JANUARY 06,

2017

VOLUME 48

ISSUE 01

GOP groups plan DeploraBall,

lobby day and more
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@washblade.com
At least three LGBT Republican-sponsored events,
including a Deplora-Ball, are scheduled to take place
in or near Washington during the Jan. 20 weekend
when Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th
president of the United States.
The national gay GOP group Log Cabin Republicans
says it will host an LGBT Republican lobby day on
Capitol Hill on Thursday, Jan. 19, in which Log Cabin
members from throughout the country will visit the
oces of their senators and representatives.
Gregory T. Angelo, president of the group, said Log

Missouri, Iowa, Texas to see

raft of bills undermining equality
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
The New Year has brought the potential for
another wave of anti-LGBT bills in state legislatures
and an increased chance of them becoming law after
Republican victories on Election Day.
The advent of total Republican control in both
chambers of the state legislature and the governors
mansion in three states Missouri, Iowa and Kentucky
could present new challenges. Republicans now
control legislatures in 32 states, including Texas,
which seems poised to become the center of antiLGBT activity after the legislature was out of session

AMERICAS LGBT NEWS SOURCE

Cabin will also host an LGBT T Party on Saturday, Jan.

21, the day following the Trump inauguration, at the
Capitol Hill Club, which is located within the Republican
National Committees headquarters complex.
We are having what we are playfully branding a T
Party, with T, of course, standing for Trump, Angelo
told the Washington Blade.
He said the event would be a cocktail reception
where tea as well as alcohol will be served.
In what is likely to be the most eye-catching LGBT
Republican event during the inaugural weekend, a
North Carolina-based organization called Gays for
Trump is organizing an Inaugural DeploraBall Gala on
the inaugural evening of Jan. 20. It will be held at the
upscale Bolger Center Hotel in Potomac, Md.
Gays for Trump President Peter Boykin has said in
CONTINUES ON PAGE 15

last year.
Much like measures in years past in Arizona and
Indiana, which rose to nationwide attention before
being defeated or scaled back and in Mississippi,
which became law before being enjoined in court,
many of the expected measures seek to enable
anti-LGBT discrimination in the name of religious
freedom. Such measures would, for example, allow
businesses to deny wedding-related services to samesex couples or permit health care providers to deny
transgender people transition-related care.
James Esseks, director of the American Civil Liberties
Unions LGBT project, said during a conference call
with reporters last month the religious freedom bills
are the Plan B of LGBT rights opponents after their
Plan A to stop LGBT rights protections and same-sex
CONTINUES ON PAGE 16

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

President-elect DONALD TRUMPs gay supporters have

several events lined up for inauguration weekend.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Lt. Gov. DAN PATRICK (R-Texas) has vowedto make an

anti-trans bill a priority for his state.
PHOTO BY GAGE SKIDMORE; COURTESY OF FLICKR

WHATS TO COME?

WORK IT

RICH LEGACY

City Council members

sworn in, talk fears of
Trump administration.

New Year means its

time for a new you. Get
tips in our special section.

A look back at 10
hidden gems by the
late George Michael.

PAGE 6

PAGES 24 & 25

PAGE 27

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W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19 | 9PM-1AM

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La Clinica Del Pueblo and The Washington Blade Foundation.

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Comings & Goings

Mason Davis joins Gill; Denny Lyon to Bastille
By PETER ROSENSTEIN
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining
boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at
comingsandgoings@washblade.com

Congratulations to Masen Davis who is joining the Gill Foundation as Senior

Director of Special Projects. In making the announcement, president & CEO
Courtney Cu said, We are excited to welcome Masen as a senior member of our
team. He brings incredible knowledge and experience to the table. From ushering
in sweeping changes to Californias non-discrimination law to increasing healthcare
access for transgender people across the country, Masens leadership and proven
track record are a critical addition to the foundation at this pivotal juncture.
In accepting the position, Davis said, After focusing on international equality for
transgender people in recent years, Im ready to dive back into the work thats needed
to protect and secure equal treatment here at home. The Gill Foundation team is
smart, strategic and relentless in pursuit of equality. I cant wait to get to work.
Davis has more than 20 years of advocacy and nonprot leadership
experience. He most recently served as co-director of Global Action for Trans
Equality (2015-16) and executive director of Transgender Law Center (20072015). Under his leadership, Transgender Law Center became the nations
largest transgender advocacy organization. Daviss work was critical to the
elimination of discriminatory insurance exclusions in California, creating a
pathway for transgender Americans to access transition-related care. He was
also an integral part of the coalition that helped pass Californias School Success
and Opportunity Act (AB 1266), ensuring transgender students have access to
facilities and activities that match their gender identity.
Davis will oversee several key program areas. He will manage a grant portfolio
focused on advancing equal treatment and opportunity for transgender people
and assist in eorts to increase and diversify funding for the movement. Davis
earned his bachelors from Northwestern University, a masters from UCLA, and
completed the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at
the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Congratulations also to Wallace (Denny) Lyon who has joined Bastille
Restaurant in Alexandria as its new general manager. Bastilles chef/owners are
Christophe and Michelle Poteaux.
Christophe said, Weve known Denny for many, many years, have rst-hand
knowledge of his professionalism and dedication. His success at Nellies, Bobby
Vans and the PassionFood Group convinced us that he would be a great team
leader for Bastille Brasserie and Bar.
Lyon brings a wealth of restaurant industry experience to Bastille, formerly
serving as manager of D.C.s Ten Penh and general manager of Ceiba, Passionsh,
and Teatro Goldoni. The LGBT community most likely knows him best as director
of operations at Nellies Sports Bar.
Lyons passion for the industry crosses over to his personal life where he
enjoys hosting dinner parties and cooking. On an unrelated note, hes an avid
collector of Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers and owns 55 pairs. Perfect for a
man on his feet. He earned his B.B.A with honors at University of Michigan.
Bastille is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. and
Sunday 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. serving brunch, lunch, dinner and all-day dining with
caf and bar menu oered.
Congratulations also to Vincent Ryan who has been named by Trinidad Navarro,
Insurance Commissioner-elect of Delaware as senior adviser to the commissioner.
Navarro said, Vince is a trusted adviser and was instrumental in the campaign.
Im excited to bring him on board. His political skills, ability to assist in navigating
complex government and legislative channels, and communicate with various
stakeholders will make him an asset to the department and our team.
Ryan was the campaign manager for Navarro for Insurance Commissioner. He
previously worked in a local government relations practice helping to present matters
before the Delaware Legislature. Active in politics since 2008, he has also assisted
other oceholders and campaigns on various levels. Many know Ryan from his
activism on LGBT issues in Delaware and from his work for Hillary Clintons campaign
in Delaware and Philadelphia. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University
of Delaware. The commissioner-elect and his administration took oce this week.

LO CA L N E W S

Bryan Stark joins Azer

Creative as principal
Azer Creative, a growing D.C.-based
creative services agency, announced
today that Bryan T. Stark has joined the
rm. In his role as Principal, Stark will
work to raise awareness, enhance the
services the rm provides to its clients
and expand Azers client roster.
We are thrilled to welcome Bryan
Stark to Azers growing team of creative
BRYAN STARK
professionals, said Azer co-owner Lynne
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
Brown. With decades of senior-level
agency experience, he is well positioned
to continue Azers growth and expand its menu of services.
Stark was most recently the Vice President of Marketing & PR at the Kennedy Krieger
Institute where he oversaw all branding, creative, communications, digital, fundraising,
events and professional outreach. During his tenure at KKI, Stark also served as the
Director of Marketing & PR for the successful launch of the Interactive Autism Network
a collaboration with Autism Speaks & the Simons Foundation. Prior to joining KKI,
Stark was the Vice President of Strategic Planning at The Campbell Group and Vice
President of Client Services at The Reeves Agency.
When I was approached by Azers leadership team and they shared their vision for
where they hoped to take the rm, I knew right away that this is the kind of challenge I
really would enjoy, said Stark.
Stark joins the Azer team as the rm celebrates its fth anniversary and a recent
string of new account wins.
A division of BNP OmniMedia, which owns the Washington Blade, Azer Creative is
an award-winning creative services agency based in Washington, D.C. with a roster of
clients in the entertainment, media, health, hospitality and housing sectors. Azer is a
Certied Business Enterprise in the District of Columbia.
For more information on Azer Creative, contact Partner Lynne Brown, azer@
azercreative.com or 202-486-0625, or Azer Principal Bryan Stark at bstark@azercreative.
com or 410-916-7958.
STAFF REPORTS

Blades Chibbaro
honored as Community
Cornerstone
Lou Chibbaro Jr., the Washington
Blades senior news reporter, was
honored this week at the annual
Community Cornerstones ceremony
presented by D.C. Council member Anita
Bonds.
The awards recognize leaders in the
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
D.C. community who have contributed
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
and positively impacted the lives of local
residents. Chibbaro was recognized with
the Community Services Pioneer award in the media category.
Lou Chibbaro, Jr. is a nationally recognized award-winning journalist best known for
chronicling the gay rights movement in the Washington, D.C. area and nationwide in the
United States as the senior news writer for the Washington Blade, award organizers
said in a statement. Mr. Chibbaro is a trailblazing journalist and a well-regarded
xture in the LGBTQ community.
Lou is an indispensible part of our team at the Blade, said editor Kevin Na. Hes a
dedicated journalist with unimpeachable integrity and a true passion for the city. Were
thrilled that he is being honored with this recognition.
STAFF REPORTS

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0 6 J A NUA RY 0 6 , 2017

SMYAL LGBT youth house set to debut Jan. 7

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser will be among those participating in a ribbon-cutting
ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 7, for the opening of a new transitional house for homeless
LGBT youth to be operated by SMYAL, the local LGBT youth services organization.
The newly built, eight-bedroom transitional house is located at 746 19th St.,
N.E. The ribbon-cutting event and a preview of the new house were scheduled
to take place from 10 a.m.-noon.
Weve been hard at work setting up our new transitional housing program for
homeless LGBTQ youth and we cant wait to get it up and running, SMYAL said
in a statement released last week.
The statement says the IKEA store in College Park, graciously oered to
furnish the entire house, with over $15,000 in donations.
SMYAL Executive Director Sultan Shakir rst announced SMYALs plans for opening
the house at SMYALs annual fundraising brunch in November. He said the house would
be rented and operated by SMYAL under a one-year $300,000 grant from the D.C.
Department of Human Services, which he expected to be renewed in subsequent years.
Shakir said the house and SMYALs transitional housing program would oer
various services for LGBT people between the ages of 18 and 24 to help them get on
their feet and become self-sucient following a stay at the facility for up to 18 months.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.

LGBTQ Job Fair slated for Jan. 17

Mayor Muriel Bowsers Oce of LGBTQ Aairs announced this week it will
host a Fresh Start LGBTQ Job Fair on Tuesday, Jan. 17, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the
citys Reeves Center municipal building at 2000 14th St., N.W.
According to the announcement, many employers will be available at the
event to discuss job opportunities. Among them, it says, will be the Wanda Alston
Foundation, SMYAL, Whitman-Walker Health, and St. Johns Community Services,
a non-prot organization that provides services to people with disabilities.
Employers and job seekers interested in more information about the event
are asked to contact Terrance Laney, deputy director of the Oce of LGBTQ
Aairs, at terrance.laney@dc.gov.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.

D.C. Council approves LGBT-related bills

The D.C. City Council voted unanimously on Dec. 20 to give nal approval for
two LGBT-related bills that as of early this week were awaiting Mayor Muriel
Bowsers signature.
One of the bills, the Collaborative Reproduction Amendment Act of 2016, would
end the citys 25-year-old ban on surrogacy parenting agreements, enabling samesex couples and infertile straight couples to enter into legal agreements with a
surrogate mother to give birth to a child.
The bill establishes parental rights and procedures for the couples seeking a surrogate
and protections for the surrogate similar to those adopted long ago by other states.
Rick Rosendall, president of the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, said the legislation
puts in place the last remaining component of D.C. family law protecting LGBT couples.
The second bill, the Death Certicate Gender Identity Recognition Amendment Act
of 2016, establishes a process for designating the gender identity and expression on
the death certicate of a person who dies. The legislation, which was advocated by
transgender rights activists, among other things, allows individuals to pre-designate
their gender identity with the citys Registrar of Vital Records prior to their death.
If no pre-designation has been made, the bill allows any person to challenge a
decedents gender as reported by a funeral director or the person in charge of the
disposition of the body, including blood relatives, with the D.C. Superior Court if they
believe the gender designation does not accurately reect how the person lived his or
her life.
The Court may consider testimony, documentation that memorializes the
decedents gender transition, or any other evidence, a D.C. Council committee
report on the bill says. This process will allow the Court to hear from those most
familiar with the decedents self-identied gender identity or expression, the
report prepared by the Councils Judiciary Committee says.
If the court rules that an incorrect gender was placed on the death certicate, the
Registrar must amend it to reect the Courts order, not marking the certicate of death
as amended, and sealing the original, the committee report describes the bill as saying.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.

LO CA L N E W S

Bracing for the worst as Trump era nears

Council member ROBERT WHITE said hes concerned that the Trump administration will
attempt to meddle in city aairs.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Lawmakers concerned over potential meddling in city aairs

By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

lchibbaro@washblade.com

Questions surrounding the possible impact of the Trump administration on the

residents of the District of Columbia loomed over an otherwise festive ceremony on
Monday in which six LGBT supportive members of the D.C. Council who won election in
November took the oath of oce at the Walter Washington Convention Center.
Among the incoming Council members was former Mayor Vincent Gray, one of the
citys strongest LGBT community allies, who won election to the Ward 7 Council seat he
held before becoming mayor.
I think its going to be an interesting challenge for us, Gray told the Washington Blade,
in referring to how the city will fare over the next four years under a Trump administration.
This is obviously not a city that supported him, he said. I dont know well I probably
do know where he stands on LGBT rights. But I have absolutely no reservations about
telling him where we stand and invite him to be a part of what were trying to do, Gray said.
Gray joined at least two of his Council colleagues and Mayor Muriel Bowser in saying
he plans to reach out to President-elect Trump and his administration in the spirit of
cooperation to ensure the city and all of its residents are fairly represented by the
federal government.
Newly elected Council member Robert White (D-At-Large) said that while he, too,
wants the city to work amicably with the Trump administration he is concerned that
the Republican-controlled Congress, emboldened by Trumps election, will attempt to
interfere with local D.C. aairs.
White has worked in the past for D.C. Congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton
(D-At-Large). He said hes especially concerned that hostile members of Congress will
try to attach amendments to the citys budget seeking to repeal various D.C. laws or
impose new laws on the city, including laws hostile to the LGBT community. Under the
citys home rule charter, Congress has the nal say on the citys budget.
I think we are bracing for the worst, he told the Blade. I feel pretty certain that
theyre going to try to attach every rider they can think of to D.C.s budget. So everything
from guns to cancelling needle exchange to pulling back on medical marijuana and
marijuana legalization, he said.
I think were about to see it all. So we have to be prepared and ready to act, White said.
Asked if he thought Congress or members of the Trump administration might target
LGBT rights protections in D.C., Council member Brandon Todd (D-Ward 4), who won
re-election in November, said the targeting of LGBT issues is a possibility.
I wouldnt be surprised about what they target, he said. But I think that the mayor
and the Council will stand rm in a loud, clear message, Todd told the Blade.
I feel very hopeful as it relates to the conversation that Mayor Bowser had with
President-elect Trump a few weeks ago really making sure that he knows what D.C.s
priorities are, Todd said. And certainly LGBTQ issues are right up there at the top of
our priorities and to make sure we protect all of our communities in the city.
The other Council members sworn in on Monday were David Grosso (I-At-Large),
Trayon White (D-Ward 8) and Jack Evans (D-Ward 2).
In addition to the six members of the D.C. Council, more than 300 members of the
citys Advisory Neighborhood Commissions who won election in November were sworn
in at the Convention Center ceremony on Monday. Among them were at least 24 openly
gay or lesbian ANC members.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Va. lawmaker introduces anti-transgender bill

Marshalls measure
compared to HB2

Grimm alleges the Gloucester County

School Districts policy that prohibits him
from using the boys restroom or locker
room because they are not consistent with
his biological gender is unconstitutional
under the 14th Amendments Equal
Protection Clause. He also contends the
regulation violates Title IX of the U.S.
Education Amendments of 1972 that

By MICHAEL K. LAVERS
mlavers@washblade.com
A Virginia lawmaker has introduced a
bill that an advocacy group has compared
to North Carolinas House Bill 2.
House Bill 1612, which state Del.
Bob Marshall (R-Prince William County)
introduced on Tuesday, would prohibit
people from entering a restroom or other
facility designated for use by members of
the opposite sex. The measure, which
is also known as the Physical Privacy
Act, would also require public school
principals to notify a students parent
or guardian within 24 hours if the child
requests to be recognized or treated
as the opposite sex, to use a name or
pronoun inconsistent with the childs
sex, or to use a restroom or other facility
designated for the opposite sex.
James Parrish, executive director
of Equality Virginia, a statewide LGBT
advocacy group, said in a statement
that HB 1612 would cause immediate
harm to our transgender community and
economy. He also noted North Carolinas
economy lost hundreds of millions of
dollars after then-Gov. Pat McCrory
signed HB 2 last March.
The General Assembly has real
issues to tackle when it convenes next
Wednesday and Equality Virginia calls on
the leadership of both parties to declare
this harmful and unnecessary bill dead
on arrival, said Parrish.
House Bill 2 not only banned trans
people from using public restrooms that
are consistent with their gender identity,
but prohibited local municipalities
from
enacting
LGBT-inclusive
nondiscrimination ordinances and other
measures that include increasing the
minimum wage higher than what the
state oers.
The Charlotte City Council last
month agreed to a moratorium on its
nondiscrimination ordinance as part of a
deal to repeal HB 2 in a special session of
the Republican-controlled North Carolina
Legislature.
Lawmakers
adjourned
without taking action on it.
It has caused just incredible harm to
the state of North Carolina, said Cathryn
Oakley of the Human Rights Campaign
on Wednesday as she and Parrish spoke
to reporters on a conference call about
HB 1612. That is certainly something we
dont want to see here in Virginia.
Oakley noted HB 1612 is dierent
than HB 2 because it contains a so-called
parental notication that she described as
an outlier. The Physical Privacy Act also
contains a provision that would compel

Virginia state Del. BOB MARSHALL (R-Prince

William County) has introduced a bill that
an advocacy group has compared to North
Carolinas House Bill 2.

a government-owned facility to pay civil

damages to anyone who is found to have
suered physical or emotional distress
because a person uses a sex-segregated
facility based on their gender identity.
There is an actual enforcement
provision spelled out here, Oakley told
the Blade.
HB 1612 is among the so-called
bathroom bills that advocates expect
state legislatures will debate this year.
Texas Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick is
among those who are urging lawmakers
in his state to approve a proposal that
would require trans people to use
bathrooms that are consistent with the
gender listed on their birth certicates.
Parrish noted to reporters during the
conference call that Virginia lawmakers in
2016 killed a bill that would have required
people to use public restrooms based on
their anatomical sex.
We are anticipating seeing bills
like these crop up in states across the
country, said Oakley. They are ill-advised
and discriminatory in every single state.
Parrish told the Blade that he expects
HB 1612 will go before committee as
early as next week.
We hope this bill is dead on arrival, he
said.
Oakley added some states may look
to North Carolina as an example as
opposed to a cautionary scale when it
comes to trans people accessing public
restrooms.
Marshall has yet to return the Blades
request for comment on his bill and
criticisms of it.
Grimm case goes to high court this
year
The U.S. Supreme Court later this year
will hear oral arguments in a lawsuit
that Gavin Grimm, a trans student at
Gloucester County High School, led
against his school districts bathroom
policy.

prohibits schools receiving federal funds

from discriminating on the basis of sex.
The Obama administration last May
told public schools that Title IX requires
them to allow trans students to use
bathrooms consistent with their gender
identity. It remains unclear whether
this guidance will remain in place once
President-elect Trump takes place.

Fake news story claims

Obama is a gay Muslim

A fake news site falsely claims PRESIDENT OBAMA is a gay Muslim.

WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

A story on a fake news site that has received more than 100,000 shares on
social media falsely claims President Obama is a gay Muslim, the fact-checking
website Politifactreported Tuesday.
Politifact determined the article, posted six months ago on NewsExaminer.
net and titled Secret Service Agent Says Obama Is Muslim & Gay In New Tell-All
Book, is false in every capacity.
Everything about the story the book, the author, the interview and certainly
the details contained therein is fake, Politifact reports.
The fake news story promotes a non-existent book written by a Secret Service
agent named Paul Horner thatpurportedly assertsObama is seeking to ruin the
United States because hes both Muslim and gay. According to the fake news
post, the book is quickly climbing Amazons best-seller charts.
Everyone on the inside knows that Obama is gay and a Muslim, it is common
knowledge, Horner is quoted as saying in the fake news report. I saw many
men coming and going from Obamas room, at all hours. I would say a good
portion of the men, over fty-percent, were Muslim.
According to Politifact, the same story circulated on fake news site NBC.com.
co on Oct. 2, 2015, and was resurrected at ABCNews.com.co on Nov. 16, 2016.
Neither site is aliated with the major media outlets they purport to represent.
Although Obama identies as a Christian and straight, rumors hes gay and
Muslim have persistedduring his eight years in oce and even before as a
means to undermine his legitimacy.
The rumors that Obama isgay can be attributed to the signicant advances
on LGBT rights hes achieved during his administration, including Dont Ask,
Dont Tell repeal, coming out in support of same-sex marriage and signing
an executive order barring federal contractors from engaging in anti-LGBT
workplace discrimination.
Many observers have blamed fake news for Hillary Clintons loss in the
presidential election, who one month after her defeat called fake news an
epidemic and said Congress and the private sector should work to contain it.
CHRIS JOHNSON

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I N T E RNA TI O N A L NEWS

J A N U A RY 0 6 , 2 0 1 7 1 1

State Dept. mum on

lavender scare apology

Secretary of State JOHN KERRY has yet to respond to requests that he publicly
apologize on behalf of the State Department to employees who were red during
the lavender scare after the Cold War.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

Secretary of State John Kerry has yet to publicly respond to requests that he
apologize to the State Department employees who were red during the socalled lavender scare.
State Department spokesperson John Kirby told the Washington Blade
on Tuesday during his daily press brieng that he doesnt have an update
specically . . . on a response to the letter that U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) sent
to Kerry on Nov. 29.
We will, of course, respond to the senator appropriately about that, said Kirby.
Cardin notes in his letter that, at least 1,000 people were dismissed from the
State Department for alleged homosexuality during the 1950s and well into the
1960s before the scare ran its course. The Maryland Democrat cites the State
Departments Bureau of Diplomatic Security that says employees were forced out .
. . on the ostensible grounds that their sexual orientation rendered them vulnerable
to blackmail, prone to getting caught in honey traps and made them security risks.
The State Department also had a screening process in place that Cardin said sought
to prevent those who seemed like they might be gay or lesbian from being hired.
The men and women who serve in our nations diplomatic corps represent
some of the nest public servants America has to oer, he told the Blade last
month in a statement. Not too long ago, however, many were harassed, hunted
and forced out of their jobs by their own government because of their perceived
sexual orientation. This unacceptable and un-American behavior, called the
lavender scare, has never been fully acknowledged by the federal government.
The Human Rights Campaign cited Cardin in a separate letter it sent to Kerry
on Dec. 22.
While the policies and practices of that era have been reversed and the
State Department has recently made enormous progress to provide equal
opportunities and conditions for LGBTQ employees and their families, the State
Department has never issued a formal apology for the actions taken during that
time, wrote HRC Government Aairs Director David Stacy.
Stacy also urged the State Department to create a permanent exhibit in the
National Museum of American Diplomacy to memorialize the victims and help
to ensure that no other vulnerable group be targeted in the future.
We all recognize that this was a troubled part of our history here at the State
Department, Kirby told the Blade on Monday. But beyond that I dont have a
specic update for you.
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins last month urged Presidentelect Trump to remove State Department ocials who support the promotion of
LGBT and reproductive rights abroad.
A spokesperson for the Trump transition team said in response to Perkins
request that it is simply absurd to think that discrimination of any kind will be
condoned or tolerated in a Trump administration.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Denmark no longer considers trans people mentally ill

Denmark on Sunday became the rst country in the world to ocially remove
transgender identities from its list of mental health disorders.
The decision, supported by all parties in the Danish Parliament, was originally made
back in May 2016.
This very encouraging move from Denmark sets a strong example internationally
towards de-stigmatizing transgender people and paving the way for quick and
transparent processes for legal gender recognition, said Amnesty International Sexual
Orientation and Gender Identity Adviser Leda Avgousti in a statement.
WHO classies trans identity under Gender Dysphoria/Gender Identity Disorders
in its International Classication of Disorders or ICD. According to the Human Rights
Campaign, the term perpetuates discrimination by broad-brushing transgender people
with the stigma of mental illness.
The listing as a mental illness are stigmatizing for transgender people, Linda Thor
Pedersen, a spokesperson on trans issues for LGBT Denmark, a Danish advocacy group,
told the Washington Blade.
Our ability to make our own decisions regarding our own treatment is being
questioned by healthcare authorities, she added. We think its an important step
because placing transgender people in the wrong category in ICD-10 leads to wrong
treatment.
Changes to the ICD were proposed back in 2014, but when no progress had been
made last October, the Danish government decided to move forward independently.
WHO is now expected to complete its revisions to the ICD by 2018.
This label means that transgender people are forced to undergo traumatizing and
humiliating psychiatric evaluations in order to legally change their gender or even to be
able to access gender reassignment treatment, said Avgousti.
This is not the rst time that Denmark has been a leader in improving the rights of
trans people.
In May 2014 it repealed a law that forced trans people to undergo sterilization before
legally changing their gender.
Just as they did on civil marriage (rst country in the world in 1989) Denmark leads
the way once again, gay U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Rufus Giord told the Blade.
MAXIMILIAN SYCAMORE

Tillerson conrmation
hearing set for Jan. 11
The conrmation hearing for Presidentelect Trumps nominee for secretary of
state is tentatively scheduled to take
place on Jan. 11.
A Senate Foreign Relations Committee
aide told the Washington Blade on
Tuesday that the conrmation hearing
for ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson may
continue through Jan. 12.
The conrmation hearing for ExxonMobil
Trump
announced
Tillersons
CEO REX TILLERSON is scheduled to take
nomination last month.
place on Jan. 11.
Tillersons ties to Russian President
PHOTO BY WILLIAM MUNOZ; COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Vladimir Putin have sparked concern
amid the backdrop of allegations that the
Kremlin sought to inuence the outcome of the presidential election.
Tillerson in 2011 signed a $300 billion agreement with Russia that would allow his
company to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean. The sanctions that the Obama administration
imposed against the Kremlin in 2014 over the annexation of Crimea and other
interventions in Ukraine derailed the project.
Putin in 2013 signed a controversial law that bans the promotion of so-called gay
propaganda to minors in Russia. The Obama administration last week expelled 35
Russian diplomats from the U.S. and issued sanctions against two Russian intelligence
agencies that the White House claims tried to interfere with the election.
ExxonMobil in 2015 added sexual orientation and gender identity to its
nondiscrimination policy. Freedom to Work, an LGBT advocacy group, in 2013 led a
complaint against Tillersons company that alleged it showed bias against prospective
employees who were gay.
A spokesperson for the Illinois Human Rights Commission told the Blade last month
that a second lawsuit accusing ExxonMobil of anti-gay discrimination is still pending.
Tillerson was a member of the Boy Scouts of Americas executive board when it voted
to allow openly gay scouts into the organization in 2013.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

LO C A L NEW S

J A N U A RY 0 6 , 2 0 1 7 1 5

Gay GOP events scheduled for inaugural weekend

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

postings on the groups Facebook site that

all deplorables who supported Trump
during the tumultuous presidential
campaign both gay and straight
are invited to attend the event. He was
referring to the term deplorables that
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary
Clinton used to describe some Trump
supporters.
Many
Trump
supporters
later
embraced the term as a badge of honor.
Come one, come all to our Inaugural
DeploraBall extravaganza! says one of the
Gays for Trump Facebook postings. With
top-notch performers, open bar, 3 course
gourmet plated dinner and an enthusiastic
crowd, its sure to be a good time.
A separate website promoting the
DeploraBall says the admission fee is $250
and the suggested attire is black tie optional.
This special event is open to EVERYONE
on the Trump Train and is graciously
being hosted by the Gays for Trump
organization, a message on the site says.
In support of Americas veterans we are
awarding a number of gratis tickets as a
thank you for their service, it says.
Chris Allen, president of the Log Cabin
Republicans Washington, D.C. chapter,
said his group is planning to host a happy
hour gathering on Thursday night, Jan. 19,
on the eve of the Trump inauguration, for
Log Cabin members arriving in D.C. from
across the country to attend the ocial
inaugural events.
He said the D.C. chapter had yet to
determine a location for the event as of
late Tuesday, but it is tentatively set to be
held on the 19th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Jose Cunningham, the openly gay chair
of the D.C. Republican Party, said he, Jill
Homan, the lesbian Republican National
Committeewoman for D.C., and Robert
Kabel, the gay Republican National
Committeeman for D.C., have been
invited to attend the Trump inaugural
swearing in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.
Cunningham said the Trump Inaugural
Committee also provided the three with
tickets to watch the Inaugural Parade
at one of the reviewing stands lining
Pennsylvania Avenue and invited them to
one of the three ocial Inaugural Balls.
Angelo said he expects several dozen if not
more Log Cabin Republicans from all parts
of the country to be attending the ocial
inaugural events during the weekend of Jan.
20, with many of them expected to participate
in the Log Cabin lobby day and T Party.
Although Log Cabin Republicans chose
not to endorse Trump during the election
campaign, Angelo pointed to a statement
the group released on the day following
Trumps election night victory.
While weve had occasional dierences
with Mr. Trump throughout his unique
campaign for our nations highest

oce, Log Cabin Republicans never

hesitated to oer praise when it was
due, the statement says. Mr. Trumps
unprecedented and repeated overtures
to the LGBTQ community were invariably
lauded by our organization, and we look
forward to seeing those words turn to
action in a Trump administration.
The statement adds, As the countrys
original and largest organization of

LGBT Republicans and straight allies, we

stand united behind our next president,
optimistic for the future, and committed
to Make America Great Again!
Boykin of Gays for Trump couldnt
immediately be reached for comment. Various
postings on the Gays for Trump website state
that Boykin emerged as an active and visible
supporter of Trump during the campaign.
Among other things, the group raised money

for its own Trump for President billboard signs

installed along streets and highways in North
Carolina and in Orlando, Fla., which included
the message, Paid for by Gays for Trump.
The groups website postings suggest
that it would continue to operate beyond
the election and the inauguration but
the Washington Blade couldnt nd any
postings saying what the group plans to
do going forward.

Rehoboth gay bar owner charged with DUI

The co-owner of the popular Rehoboth Beach gay bar Double L was arrested Dec. 30 on drunken driving-related charges
following a high-speed chase that began in Ocean City, Md. and ended in Delaware near the Maryland border, according to a
police statement.
The statement by Ocean View, Del., police says Timothy J. Drabic, 54, of Rehoboth Beach, was charged with DUI, disregarding
a police ocers signal to stop, and driving a vehicle at unreasonable or imprudent speeds.
It says he was released on a $2,500 unsecured bail pending a Jan. 5 court hearing in Georgetown, Del.
[At approximately 4:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, a black SUV was observed traveling northbound in the southbound
lane of Coastal Highway in Ocean City, Md., the statement says. The SUV was reportedly driving up to 100 mph. At one point,
the SUV swerved and nearly struck an Ocean City, Md., Police vehicle which had pulled to the shoulder of the highway and
parked, the statement says.
According to the statement, Ocean City police chased the SUV northbound into Delaware before Ocean View, Del. police
picked up the chase. They followed the vehicle westbound on Rt. 26 at Bethany Beach as it continued traveling in excess of
85 miles per hour, the statement says.
Drabic did not stop his SUV until Ocean View police deployed tire deation devices on the road, causing the vehicles front
left tire to deate, the statement says. It was at that time that Ocean View police, with the assistance of Delaware State Police,
placed Drabic under arrest.
Robert Kracyla, deputy director of the Delaware Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement, said that under Delaware law
and regulations, establishments with liquor licenses are required to report an arrest of one of their principal owners and the
outcome of the case against an owner to his oce and to the Oce of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner.
Based on Delawares liquor law, it would then be up to Delaware ABC Commissioner John Cordrey to decide what, if any,
penalty might be imposed on a licensed establishment such as the Double L, regardless of whether the arrest or alleged
oense took place on the premises of the bar, Cordrey told the Blade.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.

Police seek help in nding missing trans teen

The D.C. Police Departments LGBT Liaison Unit is working with the
West Virginia State Police in seeking help from the public, including the
LGBT community, in an eort to nd a 16-year-old transgender woman
who was reported missing from her home in Morgantown, W.Va. on
Sept. 27, 2016.
West Virginia authorities have reached out to the D.C. metropolitan
area for help in locating Cheikh Oumar Grossman, who police say
identies as Marie. D.C. police spokesperson Aquita Brown said West
Virginia police and the teens family members believe she might have
come to the D.C. area.
Acting Lt. Brett Parson, who oversees the D.C. police liaison units, said
the LGBT Liaison Unit would be distributing a ier prepared by West
Virginia State Police that includes a photo and description of Marie
Grossman.
She is described as being biracial with black hair, brown eyes, 5 feet,
8 inches tall, and weighing 230 pounds.
The ier says the teens family is oering a reward of $5,000 for
information leading to the location and/or her return.
Happy New Year, Marie, a Facebook posting by her family says.
Wherever you are, may you be safe, happy and well cared for. May the
New Year be a time of healing, reection and reconciliation/reunication
with your family, who loves you and misses you, the posting says.
Anyone with information that may help in the eort to nd Marie
Grossman is asked to call West Virginia State Police at 304-285-2300.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.

CHEIKH OUMAR GROSSMAN

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

1 6 J A NUA RY 0 6 , 2017

NATIONAL NEWS

New year, new wave of anti-LGBT bills in state legislatures

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

marriage failed.
Opponents of LGBT equality have been
working for a long, long time to thwart
LGBT equality advances, to stop the
freedom to marry, to stop us from passing
bills that provide non-discrimination
protections for LGBT people in a number
of contexts, Esseks said. As we have
made more progress on the LGBT equality
front, opponents of LGBT equality have
moved from their Plan A, stopping those
protections, to their Plan B, which is to say
if they have to live in a world that includes
LGBT equality norms, they want to nd out
a way to carve a refuge for themselves so
that LGBT equality doesnt aect them and
the way they live.
Another category of anti-LGBT bills
include measures seeking to prohibit
transgender people from using the
restroom consistent with their gender
identity. Thats a major component of North
Carolinas notorious anti-LGBT House Bill 2
and along the lines of a measure approved
by the South Dakota Legislature, but vetoed
by Gov. Dennis Daugaard.
Eunice Rho, advocacy and policy
counsel with the ACLU, said during
the conference call in 2016 a record
number of more than 200 anti-LGBT
bills were introduced, but she would be
very surprised if we dont exceed those
numbers in 2017.
The center stage of movement on antiLGBT bills may be Texas, where Lt. Gov.
Dan Patrick has identied as a top priority
passing a bill barring transgender people
from using the restroom consistent
with the gender identity and Republican
State Sen. Bob Hall introduced Senate
Bill 92, which would void all LGBT nondiscrimination ordinances in Texas.
Other anti-LGBT bills led in Texas are
HB 428, a religious freedom bill allowing
student religious groups to be exempt
from school non-discrimination policies,
and SB 242, which would require school
employees upon the request of a parent
to disclose any personal knowledge
regarding a child, including whether that
child is LGBT.
One thing that could dissuade Lone Star
lawmakers from enacting the bathroom
bill or other anti-LGBT measures is a
recent report from the Texas Association
of Business nding the state could lose
up to $8.5 billion in boycotts and more
than 100,000 jobs if the bills become law.
We now face overwhelming data about
the risk of damage to the economy and
reputation of our great state resulting
from legislation that would allow for
discrimination, association president
Chris Wallace said upon release of the
report, according to the Dallas Morning
News. Businesses from across Texas
have come together to urge the Texas

North Carolina Gov. PAT MCCRORY was

defeated after he backed an anti-LGBT law
in his state.
PHOTO BY HAL GOODTREE; COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Legislature to reject discrimination and

embrace public policy that keeps Texas
open for business.
Many eyes will be on Iowa, Missouri and
Kentucky where coattails by Donald Trump on
Election Day swept into power Republicans at
every level of state government, placing LGBT
rights there in jeopardy.
In Iowa, Republicans won control of
the Senate, giving them control of both
chambers of the legislature and the
governors mansion. Donald Trumps
decision to tap Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad
as U.S. ambassador to China means Lt.
Gov. Kim Reynolds, who in 2010 endorsed
a ban on same-sex marriage, will take the
governors seat.
Donna Red Wing, former executive
director of One Iowa, said Republican
actions remain unknown, but in addition
to attacks on abortion rights said she
believes we will see movement on a
religious freedom bill, which she called
one of the greatest threats to LGBT
equality in Iowa.
We have worked over the past few
years to ban conversion/reparative
therapy in Iowa and to add gender
identity to our hate crimes bill, Red Wing
added. I believe we will need to continue
to ght for these issues but have little
chance of success in this session. Iowa
has an extraordinary history of fairness
and justice. It is my great hope that even
in this political environment we will see
some of that played out.
The advancement of a religious
freedom bill would be particularly
detrimental to LGBT rights in Iowa

because, unlike in Arizona, Indiana and

Mississippi, which have no statewide
LGBT non-discrimination protections,
the Hawkeye State has robust statewide
protections that a religious carve-out law
would drastically compromise.
In Kentucky, home of Rowan County
Clerk Kim Davis, who won nationwide
attention for refusing to grant marriage
licenses to same-sex couples following
the U.S. Supreme Court decision in
favor of marriage equality, Republicans
wrestled the House from Democrats after
95 years of Democratic control.
Chris Hartman, director of the
Kentucky-based
Fairness
Campaign,
said although anti-LGBT bills may be
introduced including a bill that would
strip eight Kentucky cities of their LGBT
non-discrimination ordinances he
expects lawmakers will ultimately focus
on economic concerns.
New Republican leadership has
stressed economic development and job
growth as their top priorities, not antiLGBT measures, Hartman said. Actually,
we agree with our Republican Gov. Matt
Bevin, who recently said anti-transgender
bathroom bills are silly and unnecessary.
We feel Kentucky Republicans have
watched developments in North Carolina
intently, and see the prudence in avoiding
legislation that will inevitably harm our
commonwealths economy.
In Missouri, after eight years of
Democratic control of the governors
mansion under Gov. Jay Nixon,
Republican and former Navy SEAL Eric
Greitens won election, ensuring the GOP
would have control over all aspects of
state government there.
But last year when Senate Democrats in
the Missouri Legislature were libustering
an
anti-LGBT
religious
freedom
amendment to the state constitution,
Greitens came out against it in contrast
tohis rivals for the Republican nomination.
I dont believe this legislation is the right
approach, Greitens said in a statement.
I oppose SJR 39 because I believe that
while it is well-intentioned, it could
unintentionally threaten our economy
and job creation. Here in Missouri, we
are already 47th in job growth and 42nd
in wage growth. We simply cannot aord
more policies from Je City that have the
potential to kill jobs.
But anti-LGBT measures in Missouri
still may reach the governors desk.
Among the pre-led anti-LGBT proposals
in Missouri are HB205, which would
allow government ocials to refuse to
solemnize marriages based on religious
beliefs, and SB98, which would require
schools to prohibit transgender students
from using the restroom consistent with
their gender identity.
Steph Perkins, executive director of the
Missouri-based LGBT group PROMO, said

the number of anti-LGBT bills pre-led

in the legislature already outpaces the
number pre-led at this time last year.
In Missouri, LGBT equality has
always been a bipartisan issue, and we
are constantly working to educate and
collaborate with decision makers on both
sides of the aisle, Perkins added. We still
anticipate being targeted by even more antiLGBT bills, focused on bathrooms, marriage
equality, religious exemptions and more.
Other states that could present
challenges are Alabama, where HB24
would allow adoption and foster care
agencies receiving state funds to refuse
to place kids with families based on the
agencys religious beliefs, and Tennessee,
where SB1 would expand on a law signed
last year by Gov. Bill Haslam (R) allowing
licensed counselors and therapists to
refuse treating patients based on the
therapists religious beliefs.
A religious freedom bill may emerge
in West Virginia as well as additional
anti-LGBT measures in South Dakota
and North Carolina. In Virginia, Del. Bob
Marshall led on Tuesday HB1612, which
would prohibit transgender people from
using the restroom consistent with their
gender identity, although chances of that
bill passing are slim because Virginia Gov.
Terry McAulie, a Democrat, would be able
to veto the measure (see related article).
One example of fallout in a state that
could discourage others from enacting
anti-LGBT measures are the events in
North Carolina last year after passage of
HB2, which bars cities from enacting proLGBT ordinances, reversing one recently
enacted in Charlotte, and bars transgender
people from using the restroom in schools
and government buildings consistent with
their gender identity.
The law generated opposition from
LGBT advocates as well as business
leaders who cancelled expansion plans in
the state, performers who nixed events
there and athletic organizations, including
the National Basketball Association, which
rescinded plans for tournaments in the
state. Gov. Pat McCrory, the Republican
governor who signed HB2 into law, lost
re-election by a narrow marginamid the
outcry in a state Trump won comfortably.
Brandon Lorenz, a spokesperson for the
Human Rights Campaign, said lawmakers
should be wary of enacting anti-LGBT
measures if they want to avoid similar
fates of their careers and their states.
Pat McCrory lost because he banked
on the hateful HB2 sealing his re-election,
Lorenz said. Instead, HB2 provoked a
restorm of overwhelming opposition
in the state and across the country. The
same reaction awaits lawmakers who
are considering doubling down on antiLGBTQ extremism in the future. North
Carolina is a wake-up call and a warning
not to write discrimination into state law.

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

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BA LT I MO RE N E W S

12 Days of Christmas event raises funds

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a d v i C e m e d iat i o N L i t i G at i o N a P P e a L S C o L L a B o r at i o N

The 12 Days of Christmas, produced by Hooker & Boys, has been a longtime
Baltimore tradition. The 18th annual gala took place on Dec. 10 at the Conference
Center of the Maritime Institute in Linthicum Heights, Md.
The show, themed 8-Track Flashback, was dedicated to the victims of the
massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fl. Shawnna Alexander, David Allen
and Sarha Shaubach, along with ASL interpreters Deb Jones and Susan Weinstein
emceed a variety of acts including singing, illusion, dancing and skits. During the
production there were also a silent auction, bootblacking, and pictures taken
with Santa Claus and The Grinch.
The event raised $13,865, which was distributed to: AIDS Action Baltimore,
Scott H. Stamford Memorial Fund; the GLBT Community Center of Baltimore
Building Fund; the Mid-Atlantic Deaf & Interpreter Fund; and the Allen Center for
Senior Citizens in Baltimore.
We feel blessed that the communities still come together to celebrate the
holidays with us, to give back and pay it forward, Rik Newton-Treadway, one of
the founders of the event, told the Blade.

Conference relocated in protest of N.C. law

As part of a growing boycott of North Carolina as a result of the states antiLGBT law HB2, the Business History Conference scheduled for 2018 will move
from Charlotte, N.C., to Baltimore. The historians study the history of businesses
and their role in society.
The Business History Conference is expected to bring 350 guests and $120,000
in spending to Baltimore, said Roger Horowitz, the groups secretary-treasurer,
according to the Baltimore Sun.
Baltimores previous mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake had banned ocial
state travel to North Carolina because of HB2, and the Sun reported that new
Mayor Catherine Pugh will continue that policy.

Chase Brexton offers LGBT self-defense class

To help address the recent rise in hate crimes against LGBT people, the LGBT
Health Resource Center of Chase Brexton will host Queer Protection: An LGBTQ
Self Defense Class for Our Community on Jan. 14 from 9-11:30 a.m. The class
will take place at its Mount Vernon Center (1st Floor Community Room; 1111 N.
Charles St. in Baltimore). It will include instruction on awareness, prevention and
self-realization of your own physical power.
at tor N e YS at L aw d C | m d | va
We have seen a dramatic spike in hate crimes against LGBT people across
the country recently, and so many of us are on edge because of it, said Nate
3 0 1 . 8 9 1 . 2 2 0 0 S P - L aw. C o m
6 9 3 0 C a r r o L L av e , S u i t e 6 1 0 ta k o m a Pa r k m d
Sweeney, executive director of the LHRC, said in a statement. Now, more than
ever, its important to provide an arming space for our community to learn
ADVERTISIN
G P R skills
O O Fto protect themselves in the face of violence.
practical
ISSUE DATE: 10.26.12
SALES REPRESENTATIVE: BRIAN PITTS (bpitts@washblade.com)
Angie M. Tarighi, the CEO and founder of the Womens Self Defense Institute,
will serve as the guest instructor for the class. Tarighi has been teaching selfREVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of
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GN
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EVISIONS
any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any
classroom,
said Sweeney, We are thrilled to have Angie come and teach the
copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair
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H E A L TH NEW S

J A N U A R Y 06, 2017 19

Indiana Univ. employees face marriage ultimatum

SOUTH BEND, Ind. About 20 employees at Indiana University will lose
health care coverage unless they marry their same-sex partners by months end,
the Associated Press reports.
University employees in same-sex relationships have relied on a domestic
partner health care policy oered since 2002, the South Bend Tribune reports.
Employees who applied for the benet were required to sign an adavit
saying he or she would marry if the opportunity was available.
A university spokeswoman said the number of domestic partners enrolled in
medical plans dropped from 250 at its highest point to 22 after marriage certicates
were submitted following the 2015 Supreme Court decision on same-sex marraige.
Shortly after the ruling, the universitys board of trustees discontinued domestic
partner benets. Those benets will expire Dec. 31, the AP reports.
The university has a nondiscrimination policy that includes marital status.
Its hard for me to understand how this isnt blatant discrimination, said Betsy
Lucal, a university employee, according to the AP. The right to marry should not
be a requirement to marry.
The university has never oered domestic partner health benets to unmarried
heterosexual employee couples. The universitys human resources department
said it will continue to explore employee requests to expand health care coverage
to all same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners, the AP reports.
Meanwhile, the university told unmarried same-sex couples that their partner
who is not covered may be eligible for COBRA, temporary coverage under the
employers plan if their coverage otherwise would cease due to termination,
layo or other change in employment status, the AP reports.

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Campaign targets black D.C. women for PrEP

WASHINGTON City ocials here are starting on the rst U.S. campaign to
provide PrEP to black women, the second-most likely group to contract HIV, the
Washington Post reports.
Since daily PrEP use has been shown to reduce HIV risk by about 90 percent,
D.C. authorities are trying to convince black women that PrEP is not just for gay
men.
One in six people newly infected with HIV in the nations capital are black
women. While new cases are declining, nearly 2 percent of D.C. residents are
living with the virus, one of the highest rates in the country.
Condoms have been at the forefront of eorts to block sexual transmission
of the virus. But some people who are sexually active refuse or forget to use
them, and women may have unprotected sex with men they mistakenly think
are monogamous, public health experts say.
PrEP, shorthand for pre-exposure prophylaxis, changes the dynamics of HIV
prevention, they say. Women can protect themselves instead of relying on men
to use condoms, the Post reports.
Although the drug has been available since 2012, it has been virtually unknown
to women of color. To counter that, the city is running an advertising campaign
on Metrobuses aimed at black women with the tagline Dominate your sex
life and information about PrEP, according to the Post article. Vans that oer
mobile HIV testing are also providing referrals to doctors who can prescribe the
drug. And the Washington AIDS Partnership in December awarded more than
$370,000 to three health organizations serving women to incorporate PrEP into
their routines, the Washington Post reports.

Florida town bans conversion therapy

LAKE WORTH, Fla. In December, the Lake Worth City Commission voted
unanimously to prohibit state-licensed mental health professionals from
engaging in conversion therapy on minors within city limits, the Sun Sentinel
reports.
Conversion therapy is usually forced on minors by parents who nd it
impossible to accept the fact that their children identify as gay or lesbian, W.
Trent Steele, a member of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council board
of directors, said in a statement. This so-called treatment is extremely harmful.
The action was taken at the request of the council, a civil rights organization,
which partnered with the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Southern
Poverty Law Center, the Sun Sentinel reports.

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2 0 J A NUA RY 0 6 , 2017

VIEWPOINT

VOLUME

48

ISSUE

01

ADDRESS

We must ght Trumps

Muslim registry
LGBT community should
stand up to Islamophobia
By SHANNON E. WYSS
We sit on the precipice of a Donald
Trump presidency. In the run-up to the
election and the long weeks afterwards,
the president-elect has made too many
frightening proposals to list.
One of the most terrifying is his plan to
revive a Muslim/Arab registry. While the
details arent clear (something thats true
of many of his proposals), we can be certain that it would include some subset of
Muslims and Arabs perhaps all of them
registering their names, addresses, workplaces, activities, and/or places of worship
with the federal government so they can
be surveilled for anything that might be
vaguely construed as terrorism.
Unfortunately, this idea is hardly new.
George W. Bush created such a registry
after Sept. 11: the National Security EntryExit Registration System (NSEERS). From
2002-2011, 83,000 Muslim and Arab
teen boys and men had to register their
whereabouts and activities with the federal government. They had their photos
taken; they were ngerprinted and interrogated. Included in those registering
were non-citizen high school and college
students, tourists and non-citizens with
jobs here.
While NSEERS was in eect, 13,000
Muslim and Arab men and boys were
deported. Many of those who registered
were held in captivity in the U.S. for
months, often with no outside contact.
Families were torn apart, communities
were irreparably changed, and the fear
for many was palpable. And yet not one
man or boy who registered was ever
found guilty of terrorism.
Fortunately, President Obama dismantled NSEERS in December. So Trump will
have to go through the regulatory process of having the registry reinstated before it could become active.
Unfortunately, irreparable damage has
already been done. Both NSEERS and
Trumps blatant Islamophobia have led to
an increase in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab
hate crimes. For instance, the Southern
Poverty Law Center received reports of
112 anti-Muslim attacks from Nov. 9 to
Dec. 12, just outpacing the number of

PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP has promised to reinstate a registry of Muslims that was disbanded
by President Obama.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

reported anti-LGBT incidents (109) in the

same period. In one month, thats over
one-third of the total number of incidents
reported to the FBI in the entirety of 2015.
These anti-Muslim incidents have included tearing o womens hijabs, burning or defacing mosques, and threatening letters sent to Islamic centers. Slightly
over one-quarter of the anti-Muslim incidents reported to the SPLC were perpetrated by individuals or groups who made
a specic reference to Trump, and many
others were undoubtedly also motivated
by his Islamophobic rhetoric.
So why should LGBTQ people care?
Several reasons.
If youre a decent human being, the
blatant, systemic proling of any group of
individuals should give you pause, especially if that proling has signicant, negative impacts on the targeted group.
LGBTQ Muslims and Arabs would be
doubly impacted. Not only will they be
put under surveillance for their faith and/
or nationality, but they would be forced
into contact with a system that is notoriously homophobic and transphobic. LGBTQ individuals caught up in the criminal injustice system often suer greater
abuse and trauma than their straight/
cisgender peers. Do we want to put Muslims and Arabs who are members of our
family at that risk? And how would a registry of men and boys impact folks who are

trans or non-binary?
LGBTQ Muslims will have to face not
only homophobia and transphobia
among certain Muslim leaders (as well as
from our culture at large) but increased
Islamophobia outside of their faith.
LGBTQ people who arent Muslim or
Arab know what its like to be marginalized and oppressed. But i doubt that
most of us have any idea what having to
register with and be watched by the federal government feels like. If the thought
of having that additional burden strikes
fear in your heart, imagine how it must
make LGBTQ Muslims and Arabs feel.
As an agnostic, white queer who is a
U.S. citizen, I do not want to see this horric practice revived under a Trump administration.
When the president-elect takes oce,
we must respond strongly whenever
he mentions such a registry. It is only
through the consistent, uncompromising action of individuals over the next
four-eight years that the great abuses he
promises will be beaten back.
Regardless of your sexual orientation,
gender identity or religious faith, a registry of Muslims and Arabs has no place in
the U.S. Will you join me in that ght?
SHANNON E. WYSS is a radical genderqueer
living in Hyattsville, Md., with hir life partner
and adopted dog and cat. Ze can be reached
through www.shannonwyss.com.

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I N S I DE LGB T W A S HING TON

J A N U A RY 0 6 , 2 0 1 7 2 1

The importance of standing together in 2017

Will Ivanka emerge as a
stabilizing inuence?

PETER ROSENSTEIN is a D.C.-based LGBT rights

and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly
for the Blade.

New Years Eve has come and gone

and 2017 is here. We can only hope it is
a better year than the last. The bad news
at the end of 2016 kept coming including the deaths of George Michael, Carrie
Fisher and a day later her mom Debbie
Reynolds. President Obama hit back at
the Russians for hacking our election and
they just thumbed their nose at him and
said they will wait for Trump.
My year began with good friends in
Rehoboth Beach. While it was impossible
not to talk a little politics thankfully we
kept that from dominating the conversation. Everyone wanted a respite and a

moment to think positively. For me, 2017

includes looking forward to a planned
transatlantic cruise in November and one
of my resolutions was to make real progress on the book I am writing.
We shared our hopes and dreams for
the coming year; for good health and
happiness and peace on earth. We toasted to continued good times with family
and friends and to looking for opportunities, both big and small, to give something
back to the world. Each of us will nd
some way to do that whether its making
a donation to a charity; helping to serve
meals to the homeless; mentoring a child;
or supporting our friends and neighbors
in the military who are giving so much to
protect our world.
Though we mostly avoided politics for a
few days for me it once again will become
part of my daily conversation as we face
the reality of Trump assuming the presidency at noon on Jan. 20. While my plans
for inauguration weekend changed on
Nov. 8, now I will be marching shoulder-toshoulder with women who are planning
to join hands to speak out for freedom on
Jan. 21, the day after the inauguration.
While we can hope for the best we
must be ready to stand up and ght for

our principles. Whether its LGBT rights,

civil rights, womens rights, the rights of
Muslims or the rights of immigrants
who together make up the diverse and
wonderfully colorful quilt of our society
we need to be ready to take a stand to
protect that.
I have rejoined the American Civil Liberties Union and made my annual donation to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
I urge you all to do the same. It makes
sense to live by the Boy Scout motto, Be
Prepared.
What we know is Trump has nominated to his cabinet a group of ideologues
who often fall into lock-step with his vice
president, Mike Pence, who believes civil
law must follow the tenets of his religion.
That leaves me with a feeling of dread.
There is always hope a few of the rational
members of the Republican Party still in
Congress will be willing to stand up with
Democrats to stop the worst of what these
cabinet appointees have promised to do.
Nevertheless, the fact is we are living
in what I have referred to as Trumps
alternative universe, in which many including myself are left to believe Ivanka
Trump having a role in the White House is
a good thing. It bears remembering most

thought her speech at the Republican National Convention sounded more like an
introduction of Hillary Clinton than of her
father. Lets hope she has a stabilizing inuence on her father, reminding him of
his commitment to childcare, family leave
and his campaign promises to not touch
Social Security and Medicare. Maybe even
whisper in his ear reminding him he was
once pro-choice and actually a Democrat.
There has to be some hope in the fact
Ivanka was not a registered Republican
and couldnt vote for her father in the
New York primary.
Being prepared will mean many dierent things. Each of us will have to take
responsibility to speak up if we see a family member, a friend or a neighbor hurt
by something the new administration
proposes. Some will use confrontational
tactics which can be eective; but hopefully there wont be many like the jackasses who harassed Ivanka on the plane
over the holidays. Had it been me on that
plane I would have tried to take the opportunity to share a cup of coee and
have a civilized conversation.
Together we will face the future arm-inarm knowing it is the only way to ensure
it will be the future we want.

V I E W PO I NT

Celebrating the joy of Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds

Thanks to two icons
for sharing their talents
and struggles

KATHI WOLFE, a writer and poet, is a regular

contributor to the Blade.

One rainy day, while I walked toward

the Metro in D.C., a man oered me his
umbrella and sang Singin in the Rain
the song from the fabulous 1952 movie
musical of the same name.
Ive been thinking of my encounter
with chivalry since I, like millions of generations of fans, was shocked to learn
that Debbie Reynolds, 84, the iconic star,
whose roles ranged from Kathy Selden in
Singin in the Rain to Bobbi Adler in the

groundbreaking TV show Will & Grace

died on Dec. 27 after suering a stroke.
Reynolds died a day after her daughter
Carrie Fisher, 60, herself an icon, succumbed to a heart attack on Dec. 26. A
documentary Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, which
premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last
year, will air on HBO on Jan. 7.
Fishers death sent shockwaves through
the countless number of her fans. We loved
her as Princess Leia of Star Wars and
adored her razor-sharp, vulnerable and
honest writing in work such as her novel
Postcards from the Edge and her onewoman show and memoir of the same title
Wishful Drinking. Postcards, Fisher said
in interviews, was ction though it drew on
her relationship with Reynolds and experience in recovery from substance abuse. The
novel was made into a movie of the same
name starring Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine. HBOs 2010 adaptation of Wishful
Drinking will be shown again on Jan. 8.
Though they were from dierent generations and had dierent styles, Reynolds and Fisher each exuded seemingly
boundless energy, talent, and a determi-

nation to keep working at their craft no

matter what was happening in their personal lives. Both are beloved by many,
hetero and queer, from the ladies who
lunch to Star Wars geeks.
Watching Reynolds dance with Gene
Kelly and Donald OConnor in Singin in the
Rain, a classic musical about Hollywood as
silent lms were going out in the 1920s, is
like watching a force of nature. You wonder
how anyone could move like that. Especially,
when you remember that Reynolds was only
19 and had never danced before when she
was cast for the lm. Kelly, a perfectionist,
reportedly didnt want her to have the role.
Years later, Reynolds recalled that her feet
bled while she rehearsed dancing for the lm
and said, The two hardest things I ever did in
my life are childbirth and Singin in the Rain.
My friend Grace saw Singin in the
Rain when she was 14 in Guatemala. We
lived for it! My cousin Diego and I couldnt
stop dancing after we saw it!
Yet Reynolds, who appeared in many
lms from The Unsinkable Molly Brown
(for which she received a Best Actress Oscar
nomination) to How the West Was Won,
never rested on her laurels. My young

queer friends loved her in Will & Grace.

She played Liberaces mother in the HBO
movie Behind the Candelabra in 2013.
Fisher in her acting, screenplays, novels and memoirs had an original, brave,
comic voice. Fisher shared stories of her
life from shopping with her gay Republican best friend to nding comfort from
her dogs. Yet, her anecdotes were never
solipsistic. Fisher spoke of nding community in sharing and her sharing fostered community.
Though her work drew on the personal,
we identied with and were comforted
by her experiences. In Postcards, she
penned the mordant line instant gratication takes too long to describe her characters struggle with recovery from addiction. In an era when mental illness is still
much stigmatized, Fisher who had a bipolar disorder, bravely spoke of the need for
bipolar pride. Fisher touchingly wrote of
how in the midst of a bipolar episode, she
signed herself into a mental hospital with
the signature shame. Were only as sick
as our secrets, Fisher said.
Thank you, Debbie and Carrie, for
bringing us joy and giving us pride. R.I.P.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

2 2 J A NUA RY 0 6 , 2017

VIEWPOINT

Beware the sex police in Trumps America

Stigmatizing our
community with outdated
criminal statutes
By BRIAN GAITHER
As much as the LGBT community has
successfully won favorable laws to secure
and protect our rights to marriage and fair
employment, we did so at a time when the
president and the cultural tide supported
us. In the coming Age of Trump, we know
we cant rely on the same level of political
and public support. Already, we see reported acts of targeted homophobia carried out
in Trumps name, and in the coming years
we must be wary of tepid support from our
remaining political allies. Most importantly,
we must be vigilant of the dangers lingering
in many states outdated criminal statutes.
For generations, laws have been deliberately designed for use against members of the LGBT community. Criminal
codes applicable only to us and prosecutions for violating them have been
a reliable tool for conating homosexuality and gender identity with criminality.
No matter how unjust the basis for a law

targeting us, a conviction permanently

marks us. There is no worse stigma than
Pervert by Order of the Court.
When police raids of gay bars were common, those arrested could expect to have
their names printed in local newspapers.
The public interest justication for this
destruction of privacy was to notify the
public of criminal behavior. However, the
true purpose was to terrorize gay men
through a campaign of shame that resulted in job loss and worse. Today in North
Carolina, its hard to imagine the horror of
applying for a job with a criminal record
based solely on a violation of HB2.
In Maryland, I can have a marriage recognized by the state, but if my husband and
I were to celebrate our honeymoon here,
any countys States Attorney could charge
us with felony sodomy. Under Maryland
Criminal Code Sec. 3-321, its punishable by
up to 10 years in prison. Most insultingly,
the marriage certicate itself would oer
our zealous persecutor [sic] probable cause
for a surveillance warrant. Whether or not a
local judge would recognize the federal decision in Lawrence v. Texas isnt something
I want to learn in that moment. And if one
of us were HIV+, he could be charged under Maryland Code Sec. 18-601 with a mis-

demeanor carrying a maximum penalty of

three years and a $2,500 ne.
Even the selective enforcement of general decency laws oers the government
a frighteningly eective means of social
control. In 2015, ocers in Rehoboth
Beach stepped up citations for public
urination on Poodle Beach, and at Cape
Henlopen they used a rookie park ranger
as bait in a cruising sting. The purpose of
these actions could only be one thing
to make it clear to LGBT people that our
presence always requires special scrutiny.
Lewdness is a presumption of our characters; all thats needed is a conviction
or a plea bargain to prove it. Kelly Cross
learned that in April of 2016. While a candidate for Baltimore City Council, anonymous opponents papered the doorways
of Crosss neighbors with the titillating
news that seven years ago, in Washington D.C., he had accepted a plea bargain
on a charge of voyeurism. His political
foes slanderously inated a misdemeanor oense (and $50 ne) into claims that
he was a convicted sex oender. When
the Baltimore Sun recently published an
opinion piece by Cross, a local dissenter
simply dismissed him with a weblink to
old reports of the scandal. The message

was clear theres no need to engage a

member of the LGBT community who has
something to say once hes been branded
Pervert by Order of the Court.
To beat back this common mistreatment,
we have to recognize that existing statutes
are regularly used to minimize the LGBT
community even as new ones are drafted
to control our lives and outlaw our families.
We need to shore up local organizations that
may have atrophied in the past few years,
especially those focused on LGBT legal services. We need to tell our friends in state legislatures that laws criminalizing LGBT people
have to go. And most importantly, we need
to halt the propagation of stigmas attached
to violations of decency crimes.
In this new Age of Trump, we know
theyre coming for us with their religious
freedom laws. We know they want to
roll back our civil protections where they
can. But lets not forget that the most lethal and accessible weapon in their political arsenal is to have us all named sex
criminals who dont deserve a place in
decent society.
BRIAN GAITHER is an LGBT activist living
in Baltimore. He is co-founder of the Pride
Foundation of Maryland.

O U R BU SI N E SS MA T T E RS

Mayor Bowser: Veto Paid Leave Act to force better bill

If D.C. Council hopes to lead
on leave it must abandon
ill-considered approach

MARK LEE is a long-time entrepreneur

and community business advocate. Follow
on Twitter: @MarkLeeDC. Reach him at
OurBusinessMatters@gmail.com.

No top-spot politician in a one-party town

such as D.C. hopes to have to tear up a piece
of legislation that lands on her desk.
Thats the decision Mayor Muriel Bowser
must soon make.
Bowser has announced she will not attach
her name to a controversial and ill-considered
paid leave measure approved late last month
by a fractured and split D.C. Council. She has
two other options: Allow the bill to become law
without her signature or veto it.
Mayor Bowser should veto the current draft

of a D.C. paid leave law.

Whether the District will institute paid leave
is not in question. What matters is whether the
plan makes sense. The current bill doesnt.
It would establish the most expansive and
expensive program compared to only three
states with such a law. A weekly wage replacement rate of 90 percent, up to a $1,000
maximum contrasted to only 55 percent
in both California and Rhode Island, and 66
percent in New Jersey is extravagant and
likely unsustainable at the business tax of
0.62 percent on wages paid. Compensated
time o would be allowed for parental leave
of eight weeks, family leave of six weeks, and
medical leave of two weeks also exceeding
the states.
The citys CFO has cautioned the current approach is tantamount to ying blind through
unchartered airspace lled with exploding potential cost overruns.
D.C. would also become the sole jurisdiction funding a paid family leave program by
employer tax instead of employee withholding. This annual business tax, erasing much of
the modest tax cuts still not phased-in, totals a
quarter-billion dollars per year at start-up.
The District is uniquely prohibited from taxing non-resident incomes. That anomaly has
engendered a perverse precedent-setting

push by labor unions, union-funded agitators,

think-tank types and a tiny gaggle of political
activists to utilize the restriction to promote an
employer-funded plan in D.C. as propaganda
in a national proxy battle designed to promote
transferring paid leave costs to businesses.
The bill requires a massive behemoth of
bureaucracy precluding employer management of benets and ballooning to city governments fth largest function. Infrastructure would cost $100 million before the rst
benet, delayed until 2020 on a timeline
laughably optimistic and start-up price ridiculously low-balled.
The Districts sorry record of mounting and
managing a huge new agency with nearly
150 administrators and building a never-before-designed online portal system for both
employers and employees prompts smart
skepticism. More than a few predict the entire plan could collapse under the burden of
intrinsic improbability.
Most startling is unexpectedly intense resident opposition to fully two-thirds of the tax
on local businesses beneting non-residents
working in the District while the large number
of residents working in surrounding states
would receive no benet. Its the emphatic objection most heard among locals.
Proving more popular than predicted is

limiting eligibility to D.C. residents. That would

lower the projected cost from $250 million to
$80 million and make possible eliminating the
business tax in order to comport with the established national standard of funding by employee withholding.
The Washington Post editorial board, calling
the bill a mind-bogglingly bad decision, has
urged Mayor Bowser to veto it.
A mayoral veto, if sustained, would force the
Council to consider other approaches and devise a better bill.
Five of 13 D.C. Council members backed
one such sensible alternative. Although a sufcient tally to sustain a mayoral veto, a newly
comprised Council sworn-in this week complicates override prediction calculations.
That plan, proposed by Jack Evans and
Mary Cheh, oered identical benets beginning three years sooner. It would have
required businesses to provide paid leave
but extended a tax credit to businesses with
fewer than 70 employees and a hardship
reimbursement for small businesses with
unexpectedly high annual usage. It was supported by small businesses vastly outnumbering those backing the tax-plan approach
and virtually all larger companies.
It was also a bill Mayor Bowser indicated
she could sign.

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J A N U A RY 0 6 , 2 0 1 7 2 3

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2 4 J A NUA RY 0 6 , 2017

N E W Y E A R, N E W Y O U

To be, or not to be, healthy in 2017

A TRAINER CAN HELP YOU MAKE EDUCATED DECISIONS IN THE GYM

By TEDDY SAVAGE

Consider working with a trainer to get the results you want in 2017.

To be, or not to be We are all familiar

with the Shakespearean quote, but what
exactly does it mean, and more importantly
how does it relate to tness?
Well, what the famous line of prose can
be broken down to is the simple yet arduous
act of making a decision. In deciding to do
something or become a particular version of
ourselves, there are a few things that must be
taken into consideration. We have to have a
clear vision of who we are and where we are
and accept that as our starting point, commit
to overcoming any obstacles that may stand
in the way of achieving our goal, and nally,
believing that we can be exactly who we set
out to be.
Often in tness, we set out to embark
on this grand journey of achievement that
will one day have us proclaiming from
the mountaintops, I did it! I made it! Ive
arrived! The picture of this happy ending
is crystal clear, yet the starting point is
where we tend to have a more blurred
vision of things. It is hard sometimes to
accept our present circumstance and even
harder to acknowledge that there is work
to be done. It is in that moment though,
that the decision must be made to take
that all-important rst step in becoming
our ultimate selves. It is not certain if
Shakespeare was a trainer as well as a
world-class poet, but what is certain is that
he understood the importance of self-

awareness. So much so that he wrote the

phrase: This above all: to thine ownself
be true. And it must follow, as the night the
day, (Polonius in Hamlet).
As it pertains to tness, understanding
our true starting point involves consulting
with someone that understands the body
and can relate to what exercises are needed
to address any areas of concern. A Certied
Trainer can show you that it isnt necessarily
about where we are, but more importantly,
what we need to do to get to where were
going. Similarly, a qualied trainer can also
be that condant in whom you can trust
with your efforts and passions. Someone
that wont pester you with irritable hard sell
tactics, but is more concerned with teaching
you how to make educated decisions in the
gym and become a more condent and selfsufcient gym member.
Someone once said, Once you make
the decision to do something, the universe
will move out of your way. Well, that
individual must not have ever felt the
soreness of doing a leg day or had to
endure the physical hardships of a threeday total body regiment. While these are
some of the obstacles that will inevitably
be a part of our tness journeys, they cant
be seen as insurmountable walls that are
impossible to climb. Rather, they are merely
stepping stones on the way to greatness.
Not unlike any other grueling task, it is

better to go about the journey with a group

of like-minded people. Friends or work
out buddies that are just as committed to
beating those hard days and overcoming
those obstacles are great resources. More
importantly, actually working together side
by side in a group setting, is the best way to
stay motivated and to ensure that you feel
comfortable in the gym.Deciding on where
to start your journey is just as important as
the journey itself. Make sure you choose
somewhere that incorporates group
classes and provides a comfortable, nonintimidating, and all-inclusive atmosphere.
This will keep you feeling good and on task
to reach the summit.
In similar fashion, having an unwavering
belief in yourself and your goals, is the
most important element to seeing the
initial decision to its end. That belief
doesnt come from a number on a scale
or even a reection in the mirror. Rather,
it comes from within. Shakespeare wrote,
Some are born great, some achieve
greatness, and some have greatness thrust
upon them, (Malvolio in Twelfth Night).
The potential for you to be who you set
out to become has been inside of you the
whole time. So the feeling of assurance,
of relinquishing any self-doubt, of never
giving up, must also come from deep
down inside. That energy inside of you is
not created or destroyed; instead it passes

from person to person. So, it helps to allow

yourself to be inspired by other peoples
triumphs as well. Sharing your successes
along the way and being inuenced by
others success stories, will serve to keep
that re burning and drive you to do what
you knew could always be done.
Shakespeare may or may not have been
embarking on his own tness quest when
he posed the question, To be, or not to
be, but he was spot on in identifying that
making the decision is the most important
part of any journey. That freedom to be
whomever you want to be, do whatever
you want to do, and to escape the connes
or judgments of the world, is precisely the
wind you need to spread your wings and
become who you were destined to be.
Planet Fitness Group Partners LLC is a
franchise division of Planet Fitness and
owns and operates 42 Planet Fitness
clubs in Maryland, Tennessee, Florida and
Washington State, a budget health club
chain.Founded in 1992 in Dover, N.H., Planet
Fitness is now the fastest-growing full size
health club franchise in the United States,
and has revolutionized the industry with a
combination of extremely low prices and a
friendly, and hassle-free environment called
the Judgement Free Zone.
THEODORE SAVAGE, CPT, is a tness
training coordinator with Planet Fitness
Growth Partners, LLC.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

N E W YEA R, NEW Y OU

J A N U A RY 0 6 , 2 0 1 7 2 5

Youre worth it
WHATS HOLDING YOU BACK FROM ACHIEVING YOUR FITNESS GOALS?

By COACH G
better for your family, friends and society in
general when you do.

Worth the fear

GERARD BURLEY is a D.C.-based personal trainer. Reach him via @CoachGFit or
coachg@coachgtness.com.

Being a trainer and helping people

achieve their tness and health goals for
15 years has given me a lot of data on
what has worked and what hasnt worked.
Its also given me insight on what barriers
many people face when attempting to
make a healthy lifestyle change.
Ive had the blessing of working with
more than a thousand people and had
the honor of talking about health to a
thousand more. Though Ive connected
with the rich and poor, CEOs and bluecollar workers, black and white, male
and female, and any other combo you
can think of, they all present many of the
same barriers to becoming t and healthy.
The most common barrier I see keeping
people from achieving their goals comes
from a lack of self-worth.

What is self-worth?
When we speak about self worth, I could
care less about how much is in your bank
account or what your credit score is. This is
a different type of currency that makes you
intangibly rich. Self-worthiness employs
the basic fact that you feel, believe and
act upon the premise that you deserve
greatness in everything you do. Most
minorities can relate to this feeling or
breaking point because most civil rights
movements come from a general place of
worth. How each group acts upon it varies
of course, but whether you are marching in
the street, lobbying with Congress, using
economic inuence or all of the above,
your movement starts from a place of selfworth. Your healthy lifestyle will start from
the same place.

Worth the sacrice

Heavy is the head that wears the
crown. With great rewards come great
sacrice. Sure weve all heard quotes like
these, but rarely do we hear that we are

Achieving a successful long-term tness plan requires starting with a healthy psychological view of
yourself.

worth the sacrice. The rst barrier most of

my clients have is getting to a point where
they decide they are worth the sacrice it
will take in order to put their health and
tness as a consistent priority in their life.
For some, the sacrice is money, for others
its time, but for most, the hardest part is
getting to a point mentally of believing
that they are worth the sacrice.
Its taking a step back and saying to
yourself that I love myself so much that
I will be selsh. The second step to this
is actually backing this idea up with
actions that show you and the world that
you actually believe what youre saying.
In general, Ive found that people are
much more willing to sacrice for others
and commit for others than they are for
themselves. Think about the times youve
done something because someone has
asked you, but you wouldnt have done the
same for yourself and your own happiness.
I always think about your friends
expensive birthday dinner that youre
willing to go to for the other person, but
youd never treat yourself to. This also
resonates with parents who want the best

for their kids and will sacrice everything,

including time, money and sometimes
sanity, but refuse to sacrice any of the
above for their own health or happiness.
Think about the parent who cooks and
eats an unhealthy dinner to satisfy their
kids but wont take the time to cook what is
on their personal eating plan. Theres also
the parent who would spend a limitless
budget on putting their kids into sports
activities, but wont invest a dime into their
own tness. By sacricing for others, even
our family, at every decision, you send a
strong message to yourself and the world
that youre not important.
Changing this starts in realizing that when
youre at your best, you are also the best
for others. The best teachers are the ones
who live their own creed. The best parents
dont just tell their kids to do things, they
reinforce it by setting a positive example. If
you want your kids to eat healthy, then you
need to eat healthy. If you want your kids to
adopt a consistent healthy active lifestyle,
then you must do the same. Your health is
worth the same sacrices that you would
make for others and not only that, you are

I must not fear. Fear is a mind killer. Fear is

the little death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear. (Frank Herbert) Conquer
fear and conquer your life.
The second barrier I see prevent most
people from sticking with or even getting
started with a new health and tness plan
is fear. Fear of failing. Fear of looking
stupid. Fear of the work itll take. Fear of
not being as good as everyone else. Fear
of everything. You are worth the fear. You
are worth not only having these legitimate
feelings, but you are worth facing those
fears and overcoming them. Facing and
overcoming these fears will mold you into
a better you.
Think of it like this every great change
and challenge in your life has started
with fear. First day of school. First day at
a new job. Moving to a new city. Getting
married. Getting divorced. No matter
what it was, if it was new in life, there was
fear. Though the degree of the fear varies
from person to person and situation to
situation, the presence of fear is always
there. The acknowledgment of this fear is
OK and to some degree healthy, but its
important that this fear is a moment and
not a movement.
When I meet with people starting a new
training plan with me, I like to ask them
what are they afraid of. Most answers circle
around how others will perceive them
and how they perceive themselves as
compared to themselves during another
time in their life. They think they will
disappoint me, be judged by other people
or that theyre not as t as they once were.
Though changing this behavior, of course,
doesnt happen in one session, I have
found the most success in getting people
to refocus on who they came here for and
teaching them how to be in the moment.
I totally agree that the gym can be an
intimidating place especially for a novice,
but only if you are valuing your worth and
success on the scale set by other people. If
you can commit to dening your success
by yourself and for yourself, then what
others are doing or how they perceive you
will not mean anything to you.
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

2 6 J A NUA RY 0 6 , 2017

W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

National Inauguration Shabbat

"Strengthening One Another"

Friday January 20, 7:00 pm, Edlavitch DCJCC

1529 16th Street, NW

Bet Mishpachah and the Kurlander Program for GLBTQ Outreach and
Engagement (GLOE) invite Washington-area residents and out-of-town
visitors to join our two groups for a panel discussion at 7:00,
Shabbat services at 8:00, and a festive social hour following services.
At this challenging time, let's come together to continue Tikkun Olam,
repair of our broken world, and to find peace, joy and community in Shabbat.
For more information visit www.betmish.org or www.edcjcc.org/social-networks/gloe/

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ARTS

AND

ENTERTAINMENT

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

VOLUME

48

ISSUE

01

JANUARY

06,

2017

PAGE

27

A mid-90s promotional photo of GEORGE MICHAEL from his major-label record days.
PHOTO COURTESY COLUMBIA RECORDS

10 hidden gems by George Michael

SHOCKING CHRISTMAS DEATH SPARKS REAPPRAISAL OF OUT SINGERS LESSER-KNOWN TRACKS

By CHRIS GERARD
Given the shocking death of pop
superstar George Michael on Christmas
Day at the age of 53, its not surprising
that his mourning fans have been
listening through his outstanding catalog
of music, which stretches more than 30
years as a solo artist and as one half of
the duo Wham!, and reliving their favorite
moments from the gifted musician.
Most everybody knows his many
monster hits: Wake Me Up Before You
Go-Go, Careless Whisper, Everything
She Wants, I Knew You Were Waiting for
Me (with Aretha Franklin), Faith, Father
Figure, One More Try, Monkey,
Playing for Time and Dont Let the Sun
Go Down on Me (with Elton John) were all
No. 1 singles in the U.S.
Other major singles include I Want
Your Sex, Im Your Man, A Dierent

Corner, Freedom 90, Too Funky and

Fastlove. While most readers will be
familiar with these, theres another side
to George Michaels music that might be
ripe for discovery by fans who havent
delved fully into his extensive body of
work. Here are 10 lesser-known George
Michael gems you may not know.

Battlestations
(1986)

By the time Wham! made it big,

George Michael was already eyeing a
solo career. The global smash Careless
Whisper was Michaels rst solo single
even though in the U.S. it was credited to
Wham! Featuring George Michael and it
was included on Wham!s chart-topping
second album, Make it Big.

After announcing Wham!s dissolution

in early 1986, Michael promised one nal
album with the duo and a farewell concert.
Wham! went out with a bang at a massive
show on June 28, 1986 at Wembley
Stadium. The last album is essentially
a compilation of a few newly recorded
tracks, assorted singles and leftovers
(including the now-ubiquitous holiday
single Last Christmas and the No. 3
smash Im Your Man). In North America
the album was dubbed Music from the
Edge of Heaven, while elsewhere it was
called The Final and featured a dierent
track listing.
One of the highlights is the lithe and
funky Battlestations, a stripped down
electronic-pop gem that recounts a
rocky romance similar in theme to the
chart-topping Everything She Wants.

Battlestations points to the more

mature adult-themed pop that Michael
would explore on his classic debut solo
album Faith.

They Wont Go When I Go

(1990)

George Michael was a huge Stevie

Wonder fan and covered several of his songs
over the course of his career. The nest is
his stunning take on the ballad They Wont
Go When I Go, which Wonder released on
his 1974 album Fulllngness First Finale.
Michaels recording, featured on his second
solo album Listen Without Prejudice, Vol.
1, is a powerfully rendered version with a
dynamic multi-layered vocal performance
CONTINUES ON PAGE 35

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

2 8 J A N UA RY 0 6 , 2017

Q U E E RY : 2 0 Q U E ST I O N S F O R E A ME S A RMST RO N G

EAMES ARMSTRONG
How long have you been out and who
was the hardest person to tell?
It has been about a year and a half since
I started to be more vocal about being
genderqueer. I have a hard enough time
correcting people who mispronounce
my name (rhymes with James), so it has
been challenging but so rewarding to
incorporate using they/them pronouns
into my life. My older brother was the
hardest to tell, which seems almost
funny now because he has been
absolutely the most supportive. Right
away he said, OK, we can call you QT
for queer trans. It was the sweetest. His
sense of humor keeps me grounded.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

By JOEY DiGULIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
Have an unsettled feeling about the Trump inauguration? Youre not alone.
Local artists Eames Armstrong and John Moletress will explore issues of
queer bliss and domestic deviance in a series of paintings, performance
objects and multimedia installations theyre calling Perversion Therapy,
which will be on display at Flashpoint Gallery (916 G St., N.W.) Jan. 14-Feb. 4,
presented by CulturalDC, a local art non-prot.
A live performance will be held at the opening on Friday, Jan. 13 and another
on Wednesday, Jan. 18. Look for the event on Facebook for full details. Its free
and open to the public. Light refreshments and drinks will be served.
Armstrong, who is genderqueer and uses gender-neutral pronouns, paints,
performs, creates sound and writes but its mostly their paintings that will
be used. Armstrong and Moletress had been kicking around the idea of how
home relates to performance art but after Trump was elected, it became
necessary to respond in some way, Armstrong says.
My paintings are fun and bright and hopefully a little unsettling, Armstrong
says. Kind of cute, sexless orgies. I think they complement and contrast
nicely with Johns work thats more overt in its overlapping transgressions.
Armstrong, 28, identies as genderqueer and grew up in Bethesda, Md.
After a stint in Boston for college, they returned to the region. Armstrong
enjoys reading, the occult, art theory and history in their spare time.

Whos your LGBT hero?

Im perpetually inspired by Genesis
Breyer P-Orridge, both in h/er approach
to gender and prolic creative output
across music, ritual and visual art.
Whats Washingtons best nightspot,
past or present?
I like to go to shows at Rhizome in
Takoma Park, and anything that
SelectDC or Sonic Circuits organizes. Do
gallery openings count? Thats where
youll nd me.
Describe your dream wedding.
Im not sure I dream of getting married,
but if I were to I suppose casual. I
wouldnt want a formal ceremony, just a
big party and come if you want because
there will be great music.
What non-LGBT issue are you most
passionate about?
I have worked to help foster a supportive
community around experimental and
body-based art practices, and to help
connect artists in D.C. with like-minded
artists and communities elsewhere. Its
so important to be around artists who
understand and support you, especially
when making work that can be so
physically and emotionally taxing.

Just heartbroken to read of John

Bergers passing this morning and I
shared a link to his 1972 BBC series
Ways of Seeing, an inuential feminist
critique of visual culture that shed light
on the ways in which images can be
coded with ideologies.

If your life were a book, what would

the title be?
Too early to tell! Denitely still on a
rough rst draft.
If science discovered a way to change
sexual orientation, what would you do?
I would be suspicious! John Moletress
and my exhibition Perversion Therapy
is a play on the dangerous practice of
conversion therapy. On one hand, its a
joke that the goal of the show is to make all
who enter a little more gay, but it is more
about being accepting, being critical and
standing ground, and having fun as a kind
of resistance in the face of a nightmare.
What do you believe in beyond the
physical world?
I believe in energies and dierent forces.
But it is all in the physical world I think. I
believe very much that whatever it is that
gives us life is not located elsewhere.
Whats your advice for LGBT
movement leaders?
Listen to youth. Like, really, really listen.
What would you walk across hot coals for?
My little puppy Rosie, or really good
vegan mac n cheese.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?
That we are shallow, narcissistic, selshly
and narrowly focused on LGBT-related
ideas and issues.
Whats your favorite LGBT movie?
The Gay Bed and Breakfast of Terror
(2007)

What historical outcome would you

change?
A certain 2016 election.

Whats the most overrated social

custom?
Weddings

Whats been the most memorable pop

culture moment of your lifetime?
I saw Hole play in 2010. I was right up front
and I think Courtney Love saw and winked
at my hand-made I love you Courtney
tank top. I wept during Doll Parts.

What trophy or prize do you most

covet?
Hmm, I would like to be included in
the Whitney Biennial (an exhibition of
contemporary art) one day.

On what do you insist?

202.747.2077

Tweet?

Window seat

What was your last Facebook post or

What do you wish youd known at 18?

That I dont need to be so afraid.
Why Washington?
Washington is my home, will always be.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

T HE ATE R

J A N U A R Y 06, 2017 29

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARENA STAGE

BILL RAUCH, director of Roe at Arena Stage, says the play has special meaning for LGBT people.

New Arena production

part of ambitious theater
cycle of new works
By PATRICK FOLLIARD
Did you know Jane Roe the plainti in
the groundbreaking 1973 reproductive
rights case Roe v. Wade was in fact a
lesbian named Norma McCorvey? This
and other insights come out in Lisa
Loomers new play Roe soon opening at
Arena Stage after a successful run at the
prestigious Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
For those who know the history its
important to remember, and for so many
people who dont know the case, its
revelatory, says out director Bill Rauch. The
subject is unbelievably timely and urgent in
light of election results. Just yesterday I read
an article citing that 300 separate restrictions
have been passed on abortion at the state
level since 2011. The clock is rolling back on
reproductive justice.
Roe focuses on the lives of two young
women, Norma McCorvey (Sara Bruner),
a Texas bartender who wants to end a
pregnancy and Sarah Weddington (Sarah
Jane Agnew), the lawyer who argued the case
before the Supreme Court at age 26, and
follows their divergent paths following the
landmark decision. The cast also includes
Catherine Castellanos as McCorveys partner
Connie Gonzalez, Richard Elmore as Justice
Blackmun, and local Susan Lynskey plays
lawyer Linda Coee.
Loomers aim was to give all people
access into the story whatever their
personal views on abortion, and shes
pulled that o brilliantly according to
Rauch. Throughout the evening, audiences
will hear many sides of the argument
articulated by many dierent characters.
Its a dicult feat that might have sent
lesser playwrights running, he says.
Im very clear personally about prochoice views and I feel its the job of the
director to bring out the humanity in every
character, says Rauch who is married to
actor/director Christopher Liam Moore. Its

pretty rare that someone goes through life

thinking theyre the bad guy. In truth, people
are ghting for what they believe and thats
what makes the issue so emotional. The
question of choice is rooted in peoples
world view and sometimes religious belief.
Its been fantastic to work with the cast on a
broad range of characters and honor each
characters views.
Roe is part of Oregon Shakespeare
Festivals
American
Revolutions:
United States History Cycle. Launched
by Rauch, also the festivals artistic
director, American Revolutions goal is
to commission 37 new American plays
focusing on American moments of
change in our countrys past.
The
project
was
inspired
by
Shakespeares history cycle and the
company hopes to address the anxieties
and hopes of modern life through
dramatizing them. So far, 32 of the 37
pieces have been commissioned and
10 have been produced, most at the
festivals home in Ashland, Ore., but some
elsewhere such as Sweat at Arena and
All the Way, Robert Schenkkans play
about Lyndon Johnson and Civil Rights,
both on Broadway and at Arena.
Its exciting to be part of the national
dialogue, Rauch says.
There are myriad reasons for LGBT
audiences to see Roe, Rauch says.
First of all every person should see a
play that looks at the history and reality of
reproductive justice. I say that hesitantly
because it makes it sound like spinach, and
its not. The work is incredibly entertaining
and humor lled. Its a great ride. For
those of us in the queer community given
all weve dealt with and will continue to
deal with, I think its especially important
to see a work like this.
He says the lesbian relationship at the
center of the play is truly the heart of
the story.
ROE
Jan. 12-Feb. 19
Arena Stage
1101 Sixth St., S.W.
$40-90
202-488-3300
Arenatsage.org

~
202.319.8541 www.lgbtc.com Se habla espanol

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1314B 14th St. NW WDC 20005 202.506.6868 Logan14salonspa.com

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Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend returns to the District with numerous events

at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill (400 New Jersey Ave., N.W.) Jan.
13-15.
On Friday, Jan. 13 registration is open from 3-10 p.m. The exhibitor hall
will be open from 4-10 p.m. featuring exhibitors such as Bootblacks On-Duty,
a charity beneciary for the Mid-Atlantic Deaf Interpreting Fund. From 7-9
p.m. there will be a rubber meet and greet followed by Impact Deux by the
Highwaymen TNT from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. DJ Twin will spin tracks. Cover is $5.
Saturday, Jan. 14 registration is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and the exhibitor hall is
open from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Puppy Park, co-hosted by NYC-PAH, is from 11 a.m.-1
p.m. The Onyx cocktail party and gear show is from 2-6 p.m.There will be a fetish
auction to benet Black, Gifted & Whole with a suggested donation at the door.
There will be Leather Cocktails from 7-9 p.m. and the Parade of Colors begins at
8:15 p.m. Nasty Kink Pigs hosts Fxck Muscle, a dance party, featuring music by DJ
Jack Chang and Dirty Demos is from 10:30 p.m.-4 a.m. Tickets are $10 at the door
or advance tickets can be purchased at nastykinkpigs.com/mal2017. The MAUL
Uniform Party will be from 10 p.m.- 2 a.m.
On Sunday, Jan. 15 there will be brunch from 10-11:30 a.m. with registration
open from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. The exhibitor hall is open from 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Mr.
Mid-Atlantic Leather Contest is from 1-4 p.m. The Parade of Current Title Holders
will occur midway through at 2 p.m. From 5-8 p.m., there will be a Womens
Tea Social. Dark & Twisted: the MAL Closing Dance Party will culminate the
festivities at 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) from 10 p.m.-4 a.m. There will be shuttle
buses departing from the hotel.
For a complete list of MAL events, visit leatherweeked.com.

Local gay clubs celebrate Mid-Atlantic

Leather Weekend with their own leather
parties over MLA weekend.
D.C. Bear Crue hosts its annual leather
bear party and bear happy hour at Town
(2009 8th St., N.W.) on Friday, Jan. 13 from
6-11 p.m. Specials include drink discounts
until 11 p.m. and free pizza at 7 p.m.
There is no cover. Entry ends at 9:30 p.m.
For more information, visit facebook.
com/bearhappyhour.
Growls: Roughhouse hosts a party at
Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.) on
Friday, Jan. 13 from 9 p.m.- 2 a.m. Billy
Santoro hosts the event and DJ Mateo
Segade plays music. Cover is $5 before
10 p.m. and $7 after. For details, visit
facebook.com/growlrroughhouse.
Distrkt C presents Masters, Boys & Pigs
at the D.C. Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.)
on Saturday, Jan. 14 from 10 p.m.- 8 a.m.
DJ Jared Connor opens the party and DJ
Dee Martello, seen here, will be the guest
DJ. Tickets are $25. For more details, visit
facebook.com/distrktc.

Storyteller event
focuses on goodbyes
Story District hosts Auld Lang Syne:
Stories about Friendships, Farewells and
Finale at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) on
Tuesday, Jan. 10 from 8-10 p.m.
A group of six-eight storytellers will
tell stories based around the theme of
goodbyes. Seating is rst-come, rstserved. Food is allowed inside but no
beverages. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15.
For more information, visit facebook.
com/storydistrict.

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

D I N IN G

J A N U A R Y 06, 2017 31

TRAIN for REAL in 2017!

PHOTO COURTESY OF POWERHOUSE BOOKS

Indian slapjacks, one of the non-run-of-the-mill breakfasts for two in Symetry Breakfast.

New cookbook chronicles

gay mans labor of love
By KRISTEN HARTKE
If youve begun the new year feeling
sad about not having a signicant other
(or sad about the one you already have,
which is a dierent matter altogether),
then Michael Zees cookbook Symmetry
Breakfast (powerHouse Books, 2016)
may not be the right choice for you. On
the other hand, the book, a veritable love
letter to Zees boyfriend Mark to whom
Zee actually proposed in the books
dedication might also just give you
hope for the future.
If its the true that the way to someones
heart is through their stomach, then
Symmetry Breakfast provides denitive
proof. Getting its start as an Instagram
account which now has about 650,000
followers, the concept grew around the
hectic work schedule that governs the
lives of so many relationships: Zees
boyfriends work as a fashion designer
dictated a lot of late nights and weekends
at the oce, so breakfast became a
sacred shared meal Zee refers to it as
spending precious moments with the
people we love.
A British photographer and art educator
with Scottish and Chinese heritage, Zees
approach to breakfast is far-ung, pulling
in ideas and cuisines from around the
world, from Onsen Tamago, a custardlike egg dish that forms part of a
traditional Japanese breakfast, to Baked
Oats with Ginger Beer Bacon, an homage
to traditional porridge with a really clever
twist on plain old bacon (2017 food
prediction: now everyones going to start
marinating their bacon and why not?).
The recipes are fun, smart and tasty,
but the real joy of Symmetry Breakfast
comes from feeling that we are watching
a love story unfold before our eyes with
each page. Zees photographs present
a pleasing yin and yang, with the two

identical dishes creating a mirror image

of pancakes, frittatas and churros, and
allowing us to imagine the two lovebirds
sitting together cozily in Londons early
morning light over tea and toast.
Where Functionality & Strength Meet Technology
Some of the highlights are the ones
1150 18th Street, NW
that play with traditional concepts of
Washington, D.C.
breakfast and how Zee and his boyfriends
benchgym@gmail.com
travels opened their eyes to other cultural
www.benchgym.com
traditions. In fact, while the thought of a
cannoli for breakfast might seem odd to
an American, where its traditionally eaten
for dessert, Symmetry Breakfast reminds
us that in Sicily, its a perfectly reasonable
item to nd accompanying a morning
cappuccino, and that even ice cream is
practically de rigueur for breakfast.
As the Instagram project evolved,
Zees exploration of global cuisine
grew exponentially, which he says
also prompted some commenters to
Associate Broker, GRI
indignantly cry, Thats not breakfast!
when he showcased, say Thai Grilled Pork
Skewers or an Ethiopian breakfast or
leftovers called Fit-Fit. Writing in the book
that its the comment that annoys him the
most, Zee responds to the criticism by
stating, Its not because those who say it
are wrong its certainly not their idea
of breakfast its that they fail to see
A big thanks to all my clients for your business
beyond their own lives.
ADVERTISING
In some ways, that statement really sums
and your trust. Buying or selling a home is all
up the philosophy of
the entire
book, a
PROOF
#1
ISSUE DATE:
01.06.2017
SALES
REPRESENTATIVE:
BRIAN
PITTS
(bpitts@washblade.com)
about you, so contact me to become a future
cookbook written by a gay man chronicling
client
and let me make 2017 a Happy You Year
REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of
proof. Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of
his love and devotion to his future
date of
proof. Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication.Brown naff pitts
forthe
you
too!
REVISIONS
omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) is not responsible for the content and/or design of your ad. Advertiser is
husband, by getting up eachREDESIGN
morning at 5
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
a.m. to prepare a beautiful and
sometimes
any rgihts of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement or misapporpriation of any
copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, music, image, or other proprietary or propety right, false advertising, unfair
IMAGE/LOGO
REVISIONS
Thank
youdefamation,
for voting
BEST
REALTOR,
competition,
invasion me
of privacy
or rights
of celebrity, violation of anti-discrimination law or regulation,
elaborate breakfast so they can
steal a few
ADVERTISER SIGNATURE
or any other right of any person or entity. Advertiser agrees to idemnify brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the
NO REVISIONS
washington
blade)DC
and to2015!
hold brown naff pitts omnimedia llc (dba the washington blade) harmless from any and all
By signing this proof you are agreeing to your contr
Best
of
Gay
precious moments together out of the day.
liability, loss, damages, claims, or causes of action, including reasonable legal fees and expenses that may be incurred
washington blade newspaper. This includes but is n
by brown naff pitts omnimedia llc, arising out of or related to advertisers breach of any of the foregoing representations
payment and insertion schedule.
Its a story that says we need to see beyond
and warranties.
our own lives to the world beyond, to accept
other cultures and ideas with a willingness
to step outside of our little boxes in a
phrase, to wake up and smell the coee. Or
banana bread whichever comes rst.

Join our Personal Training Program

Valerie M. Blake

KRISTEN HARTKE is a D.C.-based food

and beverage writer. Follow her kitchen
adventures on Twiiter, @khartke.

Dupont Circle Ofce

202.243.7700

202.246.8602 Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com

www.DCHomeQuest.com Valerrealestate.blogspot.com

3 2 J A NUA RY 0 6 , 2017

W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

N EW L I ST I N G AT C I T YC E N T E R ! 9 2 0 I S t r e e t, N W # 6 1 1 $ 1 , 5 3 2 , 0 0 0
Stunning corner unit 2BR/2BA apartment with floor-to-ceiling windows, wide-plank
white oak floors, Molteni closet systems, and caesarstone countertops throughout. 2 private
terraces and 2-car reserved parking plus storage. The building features 24-hr concierge, 2
rooftop areas, large fitness room, yoga room, and party room with wine bar.

Pat r i c k c h a u v i n

Mobile: 202.256.9595
office: 202.448.9002
Pat r i c k @ c h a u v i n h o u s e . c o M

Compass is a licensed real estate brokerage that abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws.
All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is
compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in
price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. All measurements and square footages
are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Compass is licensed
as Compass Real Estate in DC and as Compass in Virginia and Maryland.
202.386.6330 | 301.298.1001 | 202.545.6900 | 202.448.9002

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

BO OK S

J A N U A R Y 06, 2017 33

IMAGE COURTESY OF BLACKSTONE AUDIO

Audio book
explores unlikely
coming-of-age romance

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER has been reading

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

In its most basic description, its a

muscle.
Nothing computerized, no easy-tofollow instructions or list of parts. Nope, its
a muscle a dub-thumping, miraculous
group of cells that was beating when
you were born, due to simple electrical
activity. Its just a muscle, although in the
audiobook Beast by Brie Spangler, the
heart knows whom it loves.
At six-foot-four and 260 pounds,
15-year-old Dylan Ingvarsson was a beast.
And he hated it.
Not only did he tower over every single
student and most of the teachers at St.
Lawrence Prep, but he was also hairy as
a fake-fur blanket. You might get teased,
but you dont get bullied when youre
like that. You dont have a lot of friends,
either, and you dont get girls.
If it wasnt for his best friend, JP, Dylan
wouldnt know what to do. Theyd known
one another since they were little and he
was everything Dylan was not: well-o,
well-groomed and well-liked. Just walking
the halls with JP made Dylan cool, though
there was a bit of a dark side to JPs
friendship. Dylan hated that, too.
He hated his entire life, come to think,
so he took risks. Big, stupid risks, which is

how Dylan ended up on a roof, which was

how he ended up falling and busting his
leg, which was how he got sent to group
therapy for self-harmers, which was how
he met the girl of his dreams.
Her name was Jamie, she was the same
age as Dylan, gorgeous, tall, smart and
she had the same struggles with the way
her life was going. She only wanted to be
friends, but he wanted so much more
partly because Jamie was funny and he
liked her, partly because she liked him,
and partly because she would prove to JP
that Dylan could get a girl by himself.
But then everything fell apart. She said
she told Dylan that she was transgender,
but he didnt hear that. Was she a dude?
He wasnt gay. She hadnt hidden anything,
hadnt lied, but Dylan couldnt get over
facts. And he couldnt get over Jamie.
Two minutes. Get past the preliminary
tracks in Beast, and thats how long it will
take before youll be eager to know more
about Dylan. Author Brie Spangler gave
him the right words with the right attitude,
Andrew Eiden reads them perfectly, and
youll genuinely like this kid with a tough
exterior but a marshmallow center.
Spangler and Eiden make Dylan come
alive in this boy-meets-girl-who-used-tobe-a-boy story, by giving him more than
one dimension. Hes a warm, responsible,
complex, well-crafted character; with Dylan,
Spangler beautifully tackles a could-bethorny subject, wrestles with its conscious,
then lets it do its own soul searching. That
leads to a new-old-fashioned love story
that really couldnt be sweeter.
Be aware that this audiobook includes
a delicately presented make-out scene
that turns surprising, but not graphic. It
might be controversial for some, but it
ts, so dont let it deter you.
BEAST
By Brie Spangler, read by Andrew Eiden
Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Help us nd D.C.s top

20 LGBT singles for the
Blades Singles Issue
on February 10th, then
meet them at Town
Danceboutique on
February 11th.
Nominate yourself or your friends
from January 3-16 at
washingtonblade.com/singles

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

3 4 J A N UA RY 0 6 , 2017

CA LE N D A R

E-mail calendar items to calendars@washblade.

com two weeks prior to your event. Space is limited so priority is given to LGBT-specic events
or those with LGBT participants. Recurring
events must be re-submitted each time.

TODAY
Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.)
hosts Otter Crossing tonight from 10
p.m.-2:30 a.m. DJ Zamkov and DJ Omar
will make their Otter Crossing debut.
There will be drink specials all nigh.
Cover is $5. For more information, visit
greenlanterndc.com.
Gay District meets at the D.C. Center
(2000 14th St., N.W.) tonight from 8:309:30 p.m. The facilitated group discussion
covers building understanding of gay
culture and personal identity and
awareness of community events for LGBT
men between the ages of 18-35 in the D.C.
area. For more details, visit thedccenter.
org or gaydistrict.org.
The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.)
hosts a trans support group meeting
tonight at 7 p.m. The facilitated group
discussion is open to all members of the
community including partners, friends
and allies. For details, visit thedccenter.org
Dance crew Flying Steps performs Red
Bull Flying Bach at the Warner Theatre
(513 13th St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. The
crew will street dance to classical, hiphip and electronic music. Tickets range
from $22-77. The show runs through
Sunday, Jan. 8. For more information, visit
warnertheatredc.com.

Ragnarock: a Hirshhorn Late Night at

the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture
Garden (Independence Avenue at Seventh
Street, S.W.) tonight from 8-11:30 p.m. The
party celebrates the last night of Ragnar
Kjartanssons exhibition. There will be an
open bar with specialty cocktails and small
bites. DJ Lisa Frank and How to Dress Well
will spin. Chain and the Gang, Cinema
Hearts and Dawkins will perform live.

SATURDAY, JAN. 7

SUNDAY, JAN. 8

KhushDC hosts Khraft Night at the

D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) today
from 1-3 p.m. Paper and colors will be
provided but attendees can bring their
own supplies. For more details, visit
facebook.com/khushdc.
Full Out Fitness presents NBC4 Health
and Fitness Expo at Walter E. Convention
Center (801 Mt. Vernon Pl., N.W.) today
from 9 a.m.-noon. Activities include
Zumba at 9 a.m. and Smash-Up, a mix of
dance tness and cardio kickboxing, at 11
a.m. Bring a change of clothes and water.
For more information, visit facebook.
com/fulloutsweat.
St. Thomas Parish (1772 Church St.,
N.W.) hosts a half-day prayer service
today from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. There
will be a continental breakfast from 8:309 a.m. followed by worship and praise at
9 a.m. Prayer will be held with the entire
congregation, in large groups and in small
groups. Prayer requests will be accepted.
For more details, visit facebook.com/
stthomasdc.
Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.)
hosts Rewind: Request Line, a dance
party featuring 80s and 90s music videos,
tonight from 9 p.m.-midnight. For more
information, visit greenlanterndc.com.
Brightest Young Things presents

Capitol Improv hosts No Pants

Subway Ride D.C. 2017 today from 3-5
p.m. Participants will meet at Hancock
Park (800 C St., S.W.) to ride on LEnfant
Metro. At 5 p.m. there will be an after
party and happy hour at the Front Page
(1333 New Hampshire Ave., N.W.).
Participants can come without pants or
plan to remove their pants on the train.
For more information, visit facebook.
com/capitaolimprov.
The Historical Society of Washington
hosts a walking tour of Mount Vernon
Square
with
photographer
Chris
Earnshaw today from 1-2:30 p.m. The
walking tour begins in front of the main
entrance of Carnegie Library (801 K St.,
N.W.) and ends at the west entrance of
the National Building Museum. For more
details, visit facebook.com/dchistory.
SISTR Mid9ight, music duo Rich
Morel and Jason Barnes, performs as
the opener for Benjy Ferree at Black Cat
(1811 14th St., N.W.) tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10. For more information,
visit blackcatdc.com.

PHOTO BY CARLO CRUZ; COURTESY OF RED BULL

Flying Steps show o their fancy footwork in Red Bull Flying Bach. It runs through Jan. 8 at the Warner Theatre.

MONDAY, JAN. 9
The Imperial Court of Washington
hosts its monthly membership meeting

at Dignity Washington (721 8th St., S.E.)

tonight from 7:30-9 p.m. Members unable
to attend can call in. For more details, visit
facebook.com/imperialcourtdc.
D.C.s Dierent Drummers has its
rst rehearsal for the spring 2017 season
at Church of the Reformation (212 E
Capitol St., N.E.) tonight from 7-9:30 p.m.
For more details, visit facebook.com/dcs.
dierent.drummers.
The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W..)
hosts coee drop-in hours this morning
from 10 a.m.-noon for the senior LGBT
community. Older LGBT adults can
come and enjoy complimentary coee
and conversation with other community
members. For more information, visit
thedccenter.org.

at 7 p.m. at Trio Restauant (1537 17th

St., N.W.) to discuss Guapa by Saleem
Haddad. Guapa follows a gay man
living in an undisclosed Arab country.
Newcomers welcome. For more details,
email biggaybookgroup@hotmail.com.
The Lambda Bridge Club meets
tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center
(721 8th St., S.E.) for duplicate bridge. No
reservations required and new comers
welcome. If you need a partner, call 703407-6540.
National City Christian Church (5
Thomas Circle, N.W.) has its LGBT
ecumenical Bible study tonight at 7
p.m. with Rev. Jeerson Beeker teaching
on Matthew 2:1-23. The 90-minute Bible
study is held at the church monthly.

TUESDAY, JAN. 10

THURSDAY, JAN. 12

Bachelors Mill has half-price drinks all

night tonight from 5 p.m.-2 a.m. They also
have pool, video gaming systems and
cards. Admission is free. For more details,
visit bachelorsmill.com.
Republic (6939 Laurel Ave., Takoma
Park, Md.) hosts Alegre Happy Hour, an
LGBT happy hour, this evening from
5-7 p.m. For more information, visit
republictakoma.com.
Pung Picasso hosts Pu N Paint,
a marijuana-friendly painting class, at
Manor D.C. (1327 Connecticut Ave., N.W.)
today from 6-8 p.m. Tickets include one
complimentary glass of wine and one
complimentary pre-roll or edible sample.
All art supplies are included. Tickets are
$35. For more details, visit facebook.com/
pungpicasso.

Lezlink hosts a happy hour at El Centro

D.F. (1819 14th St., N.W.) today from 6-9
p.m. The happy hour is a safe space for
women who love women to mix and
mingle. The rst 20 people will receive
a free happy hour drink. Drink specials
are $5 until 7 p.m. For more details, visit
facebook.com/lezlink.
SMYAL (410 7th St., S.E.) hosts Fight
4 Yr Rights Activist Night today from 5-7
p.m. LGBT youth can come to learn about
historical activist movements. For details,
visit smyal.org.
D.C. Leather Pride hosts its annual
Welcome to D.C. party at the D.C.
Eagle (3701 Benning Rd., N.E.) to kick
o leather weekend tonight from
9 p.m.-3 a.m. Special guests Dolf
Dietrich and Hugh Hunter will appear.
DJ Keenan Orr will spin. There is a
suggested $5 donation at the door. For
more information, visit facebook.com/
dcleatherpride.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 11
Big Gay Book Group meets tonight

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

A R T S & EN TE RTA I NMENT

J A N U A RY 0 6 , 2 0 1 7 3 5

U.S. radio mostly ignored Michael after 1996

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

multi-disc career retrospective TwentyFive. The collection gathered most of his

big hits, a few new recordings and a disc
of rarities and B-sides.
An Easier Aair is a song newly
recorded for the project, a slick upbeat
dance-pop number that was a substantial
hit internationally but was completely
passed by in the U.S. It had been a decade
since George Michael had scored a hit in
America (Fastlove in 1996) so perhaps
its not surprising the song, despite its
commercial sheen and catchy upbeat
melody, was neglected by American radio
and MTV. The uplifting, gay-positive lyrics
probably didnt help: I told myself I was
straight/But I shouldnt have worried/
Cause my maker had a better plan for me.

over a simple piano accompaniment. Its

one of George Michaels most spellbinding
tracks, a true testament to his power as
a vocalist, arranger and producer of the
highest caliber.

Do You Really Want To

Know? (1992)

In the midst of George Michaels legal

battle with Sony Music over his perception
that the corporate behemoth failed to
adequately promote his downbeat 1990
album Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1,
Michael donated three dance tracks that
were originally intended for a planned
upbeat sequel to the intense and serious
Vol. 1 to the AIDS charity compilation
Red Hot + Dance.
One track, the high-energy Too Funky,
became a substantial hit, but his two
other contributions to the album, Happy
and the uber-catchy Do You Really Want
to Know?, are worth checking out as
well. They oer a taste of what a terric
listening experience Listen Without
Prejudice, Vol. 2 might have been.
A fourth track, Crazyman Dance,
was included as a B-side on the Too
Funky single. Michael had been planning
a deluxe reissue of Listen Without
Prejudice, Vol. 1 prior to his death, and
while its unknown if the project will still
see the light of day, it would be fantastic
indeed if the complete unreleased Vol.
2, including these excellent overlooked
dance tracks, is included in the package.

You Have Been Loved

(1996)

George Michaels 2006 album Older

was his rst in six years, and his return
after a high-prole feud with Sony Music
essentially stalled his career for half a
decade. While the rst single Jesus to
a Child was met with initial excitement
in the U.S., and its follow-up Fastlove
became Michaels nal major American
hit, the album performed markedly worse
in the U.S. than in his native U.K. and
other countries internationally.
The downbeat tone of the album,
largely inspired by the 1993 death of
Michaels lover Anselmo Feleppa of an
AIDS-related brain hemorrhage, did not
translate well to U.S. radio and many
of the low-key but exquisite tracks that
became popular internationally were
overlooked in America. One in particular
is the stunning and heartbreaking tribute
You Have Been Loved, a sublime
recording brimming with genuine
emotion. Michael delivers one of his
greatest vocal performances on a song
that shows his heart rmly on his sleeve.

White Light (2012)

GEORGE MICHAEL at a concert in Munich, Germany on Oct. 30, 2006.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

If I Told You That (duet with

Whitney Houston, 2000)

Whitney Houston originally released

the smooth and funky R&B gem If I Told
You That for her smash 1998 album
My Love is Your Love. Two years later
she re-recorded it for inclusion on a
greatest hits set as a duet with George
Michael. His soulful vocal ts the vibe of
the song perfectly and he and Houston
make a dynamic pair, generating plenty
of chemistry.
The video, featuring Houston and
Michael dancing and singing the song
together, looking and sounding their
best, is startlingly poignant for such an
upbeat song. It seems to speak directly
to the waste of extraordinary talent
represented by the early deaths of two
of pop musics most shining stars. Had
the track been released a decade earlier,
it surely would have soared to the top of
the American pop charts. In 2000, at a
time when neither Houston nor Michael
were riding high on the pop charts as
in their heyday, the song was a minor
hit internationally but in the U.S. it was
essentially ignored.

The Long and Winding

Road (2002)

Michael performed this sublime cover

of the Beatles 1970 classic The Long and
Winding Road for a 1999 concert in tribute
to Paul McCartneys late wife Linda, who
had died after a long battle with cancer in
1998. Michael later included his recording
as one of the B-sides to this sexy U.K.

dance single Freeek! Particularly in the

later part of his career, Michael often
relied upon covers of some of his favorite
songs and he was a gifted interpreter
of other artists work. This smooth and
empathetic vocal on the Beatles nal
single lends it a poignancy and gravitas
that ts the somber occasion for which it
was performed.

John and Elvis Are Dead

(2004)

George Michaels nal studio album,

Patience, was a substantial hit
internationally with several chart singles,
but in the U.S. it sank without a trace
rather quickly. Amazing and Flawless
(Go to the City) were hits in American
clubs, but Top 40 radio unfortunately no
longer had interest in Michael.
One of the albums high points is
the emotional ballad John and Elvis
Are Dead, a moving reection on the
senseless loss of some of the worlds
greatest sources of light and talent. With
a sweet vocal by Michael and a video that
features video clips of Presley, Lennon
and others gone too soon, the songs
emotional impact is only heightened by
the realization that we can now include
Michael himself in the recitation of
shining stars so important to so many
people that the universe allowed to slip
away far too young.

An Easier Aair (2006)

A quarter century after forming Wham!
with his former school-mate Andrew
Ridgeley, Michael released his elaborate

After focusing mostly on downbeat

material and covers in recent years,
after a 2011 health scare left him in the
hospital for a month with a dangerous
bout of pneumonia, Michael returned the
following year with the kinetic electropop White Light.
The harrowing song seems to take on
his lifestyle of recent years, which had
been marked by drug arrests and health
problems. It was a declaration that he was
still here and ready to take on the world
set to a sleek and modern electronic beat.
Its one of his most cunningly constructed
singles and should have marked his
triumphant return to the mainstream.
Alas, the single was all but ignored in
America and the album that was planned
in its wake never appeared. White
Light was Michaels nal original studio
single, ironic given its determination that
tomorrow is mine. He was trying, which
makes his shocking loss only a few years
later all the more heartbreaking.

Let Her Down Easy (2014)

George Michaels nal album was
2014s Symphonica, a collection of some
of his original material and an excellent
selection of covers performed live at
the Royal Albert Hall with orchestral
arrangements on his Symphonica Tour
of 2011-2012. Let Her Down Easy was
the albums single and, although it was
obviously impossible to imagine at the
time, it would end up being his last.
The original recording, a delicate ballad
by Terence Trent Darby from his superb
1993 album Symphony or Damn, is hard
to top, but Michael comes close with his
gorgeous and empathetic vocal over a piano
accompaniment with subtle strings. Michaels
supple vocal performance is front and center,
as strong and beautiful as ever. His talent was
still blazing and undiminished even to the
very end of his recording career.

3 6 J A NUA RY 0 6 , 2017

W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

REALESTATE

7 tips on becoming a master negotiator

Stay calm and cool
to save money
By DONNA EVERS
The residential real estate market is
always changing. Yet, one trend that will
never die is when a well-priced property
comes on the market in a hot area,
there are sure to be competitive oers.
As a buyer, exing that negotiation muscle to get a lower price and better terms
can be a daunting process for most but
when equipped with the tips below you
can learn to become a master negotiator.
1. Arm yourself with an expert. First
and foremost, hire a real estate agent
who listens to you, understands your
needs, inspires your trust, knows the area
where you want to buy, is ready to do
research for you and can help you plan
your strategy when you make the oer.
A bonus to using an agent is that your offer will be much better received when it
comes through a third party, so let your
agent do the talking.
2. Dont show your cards and be realistic. By making a lowball oer, you could
nd yourself losing out before the negotiation even begins. The seller may consider your low oer an insult, and when you
make an insult instead of an oer, you
end up having to overcompensate in your
next counteroer. If the house is priced
at $900,000, you probably wont get it
for $600,000, no matter how clever you
are. Yes, it may eventually come down in
price, but if the sellers expectations are

Keeping your emotions in check is key when negotiating.

high, you are not going to be able to pull

them far enough in your direction.
3. Keep your emotions in check. You
are not buying stocks or bonds; youre
buying a home for your family, or maybe
just for yourself. But, in any case, its a
statement of who you are and how you
want to live. So, when you nd yourself
getting excited or angry, get advice from
your real estate agent and from friends.
Negotiations can fail before they begin
when a buyers heart overrules his head.
4. Get all the facts, and compare apples to apples.Your agent has access to
the sales and tax records for all the prop-

erties for sale and sold in the area. Pay

the most attention to the sold prices
of similar properties that have changed
hands in the past six months. Look at the
photos and videos on MRIS to get the details on the interior features of each one.
Compare like properties and recognize
that you cant get a house with a brandnew kitchen at the same price for one
that needs renovations.
5. Focus on the sale, not the sellers.
Buyers are often tempted to assign all
kinds of attributes to the sellers, even if
they have no idea of what the people are
really like. They might think the sellers are

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cheap or unreasonable or stubborn,

and they use up all their energy secondguessing motives, rather than focusing on
how to get the price and terms they want.
6. Dont be afraid of cosmetic renovations. If you have a knack for renovations,
consider the wallower houses that get
overlooked, because nobody painted
them or gave them the new kitchen countertops they deserved. In fact, you will
pay a larger premium for houses that are
updated and pretty. Even then you still
might not be satised and end up spending much more than you anticipated. Be
hardheaded when you look at properties,
and rely on your agent for grounding and
good sense advice.
7. Stay in the game, and dont overreact. If you get a counteroer from the
seller that is higher than you expected,
dont give up. A slight increase in price
on your part and a change in terms that
pleases the seller can still allow you to
reach your target price range.
The most important aspects to remember are to set your sights on properties that
are priced, plan your strategy, stay calm
and cool, and you have a good chance of
saving money on your new purchase.

DONNA EVERS is the owner and broker of

Evers & Co. Real Estate, the largest womanowned and -run real estate rm in the Washington metro area, and the proprietor of Twin
Oaks Tavern Winery in Bluemont, Va. She is a
regular contributor to the Washington Blade
and frequently appears on TV and radio as an
expert on the D.C. real estate market. Reach
her atdevers@eversco.comor follow her team
on eversco.com

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and the ad prints free in the paper and online.*
*25 words or less prints free - anything more is $1/word.

3 8 J A NUA RY 0 6 , 2017

W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

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J A N U A RY 0 6 , 2 0 1 7 3 9

Health Insurance Issues? Claim Denied?

Confused about what your plan covers?
c all the

HEALTH CARE
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