule government, possibly calling for eliminating the city’s elected mayor and City Council, Day said, “I think he is going to do what’s best for the city. I’m proud of how he has made a lot of strides for our civil rights in the city. A lot of people don’t give him credit for that.”

The comments by Minik and Day are at odds with most of the nation’s mainline LGBTQ rights organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, which have predicted Trump will likely side with some of his longtime supporters who have opposed LGBTQ rights initiatives, especially those protecting the rights of transgender people.

and congressional elections has so far not had a negative impact on World Pride.

Among other things, interest by potential visitors in coming to D.C. next year for World Pride, which is scheduled to take place May 17-June 8 is growing, Davis said.

“People are very excited about coming to D.C.,” she told the Blade. “We’re looking at anywhere from two and three million coming in over World Pride over the course of those three weekends that will be generating over $780 million of economic impact.”

Bos said plans are moving ahead on schedule for the multiple events set to take place as part of World Pride 2025 in D.C. Among them, he said, are a Pride parade and a National LGBTQ March on Washington, a human rights conference, a sports festival, a Welcome Concert at Washington Nationals Stadium, a street festival and concert, a Tapestry of Pride event at the Kennedy Center, and a dance party at RFK Stadium, among other events.

A full list of the World Pride 2025 events can be accessed at worldpridedc.org.

Local gay and lesbian Republicans celebrated DONALD TRUMP’s win over Kamala Harris. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Capital Pride revealed next year’s Pride theme at an event last week. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

RFK Jr.’s views on HIV, LGBTQ health raise concerns

Gay Colo. Gov. Polis explains his support for controversial nominee

By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com

After President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last week, his views on HIV and other health issues impacting the LGBTQ community have raised concerns about how he would lead the agency if his nomination is confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

The controversial environmental lawyer has promoted untrue, dangerous, and conspiratorial claims about science and medicine, most notably misinformation about lifesaving vaccines, including the debunked idea that they are linked to autism diagnoses in children.

During an interview last year, RFK Jr. said endocrine disrupting chemicals in drinking water are responsible for homosexuality and gender dysphoria among young people, a claim that is unsupported by scientific evidence.

He has also falsely claimed that HIV does not cause AIDS — arguing that the culprit is, rather, the “gay lifestyle,” including the recreational use of amyl nitrate (poppers) by men who have sex with men — and proposed that U.S. health officials take a “break” from studying infectious diseases, which may raise questions about the future of HHS’s Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy under his leadership.

Additionally, RFK Jr. has challenged health care interventions for transgender minors that are considered safe and medically necessary by mainstream scientific and medical organizations, earning support from conservative groups like the American Principles Project, which opposes abortion, same-sex marriage, transgender rights, and voting rights legislation.

Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who is gay, drew backlash after posting on X in support of RFK Jr.’s nomination on Thursday, writing, “He helped us defeat vaccine mandates in Colorado in 2019 and will help make America healthy again by shaking up HHS and FDA.”

Polis touted RFK Jr.’s promises to “cap drug prices so that companies can’t charge Americans substantially more than Europeans pay,” to “get off of pesticide-intensive agriculture,” and to eliminate departments that are ineffectual or beholden to corporate interests.

At the same time, the governor acknowledged the candidate’s anti-vaccine advocacy, writing that he hopes RFK Jr. would oppose bans as well as mandates. In May, Polis posted on X, “Not sure how bringing back Measles and bringing back Polio makes anyone more healthy…”

In a statement to the Washington Blade, Polis spokesperson Eric Maruyama addressed concerns over RFK Jr.’s controversial and unproven claims about health matters that are important to the LGBTQ community:

“Governor Polis has not changed his previously stated concerns regarding some of RFK Jr’s positions. The governor is opposed to RFK’s positions on a host of issues, including vaccines, banning fluoridation, policies and messaging that would have negative consequences for our LGBTQ community, and misinformation about HIV/ AIDS, and Governor Polis will hold him accountable for statements or actions in these areas.

“However, he would appreciate seeing action on pesticides and efforts to lower prescription drug costs and if Trump is going to nominate someone like him then let them also take on soda, processed food, pesticides, and heavy metals contamination, and other powerful special interests.

“But he definitely does not endorse actions that would lead to measles outbreaks and opposes unscientific propaganda that undermines confidence in the lifesaving impact of vaccines.”

Human Rights Campaign National Press Secretary Brandon Wolf also shared a statement with the Blade:

“Beyond the Twitter back and forth, what’s important here is that we’re not naive to the impact of this nomina-

tion on the American people. This country deserves a Secretary of HHS who understands the devastating impact of the HIV epidemic and will work in good faith with the community to bring about its end.

“The country deserves a leader who believes in the value of vaccines and will stand by the overwhelming medical consensus that supports access to medically necessary care for transgender young people. There’s no value in normalizing RFK Jr.’s dangerous rhetoric. The American people deserve serious leadership and have every right to demand it.”

In his column for The New York Times on Sunday, headlined “Jared Polis Wants to Win Back the Hippies,” journalist Ezra Klein writes that Polis “is a dissenter from the trends that swept through Democratic governance during the pandemic.”

For instance, “He was unusual among Democratic governors for the emphasis he put on both personal responsibility and personal liberty. Colorado opened early, sparking a tourism boom, and Polis tried to rely more on information than compulsion.”

And RFK Jr., Klein notes, ran for president in 2024 — at least, initially — as a Democrat.

“The crunchy, anti-vaxx, anti-corporate politics he represents used to have a home in the Democratic Party” before “the pandemic polarized Americans around trust in scientific and public health institutions, and comfort with public health mandates,” leaving behind “little room for people with Kennedy’s politics in the Democratic coalition.”

Klein argues the post-pandemic realignment is also evidenced by the fact that Elon Musk’s shift to the right appeared to start with his objection to COVID restrictions and lockdowns, and by the popular podcaster Joe Rogan, who endorsed Trump on the eve of the election but first broke with the Democrats over his vaccine skepticism.

Republicans retain control of the House

As key races were called late last week, the Associated Press reported that Republicans officially secured the 218 seats necessary to keep their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, a victory that will send President-elect Donald Trump back to the White House with both chambers of Congress united behind him.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), an anti-LGBTQ conservative Christian and staunch Trump ally, earned his party’s support to remain the top House Republican after a vote by the conference on Wednesday.

Meanwhile in the U.S. Senate, Republicans on Wednesday chose U.S. Sen. John Thune (S.D.) to be their leader, a figure who is more closely associated with the Republican “establishment” than with Trump’s insurgent MAGA movement.

The senator has a poor record on LGBTQ rights. Following his election, he said “This Republican team is united behind President Trump’s agenda, and our work starts today.”

CHRISTOPHER KANE

ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR. appears on HBO’s ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ in April 2024. (Screen capture via YouTube)

Queer youth love TikTok. Does TikTok love them back?

Platform’s algorithm found to promote

By HENRY CARNELL

When Jocelyn was stuck inside during most of 2020, they did what any high school senior would do: scrolled through TikTok. They found themself on the hashtag #tiktokmademegay a lot. (To protect privacy, the Blade is only using Jocelyn’s first name).

“At the time, I didn’t give it a lot of thought,” they say, acknowledging that most users viewed it as “more of a joke.”

Now a senior in college, where Jocelyn will graduate with a degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and computer science this spring, they have a more nuanced perspective. Nuanced enough to embark on a yearlong independent thesis on the topic.

They still get that the hashtag is a joke, but probe into what lies behind it, noting a tension between the “the born-this-way narrative of sexuality essentialism” to the idea that “sexuality is socially constructed.” They also question the power this narrative gives to TikTok in its ability to surveil user data and identity.

What got Jocelyn so interested in it in the first place was that it was a conservative talking point being replicated by the queer community. Because what amounts to a joke or an intellectual query for some, is a point of anxiety and fear mongering for others.

The conservative think tank known for writing Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation wrote “How Big Tech Turns Kids Trans” arguing that “Digital spaces are ever more designed to promote sexual and transgender content.” This argument has incredible staying power and has been echoed by numerous far-right pundits like Oli London and Charlie Kirk.

It has also been repeated by lawmakers. Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn stated the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), bi-partisan legislation she co-sponsored restricting youth access to social media, was meant to “protect minor children from the transgender [sic] in our culture.”

TikTok has faced numerous challenges over the years. From Montana’s currently unsuccessful ban on use in its state to the “divest-or-ban bill” signed by President Joe Biden in April or the lawsuit brought by more than a dozen attorneys general in October—it is clear there is a broad coalition of U.S. lawmakers concerned with the app.

These acts—which cite both national security and youth mental health—come in conjunction with a larger movement to limit youth access to social media—locally, nationally, and internationally.

Data security experts and some legislators state that the national security risk of the app is only hypothetical due to the fact TikTok houses U.S. user data in the states. There are pressing concerns about the safety of user data, explains Shae Gardner, the policy director at LGBT Tech. Focusing concerns entirely on one platform due to a hypothetical risk rather than the widespread, real risks across multiple platforms is disingenuous.

“Proponents [of this ban] have been saying that this is urgent and necessary to protect the data of Americans,” says Gardner, “But we have been asking for years for nationwide data privacy protections, and watching the efforts die over and over again on the legislative vine.”

In fact, Gardner argues, “Regulating one application is both legally dubious and will ultimately be ineffective in doing so.” Gardner explains that though LGBT Tech is not involved in any legislation against the ban, which

homophobia, violence

other tech policy groups are, they hold the shared belief that it is unconstitutional to target a single platform rather than the wider ecosystem.

The risk of youth mental health, which has also been cited as a major concern, is more complicated. Best sellers like the highly critiqued “The Anxious Generation” argue that all youth mental illness is linked to social media. The data doesn’t back this up, argue numerous experts.

Amid the panic, LGBTQ advocates have passionately argued that queer youth’s access to technology is uniquely beneficial due to a lack of education and community in the physical world. The Trevor Project identified TikTok as the platform where LGBTQ youth felt most “safe and understood.”

Data largely backs this up. A systematic review from 2022 found that “social media may support the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ youths through peer connection, identity management, and social support.” The review noted that more research is needed, noting that their results may be limited by weak evidence due to factors like small sample sizes.

Celia B. Fisher, the Marie Ward Doty University Chair in Ethics at Fordham University, was able to gather a larger sample by conducting a national survey of more than 500 users on Instagram. With that reach, explains Fisher, “you’re more likely to get a fuller view of what’s going on nationally.”

“There’s an anonymity with national surveys,” adds Fisher, “[It] brings different people to answer questions that they may not want to talk about to somebody in person.”

In March 2024, she published the peer-reviewed article “Social media: A double-edged sword for LGBTQ+ youth” in the Journal “Computers in Human Behavior.” Many results agreed with the larger narrative of online spaces as refuges and community-building spaces. “It’s a wonderful place when they can find the appropriate sites,” says Fisher.

Jocelyn, the student researcher, echoes this. “Many of the videos I have come across discuss how the comfortability of the queer spaces on TikTok was part of the reason they felt comfortable enough to come out and explore their sexuality.”

When youth drift into non-welcoming territory, the story is different.

Fisher’s research finds that more than 80% of youth are exposed to discrimination either directly or vicariously (watching others being discriminated against) in the last month. Fisher wrote, “between 40% and 63% of all youth met the criteria for moderate levels of depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder (SUD).” Youth who described high exposure to discrimination had higher levels of depression, anxiety, and SUD.

The hate does not simply come from the run-of-themill bully finding a classmate online. “Algorithms expose them to these things,” says Fisher.

“If an algorithm sees that you’re interested in RuPaul… Then it begins its work on figuring out other sites that may be attached to similar interests. But as it moves on, it begins to add the heterosexist and transphobic types of posts.”

The fact that the algorithms that govern our tech can be sexist, racist, and homophobic is old news and highly studied, but it continues to have compounding impacts. Media Matters for America found in 2021 that TikTok’s algorithm specifically promotes homophobia and anti-trans violence.

Jocelyn also worries about handing over the power of identification and community to an algorithm. In addition to the #tiktokmademegay, other users promote the idea that “TikTok knows things about themself before they know it.” This rhetoric is “scary” says Jocelyn, because “handing over the keys of self-identification to an algorithm that we have no idea how it works is not something that feels right.”

Gardner echoes the complex views on the state of social media. Outside of her day job as a policy maven, Gardner is a TikToker under the handle @shaeitaintsoo, where she shares educational content about LGBTQ issues.

“These spaces also allow for a lot of queer joy and a lot of authenticity in a way that makes me proud to be a part of this community,” she says. At the same time, backlash is part of the job. The success of TikTok’s moderation has ebbed and flowed during her four years as a public figure on the app.

Gardner emphasizes that “hatred and harassment do not live in algorithms.” The discrimination faced online is replicated bigotry from offline spaces. Social media can amplify and distribute the bigotry in new ways. “It is the responsibility of the platforms to be making significant efforts to ensure that the replication is not then also multiplied and made 10 times worse.”

Gardner sees the backlash as a “tale as old as time” that has been replicated without much evidence onto emerging technology. “I’m not saying that tale is not rooted in some element of truth. But this, this didn’t start with TikTok, I would push back against language that seems to think it will end with TikTok.”

In the meantime, Gardner implores those worried to not lose sight of the most important concerns.

“If your concern is that [kids and teens] are spending too much time in online spaces. What are you doing to create safe, physical ones for them?” Gardner asks.

(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.)

Queer youth embraced TikTok as a safe space but the platform’s algorithm may be putting them in jeopardy.

GOP resolution targets McBride, first trans member of Congress

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on Monday proposed a resolution that would prohibit House members and staffers from “using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.”

The bill, which comes just two weeks after Sarah McBride was elected to become the first transgender member of Congress, would block her from accessing women’s bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol and House office buildings.

Republican leadership including House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.) have indicated they will seriously consider the proposal, while House Democrats denounced the effort as a cruel attempt to bully an incoming freshman colleague.

“Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness,” McBride said in a post on X.

“This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing,” she said. “We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars.”

“Delawareans sent me here to make the American dream more affordable and accessible and that’s what I’m focused on,” McBride added.

In her successful bid for Delaware’s at-large congressional seat, McBride’s campaign did not center the historic nature of her candidacy but rather her record of delivering results for her constituents like paid family and medical leave.

She did, however, talk about how everyone deserves a representative in Congress who respects them and their families.

Mace used transphobic language attacking McBride when speaking with reporters about her bill on Monday. “Sarah McBride doesn’t get a say. I mean, this is a biological man,” she said, adding that the lawmaker “does not belong in women’s spaces, women’s bathrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, period, full stop” and instead should “use

the men’s restroom.”

“I’m going to be standing in the brink, standing in his or her way, putting a stop to this insanity and this nonsense,” the South Carolina congresswoman said. She did not directly address a question about what “mechanism” might be used for “checking who’s qualified to use the ladies’ room,” but her bill specifies that the House sergeant-atarms would be responsible for enforcement.

Asked whether she introduced the bill “specifically because Sarah McBride is coming to Congress,” Mace said “that, and more.”

Fielding questions from reporters on the steps of the Capitol Monday, far-right U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) endorsed her colleague’s proposal while using anti-trans language and deliberately misgendering the incoming congresswoman from Delaware.

“He is a man. He is a biological male,” she said. “He has plenty of places he can go.”

Gay U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), who chairs the Congressional Equality Caucus, shared a statement with the Washington Blade on Tuesday.

“It’s been a while since Nancy Mace has had her 15 minutes of fame,” he said. “Republicans keep desperately lashing out against trans people to try and distract from the fact that this Congress has been one of the least productive in history—they can’t even pass a Farm Bill or pass major appropriations bills, so they turn to using these cruel attacks to distract from their inability to govern and failure to deliver for the American people.”

CHRISTOPHER KANE

Gaetz nom for attorney general met with blowback

President-elect Donald Trump last week nominated U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to serve as U.S. attorney general in his incoming administration.

Even with Republicans retaking control of the U.S. Senate, the congressman’s path to confirmation is uncertain as he has been dogged by a U.S. House Ethics Committee investigation and criticism that he lacks the temperament and qualifications for the job.

While Trump called his nominee a “deeply gifted and tenacious attorney” in a post on Truth Social, Gaetz’s experience in legal practice is limited to a brief three-year stint at a small firm in Florida’s Okaloosa County.

Gaetz immediately resigned following Trump’s announcement, an unusual move that came just two days before the House committee was slated to make public their report on allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.

From 2020 to 2022, the Justice Department led a probe into possible violations of sex trafficking laws by Gaetz, but charges were never filed.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who was a top contender for the role of Senate majority leader, told reporters on Thursday that he and other lawmakers should have access to the findings from the committee’s investigation into Gaetz.

He will need to earn a simple majority of the 53 GOP senators who will be seated in the next Congress in January. So far, no Senate Republican has publicly vowed to vote against Gaetz’s nomination, and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) promised retribution from the GOP conference against any who did.

Trump has demanded that the newly elected Senate Republican leader John Thune (R-S.D.) allow him to sidestep the Senate confirmation process for his nominees — which will involve multiple hearings and, ultimately, a floor vote —

by making recess appointments.

The U.S. Supreme Court, however, ruled in 2014 that presidents cannot make recess appointments unless the Senate is not in session for 10 or more days.

A couple of Republican senators have either said publicly or told reporters anonymously that they do not believe Gaetz is a “serious” candidate to lead the Justice Department. Others, like U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), said they would do their due diligence. The senator from Maine told CNN, “If the nomination proceeds, I’m sure that there will be an extensive background check by the FBI and public hearings and a lot of questions asked.”

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) offered the most pointed criticism of Trump’s pick for AG.

“This one was not on my bingo card,” she told reporters on Wednesday. “I don’t think this is a serious nomination for attorney general. We need to have a serious attorney general.”

“If I wanted to make a joke, maybe I would say now I’m waiting for George Santos to be named,” Murkowski told the New York Times, referring to the disgraced former Republican congressman.

Under the Biden-Harris administration, the Justice Department has fought for LGBTQ rights, from defending expanded anti-discrimination protections for gay and transgender students to filing briefs in support of access to gender-affirming health care.

Gaetz’s record in Congress suggests he would move the department in the opposite direction.

During the last Congress, he opposed the Respect for Marriage Act, which codified legal protections for married same-sex and interracial couples, and the Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orienta-

tion and gender identity in areas like housing, employment, education, public accommodations, federally funded programs, credit, and jury service.

Gaetz also supported legislation to prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports and the ban on military service by transgender people that was enacted during the first Trump administration.

Brandon Wolf, national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, America’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization, shared a statement with the Washington Blade following the news of Gaetz’s nomination: “In nominating accused sexual predator and known conspiracy theorist Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump is making it clear that he intends to subvert the Department of Justice and weaponize the agency against people he deems as less than.”

CHRISTOPHER KANE

Congresswoman-elect SARAH MCBRIDE (Blade photo by Daniel Truitt)

MATT GAETZ speaks at the 2024 Republican National Convention. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

KEVIN NAFF

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

Weak Democrats like Jared Polis already caving

This is not the time to cave to Donald Trump and normalize his attacks on democracy and decency. Nor is it the time to throw the transgender community under the bus. Or to accept anti-vaxxers as head of Health & Human Services or dilettantes as defense secretary or credibly accused sex traffickers as attorney general.

Yet, here we are, and some prominent Democrats — like gay Colorado Gov. Jared Polis — are leading the charge to capitulation.

Polis last week said he is “excited” by Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to head HHS.

“He has helped us defeat vaccine mandates in Colorado in 2019 and will help make America healthy again by shaking up HHS and FDA,” Polis posted on X.

What madness is this? Is Polis afraid of incurring Trump’s wrath? Is he suffering from COVID amnesia? As a reminder, more than 14,000 Coloradans have died of COVID since 2020; that number would be exponentially higher if RFK Jr. had been running the show back then when he called COVID vaccines, “the deadliest vaccine ever made.” He falsely claims that vaccines lead to autism; that the FDA is poisoning the American people; and that HIV doesn’t cause AIDS. He has even asserted that chemicals in the drinking supply are impacting children’s gender identity.

So, of course, Trump would nominate him to run our country’s health system, or rather to dismantle it, jeopardizing the lives of untold numbers of Americans.

But that doesn’t explain why Polis is parroting MAGA nonsense about making “America healthy again.”

Polis is one of the wealthiest politicians in America, worth an estimated $400 million, according to the Denver Gazette. The money comes from his family’s investment in the impossibly cheesy, schmaltzy Blue Mountain Arts greeting card company that sold for nearly $800 million in 1999, a reminder that no one ever went broke underestimating the taste or intelligence of the American public.

So is Polis just falling in line behind Trump and his wealthy cohorts? Will leaders in the LGBTQ movement distance themselves and denounce this move? Don’t hold your breath. The Blade reached out to the Victory Fund for comment and so far has (predictably) received no response. Don’t expect our so-called advocates to attack Democrats, even the ones working to normalize Trump’s assault on democracy.

Sadly, Polis isn’t the only prominent Democrat ditching the LGBTQ community and even scapegoating us for Kamala Harris’s defeat.

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) told the New York Times last week that he doesn’t want his two daughters “getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete.”

Thankfully, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, a lesbian, promptly rebuked Moulton, noting, “It’s important in this moment that we not pick on particularly vulnerable children.” She’s right. Trans Americans are living in fear now; brave transgender service members are awaiting expulsion from the military. Trans people living in red states are already under severe attack. Texas lawmakers this week proposed banning all taxpayer money from funding “gender reassignment;” another bill would even allow children to sue drag performers.

We are living in dystopian times with draconian attacks on the most vulnerable among us. It will only get worse as Trump and his rogues’ gallery of criminals, incompetents, and demagogues assumes control of the government and turns it loose on the rest of us.

We need a strong Democratic resistance, especially with Republicans taking monopolistic control of the federal government. What we don’t need are myopic, selfish politicians like Polis and Moulton running for cover and normalizing this sick behavior. If they won’t fight these attacks, then they should get out of the way. We won’t overcome Trump by capitulating. We must start by fighting against these dangerous Cabinet nominees.

PETER ROSENSTEIN

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

Trump’s sick Cabinet picks

are no joke Democrats must unite and speak out now

When Matt Gaetz is nominated as Attorney General, Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Pete Hegseth, Secretary of the Department of Defense, it would appear a very sick joke is being played on the American people. But this isn’t a joke.

We can only hope and pray the Senate has a few rational members still willing to speak out in defense of the people. Even if not all of these jokers are confirmed, old and young alike will suffer. I am afraid for the children of America.

As we move forward, I truly believe many of the American voters who put this felon in office, will live to regret it as they will suffer more than anyone else. We are already seeing non-vaccinated children getting measles, at an alarming rate, and RFK Jr. thinks it’s OK not to vaccinate. We are seeing some Democrats like Jared Polis, governor of Colorado, defending him. I question what the hell Polis is thinking. He is someone I once respected. If our Democratic leaders can’t stick together, and denounce these horrendous nominations, in defense of their own constituents, we are truly in trouble.

Trump’s nominations are scaring the world. In the case of Tulsi Gabbard as DNI, the New York Times reported, “she has already stirred controversy over her criticism of President Joe Biden’s support for Ukraine, which has prompted some critics to accuse her of parroting Kremlin propaganda. She also spoke out against U.S. military intervention in the civil war in Syria under former President Barack Obama, and met in 2017 with Moscow-backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with whom Washington severed all diplomatic ties in 2012. The selection of Gabbard has raised alarm in the ranks of intelligence officers unsure of how tightly she holds some of her geopolitical views, whether she is misinformed or simply echoing Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ followers, one intelligence official said on condition of anonymity.”

There are two potential Cabinet officers who were charged with sexual impropriety of different kinds; Gaetz and Hegseth. Guess that makes them compatible with Trump, who has been found liable for sexual assault. So sick, so sad, for the nation. If Trump actually carries out some of his various threats, say the one regarding deportations, there will be many Latino men who voted for him, who might get a knock on their door from ICE looking for any immediate family members, relatives, or friends, who are undocumented. Then for the poor of any background, who voted for Trump believing he could lower prices on food and their rent; if Trump goes ahead with his promise of tariffs on all foreign goods, they will see the cost of everything they buy go up. Then for those voters who either are Palestinian, or support the Palestinian people, like those in Dearborn, Mich., who voted either for Trump, or a third party as a protest vote against the Biden administration, what will they do when Trump supports everything Israel does under Netanyahu, including annexing Gaza? Or when he reinstates his Muslim ban on new immigrants?

I feel for every person who will suffer under Trump, and that is everyone who isn’t white, rich, and Christian. It is the LGBTQ community, and women. For all those who fell for his lies, and believed the charlatan selling snake oil, and those of us who didn’t, we must all fear the jokers he is naming to his Cabinet. It is amazing we are at the point when the person named to be his Secretary of State, ‘little Marco,’ that is what Trump called him, actually looks reasonable compared to all the others. We are truly screwed.

Democrats need to unite and speak out now, and we need to prepare to fight the egregious things Trump will do. It was interesting to read the preparations being made to do so in a column in the New York Times, “Democrats Draw Up an Entirely New Anti-Trump Battle Plan” It talks about legal challenges to what Trump is doing rather than street protest. It talks about what Democratic governors are planning. Let’s hope it’s not too late.

But as we do that, we need to be ready to embrace those who voted for Trump, and will now find they are being screwed by him. We need to welcome them to reality, and work with them, if we are to save all of us.

In loving memory of CAROLEE BYRLEY 1964 -

2024

Carolee Byrley, age 60, passed away unexpectedly on October 30, 2024 in her home in Washington, D.C.

She died from complications of Type One diabetes.

Carolee was born on Sept. 2, 1964, in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida to Paul L. Byrley and Judith I. Byrley.

She graduated in 1982 from Winter Park High School in Winter Park, Florida and from college at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Carolee earned a law degree from Georgetown University Law School in Washington, D.C.

Carolee practiced law in Washington with specialization in contracts and mergers.

Carolee was predeceased by her father as well as by Eileen Garner, her loving life partner of 38 years. She is survived by her mother, Judith Ireland, stepfather, Jerrold Nussbaum, brother, John Byrley, sister-inlaw, Lena Byrley, brother, Jason Byrley, brother-in-law, Ben Byrley, and nephews, Jack and Alex Byrley.

Carolee was an active member of the Gay Recovery Community in Washington where she sponsored many people over the years. She recently received recognition for 40 years of sobriety and was living proof of the slogan, “Keep what you have by giving it away”. Her generosity and authenticity were shown through in all she did. There was not a bone in her body that was fake. And, as one of her friends described her, she was “the kindest person I have ever met.”

Though our lives are filled with a lifetime of happy memories, Carolee is deeply missed.

Carolee was deeply committed to her own dogs through the years, and to the care and protection of all rescue dogs, everywhere.

A celebration of Carolee’s life will be held on December 7 at 3:00 at Friends of Washington, 2111 Decatur Place, Washington, D.C. 20008, where we encourage those who knew her to share memories of her life. There will be a reception at Friends following the memorial.

In lieu of flowers, please give a donation to your local dog rescue organization, in Carolee’s name.

is a writer based in the D.C. area. He is a transgender man and was featured in National Geographic’s ‘Gender Revolution.’ He serves on the board of the LGBT Democrats of Virginia. Contact him at isaac.amend35@gmail.com or on Instagram at: @literatipapi

The post-election dangers we face

The horror that Trump’s presidency means for trans Americans like me

The election results were sobering. Donald Trump beat Kamala Harris with 312 electoral votes. Trump also won the popular vote by approximately four million — a feat that no one predicted and one that left pollsters and statisticians scrambling to put two and two together. By midnight on Nov. 8, the winner was becoming more and more clear, and it became increasingly delusional to think that Harris would win. On top of Trump’s presidential victory, the United States Senate has now gone red as well, with little chance of a filibuster opportunity. With both houses of Congress red, progressives face an uphill battle in restoring justice to American society.

The dangers we face as a nation are too many to count now. LGBTQ citizens will face more bullying, more discrimination, and more taunts from the other side of the aisle. It is also not a joke or stretch of the truth to state that more transgender youth will want to take their lives as a result of Trump’s win. Calls to the Trevor Project, for instance, skyrocketed by 700% in the wake of the election. The Trevor Project hosts a suicide hotline for LGBTQ people in crisis.

There are several circumstances that will make LGBTQ lives harder in the coming years. The first is state legislation mandating high schoolers use the bathroom of their gender assigned at birth. This means that transgender women in high school will still have to use the men’s room–something that will put them in grave danger and stress their mental wellbeing. The second is statewide legislation that will block gender affirming care to trans minors. As I have written about in the past, trans minors deserve access to hormone blockers and other treatments that will align them will their desired gender.

The third item that is cause for concern is Trump’s likely ban of transgender people from the military, again. Trump did this the first time around and he is likely to do it a second time. Banning transgender individuals from the military makes no sense, as they want to serve openly and with pride, and contribute to the defense ecosystem, making American and foreign streets safer. Trump claims that banning trans individuals from the military will lower healthcare costs since gender affirming care is expensive, not realizing that the military spends infinitely more on drugs like Viagra each year than it does on trans people.

The fourth danger we face is embedded in Trump’s Project 2025 plan. Project 2025, developed by the Heritage Foundation, is a blueprint for a conservative presidency that puts all of Trump’s cronies back into power and, at its very worst, lays the groundwork for “detainment camps” for illegal immigrants and others. Stephen Miller, a former Republican aide, is the chief mastermind behind the detainment camps of Project 2025. Miller was responsible for overseeing border protection and other immigrant-related issues in Trump’s first term. The detainment camps, at their very worst, lay a blueprint for Trump’s office to potentially put more citizens in them. Miller is making it possible for these camps to have room for 25 million people, which far exceeds the number of illegal immigrants that can be put within their walls.

Project 2025 offers a dystopian view of the world, and stems from dystopian thinking. Trump, at campaign rallies, has made reference to “transgender insanity” and “transgender operations on illegal aliens.” He is, in essence, using the transgender cause as a linchpin to make fun of and deride the LGBTQ community. Transgender individuals historically hold very little political power, so trampling on us is a way to score a few easy political points with conservative Republican voters.

Overall, a Trump presidency spells havoc for the trans community and gay and lesbian folk. If America, starting in 2024 or 2025, were to enter some sort of dystopian reality where we either partake in a World War III or find the need to attack some of our own citizens, there is a chance that trans citizens could be targeted and put into camps. Such a statement might seem radical at first, but, in the back of my mind it is a real possibility. Over conversations with friends, I joke about moving to Toronto, but that might not become a joke. Sometimes, the only way to move forward, though, is to laugh at the horror that this new presidency means for Americans like me.

DAY FROM 1-7PM * 3 course menu for $65 per person *

DINNER: LUNCH: HH: WED-SUN 3-10PM WED-FRI 11:30-2:30PM WED-FRI 2-6PM

HARRY BARBEE, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the loomber chool of ublic ealth at ohns op ins niversit and a nationall reco ni ed researcher in the area of health.

RFK Jr. as HHS secretary spells trouble for trans healthcare

advocac roups

must stand in vigilant opposition

Recent reports have brought to light President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. If successful, this nomination could mean major setbacks for transgender healthcare across the country. With a record that includes opposin ender affirmin healthcare for minors and e pressin un founded views about the causes of transgender identity, Kennedy’s potential leadership at HHS would be a worrying development for transgender people.

n recent statements enned has voiced stron opposition to ender affirmin care for minors, which includes puberty blockers and hormone therapy. He has argued that minors are not capable of making decisions about treatments that have long-term consequences. Yet, the widely accepted standard for decision ma in re ardin ender affirmin care for minors is that it should involve close supervision and guidance from parents or guardians, medical providers, and mental health counselors. While framed as a call for caution, RFK’s position effectively ignores the overwhelming consensus among medical and public health e perts that ender affirmin care is both safe and essential to the well bein of man transgender youth. Medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the merican edical ssociation have emphasi ed that ender affirmin care when provided in a supportive and professional environment can si nificantl reduce rates of depression an iet and suicide amon trans ender minors. loc in access to such care would mean compromising the mental health and safety of countless young people.

Kennedy has gone further describin ender affirmin care in in ammator terms li e “chemical castration” and “surgical mutilation.” These characterizations are not only factuall misleadin but also profoundl harmful. he realit is that most ender affirmin services for minors are non-surgical and involve reversible interventions like puberty blockers. Studies have found that surgical options are rarely considered before adulthood and only after e tensive evaluation b medical professionals. usin such loaded and sensationali ed language, Kennedy has perpetuated harmful stereotypes about transgender healthcare and fueled public misunderstanding of these medically recognized treatments. His rhetoric not only stigmatizes transgender individuals but also encourages efforts to restrict access to care, creating barriers for those who need support.

Additionally, Kennedy has repeatedly raised concerns that e posure to certain chemicals mi ht be in uencin se ual orientation and ender identit . hese comments referencin a widely debunked theory that chemicals in water might “turn frogs gay,” ignore the comple ities of ender se ualit and human identit and are not based on credible science. f he were to lead this pseudo scientific rhetoric could shape public health policies that stigmatize transgender identities and de-legitimize the real healthcare needs of transgender individuals.

The Department of Health and Human Services plays a key role in ensuring access to healthcare and protecting patient rights. These responsibilities include enforcing anti-discrimination measures that have been hard won b the communit . nder the rump administration, many transgender rights, including in healthcare, were rolled back, and the prospect of Kennedy leading HHS threatens to deepen these setbacks. His suggested policies could lead to diminished funding and support for inclusive healthcare initiatives and dismantle essential protections that currently allow transgender people to seek healthcare without fear of discrimination.

For transgender individuals, the implications of this appointment are profound. Access to competent and affirmin healthcare is alread a si nificant challen e in the . . with man trans ender people e periencin outright discrimination from healthcare providers or stru lin to find providers who understand their needs. nder enned s leadership HHS could worsen these issues, shifting the focus away from inclusion and medically sound practices and toward policies that may actively harm transgender people. This potential harm to a vulnerable community should invoke a sense of empathy and a call to action in all of us.

f rump proceeds with this appointment it will be crucial for or ani ations allies and the public to stand together in vigilant opposition. Any policies that seek to limit access to care for trans ender mericans should be met with unified and vocal resistance. rans gender rights and healthcare equity are fundamental to a just society, and it is only through collective action that we can ensure they are not compromised.

Delightful dishes and cool cocktails are at least one guaranteed way to bring joy to Thanksgiving when the season may look challenging. This year, we asked prominent local LGBTQ chefs, mixologists, sommeliers, and restaurateurs to offer recipes and suggestions for Thanksgiving this year.

Jamie Leeds, Hank’s Oyster Bar

This recipe is the ultimate ode to Chesapeake Bay oysters, using both the oyster and its juice (known as the liquor) to season the stuffing. Leeds is a pioneer in the restaurant industry in Washington, D.C., and was also a a former Washington Blade Most Eligible Single.

Chesapeake Oyster Stuffing

(8 servings)

1 pint (approx. 24) Shucked Chesapeake oysters with liquor

1 cup Celery, small dice

1 cup Yellow onion, small dice

1 stick Butter

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1/8 tsp Tarragon, fresh

1/8 tsp Thyme, fresh

1/2 tsp Lemon juice

4 Cups Bread, day old, 1”cubes

3 Tbsp Parsley, fresh, chopped

2 Each Eggs, beaten with 2 T water

Steps:

Strain oysters, reserving their liquid. Place oysters in a large mixing bowl with the cubed bread. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat the inside of a 2-quart (or slightly larger) baking dish with cooking spray. In a 10-inch sauté pan, melt the butter and add celery and onions. Cook on medium heat until vegetables are tender, about five minutes. Add salt, thyme, tarragon and Old Bay seasoning, stir to incorporate. Add reserved oyster liquor and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to

Local LGBTQ chefs share favorite Thanksgiving recipes

Happy holidays from Jamie Leeds, Mr. Bake, Patrick O’Connell and more

By EVAN CAPLAN

room temperature. Once cool pour over oysters and bread. Mix gently until moistened.

Gently fold in the eggs, lemon juice and parsley until fully incorporated. Transfer to the baking dish, cover and bake for about 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until top is browned. Can be prepared 1-2 days in advance and kept refrigerated before baking. Tip: If you do not have day-old bread, place cubed bread on a baking sheet and put in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes until the bread is crusty on the outside. Let cool completely before adding oysters.

Mr. Bake’s Award-Winning Banana Pudding

Kareem “Mr. Bake” Queeman is famous for not only his fabulous presence on social media and reality TV, but also his Banana Pudding, which is the perfect addition to your holiday table. In this recipe, the James Beard semifinalist baker and owner of Mr. Bake Sweets shares his award-winning banana pudding recipe that helped Kareem win his first-ever competition as a baker (the first of many!), and showcase it on the “Kelly Clarkson Show” this past Easter. This is Kareem’s variation on a Southern family recipe passed down by his late aunt Janet Wills.

This holiday dessert is a delicious combination of easy to find and affordable grocery store ingredients, and even includes an option to use store-bought pudding mix if you’re in a time crunch (just make sure to save time to put your pudding in the fridge). Just keep in mind that you’ll need to chilled a bowl in advance and a standard mixer to make sure you get that perfect fluffy texture in the pudding. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, you can make a homemade whipped topping or spring for store-bought in a pinch to add as a final topping on your pudding. Serve in bowls or eat it straight out of the bowl (we won’t judge) this pudding is sure to impress all season long.

Technique Tip:

• Make sure you chill your bowl and mixer attachments before whipping your heavy cream into cream. This helps ensure the heavy cream whips up nice and high, and won’t take as much time.

• Make sure the bowl isn’t touching the water when placing your custard bowl over the double boiler. You’re using just the steam to cook, dissolve and double your custard in volume.

• Temper your eggs into the cream make sure you add about a cup of

the hot into the egg mixture. This helps make sure you don’t cook and scramble eggs.

Swap Option:

• You can use all heavy cream or whole milk for Half and Half. (Half and Half is equal parts heavy cream and whole milk)

• You can use Cool Whip if you don’t have heavy cream to make whipped cream (use about 3 to 4 cups of Cool Whip)

Serving Size: Serves 12 to 15 people

Yield: Makes about 5 to 6 cups of custard.

Prep Time: Custard 6-8 minutes for cook and prep, 2 hour- overnight for chilling 3-6 minutes to whip and blend in custard into the sweeten whipped cream 6-10 minutes to assemble

30 min chill time in the fridge once everything is layered

Cook Time: 6-8 minutes

Serve and keep chilled and enjoy.

Hand mixer/stand mixer

Banana Pudding Trifle (From Scratch)

• 8 large egg yolks

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 6 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3 cups half & half

• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 14 oz can condensed milk

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 3 tablespoon confectioners sugar

• Vanilla wafer cookies 3 to 5 standard boxes (Nabisco preferred)

• 4-5 large bananas, sliced

• Optional: Whipped cream for topping

Preparation:

1. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt until well blended. The mixture will be thick and pale in color. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat the half & half to a rolling boil (do not actually boil). Remove pot from the heat.

3. Whisk 1 cup of the half and half into the egg-yolk mixture. Mix until combined, then whisk in the rest of the half and half.

4. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water in the pot). Cook and whisk constantly, until the mixture has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.

5. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in vanilla until combined. Let the mixture sit and cool, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Whisk in the butter until it is melted and the pudding is smooth and silky.

7. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly

on top of the pudding and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes to an hour.

8. Whisk in the condensed milk and chill for 2 hours or overnight.

9. In the bowl of a standard mixer, use the whisk attachment to whip the heavy cream on medium speed until it starts to thicken. Add the sugar and beat until the cream holds stiff peaks. (Whipped cream should stand straight up and stand in place when you remove your attachments.

10. Add the chilled pudding custard to the sweetened whipped cream, gently folding it into each other.

11. To assemble the trifle, spoon 1/3 of the pudding into a glass trifle bowl. Top with sliced bananas then wafer cookies. Repeat this process ending with custard at the top, then add fresh sliced bananas, crushed wafer cookies and fresh whipped cream (optional) as décor.

Executive Chef Harley Peet, Bas Rouge

As a longtime resident of the Eastern Shore and an avid waterman, seafood naturally takes center stage in Peet’s dishes. Holidays conjure warmth, and the very essence of comfort food is the pot pie. On the Eastern Shore, where salty air mingles with generations of watermen’s tales, the choice was clear. Sweet, tender lobster and delicate sea scallops elevate this timeless classic, where rustic tradition meets refined flavor and presentation in a dish that captures a sense of place.

Scallop and Lobster Pot Pie on a Scallop Shell

Yield: 4 servings

• 1 sheet puff pastry, cut into quarter-size circles

• 1 each egg

• 1 tablespoon milk

• 5 slices smokey bacon, cut into halfinch pieces

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup celery, small diced

• 1/2 cup onion, small diced

• 1/2 cup carrots, small diced

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 quart heavy whipping cream, cold

• To taste pepper, freshly ground

• To taste lemon, juiced

• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

• 1 each lemon, sliced into wedges

• Salt to taste

• 4 each large sea scallops, raw and sliced into quarters [ask for scallop shells]

• 2 each [2.5 lbs.] steamed lobster, diced into half inch pieces

• Parmesan cheese, grated, to taste

CONTINUES ON PAGE 24

JAMIE LEEDS of Hank’s Oyster Bar shares her recipe for Chesapeake Oyster Stuffing. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Local LGBTQ chefs share favorite Thanksgiving recipes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg and add the milk to create an egg wash. Place the quarter-size circles of puff pastry on a baking sheet and brush the puff pastry with the egg wash. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown. Set the puff pastry aside.

Brown the bacon in a heavy-bottom Dutch oven or saucepan, such as Le Creuset or Staub. Once the bacon is browned, remove it from the Dutch oven and set it aside. Do not discard the bacon fat. Add the butter to the bacon fat in the Dutch oven. Add the celery, onion, and carrot to the pot, and sweat out the vegetables until they are translucent and soft. Take the Dutch oven with the vegetables off of the heat and sprinkle the flour over the vegetables to make a roux. Return the Dutch oven with the roux to the stove over medium heat. Add the cold heavy whipping cream and whisk to remove roux balls. Season the mixture with freshly ground pepper, to taste, and a squeeze of lemon juice, to taste, for a bit of acidity. Simmer the mixture until it gets thick. Once the mixture has thickened, remove it from the heat. Fold in the scallops and lobster into the mixture. Grate the Parmesan cheese into the mixture and stir to incorporate all ingredients. Set the mixture aside, and let it cool in the refrigerator. To note – the mixture can be made up to a couple of days in advance and kept in the refrigerator. (Add the seafood after to extend the lifetime of the mixture or use it immediately.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange the scallop shell on a flat baking tray. If needed, arrange with some salt or oven-safe ware to hold the shells upright, in order to keep them from tipping over and losing the topping mixture [they will not fall or warp]. Scoop a [generous] tablespoon of the cold mixture into a scallop shell and top it with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown, or approximately 6-8 minutes. Top each stuffed scallop shell with a pre-baked puff pastry round. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

Chef Patrick O’Connell, Inn at Little Washington

Chef Patrick O’Connell, renowned for his three Michelin stars at The Inn at Little Washington, is excited to share one of his beloved recipes for the holiday season.

For nearly four decades, a shot of this soup was served as the first course on The Inn at Little Washington’s tasting menu during the winter months. This beloved classic from Chef Patrick O’Connell found a new life at Patty O’s Café and has been touted as “The world’s most refined version of bean soup.” Pureeing the beans

and adding a touch of cream makes for a delicate soup, but all the hearty flavors remain intact. The best of both worlds, and a perfect beginning for a fall or cold weather dinner.

White Bean Soup with Virginia Country Ham Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1/2 pound dried Cannellini or Great Northern Beans

• 5 strips of bacon

• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

• 5 leeks, chopped and thoroughly cleaned

• 1 cup chopped celery

• 4 bay leaves

• 4 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade

• 1 ham bone (optional)

• 2 cups heavy cream

• Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

• Optional garnishes: shaved country ham; fresh cream, whipped; cracked black pepper; minced chives

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, cover the beans with cool water and soak overnight.

2. In an 8 quart stock pot, cook the bacon over medium high heat until browned. Add the onion, leeks, celery, and bay leaves and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the stock pot along with the heated stock and ham bone (if using). Simmer until the beans are very soft, about 1 hour.

4. Remove the ham bone and bay leaves from the soup. Puree the soup in small batches in a blender or food processor and strain.

5. Return the soup to the heat and add the cream. If the soup is too thick, add more stock or cream. Season with salt and cayenne.

6. At Patty O’s Café, we pour the soup tableside over a bed of shaved local Virginia ham, and garnish with fresh cream whipped with cracked black pepper and fresh chives.

Jonathan Dearden, KNEAD Corporate Chef

KNEAD, one of the largest D.C.-based restaurant groups, is owned by gay couple Jason Berry and Michael Reginbogin.

Chef Dearden’s favorite recipe from the Succotash Prime menu that is perfect for Thanksgiving: “Gochujang Brussels Sprouts on our Succotash Prime menu is one of my favorite unique Thanksgiving sides. At the restaurant we fry in the deep fryer. This recipe has been adjusted to use an Air Fryer.”

Air Fried Gochujang Brussels Sprouts Gochujang Vinaigrette

• 380g gochujang (hot)

• 150g orange juice

• 20g garlic, minced

• 30g ginger, minced

• 20g Fresno chilies, finely chopped

• 100g lime juice

• 100g rice wine vinegar

• 10g salt

• 750g canola or vegetable oil (approx. 1 quart)

In a blender or food processor, combine gochujang, orange juice, garlic, ginger, Fresno chilies, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, and salt. Blend until smooth.

With the blender running, slowly stream in the canola or vegetable oil to emulsify. Adjust seasoning if needed.

For Plate-Up

• 500g Brussels sprouts (about 1 pint)

• 50g gochujang vinaigrette

• 15g garlic chili crunch

• 3g sesame seeds (white and black, mixed)

• 3g scallions, sliced

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat air fryer to 400°F (200°C).

Toss the Brussels sprouts with a small amount of oil (just enough to lightly coat them) and season with a pinch of salt.

Place the Brussels sprouts in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until the sprouts are golden brown and crispy.

Transfer the air-fried Brussels sprouts to a large bowl. Drizzle with 50g of the gochujang vinaigrette, tossing lightly to coat but keeping them crispy. Season with salt and black pepper as needed.

Plate the Brussels sprouts in a serving bowl and garnish with garlic chili crunch, sesame seeds, and sliced scallions.

Anthony Aligo, Barkada Wine Bar

Aligo Aligo and business partners Nich-

olas Guglietta and Nathan Fisher, all gay men, founded their cozy wine bar in late 2020. They are offering two recipes this season: mushroom stuffing and a cranberry royale drink.

Mushroom Stuffing

This savory and earthy dish is perfect for Thanksgiving, featuring tender mushrooms, aromatic herbs, and hearty bread. It’s an excellent alternative or complement to traditional stuffing, especially for vegetarians or mushroom lovers. The dish balances rich flavors and comforting textures, making it a great side that pairs well with other Thanksgiving favorites like turkey, gravy, and cranberry sauce. With its umami depth and seasonal ingredients, this stuffing brings warmth and variety to the holiday table.

Ingredients:

• 12 cups of one-inch dried bread cubes or dried stuffing mix

• 1/2 cup salted butter

• 2 onions

• 1 cup celery

• 1 clove garlic

• 1/2 lb of your favorite mushrooms

• 2 cups chicken or turkey broth

• 1/3 cup fresh parsley

• 2 tsp fresh rosemary Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms, onions, celery and minced garlic. Cook until tender. Pour in chicken/turkey stock. Add minced parsley and rosemary and salt and pepper to your liking. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Add bread cubes to a large bowl. Pour the mixture in a bowl and mix. Stuffing should be moist but not mushy. If not moist enough, add water.

Grease a 2-quart baking dish. Add stuffing. Bake for 40-50 minutes at 375 until stuffing is slightly browned on top.

Cranberry Royale

This drink is a festive and refreshing cocktail, perfect for Thanksgiving celebrations. With a blend of tart cranberry juice, a hint of orange, and a splash of dry Lambrusco, it offers a beautiful balance of flavors and a light, sparkling finish. The cranberry brings a seasonal twist, while the Lambrusco adds effervescence, making it an ideal aperitif to start the holiday. Its bright red hue adds a festive touch to the Thanksgiving table, celebrating the flavors and colors of the season.

• 0.5 oz Vodka

• 0.5 oz Orange Juice

• 1.5 oz Cranberry Juice

• 3.0 oz Lambrusco (dry)

Shake the cranberry, orange, and vodka with ice, and strain into a flute or coupe. Top with Lambrusco and garnish with orange peel.

Acclaimed chef PATRICK O’CONNELL recommends serving his famous White Bean Soup with Virginia Country Ham this holiday season. (Washington Blade file photo by Joey DiGuglielmo)

Friday, November 22

CALENDAR |

“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+ Community Social in the City” at 7 p.m. at Courtyard Dupont Circle. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Trans Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is intended to provide emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org.

Saturday, November 23

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. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 11 a.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black Lesbian. For more details, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org.

Sunday, November 24

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.

OUT & ABOUT

Have a gay Thanksgiving with Go Gay DC

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Thanksgiving Dinner” on Thursday, Nov. 28 at 4 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant.  This fun annual event brings the LGBTQ community together for delicious food and conversation. It’s free to attend (no cover). You simply pay for whatever you order on your own separate credit card; there’s no group tab to worry about.

For more details, visit Eventbrite.

LGBTQ+ Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be held on Thursday, Nov. 28 at 4 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant.

By TINASHE CHINGARANDE

Monday, November 25

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. The book for November’s meeting is “Always the Almost” by Edward Underhill. For more details, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org.

Tuesday, November 26

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 genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.

Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This 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.

Wednesday, November 27

Thanksgiving Meal Pickup at the DC Center will be at 12 p.m. These are individually packaged meals, provided in partnership with Wegman’s and will be available for pickup on 11/26 & 11/27. Meals include roasted turkey raised without antibiotics served with whipped potatoes, herb stuffing, butternut squash with baby spinach & dried cranberries, cranberry orange relish, and gravy. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.

Thursday, November 28

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. To be fair with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org or call 202-682-2245.

‘Summer 1976’ a compelling exploration of women’s friendships

Holly Twyford returns for 14th show at Studio Theatre

By PATRICK FOLLIARD

No one is just one thing.

That’s a sometimes-forgotten point made quickly and succinctly in David Auburn’s memory play “Summer 1976.”

Now at Studio Theatre, the thoroughly satisfying two-hander tracks the unlikely friendship of Alice (Holly Twyford) and Diana (Kate Eastwood Norris), two very different women who meet as young mothers during the Bicentennial summer.

Diana, an educator and artist, is the gimlet-eyed observer. She makes speedy, decisive judgments ranging from knocking Alice’s middlebrow summer reading (bestsellers “Shogun” and “Coma”) and impossibly messy house to negatively noting her little girl’s incessantly runny nose and even her name – Holly.

Conversely, Alice is a laid-back stay-at-home mom, spending the summer sunbathing in the backyard, watching her daughter splash in the kiddie pool while Merle, a reportedly cute but unseen grad student, paints her house. Inside, husband Doug (also unseen) an economics professor at Ohio State, toils at his desk in hopes of securing tenure in the fall.

It’s the women’s young daughters who bring them together. During a play date at Diana’s studiously tasteful home, uninhibited Alice boldly pulls out a joint, and Diana enthusiastically joins in. As the girls play, the women bond over weed and Diana’s delicious leftover cassoulet. Alice is impressed. At this point it seems there is nothing Diana can’t do well.

Phone calls and visits ensue. They talk about life, art, and relationships. Alice makes it clear that she’s read Virginia Woolf and George Eliot, etc.; she knows good literature. In fact, she was immersed in it before leaving school to marry her husband. In turn, Diana comes out as a single mother buoyed by family money. Her job isn’t particularly prestigious, and all of her paintings remain unfinished.

For them, that famous summer can be marked by a series of events: there was the memorable kids’ first play date, a trip to Cleveland to buy a piece of furniture, Diana’s vicious migraine, and various fireworks displays and parades. But the burgeoning relationship takes a turn when one of the women asks the other whether she’s happy. While the loaded inquiry doesn’t kill the friendship, it definitely has a chilling effect.

Auburn, who’s best known for “Proof” — the Pulitzer- and Tony-winning family drama that explores the relationship between brilliance and madness — offers up a real examination of friendship, particularly women’s friendships at a time when the culture was changing rapidly.

The two characters recall and live the moments with

alternating monologues and dialogues. Sometimes it feels as if there are more than two actors on stage. For instance, with just a slight change of voice and posture, Norris briefly slips into the role of Doug. Like everything about this production, it’s done with subtlety and skill.

Ever so capably staged by Vivienne Benesch (making Studio debut) with a superbly selected cast, the play is a pleasure to experience. Twyford and Norris, equally adept at comedy and drama, hold the audience’s rapt interest for 90 minutes of intermission-less nonstop talk.

And the design team is a dream. Set designer Lee Savage’s elegant vision includes a raised circle of parquet flooring, a pair of Breuer chairs and block end tables, all in a medium brown wood that suggests the 1970s. Backing the stage is a wall of wooden squares, the perfect surfaces for Stefania Bulbarella’s projections of modern, painterly colors.

With “Summer 1976,” out actor Twyford returns for her 14th show at Studio and marks her ninth collaboration with Norris. An outstanding past production featuring the pair comes to mind — Folger Theatre’s “Mary Stuart” (2015), another memorable piece in which characters are defined by both differences and shared dissatisfactions. Near the play’s end, Alice and Diana meet by chance at a 2003 Klee retrospective in New York. It’s a little wistful but nothing overwrought. It’s a moment for the characters and the audience to measure friendships lost and found.

‘Summer 1976’ Through Dec. 22 | Studio Theatre 1501 14th St., N.W. | $40-$95 | Studiotheatre.org

HOLLY TWYFORD and KATE EASTWOOD NORRIS in ‘Summer 1976.’

(Photo by Margot Schulman)

5 films about queer resistance to inspire you for the fight ahead

Lessons on activism and resilience that seem more crucial than ever

By JOHN PAUL KING

In times of trouble, movies can offer us a chance – temporarily, at least – to escape our worries. Sometimes, though, escape is not the answer. When the political climate turns stormy, they can also be a lifeline, connecting us with our history and helping us to clarify where we’ve been, where we need to go, and how we might manage to get there. With that in mind, here’s a list of great movies about LGBTQ activism, each with particular relevance to the cultural challenges we face as America braces itself for another round of Trumpism – because besides educating us about our past, they have the power to inspire us as we prepare to fight for our future.

Pride (2014)

Perhaps ironically, the first title (and only non-documentary) on our list is not an American tale, but a true story from the UK, a fictionalized chronicle of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) – a group of LGBTQ activists who allied with striking coal miners in Thatcher-era Britain. Directed by Matthew Warchus and written by Stephen Beresford, it balances humor and gravitas as it follows a young, still-closeted student (George MacKay) and his involvement with a group of queer activists who decide to raise money to support Welsh miners impacted by the British Mining Strike of 1984. Despite initial hostility from the miners, a coalition is forged that lends strength to both causes, ultimately leading to the incorporation of gay and lesbian rights into the official Labour Party platform. An infectiously thrilling portrayal of the transformative power of solidarity, it’s a film that exemplifies the importance of intersectionality and the need for diverse marginalized communities to unite and take collective action against oppression. The message? We are stronger together than we are apart. Also starring Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, and Andrew Scott, it’s as entertaining as it is inspiring, a “feel-good” movie that also fires us up to stand firm against the forces of bigotry and repression.

The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)

No, we’re not dissing Gus Van Sant’s excellent 2008 biopic “Milk,” featuring Sean Penn’s star turn in the title role and Dustin Lance Black’s eloquent screenplay (both of which snagged Oscars), but for our purposes here, this documentary from director Rob Epstein – which won an Oscar itself – provides a less romanticized account of Milk’s life and work. The first openly gay elected official in California, he successfully fought against the discriminatory “Briggs Initiative” (famously championed by beauty-queenturned-OJ-spokesmodel Anita Bryant), which sought to ban gay teachers in public schools, something that feels particularly relevant during a time when conservative American politicians are aggressively working to remove LGBTQ content from schools and erode queer representation in politics. Though his 1978 assassination alongside San Francisco Mayor George Moscone (by fellow City Supervisor and political rival Dan White) is probably a more familiar piece of history in the public imagination today, it’s

the groundbreaking LGBTQ advocacy he spearheaded that forms the centerpiece of his enduring legacy, something that the tragedy of his martyrdom should not be allowed to overshadow. This moving, intimate documentary – which weaves archival footage and interviews into a compelling narrative about the intersections of politics and identity, reminds us of the stakes when marginalized voices go unrepresented by our legislators, and features narration from queer icon Harvey Fierstein – provides a more detailed and authentic look at the great work he accomplished during his short tenure than Van Sant’s fictionalized historical drama.

How to Survive a Plague (2012)

If any film on our list should be considered a “must-see,” it’s this widely acclaimed documentary from filmmaker David France, which chronicles the activism of ACT UP and TAG during the height of the AIDS epidemic. Through archival footage and testimonials, it follows the real-life activists who fought for medical treatments and government accountability in a time when their community was suffering a devastating loss, highlighting key figures like Peter Staley and Larry Kramer and providing a powerful portrait of a relentless advocacy effort that turned despair into action. With its themes of grassroots activism and equitable public health care, France’s auspicious directorial debut resonates deeply in today’s world, as queer communities face challenges in access to gender-affirming care and reproductive rights; seeing the tactics used by organizations like ACT UP to hold institutions accountable, modern activists can gain valuable insights about how to conduct strategic resistance against legislative attacks and discriminatory policies in public health care.

Call Me Kuchu (2012)

Not as well-known but equally resonant as the other films on our list, this doc from directors Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall follows LGBTQ activists in Uganda, a country where homosexuality is criminalized, centering around the story of David Kato – the self-proclaimed “first gay man in Uganda.”After returning home from South Africa, where he “discovered gay life” for the first time, he started a non-profit LGBTQ organization (Sexual Minorities Uganda) to “spread the word about homosexuality” and track instances of homophobia in his country; he went on to became a fearless advocate for queer rights, facing immense personal and legal persecution before ultimately losing his life to anti-gay violence. The film also tracks efforts by the Ugandan government to pass the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which was partially orchestrated through the influence of U.S.-based Christian conservatives at a workshop funded by the American fast-food chain Chik-fil-A, and was condemned internationally as the “Kill the Gays Bill,” due to its inclusion of a death penalty clause. Though its focus is on an African nation, the film has clear relevance to the global struggle for queer acceptance, warning against the advancement of anti-LGBTQ ideologies by hate groups “protecting traditional values” under the guise of religion, and reminding us of how the fight for queer rights is interconnected worldwide.

Paris Is Burning (1990)

Jennie Livingston’s documentary delving into New York City’s drag ball culture of the 1980s is now iconic, a celebrated queer classic that immortalizes a deeply influential social scene and illuminates the lives of Black and Latino queer individuals as they try to navigate systemic racism, homophobia, and poverty, with an emphasis on their artistry, their resilience, and the “chosen families” they gather around themselves. Featuring a host of ballroom legends (Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, Venus Xtravaganza, and more), it reveals stories of both triumph and tragedy while amplifying the experience of queer joy; it would later provide inspiration for Ryan Murphy’s groundbreaking series “Pose” – but more importantly, this essential LGBTQ classic highlights the inequities that persist in society today, when drag culture faces legislative attacks and trans women of color continue to be disproportionately targeted by violence,

Each of these films offers essential insights on queer resistance, illuminating the ongoing struggles and triumphs of LGBTQ communities. As we face a reinvigorated attack on queer rights under a hostile administration, they offer us lessons on solidarity, activism, and resilience that suddenly seem more crucial than ever.

Watch and learn, children, because you might now be our only hope.

An unlikely alliance leads to triumph in ‘Pride.’ (Image courtesy Pathé - BBC Films)

New book examines queer behavior among animals

‘A Little Queer Natural History’ reminds us of the facts of life

By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

When you were a small child, someone taught you about the birds and the bees.

It might’ve been a parent or other adult who explained where babies come from, or another kid who filled your head with scary, exciting things that you believed until you learned better. However you learned the facts of life, it changed you forever and in the new book, “A Little Queer Natural History” by Josh L. Davis, there’s more to the wild story. You are not alone. Just look around.

All kinds of creatures share the planet with us but, in the same way that you shouldn’t judge a person at first glance, you can’t jump to conclusions about those creatures. That’s especially true with sexual behavior. While we can’t rightly attribute human feelings or intentions to them – animals likely don’t understand gay from straight – we may assume “that most species of animal probably exhibit some form of queer behaviour.”

Take birds, for instance: early 20th century explorers noted the Adelie penguin for its male-male partnering activity. Female Western gulls often raise their chicks with female partners. Female pheasants may “present as males” if their estrogen is depleted.

As for mammals, Western lowland gorillas and bonobos both engage in sexual activity with either sex. Domestic sheep, hyenas, and giraffes also “could be considered to have a sexuality that we would define as homosexual or bisexual.”

And “When it comes to sex in plants,” says Davis, “all bets

are off.”

Komodo dragons can reproduce through parthenogenesis, or without fertilization. Parrot fish are able to change sex if they need to. Morpho butterflies are gynandromorphs, having “both male and female tissue within... a single individual.” Castrated male cane toads will develop egg cells due to a “Bidder’s organ.” Even dinosaurs are included in this book.

“Despite sex often being viewed as a fundamental for life on Earth,” says Davis, “there is still a lot we don’t know about it and scientists are constantly learning more.”

When you first get “A Little Queer Natural History” in your hands, you’ll notice how whisper-thin it feels. Don’t let that fool you; the pages may be light, but what you’ll find is not.

Author Josh L. Davis stuffs each entry tight with real scientific information, and he uses actual scientific terms to do it. There’s zero dumbing-down in that, but Davis is quick to explain terms and ideas, which helps readers to completely understand what’s here. For sure, you’ll feel like a smartypants as you make your way through this book.

Readers, however, may scratch their heads and wonder why some of the entries are included – it may be a stretch to include fossilized creatures or male animals that care for their offspring, for instance. Chances are, though, that you’ll be so captured by the knowledge contained in each short chapter that you won’t mind.

“A Little Queer Natural History” is a smart book, perfect for quick reads at random at this busy time of year. If that’s what you need now, enjoying it’s a fact of life.

‘A

Little Queer Natural History’

By Josh L. Davis

c.2024, University of Chicago Press | $16 | 128 pages

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

TAKE 6

Sunday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m.

One of America’s foremost pianists performs Beethoven

CANADIAN BRASS

Making Spirits Bright

Saturday, Nov. 30 at 8 p.m.

An “unbeatable blend of virtuosity, spontaneity and humor” (Washington Post)

The most awarded a cappella group in history presents a gospel-infused holiday concert

SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS

Saturday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m.

Swing into the holiday season with this platinum-selling jazz-rock band

FALL SALE Save 25% o all trees, shrubs & perennials in November.

SAVE 20% o all pottery (terra cotta excluded)

M-F 8am-7pm Sat 9am-6pm Sun 10am-5pm

One of a kind. Now two.

Ultra-equipped, finely appointed, meticulously kept apartment homes available now in Lanham, Maryland’s new Harkins District.

+ Studio, one- and two-bedroom apartment homes, featuring open floor plans

+ Gourmet kitchens, including quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances

+ Hardwood-inspired flooring and spa-inspired baths

+ Washer and dryer in each apartment

+ TWO Resort-style saltwater pools with cabanas

+ TWO Rooftop bars with lounge seating

+ TWO Clubrooms with billiards

+ TWO Conference and co-working spaces

+ TWO Fitness centers

+ Pet-friendly and pet-free living options

+ Garage parking available for all residents

+ 1.5 blocks to New Carrollton Metro and Amtrak

+ Monthly social resident events

Your holiday home journey

Real estate decisions often tap into our deeper desires for connection

By VALERIE M. BLAKE

Thanksgiving and real estate share an essential theme: the importance of home. It is traditionally a time of gratitude, togetherness, and reflection. While its hallmark symbols may include turkey dinners, family gatherings, and autumnal décor, it also invites us to think deeply about our values and who and what we hold dear.

For some people, the family home connotes a place of safety, comfort, and community. For others, visiting with family over the holiday can be a contentious and stressful ordeal best avoided. Countless of my friends have severed toxic relationships that can rival an exploding, deep-fried turkey. They have opted instead for dining out or hosting a gathering of food and football with like-minded people.

During Thanksgiving, the idea of “home” becomes particularly poignant. It is more than just a physical structure; it’s where people gather, memories are made, and traditions are passed down. For those involved in real estate — whether as professionals or as individuals embroiled in the market — this emotional dimension of home is a driving force.

When buying a house, it’s not just about square footage or the number of bedrooms. It’s about envisioning a Thanksgiving dinner in the dining room, imagining children playing in the backyard, or hosting friends in the cozy living space. Real estate decisions often tap into our deeper desires for connection, stability, and legacy — values closely tied to the spirit of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving falls in the quieter part of the real estate calendar, with spring and summer being the traditionally hot seasons for buying and selling. Yet, for those who choose to list their homes in November, the holiday offers unique opportunities. Sellers can use Thanksgiving’s warm, inviting atmosphere to their advantage, staging homes with seasonal touches like autumn wreaths, a cornucopia of fruits and nuts, the sparkle of a dining room chandelier, and the scent of freshly baked pies.

A well-decorated home during this time can evoke an emotional connection with potential buyers. A cozy environment can help them imagine spending their future holidays in that very space. Additionally, homes listed during the Thanksgiving season often face less competition, as fewer properties are on the market. This can lead to more serious offers from motivated buyers. For buyers, Thanksgiving can function as a reminder of why they are on the hunt for a new home in the first place. Perhaps they are looking for a bigger space for a growing family. They may be downsizing to retire or to simplify life. They might be looking for home to accommodate both children and aging parents simultaneously. The holiday season underscores the importance of finding a home that aligns with lifestyle needs

and future goals.

In our tight real estate market, buyers still face challenges such as limited inventory and higher interest rates; however, Thanksgiving encourages a shift in perspective. It’s a time to focus on gratitude for what is within reach — whether it’s finding a starter home, securing a dream property, or taking incremental steps toward long-term, financial goals.

Interestingly, Thanksgiving weekend has become an increasingly popular time for real estate research. Families can gather around the table and begin discussing the future, including moving to a new city, upgrading their home, or purchasing an investment property. Digital tools like web searches and virtual tours can help buyers and sellers stay connected to the real estate market without disrupting their Thanksgiving traditions.

Whether you are buying or selling, Thanksgiving offers an opportunity to reflect on the role of gratitude in real estate. For buyers, it’s about being thankful for the chance to find a home that meets their needs, even if the journey is challenging. For sellers, it’s a moment to appreciate the memories made in a home while looking forward to new opportunities.

For real estate agents and other industry professionals, Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude to clients and colleagues, build stronger relationships, and highlight the human aspect of a business often driven by transactions alone.

If you are staying put this Thanksgiving, you have a chance to celebrate your current home, no matter its size or condition. Simple gestures like decorating with fall colors, rearranging furniture for a cozy feel, or preparing a special meal can deepen your connection to your space. Inviting neighbors, friends, or family to share in the festivities can reinforce the sense of community that makes a house a home.

Whether it’s the home you currently have, the one you’re searching for, or the one you are leaving behind, each holds a unique place in your life story. Take stock of the journey so far, recognize the progress made, and look forward to the possibilities ahead.

VALERIE M. BLAKE is a licensed Associate Broker in DC, MD & VA with RLAH @properties. Call or text her at 202-246-8602, email her via DCHomeQuest.com, or follow her on Facebook at TheRealst8ofAffairs.

Real estate decisions often tap into our deeper desires for connection, stability, and legacy — values closely tied to the spirit of Thanksgiving.

2 SOUTH STREET, ONANCOCK, VA

• 4BR / 3.5BA

• 3,297 square feet

• .3 acres

• Open layout

• Gourmet kitchen with 14’ quartz island

• Main level primary suite

• Decks, porches & outdoor living spaces

• Just blocks from fine dining options & quaint, boutique shopping

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

STRATEGIC PLAN

Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School (School) and Academy of Hope Foundation (Foundation) is requesting proposals from strategic planning consultants. See full RFP for details and submission information at https://aohdc.org/ get-involved/jobs/. Proposals are due 12/16/2024.

Academy of Hope

Adult Public Charter School REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RETENTION WALL

Academy of Hope Adult PCS in Washington, DC seeks proposals for Retention Wall construction, demolition, and site preparation. Full RFP details and submission instructions are available at aohdc. org/get-involved/jobs. Proposals are due 12/6/2024.

PUPPY: SHIH TZU - POODLE

Tan and brown. Eight months old male. Likes children and dogs. Needs a loving home with a backyard.Free to good home. 202-384-5049.

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

COUNSELING

COUNSELING FOR LGBTQ

People. Individual/Couples counseling with a volunteer peer counselor. GMCC, serving our community since 1973. 202-580-8661 gaymenscounseling.org  No fees. Donation requested.

EMPLOYMENT

CAREGIVER

We are seeking a part-time caregiver for a Senior citizen. The schedule is Mon - Fri, 5 hours/day & 5 days a week. The time is flexible. We are looking to hire someone immediately. Salary is $30/hr. Send email to campbellm77676@gmail.com for more details.

HANDYMAN

BRITISH REMODELING

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

LEGAL SERVICES

ADOPTION, DONOR, SURROGACY

legal services. Catelyn represents LGBTQ clients in DC, MD & VA interested in adoption or ART matters.  MODERN FAMILY FORMATION Law Offices, Slattery Law, LLC. 240-245-7765 Catelyn@ModernFamilyFormation.com

LIMOUSINES

KASPER’S LIVERY SERVICE Since 1987. Gay & Veteran Owner/ Operator. Lincoln Nautilus! Proper DC License & Livery Insured. www.KasperLivery.com 202-554-2471

Please use Blade advertisers and tell them, “I saw your ad in the Blade!”

MEN FOR MEN

HANDSOME, GWM

Well educated, HIV+, ISO friends, dates & more. Open to all races. 420 friendly. Serious replies only. This is for real! Email: classifieds@ washblade.com. (we forward this)

LONE WOLF

Older WM Wolf seeks long-term hookups with older WM bears. Wolf packs rubbers. lonewolf5150@proton.me TALL,

GOOD

White, well-hung man, ISO tall, white, muscular, nice-looking dude who is hung and wants a hot, hungry mouth to take care of him. Sincere replies call or text after 9 PM, 240-457-1292

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