Volume 47, Issue 49, December 2, 2016

DECEMBER 02,
2016
VOLUME 47
ISSUE 49
AMERICAS LGBT NEWS SOURCE
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
Federal employees frightened over Trump

Leaders of LGBT anity groups
across the govt decline interviews
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@washblade.com
MATTHEW MURPHY, the only LGBT federal employee

who agreed to speak openly, said hes hopeful that
existing policies would prevent the Trump administration
from targeting LGBT employees.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
In an ominous sign reminiscent of the George W.

Bush era, many LGBT federal government employees
contacted by the Washington Blade over the last two
weeks declined to speak about the incoming Trump
administration, saying they are frightened and on
guard, raising concerns that workers will be forced
back into the closet after eight years of a supportive
Obama administration.
Representatives of eight of the 10 LGBT federal
employee organizations that set up booths in D.C.s
2016 Capital Pride Festival or marched in the Capital
Pride Parade declined to talk to the Blade about the
possible impact of the incoming Trump administration
on LGBT federal workers.
Another ve LGBT federal employees based in
Washington agreed to speak to the Blade about their

concerns over how LGBT federal workers may be
treated under the Trump administration; all but one
spoke on the condition that they not be identied.
To be honest, people are concerned and there are
people that are frightened, said a gay administrator
with a federal agency who asked not to be identied.
The administrator, who is an active member of his
agencys LGBT employee group, said he and his LGBT
colleagues concerns arent directed as much toward
President-elect Trump but instead are focused on the
people Trump has named so far to head key federal
agencies.
The gay administrator and other LGBT federal
employees who spoke to the Blade joined several
national LGBT rights organizations in expressing
deep concern over Trumps rst round of high-level
appointees, including his selection earlier this year of
Gov. Mike Pence (R-Indiana) to be vice president.
CONTINUES ON PAGE 11
Trumps deplorable Cabinet picks

A whos who of anti-LGBT ocials
prepare to take over govt
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
KT MCFARLAND outed her gay brother before he died of

AIDS.
PHOTO COURTESY U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY
A Fox News commentator who outed her gay

brother while he was dying of AIDS. A member of
Congress who voted against repeal of Dont Ask, Dont
Tell. A wealthy conservative who donated more than
$200,000 to thwart marriage equality in Michigan.
These are just three of President-elect Donald
Trumps picks for his Cabinet choices that are
raising concern among LGBT advocates that the next
four years will be challenging to say the least.
Trumps selection of Obamacare critic Rep. Tom

Price (R-Ga.) as the next Secretary of Health and
Human Services has exacerbated fears the next
administration will roll back health advances for LGBT
people and people with HIV/AIDS.
In a statement announcing the pick, Trump said he
chose Price because of his background as a physician
and as part of the eort to repeal and replace the
Aordable Care Act.
ChairmanPrice, a renowned physician, has earned
a reputation for being a tireless problem solver and
the go-to expert on healthcare policy, making him the
ideal choice to serve in this capacity, Trump said.
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LO CA L N E W S
D.C. submits bid to host 2022 Gay Games

Billie Jean King, Paul Tagliabue
named honorary co-chairs
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@washblade.com
A committee representing local LGBT
sports organizations ocially submitted
a bid on Wednesday to host the 2022 Gay
Games in Washington, D.C.
The quadrennial LGBT international
sports competition usually draws between
12,000 and 15,000 athletic competitors and
between 80,000 and 100,000 spectators to
the host city, with an economic impact of
more than $100 million, according to Gay
Games Washington, D.C. 2022.
Few events have the prestige or
international focus of the Gay Games and
GGDC2022 is proud to submit this bid on
behalf of the 34 LGBT sports teams of
the Washington, D.C. region and, indeed,
our whole community, said Brent Minor,
chair of the Bid Committee.
We know that Washington has the
experience, passion and international
appeal that make us an excellent choice,
Minor said.
As of early this week, D.C. was among nine
cities in the U.S. and abroad competing to
host the 2022 Gay Games. The other cities
include Austin, Texas; Dallas; Los Angeles;
San Francisco, Salt Lake City; Denver; Hong
Kong; and Guadalajara, Mexico.
The Federation of Gay Games, which
Tennis legend BILLIE JEAN KING is an honorary co-chair of D.C.s Gay Games eort.
selects the host city, is scheduled to

name three nalists on March 1, 2017
after reviewing the bids by the nine cities.
Representatives of the three nalist
cities will be invited to make detailed
presentations in support of their bids at
the FGGs annual meeting in the fall of
2017, when FGG ocials will make and
announce their nal decision on which

city will host the 2022 Gay Games.
The D.C. Bid Committee also announced
on Wednesday that three prominent
LGBT rights and sports enthusiasts have
agreed to serve as honorary chairs of
the Washington, D.C. Bid sports and
tennis legend Billie Jean King; former U.S.
Attorney General Eric Holder; and former

National Football League Commissioner
Paul Tagliabue.
Minor said the three have submitted
letters of support for D.C.s bid to host
the 2022 Gay Games.
We are also pleased to have the
full support of the D.C. City Council,
Congresswoman
Eleanor
Holmes
Norton, and Mayor Muriel Bowser,
who has pledged $2 million to support
the event should Washington, D.C. be
selected, Minor said.
According to Minor, the D.C. bid
discloses that the D.C. United Soccer
Stadium, which is scheduled to be built
and completed in the citys Buzzards
Point section by 2018, would serve as
the place where the Gay Games opening
ceremony would be held.
Minor said the closing ceremony
would be held at the D.C. Armory, which
can accommodate up to 10,000 people.
He said the main hub for the Games
would be the Walter Washington
Convention Center in downtown D.C.,
where volleyball and dance competitions
would take place. Other venues include
sports elds at the University of Maryland
in College Park, George Washington
University, and Gallaudet University,
where a special outreach to the deaf and
hard of hearing community will be made,
Minor said.
The 2018 Gay Games are scheduled to
take place in Paris.
Local groups commemorate World AIDS Day

Report notes 396 new HIV
cases in D.C. in 2014
By MICHAEL K. LAVERS
mlavers@washblade.com
Whitman-Walker Health was slated to hold
two events on Thursday after Blade print
deadline tocommemorate World AIDS Day.
The HIV/AIDS service organization and the
United Community Group were to co-host a
World AIDS Day gathering at Union Temple
Baptist Church in Southeast D.C. Cleve
Jones, a long-time LGBT rights activist who
interned with then-San Francisco Supervisor
Harvey Milk before his assassination in
1978, was to discuss his new memoir at All
Souls Church in Northwest Washington.
NOVA Salud, an HIV/AIDS service
organization that serves northern Virginia,
was set to hold a World AIDS Day vigil at its
Falls Church oces on Wednesday. NOVA
Salud Executive Director Hugo Delgado
was to be honored at a reception that
the Alexandria Commission on HIV/AIDS
and Safe Space co-hosted at the Alley Cat
The White House on Dec. 1, 2015,

commemorates World AIDS Day.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
Restaurant in Alexandria on Thursday.

First held in 1988, this years World AIDS
Day took place less than a month after
Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton.
The Washington Blade earlier this
week reported KT McFarland, a Fox News
commentator who Trump has tapped
to become his deputy national security
adviser, outed her gay brother to her
parents before he died of AIDS in 1995.
A preliminary version of the citys annual
HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report that the D.C.

Department of Health released in February
indicates there were 396 new HIV cases in
2014, compared to the 553 that ocials
reported in 2013. This gure represents a
29 percent decrease in new infections.
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention notes new HIV diagnoses in
the U.S. decreased by 19 percent between
2005-2014. New infections, however, rose
6 percent among men who have sex with
men during the same period.
The preliminary version of D.C.s
annual HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report
indicates nearly half of all new HIV
cases reported in 2014 were from MSM.
The CDC notes the epidemic continues
to disproportionately impact gay and
bisexual Latino and black men.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
indicates nearly 700,000 people have
died from HIV/AIDS since the epidemic
began in 1981. UNAIDS estimates that
36.7 million people around the world
were living with HIV at the end of 2015.
Human Rights Campaign President
Chad Grin is among those who were
scheduled to speak at a World AIDS Day

summit at Tulane University in New
Orleans on Thursday. The White House
Oce of Public Engagement organized
the event along with the Department
of Health and Human Services and the
Forum for Equality, a Louisiana LGBT
advocacy group.
Advocates around the world also scheduled
World AIDS Day commemorations.
The AIDS Committee of Ottawa on
Thursday raised a red ribbon ag outside the
Canadian Parliament. The Neengar Society
in Pakistan planned to organize a series of
lm screenings on HIV/AIDS awareness for
gay and transgender young people in the
city of Multan in Punjab province.
The Botswana LGBTI Coalition on
Wednesday hosted a panel discussion
on World AIDS Day and what it means
for LGBT people in the southern African
country. The events theme was Hands
Up for HIV Prevention.
This public forum aims to bring lived
realities of LGBTI persons in Botswana in
relation to HIV and AIDS, a local HIV/AIDS
advocate told the Washington Blade.
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NATIONAL NEWS
Buckley announces bid to become next DNC chair
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) presided over a conference committee that eliminated anti-LGBT
language from a defense bill.
Anti-LGBT language stripped from defense bill

A provision that would have undermined President Obamas executive order barring
federal contractors from engaging in anti-LGBT workplace discrimination wont be
included in the nal package of major defense spending legislation, according to senior
armed services committee aides.
During a background brieng with reporters on Tuesday, an aide said the nal version
of the scal year 2017 defense authorization billhammered out by House and Senate
lawmakers in conference committee lacks the language Rep. Steve Russell (R-Okla.)
inserted in the House version of the bill.
The Russell amendment was in response to the executive orders, the aide said. The
NDAA was always an imperfect remedy for that problem. Subsequent to the election,
new paths have opened up to address those issues. Its still a very important issue for
members and they intend to pursue those other paths.
The aide armed that neither the Russell amendment nor anything like it would be
included in the $619 billion defense package, which is expected to make it to the House
oor for a vote on Friday.
The amendment would have aorded exemptions to religious organizations
contracting with the federal government consistent with the Civil Rights Act of 1964
and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Since neither of those laws prohibit antiLGBT discrimination, the amendment would have enabled religious organizations to
discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Prior to Election Day, Democrats led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sounded
the alarm over the possibility the language would be included in theconference report
for the defense authorization bill. LGBT advocates looked to Senate Armed Services
Committee Chair John McCain (R-Ariz.), who was facing re-election in 2016, to keep the
language out of the nal package based on his opposition to a state religious freedom
measure proposed in Arizona. Negotiations between House and Senate lawmakers
were put o until the lame duck session of Congress amid the controversy.
Rep. Steve Russell (R-Okla.) inserted the provision as an amendment to the House
version of the defense authorization bill in April during the House Armed Services
Committees consideration of the measure. The Senate version of the defense legislation
lacked any comparable language.
The Russell amendment would have permitted any religious corporation, religious
association, religious educational institution or religious society contracting with the U.S.
government to engage in anti-LGBT discrimination on the basis of religious freedom.The
lack of denition for religious corporation in the provision could have allowed courts to
construe the term broadly to mean any federal contractor not just religious organizations
in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Courts 2014 decision in the Hobby Lobby case.
Had the provision been signedinto law as part of the defense authorization bill, the
language would have undermined Obamas 2014 executive order barring anti-LGBT
workplace bias among federal contractors.
The White House identied the language as one reason for a veto threat over the
House version of the defense authorization bill. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest
slammed the inclusion of the provision in must-pass defense legislation as ridiculous.
LGBT advocates who objected to the language may not be out of the woods yet. With
Donald Trump in the White House, lawmakers may try yet again with the provision and
face no veto threat, or Trump on his own could rescind the executive order or insert a
religious exemption in the measure.
CHRIS JOHNSON
The gay head of the New Hampshire Democratic Party on Tuesday announced he is
running to become the next chair of the Democratic National Committee.
I am a candidate for chair of the Democratic National Committee, he wrote on
Facebook. I look forward to a robust discussion with you on the future of the Democratic
Party and I ask for and hope to earn your support.
Make no mistake, if I am elected chair there will be radical reform of how the DNC
operates, he added. You and every member of the DNC will be called on to fully participate
in the governance of our party. The DNC will be a team eort unlike what we have seen for
many years. Every voice should be respected, every face reected in the Democratic Party.
The party cannot just be about winning the White House. We have thousands of other
races, including state, county and local races that we need to win as well.
Buckleys announcement comes on the heels of President-elect Trumps defeat of
Hillary Clinton in the Electoral College. Democrats also failed to regain control of the
House of Representatives and Senate.
The DNC has been in turmoil since Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
resigned as chair on the eve of the Democratic National Convention after Wikileaks
published emails that showed she favored Clinton over U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
Interim DNC Chair Donna Brazile faced criticism last month after emails from WikiLeaks
revealed that she provided debate questions to Clintons campaign during the primaries.
South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Jaime Harrison, former Vermont Gov. Howard
Dean, Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison have also announced their candidacies to
succeed Brazile. Former Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley last month said he will not run.
The election on who will succeed Brazile is slated to take place in February during the
DNCs winter meeting in Atlanta.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
Haley brings mixed record

on LGBT issues to U.N.
President-elect Trumps nominee to
become the next U.S. ambassador to the
U.N. has a mixed record on LGBT rights.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said
she asked former Massachusetts Gov.
Mitt Romney whether he opposes
marriage rights for same-sex couples
before endorsing his 2012 presidential
campaign. She later said it was her job
to uphold her states constitution and
Gov. NIKKI HALEY (R-S.C.)
defend its same-sex marriage ban.
Haley
opposes
the
Obama
PHOTO BY GAGE SKIDMORE; COURTESY FLICKR
administrations guidance that says
public schools should allow transgender
students to use bathrooms that are consistent with their gender identity. She told
reporters earlier this year that a law like North Carolinas House Bill 2 which bans
trans people from using public restrooms that are consistent with their gender identity
and prohibits local municipalities from enacting LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination
ordinances is not necessary in South Carolina.
Haley said in the Republican Partys response to President Obamas 2016 State of the
Union address that the GOP would respect dierences in modern families if it were to
regain the White House. She added her party would also insist on respect for religious
liberty as a cornerstone of our democracy.
Advocates have sharply criticized Haley over her administrations HIV/AIDS policies.
She rejected state level matching funds for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program,
which provides medications to low income people with HIV/AIDS. Haley also refused
to expand Medicaid and rejected federal funds through the Aordable Care Act that
Obama signed in 2010.
Haley, whose parents are from India, did not mention LGBT rights in the statement
she released on Nov. 23 after Trump announced her nomination. Haley did note her
support of the Confederate ags removal from the grounds of the South Carolina State
House after a gunman killed nine people inside the Emanuel African Methodist Church
in Charleston in June 2015.
Our country faces enormous challenges here and internationally, said Haley in her
statement.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
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I N T E RN A T I O N A L N E W S
Cuban advocates have mixed reaction to Castros death

Former Cuban presidents
niece now spearheads
LGBT issues
Former Cuban President Fidel Castro
died on Friday at the age of 90.
Castros brother, Cuban President Ral
Castro, made the announcement on
Cuban television.
Cuba will observe nine days of
mourning that will end at noon on Dec.
4. The Cuban government has also
announced his cremated remains will
retrace the route that he took from the
city of Santiago de Cuba to Havana before
he toppled then-President Fulgencio
Batista in the 1959 Cuban revolution.
Fidel Castros supporters note the
revolution brought free health care and
education to Cuba. They also credit him
with combating rural poverty and ghting
discrimination against black Cubans.
Fidel Castro in the years after he came
to power sent thousands of gay men and
others deemed unt for military service
to labor camps known as Military Units to
Aid Production.
Cuba decriminalized consensual samesex sexual relations in 1979. Fidel Castros
government forcibly quarantined people
living with HIV/AIDS in state-run sanitaria
until 1993.
Fidel Castro resigned in 2008.
He apologized for the camps, known
by the Spanish acronym UMAP, during
an interview with a Mexican newspaper
in 2010. His niece, Mariela Castro, over
the last decade has spearheaded LGBTspecic issues in Cuba as director of
the countrys National Center for Sexual
Education.
Yes to socialism, no to homophobia,
chanted Mariela Castro in May during a
march in the Cuban city of Matanzas that
commemorated the International Day
Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
Frank Zamora, a gay man from Matanzas
with whom the Washington Blade spoke
before the march, participated in it while
holding a hand-written poster that read,
revolution and socialism is diversity.
Francisco Rodrguez Cruz, a gay Cuban
blogger who supports the Castros, and
his partner, Miguel Angel Plasencia
Rodrguez, also took part in the IDAHOT
march and another event that took place
in Havana a few days earlier.
Pain, emptiness, commitment are very
intense and dicult feelings to separate,
Rodrguez told the Blade on Saturday
after he learned that Fidel Castro had
died. Its like going through the story of
my life.
A sign on the road between the cities of Santa Clara and Sagua la Grande, Cuba, with former
Cuban President Fidel Castros picture reads revolution is unity.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS
Nelson Gandulla Daz, president of

the Cuban Foundation for LGBTI Rights,
an independent advocacy group on the
Communist island, had a very dierent
reaction to Fidel Castros death.
Fidel Castros death invites us to
remain calm and to focus on our activism
to achieve change in Cuba, as opposed to
rejoice over his death, Gandulla told the
Blade on Saturday from Madrid.
Gandulla and other independent
Cuban LGBT advocates were in Geneva
this week to attend U.N. meetings.
Fidel is gone, but Ral remains, said
Gandulla. The ght continues.
Mariela Castro on Tuesday paid tribute
to her uncle at a memorial service that
her organization held in his honor.
A picture that a source posted to his
Facebook page shows Mariela Castro,
standing in front of a large poster of her
uncle as she spoke. The event took place
at CENESEXs oces in Havanas Vedado
neighborhood.
Mariela Castro over the last decade has
spearheaded LGBT-specic issues on the
island.
She led marches in Havana and
in the city of Matanzas in May that
commemorated the International Day
Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
Evan Wolfson, founder of Freedom to
Marry, Freedom to Work President Tico
Almeida and transgender actress Candis
Cayne are among those who took part.
Mariela Castro, who is a member of the
Cuban Parliament, has spoken publicly in
support of marriage rights for same-sex
couples.
She voted against a 2013 bill that
sought to ban discrimination in the

workplace based on sexual orientation
because it did not include gender identity.
Cubas national health care system has
oered free sex-reassignment surgery
since 2008, but Mariela Castros critics
contend only a few dozen trans people
have been able to access it. They have
also said people with HIV/AIDS cannot
easily obtain anti-retroviral drugs on the
Communist island.
Fidel Castro died nearly two years after
the U.S. announced it would begin the
process of restoring diplomatic relations
with Cuba that ended in 1961.
The U.S. and Cuba reopened their
embassies in Havana and Washington in
2015.
President Obama in March became
the rst sitting U.S. president to visit the
Communist island in nearly 90 years.
He appeared at a joint press conference
with Ral Castro, delivered a speech that
was broadcast on Cuban television and
met with two independent LGBT rights
advocates while he was in Havana.
Gandulla told the Blade that a police
ocer harassed him at his home near the
city of Cienfuegos before Obama arrived.
The Adonia, a cruise ship that Carnival
Corp. operates, in May became the rst
cruise ship to sail from the U.S. to Cuba
in more than 50 years. Commercial ights
between the two countries resumed in
August.
At this time of Fidel Castros passing, we
extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban
people, said Obama in a statement.
We know that this moment lls Cubans
in Cuba and in the United States
with powerful emotions, recalling the

countless ways in which Fidel Castro
altered the course of individual lives,
families, and of the Cuban nation. History
will record and judge the enormous
impact of this singular gure on the
people and world around him.
For nearly six decades, the relationship
between the United States and Cuba was
marked by discord and profound political
disagreements, he added. During my
presidency, we have worked hard to put
the past behind us, pursuing a future
in which the relationship between our
two countries is dened not by our
dierences but by the many things that
we share as neighbors and friends
bonds of family, culture, commerce, and
common humanity. This engagement
includes the contributions of Cuban
Americans, who have done so much for
our country and who care deeply about
their loved ones in Cuba.
Florida Congresswoman Ileana RosLehtinen, a Republican who was born
in Havana, is among those who sharply
criticized the Obama administrations
decision to normalize relations with
Cuba. She described Fidel Castro as a
tyrant in a statement that she issued on
Saturday.
The day that the people, both inside
the island and out, have waited for
has arrived: A tyrant is dead and a new
beginning can dawn on the last remaining
communist bastion of the Western
hemisphere, said Ros-Lehtinen.
President-elect Trump who has
criticized Obama over the decision to
normalize relations between the U.S. and
Cuba responded to Fidel Castros death
in a tweet: Fidel Castro is dead! He later
described the former Cuban president as
a brutal dictator in a statement.
MARIELA CASTRO, daughter of Cuban

President Ral Castro, takes part in a march
to commemorate the International Day
Against Homophobia and Transphobia in
Havana on May 14.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
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Gay Dominican Republic ambassador to resign Jan. 20

in March during an exclusive interview at
the State Department. For me, for Bob, we
know we have the support of the president.
Dominican advocates with whom the
Blade has spoken have said Brewster
and Satawake have made their countrys
LGBT rights movement more visible.
Dominican LGBT rights advocates
regularly meet with Brewster and
Satawake.
Brewster and Satawake this year took part

in a Santo Domingo Pride parade. Brewster
last month urged Dominican authorities to
investigate the arrest of young people who
were gathered in a Santo Domingo park that
is popular with LGBT Dominicans.
Brewster and Satawake attended a
candlelight vigil in the same park after the
June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub
in Orlando, Fla.
They attended a press event in Santo

Domingos Old City in June 2015 that
highlighted an LGBT tourism campaign
the Center for Integrated Training
Research, a Dominican advocacy group
known by the Spanish acronym COIN, and
ProActividad, an economic empowerment
program, launched.
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic

JAMES BREWSTER (left) and his husband,
BOB SATAWAKE, at their ocial residence in
Santo Domingo.
Gay U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican
Republic James Wally Brewster last week
announced he will resign once Presidentelect Trump takes oce.
At midday on Jan 20, 2017, I will submit
my resignation as U.S. ambassador to the
Dominican Republic and Bob and I will
leave in search of new adventures, said
Brewster in a statement the U.S. Embassy
in the Dominican Republic posted to its
Twitter page. Our spirits will remain with
you forever.
Listn Diario, a Dominican newspaper,
reported
Brewster
made
the
announcement during a speech he gave at
a pre-Thanksgiving event that the American
Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican
Republic hosted.
Brewster, who is a former member of
the Human Rights Campaign board of
directors, has faced a barrage of criticism
since President Obama nominated him
to represent the U.S. in the Dominican
Republic in 2013.
Nicols de Jess Lpez Rodrguez, the
former cardinal of the Archdiocese of
Santo Domingo, has repeatedly used
anti-gay slurs to describe Brewster.
A group of Dominican intellectuals
and religious leaders earlier this year
urged President Danilo Medina and
his countrys government to declare
Brewster persona non grata because
of a U.S.-backed education initiative they
said sought to turn our adolescents gay.
A member of the Dominican House of
Deputies in March described those who
defend Brewster as faggots.
Dominican
religious
leaders
on
Wednesday
welcomed
Brewsters
announcement.
What were seeing is traditional tactics that
people use to push people back in the closet,
to push allies back from wanting to come
out and support the rights of those who
are marginalized, Brewster told the Blade
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LGBT federal employees frightened over Trump

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
Trump has said Pence, who has a

longstanding record of opposition to
LGBT rights, will serve as a high-level
White House adviser on domestic issues,
including the operation of key federal
agencies and departments.
Other Trump nominees for cabinet level
secretary positions also have records of
embracing positions and policies hostile
to LGBT rights. They include Rep. Tom
Price (R-Ga.), whom Trump nominated to
be Secretary of the Department of Health
and Human Services; Sen. Je Sessions
(R-Ala.), whos been nominated to be
U.S. Attorney General; and Betsy DeVos,
Trumps nominee for Secretary of the
Department of Education.
The big question that most of us are
really worried about is whether Trump
will let Pence dictate personnel policy,
said a gay attorney who works for another
federal agency and who also asked not to
be identied.
I dont think anybody thinks that
Trump is personally a homophobe, said
the attorney. But our biggest fear is
he would be indierent to any abusive
policies that Mike Pence might propose
and that he would give Mike Pence a
blank check.
Matthew Murphy, the only LGBT federal
employee the Blade could nd so far
who agreed to speak openly, is a senior
attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, or EEOC.
Murphy is also the founder and
president of a government-wide LGBT
employee organization called FEDQ.
As someone familiar with U.S. civil
rights laws and civil service regulations
protecting the rights of federal employees,
Murphy said he is hopeful that a wide
range of existing policies and federal
employee protections would prevent the
new administration from targeting LGBT
employees solely on grounds of their
sexual orientation or gender identity.
There is no guarantee that these
couldnt be changed, he said. But Im
optimistic. I think the ball is set in motion.
It would be dicult to undo.
Murphy pointed to the executive
order issued by President Bill Clinton
in 1998 that bans discrimination in the
federal workforce on grounds of sexual
orientation and a separate order issued
by President Obama banning federal
employee discrimination based on
gender identity and expression.
Clinton issued another executive
order prohibiting a government security
clearance to be denied solely on grounds
of someones sexual orientation.
During his presidential campaign
Trump vowed to rescind many of
Obamas executive orders pertaining
to other issues. And although Trump
expressed some support for LGBT people

in general during the campaign, political
observers say his appointment of LGBT
rights opponents to key positions raises
questions about what he might do on
LGBT-related matters.
Meanwhile, the EEOC, an independent
federal agency in charge of enforcing U.S.
civil rights laws, recently issued a legal
opinion declaring that a provision in the
U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 that bans
employment discrimination based on sex
can be interpreted to ban employment
discrimination against LGBT people.
The EEOC ruling is based on what
it says is a legal interpretation that
sexual orientation and gender identity
discrimination are rooted in gender
stereotyping of gay people and
transgender people that falls under the
purview of sex discrimination.
Murphy said this interpretation adds to
the protections LGBT federal employees
have against a hostile supervisor or
agency head who might target them for
discrimination.
I think it will be kind of dicult to roll
back all the progress that weve made, he
said. Weve come a long way.
He nevertheless said he understands
the concerns LGBT federal employees
have and why some would be reluctant to
speak openly or speak at all to the Blade.
The concerns raised by LGBT
employees and representatives of LGBT
federal employee organizations come at
a time when Trump and representatives
of his presidential transition team have
said they plan to make unprecedented
changes in the federal civil service system.
Among their proposed changes is
an overhaul of current policies and
regulations to make it easier to re federal
employees for poor job performance
and to end the longtime assumption that
federal workers could automatically keep
their job for life until they choose to
retire.
A spokesperson for Trumps presidential
transition team couldnt immediately be
reached to determine Trumps position
on LGBT federal employees and the LGBT
employee groups that have formed in
recent years in more than a dozen federal
agencies and departments.
Gay Trump supporter Joseph Murray II,
an attorney and conservative commentator
who served as administrator of the proTrump Facebook page LGBTrump, said he
doesnt believe LGBT federal workers will be
targeted under the Trump administration.
I dont think anybody who is LGBT
has anything to fear from being LGBT,
Murray said. I think our existing
statutory protections against unlawful
job discrimination will protect LGBT folks
regardless of whoever is sitting in 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue.
Murray said it is well known that Trump

has had numerous LGBT employees
working for his businesses.
I dont think he cares about someones
sexuality, said Murray. If you bring your
A game to the table and you produce
results and you get things done I think
thats the only thing hes interested in.
According to Murray, Trump appointees
like Pence and Sessions would be unlikely
to target LGBT federal employees for
discrimination because they know doing
that would almost certainly result in
widespread news media coverage.
Murray said left-leaning LGBT federal
employees who seek to undermine the
mission of the Trump administration
might be targeted for termination.
But he said any adverse action against
them would be based on their ideology,
not their sexual orientation or gender
identity.
Laura Goulding, a spokesperson for the
U.S. Oce of Personnel Management,
which oversees the federal workforce,
said OPM in 2015 prepared and released
a comprehensive document outlining the
rights and procedures available for LGBT
employees who believe they encounter
workplace discrimination.
The document, Addressing Sexual
Orientation
and
Gender
Identity
Discrimination
in
Federal
Civilian
Employment: A Guide to Employment
Rights, Protections, and Responsibilities,
can be accessed at opm.gov.
Among other things, the guide says
LGBT federal employees enjoy protection
under the U.S. Civil Service Reform Act
of 1978, which was passed by Congress.
The act prohibits discrimination based
on conduct that does not adversely
aect job performance, which has been
interpreted to ban discrimination based
on sexual orientation and gender identity,
according to the OPM guide.
The guide says the U.S. Oce of
Special
Counsel,
an
independent
investigative and prosecutorial agency
that investigates complaints alleging
prohibited personnel practices, has
determined that sexual orientation and
gender identity discrimination constitute
a prohibited personnel practice.
The LGBT employee groups that hosted
booths at the Capital Pride festival in June
or marched in the Pride parade one day
before the festival and who declined
to be interviewed for this story were
aliated with these federal agencies:
Central Intelligence Agency, Department
of Justice, National Counterterrorism
Center, U.S. Attorneys Oce, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, U.S. Census
Bureau, Oce of the Director of National
Intelligence, and U.S. National Archives
and Records Administration.
Kerri Hannan, president of Gays and
Lesbians in Foreign Aairs Agencies,
which represents LGBT State Department

employees, released a one sentence
statement to the Blade.
We do not yet know to what degree
LGBT rights abroad will be a priority under
President-elect Trumps administration, but
are ready to work with his transition team and
the new administration to address important
issues that impact LGBT employees of foreign
aairs agencies, the statement says.
Murphy, the FEDQ president, said FEDQ
was formed, in part, when he and other
LGBT federal employees determined that
the longstanding LGBT federal workers
group Federal GLOBE was no longer
functioning as an active advocacy group
for LGBT federal workers.
Federal GLOBE was founded in 1988
by the late gay activist and Smithsonian
Institution ocial Leonard Hirsch. It has
been credited with helping to create
and nurture LGBT employee groups in
as many as 50 federal agencies over a
period of 20 years.
The gay administrator of one of the
federal agencies who spoke to the Blade
on condition of not being identied
said Federal Globe may have been a
victim of its own success. He noted that
beginning with the Clinton administration
and continuing through the Obama
administration, LGBT people saw major
advances, including marriage equality,
the repeal of the Dont Ask, Dont Tell
law banning gays from serving openly in
the military, and the appointment of an
unprecedented number of openly LGBT
people to high-level positions in the
Obama administration.
Murphy of FEDQ said it appeared that
Federal GLOBE members in more recent
years didnt think the organization was
needed any longer in light of all those
advances.
But now, with the uncertainty of the
Trump administration, FEDQs board of
directors believes a government-wide
LGBT employee group is needed more
than ever, Murphy told the Blade.
We have serious concerns and thats
why we think its important for LGBT
employees now to kind of stand up and
have their voices heard, he said. We
think thats really important.
Murphy said one of FEDQs biggest
projects right now is a campaign to
encourage and assist the LGBT employee
groups in the dierent federal agencies
to become ocially recognized as an
employee group by those agencies. Doing
that, he said, gives them ocial standing
and would make it less likely that a hostile
agency director could disband the LGBT
groups or treat LGBT employees in a less
than fair way.
We feel now is the time for LGBT
employees to be on guard, he said.
We realize we cant sit back and be
comfortable.
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D E CE MBE R 0 2 , 2 0 1 6 1 5
Another day, another anti-LGBT Cabinet pick

He is exceptionally qualied to
shepherd our commitment to repeal and
replace Obamacare and bring aordable
and accessible healthcare to every
American. I am proud to nominate him as
secretary of health and human services.
One of Obamacares chief opponents,
the six-term House Republican has
pushed legislation to undo the law,
including a measure in 2013 that would
have prohibited the Internal Revenue
Service from aording tax credits to
oset the cost of insurance premiums.
An estimated 20 million people are
insured under the Aordable Care Act
and health advocates fear those people
could lose access to care ifthe presidentelect and U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan
(R-Wis.) make good on their pledge to
repeal the law.
Transgender advocates have expressed
concerns about repeal of Section
1557, which prohibits discrimination
on the basis of gender in health care.
The Obama administration has issued
a rule interpreting that language to
apply to transgender people, including
for transition-related care and gender
reassignment surgery, as well as gender
non-conforming people.
Mara Keisling, executive director of the
National Center for Transgender Equality,
was among those expressing concerns
about the choice of Price as head of the
Department of Health & Human Services.
We continue to be concerned with
President-elect Trumps selection of
anti-LGBT extremists like Rep. Price for
cabinet positions, Keisling said. Though
a physician, Rep. Price has consistently
worked against a fair and just healthcare
system. Rep. Price is a dangerous choice for
secretary of health and human services.
As head of HHS, Price could blunt the
Obama administrations rule prohibiting
anti-trans discrimination in health care
with an exemption allowing religiousbased organizations to refuse care
transition-related or otherwise to
transgender people. Anti-LGBT advocates
expressed consternation that rule had
no religious exemption and the provision
is facing court challenges on the basis it
ignoresreligious concerns.
The potential loss of the Medicaid
expansion under Obamacare is a source
of anxiety for HIV/AIDS advocates.
The program, which Republicans have
threatened to change to a block-grant
system, provides care for an estimated
40 percent of people with the disease in
the United States.
Hilary McQuie, director of U.S. policy
and grassroots mobilization for the HIV/
AIDS group Health GAP, said the Price
nomination is a worst case scenario for
people living with HIV.
In collusion with Paul Ryan, he will try

to dismantle the safety net and healthcare
system that has allowed us to build
towards ending the epidemic, McQuie
said. We are going to have to mount
a huge response to secure Medicaid,
Medicare, HOPWA, ADAP, CDC and every
other acronym that represents healthcare
and social services for people in the U.S.
In terms of LGBT issues, Price has an
abysmal record. In 2006, he voted for
a U.S. constitutional amendment that
would have banned same-sex marriage
throughout the country. Price also
voted against hate crimes protections
legislation, Dont Ask, Dont Tell repeal
and a version of the Employment NonDiscrimination Act.
In the 114th Congress, he wasnt a
co-sponsor of comprehensive LGBT
non-discrimination legislation known
as the Equality Act and along with every
other Republican wasnt a co-sponsor of
the Consumer Non-Discrimination Act,
which would specically bar anti-LGBT
discrimination byhealthcare providers.
Price generally earned a score of 0 for
each term he has been in oce on the
Human Rights Campaign congressional
scorecard. The exceptions were during
the 110th and 111th Congress when he
earned scores of 10 for voting against
a motion to recommit that would have
killed hate crimes protection legislation.
In 2013, Price participated in a
conference call hosted by Tea Party Unity,
as Right Wing Watch reported at the
time, and said a caller was absolutely
right about the potential of negative
health and scal impact of legislation
promoting LGBT rights. The caller was
Rabbi Noson Leiter, who attributed the
arrival of marriage equality in New York
to Hurricane Sandy.
The consequences of activity that has
been seen as outside the norm are real
and must be explored completely and
in their entirety prior to moving forward
with any social legislation that would
alter things, Price said. Im always struck
by people who wake up one morning
and think that theyve got a grand new
way of doing something when as you all
know that the tried and true traditions in
history that made us great are preserved
and have survived because they are
eective. I hear you, medical health and
costs; you talk about a huge cost-driver to
state pensions and other things, many of
these areas would signicantly alter state
balance sheets.
Je Graham, executive director of
Georgia Equality, said his organization
hasnt had a direct relationship with Price
because it focuses on state and local
ocials, has said he has taken many
positions on LGBT issues that we nd
troubling.
Nonetheless,
Graham
said
his
organization in the early 2000s during

Prices tenure as a state senator worked
with him to secure increases in state
funding and support for Georgias AIDS
Drug Assistance Program. That was a time,
Graham said, when the stateswaiting list
was one of the largest in the country.
Another ofTrumps latest picks for his
administration outed her gay brother
to herparents before he died of AIDS in
1995, refusing to see him in his dying days
and blaming his condition on paternal
abuse herfamily said never happened.
Trump announced last week that
he has selected as his deputy national
security adviser Kathleen Troia KT
McFarland, who works as a Fox News
commentator and unsuccessfully sought
the Republican nomination in New York
to challenge Hillary Clinton for her U.S.
Senate seat in 2006.
I am proud that KT has once again
decided to serve our country and join
my national security team, Trump said
in a statement. She has tremendous
experience and innate talent that will
complement the fantastic team we are
assembling, which is crucial because
nothing is more important than keeping
our people safe.
A Pentagon ocial in the Reagan
administration, McFarland in 2006 sought
to run against Clinton for her Senate seat
and was considered a moderate in her
bid for the Republican nomination.
A prole piece for New York Times
Magazine in 2006, however, reported she
couldnt abide her brother being gay.
The article unearthed a 1992 letter to her
parents in which she reportedly outed
her brother, Michael Troia, shortly after
she discovered he had AIDS, blamed her
familystroubles as a result of childhood
abuse.
Have you ever wondered why I have
never had anything to do with Mike and
have never let my daughters see him
although we live only fteen minutes
away from each other? McFarland
reportedlywrote. He has been a lifelong
homosexual, most of his relationships
brief, eeting one-night stands.
Pressed about her brother by New
York Magazine for the 2006 prole piece,
all McFarland would reportedly say about
him was Ummmm. He was sick and
then he died. According to the article,
McFarland said hermemory of her fathers
behavior toward her familysurfaced as a
recovered memory and a therapist put
her up to writing the letter.
An obituary in The New York
Times listed three companions for
Michael Troia, who died of AIDS on June
8, 1995, and said after graduating from
George Washington University he became
a longtime credit analyst at Merrill Lynch,
according to a report in The New York
Post,
Seeking to tamp down the impact of
the New York Magazine article,McFarland
in other media reports which cited
advisers publicly fearing she would
appear homophobic emphasized she
allegedly grew up in a physically abusive
home.
In seeking to put a painful past
behind me, I wrote two candid letters
to my parents in 1992 at the advice
of a counselor, McFarland said in a
statement at the time. Now, in the midst
of a political campaign, those letters
have found their way into the hands of a
magazine reporter.
In a subsequent interview with the
New York Times, McFarland reportedly
said she grew up in a home where from
the age of 2 onward she was beaten
and whipped with belts along with her
brother. At times, McFarland reportedly
said, her father would wave a gun in her
face, threatening to kill the family.
After they grew up and left home,
McFarland and her brother lived only a few
miles apart in New York City from1985 to
1995, but McFarland admitted she largely
cut him out of her life after she learned
hehad HIV and refused to let her young
children see him.
I was really living a life of going to
Central Park with my kids, and he was
increasingly living there was no
secret about it he was openly gay,
McFarland was quoted as saying. I had
no problem with that, I loved him. But I
was increasingly concerned because he
talked about a very promiscuous lifestyle.
And it saddened me a great deal.
During the interview, McFarland reportedly
denied the abuse made him gay, but said it
contributed to his reported promiscuity.
I think the abuse absolutely aected his
riskier behavior, his more promiscuous
I dont want to use the word selfdestructive is there another word
like that? McFarland reportedly said.
I dont think its something that made
him gay; he was always gay. That stu
leaves emotional scars on everybody,
and everybody copes with it in dierent
ways.
According to the New York Times,
McFarland saidher brother was often sick
during the 1990s and she would visit him
at his home or the hospital, but she didnt
have any contact with him during the last
two years of his life.
Do I wish I spent more time with him?
Of course I do, McFarland is quoted as
saying. Its the great regret that I have
of my adult life, that I didnt spend more
time with him, that I was not with him in
his nal months.
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Trump nominees raise concern among LGBT advocates

McFarlands parents reportedlydenied

the household was abusive. The
New York Magazine prole piece
quotes McFarlands mother, Edith Troia,
denying the account and accusing the
publication of casting dark shadows on
this whole race.
A New York Post reporter seeking
comment went to the Madison, Wis.,
home of McFarlands father,Augie Troia,
who denied at the time he had abused
his family. Aftertelling the reporter you
know darn well I never did any of that
and oering to take a lie detector test
to verify his story, Troia threatened him,
saying youd better get out of here or
theyre going to carry you out of here, the
Post reported.
Also at the time, McFarlands brother,
Tom Troia, of Janesville, Wis., accused
McFarland of lying about family abusein
an interview with the New York Post,
saying, If I had one word to describe my
sister, it would be evil.
Asked by the New York Post why
McFarland would make up charges her
father abused her family, Tom Troia
reportedly said, Evil needs no reason.
Although Tom Troia acknowledged his
siblings growing up were sometimes
spanked sometimes with a belt for
misbehavior, he said the punishment
was on an acceptable level of the time.
McFarland never threatened the family
with a gun, Tom Troia said, because there
was never one in the house.
McFarland in 2006 would end up
the losing the race for the Republican
nomination to run for U.S. Senate in New
York to John Spencer, a former mayor
of Yonkers whom the state Republican
Party organization endorsed. Before the
primary, McFarland dropped out of the
race following news that her 16-year-old
daughter was charged with petty theft
and possession of stolen goods after
being caught shoplifting.
The Trump transition team didnt
respond to a request for comment
on whether McFarlands views of gay
people have changed or whether the
president-elect is OK with the way she
treated her brother. McFarland also
didnt respond to a request for comment
for this article.
And in related news, Trump has selected
as education secretary a Michigan
Republican who has championed charter
schools and contributed to eorts to ban
same-sex marriage, raising questions
about the next administrations treatment
of LGBT students.
Last
week,
Trump
announced
Betsy DeVos as his choice to head the
Department of Education, citing her record
as a businessperson, philanthropist and
Rep. TOM PRICE is Trumps pick for HHS.

WPHOTO BY IOWAPOLITICS.COM; COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Donald Trump has chosen BETSY DEVOS as

his education secretary.
PHOTO BY KEITH ALMLI; COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
advocate for education reform.

Betsy DeVos is a brilliant and
passionate education advocate, Trump
said. Under her leadership we will
reform the U.S. education system and
break the bureaucracy that is holding
our children back so that we can deliver
world-class education and school choice
to all families. I am pleased to nominate
Betsy as Secretary of the Department of
Education.
DeVoss role may be temporary if Trump
gets his way and fullls his campaign

promise of abolishing the Department of
Education, although that would require
expending of a lot of political capital even
with a Republican-controlled Congress.
Trumps pick invoked the ire of
progressive advocates due to DeVoss
support of charter schools, which is in
line with Trumps vision to oer parents
vouchers to allow children to attend
private schools using public education
funds.
Randi Weingarten, a lesbian and
president of the American Federation
of Teachers, said in a statement DeVos
is the most ideological, anti-public
education nominee put forward since
the establishment of the Department of
Education.
In nominating DeVos, Trump makes it
loud and clear that his education policy
will focus on privatizing, defunding
and destroying public education in
America, Weingarten said. DeVos has no
meaningful experience in the classroom
or in our schools. The sum total of her
involvement has been spending her
familys wealth in an eort to dismantle
public education in Michigan. Every
American should be concerned that she
would impose her reckless and extreme
ideology on the nation.
But DeVos and her family also have a
history of opposing LGBT rights that may
be an indication of howshe would guide
schools to treat LGBT students as head of
the Education Department.
According to a 2013 report in the
Michigan LGBT publication PrideSource.
com, Devos and her husband Dick Devos
led the eort to put ananti-gay marriage
amendment on the ballot in 2004 and
contributed more than $200,000 to the
campaign, which ultimately succeeded.
Dick DeVos also contributed $100,000 in
2008 to pass Amendment 2 in Florida, an
eort thatbanned same-sex marriage in
the state.
In 2012, the revelation that the Douglas
and Maria DeVos Foundation, nancially
supported by Betsy Devoss brother-inlaw and Amway president Doug DeVos,
donated $500,000 to the National
Organization for Marriage in 2009
prompted calls in the LGBT community
for a boycott.
Betsy DeVoss father, Edgar Prince,
was a co-founder of the anti-LGBT Family
Research Council, and her mother, Elsa
Prince Broekhuizen, contributed $75,000
to pass the anti-gay marriage amendment
in Michigan.
Jon Davidson, legal director for Lambda
Legal said his organization is quite
concerned about DeVos leading the
Department of Education, calling her
another arch-conservative who is totally
out of the mainstream.

One thing DeVos could reverse as
head of the Education Department is
guidance from the Obama administration
informing schools that discriminating
against transgender students amounts to
a a violation of Title IX of the Education
Amendment of 1972. That guidance,
which Trump promised during his
presidential
campaign
to
rescind,
required schools to allow transgender
students to use the restroom consistent
with their gender identity.
The Oce of Civil Rights within
DeVoss Education Department could
also more generally be thwarted from
investigating and resolving complaints
from LGBT students who say they faced
discrimination in schools and the basis of
sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Washington Blade placed a
call to the Dick & Betsy DeVos Family
Foundationseeking comment on the way
DeVos would guide schools in treating
LGBT students.
Despite the anti-gay donations from
DeVos and her family, as a former chair of
the Michigan Republican Party she at one
time spoke out against anti-gay rhetoric
within the GOP.
DeVos was among those condemning
fellow
Michigan
Republican
Dave
Agema, who represents the state on the
Republican National Committee, for his
anti-Muslim and anti-gay comments.
According to a 2014 report in the Detroit
News, DeVos said she left messages with
Agema to encourage him to do the right
thing. He should resign his position as
national committeeman.
Additionally, in the aftermath of the
mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., claiming
the lives of 49 people, the DeVos family
committed $400,000 to the OneOrlando
Fund, which seeks to aid victims of the
massacre, according to a report in the
Orlando Sentinel.
Stephanie White, executive director of
Equality Michigan, said shes cautiously
hopeful about the DeVos appointment
because the nominee has demonstrated
a capacity to grow over the years in her
understanding and relationship towards
LGBT people.
White said DeVos has undergone an
evolution on LGBT rights, attributing that
to the Michigan Republicansrelationship
with her long-time trusted adviser Greg
McNeilly, whos gay.
DeVoss appointment is subject to
Senate conrmation. Under the rules
instituted by Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.)
when he served as a majority leader
of the chamber, ending a libuster
on conrmation would require a bare
majority of 51 votes. Another 51 votes are
necessary to conrm her to the seat.
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BA LT I MO RE N E W S
Suspects using Grindr to lure, rob victims
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1101022.1 State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL
The Baltimore Police Department is investigating a pattern of armed robberies

over the past several weeks that have targeted males via social websites and dating
apps. One such app, Grindr, has been the network of choice, according to police.
Police say the suspects lured the victims to apartment buildings in Northeast
Baltimore and robbed them. In two of the cases the laundry room in an apartment
building was utilized and a black semi-automatic weapon was displayed. Two
cars were stolen but later recovered.
The robberies occurred Oct. 25 and
Nov. 6 on Loch Raven Boulevard, Nov.
10 on Hillen Road and Nov. 11 on
Woodbourne Avenue.
People will use whatever means
they can and criminals will use online
dating as an opportunity to get your
stu, Baltimore Police spokesman T.J.
Smith told WJZ-TV.
The suspects are described as follows: a
black male, about 19 years old, 6 feet tall,
Police are looking for three suspects in a
170 pounds, gray hoodie, red sneakers; a
series of armed robberies.
black male, about 20 years old, 5 feet, 11
PHOTO COURTESY OF BALTIMORE POLICE DEPARTMENT
inches, 170 pounds, beard and mustache,
dark color bomber jacket; and a black
male, 5 feet, 6 inches, 150 pounds, 19 years old, glasses, black North Face jacket.
Police oered the following tips to those who use web and apps for dating or
shopping: Always meet in a well-lit public place and stay in a public place; send
pictures of the person to your friends; daytime is better for rst meets; cross
check the person through other social media sites; stay sober; drive yourself;
trust your intuition and ask questions, plenty of them.
Anyone with information on this case should contact Detective Calvin Moss at
410-396-2444.
LICENSED IN DC, MD AND VA
The board of directors of Chase Brexton Health Care announced on Nov. 23

that a search committee has been formed to replace outgoing president and CEO
Richard Larison who decided not to renew his contract with the LGBT supportive
health care provider. He indicated he would step down at the end of the year after
three months of controversy but will continue in an advisory capacity through the
end of January or until the search committee contracts the new president and CEO.
Larison was blamed by many in the community for the ring of ve managers at
Chase Brexton allegedly in retaliation for their support of an employee unionizing eort.
The search committee is fully aware of the serious responsibility they face
as they seek to nd a new CEO for Chase Brexton Health Care, said Carolyn
Kennedy, president of the board, in a statement.
Understanding that the last few months have been dicult for the
organization and the communities we serve, they will work to nd someone who
has the talent and skills to ensure that Chase Brexton continues to be one of the
leading community health providers in Maryland.
The search committee will be led by Les Pitton, a Chase Brexton board
member since 2007.
New Wave Singers to perform holiday concerts

The New Wave Singers of Baltimore will perform Holiday Memories concerts
on Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. at Immanuel Church of Christ, 1905 Edmonson Ave. in
Catonsville, and on Dec. 11 at 4 p.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 811
Cathedral St. in Baltimore. The chorus will be performing for the rst time with
its new accompanist, Timothy Smith.
The expected and unexpected will come together in this spectacular concert
Its sure to warm the heart, stir the spirit and make you laugh, said Adam
Koch, New Waves artistic director who is in his seventh year with the chorus.
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door and online at newwavesingers.
org. Students under the age of 18 are welcome to attend concerts free of charge.
For more information, visit newwavesingers.org.
STEVE CHARING
Keep your promise to protect each other.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
HE A LTH NEW S
DE C E M B E R 02, 2016 19
HIV, STD rates up in France: report

ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX, France HIV and STD rates remain high in France
according to a new report, France24 reports.
In a report released Tuesday, the France Public Health Agency found that 43
percent of the 6,000 new HIV cases reported in France last year were gay men
and that infection rates are declining among straight men and women.
The study also found that STD infections among gay men have soared with a
100 percent increase in new gonorrhea cases, a 56 percent spike in syphilis and
a 47 percent increase in rectal chlamydia, France24 reports.
The public health report attributed the lack of a decline in HIV cases and the
sharp rise in STDs to high-risk sexual behavior, criticizing medical professionals
for failing to prescribe regular tests. The report was published just weeks after
the France Public Health agency with the support of the health ministry
began targeting gay men with a campaign aimed at stopping the spread of
infection, France24 reports.
Injections to be used in HIV prevention in Africa

LONDON Scientists are taking the battle to prevent HIV to the next level
with large-scale trials set to start using injections to protect vulnerable groups
such as gay men and women in Africa for at least two months, Reuters reports.
Further down the road, the hope is to produce matchstick-sized implants
containing slow-release drugs similar to existing under-the-skin contraceptive
devices that could oer year-long protection.
Companies with drugs involved include GlaxoSmithKline, Gilead Sciences and
Merck, Reuters reports.
The initiatives build on the success of Gileads once-daily pill Truvada, which
has proved remarkably eective at stopping HIV infection.
Clinical studies show such pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, can cut the risk
of acquiring the virus by more than 90 percent, as long as people take their pills
regularly.
Despite treatment advances that have slashed AIDS deaths, around 1.9 million
people still acquire HIV each year, a number that hasnt budged since 2010. New
infections among gay men are increasing.
The United Nations AIDS program warned last week that the problem now
threatened progress in ending the global epidemic, while the World Health
Organization has recommended PrEP for all groups at substantial risk of HIV
infection, Reuters reports.
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
Chinese LGBT residents report health bias

SHANGHAI Fear of discrimination is a major concern for LGBT people in
China when they have to access health care, with 61 percent of respondents in
a new study on the status of LGBT health in China reporting that they are afraid
of being treated dierently by doctors because of their sexual orientation or
gender identity, Sixth Tone, a Chinese news agency, reports.
Released from Beijing on Monday, the report showed that 46 percent of
respondents had experienced discrimination from health care workers after
their sexual orientation or gender identity was disclosed.
Su Qi, a 20-year-old transgender woman living in Guangzhou in southern
China, told Sixth Tone that she hesitates whenever she needs to visit a hospital,
fearing the discrimination she might encounter as a trans woman. My ID card
says that Im male, so I feel like I cant wear female outts when I see a doctor,
Su said in her survey according to the Sixth Tone. She added that she didnt see
transgender as an option in the gender column when lling out a form for an
HIV test in Guangzhou last year.
The report was based on a survey of 1,205 participants across 30 provinces in
China, and was conducted by the nongovernmental organization Love Without
Borders Foundation. It covers respondents awareness of health issues, including
HIV, and experience using medical services. The report was sent to Sixth Tone
via e-mail and is currently not available online.
Though Chinese society has become more accepting of LGBT individuals in
recent years due to increased media coverage and public visibility, sexual and
gender minorities still nd their rights to health care are not fully protected.
~
202.319.8541 www.lgbtc.com Se habla espanol
Serving Our Community for 35 years
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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
2 0 DE CE MB ER 0 2, 2016
VIEWPOINT
By CHARLES FRANCIS
In his recent Blade op-ed (Forgotten
Americans, Nov. 25) James Driscoll
makes
some
reasonable-sounding
suggestions for LGBT Republican AIDS
policy advocacy in the Trump years were it
not the year 2016. After the sad history of
Republican AIDS activism during the rst
term of George W. Bush, some 17 years
ago, anyone who is serious about history
should know better than to dust o oldschool Log Cabin messaging, especially
Driscoll who served for years on George
W. Bushs Presidential Advisory Council
on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). Indeed, why are
George W. Bush and Karl Rove and their
gay supporters nowhere mentioned in
Driscolls piece on Trump?
Driscoll is not so much a forgotten
American as a forgetting American.
He conveniently forgets the train wreck
of the Bush presidency and LGBTrelated AIDS policy. So much of LGBT
history is deleted or remains sealed in
government vaults, it is easy to forget
how the rst White House openly gay
AIDS czar Scott Evertz was pressured to
resign his post, while Rove surrogates

like Claude Allen and Patricia Ware were
elevated along with a host of other antigay ideologues ghting for abstinence
prevention education over condoms.
Bush/Rove/Ware AIDS advocate Jerry
Thacker even described homosexuality
as a deathstyle and AIDS a gay plague,
while Rove and others were trying to
appoint him to the Bush PACHA. That did
not go so well.
Driscolls AIDS strategy for these socalled forgotten LGBT Republican
Trumpsters was tried and spectacularly
failed on his teams watch during the Bush
years. No one remembers Jay Lefkowitz,
the Orthodox Jewish conservative
attorney who was Bush/Roves director of
domestic policy (2000-2003), described as
the in-house ethicist and primary liaison
to Christian conservatives like James
Dobson and Jerry Falwell. This West Wing
ethicist may presage the unfolding role of
Vice President Pence and his team.
The Mattachine Society of Washington,
D.C. has made multiple Freedom of
Information Act requests to the George
W. Bush Presidential Library to open
up the now-processed Lefkowitz AIDS
papers, which include AIDS PR Strategy
memos from Patricia Ware and HIV/AIDS
policy memos from Claude Allen. THAT
47
ISSUE
49
ADDRESS
In assessing Trump,
dont forget Bush era
Disastrous AIDS policies
from pro-LGBT Republican
VOLUME
PO Box 53352
Washington DC 20009
PHONE
Claude Allen, former aid to Jesse Helms;

deputy secretary, Department of Health and
Human Services; opponent of science-based
LGBT policy proposals, later to be arrested
for shoplifting after being named Assistant
to the President for Domestic Policy. The
Lefkowitz Papers at the Bush Library include
some 40 boxes of materials, including highown ethicist memos and speeches on
AIDS, even as the Bush administration would
pivot from gay access and aordability
issues to African AIDS, working with Pastor
Rick Warren in Uganda.
The judgment of history on this period
for LGBT Americans is an unforgiving
one, especially since George W. Bush
was another one of these pro-LGBT
candidates in transition to the presidency.
Driscolls advocacy for Trump/Pences
forgotten LGBT supporters without
addressing the Bush disaster culminating
in the Federal Marriage Amendment
mocks history.
CHARLES FRANCIS is president of the
Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C. He
organized the meeting of then-Gov. George
W. Bush with the Austin 12 in 2000, the rst
time a Republican presidential candidate
had ever formally and publicly met with a
group of openly gay individuals to discuss his
presidential candidacy. In 2001, Francis was
appointed by President Bush to the Presidential
Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.
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V I E W PO I N T
D E CE MBE R 0 2 , 2 0 1 6 2 1
Trumps aws will follow him into Situation Room

Shedding policy positions
easier than shedding ones
character
RICHARD J. ROSENDALL is a writer and activist.

Reach him at rrosendall@starpower.net.
It hardly matters whether Donald Trumps

latest provocation signies psychosis or
merely the sorest winner ever. The Presidentelect tweeted on Nov. 27, In addition to
winning the Electoral College in a landslide,
I won the popular vote if you deduct the
millions of people who voted illegally.
As I wrote before seeing that brazenly false
and reckless tweet, I do not think most Trump
supporters are bigots. The trouble, given his
vicious, violence-inciting campaign, is that so
many otherwise decent people considered his
racism, xenophobia, and misogyny no more
disqualifying than his unhinged statements.
Indierence can be as destructive as hatred.
Mark Lilla wrote in The New York Times

on Nov. 18 about white, rural, religious
Americans who see themselves as
disadvantaged: [T]hey are reacting against
the omnipresent rhetoric of identity, which
is what they mean by political correctness.
Liberals should bear in mind that the rst
identity movement in American politics
was the Ku Klux Klan, which still exists.
Those who play the identity game should
be prepared to lose it.
Lillas scolding turns the truth on its
head. If the Klan is Americas oldest identity
movement, how can liberals be blamed
for defending against it? Hostility toward
historically marginalized populations is how
plutocrats divide the citizenry by getting us to
ght one another instead of defending our
common interests against their rapacious
practices. Know them by their fruits.
It is easier to blame bogeymen for taking
your job than adapt to the reality of a
changed economy. And what to make of it
when a white woman who voted for Trump
says she hopes she can keep the health plan
that her chosen candidate vowed to repeal?
Misdirected resentment rewards those who
want to cut healthcare and job protections,
while punishing those who work to address
the challenges of economic change.
Leadership and diversity consultant

Robert Naylor criticizes Lilla: It is easy for
him to suggest that we should pretend there
are no dierences rather than celebrate
them. Those of us who are called racial and
ethnic slurs, or b*tch, or f*gg*t while walking
the streets or who are treated dierently in
professional and social settings dont have
the luxury of putting our identities aside.
Those who can do that are hell-bent on
putting the burden on us. When they stop
noticing the dierences and using them
against us when they choose while insisting
that we forget the dierences when it
benets them, then our cultural identities
will matter less. Naylor traces his ancestors
in America back to the Sixteenth Century.
Some demand that we accept the election
results in a way Republicans never did after
2008. We are told how unpopular Hillary
Clinton was, when she received more votes
than any candidate in history except Barack
Obama, including over two million more
than Trump. We are supposed to forget
vote suppression, FBI interference, and
Kremlin cyber warfare, even as Trumps pick
for national security adviser is Gen. Michael
Flynn, who believes Sharia law threatens
America and that we should join forces
with Vladimir Putin and other despots. I
agree with Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings: We

have more to fear from homegrown white
shooters than Syrian refugees.
Trumps capriciousness last week in
alternately insulting and attering the
Times recalls Forest Whitakers portrayal of
Ugandan dictator Idi Amin: charming one
minute, violent the next. It is easier to shed
problematic policy positions (on torture,
climate change, jailing opponents) than ones
character. The aws Trump rode to victory
will follow him into the Situation Room.
If we would build bridges rather than walls,
as Pope Francis urges, we must appeal to one
anothers better angels. The alternative is a
descent into fratricide. Our national institutions
and traditions may see us through, but they
require our involvement. Peaceful resistance
must be joined by vigilance, creativity, and a
willingness to engage across battle lines for
the common good.
Poison merchants like Richard Spencer lurk
among us, exploiting a post-truth media.
Nazi salutes at a Washington conference
should warn us that white nationalism
under a more palatable alt-right label is
just as deadly. Facts ignored will yet assert
themselves like the encroaching sea. We
must awaken our fellow citizens before we
are overrun.
V I E W PO I NT
Secretary Jewell, honor one of our unsung heroes

Designate Pauli Murrays
childhood home as historic
landmark
KATHI WOLFE, a writer and poet, is a regular

contributor to the Blade.
I have been cast aside, but I sparkle in

the darkness, Anna (aka Pauli) Murray,
the queer, black activist-lawyer-scholarwriter-poet and National Organization for
Women co-founder, and friend of Eleanor
Roosevelt, who lived from 1910 to 1985,
wrote in her poem Prophecy. I seek
only discovery.
Few people are more important in
the history of United States civil rights
than Baltimore native Murray, who was
raised by her maternal grandparents and
aunts in Durham, N.C., after her parents

died. Yet though Murray became the rst
African-American woman to be ordained
as an Episcopal priest, until recently her
legacy has been largely cast aside.
The Pauli Murray Center for History and
Social Justice in Durham, N.C., is working to
bring Murrays legacy out of the shadows
and into the light. The group has launched
a campaign to have U.S. Secretary of the
Interior Sally Jewell designate Murrays
Durham, N.C., childhood home as a
National Historic Landmark. The Pauli
Murray Project at the Duke Human Rights
Center at the Franklin Humanities Institute,
the National Trust for Historic Preservation
and the National Collaborative for Womens
History Sites are collaborating with the
Center in this eort.
Thirty-ve
organizations
and
individuals, including leaders of the
NAACP, ACLU and NOW, have endorsed
the campaign. The Center is working to
restore the Murray home so that it will be
a place to honor Murray and for scholars
and activists to work for social justice.
One way to mark the legacies of people
whove indelibly impacted our history is
to honor the places where they lived or
grew up. The U.S Secretary of the Interior

designates these nationally signicant
places as historic landmarks, the National
Park Service website says, because they
possess exceptional value or quality in
illustrating or interpreting the heritage of
the United States.
Today, just over 2,500 historic places
bear this national distinction, the Park
Service website adds. Though were in
the 21st century, only 3 percent of our
National Historic Landmarks, according to
the National Park Service, are associated
with women, people of color or people
from the LGBT community.
To be designated as a National Historic
Landmark, a place has to be nominated by
the National Park Service. If nominated, it
is then submitted to the U.S. Secretary of
the Interior.
Designation of the Pauli Murray Home
as a National Historic Landmark would
be an important symbol of the honor
and respect we as a country have for the
ideals that Pauli Murray fought tirelessly
for: human dignity and equal rights for
all, regardless of color, gender, sexual
orientation, wealth or class, says a
petition with 2,500 signatures.
On Nov. 18, the National Park Service

Advisory Board voted in favor of naming
the Pauli Murray home a National Historic
Landmark. If Secretary Jewell gives
her approval, the Murray home will be
designated as a NHL by the end of this
year or early next year.
At the dawn of the Trump era, when
the civil rights of women, people of color,
LGBT people and other marginalized
groups will likely be threatened, I can
think of no one more timely or deserving
of this honor than Murray. Murray, who
battled Jim Crow and Jane Crow, had the
mind needed to legally ght injustice. She
made sure that sex discrimination was
included in the Civil Rights Act. Murray
had the heart to help and comfort those
in need from a black woman unfairly
evicted from her apartment by her white
landlord to people who were lonely or
sick. Though Murray couldnt come out as
queer, she had a long-term relationship
with a woman and didnt try to hide
her sexuality. If anyone could guide us
through these tough times, its Murray!
Secretary Jewell, help us honor one
of our unsung heroes! Designate Pauli
Murrays childhood home as an NHL.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
2 2 DE CE MB ER 0 2, 2016
I N SI D E LG BT W A SH I N G T O N
Holding youth responsible for violating smoking laws

Dont let young residents off
the hook so easily
PETER ROSENSTEIN is a D.C.-based LGBT rights

and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly
for the Blade.
One question that parents, educators

and society face is when to hold youth
responsible for their actions. Should
there be punishment or should they be
excused for not following rules or laws?
This question was apparently debated on
the D.C. Council during its discussion over
raising the age to buy tobacco products
to 21.
The Washington Post reports, D.C.
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser plans to sign
some of the nations toughest antitobacco laws increasing the smoking age
to 21 and regulate electronic cigarettes
like traditional ones, adding the District
to the scores of jurisdictions trying to
protect a new generation from nicotine

addiction. Last week, the mayor signed
a bill making it illegal to vape electronic
cigarettes inside public establishments
where lighting up tobacco is already
banned, including bars, restaurants and
workplaces.
The Post went on to report, Research
showing more than 90percent of tobacco
users started when they were minors.
Anti-tobacco advocates and lawmakers,
including in the District, are in turn
trying to limit youth exposure to tobacco
products by restricting where they may
be used and who can buy them.
Society has agreed and research proven
smoking is dangerous to your health and
causes cancer. Banning smoking in most
areas in an eort to get people to stop is
a public health issue and saves billions of
dollars in healthcare costs. So there was
little debate about the legislation itself
although the Post reported Council Chair
Mendelson opposed increasing the age
to buy tobacco on philosophical grounds
but did not use his powers to block
legislation. He says he thinks it makes
little sense that older teenagers can vote,
ght in wars and even run for oce but
not buy a legal product.
The big debate was over the penalties
and who should pay them. The majority
on the Council agreed both the retailer

selling the products to minors and the
minor should be penalized. The Post
reported, Council member David Grosso
led the ght against penalizing the minor
with a civil ne of $50 arguing penalties
should fall only on the retailers who
illegally sell cigarettes. In the end the
Council decided the ne for youth would
be $25 and Grosso, Bonds and Mendelson
voted against the bill.
My question to Grosso and Bonds is
when do we punish youth for disobeying
a law? Is the potential of unfair
enforcement a reason to not punish them
or do we instead work to ensure fair and
equal enforcement of the law?
Though the Council didnt agree with
Mendelsons reason to oppose the
bill, and he let the bill proceed, do we
acknowledge his opinion youth between
the ages of 18 and 21 should be treated
as adults? Do we then hold them
responsible for their actions? It is clearly
a conundrum.
As a former teacher and someone
who has been involved in our education
system, K-12 to university, for many
years my belief is the only way to ensure
our children become full responsible
participants in society is to teach them
there are consequences for their actions.
Not following the rules and laws laid down

for them will have repercussions. At the
same time we must also teach them how
to protest those rules and laws they think
are wrong within the system and how to
work to change them.
I admire the students who organized
the protests against President-elect
Trump and walked out of school, but
agree with those educators who then held
them responsible for their actions and
didnt automatically excuse them from
the repercussions of being absent from
school without a reason. Hopefully these
student demonstrations were followed
up and considered a teachable moment
with discussions of what it means to vote
and participate actively in civil society.
Whether its withholding a toy from a
young child who acts up, telling a student
no TV until they nish their homework,
penalizing them for skipping school, or
having penalties for lying and cheating,
we need to teach our children their
actions have consequences. If the law
prohibits their buying tobacco products
they should face a penalty if they disobey
the law.
Grosso and Bonds are wrong and their
focus should shift to guaranteeing equal
enforcement of all laws, not letting youth
o the hook for disobeying a law.
BRO CK, P A P E R, SCI SSO RS
Gay in the age of Trump

Were in for a rude awakening
BROCK THOMPSON is a D.C.-based freelance

writer. He writes regularly for the Blade.
Just a heads up: This isnt a cheerful

piece.
We as a community need to brace ourselves. For us in the LGBT world, the big
question on our lips is how bad will the
Trump era be for gays and lesbians? After all, he did throw us a bone in that 60
Minutes interview a few weeks ago, saying he was ne with gay marriage. I was
waiting for him to tack onto that, as long
as they dont throw it in your face.
But just how bad will the next four
years be for us? Im here to say, it wont
be pretty. And perhaps weve had it too

good for too long with the White House
bathed in rainbow colors and pride celebrations in the East Room. Dont get me
wrong, we had lots to celebrate. But there
is still plenty of ght left. And there are
still plenty of folks out there that would
rather not have us around. So for the next
four years (I hope so, anyway), the ght
will take place on three fronts.
Nationally. The next four years could
be death by a thousand pricks. And those
pricks are your Huckabees and Pences
and scores of other hypocritical evangelicals now emboldened and in high oce
and ready to hand down policy. While
gay marriage may be safe, Im wagering
we will see dozens of micro-policy aggressions handed down from Washington
aimed at our communities. Everything
from military base chapels not permitted to host same-sex weddings, to no
more pride ags waving over our embassies abroad. Its dicult to say what this
could look like exactly. The scope could
range from adoption, bathroom bills, to
the halting of gay and lesbian historic
places being recognized by the National

Park Service. There could be macro-policy
aggressions as well; a national religious
freedom bill will be coming our way soon,
allowing business owners to refuse to
serve LGBTQ patrons citing religious
convictions.
The States. If the states are the laboratory for democracy, so too are they the
proving grounds for all sorts of hateful
legislation aimed at LGBTQ Americans.
After all, the religious freedom bills got
their debuts in places like North Carolina and Mike Pences Indiana. A dozen
other states have their versions printed
and ready. Beyond those, there are other
forms hate can take when it comes to legislation. Take the example of a bill coming
out of the Texas Statehouse (of course)
that would require teachers and guidance counselors to out students to their
parents. A horrifying idea, conceived simply out of spite, but these are the bills we
will have to ght, and they will be coming
from all directions.
The Trickle-Down Hate. Again, there
are already plenty of stories coming
along in this regard. Trump kicked over

a rock. And from underneath it emerged
more people, again emboldened by his
election, that now feel their hatefulness
has legitimacy. All in all, the ght will be
long. And for the right, getting rid of our
thus-far champion achievement, gay marriage, will be dicult, almost impossible
really. I think everyone, right and left, was
a little stunned at just how popular last
years Supreme Court decision was. But
like Roe v. Wade, the right can chip away
at the idea over years, making gay marriage so ugly to some that attending your
gay wedding might very well be out of the
question.
Maybe Im wrong. Maybe these bills will
die in committee. Maybe legislators and
governors will see what happened to Pat
McCory and his eorts in North Carolina
and opt not to go down the same path.
All that might happen. But some will slip
through. So, perhaps we should dust o
our old playbook now.
Its a good thing that LGBT Americans
are never ones to shy from a ght.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
V I E W PO I N T
D E CE MBE R 0 2 , 2 0 1 6 2 3
We are in an abusive relationship with Trump

President-elect gaslighting
the American public
By MICHAEL RADKOWSKY
As a psychologist who works with
struggling couples, I am struck by the
behavior of our president-elect toward the
American people. Weve been engaged
for barely two weeks and this is already
feeling like an abusive relationship.
I had this realization a few days back while
reading how Donald Trump gathered a
group of television anchors and executives to
tell them that they are liars for not reporting
the truth. The truth as he sees it, of course.
Gaslighting is the term that comes to
mind here.
Popularized by the lm about a woman
whose husband attempts to drive her
mad by telling her shes imagining things
that are really happening, it is a classic
move by abusers. Trust me: I know whats
going on and youre crazy. When the
soon-to-be president with a long history of
documented untruths lectures us that our
version of reality is wrong, were getting
played in a big-league un-American way.

And its not just that were being gaslit.
All the key hallmarks of abuse are present
in this developing relationship.
Isolation:
People
in
abusive
relationships are often cut o from their
loved ones, so they cant get support or
a reality check. As a result of the Trump
campaign (now incoming administration)
working to divide Americans based on
religion, ethnicity, and class, we have less
support from each other and are more
fearful and suspicious. Just like poor
Ingrid Bergman in Gaslight, cut o from
the world by Charles Boyer, it becomes
harder to trust even our own perceptions
that something awful is happening to us.
Dont upset the abuser: Trumps
demand that the Hamilton cast
Apologize! for addressing Mike Pence,
or Trump surrogate Kellyanne Conways
warning Senate Minority Leader Harry
Reid to be very careful, aims to scare us
into fearing unnamed consequences if we
speak up about actions and policies we
dont like. The result: we become afraid to
open our mouths, giving up our precious
First Amendment right to free speech.
Mixed messages: Abusers often behave
lovingly at times to those whom they

abuse. This maneuver serves to create
doubt in their partners minds that abuse
is really happening, and to build hope
that the abuse will not continue.
When Trump posts a mild-mannered
video on YouTube, talking about working
with everyone to make America great
again, we start to question whether he
really wants to diminish our freedoms, cut
into LGBT rights, seek advice from bigots,
and appoint foxes to guard very precious
henhouses. Maybe hes really a nice guy
who simply wants to help all of us.
And when he appears at the New York
Times, aable, humorous, apparently
thoughtful, and describing a paper hed
labeled failing a few hours earlier as
a world jewel, Im certainly not the
only person who wants to hope that his
divisive moves are a thing of the past.
Distortion of Reality: The equivalent of
holding up only two ngers and insisting
there are three. Reality is built on
falsehoods that touch the edge of semitruths. Repeated over and over again,
what is false comes to be accepted as
true. Locker room talk, anyone?
Vicious criticism: Need I elaborate?
Those who criticize are attacked, not only

by Trump and his direct surrogates but
also by an ever-growing sinister army
online, in the streets, and even in D.C.s
Reagan Building whom Trump has
denounced far less vociferously than he
did the cast of Hamilton or Alec Baldwin.
Speaking up becomes dangerous.
Our National Anthem describes the United
States as the land of the free and the home
of the brave. I never really understood the
importance of this phrase until Nov. 9, when
freedom suddenly became threatened and
voicing a viewpoint, risky. Americans, we
cannot permit ourselves to become silent
victims in an abusive relationship with our
leadership.
We will likely be locked into this
relationship for the next four years. But we
do not have to lose ourselves in confusion,
fear and despair. As one people, lets unite to
keep our eyes open, recognize when were
being played, hold onto our perceptions of
reality, not allow ourselves to be trampled,
and above all, speak out. Doing so is our
only hope if we are to survive as a country
that oers liberty and justice for all.
MICHAEL RADKOWSKY is a D.C.-based writer.
He writes regularly for the Blade.
V I E W PO I NT
Trump win shows importance of grassroots organizing

We cant just show up every
four years for presidential race
By MICHELE ZAVOS
Hillary Clinton lost. Donald Trump
won. But this was no ordinary election.
It has terrifying implications for all of the
assumptions we have made about our
country and continuing our progress
toward true equality. Already Trump
has elevated known racists, white power
nationalists and anti-gay bigots to the
highest levels of our government.
How did this happen? Is everyone
who voted for Trump a misogynist racist
bigot? We dont really know the answer to
that question. I suspect that people who
voted for him have as many reasons as
there are votes. What we do know though
is that these voters accepted Trumps
racist, misogynist, anti-gay views. Those
views were not as important as Trumps
promise that he would make America
great.
What we also know is that the
Republican Party has systematically
suppressed votes by gerrymandering,
eliminating polling places, reducing
voting hours, cutting back on early voting
and ignoring court orders in order to win

this election. Those actions took place
on the state level, where Republicans
control most state legislatures and
governorships.
that we have not done enough of the

unsexy work at local and state levels that
could protect that progress. Many of us
engaged in internecine warfare which
of our candidates was more perfect? It
We must work together with all of those who are at

risk in Trumps America.
We also know that Donald Trump

and his supporters lied about almost
everything during the presidential race.
We know that fake news sites promoted
Trump. We know that mainstream
media played a major part in letting
Trumps conicts, business practices and
history as a sexual predator go relatively
unexamined. We also know now that
Hillary Clinton received about 2.5 million
more votes than Trump. And we know
that nearly 50 percent of those eligible to
vote did not.
What does all of this mean, and where
do we go from here? We have been
so sure that political progress is linear
is always easier to criticize the people

near you rather than those who truly are
your enemies. All of this needs to stop
in order for us to resist Trump and his
government-to-be. And we must develop
new strategies to reach those people
who simply voted against the status
quo. Calling Trump and his supporters
misogynist, racist, anti-gay Islamophobic
bigots is not a strategy, no matter how
much we believe it to be true.
Over the past eight years we have had
the luxury of believing that we could
work primarily on our issues because
President Obama and his administration
would work on the others. That time is
over, if it ever existed. We must now take

a broader and longer view. We cannot be
only for our community. We must work
together with all of those who are at risk
in Trumps America. We have to do the
very non-sexy work of grassroots election
organizing, ghting Republicans at state
levels, electing Democrats to Republicanheld congressional seats. This needs to
begin now, in order to prepare for the
2018 mid-terms and new state elections.
Demonstrations are important and they
make us feel empowered. But in terms of
actual change, they are not as eective as
continual, everyday, determined political
work. We cant just show up every four
years for the presidential elections. The
election of Trump has shown us that
anti-gay, anti-immigrant, racist, anti-poor,
misogynist bigotry comes in one package.
It is now absolutely clear that if any of us
is at risk, all of us as are at risk. We must
always keep that in mind in all of the work
we do going forward.
MICHELE ZAVOS is a long-time lesbian activist

and founding partner of Zavos Juncker Law
Group, PLLC, a family law rm practicing in the
Washington metropolitan area.
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IMAGINE YOUR POSSIBILITIES.

CHOOSE YOUR SCHOOL. START HERE.
DCs common application and lottery for
DCPS and public charter schools.
Application opens Monday, Dec. 12, 2016.
Learn more at MySchoolDC.org.
Join us at DCs only citywide

public school fair.
Saturday, Dec. 10
11AM 3PM
DC Armory
2001 E Capitol St SE
FREE Admission and Parking
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
G I F T GUI DE
D E CE MBE R 0 2 , 2 0 1 6 2 5
Gifts for hearth and home

DECOR, ACCENTS, FUNCTIONAL ITEMS AND NOVELTIES ABOUND ON LOCAL SHELVES
By MARIAH COOPER
mcooper@washblade.com
Celebrate the rst year of newlywed bliss with a set of Mr. and Mr. or Mrs. and Mrs.
ceramic mugs ($30) sold at Urban Dwell (1837 Columbia Rd., N.W.). Make the rest of the
kitchenware sentimental with a set of Mr. and Mr. or Mrs. and Mrs. wine glasses ($24)
or a vintage silverware fork set emblazoned with the titles ($34).
For the sushi lovers in your life (or for yourself) pick up a patterned sushi set ($38-40) at
Urban Dwell. The painted sets include a sushi serving plate with matching sauce container
or chopsticks. (Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Make any room of the home

smell enticing with a candle
($16) from GoodWood (1428
U St., N.W.). These handmade
candles include scents such as
basil and vetiver, cumin and
saffron or amber and olibanum.
(Washington Blade photo by
Michael Key)
Room & Board (1840 14th St., N.W.) offers an assortment of

items to turn any house into a home this holiday. The Ekibo
Basket ($49), handwoven in Uganda through the Blessing
Basket Project, comes in three graphic pattern designs. Each
basket includes a tag with the photo and biography of the artist.
Protect the tabletops in the home with Quarry stone coasters
($25). These coasters come in a set of four and are made
from tabletops of marble, slate and assorted polish granite.
Add extra air with Halifax wood candle holders made from
rich walnut. These candle holders can hold tapers on one
end and tea lights on the other. Candle holders range in
size from small to large in height and prices range from
$40-50. (Photos courtesy Room & Board)
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
2 6 DECE MB ER 0 2, 2016
For an eclectic assortment of home gifts take a peek inside Miss

Pixies (1626 14th St., N.W.) this holiday season. Items such as
a large serving utensils set with a giant ladle and fork ($30) or
a daisy serving plate ($12) can be turned into special gifts. The
furniture store also sells gift certicates for people to have their
own fun browsing. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Give the gift to satisfy tastebuds and decorate the kitchen with
a basket from Cork Market & Tasting Room (1805 14th St., N.W.)
The giver can assemble an assortment of perishable and nonperishable items for a personal touch. Baskets start at $50.
(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
GIFT GUIDE
Beekman 1802 Home Collection at Target, available exclusively online, offers many
items that give a rustic, farmhouse vibe. Get more basic furniture items such as a set
of two Harvester X-Back dining chairs ($179.99) or a Harvester bookshelf ($76.98).
More stand out pieces include a large Freemont lantern ($55.99) or a Burr distressed
nightstand in antique white ($101.99). Stay cozy with items like the Emma reversible
duvet set ($53.99-83.99) which offers comfort and style. Grab a stand-out accent
piece, like the Beekman 1802 Farmhouse gure pig ($23.99), to give the gift of
personality to a room. (Photo courtesy Target)
Tabletop has two locations (1608 20th St., N.W.) and (6927 Laurel Ave.,Takoma Park,
Md.) lled with smaller home items to gift. Get a head start on next years holiday
season with Santa Claus salt and pepper shakers ($16) or give the gift of a fun bear
mug ($16). Get the kitchen in matching order with sh cooking ware ($65) and
matching ceramic mixing bowls in a set of three ($30). Make the mornings extra
special with the Night & Day matching espresso cups ($32) and inspire wanderlust
with the globe light ($120). (Washington Blade photos by Mariah Cooper)
D E CE MBE R 0 2 , 2 0 1 6 2 7
At Whitman-Walker, we see you. To us this means

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Since 1973, Whitman-Walker has been a place where
people can just be themselves without fear of judgment
or retribution. We have provided care with patience,
kindness, humility and as much empathy as humanly
possible.
Today, we recommit to those principles.

We stand by your side. We See You.
te vemos.
En Whitman-Walker, nosotros te vemos. Para nosotros,

eso quiero decir que, sin importar cmo o por qu llegaste a nosotros, te recibiremos con los brazos abiertos
y te trataremos con la dignidad, el respeto y el cario
que mereces.
Desde 1973, Whitman-Walker es un lugar donde las
personas pueden ser ellas mismas, sin miedo a que las
juzguen o les pidan retribucin. Atendemos con paciencia, gentileza, humildad y toda la empata humanamente posible.
Hoy, volvemos a comprometernos a

esos principios. Estamos a tu lado.
Te vemos.
WHITMAN-WALKER.ORG
2 8 DE CE MB ER 0 2, 2016
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EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AND RELEVANT AGAIN AS NBC REVIVES HAIRSPRAY

By MARIAH COOPER
ARTS
AND
ENTERTAINMENT
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
From left are MADDIE BAILLIO as Tracy Turnblad and HARVEY FIERSTEIN as Edna Turnblad in
Hairspray Live!
PHOTO BY BRIAN BOWEN SMITH; COURTESY NBC
LOS ANGELES Hairspray has always

been a peppy musical about a pleasantly
plump teen in Baltimore who becomes a
local superstar, brings her city together
and gets the boy.
Its cutesy and fun on the surface but a
deeper look reveals the musical as a dark
comedy ghting against racial segregation
in 1962. While the musical may seem
dated in its wardrobe and copious
amounts of hairspray, the airing of NBCs
Hairspray Live! on Wednesday, Dec. 7
at 8 p.m. feels oddly current.
In light of the recent election, its a sad
reminder of life, yet again, imitating art.
The Washington Blade was able to
speak with some of the cast and visit
the set of Hairspray Live! at Universal
Studios in California. A brightly colored
version of Baltimore lives on the West
Coast lled with fake storefronts of the
iconic Hairspray locations such as Mr.
Pinkys Hefty Hideaway and Motormouth
Records. The set of the Corny Collins
Show, originally based on the real life
The Buddy Deane Show which aired on
WJZ in Baltimore, and the Turnblad living
room stood empty waiting for the cast to
bring them to life.

The cast was brimming with excitement
for the show and some of the younger cast
members bonded eating chips and salsa
at Ariana Grandes house the night before.
Harvey Fierstein, who reprises his
Broadway role as Edna Turnblad and
penned the NBC teleplay, was invited to join.
Last night, they were texting me at 11
oclock. All the kids were at Arianas house
having a party. Harvey, come on out.
Come on out, Fierstein says. Im old.
Leave me alone. Im in bed.
Baltimore native John Waters quirky
mind gave birth to the original 1988 lm.
However, Hairspray Live! promises to be
closer to the 2002 Broadway version with
its teleplay. Fans of the original lm wont
be disappointed though if they spy for
Easter eggs on set like Divine Pet Food,
Edies Eggs and Dairy and Waters Plumbing.
One thing for sure is that the events of
the musical ring true now more than the
last go around.
Those kids in 2002, we had to educate
them about segregation, Fierstein says.
The black kids would sit out in the hall
while the white kids rehearsed, and they
VOLUME
47
ISSUE
49
DECEMBER
started getting a very weird feeling. People

started getting very territorial. There was
a ght over Little Inezs doll, whether it
would be prettier if it was a white girls
doll. We were feeling that stu, and that
stu was foreign. It had to be brought to
the show because it was not part of who
they were growing up. This group of kids,
very unfortunately knows its true, and we
dont have to educate them about it.
Fierstein and Martin Short, who
plays Wilbur Turnblad, nd themselves
concerned but also oddly optimistic about
the evolution of the LGBT community
under a Donald Trump presidency.
You know, Donald I mean I sat with
him at a gay wedding. He was not happy
to be there but he was there at the gay
wedding, Fierstein says.
I think the interesting thing about Donald
Trump, who Ive never met, is we dont know
very much about him, Short adds. We know
that in 2009 you can see him sitting with Wolf
Blitzer praising the genius of Hillary and Bill
Clinton. We know that he was a Democrat.
We know that he was always pro-choice. So
I think that theres so much opportunism tied
to what he is that Im sure that in private he is
much less what his policies will be.
Fierstein has donned the wig and dress
02,
2016
PAGE
29
as Edna more than 1,000 times and says

he rst prepared for the role by following
women around at the mall. While both
Fierstein and Edna are recrackers in
their own right, he couldnt help but feel
the gender dierence.
I do love that nurturing side of Edna,
and I love being around the cast and the
kids that way, Fierstein says. And I adore
her. But theres a sadness about her that
I love too. Ive always been an overweight
person, and to be an overweight woman is
dierent than being an overweight man.
Grande and Kristin Chenoweth also felt
the weight of the timing of the musical
and the election. Grande plays Penny
Pingleton, Tracy Turnblads friend who
falls for a black boy named Seaweed,
played by Ephraim Sykes of Hamilton.
Grande, a Hairspray super fan, can
hardly contain her excitement about
taking on her dream role of Penny.
Meanwhile Chenoweth is Velma Von
Tussle, the shows racist antagonist.
Chenoweth,
a
veteran
Broadway
performer, is more quietly understated
about her role but her eyes light up when
discussing the shows signicance.
From left in back are EPHRAIM SKYES, JENNIFER HUDSON, MARTIN SHORT, DOVE CAMERON;
(middle row) ARIANA GRANDE, GARRETT CLAYTON, HARVEY FIERSTEIN, MADDIE BAILLO, KRISTIN CHENOWETH and (front row) SHAHADI WRIGHT JOSEPH and DEREK HOUGH.
PHOTO BY BRIAN BOWEN SMITH; COURTESY NBC
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
3 0 DECE MB ER 0 2, 2016
Q U E E RY : 2 0 Q U E ST I O N S F O R J O N - MI CH A E L E CLA R
JON-MICHAEL ECLAR
By JOEY DiGULIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
The 18th Street Singers present their concert From Shadow to Light
next week that promises a transcendent musical experience designed to
showcase the meditative and sublime beauty of early music.
The Singers, an a cappella choir of about 50 that specializes in early (i.e.
pre-Baroque) music, will perform Dec. 9-10 at 7:30 p.m. each night at St. Agnes
of the Ascension Church (1217 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.) featuring sacred
works by Purcell, Tallis, Palestrina, Monteverdi, Pretorias and more. Tickets
are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Visit 18thstreetsingers.com for details.
Choral singing, to me, is like a team sport, says 31-year-old Jon-Michael
JM Eclar, an original member of the seven-year-old choir in which he sings
tenor. Everyone in the choir is working hard toward a common goal and we
cannot be successful unless we all pitch in. When it nally comes together and
the chords lock, its truly a magical experience.
Eclar, a Chantilly, Va., native, works by day for a human resources trade
association. He also leads the tenor section in the choir of Church of the
Reformation on Capitol Hill.
Hes in a relationship with Brad Haas and lives in Dupont Circle. Eclar enjoys
working out, running, playing in the Stonewall Kickball League and, of course,
singing in his free time.
How long have you been out and

who was the hardest person to tell?
Ive been out since my junior year in
college and the hardest person to tell was
the rst person I ever came out to, who
was my best friend and roommate. After
him, coming out to my friends and family
became easier and easier with every
person I told.
Whos your LGBT hero?

RuPaul. She has been out for decades
and has been nothing but herself. She
inspires everyone to love yourself no
matter what anybody else thinks. Be true
to who you are. As she says, If you cant
love yourself, how in the hell are you
going to love somebody else? And yes, I
can get an AMEN up in here.
Whats Washingtons best nightspot,

past or present?
Go see a free show at the Kennedy
Center Millennium Stage at 6 p.m. After
that, take the elevator to the terrace and
watch the sunset across the Potomac. Im
a hopeless romantic, what can I say?
Describe your dream wedding.

Id love for it to be an outdoor wedding
with my closest friends and our families.
I imagine it somewhere idyllic near a
mountain range, like Appalachia.
What non-LGBT issue are you most

passionate about?
Arts education, arts integration and arts
advocacy. The arts should be a required
curriculum in the classroom, like science,
math and other disciplines. Studies show
that the arts and humanities cultivate
creativity, a love for learning, motivation,
cognitive development and teamwork
among
countless
other
reasons.
Unfortunately, arts programs across our
country are being severely reduced or cut
entirely. Do your part by contacting your
respective member of congress, talk to
school leaders and volunteer your time.
What historical outcome would you

change?
Im going to go out on a limb, but can
we get a restart to all of 2016?
Whats been the most memorable

pop culture moment of your lifetime?
Singing at Joe Bidens holiday party and
then meeting him afterwards. We chatted
about our alma mater (Go Cuse!), snow
and the Adirondacks. The second most
memorable moment was when my friend
surprised me with house tickets to see
Hamilton in New York City, which was
life-changing.
On what do you insist?

Kindness and a good sense of humor.
Life is too short to be a jerk and take it so
seriously.
What was your last Facebook post or

Tweet?
My choir (18th Street Singers) concert
on December 9-10 at Church of the
Ascension and St. Agnes!
If your life were a book, what would

the title be?
I Got 99 Problems, but My Pitch Aint
One
If science discovered a way to

change sexual orientation, what
would you do?
Not a goddamn thing. It has taken me
some time to fully appreciate and love
who I am. Being gay is a huge part of my
identity and I wouldnt change that for

the world.
What do you believe in beyond the

physical world?
Just like on (Netix show) Stranger Things,
I believe in the Upside Down. RIP Barb.
Whats your advice for LGBT

movement leaders?
To take a quote from Hillarys recent
speech, Never stop believing that ghting
for whats right is worth it. With this
recent election, we need to make sure that
we dont regress to what our community
has worked so hard to achieve.
What would you walk across hot

coals for?
My friends and family. Walt. Brad.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you

most?
That gaysian men are all submissive
bottoms. Yeah, Ill say it. Its not true
were not all submissive. OK, OK, that was
a joke. But in all seriousness, I think the
fact that we have stereotypes to begin
with is problematic. The beautiful thing
about our community is that we are a
diverse myriad of personalities! Dont
pigeonhole us into specic stereotypes
that dont apply to all.
Whats your favorite LGBT movie?

Paris is Burning. Still twerkin on that
death drop, though. Ill get it someday.
Sigh.
Whats the most overrated social

custom?
Going to a concert and everyone has
their phone out recording a video or
taking pictures. Enjoy and just live in the
moment.
What trophy or prize do you most

covet?
When I was 23, I was diagnosed with
thyroid cancer. I had surgery to remove
my thyroid, which left a scar across
the base of my neck. To me, that scar
represents overcoming adversity and my
new lease on life.
What do you wish youd known at

18?
Maybe you should have gone to that
state school instead of maybe that
expensive private college institution.
Why Washington?
Because Washington oers the
best of a big city without feeling so
overwhelmed. Great neighborhood bars
and restaurants. Plenty of green space
to roam around outside. And bike lanes.
Yes, bike lanes.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
T HE ATER
DE C E M B E R 02, 2016 31
THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BAND

Washington, D.C.
Colonel Larry H. Lang, Commander and Conductor
BRUCH REED, left, and AVERY CLARK in Straight White Men.
My three sons
Grown brothers ponder
existential crisis in uneven
Straight White Men
By PATRICK FOLLIARD
STRAIGHT WHITE MEN

THROUGH DEC. 18
STUDIO THEATRE
1501 14TH ST., N.W.
$52 AND UP
202-332-3300
STUDIOTHEATRE.ORG
Season2016
Saturday, Dec. 10
3 p.m. & 8 p.m.

D.A.R. Constitution Hall
Washington, D.C.
FREE! Tickets required.
Please visit:
www.eventbrite.com
Search: Air Force Band
TATES AIR FO
DS
75
W
E BAND
RC
Plots can hinge on almost anything

death, theft or a slap across the face come
to mind. In Young Jean Lees Straight
White Men, the catalyst is tears.
Its Christmas Eve and three adult sons
and their father have gathered in the
family home where theyre digging into a
feast of Chinese takeout when the oldest
of the siblings unexpectedly bursts into
a brief, but ugly, cry. The majority of the
90-minute play now at Studio Theatre is
mostly a reaction to those tears.
The
Korean-American
playwright
sets her foray into realism in an elderly
white mans lived-in family room. The
homeowner is Ed (Michael Winters),
a comfortably retired engineer. His
middle-aged son Matt (Michael Tisdale),
mired in student debt after years of elite
education, has moved back home to work
a temp job and help look after his aging
father.
Matts younger brothers Jake (Bruch
Reed), a successful banker, and Drew
(Avery Clark), a New York Times-reviewed
novelist and professor, hold dierent
theories on why Matt hasnt taken his
rightful place among successful men. This
leads into a discussion of straight white
male privilege. While the questions Lees
play asks are often interesting, getting to
the answers can be tiresome.
Reunited in the house where they
grew up, the 40-something men become
engaged in endless loud and obnoxious
roughhousing.
The
not-particularlyamusing antics involve nonstop theatrics
including tons of mimicry Bolshevik,
Nazi, Chinese waiter and lisping eete
are the favored voices and the loud
shenanigans come o silted. The
audience reaction on a recent matinee
indicated a split: half were giggling while
the remainder sat stone-faced. Director

Shana Cooper might have reined in the
madness.
The brothers were brought up to be
socially conscience. As boys, they played
a board called Privilege adapted by
their now-absent mother (presumably
deceased, but its never made clear) to
teach her sons not to be assholes. Of
the three, Matt has always been the most
dedicated to social justice and is the most
gifted of the sons yet has never secured
a meaningful place the world. When not
working his temp job, hes waiting on
his father, sometimes wearing an old,
owered apron.
Each member of the family speaks his
own truth in some way. Jake, a banker
whos divorced from a black woman
with whom he shares two children, is
very up front about the duality of his life,
freely admitting that he uses white male
privilege to get what he wants. The writer
Drew strives to be happy personally and
professionally, a wish hes slowly fullled
through therapy. The father doesnt
relate to all this privilege talk. He just
doesnt understand why he cant x Matt
with a hefty check.
In the rather stilted Christmas morning
scene, Ed suggests teaching Matt how
to interview eectively. Its an indignity
in which no thinking adult would ever
willingly engage. Ultimately Matt wants to
left alone. Whether that will or wont be,
his fate remains to be decided.
As stagehand-in-charge, super modelesque actor Jeymee Semiti reminds the
audience to turn o their cellphones.
She appears again between scenes to
determinedly rearrange props. Hers is
a curious-though-welcome presence
among the boyishly behaved white men.
Spirit of the
THE UNITE
PHOTO BY TERESA WOOD; COURTESY STUDIO THEATER
years
19
41 ~ 2016
AS
www.usafband.af.mil
HIN G T O N, D
.C
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
3 2 DE CE MB ER 0 2, 2016
O U T & A BO U T
Homecoming for Mary Chapin Carpenter

Country crossover
singer plans Birchmere
engagement
CARPENTER: You have to be comfortable

not being in control. I think of myself, my
personality is I like order out of chaos. I like
things to be organized, I like to know what
Im doing. Its just this disillusion idea that
Im in control, but Im not. The greatest test
for me is when things blow up and you
sort of have to regroup. You have to feel
that alls not lost. The idea is when youre a
younger person, is that when things blow
up, Oh my God, its the worst thing that
ever happened, but later in life, theres a
freedom that comes around where youre
not so invested or it sounds so Oprah
like but youre not so attached to the
outcome. Youre able to handle a blow up
and realize its not the end of the world.
By BRIAN WALMER
After a four-year break from new
material, 2016 nds Mary Chapin
Carpenter back with her 14th studio
album, The Things That We Are Made Of.
Since the release of 2012s Ashes and
Roses, the ve-time Grammy winner has
toured with fellow singer-songwriter Shawn
Colvin; released and toured with her 2014
symphonic album, Songs From the Movie;
and toured an acoustic show last year.
Carpenter will be wrapping up the end
of a busy touring year performing two soldout shows at the Birchmere Dec. 6-7. A few
last-minute tickets may be available when
the box oce opens each evening at 5 p.m.
Carpenter recalls her early days
performing at the Birchmere, looking
back and being labeled a country artist
during a phone chat from her home in
the Blue Ridge Mountains.
WASHINGTON BLADE: What are your
memories of singing at the Birchmere?
MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER: I dont know
when the exact rst time I ever had a show
there. I started playing there in the early 80s
as an opener and as part of other groups.
Its much bigger than it used to be. The
new Birchmere has been there a long time
now. The old Birchmere used to be about a
quarter of the size. It really was an intimate
space and one of the premier listening
rooms in the country. Now they can bring
bigger shows and theres more seats, but its
still such a revered listening room.
BLADE: Does it feel the same playing
there now?
CARPENTER: You mean the same
feeling of being nervous and scared? Yes!
(laughs)
BLADE: Youve played the Birchmere
and Wolf Trap many times. Do you have
a preference?
CARPENTER: Theyre so dierent. I dont
prefer one over the other. Certainly, the
Birchmere being more intimate, its an
opportunity to be more free wheeling and
chatting with the audience where with Wolf
Trap, its so vast, but its still possible to feel
the collective energy of 7,000 people. I feel
so lucky to be a resident of this area in the
sense that I have two hometown stages
that mean the world to me and theyre
both very dierent, but theyre both deeply
meaningful to me in terms of my career
and what it feels like to play music. I have
gone to both as a listener for so long before
I had the good fortune to play those stages,
PHOTO COURTESY SAKS & CO.
Looking at lyrics for her new album made MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER realize shes still asking
questions.
theyre just treasures.

BLADE: Tell us about your current tour.
CARPENTER: Its actually been a few years
since I toured with a band, so reconvening
the band incarnation with brand new
music just lifts you up and makes you feel
energized with new players and new music.
BLADE: And your new album?
CARPENTER: What this record is about in
my mind, its about asking questions. When
I laid down all the lyrics to proofread, its an
odd thing, it wasnt until I did that, looked
at each song physically next to one another
that I realized that so many of the lyrics
in the songs are posed in the form of the
question. What it made me feel was that
given the subject matter that its far more
important when you reach a certain time in
your life to just feel that youre still asking
questions and youre still curious and
youre more comfortable with the idea of
not knowing because you cant have all the
answers and thats OK. Its just remaining
open, inquisitive, open-hearted, alert to
everything around you and accepting.
BLADE: When you listen to The Things
That We Are Made Of, its distinctly
dierent than your last album, Ashes
and Roses. Do your albums reect
where you currently are in the dierent
stages of your life?
CARPENTER: Yeah, I hope so. I heard
this wonderful interview with Anne
Patchett, she was on Diane Rehm and
I was listening to it. Shes one of my
favorite authors and she said something
that I dont remember the exact words,

but Ill paraphrase, it was every book shes
written has led to the next one. It made
a lot of sense to me as someone who
tries to create these sort of worlds where
every couple years another world exists,
a world of song. This record, I understand
where people say its very dierent or
whatever, but from my position it doesnt
feel so much dierent as a natural next
place to go.
BLADE: Looking back is a recurring
theme in your work. Is that a conscious
decision?
CARPENTER: I just cant help it (laughs).
I think songwriting, as a creative form of
expression, I mean, on one hand its a deeply
personal exercise and youre trying to express
your feelings, trying to express yourself within
the world and its about connection as well.
Thats the gift of live music of course. When
were in our 20s and 30s and even in our
40s, I think we have a sense that life is going
to last forever. Its only when the challenges,
the losses, the changes in our lives, the loss of
parents or a health issue that tend to come
upon us as we reach the mid point. Those
are the things that kind of stop you in your
tracks and not so much teach you, but alert
you to the fact that no, youre not going to live
forever. Theres a reason people have crises
at times of their lives because mortality is a
dicult thing to grasp.
BLADE: We all have moments in our
lives where things are constantly changing
whether we want them to or not.How do you
deal with the unexpected?
BLADE: When did you rst notice you

had a gay following?
CARPENTER: Its funny to me because
I never think about it. Its never been
something I ever sort of thought about it.
So in that regard, I guess I have no idea.
Ive always been so happy just to look out
into the audience and see people.
BLADE: How does it feel testing out
new songs on the road?
CARPENTER: It helps me to sort of
hone the song. I go into the studio with
25, 30 songs and I dont record all of
them, but I have a sense of what I think
are the strongest and playing them out
and getting a sense of how they feel that
way, as opposed to just playing them in
my house. It does sort of weed things out.
BLADE: Will you be doing anything
special next year for your 30th anniversary
in music?
CARPENTER: Next year marks the
30th anniversary of my rst record
(Hometown Girl) so were talking about a
project, something special to kind of mark
it and a live record is certainly on the list.
BLADE: Does it ever bother you being
labeled a country artist?
CARPENTER: Its not something I reject.
I spent 20 years on the Nashville Columbia
label. It was an incredible opportunity
and I got to reach so many people. Its
given me everything I use today and its
allowed me to go where Ive wanted to
go. I think of starting out and having this
label, country as nothing I could reject
in anyway and Im proud of the music and
the times and everything we did during
those years. That said, I dont think it really
applies to me anymore. Furthermore,
I grew up listening to all sorts of music.
Labels were for soup cans as the saying
goes. Its just not something I paid a
whole lot of attention to and made to feel
to be a big deal. I just sort of feel like we
all play music and we just want to connect
with who we connect with.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
FI L M
DE C E M B E R 02, 2016 33
December 10 8PM
December 17 3PM
& 8PM
December 18 3PM
PHOTOCOURTESY BLACKMARIA
PAUL HAMY in The Ornithologist, an adventure lm from Portugal that echoes the legend of St.
Anthony of Padua.
Auteurs and visionaries

By BRIAN T. CARNEY
LGBT fans of great international cinema
in the metro D.C. area are about to get an
amazing early holiday present: the 2016
AFI European Film Showcase.
Presented in partnership with the
Delegation of the European Union to the
United States, the 29th annual Showcase
will include 47 lms representing all 28
European Union member states. The
Showcase runs through Dec. 18 at the AFI
Silver Theatre in downtown Silver Spring.
Complete details can be found at a.com/
silver.eushowcase.
The Showcase features a wide variety
of diverse lms, with several movies on
LGBT themes and directed by Europes
leading queer auteurs. Spain, for example
is represented by its ocial 2016 Oscar
selection, the 29th feature lm by
iconoclastic openly gay director Pedro
Almodvar (Law of Desire, the Academy
Award-winning All About My Mother
and most recently Im So Excited). In
sharp contrast to his early exuberant
farces and his later lush melodramas,
Julieta is a gritty and deeply emotional
exploration of the bonds between
mothers and daughters. Based on three
stories by Canadian writer Alice Munro,
the fascinating movie follows the title
character through two tumultuous
periods of her life.
Along with other lms, France is
represented by Frantz by wily gay
director Franois Ozon. In his latest lm,
set in the wake of World War I, French
veteran Adrien Rivoire (Pierre Niney) visits
the German town of Quedlinburg to place
owers on the grave fallen soldier Frantz
Homeister. Emotional and patriotic
complications ensue when Adrien
encounters Frantzs grieving parents and
former anc.
Two Greek lms turn to the sexual
and social shenanigans of middle-aged
men. In Chevalier, an outlandish satire
written and directed by Athina Rachel

Tsangari, six middle-aged men meet
aboard a yacht for the ridiculous annual
competition for the chevalier victory
signet ring. In Suntan, writer and
director Argyris Papadimitropoulos tells
a sensitive coming-of-middle age story
set on the wild party island of Antiparos.
Portugal is represented by visionary
queer director Joo Pedro Rodriques.
Winner of the Best Director Award at
the Locarno International Film Festival,
The Ornithologist follows the surreal
adventures of the strapping birder
Fernando (Paul Hamy) as he searches
for the rare black stork. Swept away by
rapids, he is taken on a mystical journey
of self-discovery that mirrors the legends
of St. Anthony of Padua. The lm features
a celebration of queer sexuality, lush
cinematography and fantastic wordplay
and imagery.
I choose to pay back my haters is the
haunting cry of the title character of I,
Olga Hepnarov. In 1973, Hepnarov
drove a truck down a Prague sidewalk,
killing eight and injuring a dozen more.
In 1975, she became the last women
executed in Czechoslovakia. Written and
directed by Petr Kazda and featuring a
powerhouse performance by Michalina
Olszanska, the lm looks back on
Hepnarovs short, brutal life, including
her institutionalization for psychiatric
disorders under the repressive Soviet
regime, her abuse by family members
and bullies at school and her sexual
relationships with both men and women.
Finally,
Irish
novelist-turnedscreenwriter and director John Butler
oers a fresh spin on the boarding school
coming-of-age story in Handsome
Devil. Mysterious star athlete Conor
is sent to a rugby-obsessed all-boys
boarding school and is forced to room
with Ned, a rebellious music-loving
outcast. Under the watchful eyes of
the homophobic rugby coach and the
secretive English teacher (Andrew Scott,
Pride), the two form an unlikely alliance
and nd their own voices.
Youve been naughty all year. Spend a nice evening with us.
Youve been nice all year. Spend a naughty evening with us.
AFI Euro fest oers eclectic,

queer-themed international fare
NAUGHTY & NICE at the LINCOLN THEATRE

1215 U ST NW TICKETS Call 1-877-435-9849 or visit gmcw.org
Groups of 10 or more: call 202-293-1548
GMC-01 N&N Blade_4.75x11.5.indd 1
11/10/16 11:00 AM
LIVE
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
34 D E C E M B E R 02, 2016
O U T & A BO U T
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
an intimate evening with
EMMYLOU
HARRIS
BENEFITING BONAPARTES RETREAT
featuring
SAM BUSH & JON RANDALL
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
W/ SPECIAL GUEST OWEN DANOFF

SUNDAY DEC
DELTA
RAE
W/ PENNY & SPARROW
TUESDAY DEC
SUN, DEC 11
EDWIN MCCAIN
W/ JEFF CAMPBELL
New doc series to screen Harvey Milk lm
SUN, DEC 18
KURT ELLING HOLIDAY SHOW

W/ MARK MEADOWS
TUES, DEC 20
LOS LOBOS HOLIDAY SHOW
THEHAMILTONDC.COM
The GW Documentary Center at George Washington University will host

a screening of The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 7
p.m. as part of its Whats Up? Docs!, a new lm series that pairs landmark
documentaries with scholars, critics and lm directors.
Harvey Milk, who was assassinated, was the rst openly gay person elected
to public oce in San Francisco when he won a seat on the citys board of
supervisors in 1978. The lm will be shown on the third oor of the Marvin
Center Amphitheater (800 21st St., N.W.). Harry Bensho, author of Queer
Cinema: the Film Reader will conduct at post-screening Q&A session.
Tickets for the full series are $50 ($30 for GW students) or $15 for this lm alone
($10 for GW students). Visit go.gwu.edu/wudtix for more information and tickets.
PHOTO COURTESY COHEN
Cohen touring new book
FOUNDRY GALLERY
exceptional contemporary art
Out author/comedian Andy Cohen

will be at two events in Washington on
Thursday, Dec. 8 to promote his new
book Supercial.
Hell be at the Palm (1225 19th St.,
N.W.) at 3 p.m. for a Q&A. And at 7 p.m.
hell be at Sixth & I (600 I St., N.W.) for a
book signing and discussion with Sen.
Claire McCaskill.
Ticket information is available at
theandycohendiaries.com.
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PHOTO COURTESY SYNETIC

Sleeping Beauty at Synetic
Gay Mens Chorus unveils new holiday show
The Gay Mens Chorus of Washington has four performances planned of its
holiday show Naughty and Nice. It will be presented at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec.
10; at 3 and 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17; and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 18. All
performances are at the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.).
The concert will be directed by John Moran and conducted by Thea Kano,
artistic director of the chorus. Tickets range from $25-65 and can be purchased
at gmcw.org or at the box oce from noon-7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Naughty and Nice will feature new holiday songs and traditional favorites
with a twist along with new arrangements, mashups, tap dancers, leather
reindeer, dancing fruitcakes, men in heels, snow and more. Songs include Sleigh
Ride, Snow, Text Me Merry Christmas and more.
Full details at gmcw.org.
Gay-friendly Synetic Theater opens its

wordless production of Sleeping Beauty
on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m.
The much-lauded and heavily awarded
Synetic ensemble takes on the classic
tale of a princess, an evil sorceress and
a centuries-long sleeping curse in this
darkly elegant adaptation of one of the
Grimm Brothers most beloved stories.
Teen Company alumni Eliza Smith stars
as Briar Rose with Zana Gankhuyag as the
prince and Irina Tsikurishvili as the witch.
It turns through Jan. 8. Tickets are $10.
Details at synetictheater.org.
washingtonblade.com
M US I C
DE C E M B E R 02, 2016 35
PHOTO by brian sheffield
Nine-time Grammy nominee Dave Koz says it would be great to win but hes learned to enjoy
Grammy night no matter what happens. His most recent nomination was for his Summer Horns
album in the best pop instrumental album category in 2014.
19 years and counting

Saxophone virtuoso Dave Koz
brings star-studded Christmas
tour to Washington
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
Dave Koz says one big reason his annual
Christmas tour has lasted 19 years is because
he makes it a point to change it up each year.
Its hard for me to even imagine this
happening but 19 years later, were still
here every year, he says by phone from
his home in Los Angeles.
His Christmas Tour 2016 plays Washington
this weekend with a show on Saturday, Dec.
3 at the National Theatre. It kicked off in
Florida on Black Friday and will continue
with a whirlwind 24 shows in 28 days before
wrapping Dec. 22 in San Jose, Calif.
Koz is especially psyched about having
Valerie Simpson of Ashford & Simpson
fame. The legendary Motown songwritingand-production team were known for hits
like Aint Nothing Like the Real Thing,
Reach Out and Touch (Somebodys Hand)
and Aint No Mountain High Enough.
Nickolas Ashford died in 2011 and this is
Simpsons first major tour since then.
Koz was seated next to Simpson at Clive
Daviss birthday party in Palm Springs in
April hed met her previously and
says hes super excited to have her in
this years lineup.
We had about three-fourths of our lineup
done but we were still looking for that female
presence on stage, Koz says. As I sat down
next to her, it hit me like a lightening bolt. I
said to myself, Keep it cool, dont come on
too strong, dont mention this tonight, just
have a nice time getting back in acquaintance
with her. I actually remained pretty cool the
whole night but at the end I said, Ive got this
crazy idea, and she said, Bring it on.
Koz, who came out in 2004, says audiences
will be in for a major thrill as his other guests,
Jonathan Butler and Kenny Lattimore join her
for several signature Ashford & Simpson hits.
Nobodys ever gonna take Nick

Ashfords place, but they will do a good
job representing him on stage, he says. I
really consider her like the R&B equivalent
of Carole King a masterful singer,
songwriter and pianist. She and her late
husband gave the world so many gems.
Koz says being on tour this time of year is
really a joy and it goes by really quickly.
He does meet-and-greets both pre- and
post-show and says his pre-show ritual is
pretty calm.
Theres no time to get complacent or
bored, he says. Its always moving, always
changing. I really look forward to right
after the show. Were all in our pajamas
on the bus and can have a nice cocktail,
watch a movie, talk about how the night
went and head on to the next city.
Koz had a big year. He closed and
reopened his Los Angeles restaurant as
Citizen Beverly Hills and did a 17-date
summer tour with his idol, David Sanborn,
a six-time Grammy-winning saxophonist
whos worked with everyone from David
Bowie, Stevie Wonder, the Rolling Stones
and many more. Koz, of course, is no
slouch himself, but says this tour was a
dream come true.
He actually gave me really great advice the
first time I met him when I was 16, he says.
Id snuck in back stage at a sold-out concert
of his in Los Angeles and I was a blubbering
fool, just all over the place. I could barely
make a sentence. Somehow I blurted out that
I wanted to be just like you, play just like you,
sound like you and he just said, Stop. Theres
already one of me. So just let me be me and
you be you. Ive kept that advice very close
to my heart all these years.
Dave Koz
Christmas Tour 2016
With Jonathan Butler
Valerie Simpson and Kenny Lattimore
Saturday, Dec. 3
National Theatre
1321 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
nationaltheatre.org
davekoz.com
$68-98; VIP $198
December 6January 8
Eisenhower Theater
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG | (202) 467-4600
Tickets also available at the Box Office. Groups call (202) 416-8400.
For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.
Theater at the Kennedy Center
is made possible by
Major support for Musical Theater

at the Kennedy Center is provided by
Kennedy Center Theater

Season Sponsor
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
3 6 DECE MB ER 0 2, 2016
A RT S & CU LT U RE
This Week in the Arts provided by CultureCapital.com

Moon. Thru Jan 1. Woolly Mammoth.
woollymammoth.net.
The Goldsh and B.W.A. (Black
Womans Anonymous). Dec 2-Dec 3.
The Clarice. claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.
Special ToursThe Measure of Our
Lives. Dec 3-Dec 4. National Portrait
Gallery, Smithsonian. npg.si.edu.
DANCE
Into The Woods
Dec 6-Jan 8. Kennedy Center.
kennedy-center.org.
Venture into the woods with the acclaimed Fiasco Theaters production that
became NYCs surprise hit of the season. Mind the wolf, heed the witch, and
honor the giant in the sky in this extraordinary musical about the power of
wishes--and what really happens after they come true.
King Ubu
Dec 8-Jan 7. Pointless Theatre at Mead Theatre Lab.
pointlesstheatre.com.
Hilarious, violent, and absurd, King Ubu promises audiences lowbrow humor,
ludicrous language, and full-bore puppet carnage all wrapped up into a
funhouse take on Macbeth and the classical tragedy.
Cabinet of Curiosities: Margaret Leng Tan, piano

Dec 8. The Clarice.
claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.
An evening of music-theater works performed on pianos large and small, as

well asall manner of toy instruments from bicycle horns to a hand-cranked
music box.
Open Studios
Dec 4. Jackson Art Center.
jacksonartcenter.com.
Explore 40 active art studios, housed in the classrooms, oces, cloakrooms

and closets of former DC public Jackson School (1890-1971), in Georgetown. Oil
painting, pottery, photography, drawing, assemblage. Enjoy refreshments and
live music.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE KENNEDY CENTER
THEATRE
The Second Shepherds Play. Thru
Dec 21. Folger Consort. Folger Theatre.
folger.edu.
A Christmas Carol. Thru Dec 31.
Fords Theatre. fords.org.
Goyescas. Dec 7-Dec 18. In Series at
GALA Hispanic Theatre. inseries.org.
Hecho en Puelto Rico (Made in
Puelto Rico). Dec 2-Dec 3. GALA
Hispanic Theatre. galatheatre.org.
Tame. Thru Dec 11. WSC Avant Bard.
Gunston Arts Center. wscavantbard.
org.
Six Degrees of Separation. Thru Dec
3. Keegan Theatre. keegantheatre.com.
A View From the Bridge. Thru Dec
3. Shear Madness. Thru Mar 28.

Kennedy Center. kennedy-center.org.
Mary Poppins. Thru Jan 1. Olney
Theatre. olneytheatre.org.
The Secret Garden. Thru Dec 31.
Shakespeare Theatre Company. Sidney
Harman Hall. shakespearetheatre.org.
Silver Belles. Thru Dec 31. Signature
Theatre. signature-theatre.org.
Straight White Men. Thru Dec 18.
Studio Theatre. studiotheatre.org.
The Christians. Thru Dec 11. Theater J.
theaterj.org.
Its a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio
Play. Thru Dec 18. Washington Stage
Guild. Undercroft Theatre. stageguild.
org.
The Second Citys Black Side of the
DC Contemporary Dance Theatre.

Dec 3-Dec 4. Fieldwork for Mixed
Disciplines Showing. Dec 6. Dance
Place. danceplace.org.
Evenings at the Edge: Deviated
Theatre. Dec 8. National Gallery of Art.
nga.gov.
A Swingin Nutcracker. Dec 8. Step
Afrika! Strathmore. stepafrika.org.
MUSIC
Chopteeth. Dec 2. Bernard/
Ebb Showcase. Dec 3. The
Capital Hearings. Dec 4. AMP.
ampbystrathmore.com.
Eldar Trio. Dec 2. Cecily Salutes
DC. Dec 3. Bohemian Caverns Jazz
Orchestra. Dec 4. Atlas. atlasarts.org.
Virginia Opera: The Barber of Seville.
Dec 3-Dec 4. GMU Center for the Arts.
cfa.gmu.edu.
Gamelan and Koto Concert.
Dec 2. Christian Scott aTunde
Adjuah. Dec 2-Aug 5. The Clarice.
claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.
Christmas and Holiday Celebration.
Dec 7. Embassy Experiences. Embassy
of Croatia. embassyexperiences.com.
Boutellis-Taft, Violin, Angela
Draghicescu, Piano. Dec 8. Embassy
Series. Embassy of Romania.
embassyseries.org.
An Evening with Megan Hilty. Dec
8-Dec 9. Kennedy Center. kennedycenter.org.
The Tallis Scholars. Dec 7. Library of
Congress. loc.gov.
Vidimus Stellam. Dec 3-Dec 4. Capitol
Hill Chorale. Lutheran Church of the
Reformation. capitolhillchorale.org.
Donal Fox, jazz piano. Dec 3. Fox
Wolf Duo. Dec 4. National Gallery of
Art. nga.gov.
The Mavericks. Dec 2. Ramn Tasat,
tenor & guitar. Dec 7. Strathmore.
strathmore.org.
Tomer Gewirtzman, piano.
Dec 3. Attacca Quartet. Dec 4.
Washington Performing Arts. UDC.
washingtonperformingarts.org.
The Swingles. Dec 2. Boston Brass.
Dec 4. The Barns. wolftrap.org.
MUSEUMS
Kreeger Museum. Selected Works:
Sam Gilliam and Simmie Knox. Thru

Dec 30. Smith|Paley. Thru Dec 30.
kreegermuseum.org.
Library of Congress. #Opera Before
Instagram: Portraits, 1890-1955. Thru
Jan 21. loc.gov.
National Archives. Amending
America. Thru Sep 4.
archivesfoundation.org.
National Gallery of Art. Barbara
Kruger. Thru Jan 29. Stuart Davis. Thru
Mar 5. nga.gov.
National Geographic. FotoWeek Central
Exhibition. Thru Dec 31. nglive.org.
National Museum of Women in the
Arts. NO MANS LAND: Women Artists
from the Rubell Family Collection. Thru
Jan 8. Wanderer/Wonderer: Pop-Ups
by Colette Fu. Thru Feb 26. nmwa.org.
National Portrait Gallery. In the
Groove: Jazz Portraits by Herman
Leonard. Thru Feb 20. One Life: Babe
Ruth. Thru May 21. npg.si.edu.
Tudor Place. Home for the Holidays,
1945. Dec 7. tudorplace.org.
GALLERIES
DAC. 2016 Professional Awards of the
Potomac Chapter, ASLA. Thru Dec 10.
aiadac.com.
Goethe-Institut. Shadowgraphs by
Tim Otto Roth. Thru Jan 13. goethe.de.
Hill Center. Hill Center Galleries
Exhibitions. Thru Dec 30. hillcenterdc.
org.
ISAAG. The Real Distance
(Uruguay). Thru Dec 12.
idbstaassociationartgallery.org.
Strathmore. Fine Art in Miniature.
Thru Dec 31. Ctrl+P. Thru Dec 31.
Jennifer Kahn Barlow. Thru Dec 31.
strathmore.org.
The Art League Gallery. The Artistic
Frame. Thru Dec 4. MiniMAX. Thru
Dec 4. Soomin Ham. Thru Dec 4.
theartleague.org.
Waverly Street Gallery. New Work
in Clay by Kanika Sircar. Thru Dec
3. The Holiday Show. Dec 6-Jan 7.
waverlystreetgallery.com.
Zenith Sculpture Space. STEEL the
SHOW. Thru Jan 14. zenithgallery.com.
AND MORE...
King Lear. Dec 5. Folger Theatre.
folger.edu.
Between River and Rim. Dec 8.
National Geographic. nglive.org.
Pearl Harbor: From Infamy to
Greatness. Dec 7. From the Vaults:
How Americans First Learned of Pearl
Harbor. Dec 7. National Archives.
archivesfoundation.org.
PEN/Malamud Award: Joy Williams. Dec
2. PEN/Faulkner. Folger Shakespeare
Library. penfaulkner.org.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
S P O RTI N I N D. C.
DE C E M B E R 02, 2016 37
HUDSON TAYLOR formed Athlete Ally to address issues of rampant homophobia in sports.
Athlete Ally founder feels

sting of anti-gay remarks from
Columbia University wrestlers
By KEVIN MAJOROS
Hudson Taylor witnessed rsthand
the homophobia that is pervasive in
the culture of college sports during his
years as an All-American wrestler at
the University of Maryland. It was what
compelled him to co-found Athlete Ally,
a campaign to end homophobia and
transphobia in sports, at the end of 2010
with his now-wife, Lia.
From 2010-2014, Taylor was a volunteer
wresting coach at Columbia University,
so when news broke on Nov. 10 that the
schools class of 2017 wrestling team were
found to have used homophobic and
racist slurs, making jokes about rape and
mocking womens appearances, Taylor
returned to speak with the wrestlers hed
once coached.
WASHINGTON BLADE: The news about
the Columbia wrestling team had to hit
you pretty hard. What are you feeling?
HUDSON TAYLOR: I know these guys and
I have coached them. For ve years I worked
with them to change this behavior and to
address the resulting impact from using that
kind of language. It made me very sad.
BLADE: In an article you wrote for the
Columbia Spectator, you accepted some
of the responsibility for the actions of the
wrestlers. Why?
TAYLOR: It was me wanting them to
know that their actions are aecting
people from the coaching sta to the
school to the sport itself. My apology was
an attempt to show them that and to
apologize for not doing more to develop
them into young men of better character.
BLADE: The Columbia wrestling team
also wrote a letter of apology that stated
that a culture change is needed and that
it will take place. How will that happen?
TAYLOR: There will be a thoughtful
punishment for the people in question
followed by a period of reconciliation that

will be taken as an opportunity to create
something to be proud of. I spoke to the
team this past Monday and will continue
to work with them in regards to what
happened and how to move forward.
BLADE: You have said that maybe in
the past you had been talking too much
to the wrestlers and not enough with
them. Were you aware of their biases?
TAYLOR: No, the attitudes existed in
unseen places. I think it speaks to the point
that people are getting better at being
mindful about what they reveal publicly.
BLADE: The lewd messages that were
sent by the wrestlers not only targeted
the LGBT community, but also women
and people of color. Will Athlete Ally be
addressing those communities more in
the future?
TAYLOR: You cant really hope to end
forms of discrimination of one type without
addressing all of it. Athlete Ally will continue
to target homophobia and transphobia in
sports by investing in education and policy
change. That being said, we are currently
involved with the push to end the hijab ban
on female players within the International
Basketball Federation. It is not core to our
work, but we have a responsibility.
BLADE: Athlete Allys investment in
policy change and education is directed
at professional and college sports. The
evidence is there that prejudice and
discrimination is being taught at early
ages. Why not K-12 schools?
TAYLOR: Ultimately yes, attitudes and
behaviors are being taught early on. We
have targeted professional and college
sports because the impact on them is
scalable. K-12 is more segmented and
there are over 30,000 high schools in the
United States. We dont have enough feet
on the ground to make an impact. We do
have ideas though and one is to engage
the over 200,000 people playing in LGBT
sports leagues to go back to their high
schools to interact with the students.
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
1232 9th St. NW Washington, DC 20001 (202)789-0870

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3 8 DECE MB ER 0 2, 2016
CA LE N D A R
tonight and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Both shows are sold out but last-minute
tickets may be available at the box oce
at 5 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Details at
birchmere.com.
A Magical Season Celebration, the
fourth annual holiday heat wave party by
Capital Pride is tonight from 7:30-10:30 p.m.
at the HRC Equality Center (1640 Rhode
Island Ave., N.W.). The party will feature
food, festive holiday drinks and decor and
music. Tickets are $15 and include two
drink tickets and hors doeuvres or VIP
tickets for $30 which include open bar.
Details at capitalpride.org.
Genderqueer D.C. holds a discussion
group at the D.C. Center (13181 U St.,
N.W.) at 7 p.m. tonight. The group is for
anyone who identies outside of the
gender binary as bigender, agender,
genderuid or any label outside of
cisgender. For more information, visit
thedccenter.org.
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
Legendary diva Diana Ross who last
week received the Presidential Medal of
Freedom continues her three-night run
at the Kennedy Center tonight with the
NSO Pops under the direction of Emil de
Cou. ALL the Best of Times will feature
hits from throughout her 50-year career.
The 85-minute show will be performed in
the Kennedy Center Concert Hall (2700 F
St., N.W.) tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $59-179. Details at kennedycenter.org.
Pushing Dead, a drama about a
struggling HIV-positive writer who loses
his health care plan for making too much
money after depositing a $100 birthday
check, will be screened tonight at 7 p.m.
at the HRC Equality Center (1640 Rhode
Island Ave., N.W.). The lm stars Danny
Glover and James Roday and is directed by
Tom Brown. A cocktail reception and Q&A
with the director will follow the screening.
Regular tickets are $12. VIP tickets are
$25. Details at reelarmations.org.
The fourth annual Holiday Market
will be held at Miss Pixies Furnishings &
Whatnot (1626 14th St., N.W.) today from
5:30-8:30 p.m. Details at misspixies.com.
Otter
Crossing
featuring
DJ
StrokeStone is tonight at 10 p.m. at Green
Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.) with otter
joy and disco holidays. Power Otter
Scotty will host. Admission is $5. Details
on Facebook.
SATURDAY, DEC. 3
Jazz saxophonist Dave Koz brings
his Christmas Tour 2016 with guests
Jonathan Butler, Valerie Simpson and
Kenny Lattimore to the National Theatre
(1321 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.) tonight
at 8 p.m. Tickets are $193. Details at
nationaltheatre.org.
D.C. Leather Pride and the Imperial
Court of Washington will have their second
annual Winter Soltice Ball tonight from
7-10 p.m. at the D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning
Rd., N.E.). The event promises our usual
shenanigans with performers, demos
and getting men naked all in the name
of fundraising for the children. All funds
generated will be donated to the Wanda
Alston House, a local LGBT homeless
shelter. Delta B. Knyght will perform and
emcee the event. Look for the event on
Facebook for full details.
The Mixtape Holiday Dance Party is
tonight at 9:30 p.m. at the Black Cat (1811
14th St., N.W.). Mixtape DJs Shea Van
Horn and Matt Bailer will spin tracks for
a holiday dance party. Admission is $10.
Details on Facebook.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7
PHOTO COURTESY LOGAN CIRCLE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
A home featured on last years Logan Circle Holiday House Tour. This years tour will be held
Sunday afternoon.
SUNDAY, DEC. 4
The 38th annual Logan Circle Holiday
House Tour is today from 1-5 p.m. Visitors
will tour homes in the neighborhood
while various musicians entertain at
spots throughout. A Wassail reception
will be held at Studio Theatre. Tickets are
$30 in advance or $35. Visit logancircle.
org for advance tickets. Day-of tickets will
be for sale at Studio Theatre.
MONDAY, DEC. 5
Many Languages, One Voice will host
Trump Says Go Back, We Say Fight
Back, an event for those willing to
give eight-10 hours per month to local
immigration justice work. It will be held
from 6-8 p.m. tonight at La Casa (3166 Mt.
Pleasant St., N.W.). Many Languages is an
immigrant-centered and led movement
for undocumented, Muslim, queer and
people of color immigrants. Look for the
event on Facebook for full details.
La Ti Do presents Duets with Don

Mike 2016 BOYZ Edition tonight at 8
p.m. at Bistro Bistro (1727 Connecticut
Ave., N.W.). Hosts Don Mike Mendoza
and Anya Randall Nebel will be joined by
guests Hasani Allen, Scott Harrison, Troy
Hopper, Ben Lurye, Teddy Nagel, Taylor
Rieland, Russell Silber and Lo the Poet.
Paige Rammelkamp accompanies. Tickets
are $15 at the door or $10 with a receipt
from Bistro Bistro. Look for the event on
Facebook for full details.
Capital Trans Pride will have a
community kicko meeting tonight from
6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Reeves Center
Municipal Building (2000 14th St., N.W.).
Look for the event on Facebook for
details.
TUESDAY, DEC. 6
Mary Chapin Carpenter brings her
The Things We Are Made Of Tour with
guest Rose Cousins to the Birchmere
(3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Va.)
Bookmen D.C., an informal mens gay

literature group, meets tonight at 7:30
p.m. at the Tenleytown Library (4450
Wisconsin Ave., N.W.) to discuss The
Delectable Negro: Human Consumption
and Homoeroticism within U.S. Slave
Culture. All welcome. Details at
bookmendc.blogspot.com.
The Tom Davoren Social Bridge Club
meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity
Center (721 8th St., S.E.) for social bridge.
No partner needed. Call 301-345-1571 for
more information.
The third annual Manhattans,
Martinis & Mistletoe will be held
tonight from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the
National Museum of Women in the Arts
(1250 New York Ave., N.W.). Several local
organizations and businesses are joining
forces to raise money for United Soldiers
and Sailors of America, Operation Second
Chance and the Green Beret Foundation.
A VIP reception will be held at 6 p.m.
General admission is at 6:30. Tickets are
$150. Details at joinm3.org.
A Hairspray Live! viewing party
will be held tonight from 8-11 p.m. at
Number Nine (1435 P St., N.W.) hosted by
BaNaka. The event has a Facebook page
for details.
THURSDAY, DEC. 8
Accumulation, a new show by
artist Elaine Florimonte continues today
through Dec. 23 at Touchstone Gallery
(901 New York Ave., N.W.). The museum
is open today from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Using
paint and canvas, she tackles the notion
that the depth of our shared human
experience is created by a latering of
interaction with each other and the
world. A reception is planned on Dec. 9
from 6-8:30 p.m. An encore reception
is planned on Dec. 11 from 1-3 p.m.
with an artist talk at 2 p.m. Details at
touchstonegallery.com.
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WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
A R T S & EN TE RTA I NMENT
DE C E M B E R 02, 2016 41
Election gives Hairspray

special meaning
While their onscreen relationship

couldnt be further apart, the pair couldnt
have been closer oset, often seen
walking arm and arm together.
I love her like shes my own kid,
Chenoweth says of Grande.
For these songstresses Hairspray Live!
airing in a post-Trump world had to happen.
I think its cosmic, Grande says. I think
it was meant to be. I think the universe
had a plan and was like, OK, we need to
show these people something uplifting
but that will also make you get the point.
Its a beautiful show. Its touching.
Chenoweth agrees and said her role as
an LGBT ally is all the more important.
Its interesting being a person not to get
weird a person of faith, a woman in show
business in the 21st century. I guess I have to
keep saying those words right there. Because
to me, whatever God is to us, we have to be.
God is love. And it seems like the opposite of
that happens a lot. Instead of acceptance and
love, not tolerance, acceptance. Thats my
message, Chenoweth says.
Grande
and
Jennifer
Hudson
(Motormouth Maybelle) will be giving
Hairspray their own twist by singing Come
So Far, written by Marc Shaiman and Scott
Wittman. The song appeared in the 2007
movie version. Both Grande and Hudson
admit they are excited for the duet. While
Come So Far is an upbeat tune, Grande
and Chenoweth say I Know Where Ive
Been, sung by Hudson inside Motormouth
Records, is an emotional rollercoaster.
This isnt Hudsons rst time in a period
musical. However, the mental preparation
involved is completely dierent.
When I was doing Dreamgirls, I had to
go back and look at what was happening in
the 60s, Hudson says. I dont nd myself
having to do that now. Its like, turn on the
news. It helps us in a way because now
we can relate in this day and age. I think it
gives the story that much more power and
meaning. To us, this is normal. But now,
we wont necessarily see it that way.
During a panel discussion with the
creative team, moderator Dave Karger
asked why now is a good time for
Hairspray.
Director Kenny Leon couldnt help but
laugh.
Oh, wow. Man, where were you last
Tuesday? Leon joked. Its actually a
blessing to be in the throngs of this after
last week. And its emphasized the role of
artists in our world. And so it gave me an
opportunity to talk to the company about
the importance of what we do.
The importance of Hollywoods role as a
source of comfort is being highlighted now
more so than in recent years. Out actor Billy

Eichner, who makes a special appearance
as Rob Barker, and Paul Vogt, who plays
Mr. Spritzer, see Hairspray as especially
healing for the LGBT community.
It was created by John Waters, which
is like a gay icon and has always been a
great voice, Eichner says. He has always
been very outspoken about being gay and
gay issues and diversity in his casts and
the characters. And Hairspray is about
outsiders, you know? And its a great musical
and gay people like a great musical.
What everyone else considers the normal
world thats his outsiders so I think he likes to
show the outsiders and say, Yeah, you have
a right to be here and a lot of homosexuals
and LGBT we feel like the outsiders but were
not. Were the same as everybody else and
we should be able to just feel that way. I think
Friday & Saturday December 9 & 10 7:30Pm
that Hairspray gives you that voice and I
Tickets $15 In Advance $20 At The Door Students Free W/ Id
think John Waters gives you that, Vogt adds.
Tickets on sale now at www.18thstreetsingers.com
For Vogt, comedy is essential in getting
Church of the Ascension & St. Agnes
through tough political times.
1217 Massachusetts Ave NW
You can yell at people and yell at
people and disagree with them and
ght with them, but then when you do it
Carpet Hardwood Ceramic & Stone Laminate Vinyl Bath Remodeling
through comedy, sometimes theyll hear
you, Vogt says.
Fierstein thinks Hairspray is the perfect
vehicle for getting that message across.
The wonderful thing about Hairspray
YOUR FLOORING PROFESSIONALS SINCE 1985
is its so gentle in its storytelling. Its the
Aspen Hill
right message. We dont beat you up,
13629 Connecticut Ave
Fierstein says.
(Aspen Hill Shopping Center)
A common thread the cast seemed to
301-460-4100
share, besides an unwavering passion for
Hairspray, is that keeping the laughter
N. Bethesda
going keeps hope alive.
5268-J Nicholson Ln.
I hear theres going to be a man playing
(Next to Shoppers and HomeGoods)
the mother, Fierstein jokes. But I didnt
(301) 881-0969
check anyone elses penises or vaginas.
Well thats what wrap parties are for,
Laurel
13380 Mid Atlantic Blvd
Short says.
(Rt.1 & Contee Rd.)
While the cast prepares for the show, so
301-206-2200
is the actual city of Baltimore. In celebration
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of Hairspray Live! the city will oer
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ISSUE DATE: 11.18.2016
SALES REPRESENTATIVE: SIRIWAT PATHARAPANUPATH
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many of Baltimores bars and restaurants.
(Next
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the date of proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff
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omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is
discounts in honor of the REDESIGN
show. For a
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
TEXT REVISIONS
any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any
complete list of Hairspray activities,
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Columbia
copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair
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will also hold a special watch party from 7
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D E CE MBE R 0 2 , 2 0 1 6 4 3
REALESTATE
Mortgage dj vu
Your home is not an ATM,
its a long-term investment
By VALERIE M. BLAKE
Remember back in the early to mid2000s when interest rates were low,
nancing was creative and mortgage
loans were given out like candy by some
unscrupulous lenders?
Properties were appreciating so quickly
that homeowners were often encouraged
to renance and use the rising equity in
their homes for debt consolidation, home
improvements, college tuition and vacations.
Back then, borrowing money was easy.
A person could state his income and
verify his assets (SIVA loan), state both
her income and her assets (SISA loan), or
obtain a no income, no asset loan (NINA)
just by having a stellar credit rating and
paying a higher interest rate.
And remember those adjustable rate
mortgages known as Option ARMs,
where the borrower could choose
each month to make a fully amortized
payment, an interest-only payment, or an
even lower payment based on an initial
teaser rate? The initial rate was so low
that the principal and interest you didnt
pay on a monthly basis would be added
to the loan amount and when it came
time to pay o the loan, you owed more
than you did when you initially got it.
The assumption in the lending
The movie The Big Short has given us insight

into the role of the nancial institutions in
the housing crash.
community was that rapid appreciation

would overtake the additional debt and
result in a prot on sale despite your
having added to your initial loan amount.
Nice work if you can get it and, like a Ponzi
scheme, it worked for a while.
A Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)
was also a popular option. You didnt
need to renance; just get a new appraisal
substantiating a higher value and have an
instant line of credit of up to 100 percent
of the newly appraised value. Easy peasy.
Then the economy took a downward
turn and the money that had owed
Julie Andrews
on Micro Apartments:
All I want is a room
somewhere far away
from the cold night air.
VALERIE M. BLAKE, Associate Broker, GRI
Dupont Circle Office 202.243.7700 (o) 202.246.8602 (c)

Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com www.DCHomeQuest.com
so freely dried up. Many homeowners

simply put their heads in the sand,
refusing to believe that third notice from
the mortgage company containing the
dreaded word, foreclosure.
Years later, I would tell my clients who
had to bring additional funds to closing to
be able to sell their homes that they did
not lose their equity but simply spent it
in advance. One could only hope to rob
Peter to pay Paul for so long until Peter
demanded payment as well.
But sometimes Peter agreed to accept
less than owed and the concept of the
short sale re-integrated itself into the
housing market. It grew so exponentially
that our tax laws were changed to
eliminate penalties for debt forgiven by
nancial institutions.
The movie The Big Short has given us
insight into the role of the nancial institutions
in the housing crash, but consumers were
not entirely blameless. Some most certainly
must share responsibility for their own fate
by not seeking to understand their loan
documents and by being mesmerized by
the shiny object before them a home they
knew they could not really aord.
There are still areas of the country
where people have not crawled out of the
mortgage abyss so imagine my surprise
the other day when I heard a television
commercial for a lender that used the tag
line: Your home is your bank.
To quote Yogi Berra, it was like dj vu
all over again.
Let me be clear: When I bought
my rst house, the interest rate was

11.75 percent. I also remember earlier
conversations around the dinner table
where my parents discussed rates as high
as 18-21 percent, so Im all for creative
mortgage loan programs that make
homeownership more aordable.
The problem with the home-as-bank
theory, however, is that it presupposes that
the borrower a) has equity in the home, b)
has the income to handle higher payments,
and c) understands any terms, conditions
and limitations of the loan product.
With interest rates beginning to rise
since the election, the promise of a 2.99
percent rate with no closing costs may
seem enticing but remember, folks,
theres no such thing as that proverbial
free lunch. The interest rate will have
conditions and those closing costs are
hidden in there somewhere, either in the
amount of the loan or incorporated into
the interest rate.
So, when deciding on a suitable type of
mortgage for your purchase or renance,
remember that your home is not an
ATM. Think of it instead as your personal
sanctuary and a potential long-term
investment in your future. Your nancial
solvency may depend on it.
VALERIE M. BLAKE can be reached at 202-2468602 or Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com. Each

Keller Williams Realty oce is independently
owned and operated. Equal Housing
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DECEMBER 02,

AMERICAS LGBT NEWS SOURCE

Federal employees frightened over Trump

MATTHEW MURPHY, the only LGBT federal employee

In an ominous sign reminiscent of the George W.

Washington agreed to speak to the Blade about their

Trumps deplorable Cabinet picks

KT MCFARLAND outed her gay brother before he died of

A Fox News commentator who outed her gay

Trumps selection of Obamacare critic Rep. Tom

GIVE A PIECE OF HISTORY

Together, rain & shine.

For more information, call 1- 800 - FOR - MERCEDES, or visit MBUSA.com.

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Our luxury line of products

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D.C. submits bid to host 2022 Gay Games

selects the host city, is scheduled to

announce their nal decision on which

Attorney General Eric Holder; and former

Local groups commemorate World AIDS Day

The White House on Dec. 1, 2015,

Restaurant in Alexandria on Thursday.

HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report that the D.C.

scheduled to speak at a World AIDS Day

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

Buckley announces bid to become next DNC chair

Anti-LGBT language stripped from defense bill

Haley brings mixed record

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

Cuban advocates have mixed reaction to Castros death

Nelson Gandulla Daz, president of

sought to ban discrimination in the

with powerful emotions, recalling the

MARIELA CASTRO, daughter of Cuban

Gay Dominican Republic ambassador to resign Jan. 20

Brewster and Satawake this year took part

They attended a press event in Santo

U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic

Ask for LGBT, get the best of LGBT.

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

Send Beautiful, Fresh Flowers for All Events

LGBT federal employees frightened over Trump

Trump has said Pence, who has a

expressed some support for LGBT people

Murray said it is well known that Trump

which represents LGBT State Department

Another day, another anti-LGBT Cabinet pick

In collusion with Paul Ryan, he will try

organization in the early 2000s during

Trump nominees raise concern among LGBT advocates

McFarlands parents reportedlydenied

Rep. TOM PRICE is Trumps pick for HHS.

Donald Trump has chosen BETSY DEVOS as

advocate for education reform.

gets his way and fullls his campaign

out of the mainstream.

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Health Insurance Issues? Claim Denied?

The Knowledge to Guide You.

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

MURIAL BOWSER, MAYOR