Volume 46, Issue 15, April 10, 2015

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AM E RI C A S GAY NE W S S O URCE
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
LGBT issues not explicitly

mentioned during announcement
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
After months of indications that he was planning a
White House bid, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Tuesday
ocially announced he is running for president.
During a 20-minute speech in Louisville in his home
state of Kentucky, the one-term U.S. senator formally
declared hes seeking the Republican nomination to
become the next president as attendees chanted,
President Paul! President Paul!
To rescue a great country now adrift join me as
together we seek a new vision for America, Paul said.
Today, I announce with Gods help, with the help of
liberty lovers everywhere that I am putting myself
forward as a candidate for president of the United
States of America.
Paul made no explicit mention of LGBT issues during
his announcement. Instead, the candidate expressed
his previously stated support for a constitutional
U.S. Sen. RAND PAUL (R-Ky.) on April 5 formally declared his 2016 presidential candidacy
CONTINUES ON PAGE 16
Jamyra Gallmon allegedly murdered

David Messerschmitt after placing
Craigslist ad looking to meet
another man
By LOU CHIBBARO, JR.
lchibbaro@washblade.com
A woman charged in the stabbing death of D.C.
attorney David Messerschmitt at the Donovan Hotel
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY LEE WHITMAN
on Feb. 9 met him by responding to a personal ad he

placed seeking to meet another man on Craigslist,
according to a police arrest adavit led last week in
D.C. Superior Court.
The adavit and other charging documents were
led one day after D.C. police homicide detectives
arrested Jamyra Gallmon, 21, of Southeast Washington,
on a charge of rst-degree felony murder while armed
in connection with Messerschmitts murder.
Messerschmitt, 30, who worked for a prominent
international law rm, was found dead at 11 a.m.
on Feb. 10 in a room at the upscale Donovan Hotel
on 14th Street, N.W., next to Thomas Circle suering

from multiple stab wounds. His wife, Kim Vuong, had
reported him missing about 1 a.m. that day.
Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond
ruled in a court hearing on April 2 that probable cause
evidence exists to move forward with the murder
charge against Gallmon.
Raymond denied a request by Gallmons attorney
that she be released on bond while awaiting trial, saying
evidence presented by prosecutors shows the defendant
DEPUTY D.C. MAYOR
BREAKING GROUND
MADONNARAMA
Courtney Snowden
tapped to oversee
economic development
Maltese lawmakers
pass sweeping gender
rights bill
Town dance party

celebrates diva with
music, videos and more
PAGE 4
PAGE 14
PAGE 42
0 2 A PRI L 1 0 , 2 0 15
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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
0 4 A PRI L 1 0 , 2 0 15
Hogan rejects request to ban state travel to Indiana

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan last week rejected a gay lawmakers request to
ban state-funded travel to Indiana over its religious freedom law.
The Republican governors oce in a statement said that Hogan stopped
reading state Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery County)s letter to him once
he saw that his wife, the rst lady, had been brought into the scenario.
I trust you share my deep concerns over the new, so-called religious freedom
law in the state of Indiana and its implications for many elected and appointed
representatives of Maryland, wrote the Montgomery County Democrat in his
March 31 letter to Hogan. Your family, an exemplary ambassador for the state
of Maryland, could be denied service due to a random business person, waiter
or clerks objection to the rst ladys previous divorce.
My family could be denied service in Indiana because of my marriage to
another man, added Madaleno. Many of our colleagues could also be denied
service because of an Indiana business owners objection to a Marylanders
marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, appearance or a myriad of
other excuses.
Hogans oce in its statement categorized Madalenos letter as political
grandstanding.
This type of political grandstanding is precisely what Maryland voters rejected
in last years election, it reads.
Madaleno did not return the Washington Blades request for comment.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
Maryland teen hired as rst gay Boy Scout leader

The Greater New York Councils of the Boy Scouts of America has deed the
national scouting groups policy of banning openly gay scout leaders by hiring
Pascal Tessier, 18, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, as a summer camp leader.
Tessier made history last year at the age of 17 when he became the nations
rst openly gay Eagle Scout, the scouting organizations highest-ranking status
for a scout. Tessiers promotion to Eagle Scout came one year after the Boy
Scouts of America changed its policy to allow openly gay youth as scouts while
retaining its ban on adult gay scout leaders.
We received this application from this young man, and we found him highly
qualied on all the merits, said Richard G. Mason, a member of the board of
the Greater New York Councils, which serves as New Yorks chapter of the Boy
Scouts of America.
We have an anti-discrimination policy, we believe in it very rmly, and we are
executing on it, Mason said in a statement last week.
The Human Rights Campaign, which hailed the Greater New York Councils
decision to hire Tessier, announced in a statement on April 2 that nationally
recognized attorney David Boies has agreed to represent Tessier in a possible
legal challenge to the Boy Scouts policy banning adult scout leaders.
Boies was one of two attorneys who successfully argued the cases challenging
bans on same-sex marriage before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013.
He told news media outlets he was hopeful the national Boy Scouts leadership
would avert the need for a court ght by not attempting to overturn the Greater
New York Councils decision to hire Tessier.
Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who became president of the
Boy Scouts of America last year, has said he opposes any further debate on or
proposals to end the organizations ban on gay scout leaders at this time, even
though he told Boy Scout ocials he personally favored lifting the ban on gay
adult leaders.
Gates reportedly has said reopening that issue could split the Boy Scouts of
America into two separate groups one that accepts gay scouts and scout
leaders and the other that doesnt. The two new groups may not be able to
survive, Gates reportedly has said.
When asked about the action by the Greater New York Councils, Deron Smith,
a spokesperson for Boy Scouts of America, said, We are looking into the matter,
the Associated Press reported.
This is a historic day for the Boy Scouts of America and for the courageous
and talented young man, Pascal Tessier, who seeks only to work for the
organization that he loves, said HRC president Chad Grin in a statement.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
LO CA L N E W S
Bowser names lesbian

activist as deputy mayor
Snowden to lead economic
development eorts in
underserved neighborhoods
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on April 1
named lesbian activist and public aairs
lobbyist Courtney Snowden as her
administrations deputy mayor for greater
economic opportunity, a newly created
position in the Executive Oce of the Mayor.
Bowser announced the appointment
at a community meeting held at an oce
building in Anacostia leased by the city
to help boost economic development in
Ward 8, were the building is located, and
neighboring Ward 7, where Snowden lives.
The job of the deputy mayor for greater
economic opportunity, who will have an
oce in this building, is to address the
day to day needs of neighborhoods that
have been overlooked, Bowser said.
The mayor said that among other
things, Snowden would be in charge of
overseeing the Department of Small and
Local Businesses, the Department of
Employment Services, the Oce of African
American Aairs and the Commission on
Fatherhood, Men and Boys.
Deputy Mayor Snowden will lead our
eorts to create more opportunities to
the middle class for those who are seeking
employment or want to start and grow a
business, Bowser said. I am happy to
deliver on a promise to create a position
to ensure that all Washingtonians,
regardless of ward or zip code, have
secure pathways to the middle class.
Snowden, who ran unsuccessfully
in November for a seat on the D.C. City
Council as an independent, becomes the
highest ranking out LGBT ocial in the
Bowser administration and the fourth
gay or lesbian appointee to be named to
a cabinet level position.
For the past 10 years Snowden has
worked as a lobbyist and public policy
strategist representing corporate and
non-prot clients for the Raben Group,
a D.C.-based public relations and
communications rm. The rm was
founded by gay attorney Robert Raben,
who served as an assistant U.S. attorney
general in the Clinton administration.
Before joining the Raben group, Snowden
served as a senior lobbyist for the National
Parent and Teacher Association. Prior to
that she worked in various policy positions
for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education
Network, the Human Rights Campaign, and
COURTNEY SNOWDEN will serve as D.C.s

new deputy mayor for greater economic
opportunity.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
then-Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy

Baldwin before winning election as the
nations rst openly gay U.S. senator in 2012.
Snowden, a lifelong D.C. resident,
served on Bowsers mayoral transition
team prior to Bowser taking oce as
mayor on Jan. 1. She is a resident of the
citys Deanwood section, where she lives
with her son Malik.
I am so honored, humbled and
grateful that Mayor Bowser has asked me
with making Washingtons underserved
and overlooked neighborhoods and
communities better places to live and
work for our families, Snowden said.
I applaud Mayor Bowser for
recognizing the need for creating this
position, she said. You know, for
so many of us in these underserved
communities we can see the force of the
cranes and hear the construction across
the river, and we want that too right here.
This is the evidence of that.
A newly revised organization chart
posted on the D.C. government website
shows that the newly created post of
deputy mayor for greater economic
opportunity is one of four deputy mayors
positions. The others are the deputy mayor
for education, deputy mayor for planning
and economic development and deputy
mayor for health and human services
In describing how she came to choose
Snowden for the new position, Bowser
said, I was looking for a results driven
leader with game changing ideas, a
candidate who would ercely speak up
and speak out on any issue, even if she
was the lone wolf.
Added Bowser, She is a fresh voice for
change in this city.
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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
0 6 A PRI L 1 0 , 2 0 15
LO CA L N E W S
Gay man les discrimination complaint against D.C. Starbucks

Manager at Dupont Circle
location accused of hurling
anti-gay slurs at customer
before assaulting him.
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

A gay man has led a discrimination

complaint with the D.C. Oce of Human
Rights charging the manager of the
Starbucks at 1700 Connecticut Ave., N.W.,
in Dupont North with calling him and his
boyfriend anti-gay names and assaulting
him in an altercation outside the store.
Michael Campbell, 30, and Angel
Rivera, 22, both D.C. residents, told the
Washington Blade that Starbucks manager
Christian Lokossou subjected them to a
harrowing confrontation during their visit
to the popular coee shop last May 18.
Among other things, the two said
he started a verbal confrontation with
Campbell possibly after seeing the two
kiss one another as they placed their order
with another employee. Minutes later, the
two said, Lokossou chased after them as
they left the store, hurling anti-gay slurs at
them before bumping into Campbell with
his shoulder and chest all while startled
customers seated in the patio looked on.
You are fucking with the wrong one
and I will break your neck you little fag,

and I will break your spic boyfriends neck
as well, Campbells complaint quotes
Lokossou as saying.
The complaint, which was led with the
D.C. Oce of Human Rights on Nov. 24,
2014, charges that due to Lokossous action,
Starbucks violated the D.C. Human Rights
Acts provision banning discrimination by a
place of public accommodation based on
Campbells sexual orientation and race.
The complaint says Campbell has been a
regular customer at the Starbucks store at
Connecticut Avenue and R Street, N.W. It says
he has been subjected to verbal abuse by
Lokossou in at least one prior run-in in 2011
Respondents manager also treats
me (white-Italian) dierently than other
customers (non-white), the complaint states.
At Starbucks we want all of our
customers to have a positive experience,
Laurel Harper, a Starbucks spokesperson,
said in an email in response to an inquiry
by the Blade. We have zero tolerance
for discrimination and take this type of
accusation seriously, she said.
We are investigating the claims in this
case; however, because this involves
pending litigation, we are unable to
discuss any further, Harper said.
The Blade couldnt immediately reach
Lokossou for comment.
The D.C. Oce of Human Rights has a strict
policy of not commenting on discrimination
complaints led with the oce until it makes

a determination of probable cause the
alleged discrimination occurred.
A letter to Campbell dated Dec. 17, 2014,
by Georgia A. Stewart of the D.C. Oce of
Human Rights, which Campbell released
to the Blade, states, The D.C. Oce of
Human Rights is in receipt of your charge
of discrimination against Starbucks.
Stewarts letter informed Campbell
of a required mediation process that all
those who le discrimination complaints
must participate in with the party being
accused of discrimination.
According to Campbell, the mediation
failed to result in a resolution of the case
after Starbucks declined to accept all of
his proposals for resolution, including an
agreement that Lokossou be required
to undergo counseling and some type of
sensitivity training on how to deal with LGBT
customers in city with a diverse population.
Campbell said he held o for nearly six
months before he led his complaint with
the hope that he could work something
out privately with Starbucks. He said
Starbucks D.C. area district managers
appear to be ignoring his calls until he sent
an email directly to Starbucks CEO Howard
Schultz, who is an outspoken supporter of
LGBT rights and same-sex marriage.
Campbell and Rivera said the incident
that led to the complaint began when
they entered the Starbucks in May 2014
on a bright pleasant day intending to

indulge in their beloved coee drinks.
They said Lokossou bristled when
Campbell politely greeted him at the cash
register by saying hello Christian. They
said he responded by rudely asking them
if they were nished with their order and
ready to leave the store.
The two said they arent sure if
Lokossou saw them innocently kiss one
another minutes earlier, but they think he
did see their display of aection.
You are a joke, you are crazy, everyone
sees you are crazy, Campbells complaint
quotes Lokossou as saying to Campbell in
a voice loud enough for other customers
to hear. Campbell said he responded by
calling Lokossou homophobic and raised
his middle nger toward the manger
before he and Rivera left the store.
Seconds later, according to Campbells
complaint, Lokossou followed them
outside the store onto an outdoor patio
area and shouted, You are fucking with
the wrong one and I will break your neck,
you little fag, and I will break your spic
boyfriends neck as well.
Rivera said as many as six Starbucks
employees rushed out of the store behind
Lokossou shouting at him to return to the
store. Stop, its not worth it, Rivera quoted
one of the employees as saying to Lokossou.
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
Todd wins Stein Club endorsement in Ward 4 race

Candidate was nance
director for Bowsers
mayoral campaign
By LOU CHIBBARO, JR.
Former City Council staer and
Democratic Party activist Brandon Todd
won the endorsement of the Gertrude
Stein Democratic Club on Monday in his
race for the Ward 4 Council seat on the
ballot in an April 28 special election.
Todd worked as constituent services
director for former Ward 4 Council
member Muriel Bowser (D) up until the
time she announced her candidacy for
mayor last year. Todd then became
nance director of Bowsers successful
mayoral campaign.
He said he was honored to receive the
Stein Club endorsement and pledged
to follow Bowsers lead as a strong and
committed ally of the LGBT community.
Todd, 31, who is being backed by
Bowser, captured the Stein Clubs
endorsement with 83.7 percent of the
votes cast by the 37 members who

turned out for an endorsement forum.
The forum was held at Busboys and Poets
in Ward 4s Takoma Park neighborhood.
Five of the other 11 candidates
competing with Todd in the special
election participated in the forum. Like
Todd, each expressed strong support for
LGBT rights.
But it became clear as Stein Club President
Earl Fowlkes opened the forum that most of
the club members attended, including at
least three who work on Bowsers mayoral
sta, were supporting Todd.
Among them were Sheila AlexanderReid, director of the Mayors Oce of
LGBT Aairs; Jim Slattery, director of
the Mayors Correspondence Unit; and
Christopher Dyer, special assistant to the
director of the Mayors Oce of Justice
Grants Administration.
Todd received 31 votes. Community
activist Renee Bowser, who is not related
to Muriel Bowser, received 3 votes. Leon
Andrews, an ocial with the National
League of Cities, and Edwin Powell, a
Howard University professor and former
D.C. public schools principal, each
received one vote.
Gwenellen Corley-Bowman, a retired

teacher, and Acqunetta Anderson, an
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner
and community activist, received no votes.
Fowlkes said one vote cast was disqualied.
Real estate attorney Dwayne Toliver,
who has also expressed strong support for
LGBT rights, showed up for the forum but
was disqualied from participating because
he failed to submit a required statement in
advance of the event discussing his views
on LGBT and other issues.
Toliver received the highest rating
among Ward 4 candidates on LGBT
related issues a +7 by the Gay and
Lesbian Activists Alliance. Powell received
a 6.5 GLAA rating, with Todd receiving a
rating of 5.5 by the group, which rates
candidates on a scale of -10, the worst
possible score, to +10.
Anderson received a +3 and Renee
Bowser received a +2.5 GLAA rating.
Corley-Bowman and Andrews received
a 0 rating for not returning a required
GLAA
questionnaire
that
asked
candidates about LGBT related issues.
The Stein Clubs forum on Monday
follows another Stein forum held on March
24 in which the club endorsed community
activist LaRuby May in her race for the

Ward 8 D.C. Council seat. That seat is also
on the ballot in a special election on April
28. It became vacant following the death
last November of Council member and
former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry.
Fowlkes said he was pleased that Todd
won the clubs endorsement. According
to Fowlkes and other club members,
Todd has been credited with working
closely with LGBT residents of Ward 4
for the more than ve years he served as
Bowsers constituent services director on
the D.C. Council.
With the support of Bowser, both Todd
in Ward 4 and May in Ward 8 are far ahead
of their rivals in campaign fundraising.
Political observers have said many of
the large donors to Bowsers mayoral
campaign have contributed money to
May and Todds campaigns.
Gay activist and longtime Ward 4
resident Joe Martin said he thought Powell
was the most articulate on LGBT issues
among the candidates participating in the
Stein Club forum on Monday. But he said
he also recognizes Todds popularity in
the ward and his advantage of having the
Democratic machine behind him.
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0 8 A PRI L 1 0 , 2 0 15
NATIONAL NEWS
States revised controversial religious freedom laws

D.C. Mayor Bowser,
lifts travel ban to Indiana
By CHRIS JOHNSON
The governors of Arkansas and Indiana
on April 2 signed into law compromise
measures aimed at enabling religious
freedom in their states, but minimizing
the potential for anti-LGBT discrimination.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who faced
a massive outcry from LGBT advocates
and the business community after
signing the initial bill, signed the
compromise measure after calling for a
legislative x during a news conference
earlier in the week.
There will be some who think this
legislation goes too far and some who
think it does not go far enough, but as
governor I must always put the interest of
our state rst and ask myself every day,
What is best for Indiana? Pence said
in a statement. I believe resolving this
controversy and making clear that every
person feels welcome and respected in
our state is best for Indiana.
The measure Pence signed into law
makes clear his states religious freedom

law cant used as the basis to deny
employment services to LGBT people;
while also making clear churches,
ministers and non-prot religious are
exempt from the x.
It moved quickly in the legislature after
Republican leaders in the legislature
announced their proposal.
The House passed the x by a 66-30
vote, followed by the Senate moments
later by a 34-16 vote.
Meanwhile, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson
signed into law a religious freedom bill along
the lines of the federal Religious Freedom
Restoration Act.
Although the state legislature initially
sent him a broader religious freedom bill
along the lines of the Indiana law, House
Bill 1228, he called on lawmakers to recall
that bill in a news conference and to send
him a measure along the lines of existing
federal law.
Like the Indiana x, the redraft of the
Arkansas measure, Senate Bill 975, moved
rapidly through the state legislature. Just
before the legislative session ended, the
Arkansas House of Representatives voted
76-17 to pass the bill, which cleared the
Arkansas Senate on April 1.
Indiana Gov. MIKE PENCE and Arkansas Gov. ASA HUTCHINSON last week signed bills that
revised controversial religious freedom laws in their respective states.
PENCE PHOTO BY GAGE SKIDMORE; COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
Travel bans to Indiana lifted

The governors of New York, Connecticut
and Washington this week rescinded
executive orders that had banned statefunded travel to Indiana all on grounds
the Indiana Legislature and Pence
removed the discriminatory language
from the law.
I believe the changes enacted by

the Indiana Executive and Legislature
should prevent the Religious Freedom
Restoration Act from being used to
discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgender citizens and travelers,
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in an
April 4 statement.
Takeaways from Ind. religious freedom law

The business community
played pivotal role in urging
lawmakers to revise statute
By CHRIS JOHNSON
The signing of Indianas religious
freedom bill that was seen to enable antiLGBT discrimination provoked a national
outcry that within the course of a week
led to Gov. Mike Pence signing a x to
stem the potential harm to his state and
LGBT Indiana residents.
In the week after the developments,
here are the takeaways that LGBT
advocates have observed resulting the
frenzy over the Indiana law:
1. Debate has shifted from
government discrimination to
private sector discrimination
In years past, the debate over LGBT
rights has focused on discrimination at
the hands of the government, such as
Dont Ask, Dont Tell, the Defense of
Marriage Act and most recently state
laws prohibiting same-sex couples from
marrying. But now that LGBT advocates
have largely won those victories, the
conversation now shifts to the remaining

area of discrimination: the private sector.
Amid continued wins for marriage equality,
anti-LGBT leaders ranging from former
U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum to Republican
presidential candidate Ted Cruz are speaking
out more in terms of a carve-out for religious
communities that would enable them to
ignore this progression throughout the
country. Meanwhile, LGBT advocates have
countered by calling for non-discrimination
protections to prohibit refusal of services and
employment in the public sector.
M.V. Lee Badgett, an economist at the
University of Massachusetts at Amherst who
specializes in LGBT issues, said government
and private sector discrimination have
always both been issues, but recent events
have the latter more prominent as a result
of wins for marriage.
I think this shows how they intersect and it
shows how sometimes removing government
discrimination might provoke a larger debate
on the private side because more LGBT people
will become visible, Badgett said. Marriage
is a public act, and something that when it
takes place gets connected to lots of dierent
institutions, whether thats businesses or
communities or families. In each of those
cases, it just makes the LGBT people whove
been there all along really visible.
But its not just the victories for the
LGBT community that have changed the

nature of the debate, its the change in
political landscape.
Lanae Erickson Hatalsky, director of
the social policy and politics program for
Third Way, said the discussion around the
extension of religious exemptions in nondiscrimination measures is the result of
Republican wins in 2014.
This conversation is really to me a
function of the fact that Republicans are in
charge of almost every lever of government
at the state legislative level and the federal
level, Hatalsky said. They control almost
everything. And so, theres little progress that
can be made in the short term on our other
priorities like advancing non-discrimination
laws, so what we have to deal with is these
religious liberty super-RFRA type laws. Thats
going to remain the conversation as long
Republicans remain in control.
2. More than ever, the business
community is aligned with
the LGBT community
The strongest voices against the Indiana
religious freedom bill were not from LGBT
advocates, but the business community.
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce
and Angies List, an Indianapolis-based
company that reviews local businesses,
were opponents of the law.
Also speaking out was Marc Benio,

the CEO of Salesforce, announced his
company would no longer do business in
the state out of concern that customers
and employees may face discrimination.
The National College Athletic Association,
which is also based in Indianapolis, also
expressed reservations about the law just
before it was about the Final Four.
Dan Pinello, a political scientist at the City
University of New York, said this support
represents a change for the business
community when more harsh anti-LGBT
measures were before the states.
In contrast, just three years ago,
when North Carolina became the last of
20 states in the nation to pass a superDOMA (a constitutionally-based ban of all
relationship recognition marriage, civil
unions, domestic partnerships, etc. for
same-sex couples), not one Fortune 500
company located in that state (including
Bank of America, Duke Energy, and Lowes)
publicly opposed it, Pinello said. And the
consequences to lesbian and gay couples
and their families of North Carolinas
comprehensive relationship prohibition
were far, far more harsh than the incidental
insults of bakers and photographers at issue
in Arkansas and Indiana last week.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
NATIONAL NEWS
A P RI L 1 0 , 2 0 1 5 0 9
GOP lawmakers urge

Supreme Court to
uphold marriage bans
Mitch McConnell among
those who signed onto brief
By CHRIS JOHNSON
A total of 57 congressional Republicans
including Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Republican
presidential candidate Ted Cruz joined
forces in a bicameral brief led on April
3 that the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold
state bans on same-sex marriage.
The 32-page friend-of-the-court brief
signed by six U.S. senators and 51 U.S.
members of the House of Representatives
makes the case that state prohibitions
on same-sex marriage are constitutional
on the basis of principles of federalism,
judicial restraint and states traditional
sovereignty over domestic relations.
Amici believe that a judgment of this
court imposing a judicially mandated
revision of state laws dening marriage
would circumvent the proper resolution of
these profound and divisive issues through
state democratic processes, the brief states.
Such a decision could damage the rights
of a self-governing people. It would set an
unwarranted precedent, with eects far
beyond this case, of federal encroachment
into a traditional area of state concern, and
of judicial pre-emption of an area that the
Constitution allots to democratic process.
At one point, congressional Republicans
invoke the U.S. Supreme Courts decision
in Roe v. Wade, saying the nationwide
ruling on abortion was widely criticized
for departing from incremental change.
In this case, it is beyond dispute that
a judicially mandated redenition of
marriage would impose sweeping, rather
than incremental, change, the brief says.
It would impliedly invalidate the recent,
democratically adopted policies of 31
states. Moreover, several States have
opted for a more incremental approach,
aording to same-sex couples forms of
legal recognition other than marriage.
Constitutional prudence dictates that this
incremental, democratic process should
be allowed to continue.
The six senators who signed the brief, in
addition to McConnell and Cruz, are Sens.
Steve Daines (R-Mont.), James Lankford
(R-Okla.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Tim
Scott (R-S.C.). In February, McConnell
was tight-lipped when asked by the
Washington Blade about his hopes for
Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL

(R-Ky.) is among those who signed the April 3
brief to the U.S. Supreme Court.
the marriages cases and non-committal

about signing a friend-of-the-court brief.
Among the 51 House members who
signed the brief are lawmakers who have
a reputation for holding anti-LGBT views,
including Reps. J. Randy Forbes (R-Va.),
Virginia Foxx (R-Va.), Trent Franks (R-Ariz.),
Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Vicky Hartzler
(R-Mo.), Tim Huelskamp (R-Kansas), Jim
Jordan (R-Ohio), Steve King (R-Iowa),
Raul Labrador (R-Idaho), Randy Weber
(R-Texas) and Pete Sessions (R-Texas).
Not listed is House Speaker John Boehner
(R-Ohio). In February, he told the Blade he
didnt anticipate House Republicans would
weigh in on the marriage cases in a legal
capacity. Also not among the signers is Sen.
Rand Paul (R-Ky.) who announced his White
House bid on April 7.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), another
potential
Republican
presidential
candidate, also did not sign the brief.
The attorney who signed the brief as
counsel of record is D. John Sauer, an
attorney for the St. Louis-based law rm
Clark and Sauer, LLC.
Standing in contrast to this brief is a
ling from 211 congressional Democrats
167 House members and 44 senators
calling on the U.S. Supreme Court
to nd a constitutional right for samesex couples to marry. Even though the
Democrats are at their smallest minority
ever in Congress since the early 20th
century, the number of lawmakers on the
Democrats brief is nearly four times the
number on the Republican brief.
The brief was led on the day that
friend-of-the-court were due in favor of
state prohibitions on same-sex marriage.
The next step in the cases is oral
arguments, which are set for April 28. The
U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a
nationwide ruling on same-sex marriage
by the end of June.
Justice Department les brief in trans prisoner case

WASHINGTON The Justice Department on April 3 led a brief in support of
a transgender prisoner in Georgia who claims she has been denied medical care
and sexually assaulted by inmates
at a mens prison where she is
serving her sentence.
The Southern Poverty Law
Center in February led a federal
lawsuit against the Georgia
Department of Corrections on
behalf of Ashley Diamond.
Diamond who is serving a
sentence for a non-violent crime
claims the Georgia Department
of Corrections has denied her
lawyers request that she receive
hormone
therapy
that
she
received for 17 years before her
incarceration. She also alleges
she has been sexually assaulted
on numerous occasions since she
began serving her sentence three
The Southern Poverty Law Center in
February led a federal lawsuit on behalf of
years ago.
ASHLEY DIAMOND.
Prisoners
with
gender
PHOTO COURTESY OF SPLC
dysphoria should not be forced
to suer needlessly during their
incarceration simply because they were not receiving care, or could not prove
they were receiving care, in the community, said Vanita Gupta, acting assistant
attorney general of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, in a statement.
Missouri LGBT rights ordinance repealed

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Voters in Springeld, Missouri, on April 7 repealed their
citys LGBT rights ordinance.
The News-Leader, a local newspaper, reported the referendum to repeal the
measure the Springeld City Council approved last October passed by a 51-49
percent margin. It would have added sexual orientation and gender identity to
Springelds anti-discrimination ordinance.
Rev. Phil Snider of Brentwood Christian Church told the News-Leader the
outcome of the referendum was heartbreaking.
The No Repeal Campaign, a group that supports the LGBT rights ordinance,
on its Twitter page thanked supporters.
Thank you for all of your work, it said. No matter what we are One
Springeld.
Springeld, which is located in the southwestern corner of Missouri, is the
states third largest city after Kansas City and St. Louis.
Santorum quotes gay slur to defend discrimination

WASHINGTON Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum
during an April 5 appearance on CBS News Face the Nation invoked the God
Hates Fags slogans on signs from the virulently anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church
to defend the right of businesses to deny services in public accommodations.
If youre a print shop, and you are a gay man, should you be forced to print
God Hates Fags for the Westboro Baptist Church because they hold those signs
up, Santorum said. And this is really the case here: Should the government
force you to do that? And thats what these cases are all about. Because this is
about the government coming in and saying, No were going to make you do
this. And this is where I think we just need some space to say, Lets have some
tolerance be a two-way street.
During his Face the Nation appearance, Santorum drew on the example of
the Westboro Baptist Church signs when questioned about the controversial
Indiana religious freedom law to make the case tolerance should be a two-way
street between LGBT people and social conservatives.
No business should discriminate against someone because of who you are,
but it should have the ability to say were not going to participate in certain
activities that we disagree with from a religious point of view, Santorum said.
1 0 A PRI L 1 0 , 2 0 15
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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
1 2 A PRI L 1 0 , 2 0 15
NATIONAL NEWS
Joe Biden scheduled to speak at LGBT donor conference

Email indicates the vice
president will speak at
gathering on May 2
By CHRIS JOHNSON
Vice President Biden is set to speak
an upcoming conference for high-dollar
donors seeking to make contributions to
LGBT causes.
An email dated April 6 from
event organizers ostensibly LGBT
philanthropist Tim Gill and his spouse Scott
Miller and leaked to the Washington
Blade indicates that Biden is set to
deliver remarks at the annual OutGiving
conference. The event is hosted in oddnumbered years by the Gill Foundation.
From his long-time leadership on
preventing violence against women to his
historic support for marriage equality and
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN

global LGBT human rights, Vice President

Biden has been a champion for our issues,
the email states. We are grateful he will join
us to celebrate the progress weve made
and re-commit to the work that remains.

The event is scheduled to take place
this year between April 30 and May 3,
according to the email, but the location of
the conference isnt public. According to
the vice presidents oce, the location of
the event is Dallas and Biden is scheduled
to speak on May 2.
Bloomberg News rst reported the
news of Bidens attendance.
The OutGiving conference, which
isnt open to the media or the public,
traditionally has featured high-prole
speakers in the LGBT rights movement, as
well as the state and federal government,
and has a reputation for secrecy. The event
is intended for philanthropists donate more
than $25,000 a year to LGBT caucuses.
As always, OutGiving is an opportunity
for you to connect and collaborate with
other donors who have fueled our
movement for equality, the email states.
We hope youll join us for three days of
sharing ideas and strategizing together.

Biden, who bolstered his reputation as
a champion of LGBT rights by coming out
in favor of marriage equality days before
President Obama, is set to speak at the
conference as potential 2016 presidential
candidates are beginning to make their
moves for a run.
Although former Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton is seen as a strong
frontrunner
for
the
Democratic
nomination in the 2016 race for the White
House, Biden has been reaching out to
key Democratic constituencies, including
the LGBT community, and made trips to
the early caucus and primary states of
Iowa and New Hampshire.
He spoke at the Human Rights
Campaigns annual spring training event
in D.C. last month and said the LGBT
movement is the same basic movement
as the larger civil rights movement that
was underway in the 1960s.
Court: Calif. prison must provide sex reassignment

State prison ocials
argue the procedure
would cost $100,000
By CHRIS JOHNSON
A federal district court ruled last week
that the California prison system must
provide sex reassignment surgery to
a transgender inmate incarcerated for
second-degree murder despite ocials
decision to deny her the procedure.
U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar, an Obama
appointee, on April 3 issued a preliminary
injunction in a 38-page ruling requiring
the California Department of Corrections
and Rehabilitation to oer the procedure
to Michelle-Lael Norsworthy, whos
incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison.
Although defendants characterize this
as a case where CDCR physicians have so
far determined that SRS is not medically
necessary, or even necessarily advisable,
the evidence presented does not support
their position, Tigar writes. Indeed,
there is no evidence that any treating
medical or mental health provider has
ever determined that SRS is not medically
necessary for NorsworthyThe weight
of the evidence demonstrates that for
Norsworthy, the only adequate medical
treatment for her gender dysphoria is
SRS, that the decision not to address
her persistent symptoms was medically
unacceptable under the circumstances,
and that CDCR denied her the necessary
treatment for reasons unrelated to her
medical need.
Norsworthy was convicted of murder
in the second degree with the use of a
rearm in 1987. Shes serving a sentence
of 17 years to life in prison, but has been
eligible for parole since 1998.
Even before she was convicted of her
crime, Norsworthy suered from gender
dysphoria. She began openly identifying
as a transsexual woman in the mid1990s, and was diagnosed with gender
dysphoria in 2000.
Norsworthy received psychotherapy
and hormone therapy for her condition
in prison, but ocials denied her
sex reassignment surgery despite a
recommendation from her doctors that
she receive the procedure. Instead of
providing it to her, the prison removed
Norsworthy from the care of her
psychologist who recommended she
receive sex reassignment surgery in a
move her medical records say was a
quick, unexpected change of primary
clinicians due to a HQs directive.
The San Francisco-based Transgender
Law Center and the global law rm
Morgan, Lewis and Bockius, LLP, last year
led a lawsuit against the California prison
system alleging that denying Norsworthy
sex reassignment surgery constitutes
cruel and unusual punishment under
the Eighth Amendment and violates her
right to equal protection under the 14th
Amendment. The court determined that
her claims the prison violates her Eighth
Amendment rights are valid, thus made no
eort to examine whether he rights were
violated under the 14th Amendment.
Kris Hayashi, executive director of

Transgender Law Center, claimed victory
in the aftermath of last weeks ruling,
saying it ensures that Norsworthy will
receive medically necessary care.
`No one should be denied the medical
care they need, Hayashi said. There is
a clear medical consensus that health
care related to gender transition is
necessary and life-saving for many
people. This decision conrms that its
unlawful to deny essential treatment to
transgender people. With this historic
decision, Michelle will now be able to get
the medical care she desperately needs.
Nine states, including California, and
D.C. already require private insurers to
cover medical care related to gender
transition, and public insurance programs
like Medicare and Californias Medicaid
system allow for coverage of gender
reassignment surgery.
Joyce Hayhoe, a spokesperson for
California Corrections Health Care
Services, is quoted in an Associated
Press report as saying her department
is reviewing the ruling to determine the
next steps, which could be an appeal
to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Should the operation occur, it will be the
rst in state prison history and could cost
as much as $100,000.
According to the Transgender Law
Center, the actual cost for Norsworthys
care range from $15,000 to $30,000,
which the organization says is far less
than what the state has already spent on
attorney fees in the lawsuit.
The ruling recalls the case of Michelle
Kosilek, a trans woman who was also

denied sex reassignment surgery by
the Massachusetts Department of
Corrections, but received a less favorable
action from the courts. Although the
district court reviewing the case and
a three-judge panel on the 1st U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals determined
that denying her the procedure violated
her Eighth Amendment rights, those
were overturned in December in an en
banc ruling by the full 1st Circuit. Gay
and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders,
which has represented Kosilek, has led
a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court
asking for review of the decision.
According to the ruling in the
Norsworthy
case,
the
California
Department
of
Corrections
and
Rehabilitation cited the Kosilek ruling as a
reason why it was acting within authority
to deny Norsworthy sex reassignment
surgery, but the court determined that
1st Circuit decision has no bearing on
California jurisdiction.
Ilona Turner, legal director for the
Transgender Law Center, said the court
absolutely got it right in the determining
the California Department of Corrections
and
Rehabilitation
must
provide
Norsworthy the procedure.
Michelle has been suering for
years because of the prison systems
unconstitutional
policy
against
providing transgender inmates the
medical care they need, Turner said.
This is a tremendous victory for her and
for all transgender people incarcerated
in California.
A P RI L 1 0 , 2 0 1 5 1 3
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I N T E RN A T I O N A L N E W S
Maltese lawmakers approve gender identity bill

Advocates describe
measure as cutting-edge
By MICHAEL K. LAVERS
mlavers@washblade.com
Maltese lawmakers on March 31
unanimously approved what LGBT rights
advocates are applauding as one of the worlds
most comprehensive gender identity bills.
The Gender Identity, Gender Expression
and Sex Characteristics Act states that a person
shall not be required to provide proof of sex
reassignment surgery, or having undergone
hormone therapy or any other psychiatric,
psychological or medical treatment to make
use of the right to gender identity in order to
legally change their name or gender.
The proposal would also extend sweeping
legal protections to intersex children.
It shall not be lawful for medical
practitioners or other professionals to
conduct any sex assignment treatment

and, or surgical intervention on the
sex characteristics of a minor which
treatment and, or intervention can be
deferred until the person to be treated
can provide informed consent, it reads.
The measure further states that all
Maltese citizens or those who habitually
live in the small island nation south of Sicily
in the Mediterranean Sea have the right to
the recognition of their gender identity
and the free development of their person
according to their gender identity.
Malta Gay Rights Movement, a local
LGBT advocacy group, celebrated the
bills passage on its Twitter page.
Ruth Baldacchino, a Maltese LGBT rights
advocate who is co-secretary general of
the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Trans and Intersex Association, is among
those who attended a celebration with
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat after
parliamentarians approved the bill.
Maltas new law is really the cuttingedge of human rights legislation in the
ght to fully recognize the rights of trans,
intersex and gender non-conforming
individuals, said Jessica Stern, executive
director of the International Gay and
Lesbian Human Rights Campaign, in a
statement. Crucially, Maltas new law
protects intersex infants from unnecessary
surgeries to normalize their bodies.
Alecs Recher, co-chair of Transgender
Europe, a European trans advocacy
group, in a statement said the Maltese
law sets a new benchmark for Europe.
We are thrilled about the respectful,
comprehensive and yet practical aspirations
of this new Maltese act, said Recher.
Denmark last September became
the rst European country to allow
trans people to legally change their
gender without undergoing medical and
psychological treatment. A Dutch law
that allows trans people to legally change
their gender without becoming sterilized

and having undergone sex-reassignment
surgery took eect last July, but they
still need to obtain a statement from an
expert to fulll their request.
Mexico City lawmakers last November
approved a bill that allows trans people
to legally change their gender without a
court order. Argentina and Uruguay have
enacted similar measures in recent years.
Cuba has oered free sex-reassignment
surgeries under the countrys national
health care system since 2008, but critics
of the islands Communist government
maintain that only a few dozen trans Cubans
have been able to undergo the procedure.
German parents since November
2013 have been able to designate the
gender on their intersex childrens birth
certicates as indeterminate.
Maltese lawmakers last April approved a
bill that allowed same-sex couples to enter
into civil unions and jointly adopt children.
Former Dominican president uses anti-gay slur

Hiplito Meja used phrase
little faggot while
speaking to supporters
By MICHAEL K. LAVERS
Former Dominican President Hiplito
Meja has sparked outrage among the
countrys LGBT rights advocates over
his use of an anti-gay slur during an
appearance in the U.S. last week.
Blabbeando, a blog that reports on
LGBT issues in Latin America, reported
Meja on April 3 told members of his party,
the Modern Revolutionary Party, who had
gathered in New Jersey that he would not
allow campaign strategists to force him
to wear a wig and sit like a little faggot
does. Those who attended the event
laughed when the former Dominican
president made the comments.
Meja on April 2 highlighted his
opposition to marriage rights for samesex couples during a separate event at
anti-gay New York state Sen. Ruben Daz,
Sr.s church in the Bronx.
I call wine wine and bread bread,
said Meja, adding Daz had asked him
his opinion on gay and lesbian nuptials.
In a society where it is frowned upon to
talk about these issues, I answered with
all sincerity.
Meja proceeded to say that same-sex
couples cannot be fruitful and multiply.
There is no way you can do it that way,
said the former Dominican president as those
who attended the event applauded him.
Former Dominican President HIPLITO

MEJA last week used an anti-gay slur during
a speech he gave in New Jersey
He lost his re-election campaign against

Leonel Fernndez who succeeded him.
Members of the Modern Revolutionary
Party, of which Meja is a former
president, are urging him to run against
current President Danilo Medina in the
countrys 2016 presidential election.
His trip to the U.S. last week was
designed to garner support for a likely
2016 presidential campaign.
The Dominican Republic is a country
that does not respect the rights of
minorities, among them the GLBT
community, Cristian King of Trans
Siempre Amigas, a transgender advocacy
group, told the Washington Blade earlier
this week in an email. The declarations
of the man who is aspiring to become

president are proof of that.
Deivis Ventura of the Amigos Siempre
Amigos Network of Volunteers told
the Washington Blade that Meja has
previously spoken about LGBT people in
a contemptuous way.
It is his right to be against GLBTI
people, but it is unacceptable to use
mocking words to talk about the GLBT
community, said Ventura in response to
the former presidents latest comments.
The hashtag #tienequedisculparse or
He must apologize has begun to circulate
among Dominican social media users.
These include Amigos Siempre Amigos
Executive Director Leonardo Snchez.
We call upon the MRP (Modern

Revolutionary Party) and Hiplito to publicly
apologize for these rather misguided
comments, Ventura told the Blade.
New York City Council Speaker Melissa
Mark-Viverito on Monday also urged
Mejia to apologize.
Neither Meja, nor the Modern
Revolutionary Party returned the Blades
requests for comment.
The Dominican Constitution specically
denes marriage between a man and a
woman, but the countrys LGBT rights
movement has become more visible
since married gay U.S. Ambassador to
the Dominican Republic James Wally
Brewster assumed his post in late 2013.
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CO V E R ST O RY
GOP senator claims same-sex marriage offends him

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
amendment to balance the budget, term

limits for members of Congress and a
requirement that lawmakers read each
page of the bills on which they vote, no
matter the length.
At one point during his speech, Paul
held up an iPhone to declare that
upon his taking oce he would end
warrantless monitoring by the Obama
administration of the phone records of
American citizens.
A
signicant
portion
of
the
announcement was geared toward
encouraging support for racial minorities
and urban communities in America.
At least two black speakers delivered
remarks to introduce Paul before he
took the stage, and the candidate himself
urged minorities to consider supporting
his candidacy by saying liberal policies
have failed our inner cities.
Although I was born into the America that
experiences and believes in opportunity, my
trips to Detroit, to Appalachia, to Chicago

have revealed what I call on undercurrent on
unease, Paul said. Its time for a new way, a
way predicated on justice, opportunity and
freedom. Those of us who have enjoyed the
American Dream must break down the wall
that separates us from the other America.
Gregory T. Angelo, executive director
of Log Cabin Republicans, said Paul has
a tremendous network of grassroots
supporters, including members of the
LGBT community who hold libertarian
views along the lines of these expressed
by the Kentucky senator.
The most refreshing thing about Sen.
Pauls speech was that it was so optimistic,
so visionary, Angelo said. Rather than
using the doldrums of the present as his
launching pad, Sen. Paul focused on the
promise of tomorrow a tomorrow, at least
as far as his speech was concerned, that did
not focus on social issues one iota; the only
constitutional amendment he mentioned
was a Balanced Budget Amendment.
The son of perennial Republican
presidential candidate and former

congressman Ron Paul, Paul has reputation
for staking out positions that are often
contrary to others in the Republican Party.
The Kentucky Republican libustered
on the Senate oor for almost 13
hours to express concerns about the
administrations use of drones to kill
terrorist suspects, but announced he
supported President Obamas decision to
re-establish U.S. relations with Cuba and
called for criminal justice reform after the
events in Ferguson.
Paul stands in contrast to Sen. Ted
Cruz (R-Texas), the only other major
Republican candidate in the race for the
White House. Cruz announced his bid for
the White House at Liberty University,
which has a reputation for anti-LGBT
views, and has made opposition to
same-sex marriage a major component
of his political career. Cruz was one of
57 congressional Republicans to sign
a friend-of-the-court urging the U.S.
Supreme Court to uphold state bans on
same-sex marriage; Paul isnt a signer.

But in recent months, Paul in
preparation for his presidential bid
has cozied up to the religious right.
In a recent interview on Fox News, he
said aording same-sex couples the
distinction of marriage oends myself
and a lot of other people. Like many
other Republicans, Paul has yet to take
a position on the controversial Indiana
religious freedom law.
In the most recent congressional
scorecard from the Human Rights
Campaign, Paul obtained a scored of
20 out of possible 100. The Kentucky
Republican lost points for voting against
both cloture and nal passage for the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act in
addition to opposing same-sex marriage,
but received a small boost for casting a no
vote against an amendment that would
have stripped the Violence Against Women
Act reauthorization of its LGBT protection.
Police: Suspect posed as man in response to ad

would be a danger to the community.

The
attorney,
Matthew
Davies,
announced Gallmon was pleading not
guilty to the charge and argued that she
stabbed Messerschmitt in his hotel room
in self-defense after he allegedly started
ghting with her and tried to prevent her
from leaving the room.
Although the arrest adavit doesnt
say so directly, police sources said
Gallmon told detectives at the time of her
arrest that she posed as a man when she
responded to Messerschmitts Craigslist
ad on Feb. 9, with the intent to arrange a
hookup so she could rob him.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana Fulton,
the lead prosecutor in the case, disputed
the credibility of Gallmons claim of
self-defense, saying police evidence
from Internet and email records
shows Gallmons actions targeting
Messerschmitt were premeditated.
In a development likely to heighten LGBT
activists fears that the Messerschmitt
case had the markings of a gay pickup
murder, D.C. police have asked members
of the public to contact them if they have
been contacted by someone through an
email address Gallmon used to respond
to Messerschmitts Craigslist ad.
The address is chrissanchez0906@
yahoo.com.
We want to know if there are any other
victims of crimes out there connected
through this email, D.C. Police Chief
Cathy Lanier told reporters at a City
Council budget hearing last week.
Organizations that monitor anti-LGBT

violence have for years urged gay men
to be cautious when seeking out dates
or sexual trysts through online hookup
sites or in gay meeting places like bars or
outdoor cruising areas.
The Messerschmitt case is likely to
be viewed as extraordinary because it
may be the rst known case of a woman
targeting a man attempting to meet
another man on a hookup site.
The New York-based National Coalition
of Anti-Violence Programs, which monitors
anti-LGBT violence, issued a statement
this week saying it has reached out to local
D.C. area LGBT groups to oer support in
an eort to help them raise awareness of
hookup related violence in the aftermath
of the Messerschmitt murder.
Far too often we see LGBTQ people
targeted for robbery, violence and even
homicide via online dating and hookup platforms, said Chai Jindasurat, codirector of community organizing and
public advocacy for NCAVP.
Even before an arrest was made in the
Messerschmitt murder, LGBT activists
joined others in expressing sympathy
for Vuong, who said during a news
conference one week before Gallmons
arrest that she and her husband had a
loving and uplifting relationship and his
death was a devastating blow to her and
other members of their family.
She called on the public to carefully
view a video released by police taken from
the Donovan Hotels security cameras
that captured a person of interest in the
case. The video showed a shadowy gure
lurking in the hotels lobby and climbing

a staircase, with just part of their face
showing through a hooded jacket.
Police have now said that person was
Gallmon.
Friends and others who know Gallmon
told media outlets since the time of her
arrest that they viewed her as an upstanding
young woman and athlete who was a
member of the womans basketball team
at the Forestville Military Academy High
School in Maryland, where she graduated.
Melvin Key, chief executive ocer of MVP
Protective Services, a local security rm that
provides security guards and other services
to businesses, told the Washington Blade
that Gallmon worked part-time for the rm
for a few months last year.
She was an exemplary employee. It
doesnt seem like the same person we
knew, Key said in referring to Gallmons
arrest on a murder charge.
Key, who released a photo of Gallmon
to the Blade, said she told him at the
time she resigned from her job that she
planned to move to the South to become
a law enforcement ocer.
Electronic detective
work led to arrest
The arrest adavit says an autopsy

found that Messerschmitt had been
stabbed at least seven times and suered
a four-inch deep wound that pierced his
heart and two wounds that hit his liver.
The autopsy also found he suered
numerous incised wounds to his left
hand and right pinky nger consistent
with wounds suered while defending

himself, the adavit says.
It says blood was found spattered
throughout the room as well as on the
door handle of the door on the fourth
oor of the Donovan Hotel that leads to
the its stairwell.
A separate adavit led in court
shortly after the murder seeking a
warrant to search the hotel room,
which became public at that time, said
detectives found Messerschmitt lying on
the oor with his wallet and several credit
cards strewn near his body. Other items
found, according to the search warrant
adavit, were one or more condoms,
lubricant and an enema.
In a development that adds yet another
element of mystery to the case, the most
recent adavit led in court on April 2 says
detectives who arrived at the hotel room at
the time Messerschmitts body was found
discovered his ngers were bound by zip ties.
Additionally, detectives observed that
the decedent had small zip ties, red/
orange, neon pink, and yellow in color,
that were attached to each other and
attached to his ngers, the adavit
says. The zip ties appeared to be axed
together into makeshift handcus.
According to the adavit, when
detectives obtained a warrant and
executed a search of Gallmons
apartment on April 1 they found, among
other things, a pack of small, multicolored zip ties similar to the ones found
on the ngers of the decedent.
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Black LGBT leaders to meet with states attorney

Representatives
from
Black
Trans
Advocacy,
Center for Black Equity,
Sisters of the T, Transwomen
Against
Misogyny
and
Misrepresentation as well
as other community groups
plan to meet with Marilyn
Mosby, Baltimore City states
attorney, to discuss issues
of concern to these groups
Students rally for gay discussion at a leadership
summit held last week at the University of
particularly sexual assault
Maryland, Baltimore County.
and violence.
PHOTO BY BOB FORD
The meeting will take place
on Sunday from 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
during Community Court
Day at the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse, 100 N. Calvert St. in Baltimore.
Bisexual support group meeting on tap
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The monthly meeting of BPT Charm City, a Baltimore-based support and

social group for bisexuals, pansexuals and uid self-identied people, will be
held Sunday to discuss the topic To Be or Not to BeOUT! The meeting takes
place at 2 p.m. at 611 Park Avenue, Suite A in Baltimore. Normally such meetings
occur on the rst Sunday of the month; this meeting was changed because of
Easter.
The discussion will center on what can it mean to come out as bisexual or
pansexual? What is bi visibility? What is bi erasure?
BPT Bi & Proud Together was formed last June by two community
members primarily in response to the marginalization of bisexual people by
heterosexual people and LGBT communities and to cultivate safe spaces for the
bisexual community in Baltimore.
For more information, email bptcharmcity@gmail.com. Visit facebook.com/
bptcharmcity for group schedules and other updates.
College students convene at leadership summit

Nearly 100 LGBT students and allies representing 15 Baltimore-area campuses
attended the annual BMore Proud LGBTQIA Student Leadership Summit on
March 28. This years event, which was themed Growing Out, took place at
University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The host sites rotate each year.
One keynote speaker was Patrick Paschall, the newly appointed executive
director of FreeStateLegal Project, a non-prot legal advocacy organization
serving low income LGBT individuals. He discussed his journey as a straight man
in becoming a fervent ally of LGBT equality. Paschall had been the senior policy
counsel at the National LGBTQ Task Force and held positions in a number of
other LGBT organizations.
The other speaker was Rev. Jamie Washington, who has been an educator,
administrator and consultant in higher education for 30 years. Among his many
posts, he is the president and founder of the Social Justice Training Institute.
Entertainment was provided by QueenEarth (Melissa Smith), a singer/
songwriter and college professor. She says her greatest joy is when she can bring
her experience together to further life skills, education, music and creativity.
Besides a resource fair whereby a several LGBT or LGBT-friendly organizations
disseminated information, there were three breakout sessions throughout the
course of the day. Among the topics were Queer Art and Social Media, If I
Knew Then, The Role of the LGBT Press, Systems of Privilege Racism and
Sexism in the LGBTQ Community, Analog vs. Digital Leadership, QueerCore:
Behind the Music and Microaggressions: Its the Little Things.
Zach Kosinski, graduate coordinator for LGBTQ Programs at the university,
said it was a success.
The conference has continued to grow since its inception in 2010, and the
trend shows no sign of stopping as we move forward, he said. The planning
committee is excited and hopeful that the host institution for the upcoming year
will be selected and announced by the time school lets out for the summer.
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H E A LT H N E W S
Aetna insurance carrier targets gays
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NEW YORK Aetna, the nations third-largest health insurer, is urging gay
customers to be proud by considering its products as part of a new, narrow
focus to selling health insurance, the Associated Press reports.
The company is using mobile phone apps, print ads and a newly launched
website to appeal to the estimated 9 million LGBT U.S. residents, the article said.
Its website features a video of actors talking about love and relationships. It also
helps visitors nd LGBT-friendly doctors and promises coverage with features
that t you, your partner and your family, the AP reports.
Experts say changes in technology and how insurance is sold, plus a more
ckle customer who wants to know where companies stand on certain issues, all
create fertile ground for such a targeted approach. But this push comes with the
risk of turning o customers who dont agree with a companys stance.
Aetna has oered help nding LGBT-friendly providers for years, and it has
long backed issues like domestic partner coverage, all of which it details on its
new website.
The insurer decided to package this into a marketing push after talking to
its employees, who pointed out that the LGBT community shows loyalty to
companies that favor its inclusion. The company decided to test market to that
community as a way to learn more about selling to specic demographic groups,
President Karen Rohan told the AP.
This is a pilot for us to really understand how people are making choices and
how people are thinking about purchasing health care, she said.
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NEW YORK Delta Air Lines became the rst major carrier last week to make
same-sex domestic partners whole for additional income taxes they owe for
health care plans, the Associated Press reports.
Atlanta-based Delta will pay those taxes for employees retroactive to Jan. 1.
The tax is only a problem for employees living in states that do not recognize
their marriages; Georgia is one of them. Delta executives, pilots, ight attendants
and other employees living there have to pay extra tax based on the value of the
insurance, the article said.
There are currently 37 states that allow same same-sex marriage. The U.S.
Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling by the end of June that could expand
same-sex marriage to the entire country.
Delta Air Lines, Inc., is hardly the rst major company to oer such benets,
known as grossing up. There are at least 40 large companies and law rms that
make employees whole for the tax, according to the Human Rights Campaign
Foundation, which lobbies for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. The
group says Delta is the rst big airline to do so, the AP reports.
Grossing up has become less of an issue as more states allow same-sex marriage,
according to Deena Fidas, director of the groups workplace equality program.
Still, she told the AP, its the right thing to do. Its fair to the workforce.
Gay smoking campaign returns

CHICAGO The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is launching the
fourth annual anti-smoking campaign targeted to LGBT smokers, its largest ever,
the CDC announced in a press release picked up by the Windy City Times and
other LGBT news outlets.
The campaign, dubbed Tips from Former Smokers, or the Tips campaign,
has spurred about 1.64 million gay tobacco users to attempt cessation, the CDC
claims. New information from the surgeon generals 50th anniversary report on
tobacco notes the disproportionate impact of smoking on LGBT people but also
links smoking to higher rates of other cancers and diabetes for the rst time,
the CDC said.
LGBT people spend an estimated $7.9 billion dollars each year on smoking,
yet we still think of it as a personal choice; its time we realize we smoke at such
high rates because of systematic targeting by the tobacco industry said Dr.
Scout, director of LGBT HealthLink. Were deeply pleased CDC is doing this level
of marketing to reach the LGBT population, because the tobacco industry has
been doing it for a long time.
The CDC said LGBT people smoke about 50 percent more than straight people.
The Tips ads will run through mid-August.
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15
ADDRESS
Taking the ball from the GOP

The rights overreach
exposes its losing game
RICHARD J. ROSENDALL is a writer and activist.

Reach him at rrosendall@starpower.net.
Republicans had a bad week last week.

When not failing in their eort to sabotage nuclear nonproliferation negotiations, they were denouncing the Indiana
and Arkansas legislatures for undermining their so-called Religious Freedom
Restoration Acts by adding clarifying
language. Retail giant Walmart was instrumental in pressuring Arkansas Gov.
Asa Hutchinson to demand a x to that
states RFRA.
The only homophobes who had
a good week were the owners of
Memories Pizza, who received more
than $800,000 in donations in a rightwing media scam that hailed them as
Christian martyrs for refusing to fill
the previously unknown demand for
pizza at gay weddings.
Demonstrating the leadership of the

private sector, openly gay Apple CEO
Tim Cook wrote in the Washington Post
on March 29 that discrimination is bad
for business. He added, As a child, I was
baptized in a Baptist church, and faith has
always been an important part of my life.
I was never taught, nor do I believe, that
religion should be used as an excuse to
discriminate.
The right turned its wrath on Cook.
Presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina, the
red Hewlett Packard executive who it
seems mistook her golden parachute for
a testimonial letter, called Cook a hypocrite for doing business in oppressive
countries. Bob Witeck, a consultant who
worked with Walmart to improve its LGBT-inclusive practices, crisply replied, As
Americans, it is past time we put our own
house in order before we try to x other
societies.
Mike Huckabee, another presidential hopeful, accused American companies of caving in to the militant gay
community and added, Theres been
more pressure this week to put sanctions on Indiana than Iran. Doesnt that
sound awfully militant? He pretends that
straight people have a monopoly on
faith and that LGBT equality would lead
to apocalyptic ruin; which is strange,
considering that apocalyptic ruin is what
he and his friends appear to seek in the
E DIT OR IA L C A R T OON
Middle East.
There was not enough popcorn to
fully enjoy neo-isolationist Pat Buchanans takedown of Fox News host Sean
Hannity for opposing the preliminary
Iran deal. Hannity, like Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, talks as if President
Obama wants to give the Iranians nukes,
not keep nukes from them. Netanyahu
insists that he is only against a bad deal.
The trouble is that his attacks on the
deal began before a deal existed. Buchanan called Hannity hysterical. Fox
host Bill OReilly, in a welcome surprise,
cautioned that the alternative to a deal
is world war.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said gays
should be grateful that we are not put
to death here as in Iran. Sorry, but
weve set our sights a bit higher. His
comment recalls the argument that
gays do not face marriage discrimination because we can marry someone
of the opposite sex, similar to an argument made 50 years ago in defense of
anti-miscegenation laws.
Never before has Republican ailing been on such vivid display, nor has
the rights disconnect from mainstream
American opinion been more glaring. We
should seize the moment and make the
GOP pay a heavy price.
Most states still lack comprehensive
laws prohibiting anti-LGBT discrimination. Anti-transgender potty panic
bills have been introduced in Florida,
Texas, Arizona and Nevada; one recently failed in Kentucky. Attacks on
reproductive choice are relentless, yet
have not stirred corporate protest. If
one wedge fails, the right tries another. We must build and rebuild coalitions that teach respect and stigmatize
know-nothingism.
It is exhausting dealing with the far
rights fountain of dangerous nonsense.
They irt with treason to thwart our
presidents peace eorts; they itch to
start another war, learning nothing from
their past adventures and neglecting the
soldiers maimed in them; they stir hatred
and fear to distract us from their assault
on the middle class; and they cry victim
the moment anyone stands up to their
bullying of everyone who doesnt look
and think like them. We should say this,
but also convey a vision of America based
on equal rights and cooperation, not
paranoia.
I am a liberal. Too often, our side
ghts on conservatives turf, tacitly accepting their false framing of the issues
and playing defense. It is time for us to
take the ball.
Copyright 2015 by Richard J. Rosendall.
All rights reserved.
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I N S I DE LGB T W A S HING TON
A P RI L 1 0 , 2 0 1 5 2 3
A dening moment for LGBT rights

Indiana governor has history
of blatant discrimination
PETER ROSENSTEIN is a D.C.-based LGBT rights

and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly
for the Blade.
The closer we get to the Supreme Court

decision on whether states can ban samesex marriage, the more an anticipated positive ruling is striking fear in a group of voters
and the Republican presidential candidates
clamoring for their support.
Today when it is less politically correct to
exhibit homophobia and outright discrimination toward LGBT individuals, those feelings
and desire to discriminate are being couched
in religious conviction and people are using
the term religious freedom to make discrimination legal. We are seeing that represented
in the rst Religious Freedom Restoration Act
(RFRA) bill signed by the governor of Indiana
and the bill initially proposed in Arkansas.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) didnt foresee
his action would be a dening moment for

the LGBT community. The incredible backlash the bill generated hit like a tsunami with
individuals from Apples CEO Tim Cook to
other major tech corporations speaking out
and willing to forgo business in Indiana. The
bill was criticized by the NCAA and NASCAR.
Then the coup-de-gras when mainstream
America Walmart told Arkansas Gov. Asa
Hutchinson (R) to veto the same bill the legislature passed there and he listened and sent
the bill back to the legislature.
Mayors in San Francisco, Seattle, Denver
and Muriel Bowser in Washington, D.C., as
well as the governors of Connecticut and New
York quickly banned the use of public funds
for their employees to travel to Indiana. We
also found out there are many decent people
in Indiana who spoke up against this law for
both personal and business reasons including
the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the
Republican mayor of Indianapolis Greg Ballard. Clearly they understand discrimination is
bad for business.
Mike Pence was tongue tied trying to explain why the bill he signed wasnt meant to
discriminate. He was backed up by a slew
of those wanting to run for the Republican
nomination for president who jumped on
the bandwagon supporting the bill and the
governor. Marco Rubio, Mike Huckabee, Ted
Cruz, Jeb Bush, Rick Santorum and others

couldnt get their statements of support out
fast enough.
But Pence was clearly the wrong horse
to back and he didnt convinced anyone his
intent wasnt to discriminate. His history of
animus to the LGBT community is something
he cant hide from. An interview with Chris
Jansing when Pence was in Congress is only
one example of his true feelings. When asked
about allowing gays and lesbians in the military and about the survey being done to nd
out whether members of the military would
be comfortable serving with gays and lesbians, Jansing asked, If it does say what the
indication has been that the vast majority
of service members and their families dont
have a problem with it?, Pence replied, Well,
I would still have a problem with it because
there is no question that to mainstream homosexuality within the active duty military
would have an impact on unit cohesion, an
impact on readiness.
On his website when he ran for Congress,
the Pence Agenda supported an audit to
ensure that federal dollars were no longer being given to organizations that celebrate and
encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus, and went
further to say resources should be directed
toward those institutions which provide as-
sistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior. Under the headline The Pence
Agenda: A Guide To Renewing the America
Dream,he said, Congress should oppose any
eort to recognize homosexuals as a discreet
and insular minority entitled to the protection
of anti-discrimination laws similar to those extended to women and ethnic minorities.
One of the people who understood how
bad Pence was is former Congressman Phil
Sharp (D-Ind.) who twice beat Pence in Congressional campaigns. Many of us who have
coee with him each morning at Java House
would like to convince him to run for governor against Pence under the slogan sharper
than ever, but he is adamant he enjoys his
current job as president of Resources for
the Future too much to ever do that. Pence
should breathe a sigh of relief over that.
The New York Times in its editorial on this issue said it well. Religion should not be allowed
to serve as a cover for discrimination in the
public sphere. In the past, racial discrimination
was also justied by religious beliefs, yet businesses may not refuse service to customers
because of their race. Such behavior should be
no more tolerable when it is based on sexual
orientation. So Gov. Pence we actually owe you
a thank you. Letting your bigotry show may just
have helped us turn the corner on achieving
LGBT civil and human rights in America.
V I E WPO I NT
Mad Men victory lap bittersweet

Despite anachronisms, hit retro
drama affirms gay experience
KATHI WOLFE is a writer, poet and regular

contributor to the Blade. She can be reached
through this publication.
The sun is shining and my daodils are

up. But Im way down. I dont smoke, yet
Im dying for a cigarette. Im not a booze
hound, but, as I write this at 10 a.m., Id
kill for a Manhattan.
Mad Man, the iconic TV drama about
Don Draper and the other denizens of the
Madison Avenue advertising agency Sterling Cooper and Partners, set in the 1960s,
began the second half of its seventh and
nal season on AMC on Sunday. Its acionados from millennials to boomers to
80-somethings, dong their fedoras and
sipping their old fashioneds, will mourn the

end of this Emmy Award-winning, pop cult
phenom. Myself, along with many other
queer fans, will feel particularly bereft.
Since its debut in 2007, Mad Men has
morphed from obscurity into the cultural
DNA. Its been parodied on Saturday Night
Live and Sesame Street. Weve watched
as secrets, mysteries, love aairs, marriages, births, divorces and deaths have played
out in the lives of Don, Roger, Peggy, Joan,
Betty, Sally and the other Mad Men characters. Who could forget when Joans anc
raped her in her Sterling Cooper oce, Don
talked to Bettys psychiatrist about what
she said during her sessions with him, or
Sally rst kissed a boy?
A dream-like sequence from last seasons nale, featuring Bert Cooper (the
fab Robert Morse of the Tony-winning
1961 musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), will be forever in my memory. Bert, after his death,
ironically sings The Best Things in Life
are Free to Don (Jon Hamm), whos emotionally hollow even with the big bucks
hes made as a Mad man.
Why am I a Mad Men addict? Its not

because I love commercials or embrace
the excessive drinking, indelity, sexism,
anti-Semitism, racism and homophobia
of many of the shows characters. I adore
Mad Mens style. The shows costumes,
designed by Janie Bryant, from Dons
Brooks Brothers suits to Megans Zou Bisou Bisou dress are a feast for the eyes.
Watching Mad Men, where nearly everyone is so beautiful, handsome or witty, it
makes you want to leave work at noon for
a irtatious or intrigue-lled three-martini
lunch. A collection of the shows costumes,
props, advertising art as well as the sets of
Dan Drapers oce and home will be on
exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, N.Y., through June 14.
Though many of the characters in Mad
Men have the racial, sexual, religious and
gender prejudices of their era, it would be
wrong to dismiss the show as approving
of these attitudes.
A queer sensibility permeates Mad
Men from Sterling Coopers closeted art
director Sal to Peggy and Joans lesbian
friends to Bob Benson. Sal, to keep up ap-
pearances, has married Kitty. She realizes

why Sal doesnt seem to desire her after
he (in a scene that makes you want to both
laugh and cry) acts out the opening of Bye
Bye Birdie. In the shows third season, set
in the early 1960s, Sal kisses a man (a bellhop) for the rst time on a business trip
to Baltimore. Don, also on the trip, doesnt
re Sal. Limit your exposure, Don winkingly advises him, quoting the tag line for
a London Fog ad theyre working on. But
Don res Sal after he rebus the advances
of a powerful Sterling Cooper client.
In a later season, the agencys Bob Benson, gay and closeted, asks Joan to join
him in a marriage of convenience. You
dont want this, she says, refusing his proposal. You shouldnt be with a woman.
Its not surprising that Don is seen
reading the poem Mayakovksy from gay
poet Frank OHaras 1957 book Meditations in an Emergency. Now I am quietly
waiting for/the catastrophe of my personality/to seem beautiful again, wrote
OHara, who loved pop culture.
Mad Mens catastrophes, longings,
irony and beauty will be missed.
2 4 A PRI L 1 0 , 2 0 15
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the Westin Georgetown
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PAGE 28
Daughter of plaintiffs in Va.
same-sex marriage case sees
parents renew marriage vows
PAGE 32
Nuptials came sooner than
anticipated for couple
PAGE 32
Many churches, hotels,
gardens and more welcome
same-sex couples
PAGE 38
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W E D D I N G P LA N N I N G G U I D E
How long have you been out and who

was the hardest person to tell?
Ive dated women since my senior year
of high school. The real test came when
I came out as bisexual to my rst serious
girlfriend. That can be a dicult pill to
swallow, even in the queer world.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
Noelle Jumaili
The wedding specialist for the Westin
Georgetown answers 20 gay questions
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
When Noelle Jumaili initially meets with same-sex couples planning weddings at
the Westin Georgetown (2350 M St., N.W.) who have little sense of what they want,
she has simple advice.
I just say start simple and just imagine it as a party what would your perfect
party look like?, the 25-year-old Falls Church, Va., native says. There are no rules
other than that so it just becomes, how can we make that happen? You dont need a
wedding. Think of it as a celebration of the two of you.
The Westin sta is reaching out to same-sex couples. Of the roughly 20-30
weddings it hosts per year, Jumaili says about 30 percent currently are same-sex.
They hope to make it more like 50 percent soon. She says the companys ethos of
sustainability, oneness and health appeal to her and says words like eco-friendly
and unique are big.
She says part of the fun of working with same-sex couples is helping them achieve
visions that are sometimes outside traditional wedding vendor, heteronormative fare.
The gay couples that come in, they usually end up leading me to my favorite new
vendors, she says. They do often ask for fun, unique things Ive never even heard
of. Its never really dicult to nd the right vendor, its just nding the right brand.
Theres always somebody out there who can make a black cake, or dove-shaped
invitations or whatever youd be surprised what people ask for.
Jumailis own journey took unexpected turns. Though she identies as both queer
and bisexual, she married a man, Phil James, last June (he identies similarly, she
says). And yes, she says she had concerns about getting swallowed up even by
perception in the hetero world.
I never thought I would get married at all, she says. But we didnt do things very
traditional and I think everyone at our wedding understood where we were coming
from. (Conforming) can easily happen, but I have very successfully maintained a
nice, eclectic lifestyle. We just combined forces to keep the adventure going, really.
They live in the Shaw/Bloomingdale area. She enjoys makeup tutorials, junk
ction, tattoo sketching and culinary studies in her free time. She can be reached at
noelle.jumaili@westin.com.
Whos your LGBT hero?

I will always admire RuPaul for starting
the mainstream dialogue in a fun,
exciting, relatable way. And you gotta
love those wisdoms: When the going
gets tough, the tough reinvent!
Whats Washingtons best

nightspot, past or present?
Well, Town Danceboutique has a vodka/
Red Bull slushy machine so
Describe your dream wedding.
My dream wedding came to life on a
perfect Sunday in June last year, at the
base of the Jeerson Memorial.
What non-LGBT issue are

you most passionate about?
Coming from a place of cultural
diversity, I would hope that as we move
forward, opening our minds and hearts
to appreciate how uid sexuality and
identity can be, we also trace where preconceived notions are born and embrace
understanding for all dierent lifestyles.
What historical outcome

would you change?
Maybe Id go back to the drafting of the
Constitution and throw in a few key
phrases like freedom of orientation and
lifestyle or equal rights for women.
Whats been the most memorable pop
culture moment of your lifetime?
I must confess, Sex and the City was it
for me. A wide-eyed dreamer, I started
to understand all the ways women could
thrive (however unrealistic the details
may have been). Nonetheless, I decided
immediately that Id have my own at in
the city, a towering closet of Manolos,
and a hundred lovers tales to tell. Close
enough!
On what do you insist?
Authenticity. Attitude. Glamour.
What was your last

Facebook post or Tweet?
A photo of the most gorgeous wooden
chuppah in our ballroom, dressed
with hanging candle votives and white

hydrangeas. Swoon!
If your life were a book,

what would the title be?
Running in Heels
If science discovered a way

to change sexual orientation,
what would you do?
Lobby for Rihanna and Katy Perry to
become the next power couple.
What do you believe in

beyond the physical world?
Harmony always nds a way.
Whats your advice for

LGBT movement leaders?
For just a moment, all eyes are on you
be unforgettable.
What would you walk
across hot coals for?
An ice cold, extra dirty martini.
What LGBT stereotype
annoys you most?
We all eventually pick a label from some
pre-approved drop down list.
Whats your favorite LGBT movie?

Im a big David Lynch fan so I loved
Mullholland Drive, however, But Im A
Cheerleader will always have a place in
my bubblegum heart.
Whats the most

overrated social custom?
Flatware
What trophy or prize

do you most covet?
There arent a lot of awards in the
Wedding Pro world but my passion really
comes from creating the most heartfelt
masterpiece out of a clients vision. Every
day I strive to win their beaming smiles.
What do you wish

youd known at 18?
We must be willing to let go of the life
we planned so as to have the life that is
waiting for us.
Why Washington?
I grew up around here and always
dreamed of moving to a real city but
eventually started to see that D.C. has
hope. Every day we become a more
innovative, edgy town. Im so proud!
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We won!
Daughter of plaintiffs in
Va. same-sex marriage
case sees parents renew
marriage vows
By EMILY SCHALL-TOWNLEY
Most kids do not have the opportunity

to see their parents get married. However,
my two moms and I have always done
things a bit dierent.
For most of my childhood I believed
my parents were married. Why shouldnt
they have been? All my others friends
parents were married so it only made
sense that mine should be too. I had even
seen pictures of them in a church, wearing
fancy dresses and feeding each other cake,
so that must have been their wedding.
When my parents, along with several other
couples, went to San Francisco in 2008
and got married in City Hall, I still did not
make the connection that the ceremony
taking place was a big deal. They had been
together all my life, we lived together as a
family, why did this one ceremony make a
dierence? It was not until a few years later,
Nuptials came
sooner than
anticipated for couple
By TIM BOSTIC
Editors note: Tim Bostic and his partner,
Tony London, were the lead plaintis in a
2013 lawsuit that successfully challenged
Virginias constitutional amendment that
denes marriage as between a man and a
woman.
Sitting in the tting room of the dress
shop, waiting for one of the female
attendants in our wedding to get tted,
I watched transxed as a young woman
gave precise orders to her mother and
aunt. She knew exactly where she wanted
her veil to fall, how tall her bouquet
would be and exactly how she was going
to hold it.
At that moment I had an epiphany.
The reason that Ive been oundering
around is I had no vision for our wedding
or reception. As a gay man who never
thought getting married was possible,
I tuned out when people started talking
about weddings. We were so concerned
about being able to get married it never
and when were chosen to be plaintis in

the Bostic v. Rainey case, did I nally begin
to understand the importance of marriage
for my parents.
When my parents rst joined the case,
I did not realize the long journey we had
ahead of us. A road lled with press
conferences and interviews, cameras and
angry protestors, hearings and happy
times was laid out in front of us. Despite the
daunting path that lay ahead, my parents
and I persevered through the challenges
and nally arrived at the nish line,
marriage equality in the state of Virginia.
The day was October 6, 2014, and it
started out just as any other day. For the
past few weeks, we had been waiting on
the edge of our seats for the decision
of the Supreme Court on whether to
grant our case certiorari. I was in my AP
photography class when I took out my
phone to check for any texts. Lo and
behold, on my screen was a message from
my mother saying, We won! At rst I was
rather confused by this statement, seeing
as how the 4th Circuit decision had come
out in July. Why was she telling me this
again? Did she have a sudden moment of
nostalgia and felt a need to share?
It was not until she followed the previous

text with another that I realized what
was really happening. Supreme Court
denied cert on all cases! Previous ruling
stands! Marriage equality in Virginia! For
a moment I was quite unsure what I was
supposed to do. The text was then followed
by another with my mother telling me she
was going to contact the school to have
me taken out of class so I could join the
national press conference call. A few short
minutes later, the oce sta delivered a
note to me and I went to the oce where
I would join in on the conference call. I
quickly made my statement when the call
began and then sat and waited patiently
for 45 minutes until the call came to a
close. However, the real excitement of the
day was yet to come.
Even with little time and no preparation,
a ceremony was planned to renew my
mothers marriage vows. When I arrived
home after school, I was greeted by two
parents rushing to get dressed and telling
me to dress up too. Soon we were out
the door and driving down to the John
Marshall Courthouse where the ceremony
would be held. There was a urry of
attention as soon as we arrived, with
various people coming up to chat with us

including Congressman Bobby Scott and
state Sen. Donald McEachin. We even got
a personal call of congratulations from
our governor, Terry McAulie and got the
chance to talk with our good friends and
co-plaintis, Tim Bostic and Tony London.
Throughout the whole day, other samesex couples had been married at the
same spot. My parents renewal of vows
was going to be a little dierent though,
as the attorney general of Virginia, Mark
Herring, would be presiding. When the
time nally came, we made a few quick
statements to the press gathered before
the actual ceremony began. I remember
making a joke about how Virginia was
nally for ALL lovers. To recall what I was
feeling at the moment is challenging.
The culmination of all the work over the
past year was before me and the air was
already lled with emotion. As I stood
there, I thought of what this meant to
our family and all the families who were
aected by this amazing day.
occurred to me to think about the

wedding itself. The one thing I would
advise anyone is make sure you have
people you can rely on. Our caterer, Cathy
Carter with East Beach Catering, and our
wedding planner, Ivory Morgan-Burton
with Storybook Events, have helped me
as I slowly came to understand all of the
ins and outs of planning a wedding. The
number of things that have to be done
meant we had to choose between our
wedding or our honeymoon. We had
hoped to go on a safari after the wedding.
The wedding won.
When we started our ght for marriage
equality in Virginia, we were cautioned
that it would not be a fast process. The
attorneys told us it would probably take
ve years, so I wasnt thinking about
the wedding because I was focused on
obtaining the right to marry the man
I love. Thus, when the Supreme Court
decided in October not to hear our
case and uphold the 4th Circuit Courts
decision, I found myself with no more
ght on my hands but a wedding to plan
instead. The day after the decision, we
met with the rector of our church and
picked the rst Saturday available, May 2.
When I sat down with my caterer Friday of
the same week, she knew I had a date set
and she asked where the reception was
going to be. I told her that I didnt know,

and that was why I was there.
Blanching, she looked at me and
said, You are getting married May 2nd,
and you dont have a venue? I told her,
Cathy, I didnt know we could get married
until this week! Bless her heart, she got
on the phone, made about 10 phone
calls in as many minutes, and found us
a venue. The problem was it only held
200 people, so our hope of being able to
invite all of the people in the community
who supported us was shot. Of course, as
I begin to understand the costs involved
in a wedding, I guess it worked out.
While much of the planning has been
stressful, there have also been some
amazing moments. Once we had the
church and our venue, I started to reach
out to my friends to ask them to be
attendants. It felt awkward calling people
and asking them to spend money on
clothes, airline tickets and hotel rooms.
As I asked them to stand up with us, I
apologized about them having to spend
so much money. All of my straight friends
laughed and said theyve done this
numerous times and they know whats
involved. They told me this is one time
they were truly happy to do it.
About three weeks after the decision,
we went to a dinner party with three
other couples from our neighborhood. As

we sat down at the table, the hostess told
us our next-door neighbor Jim brought
champagne to toast our engagement.
It seemed a little strange since we have
been together for 25 years, but it also
felt good. As he raised his glass to toast
us, he said if 20 years ago someone had
told him that this conservative, Virginia
Military Institute graduate would support
marriage equality, he would have told
them they were out of their mind.
However, he was so grateful that Tony
and I moved in next door to him and
opened his mind and heart. He thanked
us for making him a better person. I
think straight people understand just
how important marriage is and these
experiences illustrate how important it is
that LGBT folks have the opportunity to
partake in this major societal rite.
So on May 2, Tony and I will stand
in front of our friends, family and
community and pledge ourselves to each
other for life, and while I know a piece of
paper doesnt make a dierence in terms
of our love for one another, it validates
us a couple in the eyes of the law and our
community. When we wake up on May 3,
I dont know if we will feel any dierent.
But, I do know that on May 3, Tony and I
will nally be married.
EMILY SCHALL-TOWNLEY is the daughter of

Mary Townley and Carol Schall, two of the lead
plaintis in a lawsuit that successfully challenged Virginias same-sex marriage ban.
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10 great spots for a

Virginia gay wedding
PHOTO COURTESY OF KIMPTON HOTELS
Many churches, hotels,

gardens and more welcome
same-sex couples
By MARIAH COOPER
Virginia started recognizing same-sex
marriage last October. The list of fabulous
places to have a ceremony is equally as
exciting. From churches to hotels, nding
the perfect place to make that lifetime
commitment is easier than you might think.
Christ Church (118 N. Washington St.,
Alexandria, Va.) is a great place to make
those vows with a historic twist. The
church has been open since 1773 and
has that classic Georgian architecture
to make any wedding feel special. The
Episcopal church is great for anyone
looking for a more traditional ceremony.
historicalcchristchurch.org.
The Falls Church Episcopal Church
(115 E Fairfax St., Falls Church, Va.)

is another good option for a church
wedding. The churchs small size makes
it the perfect place for an intimate
wedding with close friends and family.
thefallschurch.org.
The
Metropolitan
Community
Church of Northern Virginia (10383
Democracy Lane, Fairfax, Va.) is a nice
church for anyone who is looking for a
Christian and LGBT-friendly place to wed.
The church proclaims it has a specic
outreach to queer and queer-friendly
people seeking authentic spirituality
and renewal. It serves the community
in other areas throughout Maryland and
D.C. as well. mccnova.com.
Unitarian
Universalist
Church
of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd.,
Arlington, Va.) prides itself on being a
dynamic community of individuals who
share a liberal spiritual journey. The
church oers two reception halls for an
after ceremony celebration in the form

of a sit-down dinner or dancing. There is
also a commercial kitchen available for
a caterer and the church also provides
professional musicians to accompany the
ceremony and its surrounding gardens
are available for photos. uucava.org.
Lorien Hotel and Spa (1600 King St.,
Alexandria, Va.) is a gorgeous venue for
an elaborate ceremony and reception. Its
amenities include cocktail receptions for
up to 125 guests, wedding receptions and
dinner for up to 100 guests and a private
terrace reception on the top oor for up to
80 guests. It also includes a complimentary
guest room for the wedding couple. The
venue, a part of Kimpton hotels and
restaurants, also specializes in LGBT
weddings and is TAG approved (i.e. LGBT
friendly as determined by Community
Marketing, Inc.). It also has had a score of
100 on the HRC index for over 10 years.
lorienhotelandspa.com.
Sheraton Reston Hotel (11810 Sunrise

Valley Drive, Reston, Va.) is another hotel
to help make a wedding special. This
same-sex marriage friendly venue oers
an array of customized wedding packages
to create the exact wedding you want. The
hotel oers a complimentary wedding
night suite, menu tasting for up to four
guests and even complimentary shuttle
service for overnight guests to and from
Dulles Airport. Sheratonreston.com.
Hilton Alexandria Old Town (1767
King St., Alexandria, Va.) is an option for
those who want a larger wedding party.
Its space can accommodate up to 500
people. Their on-site wedding consultants
are available to help plan every detail from
large to minor. Dont stress about a caterer
since Hilton provides food and beverage in
its wedding packages.hilton.com.
Falls Church Marriott (3111 Fairview
Park Drive, Falls Church, Va.) is located
near Tysons Corner for a convenient
place to shop and entertain for guests.
The venue gives a complimentary room
to the wedding couple, complimentary
parking for the couple and their guests,
white glove butler service, a custom
wedding cake and much more. marriott.
com.
Athenaeum (201 Prince St., Alexandria,
Va.) is a neo-Classical Greek Revival
temple that is great for those concerned
with the aesthetic of their wedding. The
space can accommodate 110 people for
a cocktail reception and a seated dinner
for 80. Its main gallery includes 22-foot
coved ceilings and large windows. There
is also a secluded garden on the grounds.
nvfaa.org.
Stonewall Golf Club (15601 Turtle
Point Drive, Gainesville, Va.) is for those
who want a scenic view to make the day
extra memorable. Located alongside
Lake Manassas and on a golf course, the
spectacular views are endless. There are
also water fountains and oor to ceiling
windows for up to 150 guests to enjoy.
A P RI L 1 0 , 2 0 1 5 3 9
Host your wedding at Hillyer Art Space,

a unique contemporary art venue located in the
artistic and internationally chic Dupont Circle. This
renovated historic carriage house is the perfect
backdrop for your event, ideal for both cocktail
receptions and seated ceremonies and dinners.
AMENITIES
-contemporary art by local & international artists
-beautiful wood floors & high ceilings
-newly renovated kitchen & restrooms
-brand new gallery track lighting
C O N TA C T
202.338.0325
events@hillyerartspace.org
VISIT
h i l l y e r a r t s p a c e . o r g / v e n u e re n t a l
LAYOUT
-three open rooms which allows for flexible use
-accomodates up to 200 people
-ada compliant entrance and restrooms
9 h i l l y e r c t n w, w a s h i n g t o n , d c
images: joan blemar (top middle) / anthony palliparambil, jr. (middle left)
sylve van helden (middle right) / mike chasman photography (bottom left)
4 0 A PRI L 1 0 , 2 0 15
VISIT US AT CFA.GMU.EDU
Todd Ellison and Friends
BBC Concert Orchestra
Classic Broadway
MOMIX
Keith Lockhart, conductor; Charlie Albright, piano
Alchemia
SUNDAY, APRIL 12 AT 4 P.M.

Sought-after music director and conductor Todd Ellison returns
to the Center for the Arts bringing the classics of his world
Broadway! Joined by some of Broadways finest singers, Ellison
and his Friends will entertain you with songs from favorite shows
such as South Pacific, Flower Drum Song, Annie Get Your Gun,
and many more. Youll feel like youre in New York City!
$46, $39, $28 ff
FRIDAY, APRIL 24 AT 8 P.M.
FRIDAY, MAY 1 AT 8 P.M.

SATURDAY, MAY 2 AT 8 P.M.
Its MOMIX! Known for their athletic virtuosity, outstanding
innovation, inventive props, and vibrant, sometimes outrageous,
costumes, MOMIX is bringing a new work: a visually arresting
theatrical experience full of whimsy, beauty, and intrigue about
the art of alchemy. The mad and marvelous troupe has all of the
mesmeric power of a magic show. (Globe and Mail)
$48, $41, $29
Ravel: Le Toubeau de Couperin, Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major,

Walton: Crown Imperial, Vaughn Williams: Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1
in E minor, Britten: Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell
Under the baton of principal conductor Keith Lockhart, also the
conductor of Boston Pops, BBC Concert Orchestra performs
music of British and French composers and is joined by pianist
Charlie Albright. Its style is gutsythe ensemble is solid.
(Los Angeles Times)
$60, $51, $36
ff = Family Friendly performances that are most suitable for families with younger children
TICKETS 888-945-2468 OR CFA.GMU.EDU
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ARTS
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ENTERTAINMENT
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
VOLUME
46
ISSUE
15
APRIL
10
2015
PAGE
41
Washington-based author GARRETT PECK at

the north entrance of the Dupont Circle Metro
station where a quote by Walt Whitman is
prominently inscribed.
New book from local

historian honors late
great gay poet
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
Local author and historian Garrett
Peck has been on a huge roll in the last
few years. His rst book, Prohibition in
Washington, D.C.: How Dry We Werent,
came out in 2011. Since then, hes
published ve more. His latest, Walt
Whitman in Washington, D.C., was
published last week by the Charleston,
S.C.-based the History Press.
Peck, who works by day as a global

market intelligence analyst for Verizon,
admits its been an intense pace. The last
few years have brought The Prohibition
Hangover: Alcohol in America from
Demon Rum to Cult Cabernet in 2009,
The Potomac River: a History & Guide
in 2012, Smithsonian Castle and the
Seneca Quarry in 2013 and last years
Capital Beer: a Heady History of Brewing
in Washington, D.C.
Id just long wanted to publish,
Peck, 47, says. I just love research, love
writing, love giving the talks and doing
the promotional stu. I just kind of fell in
love with the process so I kept doing it. I
have a list running down my arm of ideas
I want to pursue. A book a year is pretty

aggressive. Ive been told its insane and it
kind of is, but its more my own pressure.
Ive got so many topics I want to pursue.
Hes been gaining traction and good
reviews. The Hill praised Capital Beer for
Pecks brisk and lively prose while the Lit
Pub said he seizes on important moments
in history and livens them with 21st century
insight. He says hes sold about 10,000
copies of his various titles so far.
The Whitman book, an idea Peck had
for many years, was timed to coincide
with this years 150th commemoration of
Lincolns 1865 assassination, signicant
because Whitman highly revered the
president and wrote a series of poems
about him.
He really adored the president, Peck
says. Strongly admired him and saw him
many times, though they never got the
chance to actually meet. They were even
in the same room once but the president
was in a conversation with someone else
and they didnt actually get to meet.
Whitman
lived
in
Washington
during the Civil War and beyond, from
December, 1862 until June, 1873. Here
initially to nd his brother George, a
Union ocer wounded at the Battle of
Fredericksburg, Whitman sensed a need
and worked as a hospital volunteer not
LIVE
SISTER
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
42 AP R IL 10, 2015
O U T & A BO U T
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
SPARROW
& the
DIRTY BIRDS
THURSDAY APR
By MARIAH COOPER
MAXI
PRIEST
FRIDAY APR
10
SAT, APRIL 11
GHETTO YOUTHS
INTERNATIONAL PRESENTS
SETUP SHOP
VOLUME 2 TOUR
FT: CHAM, WAYNE MARSHALL, JO MERSA,

CHRISTOPHER ELLIS AND BLACK AM I
SUN, APRIL 12
THE PIMPS OF JOYTIME

W/ THE LONDON SOULS
TUES, APRIL 14
ELIANE ELIAS
PHOTO COURTESY OF PROJECT PUBLICITY

PHOTO COURTESY OF QQQ
FRI, APRIL 17
CHAISE LOUNGE
THEHAMILTONDC.COM
Cherry HIV/AIDS
charity dance returns
Womens Fest returns in Rehoboth

Womens Fest, hosted by CAMP Rehoboth, returns to downtown Rehoboth
Beach, Delaware, this weekend through Sunday.
Thursday the fest kicks o with a welcome dance party at Atlantic Sands
Hotels and Conference Center (101 N. Boardwalk, Rehoboth Del.) from 7-10 p.m.
Friday there will be various workshops and the Queer Queens of Qomedy Show
at the Convention Center (229 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth, Del.) featuring Poppy
Champlin, Jessica Kirson and Mimi Gonzalez at 8 p.m. Saturday has many events
including the Fest Expo, bingo and more workshops. Sunday includes a jazz
brunch from 11:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. and a closing party at 2:30 p.m.
Ticket packages vary and range from $10-100. For more details, visit
camprehoboth.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LIZ ROSENBERG MEDIA
Town celebrates Madonna

Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) holds Madonnarama, a Madonna-themed dance party
on Saturday at 10 p.m. in celebration of Madonnas new album Rebel Heart.
Madonna music and music videos will be played all night as well as Madonna
movie clips and interviews. Several Madonna-themed performances will also
commence. Cover is $10 from 10-11 p.m. and $12 after 11 p.m. The drag show
starts at 10:30 p.m.
For details, visit towndc.com.
Cherry, a charity dance party weekend

featuring numerous DJs, is April 16-19 at
various locations.
April 16 is Thrust at Cobalt 91639 R St.,
N.W.) from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. with DJ Serving
Ovahness with DJ Kostas. There is an open
bar from 10-11 p.m. April 17 is Gravity at
the Howard Theatre (620 T St., N.W.) from
10 p.m.-4 a.m. Beth Anne Sacks will give a
performance and DJ Twin will open for DJ
Paulo. Admission is $25.
April 18 is Moodonna Vol. II at Town
(2009 8th St., N.W.) from 2-7 p.m. with DJ
Joe Gauthreaux (pictured here) in a birthday
tribute to Dr. Moody Mustafa. Tickets are
$25. Also April 18 is Red Planet from 11 p.m.4 a.m. with DJ Tom Stephan and DJ Mike
Reimer. Guests should wear red. Tickets are
$15 at the door and $20 in advance.
April 19 is Eclipse with DJ Isaac Escalante
and DJ X Gonzalez at Tropicalia (2001 14th
St., N.W.) from 3:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Tickets
are $50. Also on April 19 is DJ Benny K and
DJ Sean Morris at Flash (645 Florida Ave.,
N.W.) from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Tickets are $10.
For more information, visit cherryfund.org.
Baltimore Center
celebrates new location
The GLBT Community Center of
Baltimore and Central Maryland (1000
Cathedral St., Baltimore) holds its grand
reopening on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m.
The reopening will include a ribboncutting ceremony. There will also be free
wine and cheese. Although the center
moved to the Waxter Center more than a
year ago, sta never had a kicko event
there but theyve received new clearances,
so theyre having their grand opening now.
For more information, visit glccb.com.
A P RI L 1 0 , 2 0 1 5 4 3
Miller Commercial Real Estate
LOCAL
LOU CHIBBARO JR. has reported on the LGBT civil
rights movement and the LGBT community for more
than 30 years, beginning as a freelance writer and later
as a staff reporter and currently as Senior News Reporter
for the Washington Blade. He has chronicled LGBTrelated developments as they have touched on a wide
range of social, religious, and governmental institutions,
including the White House, Congress, the U.S. Supreme
Court, the military, local and national law enforcement
agencies and the Catholic Church. Chibbaro has reported
on LGBT issues and LGBT participation in local and
national elections since 1976. He has covered the AIDS
epidemic since it first surfaced in the early 1980s. In June 2011, Chibbaro became
the first reporter from the LGBT press to be inducted into the Society of Professional
Journalists D.C. Professional Chapter Hall of Fame, which recognizes journalists of
distinction who have worked in the news business for 25 years or longer.
POLITICAL/NATIONAL
CHRIS JOHNSON is Chief Political & White House
Reporter for the Washington Blade. Johnson attends
the daily White House press briefings and is a member
of the White House Correspondents Association. Hes
worked with the Washington Blade since 2008 and was
a founding employee of the paper when it relaunched
under local ownership in 2009. Before coming to the
Blade, Johnson covered defense issues for Inside
Washington Publishers and previously wrote for MIRS
newsletter, a Lansing-based publication covering state
political news in Michigan. A Michigan native, Johnson
graduated with honors from the University of Michigan
in 2003 with a degree in English and Creative Writing. In 2013, the Blade was
admitted to the White House Press Pool with Johnson taking the lead in covering
the president. This marked the first time a gay newspaper has been invited to join
ranks of mainstream outlets covering the president.
INTERNATIONAL
MICHAEL K. LAVERS has been a staff writer for the
Washington Blade since May 2012. The passage of
Marylands same-sex marriage law, the HIV/AIDS
epidemic, the burgeoning LGBT rights movement
in Latin America and the consecration of gay New
Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson are among the
many stories he has covered since his career began in
2002. Lavers work has appeared in the EDGE Media
Network, Fire Island News, Village Voice, Huffington
Post and other media outlets. He has also discussed
LGBT-specific issues on the BBC, New York Times, News Channel 8, WNYC in
New York City other mainstream and LGBT publications. Lavers holds a degree in
journalism and Spanish from the University of New Hampshire.
410.543.2440
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
44 A PR IL 10, 2015
THEATER
STEVEN ROYAL accepting his directing award for 1st Stages Bat Boy.
Colossal, George among

Helen Hayes winners
New rules make for
oddly brisk evening
for local theater
By PATRICK FOLLIARD
APR 21 - 26 |
800.514.3849 | THENATIONALDC.COM
Monday nights Helen Hayes Awards at

the Lincoln Theatre clocked in at a mere
75 minutes. Its never been so short.
Odd, because this year was also the rst
time that judged productions were split
into two awards sections Helen and
Hayes depending on the ratio of union
actors in a production (Hayes shows
have more union actors and are typically
produced by the bigger companies)
increasing the total count to a whopping
49 categories, about double the number
of past years.
So howd they do it? To avoid what might
have been a lumbering night, the events
support organization theatreWashington
presented a lighting fast version of past
ceremonies. To keep up this break-neck
pace, winners were allowed precisely 30
seconds of speech time before the onstage
jazz quartet good-naturedly but rmly
began to play. Quite a few award recipients
sprinted to the microphone (some of the
women removed their high heels), and
most were forced to deliver a rushed
thank you. Not the shining moment theyd
imagined. Also, the show was stripped of
entertainment for better or worse, there
was no song and dance.
The big Hayes winners included Olney
Theatres Colossal, a new play about
college football, same-sex attraction,
love and disability. In addition to winning
best play, it garnered awards for director
Will Davis who is transgender, playwright
Andrew Hinderaker, and Ben Cunis and
Christopher DAmboise for movement
and choreography. Christopher Baine

won for sound design.
Best Hayes musical was a tie between
Signatures Sunday in the Park with
George and the Kennedy Centers
Sideshow. Out director Matthew
Gardiner deservedly won outstanding
director for Sunday in the Park with
George. He thanked Signatures artistic
director Eric Schaeer for the integral
role hes played in his career.
Best Helen musical went to Theater
Alliances Black Nativity.
When collecting his award for
outstanding musical direction for Black
Nativity, Marcus Harper-Short thanked
his non-theater husband. After rapidly
rattling the names of cast and crew,
Steven Royal who won best direction
for 1st Stages Bat Boy (another Helen
production) mentioned his boyfriend,
I think. The band stepped on his last
words. It was hard to hear.
In an especially competitive Hayes
category, Kimberly Gilbert won for her
star turn as the ill-fated queen in Woolly
Mammoths Marie Antoinette.
Outstanding visiting production went to
Shakespeare Theatre Company for Emma
Rices Brief Encounter, a delightfully
modern take based on the iconic 1945
movie and Nol Cowards play Still Life.
Best Helen play went to Theater Alliances
The Wonderful World of Dissocia.
And
rather
unexpectedly,
the
outstanding play for a Hayes production
went to Studio Theatres Cock, British
playwright John Bartletts play about a gay
couples uneasy relationship. In his brief
acceptance speech, director David Muse
said the jokes can now commence he
won a Helen Hayes for his Cock.
For a complete list of winners go to
theatrewashingnton.org.
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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
4 6 A PRI L 1 0 , 2 0 15
A RT S & CU LT U RE
HOT HITS & HIDDEN JEWELS

FROM CULTURECAPITAL.COM YOUR LINK TO THE ARTS IN METRO D.C.
FLEMISH EXPRESSIONISM: A MODERNIST VISION

THRU MAY 15. KREEGER MUSEUM.
202-337-3050. KREEGERMUSEUM.ORG.
Drawing upon a never-before-exhibited private collection, the exhibition traces

the history of Flemish expressionist painting, sculpture, and graphic arts from
James Ensor to the School of Sint-Martens-Latem and its successors.
UNCLE VANYA
THRU MAY 3. ROUND HOUSE THEATRE.
240-644-1100. ROUNDHOUSETHEATRE.ORG.
This new version of Chekhovs classic by Annie Baker is a revelation, bringing

modern language to this timeless story of relationships and yearning.
MIXTAPE
APR 11. HOWARD THEATRE.
202-803-2899. THEHOWARDTHEATRE.COM.
Voted DCs Best Gay Dance Party by Washingtonian Magazine, MIXTAPE is a

monthly dance party hosted by DJs Shea Van Horn and Matt Bailer, who play
an eclectic mix of electro, alt-pop, indie rock, house, nu-disco, and anything else
they think you can dance to.
SEA PAINTINGS
THRU APR 25. BLACKROCK CENTER FOR THE ARTS.
301-528-2260. BLACKROCKCENTER.ORG.
At the intersection where land meets sea and sky, Stephen Estrada paints the
places along Americas coastline, which represent the constantly changing
forces of nature.
IMAGE COURTESY OF KREEGER MUSEUM
THEATRE
Cabaret Series: Gone Country. Thru
Apr 11. Simply Sondheim. Thru Apr 19.
Soon. Thru Apr 26. Signature Theatre.
703-820-9771. signature-theatre.org.
Laugh. Thru Apr 19. Murder Ballad.
Apr 15-May 10. Studio Theatre.
202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org.
I Want To Know You: A Spoken Word
After-Party. Apr 10. Lights Rise On
Grace. Thru Apr 26. Woolly Mammoth.
202-393-3939. woollymammoth.net.
Carousel. Apr 15-May 10. Olney Theatre.
301-924-3400. olneytheatre.org.
G-ds Honest Truth. Thru Apr 19.
Theater J. 800-494-8497. theaterj.org.
Mariela in the Desert. Apr 16-May 10.
GALA Hispanic Theatre. 202-234-7174.
galatheatre.org.
Patton Oswalt. Apr 10. Warner Theatre.
202-783-4000. warnertheatredc.com.
Nemr. Apr 16. Howard Theatre.
202-803-2899. thehowardtheatre.com.
Shear Madness. Ongoing.
Kennedy Center. 800-444-1324.
shearmadness.com.
Swing Time - The Musical. Thru Jun
27. Navy Memorial. 202-737-2300.
swingtimethemusical.com.
One Destiny. Thru May 16. Freedoms
Song: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil
War. Thru May 20. Fords Theatre.
800-982-2787. fords.org.
The Norwegians. Thru Apr 19.
SCENA Theatre. Anacostia Playhouse.
202-399-7993. scenatheater.org.
DANCE
New York City Ballet. Thru Apr 12.
Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
kennedy-center.org.
Gallim Dance. Apr 16-Apr 17. WPA.
Lansburgh Theatre. 202-785-9727.
washingtonperformingarts.org.
Karen Reedy Dance & Project. B. (from
San Francisco). Apr 11-Apr 12. Dance
Place. 202-269-1600. danceplace.org.
MUSIC
Engelbert Humperdinck. Apr 15. Israeli
Chamber Project. Apr 16. Strathmore.
301-581-5100. strathmore.org.
Donal Fox. Apr 10. The Crawdaddies
and Tom Principato Band. Apr 11. Lera
Lynn. Apr 16. AMP by Strathmore.
301-581-5100. ampbystrathmore.com.
Dianne Reeves and Friends. Apr 11.
NSO: Vassily Sinaisky, conductor,
Loren Kitt, Principal Clarinet. Apr 16Apr 18. Kennedy Center. 202-467-4600.
kennedy-center.org.
Ships, Clocks, and Stars: Music
of Telemann and Other Baroque
Masters. Apr 10-Apr 12. Folger Consort.
Folger Theatre. 202-544-7077. folger.edu.
Chick Corea & Herbie Hancock.
Apr 10. Jay Campbell, cello. Apr 12.
WPA. Kennedy Center. 202-785-9727.
washingtonperformingarts.org.
Incognito. Apr 10. Dave Barnes & Matt
Wertz. Apr 11. Howard Theatre.

202-803-2899. thehowardtheatre.com.
REO Speedwagon. Apr 12. Warner
Theatre. 202-783-4000.
warnertheatredc.com.
Fatoumata Diawara. Apr 16. Artisphere.
888-841-2787. artisphere.com.
Bishop/Cleaver/Flood. Apr 10. Atlas.
202-399-7993. atlasarts.org.
Beijing Guitar Duo. Apr 12. BlackRock.
240-912-1058. blackrockcenter.org.
Bachs St. John Passion. Apr 11.
National Philharmonic. Strathmore.
301-581-5100. nationalphilharmonic.org.
SJMO: Lush Life: Billy Strayhorns
Centennial. Apr 11. Baird Auditorium.
Beethovens Viola Quintets in
C. American History Museum.
Apr 11-12. TSA. 202-633-3030.
smithsonianassociates.org.
Todd Ellison: Classic Broadway. Apr 12.
GMU Center for the Arts. 888-945-2468.
cfa.gmu.edu.
MUSEUMS
National Gallery of Art. Piero di
Cosimo. Thru May 3. Peter Paul Rubens:
The Three Magi Reunited. Thru Jul 5.
202-737-4215. nga.gov.
Folger Shakespeare Library. Ships,
Clocks, & Stars: The Quest for Longitude.
Thru Aug 23. folger.edu.
National Archives. Spirited Republic:
Alcohol in American History. Thru Jan 10.
202-357-5000. archivesfoundation.org.
Museum of Women in the Arts.
Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea.
Thru Apr 12. 202-783-5000. nmwa.org.
Fords Theatre. The Lincoln Tribute. Apr
14-Apr 15. 202-347-4833. fords.org.
National Geographic. Spinosaurus.
Thru Apr 12. Monster Fish. Thru Oct 11.
202-857-7000. nglive.org.
GALLERIES
Strathmore. If the Shoe Fits. Thru May
31. 301-581-5100. strathmore.org.
WPA at Capitol Skyline Hotel. South
Capitol Skyscape: Avi Gupta. Thru Apr 30.
202-488-7500. wpadc.org.
The Art League Gallery. Bits & Pieces.
Thru May 4. 703-683-1780.
theartleague.org.
Glen Echo Park. Marcie WolfHubbard. Thru Apr 26. 301-634-2222.
glenechopark.org.
Goethe-Institut. New German
Photography 2014/2015. Thru May 1.
202-289-1200. goethe.de.
PGAAMCC. Transforming Anew:
Perspectives of Black Men. Thru Apr 25.
301-809-0440. pgaamcc.org.
Robert Brown Gallery. Stephen
Addiss. Thru Apr 18. 202-338-0353.
robertbrowngallery.com.
Zenith Sculpture Space. Woman of
Zenith Who Have Reached the Zenith!
Thru Apr 26. zenithgallery.com.
Fisher Art Gallery. Compartmentalized:
Assemblages by Zoe Lang. Thru May 17.
703-534-5726. schlesingercenter.com.
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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
48 A PR IL 10, 2015
SP O RT I N I N D . C.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF RYON & SANCHEZ
CHRIS RYON, left, and BILLY SANCHEZ, a vet and rookie respectively in the Chesapeake and
Potomac Softball League.
Rookies and vets:

CAPS edition
Chesapeake Bay
Blue Catfish
14.95
APRIL
WHILE SUPPLIES LAST
www.clydes.com
Local gay softball teams

welcome new players
AVAIL ABLE AT ALL CLYDES LO CATIONS,

OLD EBBIT T GRILL, THE TOMBS AND THE TOMATO PAL ACE
By KEVIN MAJOROS
Get Toned this Spring!

CLYDES-CATFISH-AD-WashBlade-2015-04.indd 1
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Weight Loss Muscle Size Tone Core

1150 18th Street, NW, Suite 130 I Washington, DC
E-mail us: benchgym@aol.com
Website: www.benchgym.com
In the continuing Blade series on the

rookies and veterans of the LGBT sports
teams in Washington, two players from
the Chesapeake and Potomac Softball
League step up to the plate.
Spring season ball started last weekend
for the players and registration is now
open for the summer league. This August,
the League is expecting to send ve
teams to the Gay Softball World Series in
Columbus, Ohio.
Softball player Glenn Conklin points to
two athletes who exemplify the type of
players the league is proud to spotlight.
Billy Sanchez is a new player that has
infused so much enthusiasm into his team
that he has reminded us about having
fun with the game, Conklin says. Chris
Ryon is a long-time player who fosters
relationships with rookie athletes to
encourage them to stay in the sport and
advance to more competitive divisions.
Sanchez grew up in California and
began playing baseball for a travel team
at age 7. He dropped the sport in high
school because he was gay.
I went to a Catholic high school and
there was an incident in the locker room
with a gay basketball player, Sanchez
says. The desire to play was still there,
but the obstacles felt too big.
It was especially disappointing for
Sanchez because baseball was something
he shared with his father.
After he settled into his career as a
behavioral therapist, Sanchez began
taking his students to baseball games as
part of the curriculum. The urge to play
again crept into his head and after moving
to D.C. with his partner, he happened to

be at Nellies while the league was having
its season kick-o party.
Sanchez was too late to join that
season so he waited for the launch of the
summer 2014 season.
When I started playing and realized
I could still do this, it was absolutely
phenomenal, says Sanchez, who is 30
and plays shortstop. I could still hear my
father in my ear giving me tips.
Sanchez had his partner lm some
footage of him playing to send to his dad
in California who responded with some
familiar critiques, telling him he was making
the same mistakes he made as a kid.
That was a great moment for Sanchez
as it felt good to rebuild that part of their
relationship. His family even drove out
for Sanchezs rst softball tournament
with his D.C. teammates in Las Vegas last
January at the Sin City Shootout.
Sanchez noticed in his rst season
that the veteran players had a dominant
presence and he found himself asking
a lot of questions to help build similar
relationships with the other players.
It feels good to be competitive again,
Sanchez says. I love the team comraderie.
This feels like a big family.
Chris Ryon grew up in Northern Virginia
and played every sport he could get his
hands on including tennis, soccer, track &
eld and swimming. Two sports missing
from his list were baseball and softball.
He dropped out of sports after college
and something clicked in him when he
came out at age 27.
I was looking for something and
realized that sports had been such a big
part of my life, Ryon says. I had no gay
experience and no softball experience, so
I joined the league in 2006.
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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
5 0 A PRI L 1 0 , 2 0 15
CA LE N D A R
E-mail calendar items to calendars@washblade.

com two weeks prior to your event. Space is limited so priority is given to LGBT-specic events
or those with LGBT participants. Recurring
events must be re-submitted each time.
TODAY
Women in Their 20s, a social discussion
group for lesbian, bisexual, transgender
and all women interested in women,
meets today at the D.C. Center (2000 14th
St., N.W.) from 8-9:30 p.m. Locals can
come meet other queer women in a fun
and friendly setting. All welcome to join.
For details, visit thedccenter.org.
Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) hosts
Transgirls in Bloom, a trans dance party,
tonight from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Performers
include TS Paige, Domino Pressley, Leslie
Polanco and many more. For more
details, visit cobaltdc.com.
Colorfest presents a drag pageant at
Andrew Foster Auditorium at Gallaudet
University (800 Florida Ave., N.E.) this
evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Kim DNitta
will host the night. Tickets are $5. For
more information, visit facebook.com/
gucolorfest2015.
D.C. Bear Crue hosts Bearaoke at Town
(2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight from 8-9:15
p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Drink specials
include $4 rail drinks, $4 Bud Lights, $4
draft pints and $8 draft pitchers. There
will be free pizza until 7 p.m. For more
information, visit dcbearcrue.com.
IMAGE COURTESY OF DEIRDRE DARDEN
SATURDAY, APRIL 11
Lisa Marie Thalhammers St. Louis Eight Limb Revolution Warrior is on display at ReCreative Spaces through the end of the month.
Black to Silver: Sons of Baldwin,

an African-American LGBT dance troupe,
has a performance at Joy of Motion
Dance Center in the Jack Guidone
Theater (5207 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.)
tonight at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m.
The dance focuses on James Baldwins
themes of homoeroticism, acceptance
and armation. Tickets are $20 in
advance and $25 at the door. For more
information, visit joyofmotion.org.
Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer
organization, volunteers to clean up
Rock Creek Park today from 9 a.m.noon. Volunteers will remove litter from
the grounds. The group will meet at
the Park Ranger Training Center (2400
Beach Drive, N.W.). To volunteer, email
jonathan@burgundycrescent.org.
For
more details, visit burgundycrescent.org.
The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.)
hosts free and condential HIV testing
today from 4-7 p.m. For details, visit
thedccenter.org.
Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) hosts Bearzerk,
a bear dance party, tonight from 10 p.m.3 a.m. DJ Tommy Cornelis and Dean
Douglas Sullivan will provide music. For
more details, visit cobaltdc.com.
from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The cost is $24.95

for an all-you-can-eat buet. For more
details, visit perrysadamsmorgan.com.
Nellies Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.)
hosts a drag brunch today with one
show at 10:30 a.m. and another at 12:30
p.m. Brunch buet is $26 and the rst
mimosa or Bloody Mary is free. For more
information and to purchase tickets, visit
nelliesdragbrunch.eventbrite.com.
Black Lives/White Light, an exhibit
by white artists responding to the
Black Lives movement, is on display at
ReCreative Spaces (1613 Rhode Island
Ave., N.E.) through April 30. Lisa Marie
Thalhammers work will be featured. The
exhibit was also curated by Sheldon Scott
is also gay. For more information, visit
recreativespaces.com.
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
Perrys (1811 Columbia Rd., N.W.) hosts
its weekly Sunday Drag Brunch today
MONDAY, APRIL 13
The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W..)
hosts coee drop-in hours this morning
from 10 a.m.-noon for the senior LGBT
community. Older LGBT adults can
come and enjoy complimentary coee
and conversation with other community
members. For more information, visit
thedccenter.org.
Us Helping Us (3636 Georgia Ave.,
N.W.) holds a support group for gay black
men to discuss topics that aect them,
share perspectives and have meaningful
conversations. For details, visit uhupil.org.

Nellies Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.)
hosts Poker Face tonight at 8 p.m. Play
Texas Hold Em Poker for free. There
will be prizes. For more details, visit
nelliessportsbar.com.
TUESDAY, APRIL 14
SMYAL (410 7th St., S.E.) hosts a
rap group, a support group for LGBT
youth, today from 5-6:30 p.m. For more
information, visit smyal.org.
holds a coming out support group
tonight at 7 p.m. The discussion will
be peer facilitated and is for those who
are planning to come out or recently
came out. All are welcome. For more
information, visit thedccenter.org.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
Bookmen D.C., an informal mens
gay literature group, discusses selected
essays from Love, Christopher Street:
Reections of New York City edited by
Thomas Keith, a collection of stories
by LGBT writers about LGBT life in New
York City, at the D.C. Center (2000 14th
St., N.W.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. All are
welcome. For details, visit bookmendc.
blogspot.com.
The Tom Davoren Social Bridge Club
meets at the Dignity Center 9721 8th St., S.E.)

tonight at 7 :30 p.m. No partner needed. For
more details, call 301-345-1571.
Woman to Woman, a support group
for HIV-positive women who love women,
meets at the Womens Collective (1331
Rhode Island Ave., N.E.) today from 5:30-7
p.m. There will be light refreshments. For
details, visit thedccenter.org.
THURSDAY, APRIL 16
SMYAL (410 7th St., S.E.) hosts
Womens Leadership Institute, a group
for LBT women and their straight allies
ages 13-21 to discuss female sexuality,
relationships and womens rights today
from 5-7 p.m. For more information, visit
smyal.org.
Bachelors Mill (1104 8th St., S.E.)
holds a happy hour today from 5-7:30
p.m. All drinks are half price. There will
be pool, video gaming systems and cards.
Admission is $5 after 9 p.m. DJ Bling, DJ
Freaky and DJ Tim-Nice will play music
for the night. For more information, visit
bachelorsmill.com.
holds a poly discussion group tonight
from 7-8 p.m. Newcomers can come
learn about polyamory and other
members can discuss their polyamorous
relationships. For more information, visit
thedccenter.org.
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Lake Barcroft year round vacation living!

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From the striking two-story foyer with clean modern lines to the gleaming hardwood
floors, stone fireplaces and fresh designer paint colors, the dramatic features of this
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The main living areas are artistically presented in an open and versatile layout with
great wall space for your art collection. The three-sided sun room offers and indoor
retreat that allows nature in, while the gourmet kitchen features high end exotic granite
counters, a center island and an adjacent morning room. Custom light fixtures,
handsome finish selection and quality construction add to the allure of this home.
Upstairs are four bedrooms, including the master suite with a cathedral ceiling, a spalike bathroom, sitting room and private roof-top deck. The third loft-level suite is multipurpose, while outside you can commune with nature in the fenced backyard.
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3.5 Baths. Offered at $1,124,900. www.janetpricehomes.com for photos and details.
This sumptuous retreat is located just five minutes from Old Town Alexandria with
easy access to Reagan National Airport and the Mount Vernon Trails bicycle and
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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
A D V I CE
Both parties need

eort to recover
MICHAEL RADKOWSKY, Psy.D. is a licensed

psychologist who works with gay individuals
and couples in D.C. He can be found online
at personalgrowthzone.com. All identifying
information has been changed for reasons
of condentiality. Have a question? Send it to
Michael@personalgrowthzone.com.
MICHAEL,
My boyfriend has been cheating on me
for a while. I found out a few weeks ago
when I went on his phone to conrm a
movie time and found Scru open with
plenty of evidence.
Patrick is apologetic and says this was
just about sex (it was lots of guys over
time, not one person). We had agreed to
be monogamous.
Its true Ive been busy with my job at
the expense of my relationship (young
lawyer with long hours, you know the
story). So Im trying not to stay too angry
but instead treat this as a wakeup call.
Im working to make our relationship,
including sex, more of a priority.
But this really hurt me and Im having
trouble guring out how to trust Patrick
again. Since all this happened, Ive been
curt and sometime outright mean and
often dont want to be close, sexually
or otherwise. Because both of us are
interested in staying together, this is a
problem.
Given whats happened, how do we
rebuild trust so we can go forward?
MICHAEL REPLIES:
What sort of trust do you want to rebuild?
Are you hoping to trust that Patrick
will never cheat on you again? You cant
ensure that. Its up to Patrick.
Do you want to trust that Patrick will
never break your heart again? It is not
possible to have a life free of the risk that
your partner may behave in ways that
hurt you, sometimes quite deeply.
Heres the sort of trust that is possible:
You can work toward trusting yourself
to be a man who makes your relationship
a priority and gives Patrick good reason
to honor the relationship and treat
you respectfully. This may reduce the
likelihood that Patrick will cheat in the
A PR IL 10, 2015 53
future, although as Ive said, you have

no guarantee. If you want to challenge
yourself to become a more committed
partner, ask yourself how you made the
decision to let work take over your life
to the exclusion of your relationship and
if you considered that making sex a low
priority might lead Patrick to step out.
You can aim to trust yourself to pay
better attention going forward, so that
youll notice if Patrick seems distant and
bring up your concerns to Patrick if you
sense that something is amiss.
Its crucial that you learn to trust that
you will survive if Patrick behaves in a way
that hurts you. No relationship is pain free
or certain to last. If you want to feel secure
in your relationship, its important that you
know youll be able to take care of yourself
even when things dont go well.
Ive aimed my reply at you so far,
because you need to be the primary
person you look to for reassurance. Of
course, your boyfriend also has a key role
in the two of you maintaining a strong
relationship going forward.
So now to Patrick:
If you want your relationship to succeed,
you, like your boyfriend, will have to do
your utmost going forward to behave
with integrity, to be thoughtful about
when you choose to take some action
that will disappoint him and to consider
the consequences of your behavior to
your boyfriend, to your relationship and
to your conscience. What would it take for
you to be certain of doing your best?
Questions to help you pay more
attention to how you make your behavior
choices: Were there reasons you were
hooking up so much, in addition to
your boyfriend having been inattentive?
What stopped you from speaking with
him about your unhappiness? Did you
consider how your hookups might aect
your relationship? Did it bother you to
deceive your boyfriend? If not, why not?
Because hookups and hookup apps
plug right into our receptors for pleasure
and validation, they can be addictive. If
youre feeling pulled to go back on Scru,
what might help you to stay o?
Finally, a question to both of you: What
can you do to make it more likely that
youll bring up dicult issues with each
other in the future? You need to be able
to do so if you dont want to drown in
disappointments and secrets.
Remember that relationships can easily
be damaged by thoughtless, careless or
cruel behavior on either partners part.
While it is unavoidable that all of us will
at times gravely disappoint our partners,
its vital to always do our best to treat our
partners and our relationships with respect.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
5 4 A PRI L 1 0 , 2 0 15
P H O T O S BY MI CH A E L KE Y
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56 A PR IL 10, 2015
A RT S & E N T E RT A I N ME N T
Whitman contemporaries
tried straight washing
history, Peck says
a nurse, Peck says, as has been widely

thought who made an estimated 600
visits to between 80,000-100,000 soldiers
A continuing
and also continuing his legendary poetry
celebration of the new
writing including two further editions of
Five-Manual (6,000 Pipes)
his trademark work Leaves of Grass and
Austin Organ.
others including The Wound Dresser
from his work Drum-Taps, an 1865
publication that established him as poet
laureate of the Civil War.
It was an enormously important
time in his life, Peck says. He was
kind of infamous in a way for Leaves of
A free concert as a gift
Grass by that point, but not necessarily
to the
famous. The Civil War gave him a more
Washington community.
humanitarian purpose.
Although
scholarship
widely
Reception following
acknowledges Whitman as a gay man
performance.
now, Peck says it remained a challenging
topic in his research since the word
homosexual wasnt used in print until
1892, the year of Whitmans death.
So what was gay D.C. like then? Peck
says despite there being no Dupont Circle
or similar gay mecca, gays somehow
managed to nd each other nonetheless.
There were bars where people would
congregate and people had relationships,
Peck says. Its very interesting to see
how these relationships developed, for
instance with Walt and Peter Doyle, the
love of his life Walt was 46 and Peter
was 21, yet it was Peter who approached
Walt. They were cruising each other on a
streetcar, so people had ways of nding
each other, even then.
Peck says another challenge was
determining to what degree, if any, Whitman
was out to his friends and family, including
Want a special wedding or romantic elopement thats elegant, private, intimate
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And yes, there was straight washing
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responsible for any in
legal offering
liability arising out
of or relating
any material to which
GN
we specialize
the
gay to&the advertisement,
lesbian and/or
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an users
experience of a
EVISIONS
points to a biography of John Burroughs,
The
only
historic
sailing
vessel
on theor propety
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specializing
in ship
copyright,
patent,
trademark,
trade secret,
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or other proprietary
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advertising,
unfair
/LOGO REVISIONS lifetime.
a Whitman friend in Washington, written
SIONS
boardwashington
ceremonies,
this
yachtllcprovides
anblade)
intimate
setting
side
blade) and to hold
brown1926
naff pitts omnimedia
(dba the washington
harmless from
any and all for aBy sea
signing this
proof you are agreeing to your contract obligations with the
washington blade newspaper. This includes
is not limited to placement,
by but
Burroughs
wife, Clara Barrus, who
ceremony.
Come where you are celebrated, not tolerated. :)
and warranties.
went out of her way, Peck says, to point
out without ever saying exactly what
she was talking about that certain
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like, Youre shitting me. She was married
sailselina@aol.com
to Burroughs, so she had access to all this
www.gayweddingsailboat.com
great, rst-hand information, yet she felt
the need to address this. All the information
Adam Brkel
WALT WHITMAN in 1869 during his years in

Washington.
PHOTO FROM A LIFE OF WALT WHITMAN BY HENRY BRYAN
BINNS; COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
about Peter Doyle and Walt was right there

in front of her, so its very much like you
hear people talk about global warming
today not happening or the earth being
only 6,000-and-some years old. People are
often blind to the facts that are right there
in front of them and ultimately they believe
whatever they want.
Peck says that although many books have
been written on Whitman, none had focused
exclusively on his Washington years. He says
Whitmans appeal and popularity remains
strong because hes widely acknowledged
as one of our classic poets who has an
international reputation.
Theres a tremendous universality
to what he wrote, Peck says. Leaves
of Grass, the Lincoln poems, the more
homoerotic works like Calamus, and
beautiful works like When Lilacs Last in
the Dooryard Bloomd, which if youve
ever got 10 minutes, look it up and read
it. Its about the Lincoln funeral. Though it
never mentions Lincoln, it totally captures
this moment and is just devastating,
probably his last great poem, which he
wrote right here in D.C.
AUTHOR SPEECH AND SIGNING
One More Page Books
2200 N. Westmoreland St. No. 101
Arlington, Va.
Tuesday
7-9 p.m.
Politics & Prose
5015 Connecticut Ave., N.W.
April 19
5 p.m.
For other events including upcoming Walt
Whitman walking tours hosted by Peck, visit
garrettpeck.com.
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W A SH I NGTO N B LA D E.C OM
A P RI L 1 0 , 2 0 1 5 5 9
REALESTATE
Millennial mecca
D.C. has everything young
professionals want in a city
By DONNA EVERS
The word on everyones lips in this
town from real estate agents to politicians to restaurateurs is millennial.
D.C. has become a mecca for Americas
best and brightest. Within the last decade, Washington emptied on the weekends as federal workers returned to their
safe, suburban communities.
Almost 15 years later, D.C. has attracted
more millennials than any other U.S. city,
begging many unfamiliar with the District
to ask: How? This city, long solely focused
on the 9-5 work week, has stunned the
nation with incredible real estate development, business growth and a robust
arts and culture scene. The end result: a
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young professionals in droves. D.C. is rivaling New York, Chicago and Los Angeles
as more young people are calling it home.
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political town
D.C. oers unparalleled career opportunities and quality of life for Americas eager young professionals. From a
healthy business environment to a thriving cultural scene, D.C. has evolved into
a utopia for people looking to start their
lives out on the right foot.

Traditionally considered a city centered on status and political power, D.C.
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The new global

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Additionally, D.C.s large international
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World class music venues, art galleries,
theaters and museums appease the
Washingtons boundless amenities and convenience are felt in its hot real estate market.
senses and attract visitors from all over

the world. And the Kennedy Center remains one of the nations most important
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And, lest we forget the dozens of fabulous dining options that appeal to the
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citys sense of vibrancy and appeal.
Adding to this vibrancy are D.C.s sports
teams. With a team for every major national sport, D.C. has even become a hub
for the sports-minded.
that are only an hours drive away. Outdoor enthusiasts head for the Blue Ridge
Mountains and hike or bike or horseback
ride. Wine enthusiasts fan out in any direction to enjoy wine tastings. If youre a
fan of the water, theres no better or easier day trip to make than Annapolis. Most
of these fabulous getaways take less than
an hour in a Zip Car from downtown.
With all of the progressive changes D.C.
has experienced during the past decade,
its no wonder millennials keep ooding
in, making this a Millennial mecca.
Beyond the beltway
DONNA EVERS is the owner and broker of

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Oaks Tavern Winery in Bluemont, Va. She is a
regular contributor to Washington Blade and
frequently appears on TV and radio as an expert on the D.C. real estate market. Reach her
at devers@eversco.com or follow her team on
Twitter @EversCo.
Finally, D.C. is also fantastic because

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easier city to escape. The capital is surrounded by picturesque nearby towns
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W A SH I NGTO N B LA DE.C OM
LEGAL NOTICE
A P RI L 1 0 , 2 0 1 5 6 1
SALE / MARYLAND
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

PROBATE DIVISION
2015 FEP 31
Baby Rita Knight-Houghton, Name of Decedent
June 22, 2013, Date of Death
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Holly H. Devaser whose address is 6801 Kenilworth Avenue, Ste 200, Riverdale
Park, Maryland 20737 was appointed personal representative of the estate of
Baby Rita Knight-Houghton, deceased, by the Circuit Court for Prince Georges
County, State of Maryland, on September 4, 2014.
Service of process may be made upon Deborah Elaine Heard 7101 8th Street,
NW, Washington, DC 20012 whose designation as District of Columbia agent has
been filed with the Register of Wills, DC.
The decedent owned the following District of Columbia real property: 3322-3324
Georgia Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20010.
Claims against the decedent may be presented to the undersigned and filed
with the Register of Wills for the District of Columbia, Building A, 515 5th Street,
NW, 3rd Floor, Washington DC 20001 within 6 months from the date of first
publication of this notice.
Date of first publication: April 3, 2015
Anne Meister, Register of Wills
IN MEMORIUM
JUSTIN MARVIN EVINK
12/27/54 - 4/12/1995
Magic: for 20 years not a
day goes by, not a single
day, that I dont miss you.
Love, Tbear
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SPECIAL LATINO
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A PR I L

LGBT issues not explicitly

Jamyra Gallmon allegedly murdered

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY LEE WHITMAN

on Feb. 9 met him by responding to a personal ad he

on 14th Street, N.W., next to Thomas Circle suering

DEPUTY D.C. MAYOR

Town dance party

tHinking Of Selling? COntACt US tOdAY!

Denny & LeyLa

BETHESDA / CHEVY CHASE

1509 22nd Street NW

4400 Jenifer Street NW

7032 Wisconsin Avenue

W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM

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Hogan rejects request to ban state travel to Indiana

Maryland teen hired as rst gay Boy Scout leader

Bowser names lesbian

By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

COURTNEY SNOWDEN will serve as D.C.s

then-Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy

W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM

Gay man les discrimination complaint against D.C. Starbucks

By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

A gay man has led a discrimination

and I will break your neck you little fag,

complaints led with the oce until it makes

on a bright pleasant day intending to

Todd wins Stein Club endorsement in Ward 4 race

votes cast by the 37 members who

Gwenellen Corley-Bowman, a retired

activist LaRuby May in her race for the

W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM

SPRING CLEARANCE SALE

ITALIAN LEATHER SECTIONAL WITH ADJUSTABLE HEADRESTS

WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

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PROMO CODE: 410 Sale prices good thru 4/13/15

States revised controversial religious freedom laws

makes clear his states religious freedom

Travel bans to Indiana lifted

I believe the changes enacted by

Takeaways from Ind. religious freedom law

conversation now shifts to the remaining

LGBT community that have changed the

Also speaking out was Marc Benio,

GOP lawmakers urge

Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL