Washington Blade, Volume 56, Issue 03, January 17, 2025
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Teen gets probation in attack on gay man at 14th & U McDonald’s
16-year-old pleaded guilty to assault, apologized to victim
By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com
A D.C. Superior Court judge on Jan. 10 sentenced a 16-year-old male to a year of probation after he pleaded guilty to a single charge of simple assault related to the Oct. 27 incident in which police said as many as 15 people attacked a gay man at the D.C. McDonald’s restaurant at 14th and U streets, N.W., with some of the attackers shouting anti-gay slurs.
The Washington Post published an exclusive report of the sentencing after its reporter was allowed to attend a juvenile court hearing that is closed to the public and the press on the condition that the Post would not disclose the name of the juvenile.
The Post story says prosecutors at the court hearing said that a week after the attack, the juvenile, accompanied by his mother, met with D.C. police, admitted to being a part of the attack, and was arrested. “The youth said he was intoxicated at the time and did not remember many of his actions,” the Post reports.
The victim in the case, Sebastian Thomas Robles Lascarro, 22, told police and the Washington Blade through a statement from his husband, Stuart West, that the attack began inside the McDonald’s about 1 a.m. when one of the attackers, a woman, criticized him for not saying “excuse me” when he walked past her inside the crowded restaurant.
When he walked away from the woman as many as 10 or more people started to assault Lascarro, according Lascarro’s account relayed by West. “And so, they started punching him all over his face and body, and it eventually moved to the outside of the McDonald’s on the D.C. sidewalk, where more people got involved and started hitting him and assaulting him,” West said.
Lascarro was taken by ambulance to Howard University
Hospital, where he was treated and released the next day recovering from multiple bruises and cuts on his face, head and body, his husband said. Police listed the incident as a suspected hate crime.
No immediate arrests were made, but police released to the public and the media photos of seven suspects obtained from video surveillance cameras at McDonald’s, all of whom appeared to be juveniles. In a Nov. 6 statement, police announced they arrested one day earlier a 16-yearold juvenile male in connection with the attack on a charge of Assault With Significant Bodily Injury.
The Post story reports that during the Jan. 11 hearing D.C. prosecutor Gabrielle LoGaglio played two security videos that captured the outdoor part of the Oct. 27 attack against Lascarro at the McDonald’s. “The youth charged in the attack was clearly identifiable because he was wielding a tiki torch-like pole and was seen striking Lascarro on the head with it, she said,” the Post story reports.
The story reports that through an arrangement with prosecutors, the juvenile pleaded guilty to a single count of simple assault. It says while standing next to his court appointed attorney, the juvenile repeatedly apologized to Lascarro, who was watching the hearing through a video hookup.
“From the bottom of my heart, I want to say I am sorry to the victim and his family,” the Post quoted him as saying. “I was not raised by my mother to behave like that,” the Post quote continues. “I am sorry. I am not a criminal. I have shown people love and respect and kindness. I am sorry for the emotional and physical damage I have caused.”
The Post story also quoted from a statement that Lascarro submitted to the court and which prosecutors read. West, Lascarro’s husband, sent a copy of the statement to the
Blade.
Lascarro says in his statement that he moved to D.C. from his home country of Colombia in 2023 after marrying his husband because D.C. “felt so open and welcoming to people like me— gay and proud.” He added, “Here, I felt safe to be myself, to dress how I wanted, wear makeup, and just live my life” as he could not feel safe doing in his home country.
“After the attack, everything changed,” he says in his statement. “I don’t feel safe anymore. I don’t feel like I can be myself without looking over my shoulder,” the statement continues. “It’s hard to put into words how this has hurt me mentally. The bruises are gone now, but the fear and trauma are still with me every day.”
The Post reports that prosecutors said they agreed to a sentence of one year’s probation because the juvenile had no prior arrests. At the request of prosecutors, Judge Charles J. Willoughby Jr. agreed to include in the sentencing that the juvenile be placed on GPS monitoring and be “ordered to attend school regularly and take random drug and alcohol tests as needed.”
According to the Post, Judge Willoughby described the attack against Lascarro as “vicious and unprovoked,” and told the juvenile “you need to stay away from those other juveniles” who joined him in the attack on Lascarro.
Fire at Arlington gay bar listed as arson
of at least three restaurants to be hit with small fires on the same block between 5-5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan 9.
Blade someone set the front door of his bar and restaurant on fire during that time on Jan. 9. The door was partially blackened by the flames, but the restaurant itself did not catch fire, Lutz said.
He said two nearby bars and restaurants on the 500 block of South 23rd Street were also hit with small fires around that same time. They were the Crystal City Sports Pub and McNamara’s Pub and Restaurant.
According to Lutz, the small fire at Freddie’s took place the day before and the day after Freddie’s received a threatening phone call from what sounded like the same unidentified male caller.
“He said I’m going to fuck you up and I’m going to fuck the woman up,” Lutz said the person told Freddie’s manager, who answered the two calls.
Lutz said the fact that the calls came just before and just after the fire was set on his front door, prompted him to speculate that the caller could be the same person who started the fire.
He said the two calls came from two different phone numbers, which Lutz gave to police who arrived on the scene with an Arlington Fire Department official to investigate the three fires.
A statement released Jan. 9 by the Arlington Fire Department says the department initially responded at
about 5:30 a.m. to a reported fire at 529 S. 23rd Street, which is the location of the Crystal City Sports Pub. The statement says firefighters found a fire in an enclosed patio at the restaurant that was “contained” by a sprinkler system and was extinguished by firefighters.
“The preliminary investigation conducted by the Office of the Fire Marshall determined the fire to be suspicious in nature,” the statement says. “During the investigation, additional fire damage was discovered to adjacent businesses,” it says. “These fires are also being investigated and are deemed suspicious in nature.”
Capt. Nathaniel Hiner, a Fire Department spokesperson, told the Washington Blade in an email on Jan. 10 the fires have now been designated as arson.
The Jan. 9 statement did not mention Freddie’s, or one of the other two restaurants hit by a small fire at that time, McNamara’s Pub and Restaurant, which is located two doors away from Freddie’s. But Lutz said a deputy fire marshal who spoke with him said each of the three fires was being investigated.
“The Office of the Fire Marshall is asking anyone with additional information to contact Lieutenant Wandekha Kanthula at 751-357-0769 or wkanthula@arlingtonva.us,” the fire department says.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant, a gay establishment in the Crystal City section of Arlington, Va., was one
Freddie Lutz, owner of Freddie’s, told the Washington
SEBASTIAN THOMAS ROBLES LASCARRO was attacked on Oct. 27. (Photos courtesy of Stuart West)
Freddie’s Beach Bar was one of three businesses targeted with fires on Wednesday.
D.C. police demoted gay captain for taking parental leave: lawsuit
Department accused of engaging in ‘effort to harass, retaliate’
By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com
A gay police captain on Dec. 31 filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department of illegally demoting him and subjecting him to harassment and retaliation for taking parental leave to care for his newborn son.
The 16-page lawsuit filed by Capt. Paul Hrebenak charges that police officials violated the U.S. Family and Medical Leave Act, a similar D.C. family leave law, and the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause by refusing to allow him to return to his position as director of the department’s School Safety Division upon his return from parental leave.
The lawsuit states that he received full permission to take parental leave from his supervisor. Hrebenak’s attorney, Scott Lempert, with the D.C.-based legal group Center for Employment Justice, said Hrebenak’s transfer to another police division against his wishes, which was a far less desirable job, was the equivalent of a demotion, even though it has the same pay grade as his earlier job.
D.C. police spokesperson Thomas Lynch said police will have no comment at this time on the lawsuit. He pointed to a longstanding D.C. police policy of not commenting on pending litigation.
Casey Simmons, a spokesperson for the Office of the D.C. Attorney General, which represents and defends D.C. government agencies against lawsuits, said the Attorney General’s Office also does not comment on ongoing litigation. “So, no comment from us at this time,” she told the Blade.
Hrebenak’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, states that “straight” police officers have routinely taken similar family and parental leave to care for newborn children and have not been subjected to the unfair and illegal treatment to which it claims Hrebenak was subjected.
The lawsuit states that Hrebenak has served with distinction as an officer and later as captain since he first joined the force in July 2007. It says after receiving “outstanding reviews and promotions” he was promoted to captain in November 2020 and assigned to the School Safety Division in September 2022.
According to the lawsuit, the School Safety Division assignment allowed him to work a day shift, a needed shift for his recognized disability of Crohn’s Disease, which the lawsuit says is exacerbated by working late hours at night.
The lawsuit points out that Hrebenak disclosed he had Crohn’s Disease at the time he applied for his police job, and it was determined he could carry out his duties as an officer despite this ailment, which was listed as a disability.
“When my husband and I decided to have a child, and I used my allotted D.C. Paid Family Leave and Federal Family Leave, I was punished and removed from a preferred and sought after position as Director of the School Safety Division,” Hrebenak told the Washington Blade in a statement.
“My hope is by filing this lawsuit I can hold MPD and the D.C. Government accountable,” he wrote. “I am the first gay male D.C. Police manager (Captain or Lieutenant) to take advantage of this benefit to welcome a child into the world,” he states, adding, “I want to take this action also so that fellow officers can enjoy their families without the fear of being unfairly treated.”
The lawsuit states that in addition to not being allowed to return to his job as director of the School Safety Division upon his return from leave, “he was also required to work the undesirable midnight shift, as a Watch Commander, requiring him to work from 8:00 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.”
Watch Commander positions are typically given to lieutenants or newly promoted captains, the lawsuit says, and not to more senior captains like Hrebenak.
“Plaintiff’s removal as Director of MPD’s School Safety Division was a targeted, premeditated punishment for taking statutorily protected leave as a gay man,” the lawsuit concludes. “There was no operational need by MPD to remove Plaintiff as Director of MPD’s School Safety Division, a position in which plaintiff very successfully served for years.”
The lawsuit identifies the police official who refused to allow Hrebenak to resume his job as director of the School Safety Division and reassigned him to the less desirable position on the midnight shift as Deputy Chief Andre Wright.
The Blade couldn’t immediately determine whether D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith, who has expressed strong support for the LGBTQ community and for LGBTQ people working on the police force, would have supported Wright’s actions toward Hrebenak.
The lawsuit adds that Hrebenak’s transfer out of his earlier job to the night shift position “was humiliating and viewed as punishment and a demotion by Plaintiff and his co-workers.”
The lawsuit, which requests a trial by jury, says, “Defendant’s actions were willful and in bad faith, causing Plaintiff to suffer lost wages and benefits, and severe physical, mental, and emotional anguish.”
It calls for his reinstatement as director of the Division of School Safety or assignment to a similar position and $4.3 million in compensatory and punitive damages, including interest, attorney’s fees, and court related costs.
Lempert, Hrebenak’s attorney, said it was too soon to
determine whether U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss, who is presiding over the case, will require the two parties to enter negotiations to reach an out-of-court settlement.
In past cases in which LGBTQ people have filed lawsuits against D.C. government agencies on grounds of discrimination or improper treatment, local LGBTQ activists have called on the D.C. government to reach a fair and reasonable settlement to address the concerns raised by those filing the lawsuits.
Richard Rosendall, former president of the D.C. Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, said he believes the city is “in the wrong” on this case and should agree to a settlement if the judge calls for settlement negotiations.
“If anyone should be demoted, it is whoever decided to punish Captain Hrebenak for exercising his parental rights,” Rosendall told the Blade. “Equal protection means nothing if it is subject to arbitrary suspension at a supervisor’s whim,” he said.
“Additionally, the rule of law is undermined when those sworn to enforce it act as if they are a law unto themselves,” Rosendall said.
Va. House votes to repeal marriage amendment
The Virginia House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a resolution that seeks to repeal a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
The resolution that state Del. Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax County) introduced passed by a 58-35 vote margin. State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) has proposed an identical measure in the Virginia Senate.
Ebbin and Sickles are both gay. Voters approved the Marshall-Newman Amendment in 2006.
Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in Virginia since 2014. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin last year signed a bill that codified marriage equality in state law.
The General Assembly in 2021 approved a resolution that seeks to repeal the Marshall-Newman Amendment. It
must pass in two successive legislatures before it can go to the ballot.
The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee on Tuesday advanced Ebbin’s resolution by a 10-4 vote margin. The House on Tuesday also approved resolutions that would enshrine reproductive rights and restore formerly incarcerated people’s right to vote in the state Constitution. FROM STAFF REPORTS
D.C. Police Captain PAUL HREBENAK (right) embraces his husband, JAMES FRASERE, and the couple’s son.
Biden to leave office revered as most pro-LGBTQ president in history
Long record of support from marriage to trans rights
By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com
President Joe Biden will leave the White House next week after leading what advocates consider to be the most pro-LGBTQ administration in American history.
The past four years offer a wealth of evidence to support the claim, from the passage of legislation like the landmark Respect for Marriage Act to the promotion of LGBTQ rights abroad as a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy, impactful regulatory moves in areas like health equity for gay and trans communities, and the record-breaking number of gender and sexual minorities appointed to serve throughout the federal government and on the federal bench.
As demonstrated by the deeply personal reflections that he shared during an exclusive interview with the Washington Blade in September, Biden is especially proud of his legacy on LGBTQ rights and believes that his record reflects the bedrock principles of justice, equality, and fairness that were inculcated by his father’s example and have motivated him throughout his career in public life.
For instance, during a trip to New York in June, where he delivered remarks to commemorate the opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, Biden explained he was deeply moved by the “physical and moral courage” of those early gay rights activists, adding that the monument honoring their sacrifices “sets an example” in the U.S. and around the world.
Likewise, Biden told the Blade he decided to publicly express his support for same-sex marriage in the midst of his reelection campaign with then-President Barack Obama in 2012 because of his experience attending an event hosted by a gay couple with their children present.
“If you saw these two kids with their fathers, you’d walk away saying, ‘wait a minute, they’re good parents,’” he said. From that moment forward, Biden was unwilling to continue to demur, even if that meant preempting Obama’s “evolution” toward embracing marriage equality.
To fully appreciate Biden’s leadership — especially during his presidency, and particularly on issues of transgender rights — it is worth considering his record against the backdrop of the broader political landscape over the past four years.
By the time he took office in 2021, conservative activists and elected leaders had positioned the trans community at the center of a moral panic, introducing hundreds of laws targeting their rights and protections and exploiting the issue as a strategy to undermine support for Democrats.
In the face of unrelenting attacks from his Republican political adversaries, Biden set to work building an administration that “looked like America” including with the
appointment of trans physician and four-star officer Dr. Rachel Levine to serve as assistant health secretary, and on day one he issued an executive order repealing his predecessor’s policy that excluded trans Americans from military service.
As the 2024 election neared, with Donald Trump’s campaign weaponizing transphobia as a wedge to score votes, Biden’s support remained vocal and sustained. In each of his four State of the Union addresses to joint sessions of Congress, for example, the president reinforced his commitment to “have the trans community’s back.”
Meanwhile, midway through his term the U.S. Supreme Court overturned abortion protections that were in place since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, with conservative statehouses across the country taking the opportunity to pass draconian restrictions.
Democrats sought to exploit the unpopular abortion bans, especially as the presidential race was in full swing, but many were concerned that Biden might be an ineffective messenger because of his personal opposition to the practice as a devout Catholic.
While he directed his administration to take measures to protect access to abortion in the U.S. and spoke publicly about the importance of reproductive autonomy and the freedom to access necessary medical care for family planning, the Associated Press reports that as of March 2024, Biden had only used the word “abortion” in prepared remarks once in four years.
The daylight between how the president has talked about transgender rights and how he has talked about abortion offers an interesting contrast, perhaps illuminating how impervious Biden can be when pressured to compromise his values for the sake of realizing his political ambitions, while also demonstrating the sincerity of his conviction that, as he put it in 2012, anti-trans discrimination is “the civil rights issue of our time.”
Biden was scheduled to deliver a farewell address to the nation on Wednesday evening.
MTG calls McBride a ‘groomer,’ ‘child predator’
Far-right U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) leveled the baseless and false accusation that U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) a “groomer” and “child predator” in a post on X Monday, responding to a video shared by the anti-LGBTQ account Libs of TikTok in which the freshman congresswoman is seen reading to kids in a classroom.
According to the signage featured in the clip, McBride, who is the first transgender member of Congress, was participating in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s “Jazz and Friends National Day of School and Community Readings.”
The program is part of the organization’s Welcoming Schools initiative, which provides “trainings and resources for elementary school educators” to help “welcome diverse families, create LGBTQ and gender inclusive schools, prevent bias-based bullying, and support transgender and nonbinary students.”
Prior to her first election to the Delaware state legis-
lature, McBride served as press secretary for HRC from 2016-2021.
Monday’s post was not the first time in which Greene has, without evidence, accused LGBTQ people and allies of child sexual abuse or grooming, often for their support of age-appropriate classroom instruction on matters of LGBTQ history, sexual orientation, and gender identity. She is not alone. As culture wars over issues of sexual orientation and gender identity have intensified in recent years, conservatives have increasingly used false allegations of pedophilia, bringing back a smear that was historically used against gay, queer, and trans people but until recently was considered out of bounds in mainstream political discourse.
RAINN, a national anti-sexual violence group, has highlighted the ways in which these baseless allegations are harmful not just to LGBTQ people but also to children, because they can diminish the experience of survivors
and steal the focus away from real cases of child sexual abuse.
After her election to Congress in November, Greene and other House Republicans like U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina began attacking McBride, personally — proposing rules to prohibit her from using women’s restrooms in the Capitol and deliberately dead-naming and misgendering her.
By contrast, McBride last week introduced bipartisan legislation with GOP U.S. Rep. Young Kim (Calif.) to protect consumers from fraudulent scams that offer false promises to repair poor credit scores, becoming the first first-year member to introduce a bill designed to help American families.
The Washington Blade has reached out to representatives from HRC, McBride’s office, and the Congressional Equality Caucus for comment on Greene’s post.
CHRISTOPHER KANE
President JOE BIDEN (Blade photo by Michael Key)
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Franklin Graham to give invocation at Trump’s inauguration
Anti-LGBTQ evangelist Franklin Graham will deliver the invocation for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday Jan. 20, according to a copy of the program that was circulated on X. Graham, who serves as president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, the evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization, and of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which was named for his late father, offered the opening prayer for Trump’s first inauguration in 2017.
As documented by GLAAD, the Asheville, N.C.based evangelist has attacked the LGBTQ community throughout his life and career.
He supported the draconian laws in Russia targeting “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” that have been used to suppress media that presents “LGBTQ identities and relationships in a positive or normalizing light.”
Praising Russian President Vladimir Putin for taking “a stand to protect his nation’s children from the damaging effects of the gay and lesbian agenda,” Graham also bemoaned that “America’s own morality has fallen so far that on this issue.”
Graham’s anti-LGBTQ advocacy on matters of domestic policy in the U.S. has included opposing Pride events, which he compared to celebrations of “lying, adultery, or murder,” and curricula on LGBTQ history in public schools, telling a radio host in 2019 that educators have no right to “teach our children something that is an affront to God.”
When his home state rolled back rules prohibiting gender diverse people from using public restrooms consistent with their identities, he tweeted that “peo -
ple of NC will be exposed to pedophiles & sexually perverted men in women’s public restrooms.”
Graham has repeatedly smeared LGBTQ people as
predatory and said the community seeks to “recruit” children into being gay, lesbian, or transgender.
He has also consistently opposed same-sex marriage, claiming that former President Barack Obama, by embracing marriage equality, had “shaken his fist at the same God who created and defined marriage,” adding, “it grieves me that our president would now affirm same-sex marriage, though I believe it grieves God even more.”
Graham also supports the harmful and discredited practice of conversion therapy, which he likened to “conversion to Christianity.”
When Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced his bid for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, Graham tweeted that “Mayor Buttigieg says he’s a gay Christian. As a Christian I believe the Bible which defines homosexuality as sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized. The Bible says marriage is between a man & a woman—not two men, not two women.”
Graham embraced Trump well before he was taken seriously in Republican politics, telling ABC in 2011 that the New York real estate tycoon was his preferred candidate.
Particularly during the incoming president’s first campaign as the GOP nominee and during his first term, the evangelical leader’s support was seen as strategically important to bringing conservative Christians into the fold despite their misgivings about Trump, who was better known as a philandering womanizer than a devout religious leader.
CHRISTOPHER KANE
Homophobe Anita Bryant dies at 84
Anita Bryant, the singer and orange juice pitch woman who gained notoriety for a homophobic campaign against gay rights in the 1970s, died on Dec. 16 after a battle with cancer, according to a statement released by her family. She was 84.
Bryant was a former Miss Oklahoma, a Grammy-nominated singer, author, and recipient of the USO Silver Medallion for Service, according to her family’s statement. Bryant, a fundamentalist Christian, performed at the White House and the Super Bowl, among other highlights of her singing career.
Tammy Bruce to become next State Dept. spokesperson
President-elect Donald Trump has announced Tammy Bruce will become the next State Department spokesperson.
Bruce is a Fox News contributor who has described herself as a “gay woman” on the network. A GLAAD spokesperson on Monday pointed out to the Washington Blade that Bruce has also made anti-transgender comments.
“Tammy is a highly respected political analyst who understood the power of importance of ‘MAGA’ early on,” said Trump in a Jan. 3 Truth Social post that announced
her appointment. “She received her bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of Southern California and, after being a liberal activist in the 1990s, saw the lies and fraud of the Radical Left, and quickly became one of the strongest Conservative voices on radio and television.”
Trump has nominated U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to succeed Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Ned Price in 2021 became the State Department’s first openly gay spokesperson. He stepped down in March 2023.
MICHAEL
K. LAVERS
Bryant incurred the ire of the LGBTQ community after she fought successfully to overturn a Dade County, Fla., ordinance that would have protected gay people from discrimination. Her “Save Our Children” campaign led gay bars to boycott Florida orange juice. In 1977, while promoting her campaign in Iowa, Tom Higgins, a gay rights activist, threw a pie in her face, an iconic moment caught by photographers. Bryant’s homophobic legacy lives on with Florida politicians like Gov. Ron DeSantis rolling back LGBTQ protections and enshrining discrimination in state law.
FROM STAFF REPORTS
FRANKLIN GRAHAM (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
ANITA BRYANT (Screen capture via SuchIsLifeVideos/YouTube)
TAMMY BRUCE speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2015. (Blade photo by Michael Key)
KEVIN NAFF
is editor of the Washington Blade. Reach him at knaff@washblade.com
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Thank you, Mr. President Biden’s legacy includes array of pro-LGBTQ actions
This week marks the end of President Joe Biden’s administration, the most pro-LGBTQ leader our country has ever known. With his departure, our community enters a period of uncertainty and alarm over how trans Americans will be treated under Trump’s tenure.
Before we begin coping with that unfortunate reality, let’s take a moment to celebrate Biden. His legacy includes many landmark achievements, from ending the COVID pandemic and implementing the infrastructure bill to restoring America’s reputation around the world, supporting Ukraine, and standing up to Vladimir Putin’s aggressions.
Biden’s advocacy on behalf of LGBTQ Americans will be a key part of his overall legacy. Never have we had a president so committed to our equality and inclusion.
One of the most memorable moments in Biden’s long record of LGBTQ support came in 2012 when he famously endorsed marriage equality in a live TV interview days before President Obama did the same. It marked the first time a sitting vice president publicly supported marriage equality and Biden did it just six months before the election, something that even LGBTQ activists had advised against.
As president, Biden fought successfully to preserve marriage equality in the increasingly likely event that the Obergefell ruling is overturned by the Supreme Court. The Respect for Marriage Act ensures that the federal government and all U.S. states and territories must recognize same-sex and interracial marriages. Biden signed it in 2022 and held a massive event on the White House lawn bringing together hundreds of LGBTQ advocates from around the country to celebrate.
“Today’s a good day,” he said during the signing ceremony. “Today America takes a big step towards equality.”
Biden began his term on Jan. 20, 2021, and on that same day, issued an executive order establishing workplace protections for LGBTQ Americans and prohibiting discrimination in education, credit, health care, and housing.
Biden ensured that his administration and the federal government looked like America, naming record numbers of out LGBTQ judicial appointees and senior staff. He gave us the nation’s first Senate-confirmed gay Cabinet member in Pete Buttigieg, thus opening the door for future LGBTQ top staff like Scott Bessent, Trump’s pick for Treasury Secretary, who’s gay.
“LGBTQ+ people have received a record number of federal appointments, including Cabinet members, judges, and around 14% of the administration,” according to the Victory Fund. In addition to Buttigieg, he appointed Dr. Rachel Levine as the first out transgender person to hold an office that requires Senate confirmation. And he named Karine Jean-Pierre, a Black lesbian, as his press secretary.
His advocacy wasn’t merely symbolic. President Biden in June issued historic pardons for military service members who were discharged over their sexual orientation or gender identity under discriminatory policies of the past, like “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
“This is about dignity, decency, and ensuring the culture of our Armed Forces reflect the values that make us an exceptional nation,” Biden said at the time. “We have a sacred obligation to all of our service members — including our brave LGBTQI+ service members: To properly prepare and equip them when they are sent into harm’s way, and to care for them and their families when they return home.”
Veterans who were discharged for their sexual orientation or gender identity were barred from accessing benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs but veterans who obtain certificates of pardon can now petition for a change in their discharge status, which can facilitate their access to benefits.
On a personal note, I am grateful to President Biden and his talented and thoughtful communications team for granting the Blade the first-ever presidential sit-down interview with an LGBTQ newspaper. It was a moment I’ve worked toward for more than 20 years, holding endless calls and meetings with President Obama’s team trying to land that interview; and even working with Trump’s team early on in the hopes he might talk to the queer media. But it took Biden to again make history for our community. The Blade’s Sept. 20, 2024 cover photo of our White House reporter Chris Kane sitting across the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office from President Biden — an image snapped by longtime Blade Photo Editor Michael Key — fills me with immense pride. It was a moment that took decades of hard work and perseverance by pioneering queer journalists to realize.
Thank you, Mr. President, for having our backs, not just for these past four years but throughout a long and impactful career in public service.
CALVIN BALL is the executive of Howard County, Md.
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—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (March, 1966)
Howard County exec: Inclusive communities are thriving communities
In Maryland, it’s more than a talking point –it’s a way of life
Every person, organization, and business has the opportunity to make inclusion a core mission. Yet, true inclusion requires more than intention. It demands action to ensure every person in our community can live authentically, embrace their potential, and thrive without fear of hate or harm. In Howard County, Md., we are doing our part to make inclusivity more than a talking point – it’s a way of life.
The Human Rights Campaign’s 2024 Municipal Equality Index (MEI) awarded Howard County a perfect score of 100 for the third year in a row. At a time when LGBTQIA+ rights are at stake, the MEI and the rubric it provides for cities and towns across our country has never been more important.
The MEI examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are in cities and towns across the country. The report scores cities across five domains: non-discrimination laws, municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality. We proudly achieved the highest marks in all five domains, which comes as no surprise. It’s important to me that Howard County is a national model for implementing inclusive policies for our 17 protected classes in Howard County.
When I first took office as Howard County Executive in December of 2018, one of my first initiatives was hosting our very first Pride festival. It was the perfect time to celebrate and reflect upon the progress we made to advance civil rights and protections for our LGBTQIA+ neighbors. In June of 2019, Howard County proudly hosted its first Pride festival, with thousands of attendees, solidifying our commitment to our residents and neighbors.
It was also ever important that our LGBTQIA+ residents had a seat in government operations. In 2022, I established Howard County’s inaugural LGBTIA+ Commission, which partners with county agencies, nonprofit organizations and other community groups to facilitate an environment of inclusion, communication, understanding and respect throughout the county. This Commission continues to advance policy and systemic changes for those with different gender and sexual identities.
To further uplift our neighbors, for the first time in county history, in June of 2022 we proudly raised the Pride flag at the seat of Howard County government, symbolizing unity and inclusiveness. This meaningful action reflects our commitment to supporting, celebrating, and standing with all LGBTQIA+ individuals in Howard County, affirming that they are a vital, welcomed, and celebrated part of our community.
In 2024, our Office of Human Rights and Equity (OHRE) hosted various community events, workshops, listening and training sessions that attracted 4,000 attendees. Creating community spaces where people can freely share their thoughts fosters a collective sense of belonging. We want everyone to know that their voice matters.
Additionally, more than 160 Howard County government employees received training from our Equity and Restorative Practices Unit last year. This pioneering initiative delves into the ways current leadership paradigms might perpetuate racialized dynamics. It is imperative we continuously examine our current practices to see where we might be lacking and devise ways to remedy our weaknesses.
Across our country of thousands of cities and counties, we are proud to be counted among 130 MEI-rated cities that have earned the highest score of 100. This shows the immense progress local government is making to enact policies and legislation that protect the classes of sexual orientation and gender identity. By focusing on making a difference where people live, learn, and grow, we can make a bigger impact nationally combating hate and discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Because we know – when we foster inclusive communities we foster thriving communities.
Our wild game menu is in full swing and Restaurant Week is coming up!
is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.
Trump’s aggressiveness will cause havoc in the world
Incoming president admires Putin and Hitler
Some are asking if the majority of Americans really care, or even understand, what it means if Trump brings a wrecking ball to the rule of law, both here at home, and around the world.
ur first indication will be how the public reacts especiall rump voters to what he does based on his promises to grant clemency to those sentenced for their actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the United States Capitol. Trump has called it a day of love; others have referred to it as his failed effort to stage a coup. There can be no debate about the actions of many in the crowd who stormed the Capitol that da as the are on film. he uestion for man will be whether rump rants clemency to any who were sentenced for just being there, or will he grant broad clemency to everyone, including those who were seen breaking windows, destroyin propert and in urin police. et us never for et 4 officers were in ured protecting the building, and members of Congress we elected.
Then there is the issue of the boundaries Trump crossed by calling Supreme Court Justice Alito before his case on the hush money sentencing was decided. Will Trump have these kinds of conversations with other justices when his administration, and even he personally, will have future cases pending before them? Will his administration potentially disregard a court ruling?
Then we move on to the world stage. Trump has made statements to the effect that he would consider using military force to take Greenland and the Panama Canal. Would he actually consider invading another country without any provocation? Those words, even before any action is taken, make me think of Vladimir Putin and Adolf Hitler. Both men, Trump at one time or another, has said he admires. He has nominated as Director of National Intelligence a person who supported deposed Syrian dictator Assad and Putin. Then he said he would consider economic coercion to get Canada to become part of the United States. Remember, these are all sovereign nations.
Just knowing that Trump, and many he has chosen to surround himself with, think like this, should frighten all decent Americans, as well as the rest of the world. Trump often says outrageous things like this without any real thought, or knowledge, as to what they entail, and what the repercussions would be. Remember his suggestion about swallowing bleach to battle COVID? Clearly, he often doesn’t know what he is talking about. Some think these statements are just meant as diversions, to take our attention from the outrageous things he is actually doing. Too often the news media takes the bait, and they along with the American people, end up losing track of the real and immediate damage he is doing to the nation.
It is clear many of these outrageous thoughts seem to come from the last person who whispered in his ear. Today that is often Elon Musk, who has been getting involved in the politics of the United Kingdom, Germany, and other nations. Musk’s closeness to Trump seems based mostly on how much money he has given to Trump and his causes. Some think he may have even promised Trump a few billion dollars after his presidency is over. Other social media moguls, and billionaires, are now clearly trying to kiss Trump’s ass. One who has clearly sealed his lips to Trump’s rear end is Mark Zuckerberg of Meta. His announcement that Facebook will no longer fact check posts because he claims he believes in ‘free speech,’ led to a wonderful meme I recently saw. It said, “Mark Zuckerberg, who passed away recently at the age of 36, a convicted pedophile…” It seems Musk, Zuckerberg, and others have now oined rump in acceptin l in on social media is fine in the name of free speech. Hey, it worked to get Trump elected, and a whole cable network, Fox News, has found how effective lying can be in generating viewers and poisoning the minds of the uneducated, and those who want to believe the bullshit they spout for their own benefit.
We live in an uncharted time. I think it’s hard to predict what will happen in the next four years. Will people tire of this dangerous, liar, racist, homophobe, misogynist, felon, found liable for sexual assault? Or will they accept all that he does and speaks? I pray they tire of him, and rebel, before he destroys our country.
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From porn to the DJ booth,
‘I’m the happiest I’ve ever been’ Boomer Banks, fresh off MAL duties, talks music and more
By JOE REBERKENNY
If you enjoy gay adult films, there is a high likelihood you have seen or at least heard of Boomer Banks. His tattoos, muscles, masculine presence, and thick mustache have made him one of the most recognizable — and awarded — Latinx gay adult performers in the industry. Last weekend, Banks was a major presence at Mid-Atlantic Leather weekend.
This year was different for Banks compared to his past MAL weekends, though. He was still go-go dancing as he has in years past, but this year he had a new role — headlining DJ. The Blade sat down with the 44-year-old performer to discuss his sex work career, the changing industry, and his passion for DJing.
On Friday night, Banks was one of three headlining DJs for the main dance event of the night, UNCUT XL. He explained that his love for music has always been there, but since the death of his best friend, with whom he connected on a shared love of music, his sets mean more than ever to him now.
“I loved music for my whole life,” Banks told the Blade when asked about how he got started in music.
“My proximity to legendary New York DJs has always been there. I lost my best friend and brother over two years ago, and it just caused a lot of changes [for me]. We both loved music so much ... I was talking to one of my DJ friends [about this connection to music], and they were talking to me, and all of a sudden I’m at their studio, playing around with the controller and all that, and it just happened. Here we are, two years later, and now I’m headlining at MAL with some legendary DJs that I have been a fan of since I was young.”
Banks went on to explain that this connection and newfound passion for DJing is what has made his career shift from studio porn to a solo career easier. He also said the continued support from his house music fans has made him want to work even harder on creating memorable sets.
And create memorable sets he has. Banks has headlined events all across the country over the past two years — from Provincetown to Rehoboth Beach and even headlining Folsom, which is the biggest leather event of the year. He explained that he has one overwhelming emotion —gratitude.
“I’m really grateful that Zach [Renovatés] and everybody at Kinetic and Bunker have really taken a liking to my storytelling through music, because that’s what it is for me,” Banks said. “I like taking people on a journey. It’s usually my journey. But I read the crowd, I read energy, and I’m always smiling, and that’s the only place that I do smile. I feel like people often categorize me as intimidating, and a lot of
times that’s what I got in the porn industry. But with DJing, the people are always like, ‘You’re so happy up there. You’re smiling all the time.’ And, yeah, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and it’s exciting. I love doing it, and I’m grateful and very humbled that people are seeing that this isn’t just a gimmick.”
He went on to explain that this happiness wasn’t always at the base of his work —especially when he was involved with the studio porn system with CockyBoys and Raging Stallion. Various factors, including race, he shared with the Blade, were why it was less than enjoyable at times. But it provided a platform in which he was able to grow and gave him an opportunity to help newcomers in the industry.
“When I got into porn, other brown men were not nice to me; other people of color [were not nice to me]. I thought that it would have been different. So when I was established, I made sure not to do that. I have a few little Banks boys that I nurtured into the industry, and, not to claim them, but it’s just so that they had someone to talk to because I didn’t have that.”
Despite some structural problems within the industry, Banks felt he was able to get what he needed from the career, including a paycheck and a platform.
“Porn did work out for me,” he said. “I was very fucking successful, and I was not white. I did the work, but I just couldn’t keep doing it any more. It wasn’t good for my mental health, and so I knew how to bow out. Who knows? It [studio porn days] might happen again. I don’t know, but I know for today, I love music. It’s my heart. I’m grateful for the platform that sex work gave me because it’s given me a heads up with the music.”
That music has kept him going. More specifically, New York house-style music has kept him going. Banks’s ability to take in the music he loves has made him a stronger DJ, he said.
“‘I’m a New York house DJ,” he said. “That’s the style that I bring. The craziest it gets is like tech house and maybe some early 2000s mid-2000s circuit music. It’s what I grew up with and what I love and what I like to put out there. I’m really grateful that I was not only showing up to these gigs, but I was absorbing the art that is music in a way that it seeped into my pores and my soul, that now I can share how I feel about music, and that’s exciting.”
He touched on how although many people can be fans of DJ music, it takes more to become a successful DJ.
“The thing about music is you can’t fake music tastes. You can learn all the knobs and the technical parts of DJing, but if you’re not playing good music, and if the room isn’t vibing, it doesn’t matter.”
When asked about the current political climate — seeing as the host hotel for MAL weekend sits a mere half mile from the Capitol building — Banks reflected on the importance of weekends like MAL for the LGBTQ community, which is increasingly facing the backlash of conservative politicians.
“We are in uncertain times,” he said. “These are the weekends where we’re able to be who we are. And it’s unfortunate that we have to still have these events to express ourselves. Because a lot of these guys, they wait their whole year for this weekend to be able to express themselves. With what’s going on with the world, they’re basically being told that these are the only places they can. I know that in New York we live in a bubble. I know in D.C., we live in a bubble. But I want to show people that are coming from the middle of nowhere that they can have a good time, and even if it is for this weekend, they can rely on us. I want our community to know that I am here for them.”
You can find Boomer Banks on X @Boomer_Banks and on Instagram @baconlvr.
BOOMER BANKS (Photo by Greg Endries)
Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather 2025
Jason Elliott wins 40th annual competition
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The 40th annual Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather competition was held on Sunday, Jan. 12 at the Hyatt Regency Washington. The event was one of the highlights of 2025 Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend. Eight competitors vied for the title of Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather 2025, with Jason Elliott named the winner.
Many LGBTQ residents escaping D.C. for inauguration weekend
Some fear queer spaces could be targeted by MAGA crowd
By JOE REBERKENNY
Donald Trump will be sworn in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol as the 47th president on Monday, becoming the second person in history to ever return to the Oval Office after losing an election. As fencing and roadblocks begin to pop up in preparation for a weekend of Trump supporters gallivanting on the National Mall and across the capital, many LGBTQ people in Washington have made plans to leave the District.
Nick Gomez, a 27-year-old music director for iHeartRadio and host of PRIDE Radio told the Washington Blade he will leave the city for northern Maryland with a group of kickball team members. Gomez explained that this weekend being both a federal holiday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) and a weekend when he didn’t want to remain in Washington, it made sense to join some friends on a trip.
“I thought that it was a small group, but it’s actually a very large group of us looking at the group chat now,” Gomez said. “We’re getting a little cabin out in northern Maryland.” He said 27 members of his LGBTQ Stonewall Kickball team are planning to ride out the inauguration away from Trump supporters and MAGA hats.
“Normally a little kickball team cabin weekend happens every year, but we did coordinate it to happen on inauguration weekend this year — decidedly after Nov. 5 is when we booked the Airbnb,” he said.
Gomez’s choice to leave Washington was not a snap judgment though. For a while he contemplated what to do and if he should leave the city at all.
“I’ve thought about this a lot, actually,” he said. “I was thinking, ‘What is it going to be like to live in this city while the administration is active outside of just inauguration weekend?’ There was a part of me that’s like, ‘I don’t need to be caught up in all that. I know that that’s probably not going to be good for me. And it very well could turn into a fucking hellscape out here.’ But there was another part of me that’s like, ‘Well, why am I going to leave? Because this is my city. I’m the one who lives here!’ And that kind of went into thinking about the inauguration weekend.”
Gomez understood this would not be like any previous inauguration, given the inflammatory president-elect and his largely anti-LGBTQ followers.
“The difference about inauguration weekend is that this inauguration is happening on the 20th, but there’s also that rally happening on the 19th,” he said. “Anything that we can get caught up in on the 19th is just simply not going to be beneficial for queer people in the city, or the city itself.”
The twice-impeached president-elect is planning to hold a “victory rally” for 20,000 supporters the day before he is sworn in. This will mark the first time Trump will speak to a crowd in Washington since Jan. 6, 2021, when groups of his supporters stormed the Capitol in hopes of overturning the fair election of Joe Biden. Trump’s fans, and their inclination to venture toward violent behavior, Gomez explains, is a large reason for why he chose to leave Washington for the weekend.
“There are going to be so many people from out of town here, people from around the country here whose only objective is to support this man. We know what that looks like when people support this man in a physical sense. If they’re going to do that for two days, I don’t need to be here for
that. I also don’t need to validate their presence by welcoming them to my city.”
He understands that some LGBTQ community members may feel that is the exact reason to stay in Washington.
“Maybe there are some differing opinions on that,” Gomez added. “Maybe people think, ‘You know what, I’m going to sit here and stand my ground’ and like, ‘This is my city no matter what.’ I just think that there is a smarter way to stand my ground in my city than subjecting myself to whatever chaos is going to be here on those two days.”
“It’s more of a refusal to leave on my part,” said Luke Stowell, 22, the queer assistant director of music at the Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church who is hunkering down in the District this weekend. “I live here. I pay rent here. I’m not going anywhere, just because 650,000 Republicans are coming. This is my home.”
Stowell explained that he is on the side of staying in Washington for the inauguration, if nothing else to be a voice of resistance against the Trump regime.
“I almost wish that there wasn’t such a desire for exodus,” they added. “I wish that there were a little bit more of a ‘Hey, like, No, we’re actually going to stand our ground.’ I appreciate the defiance, but I see it more as a defense of this territory. It’s obviously, as we know, a hugely liberal territory.”
Stowell has debated shifting his daily routine ahead of Sunday’s MAGA rally to avoid the Gallery-Place/Capital One Arena area.
“They’re saying that there’s a big rally before the inauguration down at Capital One Arena, and that’s actually where my Planet Fitness is,” they said. “I’m very interested to see if I try to go to the gym on Sunday, will it even be open? Will it be overrun with MAGgots? Otherwise on Monday, I have choir. I have things to do on Monday. My life doesn’t really stop just because the inauguration is happening. Some people don’t even have time off for the MLK Day holiday. It seems so crazy that those are on the same day, but yeah, I’ll be around.”
Sam Parker, a 30-year-old managing strategist at a political consulting firm, chose to use this weekend to escape from the city and to get closer to his partner after experiencing the first Trump inauguration from a very close distance.
“My boyfriend and I are going to Philly for the weekend, all the way until Tuesday to avoid the inauguration, and to get out for the three-day weekend,” Parker said. “It’s definitely largely predicated on the fact that I lived in Foggy Bottom the last time he was inaugurated.”
Parker has since moved away from any of the neighborhoods that will be fully locked down during the inauguration but would rather just avoid any repeated feeling of being locked down as he was eight years ago.
“It was entirely in the shutdown zone — there were armored cars on the street. It was inescapable. My current neighborhood is probably a little less… omnipresent. … But I’ve kind of gotten over the idea that there’s some kind of ‘noble aim’ being witness to all this stuff, and that it’s kind of better for my mental health to just get out of town. Also, politics aside, it feels like the town gets kind of locked down for an inauguration. It is kind of nice to use some Amtrak points and go somewhere else. Have a less stressful week-
end.”
Justin Westley, a 28-year-old fundraising professional for an environmental NGO, is also using this weekend as an opportunity to grow closer to their boyfriend, Matt. Matt, who works for the federal government, requested anonymity due to concerns about potential repercussions for speaking out against the incoming administration, but wholeheartedly agreed about wanting to leave the city ahead of Trump’s arrival.
“We’re going to Boston this weekend,” Westley said. “We’re visiting Matt’s sister, who lives up there. We’re going to stay and visit for a while, and this just seemed like a good opportunity. It’s very practical, because we were wanting to see Matt’s sister anyway. … I know most of our friends are either doing cabin trips or small weekend getaways anyway. We probably would have left regardless. I do think going to Massachusetts, a very blue state, and Boston, a very blue city, will be nice to not have to worry at all about interacting with those people [Trump supporters] on the day-to-day.”
“Yeah,” Matt agreed. “Visiting a city that has voted primarily blue the past several elections offers a political comfort. But also, there’s a fun aspect of exploring a new city. Justin’s never been there. And then there’s comfort there — visiting a family member. That’s also just kind of like a safety net.”
Matt added that he has already seen law enforcement begin taking precautions in the District ahead of Monday’s events, solidifying the choice to leave ahead of whatever the weekend holds.
“I actually live pretty close to the White House, in the general Logan Circle area, and they’ve been testing drones,” Matt said. “I remember seeing the news articles that they’re going to be testing them throughout the week, leading up to the inauguration. I haven’t been down near the actual mall, but the traffic patterns have already changed, just walking around the neighborhood. And the transportation agency has released what streets are going to be closed and navigating the area around my apartment is just going to be a nightmare.”
This caused Westley to reflect on where he, and the city, was four years ago.
“I’ve just been thinking back to Jan. 6 — the disrespect, the terrorism, the white supremacy, but also just the disrespect toward the people who live here,” Westley said. “Four years later, after all of that, these people are going to be coming back under the presumption of ‘Welcome to the city!’ For the first Trump administration, I lived in Nashville and in Pittsburgh. Those are both red and like purple states, respectively. The cities themselves truly did feel like… not being in a bubble, but like, a true insulated community where I wasn’t on edge about seeing Trump supporters — like MAGAs in the streets necessarily…There is just going to be a lot more Trump supporters [in Washington], and that just makes me feel a lot less secure.”
DONALD TRUMP at his first inauguration in 2017. (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
CALENDAR |
Friday, January 17
“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.
Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 6 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This will be a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome. There will be card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
GoGayDC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at DIK Bar. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, January 18
GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
LGBTQ People of Color Support Group will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This peer support group is an outlet for LGBTQ People of Color to come together and talk about anything affecting them in a space that strives to be safe and judgment free. For more information and events for LGBTQ People of Color, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.
Sunday, January 19
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.
DC Queer Events will host “LGBTQ Friendly: Sapphic ‘Dance After Dark’ Rooftop Party” at 9 p.m. at Baby Shank. This LGBTQ-friendly Sapphic party welcomes all allies. Enjoy beats of house, disco, and eclectic sounds from talented DJs, including DJ Clamazon, DJ Sunnii, and DC DJ India. Picture a chill vibe, and a night full of connection and joy. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
By TINASHE CHINGARANDE
Monday, January 20
MLK Day and the inauguration of President Trump at noon on the Capitol steps.
Tuesday, January 21
BiRoundtable Discussion will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as bi individuals in a private setting. For more details, visit Facebook or Meetup.
Wednesday, January 22
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email centercareers@thedccenter.org or visit www.thedccenter.org/careers.
Asexual and Aromantic Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a space where people who are questioning this aspect of their identity or those who identify as asexual and/or aromantic can come together, share stories and experiences, and discuss various topics. For more details, email supportdesk@ thedccenter.org.
Thursday, January 23
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email supportdesk@thedccenter.org or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga with Sarah M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breath work, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.
OUT & ABOUT
Shaker’s to host singles dating event
Drinks in the District will host “Cuffing Season: DC’s Biggest and Best Singles Event. LGBTQ Edition” on Friday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. at Shakers.
Here is how the event works: You choose your ticket, then you show up to the venue. If you’re single and open to talking to people you get a green wristband. If you are there to wingman your friend or for emotional support, you get a red wristband, which tells people you are taken. And if you see a cutey, then it can’t be any easier to say hello, there will be different events and activities to help everyone mingle.
Tickets start at $10.99 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
2025 is the year to prioritize LGBTQ wellness
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center will host “Prioritizing Self-Care & Community Care in 2025 Workshop” on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m.
This will be an engaging conversation about how to prioritize self-care and community care in the upcoming year. This one-hour workshop will be facilitated by Program Director & Psychotherapist Jocelyn Jacoby. This workshop is designed to be a place where LGBTQ people can be in community with each other as the community grapples with fear and hope and comes up with practical ways to promote resiliency.
Registration for this event is mandatory and can be accessed on the DC Center’s website.
Shaker’s hosts a singles event on Jan. 17. (Blade photo by Michael Key)
‘Hand to God’ showcases actors and their puppets
Luke Hartwood serves as designer, coach for Keegan production
By PATRICK FOLLIARD
Luke Hartwood has loved puppets for as long as he can remember.
At 24, he’s indulging his passion as puppet designer/ coach and properties designer for Keegan Theatre’s production of Robert Askins’ “Hand to God.” It’s the Tony-nominated comedy about meek Jason who after the death of his father finds an outlet for his anxiety at the Christian Puppet Ministry in small town Texas.
Puppets begin as a design team collaboration, Hartwood explains, and move on from there. With “Hand to God,” the playwright’s notes describe Jason’s badly behaved puppet Tyrone as looking “Elmo-y and shit,” but beyond that there’s room for some interpretation.
Hartwood, who is gay and Asian American, graduated from George Mason University in May 2023. He majored in theater with a double concentration in performance and design/technology, and minored in graphic design.
“With all my varied interests that’s what made sense to me,” he says. “It wasn’t easy but now I’m a flexible candidate when interviewing for work. I’m skilled in design and the physical fabrication of puppets. And I also act.”
Based in Northern Virginia, he’s been with his partner for six years. Recently, Hartwood shared his thoughts on puppetry and what he wants from the future.
WASHINGTON BLADE: What’s the attraction to puppets?
LUKE HARTWOOD: I’ve always loved puppets. It started as a kid watching cartoons, I’d pause the TV get out a sheet of paper and draw a character, usually Pokémon and Digimon. I learned to use shapes, rounded or sharp edges depending if I wanted to make it cute or scary. I moved from 2-D to 3-D using cereal boxes to give dimension to the drawings. Once I carved a character into the wood of my mom’s
sideboard. She wasn’t happy.
BLADE: Were puppets your way into theater?
HARTWOOD: Not exactly. Despite some fear, I started acting when I was a sophomore in high school. I was a shy kid, but I wanted to be in theater. With me, I also brought my love of art and soon began working on props. It wasn’t unusual to see me in costume backstage between scenes building props.
BLADE : And you continued in college?
HARTWOOD: Mine was the dreaded COVID college experience and the creation of Zoom theater. When we finally came back to live theater, my stage fright returned too. But I got past that and acted in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” [Hartwood was cast as the titular blockhead]. It’s a low-tech show; I did cutouts in the style of Peanuts characters. That was fun.
BLADE: With “Hand to God” at Keegan you’re really multitasking. Tell me a little bit about working with actors.
HARTWOOD: During casting, the actors were asked to bring a sock to use as a puppet. Not to show expertise but to prove some potential.
Actor Drew Sharpe plays both Jason and his puppet Tyrone throughout the show; it’s like patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time.
We start with basics. But then we retrain the way an actor thinks about a puppet. Not only is he marking up his script with his own blocking and intentions, but he’s also doing the same thing for his puppet. It’s playing two roles simultaneously. I’m in awe of how quickly Drew has learned and improved over the last few weeks.
BLADE: Does being queer affect your project choices?
HARTWOOD: I try to incorporate my queerness into theater. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. I’m not writing plays or activist pieces, but I’m selective of what shows I do. I like to dedicate time to shows I care about, particularly those involving the queer and POC communities. Sometimes that means working with a smaller theater and not getting paid as much.
BLADE : Is money a concern?
HARTWOOD : I recently quit my full-time corporate job as a business analyst at a government contracting company to focus fully on theater. If I’m going to spend 40 hours of my week doing something I better love it.
I was picturing myself in 10, 20, or 30 years. If I push my artistry now, there’s more time for me to become successful or to get my big break.
Also, I just graduated from bartending school. That should help pay the bills.
BLADE: How does “Hand to God” jibe with your professional ethos?
HARTWOOD : Really well. Though not explicitly written for the queer community or POC, it explores grief, toxic masculinity and what it means to be “man enough.” And that resonates with a lot of queer folks.
And, I’m definitely here for the puppets.
LUKE HARTWOOD in ‘Hand to God’ at Keegan Theatre. (Photo by Kodie Storey)
Co-presented with Washington Performing Arts Sat, Jan 25, 8pm
PRE-CONCERT EVENT
Generations of Drag Royalty
6:30pm, RSVP required Druex Sidora, Tiara Missou Sidora, and Sasha Adams Sanchez come together to explore
and discuss
Kidman – and chemistry – drive provocative ‘Babygirl’
A taboo-smashing story of personal liberation and growth
By JOHN PAUL KING
There are few movie stars who have been as prolific as Nicole Kidman.
In fact, the Australian star of “Babygirl” – the slick erotic thriller by Dutch filmmaker Halina Reijn now in theaters – has been so busy in recent years (23 films in the last decade, and that’s not even counting her television work or her gig as celebrity spokesmodel for the AMC Theater chain) that it’s become a running gag in the popular conversation. It even emerged as a punch line for Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser earlier this month.
Make no mistake, though, there’s a reason for her continued presence as one of Hollywood’s most valuable players, and “Babygirl,” which pushes her to exhibit the kind of vulnerability rarely even expected of performers half her age, is ample proof of that.
In the film, Kidman stars as Romy Mathis, the CEO of a New York tech company – an Amazon-style purchasing hub where order fulfillment is handled exclusively via robotics – whose marriage to a renowned theater director (Antonio Banderas) works everywhere but in the bedroom. When Samuel (Harris Dickinson), a much-younger new male intern at the company to whom she is already attracted, requests her as his mentor as part of a company leadership program, she finds herself drawn into an affair, fueled by the Dom/sub sexual dynamic of her fantasies, which compromises her position of power in the company almost as much as it satisfies the unmet needs of her personal life. It’s a self-described thriller, so needless to say, things start to spin out of control when Samuel shows up unannounced at her home in the middle of a family gathering – but the increasing danger only serves to draw her deeper into a situation which, by any conventional standard, represents a highly inappropriate breach of conduct, at best.
Influenced noticeably by films from the pre-“MeToo”era dealing with the blending of sexual and professional power dynamics (both “Indecent Proposal” and “Basic Instinct” have been cited by Reijn as inspiration) and marked by an aloof, almost documentarian perspective that contrasts with the boundary-pushing provocation of its intimate scenes in a way that distances us from the ethical quandaries of its central relationship, it’s a movie that both invites us and challenges us. Investing us in the experience of a woman who has beaten the odds to find success while resigning herself to an unsatisfactory sex life with an otherwise perfectly matched husband, it asks us to empathize and even root for Romy as she negotiates the thorny path toward an erotic self-actualization that matches her professional one, despite the strong societal current that would brand every decision she makes along the way as toxic. It’s this conflict between what’s “right” and what serves our deepest instinctual needs that gives “Babygirl” its edgy power, far more than its scenes of fetish-driven intimacy – which, while they crackle with the kind of sexual tension that’s often lacking in the scenes of “socially endorsed” intimacy presented in mainstream cinema, are undeniably tame compared with what can be found in the more transgressive milieu of underground cinema – and rattles our sense of (for lack of a better word) “decency.”
This said, the scenes in which Kidman – who fearlessly embraces the challenge of being an A-list superstar (of a “certain age”) in a role that hinges not just on her
sexual viability, but the willingness with which she allows her body to be presented for scrutiny – surrenders herself to the irresistible draw of her forbidden young lover are nevertheless searing examples of raw cinematic expression. This is certainly a function of her full commitment to the role, and her ability to find the right blend of self-awareness and self-abandon that convinces us of their authenticity. But it’s equally due to the smouldering charisma and adroitly balanced persona of Dickinson’s Samuel, who overcomes the natural distrust that inherently accompanies his role (as a male subordinate seemingly exploiting his female superior’s vulnerability) to win a palpable measure of respect – if not our full sympathies – through an almost preternatural sense of self-confidence and a kind of dark sincerity that renders the mutually exploitative nature of their relationship almost irrelevant in our visceral response to it.
Before anyone questions the weight with which we consider the movie’s sex scenes, it’s important to convey that “Babygirl” is most decidedly a film about sexual politics, and, despite the complimentary juxtaposition it provides with workplace culture, it is there where it hits its deepest and most resonant chords in our collective psyche. The forced strictures of our societal roles take a back seat to the raw and untamed urgency of our most intimate desires, and even the sacrosanct bond of marital commitment is fair game when it comes to fulfilling the fantasies that somehow make us feel more wholly ourselves, regardless – and indeed, often because of – any taboos that might otherwise discourage us from exploring them.
In an era when the “rules” around sex somehow feel both less and more stringent than ever, such an approach feels particularly transgressive. Indeed, the implication than an illicit office affair might be anything other than an HR nightmare might well seem like a radical notion even to those with a more-or-less permissive
stance on matters of personal morality, in any era. Yet “Babygirl” negotiates those dangerous curves with wickedly seductive finesse, offering up a steamy portrait of illicit-yet-irresistible sexual adventure that ultimately feels less like a cautionary tale – despite the inevitable personal and professional consequences that threaten to shatter Romy’s idealized “Girl Boss” life as her affair with Samuel grows more and more out of her control –than a taboo-smashing story of personal liberation and growth beyond conventional mores.
Delivered without overt judgment through Reijn’s observational treatment, it’s a movie that successfully conveys the allure of “kinky” sexual roleplay far more convincingly than “Fifty Shades of Gray” – thanks in no small part to Dickinson, whose breathtakingly opaque performance renders Samuel with equal parts searing charisma and chilling menace, and whose May/September chemistry with Kidman is not only convincing but undeniably hot.
It’s her film, however, and it’s her performance, which captures an emotional nakedness far more courageous than that required by baring her perfect-for-any-age body, that gives “Babygirl” the depth that makes it more than just a topical tale of sexual politics in the workplace. Indeed, the office intrigue that surrounds the affair seems almost an afterthought, a convenient “McGuffin” to draw us into a story that is really about something much more interesting.
While the movie doesn’t always land perfectly – particularly in its treatment of Romy’s marriage, which feels vaguely perfunctory and leaves Banderas with little room to explore the nuances that might make his character more than a cipher – it’s still a deliciously provocative, visually stylish piece of boldly countercultural filmmaking, that dares to suggest that the path to personal growth sometimes lies through kinky, forbidden sex.
You have to admit, it’s a very appealing suggestion.
ADRIEN BRODY and FELICITY JONES in ‘The Brutalist.’ (Image courtesy of A24)
Telling the Randy Shilts story
Remembering the book that made America pay attention to AIDS
By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
You spent most of your early career playing second fiddle.
But now you’ve got the baton, and a story to tell that people aren’t going to want to hear, though it’s essential that they face the music. They must know what’s happening. As in the new book “When the Band Played On” by Michael G. Lee, this time, it’s personal.
Born in 1951 in small-town Iowa, Randy Shilts was his alcoholic, abusive mother’s third of six sons. Frustrated, drunk, she reportedly beat Shilts almost daily when he was young; she also called him a “sissy,” which “seemed to follow Randy everywhere.”
Perhaps because of the abuse, Shilts had to “teach himself social graces,” developing “adultlike impassiveness” and “biting sarcasm,” traits that featured strongly as he matured and became a writer. He was exploring his sexuality then, learning “the subtleties of sexual communication,” while sleeping with women before fully coming out as gay to friends.
Nearing his 21st birthday, Shilts moved to Oregon to attend college and to “allow myself love.” There, he became somewhat of an activist before leaving San Francisco to fully pursue journalism, focusing on stories of gay life that were “mostly unknown to anyone outside of gay culture.”
He would bounce between Oregon and California several times, though he never lost sight of his writing career and, through it, his activism. In both states, Shilts reported on gay life, until he was well known to national readers and gay influencers. After San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk was assassinated, he was tapped to write Milk’s biography.
By 1982, Shilts was in love, had a book under his belt, a radio gig, and a regular byline in a national publication reporting “on the GRID beat,” an acronym later changed to AIDS. He was even under contract to write a second book.
But Shilts was careless. Just once, careless.
“In hindsight,” says Lee, “… it was likely the night when Randy crossed the line, becoming more a part of the pandemic than just another worried bystander.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, there are two distinct audiences for “When the Band Played On.” One type of reader will remember the AIDS crisis and the seminal book about it. The other is too young to remember it, but needs to know Randy Shilts’s place in its history.
The journey may be different, but the result is the same: author Michael G. Lee tells a complicated, still-controversial story of Shilts and the book that made America pay attention, and it’s edgy for modern eyes. Lee clearly shows why Shilts had fans and haters, why Shilts was who he was, and Lee keeps some mystery in the tale. Shilts had the knowledge to keep himself safe but he apparently didn’t, and readers are left to wonder why. There’s uncomfortable tension in that, and a lot of hypothetical thinking to be had.
For scholars of gay history, this is an essential book to read. Also, for anyone too young to remember AIDS as it was, “When the Band Played On” hits the right note.
‘When
the Band Played On’
By Michael G. Lee
c.2025, Chicago Review Press | $30 | 282 pages
skate
THE WHARF ICE RINK ON TRANSIT PIER IS OPEN THROUGH FEBRUARY
During the colder months, enjoy one of the coolest spots on the waterfront: The Wharf Ice Rink. Come to Transit Pier and lace up your skates—bring your own or rent some rink-side. The Wharf Ice Rink is open every Wednesday to Sunday through the end of February.
Ice skate with your family and friends and join us for our on-the-ice events including Curling & Cocktails and Rock the Rink with the Washington Capitals.
CURLING & COCKTAILS | EVERY WEDNESDAY, 7PM, 8PM, 9PM ROCK THE RINK | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2PM-5PM
where DC meets to For
All charged up about EVs
Style, comfort, and technology galore
By JOE PHILLIPS
Electric vehicles are charging ahead, despite recent saber rattling by politicians. After testing a bevy of EVs, the rides below certainly got my motor running.
BMW iX (midsize SUV)
Price: $89,000-$113,000 | Range: 288 to 324 miles
0 to 60 mph: 4.0 seconds | Cargo space: 35.5 cu. ft.
WHAT’S TO LIKE: Fun styling. Funky steering wheel. Floating center console. Oh, and cameras, radar and other sensors hidden in the grille, which has a special coating to magically erase minor scratches and dings. I was blown away when the BMW iX debuted in 2022. Three years later, the thrill is still there. Acceleration, cornering and braking? All breathtaking, in both the base model xDrive50 and high-test M60. Gizmos now include eye-tracking software so you can change lanes simply by glancing toward one of the side-view mirrors. An expansive digital monitor above the dash holds both a 14.9-inch infotainment display and 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. And many materials — such as carpet and floor mats — are recycled. A truly eclectic electric? You bet.
CADILLAC LYRIQ (midsize SUV)
Price: $60,000-$70,000 | Range: 314 miles
0 to 60 mph: 5.7 seconds | Cargo space: 28.0 cu. ft.
WHAT’S TO LIKE: If a BMW iX is cutting edge (say, like “Transformers One”), then a Cadillac Lyriq is old-school cool (a la “Deadpool & Wolverine”). Handsome design. Familiar feel. Quiet cabin. Handling is more affable than athletic. Ditto the acceleration. The land-yacht aura extends to the seats, which are cushy instead of taut. For older — er, more mature — drivers, this is a plus. But there’s plenty of tech here, too: 33-inch digital display, tri-zone climate control, hands-free driving, wireless charging pad and so on. When first sliding behind the wheel, I wished the navigation/infotainment interface was more intuitive. But a stellar voice-assistant system more than made up for it.
KIA EV 9 (large SUV)
Price: $57,000-$76,000 | Range: 230 to 304 miles
0 to 60 mph: 4.9 seconds | Cargo space: 20.2 cu. ft.
WHAT’S TO LIKE: A cyborg in the city? With Robocop styling and Tron-like finesse, the Kia EV9 looks and feels out of this world. Three-row seating, with scads of passenger room. Lowering all the rear seats expands cargo capacity to fit more than 15 suitcases. And unlike most EVs, the EV9 can tow up to 5,000 pounds. Yet the hulky hauler behaves like a nimble ninja, easily darting in and out of traffic. At almost 6,000 pounds, the King Kong Kia is three tons of fun —literally. There are so many creature comforts — self-leveling suspension, ambient lighting, massage seats, rear-window shades, 14-speaker Meridian audio—you would think this was a Range Rover.
MERCEDES EQE (midsize SUV)
Price: $80,000-$110,000 | Range: 265 to 307 miles
0 to 60 mph: 5.6 seconds | Cargo space: 14.0 cu. ft.
WHAT’S TO LIKE: Luxury is as luxury does and Mercedes does luxury well. With a dashing design, silken ride and hushed interior, the EQE sets a high bar. Four trim levels, including the awe-inspiring AMG with 617 horsepower. Everything is state-of-the-art: powertrains, suspension, safety, multipixel headlights, cabin air purifier, Burmeister stereo and more. An augmented-reality nav system monitors traffic, weather and such, then conveys this info into graphic overlays on the head-up display. And the standard faux leather seats? They look and feel like the real thing. One downside: minimal cargo space. But then, there’s always a full-size EQS topping out at $180,000.
NISSAN ARIYA (compact SUV)
Price: $40,000-$56,000 | Range: 205 to 289 miles
0 to 60 mph: 7.5 seconds | Cargo space: 22.8 cu. ft.
WHAT’S TO LIKE: Cute, compact, comfy. It’s easy to like a Nissan Ariya, with its cheeky exterior, composed handling and low price. Choice of two battery packs, as well as two-wheel or all-wheel drive. Base-model pricing is hard to beat, but beware the tradeoffs: pokey acceleration and reduced range. Luckily, the other trim levels offer more oomph. All Ariyas come
loaded: LED headlights, heated steering wheel, heated front/rear seats, nav system, head-up display and lots of safety gear. Notable options: panoramic sunroof, hands-free liftgate, limited hands-free cruise control, automated parking and illuminated kick plates. Overall, I found the ride smooth, though not sporty. Racing mavens may want to look elsewhere, but it’ll cost you.
SUBARU SOLTERRA (compact SUV)
Price: $40,000-$47,000 | Range: 222 to 227 miles
0 to 60 mph: 6.1 seconds | Cargo space: 27.7 cu. ft.
WHAT’S TO LIKE: The first EV from Subaru — the Solterra — boasts origami-like flair. Built in tandem with the quirkily named Toyota bZ4X, both SUVs fall a bit short in battery range — less than 230 miles. But the Solterra comes standard with all-wheel drive, roof rails and front cross-traffic alert. Plus, it now has faster charging times, as well as hands-free driving at up to 25 mph and an automatic lane-changing system used in conjunction with the turn signal. While not a true off-roader, this “Subie” has above-average ground clearance — 8.3 inches — to better tackle snow and potholes. And I liked all the storage compartments, along with dual-level cargo floor to fit extra luggage.
BMW iX
CADILLAC LYRIQ
SUBARU SOLTERRA
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
Navigating the shift: Mid-term rentals in D.C.’s short-term market
Increase in remote work leads to big changes
By SCOTT BLOOM
The short-term rental landscape in Washington, D.C., has undergone significant transformation in recent years, driven by the dual market shocks of a pandemic and changing regulations. In addition, consumer preferences have been evolving.
At the forefront of this shift is Charlotte Perry, owner of LUXbnb, who has been in this business for 14 years. Her experience and adaptability have helped her not only to survive, but also to thrive in the furnished rental market. I sat down with Charlotte to discuss her insights on midterm rentals, the impact of recent regulations, and her strategies for success.
Scott: Charlotte, thank you for joining me in this discussion. You’ve been in the short-term rental business for over a decade. How have you seen the landscape change in recent years, particularly with the implementation of new regulations?
Charlotte Perry: Yes, the market has definitely evolved, especially with the pandemic and restrictions on short-term rentals. I used to have greater than 80% of my revenue coming from Airbnb and VRBO, but in recent years, both platforms now account for roughly 25% of my rental revenue.
The shift has been dramatic, especially with the rise of mid-term rentals.
Scott: How did the pandemic impact your business?
Charlotte: The pandemic was tough, I lost 35% of my managed portfolio. All were one-bedroom units in multiunit buildings. Travel came to a halt, and the few people moving around at that time were not willing to share common areas like lobbies and stairways. But the return of U.S. Foreign Service personnel from our embassies to Washington helped stabilize occupancy. The pandemic also forced me to reevaluate all aspects of the business and become lean and efficient. Despite losing those accounts, my revenue declined marginally in 2020 and then in 2021 and 2022 actually surpassed pre-pandemic results.
Scott: That’s quite a recovery. The short-term rental regulations that went into effect in 2022 must have added another layer of complexity. How have you navigated those changes?
Charlotte: The regulations that were passed in October 2018 and enforced in January 2022 were a significant market shock. The new rules require short-term rental properties to be licensed and only owner-occupied primary residences qualify. This reduced my short-term rental inventory by 75%. More critically, it also reduced the total available short-term rental inventory in D.C. across VRBO and Airbnb, the two main booking platforms. I focused right away on growing my mid-term and long-term rentals in response. The rapid shift in how people travel, along with remote work trends fueled by the pandemic, helped me in ramping up quickly.
Scott: Speaking of mid-term rentals, how do you define that market, and why do you think it’s growing?
Charlotte: Mid-term rentals are stays between one and 12 months, and they’ve grown in popularity due to the flexibility that remote work offers. People can now work from anywhere, and many are choosing to spend a few months in different cities to try out new lifestyles. This demand has been further fueled by a parallel trend in vacations. I see retirees coming to D.C. for a month rather than a week.
Demand for multi-month rentals also comes from the fact that we are the nation’s capital so we have many different renters cycling through: federal government personnel, politicians, students on government internships, government contractors, our foreign service and military. In addition to our federal government, D.C. has a strong network of museums, medical centers, universities, NGOs, and international organizations, all of which bring in staff for several months at a time.
Scott: It sounds like adapting to this trend has been key to your success. What have you done to meet the needs of mid-term renters?
Charlotte: My main shifts have been focusing on the needs of longer stays, i.e, a separate workspace, a more complete kitchen set-up, clothing storage, improving appeal, and listening and responding to changing customer needs. Location will always be important, however the set-up and appeal of the property are equally important. I want my guests to feel comfortable and at home the moment they arrive.
Scott: How do you approach pricing, given the changes in demand and market conditions?
Charlotte: I use sophisticated software to analyze market demand and adjust the rental rates. After 14 years in business, I know the cyclical demands for rentals in D.C.. I raise prices for last-minute bookings or high-demand periods like holidays and events. At other times, I may start with lower prices to build up occupancy, then gradually increase the rates as the property gains more visibility. It’s about being flexible and responding to the market.
Scott: What about the new regulations—how have they impacted your business?
Charlotte: The new regulations did significantly impact my inventory, as I mentioned earlier. But the mid-term rental demand has been strong. In fact, business has been growing steadily since 2020. People warned me that my business would collapse, but it’s been quite the opposite. I’ve adapted, and LUXbnb is thriving.
Scott: What other opportunities have you found in the current market?
Charlotte: I work with Realtors, because a temporary turn-key rental is often needed in the buying and selling process. When relocating to D.C. buyers appreciate a soft landing in a turn-key rental. It gives them time to explore neighborhoods and schools and look for the perfect home. Likewise, sellers too appreciate the flexibility of a turn-key temporary rental while they decide their next move. Another major opportunity has been the demand from homeowners who are renovating and need to vacate during construction.
Scott: You’ve also diversified your marketing platforms. Can you speak to that for our readers?
Charlotte: Yes, the first thing I did was make changes to my own website to ensure visitors knew LUXbnb handled furnished rentals for any length of stay, from 3 nights to 3 years. Additionally, while Airbnb and VRBO are important, I’ve found success using platforms for mid- and long-term rentals along with niche platforms like Furnished Finders and Sabbatical Homes. Depending on the property and its location, I’ll choose the platforms that best match my and my owners’ goals for the property, and the renters we are looking for. This has allowed me to reach a wider pool of potential renters and not rely on any one platform.
Scott: Compliance with local regulations is critical in this market. How do you manage that aspect?
Charlotte: Compliance is key, and I always make sure my properties are fully licensed with the various licenses that D.C. issues (short-term rental, vacation rental, single-family rental). Sometimes a property needs all three. Additionally, for all rental durations under 91 nights, we collect the 15.95% sales and use tax, and remit that monthly to the Office of Tax and Revenue. It’s an essential part of doing business here, and staying compliant keeps everything running smoothly.
Scott: You’ve also explored opportunities outside of D.C. How has that experience been?
Charlotte: Yes, we have the infrastructure in place to expand in two directions. The first is Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware vacation homes. I am seeing good consistent demand with our pilot, so we plan to ramp this up.
Scott: It sounds like you’ve built a resilient and adaptable business. Do you have any final thoughts on the future of the short-term and mid-term rental markets?
Charlotte: The rental landscape is always changing, but we know the mid-term rental market will continue to grow. We are riding the wave of market changes driven by societal shifts in how people work and travel. The demand for flexible, high-quality housing is only increasing. For now, I’m focused on providing the best possible experience for my renters and staying ahead of the market trends.
Scott: Charlotte, thank you so much for sharing your insights. Your expertise and adaptability have clearly positioned LUXbnb as a leader in this space.
Charlotte: Thank you, Scott, it’s been a pleasure partnering with Columbia Property Management. I’m excited about the opportunities ahead for both of our businesses, furnished rentals at LUXbnb and unfurnished property management through CPM.
As Charlotte’s experience with LUXbnb shows, the midterm rental market in Washington, D.C., offers incredible opportunities for landlords who can navigate the new regulatory landscape. With the right strategies and partnerships, there’s plenty of room for success in this growing segment.
For more information about short to mid-term rentals, LUXbnb and Charlotte Perry, please visit https://www. luxbnb.com.
SCOTT BLOOM
is owner and senior property manager of Columbia Property Management. For more information and resources, visit ColumbiaPM.com.
SCOTT BLOOM
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