Volume 46, Issue 36, September 4, 2015

SEPTEMBER
04
2015
VOLUME 46
ISSUE 36
Clerk faces contempt charge after

defying Supreme Court on marriage
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
A Kentucky clerk this week continued to deny marriage
licenses to same-sex couples in her oce despite a recent
order from the U.S. Supreme Court rebung her request
to enforce her no licenses policy, placing her at risk of
being found in contempt of court.
Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, an Apostolic Christian,
stopped issuing licenses to all couples, gay or straight,
citing religious objections after the U.S. Supreme Court
ruled in favor of marriage equality. Despite a district court
order and denial of a stay from the Supreme Court, she
was shown on video Tuesday denying marriage licenses in
More than 7,000

pages made
public in
latest batch
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
The more than 7,000
pages of emails the State
Department made public
this week from former
Secretary of State Hillary
Clintons email account
reveal an interest in LGBT

issues during her time in
the Obama administration.
The latest batch of
emails, which were sent or
received throughout 2009
and 2010, revealdiscussion
of Ugandas infamous Kill
the Gays bill, eorts to
repeal Dont Ask, Dont
Tell, international LGBT
rights, her 2010 Pride
speech before LGBT State
Department
employees
and Clintons video for the
It Gets Better project.
AMERICAS GAY NEWS SOURCE
her oce to a gay couple.

When one of the individuals seeking a license asks under
what authority shes declining to provide the marriage
licenses, Davis replies, Under Gods authority.
Another individual angrily points out his tax dollars are
paying her salary for her to discriminate against him and his
partner of 17 years. He asks Davis, whos been married four
times, whats the longest shes been wed to someone. She
responds by asking them to leave, and when they refuse, tells
them to stay back from the counter. The couple threatens
tocall the police as she retreats further into her oce.
Attorneys for the same-sex couples who led a lawsuit
against Davis to compel her to issue marriage licenses
submitted on Tuesday a motion in federal court to hold the
clerk in contempt. The seven-page ling maintains a ne, not
imprisonment, is the appropriate punishment for Davis.
CONTINUES ON PAGE 13
Although
the
Democratic
presidential
front-runner was included
in these email discussions
among her aides, only a
single response from her
on LGBT issues was found
in the batch most recently
made public. She may
have given input oine in
another capacity.
In an email made public
as part of the July 1 dump,
Clinton writes, we should
emphasize LGBT rights
when discussing reported
human
rights
abuses
against gay men in Iraq.
In the latest email
batch,
one
exchange
between between Clinton
adviser Cheryl Mills and
then-Assistant
Secretary
of State Johnnie Carson
reveals a discussion in
December 2009 over the
Anti-Homosexuality
Bill
in Uganda and eorts to
convince President Yoweri
Museveni to prevent it
CONTINUES ON PAGE 14
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
Rowan County Clerk KIM DAVIS faces

contempt of court charges after defying the
Supreme Court and refusing to marry gay
couples.
PHOTO VIA TWITTER
HILLARY CLINTONshowed an interest in

LGBT rights in her State Department emails.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
MYSTERY
INNOCENT
SHORT & SWEET
Virginia LGBT groups

say they are unfamiliar
with alleged gay shooter.
Sex charges dropped

against prominent LGBT,
Dem Party activist.
LGBT stories are well

represented in upcoming
D.C. lm festival.
PAGE 4
PAGE 6
PAGE 23
0 2 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015
W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM
SE P T E MBE R 0 4 , 2 0 1 5 0 3
LABOR DAY WEEKEND
4 BIG SALES!
LABOR DAY WEEKEND ONLY
One Stickley Special Order Item*
WITH THIS AD. EXPIRES 9/7/15
100 BRANDS ON SALE
SALE!
With so many things that make you who you are, why settle
for a store with only one brand and style? Show your good
taste by taking advantage of our 100 Brands on Sale event,
where you can find all the designs and styles that truly reflect your
personality and lifestyle. Visit us today and save up to 40% off
on all the styles you crave. But dont waitthese prices will soon
be gone for good!
SALE ENDS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 th
AMERICAN LEATHER
Our #1 Comfort Sleepers are on sale now take $300 off*!
Take advantage of these great prices before its too late!
LIMITED TIME ONLY
STRESSLESS
Home seating sale the more you buy the more you save.
Receive up to $1,500 off* Stressless home seating. You dont
want to miss this sale!
LIMITED TIME ONLY

ROCKVILLE SHOWROOM
1582 Rockville Pike | Rockville, MD
301/881-6010
DULLES SHOWROOM
Dulles Town Center Mall | Dulles, VA
571/323-6000
SheffieldFurniture.com
Discounts calculated on msrp. Limit one per household. Not to be used with any other offer or previous purchase. Some exclusions apply; please see a designer for details.
Sheffield Blade - LaborDay.indd 1
8/30/15 8:08 PM
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
0 4 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015
Roanoke LGBT groups had no knowledge of shooter

Local LGBT advocacy groups said they
had no interactions with the man suspected
of shooting a Virginia reporter and her
cameraman to death last week during a live
television broadcast.
Roanoke Pride and its PRISM Foundation
in a statement said to our knowledge, no
one on our board of directors or in a role of
management or employment with any of our
entities had any interaction or history with, nor
any knowledge about Vester Lee Flanagan, II.
The groups wrote he senselessly took the lives
of two young and radiant Roanoke citizens
and WDBJ reporters, Alison Parker and Adam
Ward, last Wednesday as they interviewed Vicki
VESTER LEE FLANAGAN used
the name Bryce Williams when
Gardner of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional
he worked at WDBJ in
Chamber of Commerce at a local strip mall.
Roanoke, Va.
The Park, a gay Roanoke nightclub, also
signed onto the statement.
All of us associated with Roanoke Pride, the Park and the PRISM Foundation
stand in solidarity with the families of Alison Parker, Adam Ward and Vicki
Gardner as well as the family that is WDBJ-7, it reads.
Flanagan, a former WDBJ reporter who used the name Bryce Williams while
on the air, was red in 2013 after working for the Roanoke television station for
less than a year.
Flanagan in a 23-page letter he faxed to ABC News less than two hours after
Parker and Ward were shot to death described himself as a gay, black man.
The former reporter said black men and white women attacked him and he was
targeted because of his sexual orientation and race.
Media reports indicate that police found a gay Pride ag inside Flanagans
apartment after Parker and Ward were shot to death.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
Mizeur endorses Van Hollen in Senate race

Former Maryland state Del. Heather Mizeur
has endorsed Congressman Chris Van Hollen
in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Barbara
Mikulski (D-Md.)
Mizeur on Aug. 26 posted a video to her
Facebook page that shows her introducing
Van Hollen to her supporters in Baltimore. The
Montgomery County Democrat in her introduction
said the congressman has been there when
others have not for progressive causes.
While other people like to play us versus
them politics, Chris and I like to look at how
Former Maryland state Del.
are we going to get this done, said Mizeur.
HEATHER MIZEUR
Mizeur on Tuesday reiterated her support of
Van Hollen.
Barbara Mikulski has some mighty big
shoes to ll and Chris Van Hollen is up for the task, wrote the Montgomery
County Democrat on her Facebook page. Make a plan to meet up with him in
your community to see for yourself what all the excitement is about.
Mikulski in March announced she will retire from the U.S. Senate once her
term ends next year.
Congresswoman Donna Edwards has also declared her candidacy to ll
Mikulskis Senate seat. Chrysovalantis Kefalas, a gay Republican who was former
Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlichs legal counsel, has launched an exploratory committee.
Mizeur, who is a lesbian, in April announced she will not run to succeed
Mikulski. Former Gov. Martin OMalley who is now running for president
on March 3 said that he too would not run for the Democrats U.S. Senate seat.
Mizeur ran unsuccessfully against then-Lieutenant Gov. Anthony Brown and
then-Attorney General Doug Gansler in last years Democratic gubernatorial
primary. The former lieutenant governor is among the candidates who are
running for Edwards seat in Congress.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
LO CA L N E W S
Motion to dismiss gay common

law marriage case denied
D.C. man in estate
dispute with family of
deceased partner
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@washblade.com
A D.C. Superior Court judge on Aug.
25 denied a motion by the estate of the
deceased partner of a gay man calling for
dismissing a petition by the gay man to have
his and his partners relationship armed
by the court as a common law marriage.
In a two-page ruling and order, Judge
Kimberley Knowles said she found that a
genuine issue exists regarding a material
fact over whether the relationship between
D.C. resident Enrique Mendez and his
partner of more than four years, Miles Eric
Lease, constituted a common law marriage.
Mendez led the petition last December
with the courts Domestic Relations
Branch as part of an estate dispute with
Leases family, which is being represented
by his niece, Virginia resident Jennifer
Lynn McKelvey.
At stake is Mendezs contention that as
Leases legal spouse, he is entitled to his
deceased partners assets, including the
Northwest Washington house that the
two shared for four years.
Lease, 66, died unexpectedly of a heart
attack on June 27, 2014.
Through her attorney, McKelvey
contends that Mendezs petition fails to
provide sucient evidence that he and
Lease were in a relationship equivalent to
marriage under D.C. law.
Knowles noted that each side has
presented conicting facts over whether
the two men exchanged marriage vows
and informed others of those vows, two
steps that are required under D.C. law to
establish a common law marriage.
In denying the estates motion for
summary judgment to dismiss the case, the
judge said the conicting facts would have
to be hashed out at a trial-like evidentiary
hearing she scheduled for Nov. 10.
Meaghan Hearn, an attorney with
the D.C. law rm Ackerman Brown,
whos representing Mendez, declined to
comment on the court ruling, saying the
matter remains an ongoing case before
the court. Christopher Glaser, McKelveys
attorney, couldnt immediately be
reached for comment.
Mendezs petition says he and Lease
began their romantic relationship in
February 2010. It says the couple took the
next step in their romantic relationship
in July of that year when Mendez moved
from New York City to D.C. to live in
Leases house.
The couple immediately began residing
ENRIQUE MENDEZ (left) and MILES ERIC

LEASE at the 17th Street Festival in 2013.
PHOTO BY STEPHEN CROWLEY
together at 4820 Iowa Ave., N.W., sharing

living expenses and jointly contributing to
the household, the petition says.
It says the two men fullled the legal
requirements of common law marriage
in January 2013 when they exchanged
vows to one another while on vacation
in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. According
to the petition, the couple presented
themselves as spouses or partners to
friends, family and neighbors throughout
the duration of their marriage.
Court records show that Lease did not
leave a will and that the court approved
McKelvey as the personal representative
of the estate shortly after Leases death.
She assumed that position, which is
similar to an executor of an estate,
following the submission of adavits by
Leases mother and sister the two next
of kin waiving their rights to be named
personal representative.
In her motion for summary judgment
seeking to have Mendezs petition
dismissed, McKelvey argues that virtually
all of the property Mendez and Lease
allegedly shared was owned and listed
under Leases name, including the
house, a car and truck that the two used
together, and the auto insurance policy
for the two vehicles.
It also points out that the two led
separate tax returns during the years the
two were together and that each stated
on the return that they were single. In
addition, it says that although same-sex
marriage became legal in D.C. in 2010,
the two men did not marry.
While Mendez and Lease may have
intended to become married in the future,
there is legally insucient evidence to
establish that a [common law] marriage had
actually occurred, McKelveys motion states.
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
SE P T E MBE R 0 4 , 2 0 1 5 0 5
WE FOCUS ON HIV
TO HELP YOU FOCUS ON
TODAY
Ask your doctor if a medicine made by Gilead is right for you.
onepillchoices.com
2015 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. UNBC1839 03/15
UNBC1839_MA1_WashBlade_9.75x11.5.indd 1
3/26/15 3:10 PM
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
0 6 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015
NATIONAL NEWS
Sex with minor charges

dropped against Terry Bean
Lawyer says alleged
victim was threatened
by prosecutors
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

MILEY CYRUS this week hosted the annual MTV Video Music Awards.
PHOTO BY DFREE; COURTESY OF BIGSTOCK
Miley Cyrus comes out as pansexual

LOS ANGELES Miley Cyrus in an interview with Elle U.K. magazine said she
is pansexual.
Im pansexual, she said during the interview the magazine posted to its
website. Im not in a relationship. Im 22, Im going on dates, but I change my
style every two weeks, let alone who Im with.
Cyrus, 22, in recent years has emerged as a prominent supporter of LGBT rights.
The pop star in May launched the Happy Hippie Foundation to combat
homelessness and support LGBT youth. Cyrus described Indiana Gov. Mike
Pence as an asshole for signing a controversial religious freedom bill into law.
Cyrus on Aug. 30 hosted the annual MTV Video Music Awards.
U.S. Marine admits to choking trans woman

OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines A U.S. Marine accused of murdering a
transgender woman last fall in the Philippines has admitted to choking her.
The Associated Press reported Marine Pfc. Joseph Pembertons lawyer,
Rowena Flores told a court in Olongapo City on Aug. 24 that her client choked
Jennifer Laude in a motel last October after he discovered that she was trans.
Flores asserted that Pemberton did not kill Laude.
Philippine prosecutors contend that Pemberton met Laude at a nightclub on
Oct. 11, 2014, while the USS Peleliu was docked at the Subic Bay Freeport, which
is adjacent to Olongapo City on the countrys main island of Luzon. Laudes
naked body was later found in a motel bathroom.
Laudes death sparked widespread outrage among Philippine LGBT rights
advocates. Her murder also highlighted long-standing opposition to the U.S.
military presence in the country.
A not guilty plea was entered on Pembertons behalf in February.
Olongapo City is roughly 95 miles northwest of Manila, the Philippine capital.
Ga. prison releases trans inmate

GROVETON, Ga. A transgender inmate who claims in a federal lawsuit the
Georgia Department of Corrections denied her medical care has been released.
Ashley Diamond was released from Augusta State Medical Prison on Aug. 31
after serving a three-year sentence for a non-violent crime.
Diamond, 37, claims in a federal lawsuit the Southern Poverty Law Center led
on her behalf in February that the Georgia Department of Corrections denied
her request that she receive hormone therapy while in custody.
Diamond further alleges that ocials housed her with male inmates. She also
claims she was sexually assaulted eight times
Im overjoyed to be with my family again and out of harms way, said Diamond
in a Southern Poverty Law Center press release. Although the systematic abuse
and assaults I faced for more than three years have left me emotionally and
physically scarred, Ill continue to ght for justice and to shine a light on the gross
mistreatment of transgender inmates in Georgia and nationwide.
Georgia prison ocials released Diamond ve days after the Southern Poverty
Law Center led additional documents in her case.
An Oregon judge on Tuesday dismissed

sex with minor charges against gay rights
leader and real estate developer Terry
Bean after prosecutors said they decided
not to force the 17-year-old alleged victim
in the case to testify against Bean at a trial.
At the request of prosecutors, Lane
County Circuit Court Judge Jay McAlpin
dismissed the case without prejudice,
an action that allows prosecutors to
reinstate the case within the next 12 years
if the alleged victim changes his mind and
agrees to testify.
But the youth, who was 15 at the
time authorities allege he had sex with
Bean, 66, and Beans former boyfriend,
Kiah Lawson, 25, indicates through a
statement by his attorney that he has no
intention of changing his mind.
The youth has made his unwillingness to
testify known at every step in this process,
attorney Lori Deveny said in the statement.
My client was bullied and manipulated by
the lead detective in the case, she said, and
was threatened with incarceration by a
special prosecutor when he refused to be
bullied into testifying.
My client wants no part of this
prosecution and never did, Deveny said.
Bean and Lawson were indicted last
November on two counts of third-degree
sodomy, a felony, and one count of thirddegree sexual abuse, a misdemeanor, in
connection with allegations that they had
sex with the then 15-year-old in a hotel
room in Eugene in September 2013. Both
have pleaded not guilty.
An attorney representing Lawson has
said that Lawson and Bean met the youth
through the mobile phone app Grindr.
At Tuesdays court hearing McAlpin also
dropped the charges against Lawson.
The decision by Lane County Chief
Deputy District Attorney Erik Hasselman
and Lane County prosecutor Scott Healy
to drop the charges came a little over a
month after they informed McAlpin that
the 17-year-old had gone into hiding
with the full consent of his mother after
making it clear he didnt want to testify
against Bean.
The youths decision to dodge eorts
by prosecutors to nd him came
immediately after another judge rejected
a civil agreement reached between Bean
and the youth that, under Oregon law,
allowed them to petition the court to
dismiss the criminal case against Bean.
A judge this week dismissed sex with minor

charges against gay rights leader TERRY BEAN.
Hasselman revealed for the rst time

following the judges dismissal of the case
that the agreement called for Bean to pay
the youth more than $200,000, according
to the Eugene Register Guard.
Bean and his attorney released
statements immediately after reiterating
their longstanding assertions that Bean
never had sex with the then-15-year-old
and that the allegations against Bean
were part of a scheme by Lawson and
others to extort money from Bean.
Beans attorneys have said all along
that Lawson hatched the scheme to shake
Bean down for money shortly after an
acrimonious breakup of their relationship.
While we are pleased with todays
outcome, this is a case that should never
have been brought in the rst place, said
attorney Derek Ashton. For almost a year
we have been silent about the truth so
that we could try this case in court and
not in the media as the prosecutor tried
to do, he said.
Had the case gone to trial, Ashton
said, the defense would have presented
evidence that Bean left the hotel room
before anything happened, after being
set up there by Kiah Lawson, he said. We
had a witness who would have attested to
the fact that he left.
Ashton said the defense lined up proof
that Lawson and an accomplice had
numerous contacts with the youth to
get their stories straight before Lawson
led police to the youth.
According to Ashton, at the advice of
Lawson and the accomplice, the youth
initially sought a civil attorney to make
a nancial claim before the police were
ever involved.
SE P T E MBE R 0 4 , 2 0 1 5 0 7
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
0 8 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015
NATIONAL NEWS
DNC partners with Gay & Lesbian Chamber

Caucus seeks record
number of LGBT
convention delegates
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
The Democratic National Committee
announced at its annual summer
meeting in Minneapolis last week that it
has named the National Gay and Lesbian
Chamber of Commerce as a partner in
helping to select LGBT-owned businesses
to perform work at the 2016 Democratic
National Convention in Philadelphia.
DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Shultz
discussed plans for having the NGLCC
certify LGBT-owned businesses so they
would become eligible to bid on contracts
for providing a wide range of services
to the 2016 convention during her
appearance at the Aug. 29 meeting of the
DNCs LGBT Caucus.
D.C. gay rights advocate Earl Fowlkes,
who serves as chair of the 35-member
LGBT Caucus, said Wasserman Shultz
and Leah Daughtry, the Democratic
National Conventions CEO, expressed a
strong commitment to a greater role at
the convention for LGBT businesses and
DNC Chair DEBBIE WASSERMAN SHULTZ told

the LGBT Caucus that although the Supreme
Court ruling on marriage was important, the
ght for LGBT equality isnt over.
LGBT delegates.
We really want to make certain that
if LGBT businesses are qualied and are
legitimate LGBT businesses that they
have an opportunity to go after these
contracts, Fowlkes told the Blade on
Tuesday. There are millions of dollars
in these contracts and we want to make
sure that we get our fair share, he said.
In February, the DNC announced
that it has retained gay hospitality
industry executive Todd Lambert to help
coordinate the bookings of hotel rooms
and special event meeting space for the

convention, which is set to take place the
week of July 25.
Lambert, president and CEO of
EventSphere, a hotel booking and meeting
fulllment company, will partner with
another event planning rm, Akintayo
Management Group, in a joint eort to
secure convention-related housing and
meeting space, according to the DNC.
As the business voice of the LGBT
community, the NGLCC applauds the
Democratic National Convention for
its intentional inclusion of certied
LGBT business enterprises at the 2016
convention, said NGLCC Co-Founder and
President Justin Nelson in a statement.
Nothing is more essential to the
American Dream than an equal seat at the
table, and were so pleased that the 1.4
million LGBT business owners in America
will have an opportunity to contract with
the DNC during this momentous election
season, he said.
Sean Meloy, the DNCs Director of LGBT
Engagement, said Wasserman Shultz
told the LGBT Caucus meeting on Aug. 29
that although the Supreme Court ruling
on same-sex marriage was an important
victory, the ght for LGBT equality isnt over.
She mentioned discrimination and so
many other things that the community

will be working on with the party to ght
for, Meloy said.
TJ Helmstetter, a DNC LGBT media
outreach ocial who also attended the
LGBT Caucus meeting in Minneapolis,
said Wasserman Shultz urged LGBT
Caucus members to help make sure that
LGBT voters know the dierence between
the positions on LGBT equality between
the Democratic and Republican parties.
I think its fair to say shes concerned
that we still have much to do and we have
a responsibility to continue to engage
LGBT voters so that they understand the
ghts not over, Helmstetter said.
Meloy said the LGBT Caucus approved
a resolution introduced by caucus
member Ray Buckley, who serves as
chair of the New Hampshire Democratic
Party, to create an LGBT Caucus award
to recognize outstanding work of an
LGBT Democrat. The resolution calls for
naming the award after the late lesbian
Democratic Party activist Jean OLeary of
New York and longtime gay Democratic
activist and DNC member Rick Staord of
Minnesota.
The rst one will be given out in
Philadelphia next year at the convention,
Meloy said.
2 gay candidates criticize Victory Fund in Palm Springs

Group backs lesbian ocial;
FBI raids gay mayors oce
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Two gay men running for mayor in
LGBT-friendly Palm Springs, Calif., have
criticized the Gay and Lesbian Victory
Fund for endorsing a rival lesbian
candidate, saying the national LGBT
group didnt give them sucient time to
apply for the endorsement.
Their criticism, which the Victory Fund
disputes, was overshadowed on Tuesday
when FBI agents raided the City Hall oce and
home of incumbent gay Mayor Steve Pougnet.
The raid came just under three months
after the California Fair Political Practices
Commission, a state political watchdog
agency, opened an investigation into
whether Pougnet violated a state ethics law
by backing a city land deal that beneted
a developer he worked for as a consultant.
The Desert Sun newspaper reported
that FBI agents, accompanied by the
Riverside County District Attorney, came
with search warrants to the Palm Springs
City Hall, shutting down the building
and sending employees home before
examining electronic records on city
servers and individual computers.

The raid also followed Pougnets
announcement on May 8 shortly
after the state commission began its
investigation that he would not run for
a third term, saying he was pleased that he
accomplished all of the milestones he set
out to do when he rst took oce in 2008.
On July 20, the Victory Fund announced
it had endorsed three-term Palm Springs
City Council member Ginny Foat for
mayor, saying she was highly qualied to
become the popular desert resort citys
rst woman and rst lesbian mayor.
The announcement came four months
after gay retired U.S. Navy ocer and
businessman
Robert
Rob
Moon
announced his candidacy for mayor. Moons
campaign manager, Geno Sexton, notes
that Moons declaration of candidacy came
two months before Pougnet announced he
wasnt running for re-election.
Meanwhile, Palm Springs gay former
mayor, Ronald Oden, who preceded
Pougnet as mayor from 2003 to 2007, led
papers to run again for mayor on Aug. 12.
Both Moon and Oden have expressed
concern that the Victory Fund acted
prematurely by endorsing Foat before they
had an opportunity to submit the Victory
Funds required candidate questionnaire
to apply for the groups endorsement.
Oden told the Washington Blade that as

a former mayor, who received the Victory
Funds endorsement in 2003, he clearly is
a viable candidate with a strong record
on LGBT issues and civil rights issues in
general. At the very least, Oden said, the
Victory Fund should have waited until the
deadline for candidates to le petitions to
run for mayor had expired on Aug. 12.
Sexton, Moons campaign manager,
echoed that sentiment.
I would say our disappointment is not
the outcome, said Sexton, who noted
that other prominent LGBT groups also
endorsed Foat. Our disappointment is
the process, which was not transparent,
he said. And its disappointing when
gays treat each other the same way
that sometimes we accuse straight
conservative groups of treating us.
Aisha Moodie-Mills, the Victory Funds
executive director and CEO, takes exception
to that assessment, saying her organization
endorsed Foat because it believes shes the
best candidate for the job.
Like most political organizations, Victory
doesnt wait until some ling deadline
to endorse candidates because it would
dampen the impact of our support, she
said. Our endorsement process is not
dictated by political ling deadlines.
Moodie-Mills added, I think those who
have had experiences with us in the past

know what our process is and they know
its kind of a rolling application process.
Concerning Foat, Moodie-Mills said the
Victory Fund has endorsed her since she rst
ran for City Council in Palm Springs in 2003.
And weve been supporting her along
the way for the entire time of her political
career, said Moodie-Mills. So it makes
sense that Victory continues to support her.
Shes the best candidate. Shes going to be
mayor and shes the best person for the job.
Foat has also been endorsed by the
Desert Stonewall Democrats, a local
LGBT group, and Equality California, the
statewide LGBT advocacy group.
She currently serves as executive
director of the Mizell Senior Center, a
nonprot organization, and is the former
president of the California Chapter of the
National Organization for Women.
Foat, Moon and Oden are among a total
of eight candidates running for mayor
in Palm Springs under the citys nonpartisan city government system. There
is no primary, and the general election is
scheduled for Nov. 3.
Both the Victory Fund and the Human
Rights Campaign endorsed Pougnet in
2010 when he ran unsuccessfully for the
U.S. House seat then held by Rep. Mary
Bono (R-Calf.).
SE P T E MBE R 0 4 , 2 0 1 5 0 9
MiR
MiR
body mind Self

atbody
Allay
Yoga
mind
Self
at Allay Yoga
Come try Svaroopa Yoga for yourself!
Enjoy your first Svaroopa

Yoga
classyourself!
for FREE!
Come try Svaroopa
Yoga
for
Wed & Thurs 10am
PRIVATE YOGA
THERAPY
301-946-1517
for BACK
PAIN
301-946-1517
Michl Gordon
1934011
1934011
E: 06.12.15
Enjoy your first Svaroopa Yoga class for FREE!

Please arrive 10 minutes
prior to class to set up your space
Wed & Thurs 10am
Please arrive 10 minutes prior to class to set up your space

Come discover a Very Different style yoga.
10419 Armory Ave.

Come
e discover a Very
CSYT,Different
RYT-700 style yoga.
Kensington
Ave.
1-210419
blk offArmory
Howard
Ave.
Michl
Gordon CSYT,Teacher
RYT-700 bliss3630@hotmail.com
Michle is aeCertified
Kensington
1-2 blk off Howard Ave.
Michle is a Certified
Teacher
bliss3630@hotmail.com
301-946-1517
10419 Armory Ave., Kensington, MD

Located inside Allay Yoga
1/2 block off Howard Ave.
always been part of

Comcasts philosophy.
mireyoga.com
And embracing social

diversity is our way
of showing it.
The Realtors
you refer to
your friends
and
Enjoy a special selection of LGBT programming only at xfinity.com/lgbt.
79
XFINITY Triple Play
$
Buying or
Selling a Home?
99
a month for
24 months
Off er includes
105 MBPS
FREE
for 12 months
Licensed VA, MD, DC
The Gale STorm Team

703.304.1258 202.355.8125 301.575.6433
XFINITY on the X1 Entertainment Operating System delivers the simplest, fastest and most complete way
to access all your entertainment on all your screens. Its TV and Internet together like never before.
Steve Weinberg
Call 1-800-XFINITY or visit xnity.com/lgbt today
ATTORNEY AT LAW
SERVING OUR COMMUNITY

FOR 33 YEARS
PERSONAL INJURY PROBATE
WILLS/ POAs CIVIL LITIGATION
CONSERVATORSHIPS GUARDIANSHIPS
Offer ends 12/31/15. Limited to new residential customers. Not available in all areas. Requires subscription to Starter XF Triple Play with Digital Starter TV, Performance Internet
and XFINITY Voice Unlimited. Early termination fee applies. Equipment, taxes and fees, including regulatory recovery fees, Broadcast TV Fee (up to $3.50/mo.), Regional
Sports Fee (up to $1.00/mo.) and other applicable charges extra, and subject to change during and after the promo. After 12 months, regular monthly charge applies to Blast!
Internet service. After promotional period, or if any service is cancelled or downgraded, regular rates apply. Comcasts current monthly service charge for Starter XF Triple
Play is $136.99$141.99 and for Blast! Internet is $12 (pricing subject to change). TV and Internet service limited to a single outlet. May not be combined with other offers.
TV: Limited Basic service subscription required to receive other levels of service. Internet: Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed. WiFi claim based on November 2014
study by Allion Test Labs, Inc. Reliability claim based on 2014 FCC Measuring Broadband America report. Prepaid card mailed to Comcast account holder within 18 weeks of
activation of all required services and expires in 90 days. Cards issued by Citibank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and managed by Citi Prepaid Services.
Cards will not have cash access and can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. Call for restrictions and complete details. 2015 Comcast. All rights reserved.
202-861-0077
2141 P STREET NW SUITE 103

WASHINGTON DC 20037
E-MAIL steveweinbergdc@aol.com
LICENSED IN DC, MD AND VA
ADVERTISING
CCT6417 LGBT Print 7.25x8.5625.indd 1
PROOF
SALES REPRESENTATIVE: BROOKE JORDAN (bjordan@washblade.com)
EVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of
roof. Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of
he date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts
mnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is
sponsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users
an link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or
ny rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any
opyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair
ompetition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation,
r any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the
ashington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all
ability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred
y brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertisers breach of any of the foregoing representations
nd warranties.
E: 06.12.15
Forward thinking has
8/12/15 10:31 AM
Are you worried about HIV?

PrEP: A daily medication
that lowers your risk of HIV.
ADVERTISER SIGNATURE
By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contract obligations with the
washington blade newspaper. This includes but is not limited to placement,
payment and insertion schedule.
Speak with our preplanning adviSor,

Jamie arthurS at (202) 966-6400 or email
Jamie.arthurS@dignitymemorial.com
The PrEP Clinic at Andromeda can

help you decide if PrEP is right for you.
To talk with one of our specialists,
call us at 202.743.7942
1400 Decatur St. NW Washington, DC 20011
5130 Wisconsin Ave. NW DC (202) 966-6400 www.JosephGawlers.com

ADVERTISING
SALES REPRESENTATIVE: BRIAN PITTS (bpitts@washblade.com)
PROOF
202.743.7942 www.andromedaprep.org
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
1 0 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015
I N T E RN A T I O N A L N E W S
Voices from LGBT Catholics in Western Africa

Faithful in Ghana,
Nigeria face persecution,
discrimination
By DAVIS MAC-IYALLA
EDITORS NOTE: This report was commissioned by the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups after concern that the voices of
LGBT Christians from Western Africa were
not heard in the ongoing discussion about the
Family Synod of the Roman Catholic Church.
The ndings are based on interviews conducted by Davis Mac-Iyalla with Catholic LGBT
people in Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria held
from 1431 March 2015. This version has been
edited for length. Visit washingtonblade.com
for the full report.
GHANA
I arrived safely in the city of Accra,
Ghana, on the 14th of March 2015. The
last time I was in Ghana was in 2008 and
I still have many friends there. The day
after my arrival was Sunday and Mothers
Day, and I went with some friends to Mass
in Accra. After Mass I was introduced
to some of the LGBTI people present at
church, some of whom sing in the choir.
Some were very happy to share their
stories with me, while others were more
reticent out of fear that the information
might nd its way to the authorities and
bring trouble for them. Under Ghanaian
criminal law, same-sex sexual activity
among males is illegal and can result in
long prison sentences. The situation with
lesbians is less clearly dened, but still
highly problematic.
Rosebud, a Christian, lesbian and
midwife who works for the government
hospital, leads an informal group of
Catholic lesbians. It started among fellow
lesbians at her church, but women
from other churches are discovering
her group. She currently has members
from the Anglican, Presbyterian as well
Pentecostal churches. Although the
group is based in Accra, it is growing to
be Ghana wide. They have not given
the group a name, but come together
once a month to pray and listen to each
others stories. With little support from
their churches on the issues that their
sexuality raises in society, the group has
become their only means of support as
they discuss and help each other on LGBT
issues. They organize parties and social
events, but have to be very discrete, so as
not to incur the wrath of the authorities.
Rosebud thinks that in a homophobic
society, the churches should be the rst
places to welcome LGBT people, not
persecute them. She commented that
lesbians cannot immediately identify each
other, people usually become friends rst,
and then when it is appropriate, a friend will
come out. She was not aware of the ongoing Family Synod in the Catholic Church,
explaining that in Ghana people only hear

what the church leaders want them to
hear. Church matters are conveyed in
an authoritarian manner as orders rather
than issues up for discussion. Although
the Internet is available in Ghana, it is not
cheap and frequent electricity blackouts
make its use problematic for many people
making international media unavailable
to most.
Rosebud has a son who is 14. She
has brought him up a Catholic and feels
strongly that the church should see her
and her son as a normal family, despite
the fact she is a lesbian. I know that
God loves me. If I was standing face to
face with any of the bishops who preach
discrimination against LGBT people, I
would look them in the eyes and tell
them that I did not choose my sexuality.
She believes that God made her gay
and trying to change her sexuality is like
changing the will of God.
Still in Ghana, I met Kelly, who identies
himself as a Christian Charismatic,
bisexual man. Kelly let me record him,
and concluded by telling me that he
hopes support and education can be
given to Ghanas LGBT community,
and particularly education regarding
blackmail. Blackmail of LGBT people is
on the rise because of an increase in the
use of gay dating websites. Sometimes
people pretend to be LGBT online, set
up a victim and then blackmail them for
money. With unemployment on the rise,
youths in Ghana are being driven to raise
money in this manner and sometimes,
even LGBT people have raised money in
this way. Sometimes the Ghana police
have gone undercover to trap and
arrest LGBT people in a similar manner.
He said that the decriminalization of
homosexuality would be the best way
forward to providing safety for LGBT
people, but he has no idea how it can be
achieved. He also thinks that education
in areas of inclusive theology would be
useful for the Ghanaian context.
NIGERIA
In Nigeria I had to be extremely careful
for my own safety and security. It was not
easy crossing the border of Benin and
Nigeria since the Nigerian presidential
election was coming up in few days time,
so security was very high. I had wished
to visit northern, southern and eastern
Nigeria but could only visit Lagos, which
is in the southwest. However I did meet
and speak to people from all regions of
the country as Lagos is the most diverse
cultural city of Nigeria.
In Nigeria, the church and the
government both persecute LGBT people.
On the 7th of January 2014 the Nigerian
president, Goodluck Jonathan, signed
LGBT Catholics in Western Africa continue

to face discrimination and persecution from
the church and their countries respective
governments.
The Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act

into law. This act imposes lengthy prison
sentences of up to 14 years on any person
who attempts to enter into a same-sex
marriage or civil union; who participates
in a gay club, society or organization; or
who makes a public display of aection
with a person of the same sex.
Rashidi is a trained science laboratory
technician and an unapologetic human
rights advocate especially for persons
marginalized on grounds of sexual
orientation and gender identity. He
was brought up as Catholic. The strict
observance of religion and faith in his
family led him to begin to study the Bible
at an early age, but the experiences and
realization of his sexuality made him
more questioning of the scriptures. As a
young man, he was scared he was going
to be consumed by re whenever he
stepped up to the altar. He feared that
his homosexuality would be revealed
to the church and he would become an
object of mockery amongst his peers. He
remarked, Many homosexuals within the
church in Nigeria still have those same
feelings and are scared about people
nding the truth of who they are.
Rashidi expressed his anger over
the Same Sex Marriage Act. Many
LGBT Catholics in Nigeria were very
disappointed to read in the press that
The Catholic Bishops Conference of
Nigeria made statements in support of
the bill saying that the law was a step in
the right direction for the protection of
the dignity of the human person. Rashidi
angrily commented, I cannot understand
how the church could support the
persecutions of LGBT Nigerians and still
call itself Christian. There had been
an increase in violent attacks against
Nigerian LGBT people since the bill was
signed into law.
I also met Grace, a lesbian from Ojota.
She is a Christian who discovered that
she is a lesbian at a very young age.
She is currently unemployed but does
lots of voluntary work to support the
LGBT community in Lagos. She is still
very much in the closet but friends and
family members often comment on how

she dresses like a boy and behaves like
a man. Her mother constantly reminds
her that a womans place is under her
husband and says she is praying for
Grace to nd a good husband. Since the
passing of the anti-gay law in January
2014, Grace has become more careful.
She recounts a story about an undercover
policewoman who joined an online dating
group to trap unsuspecting gay women.
The policewoman met a female doctor
who she subsequently reported to the
authorities. The doctor lost her job and
was forced to relocate outside of Nigeria.
Many people are using the anti-gay law
to blackmail people for money, Grace
explains. In her eyes, Nigeria is a mob
country where people are violently
persecuted for being homosexual. She
said, I believe [LBGTIs] are one family
and I hope that the worldwide Catholic
Church and all Christians will come to
realise this truth too.
For many LBGTI persons, the only
source of information is the press,
which, on most occasions, condemns
homosexuality. This can lead to a feeling
of self-loathing, an inferiority complex and
often a feeling of inadequacy in LGBTs.
The condemnation of homosexuality by
state and churches as well as the fear of
being outed force LGBTs to hide their real
sexual identity for a long time. Cynthia
was one such person. The acceptance
of herself only started when she found
an online-group for same gender loving
women. Through this group of lesbians,
she became aware that love is natural
and the greatest commandment of
Jesus Christ. She feels that most LGBT
Nigerians dont know the full component
of the anti-gay law. The damaging
eects of the anti-gay law are crazy:
gay bashing, suicide, blackmail, rape and
more is on the increase against Nigerian
LGBT people since that law came into
eect, she explains. Cynthia wishes there
was one bishop in Nigeria who was bold
enough to stand up and challenge the
church and government on their views
and attitudes to homosexuality.
From the many interviews conducted,
it has become clear that LGBT people in
West Africa have a hard life.
Despite all of this, Catholic LGBTs do
not want to walk away from the Catholic
Church. They want to be accepted, to
be welcomed by the church, to have
dialogue, and education. Above all, they
want equality both in their personal lives
and in their church to live in a nurturing
environment not one of condemnation.
They want to participate in the Family
Synod discussions. They want to have a
voice, to tell their stories, to relate their
situations and to let the world know of
their plight and their ght.
SE P T E MBE R 0 4 , 2 0 1 5 1 1
L A B O R D AY S A L E
CUSTOMIZE, DONT COMPROMISE
n
Savteioanal
addi
10
g
thin
very
*
d
a
on e
thiS
with
Style meets comfort with this American made Sofa from Vanguard Furniture. 8-way hand tied springs & down seats ensure durability and plush comfort.
Available as a sofa or sectional in hundreds of fabrics and leathers.SOFA MSRP: $3459 STARTING AT $2175.
3-PC ITALIAN LEATHER SECTIONAL WITH 2X POWER

RECLINERS & ADJUSTABLE HEADRESTS.
(Also available in sofa and other configurations)
MSRP $8559 SALE PRICE $4368
ITALIAN MADE RETRO ALL LEATHER SOFA

Sofa, loveseat, chair, and ottoman stocked
for quick delivery
MID-CENTURY MODERN SECTIONAL

Choose from many fabrics, one price!
(Also available in sofa and chair)
GENUINE ITALIAN LEATHER

(also available as a sectional)
TRANSITIONAL WOOD-BASE SOFA

(Also available as a sectional.
Hundreds of fabrics to choose from)
ROCKVILLE 11711 Parklawn Dr. N. of White Flint Mall at Nicholson Ln. .........................301-881-3900
FALLS CHURCH 5857-B Leesburg Pike (Next to Panera) .............................................703-820-8000
CHANTILLY SHOWROOM & CLEARANCE CTR. 4060 Walney Rd. ..............................703-766-8000
TYSONS CORNER COMING LATE 2015!
PLEASE BRING THIS AD TO RECEIVE SALE PRICES.
*may not be combined with other promotions.
PROMO CODE: 94
Sale prices good thru 9/7/15
Follow us on
W W W . H A M I L T O N S O F A G A L L E R Y. C O M
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
1 2 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015
I N T E RN A T I O N A L N E W S
Trans woman running for Venezuelan Assembly

Tamara Adrin would
be rst out LGBT
member of body
People are standing in line for hours

eight, nine hours in order to buy a chicken
or to buy some meat, Adrin told the
Blade. Its a very dicult environment
from an economic point of view and it has
to be addressed from the Parliament.
Adrin said she feels Venezuelan
lawmakers will become more receptive
By MICHAEL K. LAVERS
mlavers@washingtonblade.com
A transgender lawyer could become
the rst openly LGBT member of the
Venezuelan National Assembly if voters
elect her later this year.
Popular Will, a left-leaning pro-LGBT
party that is a member of Socialist
International, an association of Socialist
political parties from around the world,
tapped Tamara Adrin to run as a
candidate to represent Caracas, the
South American countrys capital, in
the National Assembly. The Coalition
for Democratic Unity, a group of 26
opposition parties that includes Popular
Will, accepted Adrins candidacy.
The National Electoral Council, which
oversees Venezuelan elections, on Aug.
7 formally registered Adrins candidacy.
The trans commercial lawyer who
specializes in foreign investments and
capital and commodity markets is the
second of four candidates on the ballot
in the Federal District, which includes
roughly half of Caracas and several
suburbs, for the elections that will take
place on Dec. 6.
Adrin told the Washington Blade last
month during a Skype interview from
Caracas that the campaign will not be easy,
especially because the Venezuelan capital
remains a stronghold of the governing
United Socialist Party of Venezuela that
President Nicols Maduro heads. Adrin
nevertheless said she expects to do well.
What we expect is that at least I will be
certainly elected at least as the alternate
of the rst [person] on the list, she told
the Blade, referring to the incumbent
assemblymember whose name appears
at the top of the ballot. If I run hard and
if the people actually vote in favor of the
opposition as all the surveys are showing
that it will be the case, I might have the
opportunity to be the principal.
Adrin told the Blade the only
opposition she has received thus far
has come from members of the United
Socialist Party of Venezuela known as
Chavistas, supporters of late-President
Hugo Chvez who preceded Maduro.
She said the Chavistas have accused
her of coopting their eorts in support of
LGBT rights, even though she noted the
United Socialist Party has done little to
advance them in the 17 years it has been
in power.
Every time we try to get a chance before
the National Assembly or whatever, we
only receive silence, Adrin told the
Blade. Then suddenly the opposition
to LGBT-specic issues if the opposition

gains seats in the National Assembly. She
nevertheless said resolving the countrys
economic crisis remains a top priority
once the elections take place.
There are so many other problems that
we are facing, said Adrin. Venezuela has
to be reconstructed from the very bottom.
Uganda may regulate non-governmental groups
TAMARA ADRIN, a transgender lawyer

from Caracas, would be the rst openly LGBT
person elected to the Venezuelan National
Assembly if she were to win her race later
this year.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TAMARA ADRIN
puts this candidature in the mainstream,

and they change the game.
Adrin said the Chavistas have called
her a mutant and accused her of being
hypocritical. She told the Blade that she
has also had to take security precautions
while on the campaign trail, in part
because of the rhetoric directed against
her party.
It is necessary to take care, said
Adrin. But I know that I have to be in this
position because you cannot in certain
conditions not take your responsibility in
your hands.
Adrin would join a handful of other
openly trans elected ocials in Latin
America if voters elect her to the National
Assembly. These include Luisa Revilla
Urcia, who won a seat on the local council
in the Peruvian city of La Esperanza last
October, and Adela Hernndez, who
in 2012 became the rst openly trans
person to hold public oce in Cuba when
she became a member of the Caibarin
Municipal Council.
Adrins campaign is taking place
against the backdrop of an economic
crisis that has left Venezuela with a
chronic shortage of basic goods and
growing political and social instability.
Leopoldo Lpez, the leader of Popular
Will who remains in jail, was on a 30-day
hunger strike earlier this year to protest
his detention.
Adrin told the Blade that toilet
paper and chicken are among the many
products that are in short supply in the
oil-rich country. She said the only way she
was able to have meat in her home was
because she was able to purchase it three
months ago and freeze it.
Ugandan lawmakers this week debated a bill that LGBT rights activists contend
would further hinder their advocacy eorts in the country.
The Non-Governmental Organizations Bill of 2015 that Parliamentarian
Aronda Nyakairima introduced earlier this year would establish what it describes
as an administrative and regulatory framework within which organizations can
conduct their aairs.
The measure seeks to create a board through which organizations would have
to register.
A copy of the bill that the Washington Blade obtained indicates this body
would also have the authority to summon and discipline organizations and
take actions against them that includes the suspension of their permits to
operate in the country and black listing.
The bill would also prevent an organization from carrying out activities in any
part of the country, unless it has received approval from local authorities. The
measure would also ban groups from engaging in any act which is prejudicial to
the security and laws of Uganda and to the interests of Uganda and the dignity
of the people of Uganda.
Consensual same-sex sexual activity remains criminalized in Uganda.
Clare Byarugaba of Chapter Four Uganda, a Ugandan advocacy group, noted to
the Blade on Tuesday in an email that it is already impossible for LGBT groups
to register with the government. She further pointed out those organizations
that openly support the rights of LGBT people always face problems when they
try to re-register with the authorities.
I am worried that the NGO bill shall further limit our freedom of association
and expression, Byarugaba told the Blade in an email. This law, if passed, will
ultimately mean institutionalization of discrimination towards LGBT organizing
in Uganda.
Jerey Smith of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights told the Blade on Tuesday
during a telephone interview from D.C. that he feels the measure is another
way to reintroduce means with which to stop the activities of LGBT groups in the
country, given the fact the previous eorts have failed.
President Yoweri Museveni in February 2014 signed the Anti-Homosexuality
Act under which those convicted of repeated same-sex sexual acts faced life in
prison. The Constitutional Court of Uganda last summer struck down the statute
on a technicality, but not before the U.S. cut aid to the country and imposed a
travel ban against Ugandan ocials responsible for anti-LGBT and other human
rights abuses.
Certainly wed be concerned about any proposed legislation that would
further limit gay rights in Uganda or put LGBT populations under any duress,
State Department spokesperson Mark Toner told the Blade on Tuesday during
his daily press brieng.
Parliamentarians are expected to once again debate the measure on Thursday.
Smith told the Blade there was pretty erce disagreement among the
lawmakers over the board that would oversee non-governmental organizations.
It was good to see some opposition to that, he said. Its not getting rammed
down their throats.
Tuesdays debate took place less than two months after Randy Berry, the
special U.S. envoy to promote global LGBT rights, visited Uganda.
Museveni has begun to formally seek his partys nomination to run for a
fourth term in next years presidential election. The Ugandan president, who
has been in oce since 1986, is facing mounting opposition to his rule from
within the country.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
NATIONAL NEWS
SE P T E MBE R 0 4 , 2 0 1 5 1 3
Ky. clerk dees Supreme Court on marriage

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
Plaintis do not seek to compel Davis

compliance through incarceration, the
ling states. Since Defendant Davis
continues to collect compensation from
the Commonwealth for duties she fails to
perform, Plaintis urge the the Court to
impose nancial penalties suciently serious
and increasingly onerous to compel Davis
immediate compliance without further delay.
In a one-page order, U.S. District
Judge David Bunning, who issued the
preliminary injunction against Davis,
instructs her and deputy clerks to appear
before the federal court for a contempt
hearing on Thursday at 11 a.m., after

Blade print deadline. Bunning gives Davis
until the end of the day on Wednesday to
respond to the contempt charges. (Visit
washingtonblade.com for updates.)
Steven R. Shapiro, legal director of
the American Civil Liberties Union, said
in a statement the need for a contempt
hearing is unfortunate. The ACLU is cocounsel in the case.
It is unfortunate that weve been
compelled to take further action today to
ensure that the people of Rowan County
can obtain the marriage licenses theyre
entitled to receive from their County
Clerks oce, Shapiro said. The law is
clear and the courts have spoken. The

duty of public ocials is to enforce the
law, not place themselves above it.
In a statement on the Liberty Counsels
website, Davis explains she intends to
remain in her position despite calls for
her to resign, saying for her the matter
is a Heaven or Hell decision.
I never imagined a day like this would
come, where I would be asked to violate
a central teaching of Scripture and of
Jesus Himself regarding marriage, Davis
wrote. To issue a marriage license
which conicts with Gods denition of
marriage, with my name axed to the
certicate, would violate my conscience.
Walker makes religious freedom pledge

Add Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walkers
name to the list of Republican presidential
candidates who as president would seek
to employ the Justice Department and
the Internal Revenue Service to uphold
religious freedom which is seen as code
for enabling anti-LGBT discrimination.
Walker made the remarks Sunday on
NBCs Meet the Press when host Chuck
Todd asked whether businesses should
be able to re someone for being gay.
Walker never really statedhis position on
the issue, but instead said you have to
have that balance up.
That means making sure that we
uphold the Constitution, which says you
have the freedom of religion, Walker
continued. Not freedom from religion,
the freedom of religion. And that
Gov. SCOTT WALKER (R-Wis.) supports a U.S. constitutional amendment against the
means, Ill just speak about it, our Justice
U.S. Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage.
Department, our I.R.S. and others out
there, will uphold that.
Walker said the most immediate thing
the next president or his administration should be involved in is upholding religious liberty.
The candidates plan isnt exactly clear, but given the context for the question can be seen as enabling anti-gay discrimination
under his administration in some capacity.
The Wisconsin governor isnt the rst candidate to say his administration would promote religious liberty in a way that
may undermine LGBT rights. During the pre-debate for lower-tier Republican presidential candidates, former U.S. Sen. Rick
Santorum and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said they would sign executive orders in favor of religious freedom for those who
oppose same-sex marriage. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) pledged during the debate to direct the Justice Department to uphold
religious liberty as part of his administration.
Walkers comments are on par with his general opposition to LGBT rights. The governor is among the Republican presidential
hopefuls who support a U.S. constitutional amendment against the U.S. Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage that
would return the issue to the states and said he wouldnt change the ban on transgender military service. However, hes
suggested support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, saying his states ban on same-sex marriage and pro-gay nondiscrimination law struck the right balance in the state.
Also on Meet the Press, Walker responded to comments he made in October after the Supreme Court refused to review a
court decision instituting marriage equality on Wisconsin. At the time, Walker said the debate is over.
Asked whether his current position on marriage is at odds with saying in October the debate is over, Walker said thats right.
It was over in terms of our legal options, he continued. We had no other option other than waiting to see what the
Supreme Court did. If Id said anything dierently, Id be misguiding the people of Wisconsin. There was no other option for
the state of Wisconsin.
CHRIS JOHNSON
It is not a light issue for me.

Earlier in the week, the Supreme Court
denied a stay request led by attorneys
for Davis. The request was submitted to
U.S. Associate Justice Elena Kagan, whos
responsible for stay requests in the
Sixth Circuit, but the order indicates she
referred the request to the entire court
for consideration.
Attorneys for Davis led the request
with the Supreme Court last week after
the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
declined a stay on a district court
injunction requiring Davis to distribute
marriage licenses in her oce. David
Bunning, the George W. Bush-appointed
judge who issued the injunction, issued a
temporary stay, but that expired Monday
and he declined to extend it.
The stay denial from the Supreme Court
comes amid growing national discussion
on the intersection of religious freedom
and LGBT rights, but legal experts have said
various factors go into stay decisions and
observers shouldnt read too much into the
Supreme Courts thinking on that potential
conict based on the denial in the Davis case.
JoDee Winterhof, the Human Rights
Campaigns senior vice president for
policy and political aairs, said in a
statement Davis religious objections
dont allow her to bar same-sex couples
from marrying.
Ms. Davis choices are clear: she must
either choose to follow the law or resign
her public position, Winterhof said. A
public ocials personal religious opinion
does not give her the privilege to trample
over the rights of others. Freedom of
religion is important, and Ms. Davis has
the fundamental right to believe what she
likes. But as a public servant, she does not
have the right to pick and choose which
laws she will follow or which services she
will provide. We are pleased that the U.S.
Supreme Court has denied the stay.
Meanwhile, Republican presidential
candidate Carly Fiorina became the
rst 2016 hopeful to weigh in on the
controversy, saying the act of civil
disobedience is not appropriate.
During a radio interview on Tuesday,
conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt
asked Fiorina for her advice for Davis. The
former Hewlett Packard CEO at rst made
the case for protecting religious liberty with
great passion and said expending political
capital to protect that principle is important
because its clear religious liberty is under
assault in many, many ways.
Having said that, when you are a
government employee, I think you take on a
dierent role, Fiorina added. When you are
a government employee as opposed to say,
an employee of another kind of organization,
then in essence, you are agreeing to act as an
arm of the government.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
1 4 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015
NATIONAL NEWS
Clinton emails reveal interest in LGBT rights

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
from becoming law.

Responding to an article in Bloomberg
News on plans to drop the death penalty
and life imprisonment provisions in the
bill, Mills says she doesnt know where
this stands in terms of what will really
happen and calls for a meeting in the
upcoming days with international LGBT
groups to lay out what we have done.
The process will focus not only our
public and quiet diplomacy (calls to pres,
etc) eorts but also it will give chance for
feedback on more we should do, Mills
writes. I am worried this will not turn out
well. We need some outreach unless I am
missing what is being done in dept.
Carson responds that hes happy to
participate in any meeting on the issue to
share conservations with Museveni and his
reassurances to the State Department.
We continue to monitor this issue and
I am prepared to go back to Museveni at
any time to express our deep concerns
and to press him to deep six this
legislation, Carson says.
Mills in turn asks whether the State
Department should have S call the
president, presumably referring to
Clinton as secretary of state, an idea
to which Carson agrees by saying the
secretary should make the call. More
of Carsons response is redacted, but
the portion that is public reiterates his
willingness to participate in a meeting
with LGBT groups and talk about his
work. Minutes later, Mills forwards
the exchange to Clinton in apparent
preparation for a call with Museveni.
In December 2009, Carson held a
State Department meeting with nongovernmental organizations and, as the
Washington Blade rst reported, said
Museveni had given him assurances
during an in-person meeting and a
follow-up phone call he would veto
the bill. (Museveni would later sign the
legislation into law anyway in 2014, but
the court system struck it down).
As for the call from Clinton planned
in the email exchange, its unclear
what occurred after the discussion. In
her book Hard Choices, Clinton says
Museveni ridiculed her for urging him to
reject the anti-gay bill, but that discussion
may have taken place not in 2009, but in
2011 in the context of discussions with
Ugandan ocials about the murder of
African LGBT rights activist David Kato.
Also included in the latest email batch
are a number of messages praising
Clinton for making an October 2010 video
for the It Gets Better project, a series
of video messages aimed at supporting
LGBT youth amid a nationwide rash of
reported suicides of LGBT minors.
Hillary Clintons emails reveal a discussion in

December 2009 over the Anti-Homosexuality
Bill in Uganda and eorts to convince
President YOWERI MUSEVENI to prevent it
from becoming law.
PHOTO BY RUSSELL WATKINS; COURTESY OF THE
DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
In an email dated Oct. 19, 2010, Senior

Adviser to the Council for Global Equality
Julie Dorf tells then-Deputy Assistant
Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy,
Human Rights, & Labor Daniel Baer her
organization intends to put the video on
its website and Clinton saying you matter
to your country is particularly powerful.
An aide also forwarded to Clinton an
email referencing the It Gets Better
video from Lynn Sicade, a senior policy
adviser for the Bureau of Democracy,
Human Rights & Labor.
Can you let her know that individual
employees in the building appreciate what
she has been doing on LGBT rights? Sicade
writes. I know GLIFFA will do so, but its kind
of their job to advocate. But if you could
just tell her in a minute how deeply her
work is touching us in the trenches, well, its
something I think she deserves to hear.
Another email came from former State
Department employee Jon Tollefson,
who at the time was president of the
State Department anity group known
as Gays & Lesbians in Foreign Aairs
Agencies, or GLIFAA.
It has truly touched our members,
Tollefson writes. As you may have seen, it
received wide attention within LGBT media,
youth media (MTV and VH1), and the wider
media. The video has over 110,000 views
on youtube already, and she is likely to
touch many more people as it spreads.
Another email demonstrates interest
in Dont Ask, Dont Tell, even though
Clinton as head of foreign aairs had
no direct involvement on the domestic
issue. Then-Assistant Secretary of State
for Legislative Aairs Richard Verma
forwarded to Clinton in May 2010 a news
report that Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) had
signed on in support of repeal.
Nelson to support Dont Ask Dont Tell
measure, Verma said. Spoke with [the

late Sen. Robert] Byrds people too....
they think he is leaning to support it, but
would know for sure later today.
Also forwarded to Clinton are news
developments on international LGBT
rights. In July 2010, Mills forwarded to
Clinton a message from Under Secretary of
State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and
Human Rights Maria Otero that includes
a news clipping on the Argentine Senate
approving same-sex marriage legislation.
This is huge news for Latin America,
we should nd a way to use this to
advance our dialogue on LGBT in the
region, Otero writes.
In October 2010, Mills forwards
to Clinton and aide Jacob Sullivan an
Associated Press report on anti-gay riots
in Serbia and adds the message, You
should discuss Dans email w/ S on plane
presumably an exchange between Baer
and Clinton not disclosed in the emails.
The email exchanges also reveal
State Department staers were getting
information from LGBT media. In June
2010, Mills forwarded to Clinton an article
in the Washington Blade on the secretarys
speech at a Pride celebration at the White
House when she coined her now widely
used phrase human rights are gay rights
and gay rights are human rights.
Also forwarded to Clinton on that
speech was an email praising the secretary
from Kathleen Ruckman, who at the time
was incoming branch chief in the Oce of
Childrens Issues at the State Department.
But I want to let the Secretary know that
I am especially grateful for all the work
she has done for the GLBT community in
the Department and around the world,
Ruckman writes. What a thrill it was to
today to hear her say that gay rights are
human rights!
Mills forwarded a March 2010 blog

entry from Box Turtle Bulletin on the
State Department investigating LGBT
treatment in Uganda and elsewhere in
Africa. Another forwarded post from the
Tuczon, Az.-based LGBT blog is on the
reported beheading of an LGBT advocate
in Uganda.
Do you know anything more about
this? Mills emailed Carson about the
report before forwarding their exchange
to Clinton.
Also forwarded to Clinton was a news
bulletin in June 2010 from gay journalist
Rex Wockner on the legalization of samesex marriage in Iceland.
Clinton adviser Phillipe Reines also
forwarded to the secretary a note
fromlesbian journalist Kerry Eleveld, who
was then a reporter for The Advocate,
requesting an interview for a possible
cover story, adding such an interview
should be super positive.
In one of the rare responses to LGBTrelated emails, Clinton wrote, Ok as long as I
have tps, which presumably means talking
points. In response, Reines says, Of course.
The cover story Madame Secretaryran in
The Advocate in January 2011.
During the time period in which these
emails were made public, Clinton wasnt yet
a supporter of same-sex marriage. She didnt
come out in favor of marriage equality until
after she departed the State Department
in 2013. Clinton makes no mention of what
shes thinking about the issue.
The emails are being made public as
a result of a court order resulting from
a Freedom of Information Act request
led by media organizations. Additional
emailsare set to be made public every 30
days until the entire collection obtained
by the State Department deemed
appropriate for release is unveiled.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
BA L T I MO RE N E W S
S E PT E M B E R 04, 2015 15
Attorney General BRIAN FROSH

unveiled new guidance designed to
end discriminatory proling by law
enforcement in Maryland.
PHOTO BY DAYNA SMITH OF IMAGESMITH MEDIA
New AG guidance on proling welcomed

In an eort to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities
they serve, Attorney General Brian E. Frosh on Aug. 25 unveiled new guidance
designed to end discriminatory proling by law enforcement in Maryland,
broadening the characteristics that may not be used to single out groups during
everyday police activity.
Under a guidance memorandum issued by the Oce of the Attorney General,
ocers in any law enforcement agency in Maryland may not consider race,
ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability or gender
identity to any degree during routine police operations.
Police do a dangerous, dicult job, and they do it well, Frosh said in a
statement announcing the guidance. But experience shows us that improper
proling by police does terrible damage. It discourage[s] cooperation by lawabiding citizens, it generates bogus leads that turn attention away from bona
de criminal conduct, and it erodes community trust.
Baltimores LGBT community, especially the transgender community, has had
a history of dicult interactions with the Baltimore Police Department because
of proling.
This is an important step forward, and the standards in this guidance are ones
that all law enforcement should follow, including the Baltimore Police Department,
said Interim Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis in the statement. Im
committed to making sure that the standards being released today are part of our
practices for the benet of our ocers and our community.
Local LGBT community leaders applauded the attorney generals memorandum.
This guidance is an important step in addressing the discriminatory proling
based on race and other characteristics that harms communities and erodes
trust between law enforcement and the public, said Keith Thirion, acting
executive director of Equality Maryland.
Communities of color, including LGBT people of color, have been
disproportionately impacted by this dangerous practice, he said. Too often
transgender women, and particularly transgender women of color, are targeted
and assumed to be engaged in sex work or criminal activity just for walking
down the street, often called walking while trans.
Hearing for Md. LGBT youth scheduled

The Joint Committee on Children, Youth and Families of the Maryland General
Assembly will convene to address the needs of LGBT youth in Maryland. A report
issued by the Youth Equality Alliance (YEA) in August 2014 indicates that LGBT youth
are more at risk to abuse substances, have mental health concerns, become involved
with the criminal justice system, and face violence and bullying in the community.
Formed in May 2013, YEA is a statewide coalition of various service providers,
nonprot organizations, government agencies, and individual advocates that
seeks to identify policy and regulatory solutions to problems faced by LGBTQ
youth in Maryland education, foster care and juvenile justice systems.
YEA requests that the committee look into factors that jeopardize the condition
of Marylands LGBTQ youth and require applicable state agencies to report on
those factors and ongoing work to remedy gaps. They also seek recommendations
to the legislature and the general public on policies that will best support the
social, emotional and academic wellness of Marylands LGBTQ youth.
The hearing will take place on Sept. 9 in Room 120 in the House Oce Building
located at 6 Bladen St. in Annapolis from 10 a.m. to noon.
STEVE CHARING
Keep your promise to protect each other.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
16 S E PT E M B E R 04, 201 5
H E A LT H N E W S
Study nds link between

eating disorders, sexual orientation
Wills & Trusts

Powers of Attorney Living Wills
Partnership & Prenuptial Agreements
(240) 778-2330 (703) 536-0220

www.PartnerPlanning.com
Serving the LGBT Community

in DC/MD/VA since 1983
Lawrence S. Jacobs/McMillan Metro, PC
NEW YORK Young women attracted to both sexes or who are unsure about
whom they are attracted to are more likely to develop an eating disorder than
those attracted to only one sex, according to a new study from Drexel University
and a MedicalXPress report.
However, the results of the study suggest that females attracted to the samesex are no more likely to experience eating disorder symptoms than their peers
with opposite-sex attractions. This nding is contrary to previous assumptions that
same-sex attraction plays a protective role against eating pathology in females.
The study also found that men who were attracted to other males or both
sexes had higher rates of eating disorders than males only attracted to the
opposite sex, which is supported by previous research.
The study, The Relationship between Disordered Eating and Sexuality
amongst Adolescents and Young Adults, is now available online and will appear
in a forthcoming print issue of Eating Behaviors, an international peer-reviewed
scientic journal publishing human research on the etiology, prevention and
treatment of obesity, binge eating and eating disorders in adults and children.
In order to examine disordered eating symptoms and sexuality in adolescents
and young adults, the researchers recruited participants from ten primary care
sites in Pennsylvania and administered a Behavioral Health Screen a webbased screening tool that assesses psychiatric symptoms and risk behaviors
during a routine visit. More than 2,000 youths, ages 14-24, were surveyed,
MedicalXPress reports.
Women who were unsure of whom they were attracted to reported the
highest disordered eating symptoms scores of all, researchers said.
Singapore lifts 20-year HIV travel ban

LONDON Singapore has lifted its 20-year ban on HIV positive visitors but
will limit their stay tothree months, Gay Star News reports.
The ban was lifted in April but only made public this week.
Given the current context with more than 5,000 Singapore residents living
with HIV and the availability of eective treatment for the disease, a health
ministry spokesperson said. The policy on the repatriation and permanent
blacklisting of HIV positive foreigners was recommended in the late 1980s when
the disease was new, fatal and no eective treatment was available.
The three-month restriction is meant to prevent foreigners with HIV
fromtaking up residence in the Lion city. The spokesperson said a short-term
visit poses very low additional risk of HIV transmission to the local population.
However, the public health risk posed by long-stayers is not insignicant, hence
the restriction on long-term visits has been retained, Gay Star News quoted the
spokesperson as having said.
Testosterone alters brains

in hormone therapy: study
NASHVILLE A new brain imaging study from the European College of

Neuropsychopharmacology has shown that the testosterone given to aid
trans individuals in sex reassignment alters the brain structures and pathways
involved in speech and verbal uency and may have just shown how men and
women (both cis and transgender) experience language and communication
ADVERTISIN
G erently,
P R O Red
O F Orbit reports.
di
ISSUE DATE: 10.26.12
SALES REPRESENTATIVE: BRIAN PITTS (bpitts@washblade.com)
The researchers from Vienna and Austria studied 18 trans individuals (average
age 27) who had been designated female at birth and had decided to transition.
REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of
Proof
will
be Iconsidered
final
andwill be
submitted
for
publication
if revision
isPnot
submitted
within
24 C
hours
ofL L A B O R A T I O N
A D V I C Eproof.
M
E
D
A
T
I
O
N
L
I
T
I
G
A
T
I
O
N
A
P
E
A
L
S
O
Before and after four weeks of testosterone therapy, the subjects underwent
the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts
NS
omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is
MRI brain scans.
responsible for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users
GN
can link through the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or
EVISIONS
any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any
The results: The volume of grey matter (the part of the brain that processes
copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair
/LOGO REVISIONS
competition, defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation,
information)
had decreased in two key language areas of the brain. The regions,
or
any
other
right
of
any
person
or
entity.
Advertiser
agrees
to
idemnify
brown
naff
pitts
omnimedia
llc
(dba
the
ADVERTISER
SIGNATURE
SIONS
washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all
known
Brocas and Wernickes areas, play important roles in language
liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred
washington blade newspaper. This includes but
is not limitedas
to placement,
by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertisers breach of any of the foregoing representations
and warranties.
comprehension and communication. Simultaneously, the white matter pathways
known as the extreme capsule connecting these two regions got stronger.
It has been known for some time that higher testosterone is linked to smaller
FAMILY | ESTATE PLANNING | EMPLOYMENT | IMMIGRATION
vocabulary in children and that verbal uency skills decrease in female-to-male
COMPLEX LITIGATION | CIVIL RIGHTS | LGBT | ADOPTION | BUSINESS
transsexuals after testosterone treatment, said researcher Dr. Andreas Hahn
in a press release. This ts in well with our nding of decreased grey matter
volume. However, the strengthening of the white matter in these areas was a
surprise. We think that when it comes to certain language skills, the loss of grey
AT TO R N E YS AT L AW D C | M D | VA
matter outweighs the strengthened white matter connection, RedOrbit quoted
3 0 1 . 8 9 1 . 2 2 0 0 S P - L aw. C o m
him as having said.
Serving Our COmmunity fOr 31 yearS
Silber, Perlman, Sigman &tilev, P.a.

7 0 0 0 C a r r o l l av e n u e S u i t e 2 0 0 ta k o m a Pa r k m d
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
FI T NES S 3 6 0
S E PT E M B E R 04, 2015 17
Theres an app for that

Track calories, yoga positions, steps
taken and more on your SmartPhone
There are so many great tness
apps and gadgets out there. Here are
my favorites.
My Fitness Pal Whether
you are trying to lose weight or
gain muscle mass, MyFitnessPal
is one of the best apps you can
download when it comes counting
Follow BUCKY MITCHELL on Instagram@
BuckyMitchell or Twitter@bucky_mitchell or
calories. Its never been easier to
Facebook: Bucky Mitchell (Fitness, Food and Fun)
log your food and calorie intake
or e-mail him at buckymitchellinfo@gmail.com
because of the variety of really
for tness or cooking consultations. His Couples
Cooking classes continue at CulinAerie (1131 14th
great features on this app. I like
St., N.W.) with sessions planned for Sept. 5, Sept.
this app because you can log
19, Oct. 3, Oct. 16, Nov. 7 and Dec. 4. Details at
culinaerie.com.
most of your meals and snacks
within seconds.
MyFitnessPals food database is so extensive that you can enter almost
type of food or ingredient and it will come up, providing you with the calorie
count and nutritional information. Had a cheat day and decided to get the
burrito bowl with sour cream and cheese? Dont worry. Its on the list. You can
even scan the barcode on your food labels to see if they come up on the list. It
works 90 percent of the time. So what about the other 10 percent of the time
when you make something from scratch? No worries. You can input your
recipe into the app and it will estimate its nutritional value. Once you start
using the app consistently, it gets to know your eating habits and saves a list
of your favorite food items, making it even easier to use. The app is free for
iOS and Android devices and syncs to other apps like MapMyRun and FitBit.
Yoga Studio One of the main reasons I love the Yoga Studio app so much
is because it oers a little something for everyone. Are you new to yoga and
not sure what tree pose or triangle pose is? No worries. This app does a great
job at providing easy step-by-step videos to follow. Perhaps you are more
advanced and looking to add variation to your birds of paradise, this app has
a yoga workout designed just for you.
Another great feature of this app is that allows you to customize and
create your own yoga class by picking your favorite poses and putting
them together. While the app costs $3.99, its well worth it because you can
download all the high-def videos to your device and dont have to take up
much of your phones memory. I also like the fact that you dont have to
change your schedule or rush to the gym to get to a yoga class; you can do
these yoga workouts at home.
Fooducate For me, theres nothing like instantaneously getting a letter
grade for eating healthy food and thats exactly what Fooducate app does.
Fooducate scans your food and grades it on a scale for A to D, even adding
plus or minus. Let me tell you how surprised I was when I learned my Sabra
hummus and Garden of Eden chips both earned at C-. I was not a happy
camper. What I was happy about was that the app immediately provided a list
of healthier hummus brands.
So whats the secret behind this successful and simple app? It works because
it grades your food on two simple criteria: One, how minimally processed the
food is and two, how nutrient dense it is. The app also highlights key facts
about your item and tells you the health benets or risks of consuming it. The
app is free on both iOS and Android devices.
Fitbit While I nd that Fitbit has similar to features to My Fitness Pal, I like
it for several distinct reasons. First, it tracks all of your activities in real time.
I dont have to take the time enter or input my exercises or activities in the
device like I do with the MyFitnessPal app. Fitbit records all my steps, calories
burned, minutes active and distance traveled. While I dont think entering your
meals is the easiest thing to do on the Fitbit, I do like the sleep-tracking feature
that allows you to see how well you are sleeping at night and if you are getting
enough required sleep. I also like the fact that the Fitbit is a small wristband
that looks like a fashion accessory and that you can switch out the bands to
match whatever youre wearing. The Fitbit, depending on the model, can range
anywhere from $79-250.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
1 8 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015
IN S IDE L G B T W ASH I N G T O N
VOLUME
46
ISSUE
36
ADDRESS
Black Lives Matter proponents

disrupt mayors meeting
City should come together
around new plan to bring change
PETER ROSENSTEIN is a D.C.-based LGBT rights

and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly
for the Blade.
My involvement in the civil rights movement began as a young man supporting

my mothers eorts to ght Columbia
University when it tried to remove a
black mother and her 10 kids from their
home in Morningside Heights. At 16,
just months before his I Have a Dream
speech, I had the honor of presenting my
high schools citizenship award to Martin
Luther King, Jr. and talking with him.
The civil rights movement of the 1960s
may no longer resonate with those leading
the Black Lives Matter movement, which is
understandable. While we have come a
long way a new generation is still ghting
racism and racial proling. Life today for
many young African-American boys may
seem as hopeless as it did for black men
in the South in the 60s. The frustration in
the community is something I as an older
white man cant fully comprehend. The
bottom line is Black Lives Matter and they
must matter to all of us.
The tactic of disrupting political meet-
ings and forcing politicians to answer

questions about what they will do to
make a dierence has long been an accepted one. Forcing the discussion into
the presidential campaign by protesting
at candidate events is great. It makes
people face issues and forces them to
develop policies and an agenda to address them. However, I have to question
the tactic of disrupting a meeting where
a black mayor is trying to outline policies and ideas in a black community that
could help to save black lives.
The Washington Post wrote about
Campaign Zero, an agenda developed by
some of the leaders of Black Lives Matter that begins to address issues many
believe could achieve positive change.
According to the Post, it includes 10 sections, including:
End Broken-Windows Policing, a call
to retire the philosophy of policing that
leads to mass arrests for low-level oenses such as loitering, drinking in public or
transience and calls for an end to stops for
generalized suspicion and for stops based
on descriptions of suspects that are too
broad (such as black male, 15-55).
End Policing for Prot, which calls for
banning quotas for tickets and citations,
limits on the amount of revenue cities
can get from municipal courts, and giving judges the discretion to waive nes
imposed on low-income people. It also
calls for a ban on the forfeiture of property without a criminal conviction and a ban
on police agencies keeping the proceeds
of such forfeitures.
Limiting Use of Force urges police
E DIT OR IA L C A R T OON
ocers to use the minimum amount of

force necessary to resolve a situation.
Demilitarization, including ending
the Pentagons 1033 program that gives
surplus military gear to local police departments.
Body Cams/Film the Police calls for
mandatory body cameras for police ofcers.
Training calling for a wide variety
of new procedures for cops, including
in subjects such as community policing,
de-escalation, engagement with minority
and gender-nonconforming communities, bias and other areas.
Community Oversight calls for citizen
police commissions to set policies for police agencies.
Community Representation proposes that police agencies put forth a plan
and timeline to make minority representation within the department reect representation in the larger community.
Fair Police Contracts takes aim at
union-negotiated contracts that inhibit,
limit or impede investigations of police
misconduct.
Independent Investigations and
Prosecutions is similar to the proposals
on police commissions and civilian review
boards in that it emphasizes the need for
police to be held accountable by entities
outside the local, immediatelaw enforcement community.
But this is only a beginning. We need to
address issues of education and job training. Eorts to see no child is left on their
own without a parent, guardian/mentor/
community taking responsibility for their
well-being. We need childcare so parents
can go to work. We need to raise the minimum wage and provide aordable housing and help parents to challenge their
children from birth to when they enter a
free pre-K program.
I have called for a citywide town hall to
discuss crime and the issues that are often at the root of crime. We should bring
together those who can do something
about them. The mayor, police chief, police union, City Council and community
leaders all must be part of the meeting
to guarantee the funds needed to implement new programs and policies that are
needed. If the funds arent available, then
stop giving tax cuts to people who dont
ask for them and instead put that money
into programs that will make a dierence.
If such a town hall happens, I hope
Black Lives Matter leaders will be there
not to disrupt the meeting, but to participate in it.
PO Box 53352
Washington DC 20009
PHONE
202-747-2077
E-MAIL
news@washblade.com
INTERNET
www.washingtonblade.com
PUBLISHED BY
Brown Na Pitts Omnimedia, Inc.
PUBLISHER
LYNNE J. BROWN
lbrown@washblade.com ext. 8075
EDITORIAL
EDITOR
KEVIN NAFF
kna@washblade.com ext. 8088
FEATURES EDITOR
JOEY DIGUGLIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com ext. 8081
SR. NEWS REPORTER
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@washblade.com ext. 8079
NEWS REPORTER
CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com ext. 8083
REPORTER & INTERNATIONAL NEWS EDITOR
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
mlavers@washblade.com
EDITORIAL INTERN
MARIAH COOPER
PHOTO EDITOR
MICHAEL KEY mkey@washblade.com
PHOTO INTERN
ANTWAN J. THOMPSON
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
PETER ROSENSTEIN, MARK LEE,
LATEEFAH WILLIAMS, KATE CLINTON,
KATHI WOLFE, RICHARD J. ROSENDALL
CREATIVE DESIGN/PRODUCTION
AZERCREATIVE.COM
SALES & ADMINISTRATION
DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING
STEPHEN RUTGERS
srutgers@washblade.com ext. 8077
SR. ACCT. EXECUTIVE
BRIAN PITTS
bpitts@washblade.com ext. 8089
SR. ACCT. EXECUTIVE
JERYL PARADE
jparade@washblade.com ext. 8072
ACCT. EXECUTIVE
CIAM WALDRON-HOPE
iamhope@washblade.com
ACCT. EXECUTIVE
DOUG PEETS
dpeets@washblade.com
DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
BROOKE JORDAN
bjordan@washblade.com ext. 8094
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION
PHILLIP G. ROCKSTROH
prockstroh@washblade.com ext. 8092
NATIONAL ADVERTISING
RIVENDELL MEDIA
212-242-6863; sales@rivendellmedia.com
For distribution, contact Lynne Brown at 202-747-2077,
ext. 8075. Distributed by MediaPoint, LLC
All material in the Washington Blade is protected by federal copyright law
and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Washington Blade. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers
and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The
appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily
indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons. Although the
Washington Blade is supported by many ne advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Unsolicited editorial
material is accepted by the Washington Blade, but the paper cannot take
responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject
or edit any submission. A single copy of the Washington Blade is available
from authorized distribution points, to any individual within a 50-mile radius of Washington, D.C. Multiple copies are available from the Washington
Blade oce only. Call for rates. If you are unable to get to a convenient
free distribution point, you may receive a 52-week mailed subscription for
$195 per year or $5.00 per single issue. Checks or credit card orders can be
sent to Phil Rockstroh at prockstroh@washblade.com. Postmaster: Send
address changes to the Washington Blade, PO BOX 53352 Washington,
DC 20009. The Washington Blade is published weekly, on Friday, by
Brown Na Pitts Omnimedia, Inc. Individual Subscriptions are $195
per year for 52 issues (only $3.75 per issue mailed to you USPS). Rates
for businesses/institutions are $450 per year. Periodical postage paid
at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing oces. Editorial positions
of the Washington Blade are expressed in editorials and in editors
notes as determined by the papers editors. Other opinions are those
of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the
Washington Blade or its sta. To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words; commentaries should be fewer
than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length,
and must include a name, address and phone number for verication.
Send submissions by e-mail to kna@washblade.com.
2015 BROWN NAFF PITTS OMNIMEDIA, INC.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
LI FE I N TH E I NTER SEC TION
SE P T E MBE R 0 4 , 2 0 1 5 1 9
Sugarcoated Outta Compton

An otherwise superb lm
marred by key omissions
LATEEFAH WILLIAMS is a regular contributor

to the Washington Blade.
I recently saw Straight Outta Compton, a

biopic of the legendary rap group N.W.A. I am
more than aware of the controversy surrounding the groups misogynistic lyrics and N.W.A.
member Dr. Dres previous abuse of women.
Thus, I fully respect several of my friends decision not to see the movie. However, I felt in
order to truly critique it, I needed to see it.
Besides, if Im being honest, hip-hop has
been a large part of the soundtrack of my life. I
listened to N.W.A.s music when I was younger,
and I have strong memories and opinions of
the impact, both good and bad, that they have
had on the music industry. While I have always
generally preferred more socially conscious
hip-hop, such as a Tribe Called Quest and Talib
Kweli, Im not going to pretend that I didnt
listen to N.W.A, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre during
their heyday.
Continuing the theme of honesty, Straight

Outta Compton was superb. It was informative (although like all biopics, we know they
took some creative liberties), well acted, entertaining and relevant for todays climate
of police brutality and the Black Lives Matter
movement. N.W.A. spoke for a generation of
young, black men who felt marginalized and
invisible. They brought attention to issues of
urban poverty and police brutality. Do I wish
that they told the story of all young, black people including young, black women and
that they didnt treat women as mere sexual
objects on many of their songs? Of course.
But you cant help but watch the movie and
recognize the impact their voices had on the
national discourse on police brutality and providing a voice for the marginalized.
That said, Im not going to give N.W.A a pass
for their misogyny and over-the-top gangsta lyrics. The movie did not depict the impact
their lyrics had on black youth. While it gave a
voice to some youth, it gave others the misguided assumption of what it means to be
black. As someone who grew up in a middle
class black suburb in Prince Georges County, I
saw rst-hand the impact of some of the lyrics.
I saw peers start to associate a gangsta image
and behavior with blackness, even though all
of their neighbors were black, were not involved in criminal activity, worked hard and
provided for their families. A dangerous trend
of keeping it real started, where many black

youth felt they had to dress, speak and act in a
certain manner to be considered black. Thats
not necessarily N.W.A.s fault, although rapping constantly about shooting people didnt
help. Keep in mind, the members themselves
didnt live a gangsta life well, Eazy kinda did
but they were more witnesses to it.
I will also not give N.W.A. a pass for the
misogyny in their lyrics. Straight Outta
Compton did give viewers a taste of that aspect of their music, but the viewer does not
grasp the impact it had on how young men
view women and how young women view
themselves. That said, I think Dr. Dre and Ice
Cube, who produced the movie, used it as
an opportunity to sanitize and cement their
legacies. While critiquing lyrics and behavior
is not the role of a biopic, accurately portraying it is. Before seeing the movie, I heard
the criticism about the movie omitting Dr.
Dres history of domestic violence. Dres super fans would have you believe that it did
not t into the storyline because the movie
was about N.W.A. and not Dre. However,
after watching Straight Outta Compton, I
felt that Dres relationship with and abuse
of R&B singer Michelle was a glaring omission. The movie gave signicant time to the
romantic relationships of the group members. They showed Eazys relationship with
Tomica Woods-Wright, who he eventually
married. They showed Ice Cubes relationship with his wife over the years, and they
showed Dre getting closer to a woman toward the end of the movie, who he ended
up marrying, although the marriage is not
shown. Thus, they had to go out of their way
to omit Dres relationship with Michelle, who
he was with for several years and they had
a child together. Authentically showing this
abusive relationship could have been done
in a way to show that Dre has changed (assuming he has), without erasing the past.
The movie showed the grind that N.W.A.
went through to make it. It showed how far
the government, both local and federal, would
go to silence voices that are critiquing its racist
and abusive practices. It showed how common it is for artists, particularly black artists, to
be tricked or taken advantage of and not given
their full earnings. It showed the importance
of being business savvy, understanding contracts, and having control over your music and
your brand. It is not an accident that the two
members that are the most successful postN.W.A. Dr. Dre and Ice Cube are the
two that realized that they were being taken
advantage of and left the group to start their
own companies. This movie told a lot of stories
that need to be heard. Its too bad that a group
best known for reality rap shielded and sugarcoated an inconvenient part of their reality to
maintain their now-mainstream image.
V I E W PO I N T
We can all honor Roanoke shooting victims

Work against homophobia,
racism and mental illness stigma
KATHI WOLFE, a writer and poet, is a regular

contributor to the Blade. She was a 1998-1999
Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism
Fellow.
Senseless violence is heartbreaking. Last

week, another horric shooting broke hearts
and grabbed headlines. The tragedy has an
added troubling aspect for the LGBT community: The man suspected of perpetrating the
killing, claimed to be gay.
On Aug. 26, during a live broadcast, a gunman killed Alison Parker, 24, a journalist and
Adam Ward, 27, a cameraman with TV station WDBJ and injured Vicki Gardner, a local
Chamber of Commerce ocial, in Roanoke,

Va. The suspect, Vester Lee Flanagan II, a disgruntled former WDBJ reporter and seemingly mentally disturbed man, who used the
name Bryce Williams while on the air, later
turned the gun on himself. He wrote three
suicide notes. In a note that he faxed to ABC
News, Flanagan described himself as a gay,
black man, the Blade and other news outlets
reported.
Since then, people everywhere have decried this horric event, mourned with the
loved ones of Parker and Ward, urged lawmakers to consider more restrictions on gun
purchases and called for improved mental
health care.
As part of our eort to grieve and move
forward from this tragedy, we in the LGBT
community must face the potential backlash
that could occur because Flanagan was black,
gay and (apparently) mentally ill.
The LGBT community quickly condemned
the Roanoke shootings. Flanagan senselessly took the lives of two young and radiant Roanoke citizens and WDBJ reporters, Roanoke
Pride, its PRISM Foundation and the Park, a
gay Roanoke nightclub said in a statement.

To our knowledge, no one on our Board
of Directors or in a role of management or
employment with any of our entities had any
interaction or history with nor any knowledge
about the perpetrator, the groups statement said. All of us ... stand solidly with the
Families of Alison Parker, Adam Ward, and
Vicki Gardner as well as the Family that is
WDBJ-7.
Instead of delving into the dark elements of the tragedy, the statement said,
it would be more respectful to...remember
the magnicent lives taken from these families, focus on support for all families and
friends aected, and move forward with
light and love for all.
I dont want to dwell on the horror of this
tragedy. Yet, to move forward we need to acknowledge the full story of the shooting. Its
hard to imagine or understand why anyone,
queer or hetero, would senselessly kill and
injure people, and its disconcerting to know
that the perpetrator of such violence identied as gay.
Like many LGBT people, Flanagan said that
hed experienced homophobia in the workplace. According to the Washington Post, Don
Shafer, a news director of a TV station where
Flanagan worked for a time in Tallahassee,
Fla., recalled that a co-worker once said,
Zoom in on the gay guy. Shafer asked the
stations sta members to stop the teasing.
In an ideal world, people wouldnt connect Flanagans murderous act with his race
or sexual orientation. Yet, homophobia and
racism have emerged in the aftermath of the
Roanoke tragedy. Black, gay reporter murders straight, white journalists media blame
the gun, was the headline on a story by Ben
Shapiro, editor-at-large of Breitbart, a conservative website.
The vast majority of people with mental
illness are not violent, according to Jillian
Peterson, lead researcher of an American
Psychological Association study. Yet, many
fear that anyone with a mental illness might
be violent.
Lets honor the victims of the Roanoke
shooting by working against homophobia,
racism and the stigma surrounding mental
illness.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
2 0 SEPTE MB ER 04, 2015
VIEWPOINT
Is PTown Carnival losing its queerness?

Outrageous oats give way to
family-friendly parade
By REV. IRENE MONROE
The best week to be in Provincetown is the
week of Carnival. The parade is its signature
extravaganza.
While many would contest that any week in
PTown during the summer months is a carnival, the ocial date is always week thirty-three
this year it was from Aug. 15-21.
The 2015 Carnival theme was Candy Land,
and what the theme evoked for revelers and
tourists alike varied widely and wildly.
Im looking forward, as always, to seeing
how people take the loose theme Candy
Land and go with it on parade day. Candy
may rot your teeth, but for the next week,
you have permission to indulge in all the
candy you like. Let the sweetness inltrate
your bloodstream and brighten your mood,
Rebecca M. Alvin, editor of Provincetown
Magazine wrote.
Oddly, this year, reactions to Carnival varied
depending on who you asked. For some of the
revelers it was a blast and for others a bust.
It was the cleanest parade Ive ever seen
it seemed more child-friendly and family
oriented, one onlooker told me, referring to

very little sexually suggestive and scantily clad
costumes this year. I didnt have to tell my
daughter to cover her eyes when certain oats
went by.
But for some LGBTQ onlookers and revelers
the parade was too sanitized, too short, and too
straight. Some now say more and more heterosexuals throughout the Cape not only show up
for the parade but they are also in it each year,
conrming my belief that no one can throw a
parade or a party like gay boys.
But this years parade had fewer oats, and
less diversity of people on oats. The boys
bars like Victors which can always be
counted on to have a wonderfully outrageous
spoof on the Carnival theme, were noticeably
absent.
With marriage equality a law throughout
the land, many LGBTQ revelers and onlookers
were disappointed not to see a oat celebrating Junes historic landmark decision.
I now wonder, with more of us LGBTQ revelers and onlookers with children and dogs
vacationing in PTown each summer, have we
integrated or assimilated too far into mainstream society?
Has our queerness normalized PTown or
has PTown normalized us?
Will some of us be accused of losing our
gay card for being less outrageous than we

were?
While PTown is known as a top LGBTQ
summer resort on the East Coast, and this
year marked the 37th anniversary of Carnival,
our presence wasnt always as welcoming as
it is today.
Famously known as an avant-garde colony at the tip of Cape Code, drawing artists,
painters, writers (Norman Mailer lived at 627
Commercial St. year-round from 1990 until
his death in 2001), playwrights (Tennessee
Williams spent summers in town during the
1940s and today a theater is named for him),
the very tip of the Cape struggled to stay nancially solvent through the summer months
especially through August-itis until our
pink dollars arrived.
August-itis was once notoriously known
as the third week in August. It signaled the
pre-Labor Day doldrums where tourist-dollars
slumped precipitously. In 1978, the Provincetown Business Guild (comprised of local business owners) wanted to draw in an untapped
marketone that would keep local PTown
businesses aoat.
PTowns local business owners wanted
to market to the LGBTQ audience directly,
and rallied against the Chamber of Commerce to do so. While today PTown is one
of the worlds LGBTQ Meccas, some contest our stormy relationship history with
PTown, which illustrates nancial interest
trumping the towns human interest in our
civil rights.
We were told in no uncertain terms that
locals did not like the idea of a gay parade,
they did not want it to happen, and we should
be prepared for some rock throwing. They
even told us the corner where that would
happen. Undeterred, the fearless few made
their way to the center of town. As they approached the corner they held their breath
expecting the worst. We could not believe it,
Herbie Hintzer, one of the parades founders,
is quoted as saying in Provincetown Business
Guild Magazine. We got a huge round of applause from everyone.
Today I view our huge and varied presence
in Ptown as well earned. I walk the streets
feeling safer in Ptown than in Cambridge. I do
wonder, however, if our presence and culture
will soon be gentried and priced-out like the
South End section of Boston with an inux of
heterosexuals.
Perhaps next years Carnival will give me a
clue.
Rev. IRENE MONROE is a Boston-based writer.
O U R BU SI N E SS MA T T E RS
D.C. violence requires more than hashtags to halt

Council members should
quickly adopt Mayor
Bowsers crime proposals
MARK LEE is a long-time entrepreneur

and community business advocate. Follow
on Twitter: @MarkLeeDC. Reach him at
OurBusinessMatters@gmail.com.
Washington is at its worst dealing with

hometown issues when self-conscious about
being the national capital. Public dialogue suddenly becomes all hashtag-this and sloganeering-that, leading to debilitating inertia and
rhetorical babble by both elected ocials and
policy advocates.
Local matters like the surging wave of
violence become nationalized through the
prism of polarizing coast-to-coast politics. We
disenfranchise our own search for solutions
while simultaneously complaining about be-
ing denied the right to fully exercise self-governance as a jurisdiction under partial federal
control.
Thats what happened last week when D.C.
Mayor Muriel Bowser stood inside a closeddown public school in the doubled-in-homicides Congress Heights neighborhood east of
the Anacostia River to announce her response
to a startling summer of gunre throughout
whole swaths of the city, including both worsto and doing-well areas. A shocking series
of drive-by shootings, random violence and
street attacks prompted return of the fear
when the city was the murder capital of the
country.
A rising tide of resident anxiety and anger
was fueled by reaction to the initially inept
diagnosis by Bowser and a atfooted Police
Chief Cathy Lanier. They oered only the use
of synthetic drugs and lingering beefs over
street-corner dice games as feeble explanations, as if afraid to delve further for fear of
violating pervasive pressure to remain politically-correct in every utterance. D.C. Council
member silence became increasingly astonishing.
The numbers at the morgue grew 42 percent higher than 2014, surpassing last year
with four months remaining. Where you lived
and whether you were suddenly shocked at
the danger or merely wearied by its accelerated pace didnt much matter. A city began
clamoring for something to be done to stem
the lawlessness that now puts D.C. fourth in
the country for rising violence right behind
St. Louis and Baltimore.
The mayor and police chief soon acknowledged that the escalating violence is partly attributable to a violent cadre of repeat oenders committing an inordinate number of
crimes. Prior homicide or gun-related charges
are increasingly common among criminals responsible for rising body counts. Bowser addresses this reality with commonsense specifics to stop violent criminals from repeatedly
victimizing our community. The D.C. Council
should adopt those proposals without delay.
When Bowser and Lanier started getting
real about contributors to the spike in the
death toll, the mayor was prevented from
publicly detailing her plan due to shouting
from Black Lives Matter protesters intent on
disrupting her presentation and distorting
her proposals. Tediously repetitive rush-hour
trac blockades to protest police misconduct
elsewhere transformed to chants of supposedly impending police terror here. One disruptor told media there are people in the
community who do not think police are the
answer, adding that the group doesnt think
the city should be investing more in the police.

The following night two people were killed
in six shootings spanning Adams Morgan in
Northwest to the Northeast and Southeast
portions of D.C.
From the Woodland Terrace low-income
housing project residents in the Southeast
neighborhood of Anacostia to those living in
the developing Northwest neighborhood of
Shaw, the two areas hit hardest by violence
and dead bodies in the street, locals clamoring
for action by city ocials arent welcoming of
tiresome tantrums of televised theatrics. They
simply want the killings to stop.
There is a time for the citywide meetings
typically called for as a diverting panacea to
accommodate discussing larger systemic issues of poverty and hopelessness. City ofcials, after all, have had decades to do so.
The fact that they have failed to provide much
focused leadership or develop many eective
solutions doesnt defer the need to end the increasing violence now.
The relevance and worth of government is
best measured in how it fullls core service responsibilities and delivers basic essential functions such as public safety. D.C. ocials can
only hope to earn the restored condence of
a community calling for a halt to the terror
but only if they do.
SE P T E MBE R 0 4 , 2 0 1 5 2 1
HAVE MORE
FUN THIS
FALL IN
BALTIMORE.
From Pride to paperbacks and
flowers to music festivals,
theres an exciting event waiting
for you this fall in Baltimore.
FLOWERMART
Mount Vernon Place

September 12, 2015
Buy plants and flowers, crafts, garden gnomes and

more at the beloved Baltimore FlowerMart. Also
on hand will be wellness experts, commercial
vendors and live entertainment performing on
two stages. A perfect way to spend a fall day
and its free!
THE SHINDIG
Carroll Park
September 19, 2015
Sing along with your favorite acts at this all-day

rock 'n' roll festival featuring two main stages and
no overlapping sets. Scheduled acts include
Godsmack, Stone Temple Pilots and many more!
Local food and beverage vendors supply the
picnic at this highly anticipated outdoor concert.
BALTIMORE BOOK
FESTIVAL
Inner Harbor
September 2527, 2015
Its bookworm heaven at the 20th annual

Baltimore Book Festival, featuring hundreds of
local and national authors speaking on 10 stages, as
well as cooking demos, poetry, workshops, panel
discussions, live music, food and more.
BALTIMORE BLACK PRIDE
Locations throughout Baltimore

October 811, 2015
Black Pride brings the community together to

embrace and celebrate diversity with a full
schedule of events, including workshops and town
hall meetings, entertainment and the annual
Cultural Affair and Fall Festival.
HIGH ZERO FESTIVAL
Theatre Project
September 2427, 2015
This festival of experimental improvised music

is one of the largest free music festivals
in the country. The performances aim to join
musicians who typically have never played
together to create a totally fresh live experience
for both audience and artist.
150752_VISIT_9.75x11.5_WB.indd 1
Plan your visit today at

BALTIMORE.ORG
8/27/15 3:45 PM
2 2 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015
CELEBRATING THE SHOPS, SCHOOLS, RESTAURANTS, CLUBS, PARKS, ARTS AND FOLKS OF THE 17TH STREET CORRIDOR
9.12.15
The 17th Street Festival Is Produced By Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets
SPONSORED IN PART BY:
ARTS
AND
ENTERTAINMENT
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
VOLUME
46
ISSUE
35
SEPTEMBER
LGBT stories well

represented in
upcoming lm festival
By BRIAN T. CARNEY
Its time for one of the highlights of the D.C.
arts calendar the return of D.C. Shorts.
Under the direction of out lmmaker
Jon Gann, the festival brings dozens
of fascinating short lms from around
the world to Washington Sept. 10-20 at
Landmark E Street Cinema and other
local venues. Full schedule and ticket
information can be found at dcshorts.com.
As always, the logistics of the festival are
staggering. Gann and his dedicated volunteers
screened more than 1,300 short lms from 54
countries that were submitted through an
open competition. From this pool, 125 were
selected. These lms (each between two-29
minutes in length) were organized into 14
separate showcases, each approximately
90 minutes long. There are also several
themed programs, including LGBT shorts,
documentaries, movies by local lmmakers, a
family program and free lunchtime screenings
at the Landmark E Street Cinema.
The festival website has a complete
schedule with details of all the exible
ticket options, a searchable database with
synopses and trailers for the individual
movies and detailed listings for all
showcases. D.C. Shorts also has a special
option where viewers can watch the
movies online. With more than 24 hours of
lms to watch, thats a convenient feature.
In addition to the showcases and
themed programs, theres a wide variety
of related events. Theres a screenplay
competition where local actors will
perform a staged reading of six original
screenplays (and the winner gets
some serious production support from
D.C. Shorts). There are workshops for
beginning and advanced lmmakers.
There are opportunities for audience
members to meet the lmmakers and
chances for audience members to vote
on their favorites which will be shown in
two special Best Of showcases during
the festivals closing weekend. And there
are also the parties for which D.C. Shorts
has become infamous.
Films with an LGBT focus can be found
in each of the showcases, but this year
they will also be highlighted in a special
LGBT program at the E Street Cinemas on
Thursday Sept. 17. The eight lms selected
PHOTO COURTESY OF D.C. SHORTS
Barrio Boy was originally planned as a teaser to raise funds for a feature-length production, but
took o as a short on the festival circuit.
for the program highlight the incredible

richness of contemporary queer cinema.
For example, Election Night by
American director Tessa Blake, is a
political drama that combines suspense
and humor with a deft touch. Filmmaker
Blake says her lm, which stars Peri Gilpin
(Frasier) and comedian Jake Johannsen,
follows a politicians family in Maine
as they wait for the nal 350 votes to
come in on election night. Trapped in a
hotel kitchen and waiting for the ferry
to arrive with the last ballots, nerves
rattle the family into a comic whirlwind
of wild theories, long-held secrets and a
revelation that nobody saw coming.
According to writer and director Dennis
Shinners, the wildly inventive Barrio Boy
is the story of a Latino barber who secretly
falls in love with a handsome Irish stranger
over the course of a haircutduring a hot
and sweaty summer afternoon in a macho
Brooklyn hood. The short was made as a
pitch reel to help secure nancing for the
feature version, but has become a hit at
lm festivals across the country.
Stella Walsh is a riveting documentary
by Ohio lmmaker Rob Lucas that
combines sports, gender, scandal and
murder. Walsh rst made headlines
when she won a gold medal at the 1932
Olympics and made further headlines

when an autopsy after her 1980 murder
raised questions about her gender
identity. Director Lucas says, The
15-minute documentary explores the
life of Stella, her death and her gender
controversy through interviews with
friends, trainees, members of the media,
and a geneticist, as well as photos and
archival footage from years of in-depth
research. More information on Stellas
story can be found at stellawalsh.com.
The Bench Project: Lost and Found,
written by gay novelist John W. Bateman
and directed by Oriana Oppice, is part of
a larger lm series produced by Steven
Bidwell. The Bench Project is a series
of ve short independent lms guided
by a few simple parameters: a three to
ve page script, two actors and a bench.
Lost and Found tells a fascinating story
about gay life from a fresh and unusual
perspective. Bidwell says,
The story focuses on two elderly
widows neighbors and old friends,
Bidwell says. When one of them discovers
a locked box in the closet full of her
husbands things, the two discover clues
to a past that their husbands shared with
each other and kept from their wives.
The LGBT showcase also includes The
04
2015
PAGE
23
Last Girl, a Danish lm that takes an unusual

look at coming out, and A Last Farewell, a
Swedish lm about a man grieving the loss
of his husband and looking back on their
legacy, as well as Strings, a British drama
about a young boy who suspects his father
is a spy but discovers a dierent family
secret instead, and The First Session, a
funny lm about two women who turn a
chance meeting at a therapists oce into
a passionate rst date.
Other festival highlights include
Gender Bender, a comedy by D.C.
lmmaker Austin Bragg about a
heterosexual couple who magically
swap genders, and The Stutterer, an
Irish comedy about a young man who
speaks eloquently in his head, but whose
interactions with the world are hampered
by his stutter, one of several movies that
focus on people with disabilities.
Breakin(g), which won the 2014
Screenplay Competition, is about an elderly
woman who uses cunning and some
unexpected skills to foil a robbery. We
Cant Live Without Cosmos is an animated
Russian lm about two men training for
the space program and Screened, is a
comic look at Americas addiction to cell
phones. The Bridge Partner, based on
a short story by Peter S. Beagle (who also
has a cameo), is a delicious story about the
murderous tensions between card players
Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue) and Beth
Grant (Sordid Lives).
Besides being an incredible way for D.C.
lmgoers to sample a smorgasbord of
international short movies, D.C. Shorts is
also an important forum for independent
lmmakers to connect with each other
and hone their craft. This is especially
true for the LGBT lmmakers whose work
is included in the festival.
D.C. Shorts is committed to bringing
lots of dierent voices of lmmakers
to audiences who are underserved by
mainstream culture, which allows an
opportunity for LGBTQI lms to reach an
audience they might not nd anywhere
else, Tessa Blake says.
Dennis Shinners echoes her observation.
For a lmmaker to experience
the immediacy of reactions from a
live audience is a rare and incredible
opportunity, Shinners says. For a fest
like D.C. Shorts to exclusively celebrate
short lms is a really encouraging boost
to lmmakers of any background or
discipline to continue to share stories
important to them.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
2 4 SEPTE MB ER 04, 2015
Q U E E RY : 2 0 Q U E ST I O N S F O R LI Z D E A N
LIZ DEAN
How long have you been out and who
was the hardest person to tell?
I realized I was into girls when I was in
middle school and the hardest person to
tell was my brother. I knew he wouldnt
have a problem with it, but we grew up
in a close-knit family and I would have
been most hurt if there was an issue.
When I told him his exact words were,
Whatever makes you happy.
Whos your LGBT hero?
My parents. For many, I think it can be
hard and awkward to come out to your
parents and my parents have supported
me from day one.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
By JOEY DiGULIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
For Liz Dean, the annual D.C. Center Fall Reception is a family event.
Her parents attend each year along with Dean, whos co-chairing the event
slated for Friday, Sept. 18 from 6-9 p.m. on the roof deck of the Warner
Building (1299 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.).
I wouldnt be the person I am today without their unconditional love and
support and I am eternally grateful for them as parents and allies, says the
27-year-old Potomac, Md., native, who works by day as a web specialist.
Dean is co-chairing this year with Joe Gayk. The reception is considered the
Centers annual signature fundraising event in which its contributions to the
D.C. LGBT community over the last year will be highlighted and several awards
will be given to those whove made outstanding contributions. Tickets are
$75 in advance or $100 at the door. Details at thedccenter.org.
Getting involved with the D.C. Center has been the best decision of my adult
life, Dean says. I have been incredibly fortunate to meet so many inspiring
people through the Center and I am proud to be part of an organization that
oers so much support and so many services to anyone and everyone.
Dean grew up in the area and returned after college in Pennsylvania. She
is in a relationship with Erin Randall and lives in Bethesda, Md. Dean enjoys
volunteering, cooking, traveling and dogs in her free time.
Logan 14 saLon spa/med spa

haircuts, body waxing, laser hair removal
1314B 14th St. NW WDC 20005 202.506.6868 Logan14salonspa.com
Whats Washingtons best

nightspot, past or present?
I love going to glittHER at Zeba Bar on
the fourth Friday of the month. The
vibe is always on point with a mix great
people, music and atmosphere.
Describe your dream wedding.

My dream wedding is happy and full of
love and commitment.
What non-LGBT issue are

you most passionate about?
Womens equality and childhood hunger.
What historical outcome
would you change?
The world changed on Sept. 11, 2001; so
many lives were lost on that day, as well
as from the aftermath of those attacks.
Between being originally from New York
and growing up in D.C., my family and
I knew a lot of people aected by the
attacks. My heart still goes out to those
who lost loved ones.
Whats been the most memorable pop
culture moment of your lifetime?
When Greys Anatomy rst started
featuring gay characters. I was a college
athlete on an all-straight team, and
when I watched an episode highlighting
LGBTQ issues with my teammates, their
reaction of seeing gay characters really
brought home the fact that we need
more mainstream portrayals of LGBTQ
people and issues to help educate and
facilitate acceptance.
On what do you insist?

Always be kind.
What was your last

Facebook post or Tweet?
D.C. Friends! Joe and I are teaming up
once again to Co-Chair the DC Center for
the LGBT Communitys Fall Reception!
If your life were a book,

what would the title be?
A Lesbian Comedy of Errors
If science discovered a way

to change sexual orientation,
what would you do?
I personally wouldnt do anything.
I love everything about being gay
and am the happiest that I have
ever been because of the people Ive
met and the relationships Ive built
through volunteering with the LGBTQ
community.
What do you believe in
beyond the physical world?
I was raised Irish-Catholic and I believe
in a loving and just God. Im also a huge
believer in Karma.
Whats your advice for
LGBT movement leaders?
Be both strategic with long-term goals
and tactical with short-term, achievable
goals.
What would you walk across

hot coals for?
I would walk across hot coals for my
family and friends; they are my rocks
and Im lucky to have them in my life.
And the D.C. Center!
What LGBT stereotype
annoys you most?
Theres a perception that same-sex
couples are not as committed as
heterosexual couples.
Whats your favorite LGBT movie?

Imagine Me & You and D.E.B.S.
Whats the most overrated
social custom?
Avoiding controversial topics such as
politics, race, religion, sex and sexuality.
What trophy or prize

do you most covet?
This isnt a trophy or prize, but my
parents gave me a ring for my 25th
birthday and Ive worn it every day since.
What do you wish youd known at 18?
That the best was yet to come. Ive
always been a happy-go-lucky person,
and while I enjoyed college and grad
school, I have enjoyed my mid/late 20s
most thus far.
Why Washington?
D.C. has something for everyone and I
think the city oers people the ability to
create a home.
The Washington Congregation for Secular Humanistic Judaism
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
T HE ATE R
S E PT E M B E R 04, 2015 25
Jewish Traditions and Values

from a Cultural Perspective
A Diverse, Inclusive Community
2015 High Holiday Services

PHOTO BY OMAR MIGUEL
From left are JIVON LEE JACKSON, CHARLES HARRIS, JR. and REGINALD RICHARD in a Page-toStage reading.
Led by Rabbi Nehama Benmosche

At Cedar Lane UU Church
9601 Cedar Lane, Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Rosh hashanah:
Monday, September 14 - Childrens 9:30 am; Main 10:30 am
Kol nidRe:
Tuesday, September 22, 7:30 pm
Kennedy Centers
Page-to-Stage fest
returns for new plays
By PATRICK FOLLIARD
The Kennedy Centers Page-to-Stage
festival is back. Now in its 14th year, the
annual festival features about 40 D.C.area theater companies in a series of
free readings and open rehearsals of
plays and musicals, giving audiences a
look at new works being prepared for
Washington premiers.
Over Labor Day Weekend (Saturday,
Sept. 5-Monday, Sept. 7), much of the
Kennedy Center will be teeming with local
theater folks launching new works. And
without question, says festival curator
Gregg Henry, Page-to-Stage consistently
gives a voice to LGBT playwrights.
Following are a few such selections.
This time around, Adventure
Theatre MTC presents out playwright
Norman
Allens
adaptation
of
Lemony Snickets The Lump of Coal
(Saturday morning at the Terrace Theatre),
a holiday story about a discontented
Lump of Coal who nds fulllment in a
naughty kids Christmas stocking. The
staged reading is directed by out actor/
director Holly Twyford.
Without being clich, Allen says, Lump
of Coal is an outsider. In trying to nd his
place in the world, hes repeatedly rejected
because of who is. He has to deal with
lumpophobics, but it gets better for Lump.
It will be a familiar story to many people.
All the festivals staged readings are
followed by talkbacks with the audience.
Allen, who has successfully participated
in Page-to-Stage in the past, says the
experience with all its encouragement
and feedback is invaluable to playwrights.
On Saturday night (also in the Terrace
Theatre), African-American Collective
Theater (ACT) presents Missing Pieces,
written and directed by the companys
out artistic director Alan Sharpe. This new
work centers on the violent murder of
a prominent gay activist in D.C. and the
Yom KiPPuR:
subsequent investigation by a veteran
Wednesday, September 23 - Childrens 9:30 am; Main 10:30 am
cop and his rookie (closeted) partner. The
duo is led into a world of sex, lies and
corruption in urgent pursuit of the killer
maChaRs sundaY sChool
among the victims friends, co-workers,
Tots (ages 2-5) and K-Bar/Bat Mitzvah
ex-lovers, drug dealers, strippers, street
Classes begin September 20
trade and random pickups.
For many companies its a blessing to
get exposure, Sharpe says. For a smaller
Since 1977
company like ACT, theres a lot of validity
in playing at the Kennedy Center. Theres
a lot of prestige attached. This opens
us up to new audiences. In a way this
validation and visibility is just another
facet of the burgeoning movement that
Black Lives Matter because black LGBTQ
Rabbi Gordon Fuller Cantor Ramn Tasat
lives are included in that equation, as well.
One way to work toward that goal is by
ensuring that people see representations
of us in arts and the media. These are
North Chevy Chase Christian Church
representations that we ourselves
8814 Kensington Parkway, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815
control. That type of self-expression and
self-determination is a form a validation
essential to arming our place in the
community. Just as increased visibility
is an important and empowering
component of that struggle.
including Children/Teen Programs
Theater Alliance Hothouse New Play
Development Series staged readings
include Absalom (Monday morning in
Tickets: 240-292-9450 info@ShiratHaNefesh.org
the Israeli Lounge), a Bible-based story
documenting the high drama House
of David (rape, murder, etc.) penned in
classical language by trailblazing AfricanADVERTISING
American trans woman author, actor and
#1 Edidi.
SALES REPRESENTATIVE: JERYL PARADE (jparade@washblade.com)
playwright Lady DanePROOF
Figueroa
The story resonates with me. I was
proof. Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of
molested as a child. My mother is an
the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts
REVISIONS
evangelist. And I grew up in REDESIGN
a community
TEXT REVISIONS
where storytelling is very important,
Edidi
IMAGE/LOGO REVISIONS
says. Over the years Ive worked
on
many
or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the
NO REVISIONS
washington blade) and to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all
By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contr
new drafts of this play. Part of that evolution
washington blade newspaper. This includes but is n
and warranties.
has included inserting themes of how laws
dont always protect you. Absalom also
features a trans woman character.
Register on our Website

www.machar.org 202-686-1881
Independent Welcoming All ages
High Holy Day Services

Filled with Beauty and Meaning
www.ShiratHaNefesh.org
An inclusive and welcoming

Reform Jewish synagogue.
JOIN US FOR THE

HIGH HOLY DAYS
PAGE-TO-STAGE FESTIVAL
Sept. 5-7
The Kennedy Center
2700 F St. NW,
202-467-4600
kennedy-center.org
See templesinaidc.org for

schedule and ticket details.
3100 Military Road, NW Washington, DC 20015

templesinaidc.org facebook.com/TempleSinaiDC
For membership information, please contact us at
202.363.6394 office@templesinaidc.org
LIVE
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
26 SEPT E M B E R 04, 2015
O U T & A BO U T
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
LOS
LOBOS
W/ JAMIE McLEAN BAND
SUNDAY SEPT
solo show
MIKE
PETERS
(FROM THE ALARM)
TUESDAY SEPT
THURS, SEPT 10
COREY SMITH
FRI, SEPT 11
NIGHT I
SAT, SEPT 12
NIGHT II
THE FAB FAUX

THE FAB FAUX
By MARIAH COOPER
THURS, SEPT 17
SHAMROCKFEST PRESENTS:
HALF WAY TO ST. PATRICKS DAY

FT: THE FIGHTING JAMESONS
FRI, SEPT 18
JOHN HAMMOND
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY BLAKE BERGEN
THEHAMILTONDC.COM
PHOTO COURTESY OF MYERS
Out jazz/R&B singer returns to Blues Alley

Out jazz singer Aaron Myers will perform two sets at Blues Alley (1073
Wisconsin Ave., N.W.) on Wednesday, Sept. 9. He also performed there last year.
Myers came to Washington in 2008 to work on the Obama campaign and
stayed. He was artist in residence at Black Fox Lounge and performed more
than 150 shows there. Hes now working on his second album. Tickets are $20.
He will perform at 8 and 10 p.m.
For more information, visit bluesalleylive.com.
PhazeFest returns
in new venues
PhazeFest, a queer music festival, is
on Friday, Sept. 4 at 9:30 Club (815 V St.,
N.W.) at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 5 at
Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) at 8 p.m.
On Saturday, PhazeFest hosts its
#YasQueen dance party featuring Kiyomi
Valentine, Frankie and Betty, DcKing
BroLo and Marcus Webb. On Saturday,
there is the Fannypack dance party
with music from DJ Deedub Tezrah and
performances by Sick of Sarah, Michelle
Raymond, B. Steady, D.C. Gurly Show and
Company Calls.
Tickets for each night are $15. For more
details, visit phasefest.com.
PrideFest next
weekend in Richmond
Gauthreaux to spin at Sundance event
PLACE YOUR
FREE AD ONLINE
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM/
CLASSIFIEDS
CAMP Rehoboth celebrates the 25th anniversary of Sundance at Rehoboth

Beach Convention Center (229 Rehoboth Beach Ave., Rehoboth, Del.) this weekend.
On Saturday, Sept. 5 there is the Sundance Auction, a silent and live auction,
from 7-10 p.m. There will also be a cocktail buet and open bar. On Sunday,
Sept. 6 is the Sundance dance party from 8 p.m.-2 a.m. DJ Joe Gauthreaux
will spin. There will also be an open bar. Tickets are $45 for the auction and
dance separately or $80 for both events. Proceeds benet the CAMP Rehoboth
Community Center.
For more information, visit camprehoboth.com.
Virginia Pride hosts its PrideFest on

Browns Island (7th and Tredegar Streets.
Richmond, Va.) on Saturday, Sept. 12
from noon-8 p.m.
The festival will feature performances
by Dumblonde, Rayvon Owen, Red Light
Romeo, Richmond Triangle Players, the
Hi-Steps, Uno Mas, VooDoo Dolls and
Michelle Livigne. There will also be a
Youth Pride Village that will include a
dance party, drag show, balloon animals
and more. Performers for Youth Pride
Village include Black Liquid, Christi, Queer
Rocket, Rachel Leyco and more.
For more information, visit vapride.org.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
O UT& A B O UT
S E PT E M B E R 04, 2015 27
PHOTO COURTESY OF PLAYLIST LIVE
MARISSA FARINA uses humor to tackle lesbian topics in her popular YouTube videos.
PlayList event brings

vloggers to D.C.
By MARIAH COOPER
When New York native Marissa Farina
turned on her camera to record her video
How to Come Out, she never thought it
would lead to 100,000 subscribers to her
channel LezBeOnTalk and more than 3
million combined views on all her videos.
Farina, 25, had been a fan of YouTube
and would nd herself watching makeup
tutorials, fashion videos and music videos.
She decided to try her own hand at it.
It just hit me one day that the biggest
thing in my life at that moment was dealing
with coming out, Farina says. I was like,
Wow, I feel like my experience could
denitely be shared and help people.
She went on to make other advice
videos and eventually decided to make
her love for humor a bigger part of her
videos. Her humorous videos tackled
subjects that lesbians often face in their
everyday lives. Her video How Lesbians
Have Sex, which has received more than
700,000 views, gives a funny take on the
answer to a question Farina felt lesbians
receive a lot of the time. Her online
success led her to being represented
by global media company Fullscreen,
which represents other successful online
content creators.
Farina is only one member in a huge
LGBT community of online content
creators who have made their mark on
YouTube, such as Hartbeat, Matthew
Lush, Michael Buckley, Miles Jai, Nickalaws
and others. Their videos range from pop
culture commentary, vlogging, skits,
makeup and fashion tutorials and more.
These and other LGBT YouTubers will
be at PlayList Live, a three-day convention
for online creators and their fans, coming
to Walter E. Washington Convention
Center (801 Mt Vernon Pl., N.W.) on
Friday, Sept. 4-Sunday, Sept. 6.
Friday, Sept. 4 is focused on business
topics for online creators or those
interested in building a business through

YouTube. Saturday, Sept. 5 and Sunday,
Sept. 6 will have panels, discussions,
performances and meet-ups with some
of the most popular YouTube and Vine
stars. YouTuber Michael Buckley will host
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Online, an LGBT-focused panel on
Saturday at 1:15 p.m.
Alex Tchekmeian is the founder
and president of AKT, a privately held
entertainment
and
merchandising
company that owns PlayList Live. His
company began handling merchandising
for some of the online creators. They
quickly began to realize how lucrative
supporting YouTube creators was
becoming and the huge fan base they
were attracting. Tchekmeians previous
background was in music merchandising
and he thought that since music fans loved
seeing their favorite artists in person, the
same could be true for the digital creators
in a convention like PlayList Live.
PlayList Live has been running since
2011 in Orlando, Fla. Its the rst year
that it will also be in the District and
Tchekmeian feels it will be a good t for
the convention.
Were excited to be in the Nations
Capital for the rst time and cannot wait
to continue to grow the PlayList Live D.C.
event each year, Tchekmeian says.
PlayList Lives rst year has already
brought in many popular YouTubers,
especially those who identify as LGBT.
That representation on YouTube and at
PlayList Live is something Farina feels is
a step forward.
Seeing the YouTube world and being
in it, Im just like, Yeah I wish I had this
when I was 14 and starting to come out
of the closet.
PLAYLIST LIVE
Friday, Sept. 4-Sunday, Sept. 6
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
801 Mt Vernon Pl., N.W.
Standard pass $110 for Saturday and Sunday
Business Pass $210 for Friday, Saturday and
Sunday
Parent Pass $109 for Saturday and Sunday
with access to parents-only lounge
ENHANCE YOUR
AD WITH OUR
UPGRADES
PICTURES
BOLD TEXT
LARGE TEXT
COLOR
AND MORE
CONTACT US AT
202-747-2077 x8092
An independent, progressive,
inclusive Jewish community
Kehila Chadasha ~ High Holiday Services

with Rabbi David Shneyer
Blending traditional and contemporary music and liturgy
Sept. 13, 14, 15 & Sept. 22, 23

Creative Childrens Services
At Walter Johnson High School, 6400 Rock Spring Rd, Bethesda, MD
Services open to all!

Ticket Info: www.e-kehila.org/hhblade
highholidays@e-kehila.org 301-887-3777
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
2 8 SEPTE MB ER 04, 2015
A RT S & CU LT U RE
HOT HITS & HIDDEN JEWELS

From CultureCapital.com
YOUR LINK TO THE ARTS IN METRO D.C.
The Fix
Thru Sep 20. Signature Theatre.
703-820-9771. signature-theatre.org.
When a presidential candidate dies in his mistresss arms, his ambitious wife
immediately declares that if she cant be thewifeof the president, then shell
be themotherof the president and thrusts their son Cal into the spotlight in
Dempsey and Rowes outrageous musical comedy.
Labor Day Capitol Concert 2015

Sep 6. NSO at West Lawn US Capitol.
800-444-1324. kennedy-center.org.
THEATRE
Chimerica. Sep 9-Oct 18. Studio Theatre.
202-332-3300. studiotheatre.org.
Women Laughing Alone With Salad.
Sep 7-Oct 4. Woolly Mammoth. 202-3933939. woollymammoth.net.
Ironbound. Sep 9-Oct 4. Round
House Theatre. 240-644-1100.
roundhousetheatre.org.
Hay Fever. Thru Sep 27. Olney Theatre.
301-924-3400. olneytheatre.org.
YERMA (Barren). Sep 10-Oct 4. GALA
Hispanic Theatre. 202-234-7174.
galatheatre.org.
Shear Madness. Ongoing. Kennedy
Center. 800-444-1324.
shearmadness.com.
Dogght. Thru Sep 19. Keegan Theatre.
202-265-3767. keegantheatre.com.
Truth and Beauty Bombs: A Softer
World. Sep 4-Oct 4. Rorschach Theatre.
Atlas. 202-399-7993.
rorschachtheatre.com.
The Importance of Being Earnest. Thru
Sep 13. SCENA Theatre. Atlas.
202-399-7993. scenatheater.org.
Friendship Betrayed. Sep 10-Oct 11.
WSC Avant Bard. Gunston. 703-418-4808.
wscavantbard.org.
DANCE
Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke leads the NSO in its annual free Labor
Day weekend concert--this year featuring vocalist Kate Davis and the Soldiers
Chorus of The United States Army Field Band. There will be an open rehearsal
at 3:30 pm; the concert begins at 8 pm.
Nature in the Walkable City

Thru Oct 3. District Architecture Center.
202-347-9403. aiadac.com.
An exhibition of artwork by15 artists of Studio 155 who illustrate through ne

art how nature enriches urban living and is best experienced on foot.
Women Chefs: Artists in the Kitchen

Sep 5-Nov 8. Strathmore.
301-581-5100. strathmore.org.
Its a tasting menu for the eyes when 21 visual artists blend their talents with 22
women chefs. The artists create portraits, the chefs oer cooking demos, and
the true creative artistry of the kitchen gets served on a silver platter.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SIGNATURE THEATRE
Get Out More!
Mandinka. Sep 5. GW Lisner Auditorium.

202-994-6800. lisner.gwu.edu.
Irish Music and Dance Showcase. Sep
5-Sep 7. Glen Echo Park. 301-634-2222.
glenechopark.org.
Step Xplosion! Sep 9. Step Afrika!
Deanwood Recreation Center.
202.399.7993. stepafrika.org.
MUSIC
The Milk Carton Kids. Sep 10. GW Lisner
Auditorium. 202-994-6800.
lisner.gwu.edu.
Harlem Gospel Choir. Sep 6. Labor Day
Fest with The Kings of Go-Go. Sep 6.
Dru Hill. Sep 9. Aaron Camper, Black
Alley & Devon Beck w/ DJ J Tyler. Sep
10. Howard Theatre. 202-803-2899.
thehowardtheatre.com.
Be in Brookland: Sahel. Sep 10. Dance
Place. 202-269-1600. danceplace.org.
REO Speedwagon. Sep 10. Warner
Theatre. 202-783-4000.
warnertheatredc.com.
Catch A Fire Tour 2015: Damian
Marley, Stephen Marley, Morgan
Heritage, Tarrus Riley. Sep 5. Rodrigo
y Gabriela. Sep 6. The Gipsy Kings
featuring Nicolas Reyes and Tonino
Balidaro. Sep 10. Wolf Trap.
877-965-3872. wolftrap.org.
MUSEUMS
National Gallery of Art. The Memory of
Time. Thru Sep 13. Recent Acquisitions
of Italian Renaissance Prints. Thru Oct 4.
Pleasure and Piety: The Art of Joachim
Wtewael (15661638). Thru Oct 4.
Gustave Caillebotte: The Painters Eye.

Thru Oct 4. 202-737-4215. nga.gov.
National Archives. Spirited Republic:
Alcohol in American History. Thru Jan 10.
202-357-5000. archivesfoundation.org.
Smithsonian Anacostia Community
Museum. How the Civil War Changed
Washington. Thru Nov 15. Hand of
Freedom: The Life and Legacy of the
Plummer Family. Thru Dec 27.
202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu.
Museum of Women in the Arts.
Organic Matters. Thru Sep 13. Super
Natural. Thru Sep 13. Vanessa Bells
Hogarth Press Designs. Thru Nov 13.
Esther Bubley Up Front. Sep 4-Jan 17.
202-783-5000. nmwa.org.
Prince Georges African American
Museum and Cultural Center. Patented
Ingenuity: The Art of African American
Inventors. Thru Sep 12. 301-809-0440.
pgaamcc.org.
National Geographic. Monster Fish.
Thru Oct 11. Indiana Jones. Thru Jan 3.
202-857-7000. nglive.org.
Sandy Spring Museum. Two for One.
Thru Oct 25. Weaving Community.
Sep 5-Dec 30. 301-774-0022.
sandyspringmuseum.org.
GALLERIES
DCCAH. AFP16 Visual Arts Exhibition.
Thru Sep 30. 202-724-5613.
dcarts.dc.gov.
Arlington Cultural Aairs. Gallery 3700.
Nauck Community Portrait Exhibition.
Thru Sep 6. arlingtonarts.org.
BlackRock. Jenny Wu. Thru Sep
12. Encaustics by Susan Feller and
Assemblages by Janet Wheeler. Thru Sep
12. 301-528-2260. blackrockcenter.org.
The Art League Gallery. Taking Shape.
Thru Sep 7. Scapes. Thru Sep 7. Wijati
Soemantoro: The Ring of Fire. Sep 9-Oct
5. 703-683-1780. theartleague.org.
Reston Community Center. Sharon
Wright Pound. Sep 8-Sep 30. RCC at
Lake Anne. Reston Multicultural Festival
Intergenerational 3-dimensional
Exhibit. Sep 8-Nov 21. 703-476-4500.
restoncommunitycenter.com.
Arts Club of Washington. September
Art Exhibition. Sep 4-Sep 26.
202-331-7282. artsclubofwashington.org.
Gallery Neptune & Brown. Summer
Splash on 14th Street. Thru Sep 5. 202986-1200. neptuneneart.com.
Glen Echo Park. Labor Day Art
Show. Sep 5-Sep 7. 301-634-2222.
glenechopark.org.
Goethe-Institut. Justine Otto: hyder
ares. Thru Sep 4. 202-289-1200.
goethe.de.
Target Gallery. Angel Soldier Dance
Sublime. Sep 5-Oct 18. 703-838-4565.
torpedofactory.org.
Washington Project for the Arts (WPA).
Lobby Project: David Bellard. Thru Nov
27. 202-234-7103. wpadc.org.
Zenith Gallery. Stars & Stripes: Zenith
Salutes the Flag! at Zenith Gallery. Thru
Oct 3. 202-783-2963. zenithgallery.com.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
O UT& A B O UT
S E PT E M B E R 04, 2015 29
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY VLADYSLAV REKHOVSKYY
An Imperial Court crown brings with it much travel and responsibility former title holders say.
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
The Imperial Court of Washington is
gearing up for its biggest event of the
year next weekend.
On Saturday, Sept. 12, the court, part of
the International Imperial Court System
that was founded in San Francisco in
1965 by the late Jose Sarria, will hold its
Coronation IV: Gala of the Americas, which
celebrates the current reign of the Emperor
and Empress III, Manuel Diego Dennis
Alicia and Natasha Jewel Dennis Carrington
respectively, and crowns their successors
Emperor DP Diego-Dennis Carrington
and Empress Muy Jaymes Jewel Blake
Stephyns. Nicole Murray Ramirez, Queen
Mother I of the Americas, is the honored
guest and will welcome Imperial Court
members and supporters from all over the
U.S., Canada and perhaps Mexico.
Several other events are planned while
the dignitaries are in town. On Thursday,
Sept. 10, an In Town Show will be held;
on Friday, Sept. 11, the Crowns on
the Town bar tour will occur; a victory
brunch and show will be held on Sunday,
Sept. 13. Full details at imperialcourtdc.
org. Also on Sept. 11, members will
hold a Pentagon memorial tribute from
6-8 p.m. in which owers will be laid on
memorials of those who died in the 2001
terrorist attacks.
The Court exists to raise funds for
LGBT and HIV/AIDS organizations, social
service groups and youth enrichment
programs. The Court provides a safe,
social environment for people with the
same interests. The D.C. chapter is one of
71 courts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
About 250 attend the D.C. gala each year
and its open to both court members
and non-members. There are about 80
members in the D.C. court, which started
in 2011. Members say more than half
participate in court events in drag, but not
all. Drag queens, drag kings, and non-drag
men and women perform in various types
of royal attire. The gala is a black-tie event.
The emperor and empress win by
running elections. They were announced
in late June. Stephyns, this years empress,
has been involved with the court since

2012 and says it was a natural t for her.
Ive always enjoyed working in the
community and using drag as a way to
give back, so for me it was a natural t,
Stephyns (aka Daniel Hays) says.
Destiny B. Childs (aka Ric Legg
Benavides) was Empress II two years ago
and says its a demanding job she took
very seriously.
It was humbling and scary and exciting
all at the same time, Childs says. Its
not a glamorous title, its a working title.
People hold you in very high esteem and
you do nothing but work to raise money
all year for your charity organization as
you travel all over the country.
Childs visited Canada, Texas, Rhode
Island, Connecticut, Kentucky, New York and
more during her reign. Only money raised
during the Sunday victory show each year
can be used if the emperor or empress
wish toward travel expenses. Childs got
$700 from that event the year she won and
says that barely covered one excursion.
Most of the time we just donate it back
to the court, she says. I did it because
I love and adore the D.C. metro area
and Ive been involved here for over 15
years now. People call me the yes queen
because they know if they call and ask me
to do something, Ill say yes.
This years beneciaries are Rosmy, a
Richmond, Va.,-based organization for
LGBT youth; the Mautner Project, a lesbian
health organization; and the Inova Juniper
Program, an HIV/AIDS and primary care
provider in Northern Virginia.
Stephyns
has
already
traveled
extensively through her work in the court
and says she loves it.
We all have the same central goal
of giving back, but when you travel
throughout the system, those friendships
we make, these are people we never
would have known otherwise who
become lifelong friends, she says. Its
another way to build community.
THE IMPERIAL COURT OF WASHINGTON

Coronation IV: Gala of the Americas
A Reel to Real Celebration
Saturday, Sept. 12
Marriott Metro Center
775 12th St., N.W.
7 p.m.
Tickets: $150
imperialcourtdc.org
SHARE ADS ARE FREE
Place your HOUSING TO SHAREad online at

washingtonblade.com
and the ad prints free in the paper and online.*
*25 words or less prints free - anything more is $1/word.
Emperor and Empress IV to

be crowned at Sept. 12 event
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
3 0 SEPTE MB ER 04, 2015
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
The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.)
hosts a trans discussion group today
from 7-9 p.m. The group is open to all
members of the trans community as well
as their partners, friends and allies. For
more details, visit thedccenter.org.
Gay District meets at the D.C. Center
(2000 14th St., N.W.) tonight from 8:309:30 p.m. The facilitated group discussion
covers building understanding of gay
culture and personal identity and
awareness of community events for LGBT
men between the ages of 18-35 in the D.C.
area. For more details, visit thedccenter.
org or gaydistrict.org.
A LGB support group meets today
from 10-11:30 a.m. at 16220 S. Frederick
Rd., Gaithersburg, Md. for individuals
in Montgomery County. The group
will discuss coming out of marriage,
homophobia, parenting issues, nding
intimate relationships, LGB resources
in the suburbs and more. For more
information, visit thedccenter.org.
Australian DJ Ruby Rose, known for
her role on Orange is the New Black,
plays a DJ set at Echostage (2135 Queens
Chapel Rd., N.E.) tonight at 9 p.m. Shes a
lesbian. Tickets are $25. For more details,
visit echostage.com.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 5
Brother Help Thyself hosts Pride
Day at Kings Dominion today from 10:30
a.m.-midnight. The water park will be
open exclusively for Brother Help Thyself
guests from 10:30 a.m.-noon. From 8
p.m.-midnight there will be a dance party
in the Event Pavilion. DJ Rometti will spin
tracks for the night. Tickets are $37. For
more details, visit brotherhelpthyself.net.
Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer
organization, volunteers today for the
Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation at
the Falls Church PetSmart (6100 Arlington
Blvd., Falls Church, Va.) at 11:45 a.m.
today. You will be paired with a dog on a
leash to walk around and play with. Wear
casual clothes. For more information,
visit burgundycrescent.org.
D.C. Rawhides host Town and Country
at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight at 6:30
p.m. Dance lessons will be the two-step,
line dancing, waltz and west coast swing.
Dance lessons begin at 6:45 p.m. There will
be open dance from 8-10:30 p.m. Cover is
$5 and includes the dance lesson as well as
admission at Town for the rest of the night.
For more information, visit towndc.com.
CODE hosts its CODE Redux sixth
year anniversary party at Glorious
Health Club (2120 West Virginia Ave.,
N.E.) tonight from 9 p.m.-3 a.m. Fetish
Brother Help Thyself returns to Kings Dominion on Saturday, Sept. 5.
dress code is strictly enforced. Admission

is $20 at the door for non- members and
$15 for Crucible members. Payment will
be accepted by cash or credit. For more
information, visit facebook.com/codedc.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 6
Perrys (1811 Columbia Rd., N.W.) hosts
its weekly Sunday Drag Brunch today
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 shows at
10:30 a.m. and 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.
MONDAY, SEPT. 7
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 today,
share perspectives and have meaningful

conversations. For details, visit uhupil.org.
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, SEPT. 8
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.
Bachelors Mill has half price drinks all
night long from 5 p.m.-2 a.m.tonight. They
also have pool, video gaming systems and
cards. Admission is free. For more details,
visit bachelorsmill.com.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 9
Big Gay Book Group meets at 1155
F St., N.W. Suite 200 tonight at 7 p.m. to
discuss The Bell by Iris Murdoch. The
novel tells the story of a lay community of
people whose lives are changed when a
bell in their town is rediscovered. For more
information email biggaybookgroup@
hotmail.com.
The Lambda Bridge Club hosts duplicate
bridge at the Dignity Center (721 8th St.,
S.E.) at 7:30 p.m. tonight. No reservations
needed and new comers welcome. If you
need a partner, call 703-407-6540.

Phase 1 (528 8th St., S.E.) hosts lube
wrestling tonight at 8:30 p.m. If you
would like to wrestle bring a towel and a
change of clothes. Cover is $5. For more
information, visit facebook.com/phased.
Rainbow Response, an LGBT intimate
partner violence prevention group, meets
in the third oor conference room at 5
Thomas Circle N.W. today from 6-7 p.m.
For details, visit thedccenter.org.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 10
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.
hosts its weekly Beat the Clock Happy
Hour tonight from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Drink
specials start at $2 and increase by a
dollar each hour. For more information,
visit nelliessportsbar.com.
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.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
D I N IN G
S E PT E M B E R 04, 2015 31
Commitment is something
we prove everyday.
Canning isnt just for grandmothers. With a few basic tools and know-how, urban dwellers can enjoy
summers bounty anytime.
302-227-1400
Savor summers tastes

all year by canning
By KRISTEN HARTKE
Alas, the end of summer is nearly upon
us, so now is the time to roll up your
sleeves and start canning whats left of
summers bounty.
Yes, I said canning. While its a word
that might conjure up visions of your
great-granny in a oral apron standing
over a coal-red range, canning is hardly
a thing of the past. In fact, interest in
traditional water-bath canning has been
growing in recent years, spawning special
interest magazines, how-to cookbooks
and custom equipment, but it doesnt
take much more than a pot of boiling
water, some Mason jars and an afternoon
to create a stockpile of jams and pickles
that will remind you of summer even on
winters coldest days.
Thankfully, here in the D.C. area, we
have direct access to Cathy Barrow, the
guru of food preservation and canning
also known as Mrs. Wheelbarrow. If
youve ever been worried that canning is
only meant for experienced home cooks,
Barrow is eager to allay those fears.
Canning shouldnt be scary, she says.
People have been doing it for a long time.
Her advice is to start out with avors
and ingredients you love such as dill
pickles, apricot jam or ketchup and
focus on getting one recipe just right.
I predict it will be so much more
delicious than anything youve had
before, you will be hooked.
Like baking, canning has rules that
should be followed, advises Barrow.
Canning is not a form of cooking that
benets from getting creative, she says.
www.schmittrod.com
Follow the recipe and everything will

work out.
Once you start canning, youll begin
C e l e b r at i n g 5 0 y e a r s o f s e r v i n g D e l awa r e !
to realize why this method of food
preservation has been so popular for
the last 150 years or so: its almost
embarrassingly easy. Dill pickles are really
nothing more than quartered cucumbers
that are stued into a sterilized jar, leaving
one inch of headspace to accommodate
the pickling liquid, then covered with a hot
solution of vinegar, spices, herbs, sugar
and salt; just seal the jar and process in a
boiling water bath for about 15 minutes.
Once the jars are done processing,
A piece of pArAdise to relAx And rechArge your bAttery
make sure that theyre properly sealed
less thAn 2 hours from WAshington dc.
by pressing a nger down on the center
Pool, kayaks, mountain bikes, fire pit,

Private & secluded waterfront estate
of the lids; if it stays tight when you push
decks, grill
near St. Michaels
down on it, the seal is perfect. If the
5+ acres of woods, wildlife, 75 yards of 4 private bedrooms, billiard room, hot
center pops back, the jar isnt sealed, but
tub, pet friendly
shoreline
dont despair: you can still refrigerate a
Local boat rentals, fishing charters &
Deep water dock for fishing, crabbing,
jar that hasnt sealed and just enjoy the
more
sunrise/sunset
contents sooner. Otherwise, put them in
For more information, rates & booking contact Tina at (410) 463-2388
a cool dark cabinet for about a month to
cure and youll never buy another jar of
ADVERTISING
pickles again.
PROOF
#1
SALES REPRESENTATIVE: BROOKE JORDAN (bjordan@washblade.com)
As far as equipment
is concerned,
its
a good idea to have a jar-lifter special
proof. Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours
of
Associate
Broker, GRI
tongs that t around the jars
lid
to
lift
it
the
date
of
proof.
Revisions
will
not
be
accepted
after
12:01
pm
wednesday,
the
week
of publication.Brown naff pitts
REVISIONS
out of the boiling water orREDESIGN
a jar basket,
REVISIONS
a heat-safe basket designedTEXT
to
t inside
most standard stock pots that
also helps
or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the
NO REVISIONS
washington blade) and to hold brown naff
pitts omnimedia
llc (dba
the washington
blade) harmless from
and all
By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contr
The
Voice
that
whispered
inanyhis
get the jars in and out of the hot water.
washington blade newspaper. This includes but is n
and
warranties.
Barrow also recommends a jar funnel,
head said, Go ahead and buy it.
which is handy for getting the food
actually in the jar, not on the counter.
Youll easily recoup your cash
Get out to the farmers market now
to grab the last of the summer fruit and
on a Ramen noodle diet.
vegetables and get canning.
Prime Time reALTOr
Kristen Hartke is managing editor of Edible

DC and writes about food and beverages
both regionally and nationally. See what shes
cooking on Twitter: @khartke.
Dupont Circle Office 202.243.7700 (o)

202.246.8602 (c) Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com
www.DCHomeQuest.com
Valerie M. Blake
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
3 2 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015
P H O T O S BY D A MI E N SA LA S
The Washington Blade hosted a dog-friendly Yappy Hour at Town Patio on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The event was sponsored by the Shay.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
BO OK S
S E PT E M B E R 04, 2015 33
PHOTO COURTESY OF ARSENAL PULP PRESS
New short story collection

full of drama and dread
TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER has been reading

since she was 3 years old.She lives in Wisconsin
with two dogs and 12,000 books. Reach her at
bookwormsez@yahoo.com.
And they lived happily ever after.

Even today, years after youve outgrown
fairy tales, those words make you smile.
Oh, how you love a happy ending, even
though (and maybe because) life doesnt
always work out that way. As a matter
of fact, in Nothing Looks Familiar, a
new short story collection by gay
author Shawn Syms, sad endings dont
always happen, either.
Worst case scenario. If it all goes well.
God willing, everything will turn out alright.
But if not, life goes on. Well live through it,
just like the people in these stories.
A job in a slaughterhouse, for instance,
is just a job and while Wanda would rather
work somewhere else, theres no real
reason to move on. Instead, in On the
Line, she takes lovers from everywhere
but the kill oor. Nobody knows she does
it, until she sleeps with the wrong man
a man whose wife is Wandas co-worker.
Because he had few friends (Hed
never been good at keeping them),
Adam was surprised that Shaggy wanted
to hang out. They never did much, just a
little mayhem now and then, but in Four
Pills, the tables are about to turn.
Gimli, Manitoba is a tiny town perched
on the shores of Lake Winnipeg. Sammy,
whos 8 years old and Cindy, whos just a
baby, might have loved it there someday,
but their mother had to get them away
from there. The fumes from the drugs she

made were no good for the kids; neither
were the people she worked with or the
tiny house where they mixed. In Family
Circus, the kids mother starts making
plans for escape.
People didnt have to like Brenda
Foxworthy; she liked herself enough. As
one of the popular girls, she got away
with everything, including meanness to
Dean and his friends, Preet and Rickie.
Did Brenda hate their sexuality or their
nerdiness? It didnt matter because, in
Get Brenda Foxworthy, the three had
plenty of other reasons for revenge.
When Sean and Kate inherited a house
from Kates dad, they also inherited an
eccentric tenant whom they rarely saw. In
Man, Woman and Child, Les Montague
was a harmless old guy, wasnt he?
Unsettling. Thats a good word to use
when describing the 11 short stories
inside Nothing Looks Familiar. Reading
this book, in fact, is a little like watching
an accident that youre powerless to stop
and cant un-see. For sure, what youll
read here will make you squirm.
But thats not a bad thing, oddly
enough. I found myself rather addicted
to the stories that author Shawn Syms
tells, even though they left me dangling,
wondering what happened next. Another
oddity: the characters in these stories
arent particularly likeable, which leads
to a certain amount of schadenfreude,
or a smug, satisfactory feeling that things
didnt go so well for them.
These are stories, several of which
feature LGBT protagonists, that will tap
you on the shoulder, days after youve
nished the book. Theyll keep you awake,
pondering. If youre not careful, Nothing
Looks Familiar could haunt you ever after.
NOTHING LOOKS FAMILIAR
By Shawn Syms
Aresnal Pulp Press
$15.95
184 pages
3 4 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015
WA SH I N GTO NB LADE.C OM
SE P T E MBE R 0 4 , 2 0 1 5 3 5
REALESTATE
Post-Labor Day super sale

Fall brings an uptick in
D.C. housing inventory
By TIM SAVOY
This holiday weekend once again unocially ends the summer. As many of
us celebrate our nal days at the beach
or pool with cocktails and cookouts, the
D.C. real estate market is gearing up for
its second resurgence of the year the
fall market.
Traditionally, there are two resurgence
markets throughout the year: spring and
fall. If you arent familiar, post-Labor Day
in the District means an uptick in housing
inventory. Labor Day historically signies
the start of the fall market, and inventory
will likely see a giant leap starting the second week of September.
However, unlike the spring market,
which lasts for well over three months,
the fall market is much shorter. As topproducing real estate agent Kelly Virbickas puts it, fall market is short, unlike
the spring market which has no specic
start and end date. The fall market is different because it starts almost immediately after Labor Day, and ends abruptly
at Thanksgiving; there is less room for a
margin of error for sellers. Sellers have to
price to sell from the get-go or risk getting
left behind when the holidays start.

For homeowners who are hoping to
sell their home in 2015, now may be the
time to get your home listed and start an
early buzz. In order to achieve your goals
in selling your home, from price to days
on market to closing date, you should
have a plan in place to get you from listing
to the closing table. If you havent already
started the listing process, you may be a
little late to the season, but there is still
time to sell your home this fall.
Buyers, now is the time to get preapproved for a loan if you have not already.
Remember, a prequalication and preapproval are not one in the same. As Kevin
McDue, a seasoned broker in the D.C.
market put its, buyers should be poised
to jump on a property starting in the second week of September when inventory
rises. Buyers should have their preapproval letters and checkbooks in hand as
they look for property because the market is about to be ooded with buyers
and sellers alike.
As we have seen this year, interest
rates have continued to drop, but many
believe that interest rates will rise in the
later part of the year. Thus, locking in a
low rate now may provide buyers the opportunity to have a lower payment with a
great loan product.
Finally, one element to the fall market
Sid Binks, PhD, ABPP-CN

Board Certified in Clinical Neuropsychology
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Individual & Couples Therapy

for the LGBTQ Community
20 years experience!
Enjoy summers last gasp this weekend. The local real estate market is primed to surge as soon
as you return from the beach.
to remember is that while inventory may

increase, average prices wont jump due
to the increase in buyers or sellers. Instead, expect to see lower days on market and only slight increases to contract
prices as the market has shown steady
yet conservative growth so far in 2015.
All in all, Labor Day will provide the D.C.

real estate market one moment of peace and
calmness before a whirlwind of a winter.
TIM SAVOY is a real estate agent with Coldwell
Banker Residential Brokerage, Dupont Circle.
Reach him at 202-400-0534 or timothy.savoy@
cbmove.com.
DAVE LLOYD & ASSOCIATES

Top 1% Nationwide
NVAR Life Member Top Producder
703-593-3204
WWW.DAVELLOYD.NET
ENTHUSIASTICALLY
SERVING DC & VIRGINIA
3000 Connecticut Ave. NW 202.255.5187 SidBinks@aol.com
LGBTC.com/html/sid_binks.html
SIMPLE
AFFORDABLE
PROVEN RESULTS
CALL TODAY TOPLACE YOUR AD
202.747.2077
3 6 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015
DEADLINES
SHARE ADS ARE FREE
All Classified Ads

- Including Regular & Adult Must Be Received
By Mondays at 5PM
So They Can Be Included
in That Weeks Edition of
Washington Blade and
washingtonblade.com
Place your housing to sharead online at

washingtonblade.com
and the ad prints free in the paper and online.*
*25 words or less prints free - anything more is $1/word.
W A SH I NGTO N B LA DE.C OM
MASSAGE / CERTIFIED
LIMOUSINES / DRIVERS
RELAX IN ROSSLYN.
Certified massage
therapist available.
Call or text Gary w/
your name at
301-704-1158 or visit
START FRESH UPGRADE YOURSELF

before upgrading your phone! My
deep tissue massage will help you
feel like a new person! Stretching,
Swedish & Sports massage. Dupont.
Marcio (202) 271-9440. www.
MarciosMassage.com.
COUNSELING
CHANGES ARE EASIER WITH
HELP. Small, private practice
group of experienced, caring
therapists.Safe, confidential
setting. Offices in Woodley Park &
Takoma Park near Metro.Licensed
professionals.Insurance
reimbursable.Washington
Therapy Guild. Call 202-483-2660.
washingtontherapyguild.com.
COUNSELING FOR GAY MEN.

Individual/couple counseling w/
volunteer peer counselor. Gay Mens
Counseling Community since 1973.
202-580-8861. gaymenscounseling.
org. No fees, donation requested.
EMPLOYMENT
LOCKER ROOM ATTENDANTS
NEEDED! The Crew Club, a gay mens
naturist gym & sauna, is now hiring
Locker Room Attendants. We all
scrub toilets & do heavy cleaning. You
must be physically able to handle the
work & have a great attitude doing
it. No drunks/druggies need apply.
Please call Richard at (202) 319-1333.
from 9-5pm, to schedule an interview.
AKC French Bulldog puppies

available. Family raised, vet checked,
shots, wormed, & health guarantee.
Info 570-922-4888. Visit us at
ValentinesBullmastiffs.com.
OPPORTUNITIES
B & B for rent, 90 miles from
DC, exquisite! View on AirBnB,
Wrightsville, PA Cabin Creek Inn, 301367-2535.
HEATING / COOLING
PETS
LGBTQ AFFIRMING THERAPY at

Dupont Circle Individuals, couples,
families, adolescents. Over 15
years serving the community. Mike
Giordano, LICSW. 202/460-6384
mike.giordano.msw@gmail.com.
www.WhatIHearYouSaying.com.
BUY / SELL
SE P T E MBE R 0 4 , 2 0 1 5 3 7
KASPERS LIVERY SERVICE BMW 740LI

Luxury Sedan Service; Hourly, Point
to Point & Special Airport Transfer
Rates! Gay & Veteran Owned! http://
www.KasperLivery.com Phone 202554-2471 or 800-455-2471.
www.mymassagebygary.com.
BEST MASSAGE by male certified
therapist. Soothing Swedish; deeptissue; stress & pain release. Safe
Atmosphere in Annandale, VA, almost
right off I-395. Days/Eve/Wkend. In/
Out calls. Hotels welcome. Call Marval
(703) 568-6348.
LEGAL SERVICES
FULL SERVICE LAW FIRM
Representing the GLBT community
for over 30 years. Family adoptions,
estate planning, immigration,
employment. (301) 891-2200.Silber,
Perlman, Sigman & Tilev, P.A. www.
SP-Law. com.
ADOPTION & ASSISTED
REPRODUCTIVE Law Attorney Jennifer
Fairfax represents clients in Maryland
& D.C. interested in adoption or ART
matters.301-221-9651,JFairfax@
jenniferfairfax.com.
PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIEDS ONLINE
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
SHARE / MD
SILVER SPRING 2 Rooms 1 Lg/1 Sm
3BR house seeking roommates to
share. Access to kitchen, laundry,
internet & cable, bsmt gym.
Transportation needed, OSP. 240389-1228.
REAL ESTATE AGENTS

PHOTOGRAPHY
STEVE OTOOLE
PHOTOGRAPHY Fine
Art Photographer for
portraits, weddings &
dating photos for
the internet.
Call (703) 532-3031.
www.
steveotoolephotography.
com.
CLEANING
TOO NEAT GUYS INC. Residential
& Commercial cleaning in DC
& Northern VA. Over 20 years
experience, gay owned, licensed,
bonded & insured. Email: tooneat@
comcast.net, (703) 622-5983.
FERNOS CLEANING: Residential
& Commercial Cleaning, Reasonable
Rates, Free Estimates, Routine,
1-Time, Move-In/Move-Out. (202)
234-7050, 202-486-6183.
MAIDTOCLEAN Gay owned,
awesome, trustworthy & reliable!
Serving the DC/VA area. Mention
this ad for $50 off. Maidtoclean.com.
(703) 299-0101.
HOUSERVICES, LLC Licensed,
Bonded & Insured. Family Owned!
Serving DC & Northern Virginia since
2000. Weekly or Bi-Weekly, Move-In/
Move-Out Cleaning. Call us now for
a FREE ESTIMATE! (703) 929-6463.
info@Houservices.com.
MOVERS
OUR GUYS AROUND TOWN
MOVERS. Professional Moving &
Storage. Let Our Guys Do The
Heavy Lifting. Mention the Blade
for 10% off of our regular rates.
Call today 202.734.3080. www.
ourguysatmovers.com.
ARMY STRONG MOVERS &
Storage Local, Long distance,
next day deliveries Charlotte NC,
Florida, Chicago, NY, Licenced,
bonded & insured www.
armystrongmovesandstorage.
com.571-228-4372.
TREE SERVICE
BRANCHES - FULL SERVICE Tree
Expert Company. Certified Arborists,
pruning, insect & disease diagnosis,
treatment & removal. 301-589-6181.
www.BranchesTreeExperts.com.
Angies List Award Winner 09, 10,
11, 12.
SHARE / DC
CAPITOL HILL semi-furnished
rooms for rent in well appointed
townhome. 2 1/2 blocks from Eastern
Market Metro. Finished single BR for
$945+utilities. Available immediately.
Call 202-544-5688.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
WASHNGTON D.C. TOP GAY

REALTORS! Instant Free Access to
D.C. & NationsTop LGBT Realtors.
FREE Buyers Representation FREE
Sellers Competitive Market Analysis
+ FREE Relocation Kit any City, USA.
Be Represented! Choose your
Perfect Agent On-line at;WWW.
GAYREALESTATE.COM
SALE / MD
MONTGOMERY
VILLAGE
TOWNHOMES
REQUEST ONLINE PHOTOS!

-$269,999 3 Level
Townhouse! 3 Bedrooms,
2 1/2 Bathrooms! Deck!
Party Room Basement!
-$246,995 3 Bedroom
Townhouse! 3 1/2
Bathrooms ! Deck ! Party
Room Basement!
LARRY PERRIN REALTOR
(301) 983-0601
LJPerrin@aol.com.
COLLEGEPARK
WALK TO
METRO
REQUESTONLINEPHOTOS
*$255,000 - 4 Bedrooms, 2
Baths ! Formal DIning!
Full Basement! Driveway!
LARRY PERRIN REALTOR
(301) 983-0601
LJPerrin@aol.com.
DEADLINES
ENHANCE YOUR AD WITH OUR UPGRADES

PICTURES
BOLD TEXT
LARGE TEXT
COLOR
AND MORE
CONTACT US AT 202-747-2077 x8092
All Classified Ads

By Mondays at 5PM
washingtonblade.com
3 8 s epte mb er 04, 2015
W AS H I N G TO NB LA D E . COM
TOTALLY SEEKING ISO tall white

males, 4 servicing/hookup. Am
disease free, UB2. ASAP 301-5034263.
BODYWORK
Circa 1780 74 Acre Country Farm

4145 Jonesboro Road Blackstone,
Virginia 23824 A rare & elegant
example of historic charm with a
modern classic influence, this home
has been lovingly restored preserving
the traditional classic beauty yet
offering many modern upgrades
including a formal dining room, large
great room open to the kitchen,
four full baths, a luxurious master
suite complete with living area & full
second kitchen. You will find all the
original heart pine flooring, moldings,
stone foundation & classic English
basement & pool. Located in central
VA yet an easy drive to metropolitan
areas. Carolyn A. Davis, Realtor,
Access Realty, LLC, Office 434-2925020, Cell 804-721-6690.
WOMENS PERSONALS
GWF, SOFT BUTCH, attractive,
blue eyes, brown hair. I walk three
miles every day. I like movies, music,
playing cards, tv & pizza. ISO GWF
attractive, feminine, for friendship &
a long term relationship. If you are
interested, call Debbie 703-368-3618.
AFTERNOON DELIGHT Custom

bodywork! Exceptional deep tissue
& sensual bodywork for total stress
relief in private studio on the Hill or
in my new Dupont location. Call Erik
202-285-5709. No texts. In calls only.
Intro Special $99.00 Reg. $130.
SPECIAL LATINO
TOUCH
5 9, 170 lbs, Offering full body

relaxing, release on my professional
table, in a private atmosphere. In/out.
Parking Available, hotels welcome,
DC/MD/VA, 24/7. Call Lucas, 240-4628669, fromlucas@yahoo.com.
EROTIC SWEDISH MASSAGE healthy clean cut guy, 61, 160 lbs,
Dupont Circle, massage table, noon
to 1:00 a.m., indulge your body. $70
for 1 hour. Bill 202-728-0238. No text
messages.
THE MAGIC TOUCH: Swedish,
Massage or Deep Tissue. Appts 202486-6183, Low Rates, 24/7, In-Calls.
ESCORTS
Never hired before? Get tips
for a good experience here: http://
beforeyoucome.blogspot.com
MENS PERSONALS
Quality guy here looking to
meet another! Work in DC live in
Southern MD. Family guy here. I am
fit clean and 47. I am TOP. See ad
online.
ADULT SERVICES
DEADLINES
All Classified Ads

By Mondays at 5PM
washingtonblade.com
RENT-A-DUNGEON Explore
your fantasies! Surprise a BF or
All American Guy - 510, 140, 29w,
very hot body with a smooth lean
defined build. Clean-cut, versatile
& affectionate. Loves older guys &
bears. 703-568-1560. www.nickdc.
com
FB. Awesome, clean, discrete. Fully

equipped private DC playroom.
Dungeon Massage Available. (Tutorial/
instruction available). 202-544-8094.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
SE P T E MBE R 0 4 , 2 0 1 5 3 9
FREE TO LISTEN
AND REPLY TO ADS
Free Code: W Blade
Hot n horny hookups.
PROOF #2
REVISIONS
REDESIGN
TEXT REVISIONS
FINDNO
REAL
GAY MEN NEAR YOU
REVISIONS
Washington:
(202) 822-1666
Arlington:
Baltimore:
(703) 373-1000 (410) 468-4000

www.megamates.com 18+
Non-Stop
A D V E RT I S I N G
P R O O F
SALES REPRESENTATIVE: BRIAN PITTS bpitts@washblade.com
Cruising
REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof.
Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of the date
of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts omnimedia
llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is responsible
for any legal liability arising out of or relating to the advertisement, and/or any material to which users can link through
the advertisement. Advertiser represents that its advertisement will not violate any criminal laws or any rgihts of third
parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any copyright, patent,
trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair competition,
defamation, invasion of privacy or rights of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation, or any other right
of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) and
to hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all liability, loss, damages,
claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred by brown naff pitts
omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertisers breach of any of the foregoing representations and warranties.
washington blade newspaper. This includes but is not limited to placement,

Get up to 10 days unlimited access.
Join now for FREE.

Accessible:

Volume 46, Issue 36, September 4, 2015

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Volume 46, Issue 36, September 4, 2015

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

SEPTEMBER

Clerk faces contempt charge after

More than 7,000

reveal an interest in LGBT

AMERICAS GAY NEWS SOURCE

her oce to a gay couple.

Rowan County Clerk KIM DAVIS faces

HILLARY CLINTONshowed an interest in

SHORT & SWEET

Virginia LGBT groups

Sex charges dropped

LGBT stories are well

0 2 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015

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

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

100 BRANDS ON SALE

SALE ENDS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 th

LIMITED TIME ONLY

LIMITED TIME ONLY

Sheffield Blade - LaborDay.indd 1

0 4 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015

Roanoke LGBT groups had no knowledge of shooter

Mizeur endorses Van Hollen in Senate race

Motion to dismiss gay common

ENRIQUE MENDEZ (left) and MILES ERIC

together at 4820 Iowa Ave., N.W., sharing

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

Ask your doctor if a medicine made by Gilead is right for you.

0 6 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015

Sex with minor charges

By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Miley Cyrus comes out as pansexual

U.S. Marine admits to choking trans woman

Ga. prison releases trans inmate

An Oregon judge on Tuesday dismissed

A judge this week dismissed sex with minor

Hasselman revealed for the rst time

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

0 8 S EPTE MB ER 04, 2015

DNC partners with Gay & Lesbian Chamber

DNC Chair DEBBIE WASSERMAN SHULTZ told

and special event meeting space for the

many other things that the community

2 gay candidates criticize Victory Fund in Palm Springs

By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

servers and individual computers.

Oden told the Washington Blade that as

have had experiences with us in the past

body mind Self

Come try Svaroopa Yoga for yourself!

Enjoy your first Svaroopa

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

Enjoy your first Svaroopa Yoga class for FREE!

Please arrive 10 minutes prior to class to set up your space

10419 Armory Ave.

10419 Armory Ave., Kensington, MD

always been part of

And embracing social

Enjoy a special selection of LGBT programming only at xfinity.com/lgbt.

XFINITY Triple Play

Licensed VA, MD, DC

The Gale STorm Team

Call 1-800-XFINITY or visit xnity.com/lgbt today