MARCH 10, 2017 VOLUME 48 ISSUE 10 AMERICAS LGBT NEWS SOURCE WASHINGTONBLADE.

COM

Back to our roots as of Pride, taking place March 9-12 at

politics, protest return
to summer festivals
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
lchibbaro@washblade.com
Possible changes in the way LGBT
Pride celebrations are carried out in
cities and towns throughout the nation
in response to fears of a rollback
of LGBT rights under the Trump
administration are expected to be a hot
topic at a conference in Washington
this weekend of Pride leaders from
more than a dozen states.
The conference, called the Magic
the Washington Hilton Hotel, was
expected to include Pride leaders from
states in the Northeast and Southeast
regions of the country. The Capital
Pride Alliance, which organizes D.C.s
annual Pride parade and festival, was
serving as host for the conference.
Meanwhile, an informal survey
conducted by the Washington
Blade of LGBT Pride organizations
in some of the nations largest
cities found that all of them expect
a record turnout of participants for
their annual festivals and parades
this year, with some planning to
compliment traditional celebrations
Pride celebrations around the country could take on a more political tone this year in
CONTINUES ON PAGE 14 response to the Trump administration.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY HUGH CLARKE

Trans teen says if it took Gavin Grimm, the plainti transgender

10 years Id stick with it
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
The U.S. Supreme Courts decision
to scrap a case on bathroom access in
schools has left transgender people
waiting in the wings for a nationwide
ruling arming their rights and no clear
path or timing for when the day will come.
GAVIN GRIMM reected this week Two years after the Supreme Court
after the Supreme Court remanded armed the right of same-sex couples to
his case, delaying a decision on marry, hopes are dashed for a similarly
bathroom access.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ACLU OF VIRGINIA monumental ruling in favor transgender
rightsthis year perhaps indenitely.
student seeking to use his high school
boys room consistent with his gender
identity, said during a conference call
Monday despite the high-prole nature
of his lawsuit coming to an end, hes glad
he could take part.
Going through this in my senior
year has been denitely stressful,
Grimm said. I, of course, never wanted
to be in this ght, but I dont have any
regrets with respect to what Ive done. I
think everything has been totally worth
it, but its just frustrating that Im in this
position at all.
In light of the Trump administration
CONTINUES ON PAGE 15

FINAL SPRINT BURY THE GAYS? VANESSA!

City pledges support for ClexaCon features robust Catching up with the
Gay Games bid as D.C. debate about role of fabulous actress, singer
named nalist to host. women in TV and lm. whos in D.C. for two shows.

PAGE 6 PAGE 23 PAGE 30

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Comings & Goings

Lewis, Wilson assume new roles at NBJC

By PETER ROSENSTEIN

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our commu-
nity. 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 Samuel Brinton, who recently founded

Core Solutions Consulting to serve the national need for
expertise on socio-technical translation on issues ranging Four gay speakers were among those who rallied on Sunday in support of President Trump.
from nuclear waste management to congressional outreach WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

on advanced nuclear energy innovation policy. Along with his

Gay Trump
technical expertise on nuclear engineering issues and political
connections in the energy policy eld, Brinton will continue his
state-level political work to end conversion therapy through
the 50 Bills 50 States eort.

supporters
He recently served as a fellow at the Breakthrough Institute,
Clean Air Task Force and at Third Way. He was also a senior SAM BRINTON
PHOTO COURTESY OF BRINTON
policy analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center. Brinton earned

rally in D.C.
his dual masters degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in nuclear engineering and the technology and
policy program. He is a graduate of Kansas State University
earning a bachelors in mechanical and nuclear engineering
and a bachelors in vocal music performance, with a minor in
Chinese language. We have to ght at the Washington Monument rally also
His activism included co-founding NuclearPride an LGBT called on a small group of anti-Trump
organization in the nuclear eld and creating the Stand against gay zombies protesters who showed up at the rally to
With Science campaign uniting 10,000 students and allies respect Trump backers right to be heard
from across the country to advocate for federal science and NAKISHA LEWIS By LOU CHIBBARO JR. and express their views.
engineering research funding. PHOTO COURTESY OF LEWIS lchibbaro@washblade.com About a dozen protesters identifying
Congratulations also to both Nakisha M. Lewis and Isaiah R. themselves as members of a group
Wilson who have new positions on the staff of the National Black At least four gay speakers who declared called the Anti-Fascist Resistance, or
Justice Coalition. Lewis as director of programs and Institutional their strong support for President Donald AntiFa, shouted anti-Trump slogans at the
Development and Wilson as director of External Affairs. Trump were cheered loudly while other participants of the Washington Monument
Lewis is known as a thought leader in the eld of philanthropy speakers praised the group Gays for rally. The Trump supporters responded
specializing in developing grant-making strategies addressing Trump during a March4Trump rally on by chanting U.S.A, U.S.A which largely
racial, gender and educational inequities. She worked Sunday, March 4, on the grounds of the drowned out the protesters shouts.
extensively with individual donors and foundations to foster Washington Monument in D.C. U.S. Park Police ocers, several of whom
grant-making seeking to support, empower and strengthen The gathering of several hundred Trump were mounted on horses, separated the
marginalized communities, including in her most recent supporters at the Washington Monument, protesters from the Trump supporters,
ISAIAH WILSON
position as program ocer and senior strategist for Safety PHOTO COURTESY OF WILSON who later marched to the White House, although members of both groups could
at the Ms. Foundation for Women. She is co-creator of the was one of more than a dozen pro-Trump be seen shouting at one another. A Park
Philanthropic Action for Racial Justice, an eort to organize black philanthropic practitioners rallies and marches held on the same day Police spokesperson, Sgt. Anna Rose, said
around a shared vision for racial justice and investment in black communities centering in cities around the country. there were no arrests made or violent
on the needs and experiences of black women, youth and LGBTQ people. Were marching for a lot of things clashes between the protesters and the
She is a writer, speaker and lifelong community organizer most recently working to out here, said Gays for Trump President Trump supporters at the D.C. rally.
establish Black Lives Matter NYC. She is a co-founder of the #SheWoke Committee, the Peter Boykin in a speech in Lafayette Scues and ghts between protesters
catalyst for the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls, established in 2016, and Park across from the White House, which and Trump supporters resulting in
is the co-chair of Grantmakers for Girls of Color. followed an earlier speech he gave at the arrests broke out in several cities on
Wilsons new position focuses on the public policy implications of critical issues for black rally by the Washington Monument. Sunday where Trump rallies were held,
LGBTQ and same-gender loving (SGL) people including: health and wellness; HIV/AIDS Were marching for love and peace, including St. Paul, Minn. and Berkeley,
awareness and prevention; safe and inclusive schools; employment non-discrimination; he said. Were marching for people. Calif., according to the Associated Press.
relationship recognition; anti-violence; and economic justice. Personally for me as president of Gays Other gay speakers at the rally at the
He will lead the organizations eorts to advocate for sound policy solutions for Trump, Im marching for the freedom Washington Monument included Andre
empowering black LGBTQ/SGL people in the United States and play an integral role in the of speech. Soriano, a fashion clothing designer who
development of NBJCs rapid response messaging strategy speaking to the diverse needs Boykin said he participated in and made news for the Make America Great
of its constituency at the intersection of racial justice and LGBTQ equality. played a lead role in helping to organize the Again gown he designed for singer and
Prior to joining NBJC in January of 2014, Wilson spent ve years working for former Rep. March4Trump event because he wanted songwriter Joy Villa, who wore the gown
Steve Rothman (D-N.J.). There, Wilson worked on issues important to both working-class to show his support for Trump at a time to the Grammy Awards ceremony in Los
and marginalized communities. He was Rothmans chief aide on the judiciary and LGBTQ when the new president has been under Angeles last month.
issues drafting several pieces of legislation, including the original Juror Non-Discrimination attack by fake news created by a biased, Villa, who was designated the keynote
Act, prohibiting attorneys from striking potential federal jurors on account of their sexual left-wing media and Democratic Party speaker at the Washington Monument
orientation or gender identity. He was as an ocer of the Congressional Black Associates leaders who he said seek to undermine rally, told the gathering she would work
and member of the Congressional LGBT Sta Association. Trumps legitimacy as president. to help the Trump administration bring
Boykin and several other speakers love and peace to a troubled world.
 T:9.75
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D.C. Mayor MURIEL BOWSER has pledged full city support for the Gay Games bid.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
City pushes D.C. bid for Gay Games
The leader of the citys ocial convention and sports authority has pledged
to wage an aggressive campaign in support of D.C.s bid to host the 2022 Gay
Games, the quadrennial LGBT athletics competition that draws as many as
15,000 competitors and between 80,000 and 100,000 spectators.
Max Brown, chairman of the board of Events D.C., which owns and operates
more than a dozen D.C. sports and events facilities, including RFK Stadium and
the Washington Convention Center, said the organization has already lined up
locations where most of the Gay Games events would be held should D.C. win
its bid to host the competition.
Last week, the Federation of Gay Games, the organization that selects the
host city, announced that D.C. had been picked as one of three nalists to host
the Games in July 2022. The other two cities in contention are Hong Kong and
Guadalajara, Mexico.
Were just really excited about being part of the team pursuing the Gay
Games, Brown told the Washington Blade. We have a lot of experience working
in large-scale events like this, not only in the city but across the region, he said.
Were hopeful that well be selected.
Brent Minor, chair of the Gay Games Washington, D.C. 2022 Bid Committee,
said Brown and Events D.C. have been doing a great job in working with the
committee in support of the bid.
He noted that Events D.C. and its sister organization, Destination D.C., which
serves as the citys lead promoter of conventions and sporting and entertainment
events, are listed as partner organizations in the ocial bid for the Games.
According to Minor, the two organizations will provide support for the bid
committee in May when representatives of the Federation of Gay Games come
to D.C. for an ocial site visit of all of the locations where Gay Games events
would be held.
The delegation will visit and inspect all proposed sites for Games events,
evaluate the logistics for the Games, and appraise the level of community
support for the bid, Minor said in a statement.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. City Council have also pledged full city
support for the bid, including nancial support.
Last October, Council members Anita Bonds (D-At-Large) and Jack Evans (D-Ward
2) introduced a Council resolution supporting the citys bid for the Games.
D.C. looks forward to welcoming LGBTQ athletes from around the world and
I truly hope the committee selects D.C. because of our rich history of support for
equal rights and world renowned cultural attractions, Bonds said in a statement.
The FGG is scheduled to make its nal decision selecting the host city at its
Annual General Assembly meeting in Paris in October.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
LO CA L N E W S
LGBT contingent to march in St. Patricks Parade
An ocially approved LGBT community contingent organized by the LGBT Catholic
group Dignity Washington is scheduled to march in D.C.s 46th Annual St. Patricks
Parade scheduled to take place Sunday, March 12, along Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Dignity Washington, which hosts a weekly Catholic Mass for the LGBT community,
replaced the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community this year as the ocial sponsoring
organization for the LGBT contingent, according to D.C. Center board member Patricia
Hawkins.
Hawkins, an Irish-American lesbian and longtime LGBT rights advocate, has been one
of the organizers of the LGBT contingent since it rst obtained ocial recognition as a
parade contingent in 2015 under the D.C. Centers sponsorship. She said members and
supporters of the D.C. Center, along with representatives of other local LGBT groups,
would join Dignity Washington in marching in this years parade.
The parade begins at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. and travels along
Constitution Avenue to 17th Street, N.W., where it ends. Hundreds of spectators watch
the parade each year from grandstands placed along the route. This years parade
is expected to include more than 100 marching bands, military units, dance school
contingents, oats and a wide variety of other groups and organizations, a statement by
the parades organizing committee says.
Hawkins said the LGBT contingent will assemble at 11 a.m. at 7th Street and Madison
Dr., N.W., which is next to the National Mall one block south of Constitution Avenue.
Additional information about the LGBT contingent can be obtained by contacting
Hawkins at 202-486-8950.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
Crew Club donates $10,000 to Casa Ruby
A contingent of 14 members of the sta of the Crew Club, a D.C. health club and spa
that caters to gay men, presented a $10,000 check to the local LGBT social services
center Casa Ruby on Monday.
Crew Club co-owner DC Allen said the sta members presented the check after Casa
Ruby founder and executive director Ruby Corado took them on a tour of the Casa Ruby
facilities, including one of the groups residential facilities for homeless LGBT youth.
Allen said he and his husband and business partner Ken Flick believe Casa Ruby
provides an important service to the LGBT community and they wanted to make the
donation to help Corado and her sta continue the great work that they do.
At a meeting he hosted last November for representatives of several local LGBT
organizations at the Crew Clubs building on 14th Street, N.W., Allen noted the Crew
Club has contributed to LGBT groups since it has been in business for the past 20 years
and plans to continue doing so.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
Va. Supreme Court hears Fairfax schools lawsuit
The Virginia Supreme Court last week heard oral arguments in a lawsuit that
challenges the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in the Fairfax County
School Districts nondiscrimination policy.
The Washington Times reported Daniel Schmidt, a lawyer for the Liberty Counsel
who represents Traditional Values Coalition President Andrea Laerty and an unnamed
minor and his parents, told the court the Dillon Rule prohibits school boards from
adding LGBT-specic provisions to their nondiscrimination policies unless the Virginia
General Assembly were to pass a law allowing them to do so.
The state law does not permit local municipal governments, including the school
board of Fairfax County, to enact laws that are more extensive than state laws on
discrimination, said Schmidt, according to the Washington Times. The Virginia Human
Rights Act doesnt include sexual orientation or gender identity, and by including that
in the school nondiscrimination policy, they have exceeded the bounds of what theyre
authorized to do.
Members of the Fairfax County School Board added sexual orientation and gender
identity to the districts nondiscrimination policy in November 2014 and May 2015
respectively.
Attorney General Mark Herring in a 2015 opinion wrote that state law does allow
school boards to ban anti-LGBT discrimination in their respective districts. Liberty
Counsel Chair Mat Staver in a statement described the school boards decision to add
sexual orientation and gender identity to the districts nondiscrimination policy as a
lawless act that violates state law and harms children.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
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Congress re-launches Transgender Task Force
122 lawmakers call on
Trump to reinstate
student protections
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
Amid the Trump administrations
rollback of guidance protecting
transgender students and increasing
reports of anti-trans violence aroundthe
country, members of the U.S. House have
re-launched the Transgender Task Force
to draw attention to harms facing the
transgender community.
The new leader of the transgender
caucus in the 115th Congress is Rep. Joe
Kennedy III (D-Mass.), who spoke at an
event Thursday outside the U.S. Capitol
to support trans people.
You shouldnt have to battle for the
protections that most of us take for
granted because representatives should
always have their back, Kennedy said.
To the transgender community, the one
message that we can deliver to you today
is that this task force has yours, no matter
the opposition, no matter the setbacks,
no matter who occupies the Oval Oce.
Kennedy assumes the leadership of the
Transgender Task Force in the aftermath
of the retirement last year of former
Rep. Mike Honda, who has a transgender
granddaughter and previously led the
task force.
Another anti-transgender move from DOJ
Trump admin steps
back from challenge
to N.C.s HB2
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
Afterrevoking guidance barring schools
from discriminating against transgender
students, the U.S. Justice Department has
now backed o its legal challenge to the
controversial anti-LGBT North Carolina
state law House Bill 2.
Under former U.S. Attorney General
Loretta Lynch, the Justice Department last
year led a lawsuit against HB2, which bars
cities from enacting LGBT ordinances and
transgender people from using the restroom
consistent with their gender identity. Arguing
HB2 violated federal civil rights law, the
Justice Department sought a request for a
preliminary injunction to enjoin enforcement
of the statute as the litigation proceeded.
But on Monday, the Justice Department
Rep. JOE KENNEDY III (D-Mass.) is the new
leader of the Transgender Task Force.
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
The seven members of the bipartisan
transgender Task Force in addition to
Kennedy are Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.),
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Rep.
Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), Del. Eleanor Holmes
Norton (D-D.C.), Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.)
and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.).
Facilitating the Transgender Task Force is
the LGBT Equality Caucus as well as openly
gay members of the U.S. House Reps.
Jared Polis (D-Colo.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.),
Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Sean Patrick
Maloney (D-N.Y.) who were present at
under U.S. Attorney General Je Sessions
withdrew its request for a preliminary
injunction, which remained outstanding
during the shift between the Obama and
Trump administrations.
That ling followed an unopposed
request from the department last week to
allow an existing, but narrower, injunction
instead to take place of the broader
injunction the U.S. government once
sought to ban enforcement of the law in
its totality. The court granted that request.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder
issued the existing preliminary injunction
against HB 2 as a result of a lawsuit led
by the American Civil Liberties Union, the
ACLU of North Carolina and Lambda Legal,
but that order only barred the University
of North Carolina from enforcing the law
and as it pertained to the plaintis in their
capacity as students and employees.
The litigation led against HB2
continues to proceed, but at a slow pace.
The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals is
set May 10 to hear arguments in the case
the re-launch event on Capitol Hill.
The re-launch of the caucus comes
one week after the Trump administration
revoked Obama-era guidance prohibiting
schools from discriminating against
transgender students or denying them
access to the restroom on the basis of
gender identity. The stated reasoning for
rescinding the guidance which is based
on well-established interpretation of
Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972 is that the issue is best left to the
states, not the federal government.
Pocan said the country has made
incredible progress on extending legal
protections to transgender people, but theyre
under threat in the Trump administration.
Polis said during the event the Obama-
era guidance provided clarity to schools
on transgender bathroom access and
revoking it has left schools in confusion.
In fact, the joint guidance was issued
because school districts requested it,
Polis said. Countless lawsuits have been
led against school districts because
they either did or didnt give transgender
students access to facilities in accordance
with their gender identity. The guidance
helped alleviate all those lawsuits and
unfortunately, with the rescindence of
that guidance, schools are now subject to
more costly lawsuits and uncertainty, and
transgender students can continue to be
denied access to the appropriate facilities.
Accompanying the re-launch was the
publication of an open letter from 122
House members organized by Pocan
led by the ACLU, ACLU of North Carolina
and Lambda Legal, which appealed the
narrow preliminary injunction to seek
a more expansive injunction before the
federal appeals court.
In a joint statement to Washington
Blade, the ACLU and Lambda criticized
the Justice Department for withdrawing
its request for a preliminary injunction,
accusing the administration of falling
short in its duty to protect civil rights.
Under Je Sessions, the Civil Rights
Division of the Department of Justice
is systematically working to stop and
rollback the gains of the last eight years,
the organizations said. DOJs latest
ling in North Carolina to delay the
ruling on their motion for preliminary
injunction against HB2 further indicates
an unwillingness to protect the rights of
transgender people, and accordingly, we
must redouble our eorts to enforce our
civil rights under the law.
The Justice Departments decision to back
o its litigation against HB2 is consistent with
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
NATIONAL NEWS
calling on the Trump administration to put
back in place the transgender guidance
and meet with families to understand
better the implications of the rollback.
Title IX provides transgender students
the right to equal treatment in accordance
with their gender identity, the letter
says. Unfortunately, rescinding this
guidance only serves to confuse school
administrators and take away a vital tool
for students and their families who want
to be treated with dignity and respect.
Further, this action sends the wrong
message a very dangerous message
to transgender youth and their peers.
A White House ocial responded to the
letter by emphasizing President Trumps
position the issue is best reserved for the
states, not the federal government.
In an interview with the Blade prior to
the event, Kennedy said the re-launched
task force would seek advancements
in three main areas: health care, health
disparities and education.
Because of the Task Forces emphasis
on education, Kennedy said it is
disappointing and telling that revoking
the guidance is among the rst acts of the
Trump administration.
While some folks might say thats
not a big deal, the fact is that when
children are in hostile environments in
school it makes it a lot more dicult to
learn, Kennedy said. Theres data out
there showing children who experience
bullying are twice as likely not to pursue
post-secondary education.
other anti-trans actions the department
has made under Sessions. Last month,
the Justice and Education departments
revoked guidance assuring transgender
students have access to the restroom
in schools consistent with their gender
identity, prompting the U.S. Supreme Court
to scrap consideration of whether Title IX
of the Education Amendments of 1972
aords those protections to transgender
students nationwide.
The department withdrew an appeal of
a court order against the now rescinded
transgender student guidance and
missed a deadline to le an appeal of
another court order barring enforcement
of a regulation assuring transgender
people have access to health care,
including gender reassignment surgery.
The Justice Department declined to
comment in response to a Washington
Blade inquiry on whether the withdrawal
of the request for a preliminary injunction
indicates the administration will soon
rescind its lawsuit altogether.

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Carson conrmed to HUD with support from 6 Dems
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@washblade.com
Despite a history of expressing anti-
LGBT views, the U.S. Senate conrmed
on Thursday former neurosurgeon Ben
Carson as secretary of housing and
urban development by an 58-41 vote
with the support of six members of the
Democratic caucus.
The six members of the Democratic
caucus who joined with the Republicans
to vote for Carson were Sens. Joe Donnelly
(D-Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Angus
King (I-Maine), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Jon
Tester (D-Mont.) and Mark Warner (D-
Va.). All Republican senators who were
present voted for Carson; Sen. Johnny
Isakson (R-Ga.) wasnt present to vote.
Six Democrats joined Republicans to
vote for Carson even though the new
HUD secretary has no experience in
managing housing or urban aairs and
a long history of comments denigrating
LGBT people. After his success as a
neurosurgeon, those remarks animated
his career as a conservative commentator
and Republican presidential candidate.
Carson has called transgender people the
height of absurdity and a few people who
perhaps are abnormal, suggesting amid
opposition to them using the restroom
consistent with their gender identity
they should have their own bathrooms
specically designated for them.
During his presidential campaign,
Carson waxed nostalgic for Dont Ask,
Dont Tell and expressed opposition to
allowing transgender people in the armed
forces. The candidate signed a pledge
with the anti-gay National Organization
for Marriage to, among other things,
back a U.S. constitutional amendment
banning same-sex marriage nationwide
and conduct a review of regulatory,
administrative and executive actions
taken by the current administration that
have the eect of undermining marriage.
In 2013, Carson landed in hot water
when, as a neurosurgeon at Johns
Hopkins University, he compared LGBT
advocates to pedophiles during an
interview on Fox News. Outcry over the
remarks led him to apologize if anybody
was oended and to cancel plans to
give the commencement address for the
medical school.
During his conrmation hearing,
Carson derided LGBT rights as extra
rights under questioning from Sen.
Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) on LGBT issues.
What I mentioned in the past is the
fact no one gets extra rights, Carson said.
Extra rights means you get to redene
everything for everybody else. That, to
me, doesnt seem to be very democratic.
Carson as HUD secretary has the
authority to roll back Obama-era
The Senate conrmed BEN CARSON as HUD
secretary.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
regulations barring discrimination against
LGBT people in government-sponsored
housing and transgender people in
homeless shelters, but that should remain
in place if Carson keep to his words. In
written testimony to the committee,
Carson said he doesnt believe protecting
equal access to housing for LGBT people
is extra rights or something that should
be withdrawn.
In a statement, Warner cited Carsons
personal story of rising from an
impoverished background to become an
accomplished surgeon as a reason to
conrm him to HUD.
The Secretary of Housing & Urban
Development plays an important role in
addressing aordable housing, combatting
homelessness and upholding civil rights
and non-discrimination laws, Warner said.
During our meeting in January, I questioned
Dr. Carsons commitment based on
previous public statements to upholding
those fundamental responsibilities. He
assured me that he is a huge fan of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 and its subsequent
amendments, which prohibit discrimination
in housing, and will vigorously enforce laws
proscribing redlining.
Alluding to housing challenges facing
West Virginia, Manchin said in a statement
he voted to conrm Carson because of
the importance of having a team in place
running the government.
I believe he understands that the
housing and development needs facing
West Virginia are dierent than those
facing Americas urban communities
and I look forward to working with him
to improve the lives of West Virginians,
Manchin said.
Heitkamp said in a statement she voted
to conrm Carson because in meetings
with her he expressed a commitment to
recognize the full social and economic scope
of impediments to safe, aordable housing.
Im supporting Dr. Carson today
because that approach is crucial to
spurring housing opportunity for rural
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
NATIONAL NEWS
and low-income families on tribal lands many progressives who objected to their
and in rural communities alike and I support for a Trump nominee.
intend to hold him to his word, Heitkamp Of those Democrats on the committee,
said. Any successful blueprint begins with Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van
a solid foundation, and I look forward to Hollen (D-Md.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Robert
laying the trauma-informed groundwork Menendez (D-N.J.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii),
with Dr. Carson so that our nations Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and
housing solutions are strong enough Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) voted no during
for communities that have withstood the oor vote to conrm him, although
poverty, crime, abuse, and other adverse Heitkamp, Tester and Warner doubled-
experiences and are built to last. down to support him again.
Donnelly said in a statement he voted The 62-37 cloture vote Wednesday to
for Carson because the secretary made proceed with debate and conrmation of
a commitment to East Chicago, which is Carson in the Senate was about the same
experiencing a lead crisis. as the conrmation vote, except Sens.
The families of East Chicago are Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.)
counting on him and it is critically Menendez and Brown were among those
important we keep our focus on assisting voting to move forward.
these families, Donnelly said. I also Mara Keisling, executive director of the
have been encouraged by Dr. Carsons National Center for Transgender Equality,
understanding of issues important to criticized the Senate for conrming
Indiana, including housing assistance for Carson despite his lack of experience in
homeless veterans, addressing housing housing and anti-LGBT comments.
blight, the nexus between housing and The Senate has just voted to conrm
health outcomes, and the need for access a man who called over 1.4 million of his
to aordable housing. fellow Americans who are transgender
The Washington Blade has placed a call in abnormal and referred to acknowledging
with the oces of King and Tester seeking their very existence as silly, beyond
comment on their vote to conrm Carson. ridiculous, and the height of absurdity,
In a committee vote to approve Carson, Keisling said. Even setting aside Dr.
Democratic members of the Senate Carsons self-professed inexperience,
Committee on Banking, Housing & Urban these mean-spirited statements alone
Aairs, joined Republicans to support should have been disqualifying. The
him unanimously, much to the ire of Senate will now own those comments.
State Dept. releases 2016 human rights report
The State Departments annual human rights report that it released last week
notes discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender
identity were commonplace throughout many parts of the world in 2016.
The report notes Ren Martnez, a prominent LGBT rights advocate in the
violence-plagued Honduran city of San Pedro Sula, was killed in June after he left
his home. It also highlights Hande Kader, a transgender sex worker and activist
who was found dead in Istanbul in August.
A group of men in December kidnapped Noluvo Swelindawn, a South African
LGBT activist, in her home before killing them. The report also notes a number
of people were killed in Russia because of their sexual orientation and gender
identity.
The report notes Colombian authorities reported at least 346 murders of
LGBT and intersex people between Jan. 1-July 31. It also highlights the so-called
Islamic State in 2016 continued to execute men in Iraq and Syria who had been
accused of committing sodomy.
The report notes an Egyptian court convicted 11 men of debauchery,
incitement to debauchery and other charges.
The men received prison sentences that range from three to 12 years. The
report notes an appeals court later acquitted one of the 11 men and reduced the
rest of their prison sentences to a year.
The report highlights a survey that indicates more than half of trans people in
El Salvador either experienced violence or have received death threats. It also
notes opponents of Sandra Morn, who is the rst openly lesbian member of
the Guatemalan Congress, launched a petition that sought her removal from
oce because of her LGBTI status. Continues at washingtonblade.com.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM MA RCH 2 7 , 2 0 1 7 1 1

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1 2 M A RCH 1 0 , 2 017 I N T E RN A T I O N A L N E W S

Revised travel ban allows Kurdish activist to visit U.S.

for potential terrorism-related activities.
Like every nation, the United States has
the right to control who enters our country
and to keep out those who would do us
harm, said Sessions. This executive order
protects the American people as well as
lawful permanent residents by putting in
place an enhanced screening and vetting
process for visitors from six nations.
The 19 men who carried out the Sept.
11 terrorist attacks were citizens of
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates,
Lebanon and Egypt, which are not
included in the revised executive order.
The gunman who pledged his allegiance
to the so-called Islamic State from inside
the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., where
he killed 49 people on June 11, 2016, was
born in New York City to Afghan parents.
Yet while todays executive order removes
its eects on Iraqis, there are countless
other LGBTQ advocates, immigrants and
refugees from Muslim countries whose lives
continue to be put in jeopardy because of
the Trump administrations policies, Gilliam
told the Blade.
Shalal on Tuesday said he and his
friends in Sulaymaniyah also hope Trump
will change some of the other decisions
he has made.

AYAZ SHALAL, on right, a human rights activist from Kurdistan who advocates for LGBT
and womens rights, is now able to attend a Human Rights Campaign summit in D.C. in April
because Iraq is no longer included in President Trumps travel ban. Trump State Dept. holds rst press brieng
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHALAL

By MICHAEL K. LAVERS
mlavers@washblade.com
A human rights activist from Kurdistan
can now travel to the U.S. to attend a
Human Rights Campaign conference next
month after President Trump signed a
revised executive order that allows Iraqi
citizens to enter the country.
The original executive order that Trump
signed on Jan. 27 banned citizens from
Iraq and six other predominantly Muslim
countries Iran, Syria, Yemen, Somalia,
Sudan and Libya from entering the U.S.
for 90 days.
Ayaz Shalal, who is the deputy director
of programs for the Rasan Organization,
a human rights organization that is based
in the city of Sulaymaniyah in the semi-
autonomous Kurdish region of northern
Iraq, noted in an op-ed the Washington
Blade published on Feb. 1 that he has
traveled to the U.S. seven times and there is
absolutely no reason to prevent me from
entering the country. Shalal on Tuesday
said he and his friends in Sulaymaniyah
celebrated the Trump administrations
decision to remove Iraq from the list of
countries that fall under the travel ban.
This order was historic for both
countries, he told the Blade. Iraqis can
now visit the U.S. and that means I can
attend the (HRC) summit.
Shalal is among those who were
invited to attend HRCs Global Innovative
Advocacy Summit that will take place in
D.C. from April 3-8.
We are happy that this Iraqi human
rights advocate can attend HRCs Global
Innovative Advocacy Summit in April, HRC
Senior Global Programs Ocer Jay Gilliam
told the Blade on Monday in a statement.
This will give him a well-deserved
opportunity to be a part of 30 leaders
sharing their innovative approaches to
the challenging LGBTQ equality work
happening around the world.
The executive order that Trump signed
on Jan. 27 suspended the U.S. Refugees
Admission Program for 120 days and
indenitely banned Syrian refugees from
entering the country. It also reduced the
number of refugees who will be allowed
to resettle in the U.S. during scal
year 2017 from 110,000 to 50,000 and
prioritized the resettlement of those who
ed a well-founded fear of persecution
based on their religion.
Trump on Jan. 25 signed a second
executive order that spurs construction
of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border
to stop undocumented migrants from
Central America and drugs from entering
the country. Both mandates sparked
widespread outrage among immigrant
rights advocates and their supporters.
A three-judge panel on the 9th Circuit
Court of Appeals in San Francisco last
month upheld a federal judges panel that
blocked the travel ban.
The revised executive order that Trump
signed on Monday does not include
the indenite ban on Syrian refugees
from entering the U.S. and preferential
treatment for those who ee religious
persecution. It also exempts those who
are permanent U.S. residents or have
valid visas to enter the country.
It is the presidents solemn duty to
protect the American people, Secretary
of State Rex Tillerson told reporters on
Monday at the Ronald Reagan Building
in downtown D.C. after Trump signed the
revised executive order. With this order,
President Trump is exercising his rightful
authority to keep our people safe.
U.S. Attorney General Je Sessions
noted during the same press conference
at which Homeland Security Secretary
John Kelly also spoke that the FBI has
placed more than 300 people who entered
the U.S. as refugees under investigation
The State Department on Tuesday held its rst press brieng since President
Trump took oce.
Acting spokesperson Mark Toner spoke to reporters a day after Trump signed
a revised executive order that removes Iraq from the list of predominantly
Muslim countries from which citizens cannot enter the U.S. for 90 days.
The travel ban still applies to Iran, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Libya.
The revised executive order that Trump signed maintains the suspension of
the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days, but it does not indenitely
ban Syrian refugees from entering the country. It also does not prioritize the
resettlement of those who are eeing persecution because of their religion.
The U.S. will allow 50,000 refugees to resettle in the country during scal
year 2017, which is less than half of the 110,000 benchmark that the Obama
administration set.
Its a renewed commitment to look at the procedures with how we vet both
refugees incoming as well as immigrants or rather traveling public into this
country to ensure that were doing the necessary to provide for the security of
Americans, Toner told reporters.
Toner also said the State Department has received a variety of opinions from
a variety of governments about the original travel ban that Trump signed on
Jan. 27 and the revised executive order. He told reporters that not all of them
have been negative.
We need to start from the premise here, which is were doing this, were
undertaking this eort in order to guarantee as much as possible of the
safety and security of the American people, said Toner. We hope that other
governments, foreign governments, can appreciate that premise and take it
under consideration.
Toner also spoke about the Trump administrations proposal to cut the budgets
of the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development by
37 percent.
This is still very early on in the process, he said.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was sworn in by Vice President Pence on Feb. 1.
Tillerson, who is the former CEO of Exxon Mobil, in January raised eyebrows
during his conrmation hearing when he did not specically say gay rights
are human rights in response to a question that U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.)
asked. Tillerson also did not publicly speak about the State Departments 2016
human rights report after its release last week.
Deputy Assistant Secretary and Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI
Persons Randy Berry remains in his position within the State Departments
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Activists in the U.S. and around
the world with whom the Blade has spoken since Trump took oce remain
concerned the White House will no longer support eorts to promote LGBT and
intersex issues abroad.
A State Department spokesperson told the Blade last month that it supports
El Salvador ocials investigation into the murders of three transgender women.
LGBT and intersex issues were not discussed during Tuesdays brieng.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM MA RCH 1 0 , 2 0 1 7 1 3

1 4 MA RCH 1 0 , 2 017
Pride officials from 15 states attending D.C. conference
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
with an increased emphasis on politics
and potential protests.
Basically what we see typically with
Prides is whenever theres a major issue like
gay marriage or, going back even further
when the sodomy laws were overturned,
we see a boom in participation at our
events, said Sue Doster, co-president of
Inter Pride, an international association of
LGBT Pride coordinators.
We anticipate that this year will be a
very large year, Doster said. Well see a
big bump in participation even if we do
nothing at all.
Doster noted that plans this year
for a national LGBT rights march on
Washington set for June 11, which comes
during the month when about half of the
nations Pride celebrations take place, will
likely prompt more people to turn out
at Pride events in other cities if theyre
unable to make the trip to Washington.
Organizers of the national march have
called on Pride organizations and other
LGBT advocacy groups to stage LGBT
solidarity marches in their respective
cities and states on June 11, similar to the
model of the National Womens March on
Washington that took place Jan. 21.
Chris Classen, president of the Los
Angeles Pride organization, said his
group decided to take on that role by
converting L.A.s annual Pride Parade into
a Resist March that will take on a more
political tone than the citys traditional
Pride Parade.
Our events are always on the second
weekend of June, which this year is the
10th and the 11th, said Classen, in
describing what normally would have
been L.A.s Pride festival, parade, and
other Pride events.
So as luck would have it the day of our
annual traditional parade is the same day
as this national solidarity march, he said.
So we will forego our traditional parade
format for 2017 in favor of a rally and
march type of format.
Classen noted that similar to New York
City, which held the nations rst march
for LGBT rights in 1970, one year after
the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village,
the L.A. Pride organization also started in
1970 with a march and rally.
So we are going back to our roots and
doing a march and rally in lieu of the
parade, he said.
Representatives of Pride events in New
York City and Boston said those cities
traditionally have continued to emphasize
political advocacy for LGBT equality in their
respective events. Although oats and
marching bands have become a part of the
annual gatherings, their respective parades
have continued to be called marches.
We denitely have events that
celebrate, too, said Doster, who is a
RYAN BOS, executive director of Capital Pride Alliance, said he has no immediate plans to
make major changes to D.C.s annual Pride parade and festival.
member of the board of the New York
City Pride organization. But we never
changed the name from a march. Its
always been a march to us.
Sylvain Bruni, president of Boston Pride,
said Bostons pride events traditionally have
had very political themes and this years
event will be no dierent. He said as has
been its practice for many years, Boston
Pride conducted an online survey of LGBT
people in the Boston area and, based on
proposals from the community, adopted
the theme this year of Stronger Together.
He said concerns over a rollback of
LGBT rights coming from the Trump
administration in Washington would
be reected this year at Bostons LGBT
parade and festival.
I think this year is going to be dierent in
the sense that we expect a lot more people
to show up and to be even more vocal than
they have been in the past, he said.
Jamie Fergerson, executive director
of Pride Atlanta, said that similar to
Boston, Atlantas Pride celebrations in
the past several years have taken on a
more political tone. She said that because
Atlantas annual Pride parade and festival
take place in October her organization
hasnt decided on whether any specic
new actions will be taken in response to
the Trump administration.
But weve been doing in the past
couple of years a little more kind of
activism in working on immigration, racial
justice and access to services, she said.
And I think well continue to do that.
Although Atlantas Pride parade and
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
festival take place in October, Fergerson
noted that her organization holds events
throughout the year and that in June,
which it designates as Stonewall Month,
the group holds as many as 25 events.
She said some would likely address the
issues and concerns LGBT activists have
concerning the Trump administration.
In D.C., ocials with the Capital Pride
Alliance, which organizes D.C.s annual
Pride parade and festival on June 10 and
11, and one of the lead organizers of D.C.s
annual Black Pride events held during
the Memorial Day weekend, said they
expect some changes in connection with
concerns over the Trump administration.
One is obviously having this national
march at our doorstep and working with
them to ensure that it compliments an
already powerful weekend here in the
nations capital, said Ryan Bos, executive
director of Capital Pride Alliance.
Bos said Capital Pride had no
immediate plans to make major changes
in D.C.s annual Pride parade and festival.
The festival takes place on Pennsylvania
Avenue, N.W., near the U.S. Capitol and
extends to 7th Street, N.W., four blocks
from the Trump International Hotel.
Capital Pride Alliance President Bernie
Delia said no decisions have been made
on who the speakers will be on the main
stage of the D.C. Pride Festival on June 11.
Similar to other cities, Bos said D.C.
expects a signicantly larger turnout
for its Pride events this year due to the
national march, even more so than last
years record turnout for the festival.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
LO CA L N E W S
The mass shooting by a gunman at the
Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. that
took the lives of 49 mostly LGBT people
occurred the night before Pride festivals
in D.C. and other cities were scheduled to
take place. In what activists have called a
mass showing of solidarity, the Orlando
tragedy prompted a large increase in the
number of people turning out for Pride
events in the following days and weeks.
Earl Fowlkes, executive director of the
Center for Black Equity, which serves
as an umbrella organization for Black
Pride events throughout the U.S. and
abroad, said Black Prides traditionally
have included workshops and politically
oriented events in addition to festivals
and celebrations. He said he expects this
years events, including the D.C. Black
Pride, to address concerns related to the
Trump administration.
One of the things were doing with all
the Prides is in the beginning of May in
Houston were having a meeting of about
40 Black Prides, he said. We want to train
them on how to be stronger advocates
and how to work within the system to
maintain the gains weve made.
Added Fowlkes: I dont want to call it
resist but to learn how to move the
ball across the eld to better respond
to the changing situations in Washington
and around the country.
In Philadelphia, organizers of the Philly
Pride Parade and Festival announced last
month that they had changed the date for
the two events from June 11 to June 18 to
avoid a conict with the national LGBT march
on Washington. In a statement on their
website Philly Pride ocials said holding
their parade and festival on June 11 could
have resulted in a drop in attendance from
15 percent to 25 percent due to the conict
with the national march in Washington.
A spokesperson for the Miami Beach
Gay Pride organization, which will hold a
parade, festival and beach party on April
7-9, said the group has decided to continue
its longstanding policy of keeping the
events non-political, although organizations
setting up booths at the festival are free to
advocate for political causes.
We work very hard to make
Miami Beach Gay Pride a non-political
celebration of the unique spirit of the
LGBTQ community, said Mark Fernandes,
chair of the groups board of directors.
As such, we feel were a more inclusive
event that celebrates diversity. Even the
diversity of opposing political views,
he said, adding, We have no plans of
altering our event because of the current
administration and have never been a
forum for politicization.
Ocials with Pride organizations in
Chicago and San Francisco, where some
of the nations largest Pride parades
and festivals have taken place, couldnt
immediately be reached for comment.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
N A T IO NA L NEW S
Whats next for trans rights after Gavin Grimm case?
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
revoking Obama-era guidance from
the Justice and Education Departments
assuring transgender students access
to school restrooms consistent with
their gender identity, the Supreme
Court remanded Grimms case for
reconsideration before the U.S. Fourth
Circuit Court of Appeals. The federal
appeals courts ruling relied heavily on the
guidance, but the situation has changed
now that Trump has revoked it.
Joshua Block, who represents Grimmas
a senior sta attorney for the American
Civil Liberties Union, said the Supreme
Courts action is justice delayed, not
justice denied and even though the
outcome isnt the one sought before the
Supreme Court, Grimmslawsuit has still
put a national spotlight on issues facing
the transgender community.
Over the past few weeks, I think we have
accomplished an incredible amount in
making people see transgender students,
see the reality of their lives, see that they
are not sexual predators in a dress, see
that they are children just like any other
child, Block said. I think that being able to
allow Gavin and allow so many other trans
kids and so many other families share
their stories with the public ... has done an
enormous amount of good.
Now that the case has been remanded
to the Fourth Circuit, Block said he
expects the court to issue a brieng order
in the new few days and the opportunity
to le supplemental briefs on whether
Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972 continues to protect transgender
students in the aftermath of the Trump
administration withdrawing guidance
asserting those protections.
The next time the Fourth Circuit
holds a sitting and the opportunity for
oral arguments is May. If the Fourth
Circuit rules on an expedited basis, the
injunction could come down that month,
allowing Grimm to use the restroom at
his high school consistent with his gender
identity for one month.
Jay Holland, a civil rights attorney with
the D.C.-based rm Joseph Greenwald &
Laake, said, however, the federal appeals
court will take some time to rule and
this isnt going to be decided by the
Fourth Circuit or the Supreme Court
anytime soon, most likely.
Assuming the Fourth Circuit asks for
the case to be rebriefed in light of the
removal of the guidance, and given where
we are in the Fourth Circuits calendar for
the year, it wouldnt be surprise me its
entirely up the court, they could expedite
it but it wouldnt surprise me if this
didnt occur, including all the brieng and
oral arguments, and nished until the fall
term, Holland said.
Supreme Court nominee NEIL GORSUCH
could get a chance to weigh in on trans
bathroom access if hes conrmed.
Grimms case is now one of several
cases percolating through federal courts
seeking to arm transgender kids can
use the restroom in schools consistent
with their gender identity.
Others include the cases of Whitaker v.
Kenosha Unied School District, which is
pending before the U.S. Seventh Circuit
Court of Appeals, and Doe v. Board of
Education of the Highland School District,
which is pending before the U.S. Sixth
Circuit Court of Appeals. Last week, a
federal judge ruled in favor of Juliet Evancho
the sister of Trump inauguration singer
Jackie Evancho who along with two other
plaintis sued their Pennsylvania high
school to use the restroom consistent with
their gender identity.
Also ongoing are the related lawsuits
one led by the U.S. Justice Department,
another by the ACLU, ACLU of North
Carolina and Lambda Legal against
North Carolinas House Bill 2, a state law
that bars transgender people from using
the restrooms in school and government
buildings consistent with their gender
identity. (It seems unlikely the Justice
Department will continue its case with
newly conrmed U.S. Attorney General
Je Sessions at the helm. Just this week,
the department took a step back in the
case by withdrawing its request for a
preliminary injunction against the law.)
Its hard to say when as a result of this
litigation the Supreme Court would, if ever,
grant certiorari to hear a case that would
enable a nationwide ruling in favor of allowing
transgender people to use the restroom
consistent with their gender identity.
The losing parties in each of the cases
before federal appeals courts could seek
en banc rehearings of the litigation,
which would eat up additional time before
the case would reach the Supreme Court.
Although its conceivable a petition for
certiorari could reach the Supreme Court in
time for a ruling in 2018, the high court may
not agree to take it up if each of the circuit
courts are ruling in a consistent way that
justices deem is compliantwith the law.
Holland said the Supreme Court will
reexamine the legal landscape when and
if another petition for certiorari is led
before the Supreme Court on bathroom
access for transgender people.
Is there a conict between the circuits,
is there a conict between the district
court decisions and circuit court decisions
of various circuits and states, so is there a
question indeed for the Supreme Court to
decide? Holland said. If theres no conict
between the circuits and all the circuits are
going one way or the other, the Supreme
Court could well decide this is not a case
thats right to even go back to.
Meanwhile, bills seeking to bar transgender
people from using the restroom consistent
with their gender identity continue to move
through state legislature.
In Texas, a Senate committee on
Wednesday approved anti-trans Senate Bill
6 after hearing testimony on the legislation
during the previous day. Mirroring North
Carolinas House Bill 2, SB6 guts existing
municipal non-discrimination protections in
public accommodations from transgender
people and bars them from using the
bathroom consistent with their gender
identity in public spaces, such as public
schools, open enrollment charter schools,
government buildings and public universities.
Transgender rights supporters insist that
even without an armative ruling from
the Supreme Court, the prohibition on sex
discrimination under Title IX based on legal
precedent has and will always continue to
bar schools from discriminating against
transgender students or denying them
access to the restroom consistent with
their gender identity.
Ilona Turner, legal director for the San
Francisco-based Transgender Law Center,
was among those saying the underlying
law protects transgender students even
without an armative ruling from the
Supreme Court.
Its unfortunate that the Supreme
Court did not take this opportunity to
clarify once and for all that transgender
students are protected under Title IX, but
this doesnt change the fact that the vast
majority of other courts do look at this
issue, have concluded that transgender
students are protected under existing
federal non-discrimination laws, so it
doesnt have a signicant practical eect
in terms of the law, Turner said.
Even though the Fourth Circuit once
deferred to the Obama-era guidance
to determine Title IX applied to Grimm,
Turner said courts wont give the same
deference to the Trump administrations
letter undoing that guidance. The letter,
Turner said, doesnt meet requirements
for deference under the precedent of
the 1997 Auer decision of being long-
MA RCH 1 0 , 2 0 1 7 1 5
standing guidance.
One question is whether Grimmwill still
have standing in the case ifthe litigation
is drawn out under consideration before
the Fourth Circuit. After all, he is set to
graduate from high school this year,
which may occur before the lawsuit is
resolved and potentially could remove
any live conict from the case.
If the case is prolonged after
Grimmgraduates, Block saidthe apparent
lack of conict isnt an issue because the
lawsuit seeks relief not only for Grimmto
use the restroom as a student, but also
nominal damages from the school and
injunction assuring him access to the
boys room as an alumnus.
In terms of an injunction, most people
go home from college to a reunion event
at their high school, Block said. It would
be great if Gavin was able to use the
bathroom when he goes to his reunion. So
I think that the injunctive relief does remain
a signicant issue and a time-sensitive one,
just given the way that life works.
Another question is whether
Grimms case or any other transgender
lawsuit will be ill-fated at a later time before
the Supreme Court if the U.S. Senate
conrms to the bench Trumps nominee
U.S. Circuit Judge Judge Neil Gorsuch.
The nominee, whom LGBT rights groups
oppose, has a history ofruling in cases for
religious freedom in a way that suggests
opposition to LGBT rights in the future.
Block condently said he doesnt think
Gorsuchs conrmation to the Supreme
Court would make a dierence because
we would win the other eight justices
regardless, or at least the same justices
who ruled for same-sex marriage.
I think that if the same lineup for this
case is similar to the lineup where the
court has ruled for same-sex couples, then
I think its just the dierence between a
5-3 decision and 5-4 decision, Block said.
I think if the only change on the court that
happens is the addition of Judge Gorsuch,
I think that would probably leave things
where they currently are.
Even if an ultimate resolution from
the Supreme Court doesnt happen
for another decade, Grimm said hes
willing to stick with the case to ensure
a favorable outcome for transgender
students nationwide.
Obviously this is not what we wanted
and its disappointing that its going to
drag out this conversation for even longer,
which is going to keep trans kids that are
in school right now and that are coming
into school age, is going to keep them in
limbo for an extended period of time, but
I am still as passionate and happy to be
doing this as ever, Grimm said. I think
that everyone is just empowered and
ready for it as weve always been, and if it
took 10 years Id stick with it.
 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

16 M A R C H 10, 2017 BA LT I MO RE N E W S

Baltimore school board pledges

to support trans students
Following a meeting between transgender rights advocates and Baltimores
Board of School Commissioners on Feb. 28, a statement pledging support for
transgender students was issued to the Blade.
Baltimore City Public Schools stands in support of the rights of LGBTQ youth
and all students to an educational environment that is free from harassment,
discrimination, intimidation, or bullying, says the statement.
The district is committed to providing safe and supportive environments for
teaching and learning, where diversity is valued and all students can realize their
full potential. This commitment includes continued support for and adherence
to Maryland State Department of Education guidelines regarding safe spaces for
transgender and gender non-conforming youth.
The meeting took place after a march and rally by advocates in which more
than 100, many carrying signs, braved a rainy night to demonstrate support for
trans students on the heels of the Trump administrations rescinding guidelines
issued by the Obama administration in 2016. Those guidelines instructed schools
that there would be no discrimination on the use of bathrooms and other public
accommodations in the schools based on gender identity.
A coalition of several LGBT advocacy organizations planned the march to the
Baltimore Board of Education headquarters and rally outside to ensure the
board complies with guidance provided by the Maryland State Department of
Education issued in 2015 and are not aected by the federal action.
Baltimore City and next Maryland state can demonstrate what it means
to value transgender students and be an advocate for other localities, Ava
Pipitone, executive director of The Baltimore Trans Alliance, told the Blade prior
to the release of the statement. They have said they are with us. Now is the time
to follow through with action.
In addition to demanding the armation of rights of trans students, the
coalition insisted that every school identies one adult LGBT ally toward to
creation of a gender and sexuality alliance at each school as well as that GLSEN
provide trans-developed and trans-led trainings.

DentalBug.com Suspended officer charged

Cosmetic, Implants, Sleep Apnea, Sedation with assaulting boyfriend
CALL TODAY WEEKEND HOURS MULTILINGUAL
Baltimore Police Ocer Timothy George, 25, was arrested in Baltimore on
We believe we can make the charges of second-degree assault, false imprisonment, malicious destruction
dental experience better. of property and theft, according to WBAL Radio. George had already been
suspended without pay in November after he was charged in York County, Pa.,
for allegedly sending inappropriate texts to a teenage boy.
The two-year veteran of the force was arrested again in a domestic dispute. WBAL
reports that police say ocers responded on March 2 to the 3200 block of Bayonne
Avenue, where they met with a 21-year-old man. The man told police he was in a
domestic relationship with George and that George, his boyfriend, assaulted him.
The victim showed signs of bruises and scratches on his neck and arms.
George has since been freed on $25,000 bail.
DentalBug Sta 2016-2017
Lesbian-owned restaurant
partners with Center Stage
Flavor, a Mount Vernon bar-restaurant that opened in 2015, will provide
food services for the newly renovated Center Stage theatre. The establishment,
Jeanette Suh John Tsaknis located at 15 E. Centre St., is co-owned by Julia Belton, who is the executive chef,
DMD DDS
Maria Hodas
Indra Mustapha
DDS, MS
and her wife Vanna Belton.
DDS Billed as an American bistro specializing in intimate portions and handcrafted
cocktails, Flavor has been the venue for numerous events and fundraisers for
the LGBT community and non-prot organizations.
As the owner and chef of a dynamic restaurant in Mount Vernon, it is beyond
exciting to be embarking on this new partnership after the rebirth of Baltimore
Center Stage,Julia Belton said. Many people do not realize that food is an art
form, even simple dishes. As the food service provider for Baltimore Center
Stage, I want to ensure that the dining experience is as tantalizing as the shows.
1221 Mass. Ave, NW 202.628.7979 (Free Parking) For more information about Flavor, visit avorbaltimore.com.
703 D Street, NW 202.628.1288 STEVE CHARING
LEnfant Plaza,SW Promenade #325 202.628.2177
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

H E A L TH NEW S

Kentucky gay health club attracts ire

M A R C H 10, 2017 17

I like staying in shape, listening to
Adele, and shopping in Friendship
Heights with my mom and sisters.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. A city councilman in Louisville, Ky., says a gay health club
here is not appropriate for its Smoketown location because 20 percent of men
who have sex with men who have contracted STDs here have been to the club,
WHAS-11, a regional news outlet, reports. Im a
Vapor Spa is part of a 450,000-square-foot development project being built by
Vapor owner George Stinson and his business partner, Ed Lewis.
transgender woman
I dont have a problem with the rest of the development, I only have a and Im part of DC.
problem with the portion known as the Vapor Spa, Councilman David James
said, according to WHAS-11.
Stinson said those with memberships at Vapor Spa sign an agreement, stating
they are gay men. They then have access to the outdoor pool, steam room,
tness center and private changing rooms. Please treat me the way any
James said he got his STD gures from the CDC, WHAS-11 reports. woman would want to be treated:
We have issues of sexually transmitted diseases according to the health department with courtesy and respect.
coming through there. But the bigger problem is this is a place that advertises and Discrimination based on gender identity and
suggests lewd behavior at its location, James said, according to WHAS-11. expression is illegal in the District of Columbia.
James claims the spa operates as a sex club. He said he went there under a If you think youve been the target of
dierent name after constituents raised concerns about the establishment. discrimination, visit www.ohr.dc.gov
or call (202) 727-4559.
There were people openly having sex all over the place in the building there,
so I was kind of shocked, James said.
Stinson said theres no record of James ever entering the facility. Stinson said
James has been attacking his business for the last year by wrongly calling it a sex OFFICE OF

GLBT
club and insinuating men are getting STDs while there. AFFAIRS

Stinson said his businesses over a 40-year period have had the sex club charge
lobbed at them. He said its not true.

Ex-gay therapy bills return after GOP wins Show your support! Spread word of the #TransRespect
campaign by photographing this ad and sharing on Twitter.
NEW YORK Buoyed by a Republican platform that supports the right of
parents to determine the proper medical treatment and therapy for their minor
children, advocates of long-discredited gay conversion therapy are, in some
circles, getting a renewed aura of credibility, ABC News reports.
Advocates of the practice had been increasingly downplayed in mainstream
media during the Obama years, but are now being quoted again.
I certainly hope that this administration will pull back from some of the
aggressive activism that the Obama administration engaged in, said Peter
Sprigg of the Family Research Council, a powerful conservative lobbying group in
Washington that is active in supporting sexual reorientation eorts, ABC reports.
President Obamas Surgeon General Vivek Murthy publicly stated that
conversion therapy is not sound medical practice and that such programs are
harmful and are not appropriate therapeutic practices.
Conversion therapy has been outlawed for licensed mental health providers
in California, Oregon, New Jersey, Vermont, Illinois and the District of Colombia,
according to the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT advocacy group.
The Family Research Council and Sprigg have helped to ght legislative
proposals in 20 other states that would make gay conversion therapy illegal.
Pennsylvania has grappled with the issue since 2013 when out State Rep. Brian
Sims, a Philadelphia Democrat, introduced legislation to ban the practice. He
plans to reintroduce it in the House later this year, Metro Philadelphia reports.
They certainly should not be outlawed. They certainly should not be prohibited
by law, Sprigg said in an interview to be broadcast tonight (Friday, March 10) on the
ABC News program 20/20 in an investigation of gay conversion therapy programs.
As a Christian, I believe that the Bible teaches that to choose to engage in
homosexual conduct is a sin, he said, adding that he believes therapy can cause
people to make dierent choices.
The 20/20 report includes revelations of two programs that conducted
conversion therapy in Alabama, including one in which Christian pastors overseeing
dozens of teens were convicted of child abuse amid stark allegations of beatings
administered to teens who resisted eorts to change their sexual orientation.
The camps practicing conversion therapy uncovered by the 20/20
investigation were not operating as licensed mental health facilities and are
therefore not covered by laws prohibiting the practice.
The Republican party position mirrors the position of the Family Research
Council, which considers sexual reorientation therapy mental health care.
If someone is experiencing something mentally, like same-sex attractions, that is
causing distress, then thats a mental health issue, ABC quoted Sprigg as having said.
He said that there is no place for physical abuse in therapy programs.
The practice however has long been discredited by respected medical and
mental health institutions.

1 8 MA RCH 1 0 , 2 017
Trumps motorized iceberg
A weak, unstable president
imperils the nation and
the world
RICHARD J. ROSENDALL is a writer and activist.
Reach him at rrosendall@starpower.net.
Dissent is patriotic, especially when
your fellow citizens are being herded o
a cli. Remember this the next time the
pundits go soft over the mad grifter in the
Oval Oce.
To say Trumps cracks are showing is
like leaning over a boat rail and saying,
I see water. The cracks are so many,
they look like part of the ship design.
The frequent Republican standing ova-
tions during his big speech last week, and
raves over how presidential he was for
not drooling, are as reassuring as a blind
lookout. You wont be singing Nearer My
God to Thee when youre searching for
a door to oat on. Before theyre done,
the Trumpists and their enablers will try
to take the rest of us with them. They are
a motorized iceberg chasing down ships.
Immediately after his mendacious ad-
dress to Congress, Trump was lionized
as if reading from a TelePrompTer for an
hour without foaming at the mouth made
him Abe Lincoln. Then his attorney general
crapped all over his sunny headlines, and
he ended the week by grounding top aides
as he ew o to Mar-a-Lago in a rage.
We do our country no favors by politely
forgetting that our so-called president
and his allies trac routinely in boldfaced
lies: The assumption that Muslims are
terrorists. The claim that Mexicans are
streaming across our southern border.
The howler that refugees get no vetting.
The delusion that robbing women of re-
productive choice will lead to fewer abor-
tions. The fabrication about millions of
illegal voters. The hyperventilating over
inated crime stats and imaginary trans-
gender villainy in bathrooms while privi-
leged predators oat above the law.
When those targeted by these lies are
attacked and killed, the slanderers either
mouth boilerplate or give us blank looks.
How dare we hold them responsible for
what they are constantly fomenting?
Trumps fellow partisans are despoil-
ing our environment, endangering public
health and safety, trashing basic liberties,
and tearing families apart. They are taking
sledgehammers to the pillars of our repub-
E DIT OR IA L C A R T OON
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
VIEWPOINT
lic. How can we expect to win over those
cheering this by calmly explaining that they
are going against their own interests?
When Jewish cemeteries are vandalized
and South Asians are shot just for exist-
ing, we are horried and ask how people
could do this. But intolerance has always
been with us. What unleashed it lately
was Trumps hate-lled campaign, which
gave license to peoples worst impulses.
We cannot reason with the beast. We
must force it back into its lair and drive
from power those who feed it and treat
it like a pet.
The drip, drip, drip of Russiagate,
with the quickly abandoned denials and
Trumps So are you schoolyard ripostes,
has become darkly comical. His sta ap-
pears to be communicating with him via
press leaks.
On March 4, citing no evidence, Trump
accused his predecessor of wiretapping
Trump Tower in New York last fall. His
blunder was not that he showed his typi-
cal reckless disregard for the truth, but
that by trying to deect suspicion onto
Obama, he only fueled demands for a
probe of his own evident collusion with
the Russians.
Citizen protests and pressure are hav-
ing their eect. Hiding from constituents
is no more a sign of strength than releas-
ing a healthcare replacement bill without
a score from the Congressional Budget
Oce. The promise of better healthcare
at lower cost is fanciful. The provision
to strip all federal funding from Planned
Parenthood will by itself endanger the
healthcare of millions. We will see if the
prospect of career suicide concentrates
legislative minds.
Heres a safe bet: Trump will start a
war with the threefold purpose of lifting
his poll numbers, silencing his critics and
increasing military spending. It is unclear
how he thinks crippling the State Depart-
ment will help any war eort; but Trump
regards study as weakness. His hawkish
overcompensation for his ve draft de-
ferments will be ruinous; yet the debacle
will be deemed such a success that even
if he sets o a nuclear exchange and
survives, he will hold a victory rally amid
the rubble.
If that is not your vision of paradise,
then #StayWoke and #Resist in any
way you can. Dissent is both patriotic
and humane.
Copyright 2017 by Richard J.
Rosendall. All rights reserved.
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I N S I DE LGB T W A S HING TON
Turning protests into Democratic votes
We must harness anger over
Trump to ip Congress
PETER ROSENSTEIN is a D.C.-based LGBT rights
and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly
for the Blade.
We must avoid the Alternate Universe
becoming the norm at all costs. The bar
is set too low when a formerly respected
TV commentator, Van Jones, listens to the
pablum President Trump presented to
Congress and says, He became president
of the United States in that moment. Pe-
riod. Jones was not even referring to any-
thing of substance Trump said, as there
was nothing, but rather to the recogni-
tion Trump gave to Carryn Owens, the
widow of the Navy SEAL who was killed in
the Yemen raid ordered by Trump.
Van Jones and all the other commenta-
tors trying to gure out Trump need to
start looking at facts and stop trying to in-
V I E W PO I NT
Trumps dictatorial assault on press freedom
Stand up and defend the
First Amendment
KATHI WOLFE, a writer and poet, is a regular
contributor to the Blade.
In 1973, my Dad and I watched as the
late journalist Daniel Schorr read the
names on Richard Nixons enemies list
on the CBS Evening News. We gasped in
horror as we (along with Schorr who later
was an NPR news analyst) learned that his
name was on the list. Nixons gone over
the edge, my Dad said, only dictators go
after the press like that!
Schorr joked that being on the enemies
list was more of a tribute than being on
the Emmys list. Yet, as Schorr, journal-
ists and many in the general public then
terpret Trump when he changes the topic
of the day with a urry of tweets and un-
proven accusations. He may be sly as a
fox and intentionally doing this, or simply
unhinged from reality, but his tweets on
millions of illegal voters to his most re-
cent ones accusing President Obama of
wiretapping him without any proof, just
get in the way of focusing on the policies
and programs he and the dangerous peo-
ple around him are proposing and the lies
the members of his administration are
asking the American people to believe.
We need to focus on Stephen Bannon,
Stephen Miller and other alt-right advis-
ers who are inuencing him. Now, three
weeks after the court tossed out his rst
immigration ban as unconstitutional, he
issued a new one obviously to keep a
campaign promise but having no impact
on national security. His administration
hasnt introduced any real legislation to
keep the promises he made in the elec-
tion, including repeal of the Aordable
Care Act, building a wall on our southern
border, or to move forward on rebuilding
the nations infrastructure or actually cre-
ating new jobs.
This week, two more people who were
part of the Trump campaign including At-
torney General Je Sessions, admitted ly-
ing about having meetings with Russian
knew, Nixons assault on press freedom
was serious. Nearly 45 years later, long
after Nixon resigned in disgrace, many of
us forgot what its like when the president
of our country considers the press to be
an enemy. Until Donald J. Trump became
president. Trump is as serious (maybe
even more serious) as Nixon in his zeal to
quash press freedom.
During the presidential election, the
Trump campaign blacklisted news orga-
nizations whose coverage it didnt like
from its campaign events and encour-
aged its supporters to verbally (and some-
times physically) go after reporters. Less
than two months into his presidency, the
Trump administration has said that the
news media are the enemy of the Ameri-
can people and barred outlets that they
deemed too critical from press briengs.
More ominously, Trump appointed Steve
Bannon, former head of the alt-right,
white nationalist website Breitbart News
as his chief strategist.
Trump hasnt stopped there. All politi-
cians have an adversarial relationship with
the press. Its built into the fabric of our Trump is Hitler or that I expect that jour-
democracy. As a journalist youre out, as
ocials. Trumps promise to protect the
LGBT community was broken when his ad-
ministration withdrew guidance favorable
to the transgender community, which has
now resulted in the Supreme Court saying
it wont rule on the case and remanded it
to the appeals court. He has withdrawn
regulations to protect the purity of the na-
tions water and is proposing opening our
national parks to big oil drilling.
The White House cant gure out how
to craft a new bill to replace the Aord-
able Care Act so will let Congress intro-
duce a bill similar to the disaster crafted
by Tom Price before he became Secretary
of Health and Human Services. Trump is
revealing a budget even Republicans say
is dead on arrival. It will eviscerate many
programs enjoyed by constituents of Re-
publican members of Congress, whose
votes they need to get reelected. Surely
self-preservation will rear its head and not
many Republican members of Congress
will fall on their sword for the president.
Democrats must now determine how
to turn the growing and continuing dem-
onstrations against this presidents poli-
cies, including those demonstrations at
town hall meetings of Republican mem-
bers of Congress who are not afraid to
hold them, into votes. There will be more
national marches, including the March for
the old saying proclaims, to aict the com-
fortable and comfort the aicted. Youre
there to hold those in power accountable.
If youre a president, or any politician,
youre out to protect your policies, your
interests your power.
Trump goes well beyond this. He not
only brands stories from legitimate media
outlets that report on problems or conicts
within his administration or its policies as
fake news. Trump tweets news gleaned my country until I was 8, she told me, my
from Breitbart and other sites that trac in
conspiracy theories. Such is the case with
Trumps false claim that the Obama admin-
istration tapped his phone during the pres-
idential election. Trumps administration
has been a champion of alternative facts.
As a queer journalist and citizen, the
Trump administrations stance toward free
expression sends shivers up my spine. My
fears werent relieved by reports that anti-
LGBT Vice President Mike Pence at the re-
cent annual Gridiron dinner armed that
he and Trump support the freedom of the
press enshrined in the First Amendment.
Dont get me wrong. Im not saying that
nalism will be stopped by the 45th presi-
MA RCH 1 0 , 2 0 1 7 1 9
Science and Research on April 22nd and
the March for Equality, Unity and Pride
spearheaded by the LGBTQIA community
on June 11. The LGBTQIA march is quickly
gaining momentum and spawning sister
marches across the nation and around
the world. These millions of people hit-
ting the streets clearly didnt all come out
to vote in November 2016 or we wouldnt
have to demonstrate now.
The Democratic Party has work to do to
convince even a portion of them that vot-
ing for the Democratic candidate in their
home state and district is crucial; even if
the Democratic candidate isnt what they
consider their perfect candidate. Those
votes are critical to taking back Congress
and moving a progressive agenda.
It is imperative that agenda has a fo-
cus on working people; delivering more
and higher paying jobs; decent work-
ing conditions; retirement benets; and
family-friendly workplaces. These are the
goals Democrats enunciated in the plat-
form passed at last years convention. We
must convince voters we will ght for our
principles, which include equal rights for
women, African Americans, other minori-
ties, immigrants and the LGBT commu-
nity. They need to know we truly believe
in both equity and equality, leaving no
one behind.
dents tactics toward the press. Subscrip-
tions to big newspapers like the New York
Times are up. But the resources of smaller
news outlets could be severely limited by
Trumps assault on press freedom.
My neighbor Grace came to America
from Guatemala in the late 1950s when
she was in her 20s. She hasnt been wor-
ried about the First Amendment being
suppressed until now. A dictator ruled
father was a writer. He wrote for the op-
position, the underground paper. You had
to hide it. You didnt want to be seen read-
ing it. Or youd go to jail.
We hid all of our books, Grace added,
the dictators people thought reading
them made us too smart that wed think
too much. Trump isnt a dictator yet. But
hes a lot like that dictator.
You might think: this wont impact me.
But youd be wrong. The Trump administra-
tions policies and ideology are anti-LGBT. If
we want news of Trumps stance toward
our community to be accurately reported,
we should stand up for press freedom.
Hetero or queer, Democrat or Republi-
can, lets support the First Amendment.

2 0 MA RCH 1 0 , 2 017
Who was When We Rise for, anyway?
ABC series comes off as gay
TV for a straight audience
BROCK THOMPSON is a D.C.-based freelance
writer. He writes regularly for the Blade.
Are we all waiting on gay television to
mature? To sort of catch up to where we
are as a community? It seems, too, that
we as a group are still somewhat starved
for representations of ourselves on the
small screen.
When I was a kid, we only had Billy Crys-
tal on Soap or maybe Paul Lynde on Be-
witched reruns. Things slowly began to
improve, a gay made-for-TV movie here,
a characters gay brother makes a single-
episode appearance there. Then sud-
denly we were treated to Will & Grace,
and the troubled Queer as Folk, which
seemed like Will & Grace: After Hours. that, actors were switched out to play
After all this, I had high hopes for Dustin their roles older counterparts, making
Lance Blacks When We Rise, ABCs four- the timeline rather confusing.
If we were looking for the gay Roots,
maybe we should keep looking.
part miniseries documenting the gay and Perhaps I wasnt the only one who felt
lesbian rights movement. And why not, this way. Friends complained about be-
really? Gus Van Sant stepped in to direct. ing bored a mere 30 minutes into the rst
Mary-Louise Parker was there. So was Guy episode. And viewership declined sharply
Pearce. And Black had shown his talents as nationwide after the rst night. It could
a writer with Milk. But high hopes aside, be, given what weve been given, that we
When We Rise fell rather at. simply expect less from gay television are
Though I very much appreciate what are quick to change the channel to the
When We Rise was attempting, I myriad other options out there, gay or
couldnt see past its problems. Its tone not gay. But it could also be that When
was preachy. Its messages about unity We Rise wasnt really gay television at
and strength in diversity landed like an- all. That is, were we as gays and lesbians
vils. I stopped counting the clunky cliched really the intended audience? Besides
lines like we are stronger together, or hearing from friends that the program
you dont know how strong we are, or was more or less yawn inducing, so too
perhaps strength. Lets get some and be did I hear of them receiving loving text
strong with it together. All this gave way messages and teary voicemails from par-
to some melodramatic moments. Beyond ents who had watched the entire series.
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Watched and learned. And before having
done so they apparently had no idea that
gay history was even really a thing to be-
gin with, still too they had no real under-
standing as to just how fraught with peril
the movement was up until very recently.
It did take some courage for ABC to
show this history to a primetime audi-
ence. But are gays really a primetime
viewing audience to begin with? What
else ABC chooses to broadcast might be
a clue there. Would gays be taken in by
Dancing with the Stars? Even The Real
ONeals packages its gay themes into a it-
can-happen-to-the-best-of-families box.
Im reminded of what I often heard of
The Cosby Show. Recent disgusting rev-
elations about Cosby himself aside, critics
often called it black television for white
viewers. Was When We Rise gay televi-
sion for a straight audience? If thats the
case, then so be it. Maybe we need more
gay representation on the small screen
and not simply for our own sake.
If we were looking for the gay Roots,
maybe we should keep looking. But if
When We Rise was gay history for the
uninformed, perhaps it did its job.
W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM MA RCH 1 0 , 2 0 1 7 2 1

Presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI)

HOW TO
SUCCEED IN
BUSINESS
B O O K BY W I T H O U T
Abe Burrows,
Jack Weinstock R E A L LY
and Willie Gilbert
T RY I N G
M US I C AND
LY R I CS BY
Frank Loesser

B AS E D U P ON O R I GIN A LLY
T H E B OOK BY PR O DU CED BY
Shepherd Mead Cy Feuer and
Ernest H. Martin
CO N C E P T BY in association with
John Moran Frank Productions

M ARCH 1 0 at 8:00 pm MA R C H 1 1 at 8:00 pm MA R C H 12 at 3:00 pm

L IN CO L N T H E AT R E 1215 U Street NW

T I CK E TS Call 1-877-435-9849 or visit gmcw.org. Groups 10+: call 202-293-1548

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GREAT PERFORMANCES AT MASON

CFA.GMU.EDU

Grand Russian ballet Featuring famous aria Nessun Dorma From acrobatics to on-stage cooking

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CHOPINIANA AND CARMEN TURANDOT CUISINE & CONFESSIONS
SATURDAY, MARCH 18 AT 8 P.M. ff
By Giacomo Puccini SATURDAY, APRIL 8 AT 2 AND 8 P.M. ff

SUNDAY, APRIL 9 AT 4 P.M. ff

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY SATURDAY, MARCH 25 AT 8 P.M.
SUNDAY, MARCH 26 AT 2 P.M. Enjoy food trucks and artsy demonstrations between shows
SUNDAY, MARCH 19 AT 4 P.M. ff on Sat, 4-8 p.m. More information at cfa.gmu.edu/cuisine

ff Family Friendly performances that are most suitable for families with younger children

TICKETS 888-945-2468 OR CFA.GMU.EDU

Located on the Fairfax campus, six miles west of the Beltway
exit 54, at the intersection of Braddock Road and Rt. 123.

50th Anniversary In a small desolate town, things

are starting to getstrange
Season

NUFONIA
MUST FALL
Composed and performed
by DJ Kid Koala with the
Afiara Quartet
Sat, Mar 18, 8pm
GW Lisner Auditorium
A magical tale of droid meets
girl! Turntables and string quartet
plus puppetry, live video, and more! MIDWESTERN Photo of Timothy J. Alex and Marcus Brown by Christopher Mueller

GOTHIC
Minuscule gestures.translate
into big-screen drama [and]
genuine romance.
New York Times FARGO MEETS MISERY IN THIS
Special thanks: Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation; The National DARKLY FUNNY MUSICAL THRILLER
Endowment for the Arts; The Embassy of Canada and
The Quebec Government Office
March 14 April 30
50th Anniversary Season Sponsors: Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather PRIDE NIGHTS APRIL 21 & 28
WashingtonPerformingArts.org (202) 785-9727
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM VOLUME 48 ISSUE 10 MARCH 10, 2017 PAGE 23

Person of Interest stars SARAH SHAHI and AMY ACKER at ClexaCon.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CLEXACON

Bury your gays?

CLEXACON UNITES FANS TO DISCUSS TROUBLING QUEER REPRESENTATION IN FILM, TV
By MARIAH COOPER
mcooper@washblade.com

LAS VEGAS In-depth fan discussions
about pop culture often happen online
but last weekend in Las Vegas, the
discussions were held face to face.
ClexaCon, modeled after Comic Con,
Dragon Con, etc., was held March 3-5 at Ballys
and was billed as the rst entertainment
and media convention organized for queer
women by queer women. The conventions
name comes from the popular lesbian
couple Clexa, comprised of Clarke and Lexa,
from the CW show The 100. Show runners
killed o Lexa, in an episode fans only refer
to ominously as 307 because its the exact
episode number when Lexas death occurs,
that initiated a movement from enraged fans.
More than 2,000 attendees came for
the weekend including Greys Anatomy
star Sara Ramirez who made a low-key
appearance and quietly sat in on panels.
On day one of the convention, the line
wrapped around the hallway with people
itching to get inside to kickstart their
weekend of panels, workshops and a lm
festival screening lesbian-centric lms.
Lexas Legacy, one of the rst
panels of the weekend, lled up quickly.
Lexa was just one of the more recent
casualties of the Bury Your Gays trope,
the entertainment industrys pattern of
killing o gay characters in TV and lm.
While her story is a common one for gay
characters, the panels popularity proved
her death aected many.
Another panel, Transgender
Representation in the Media, included
three panelists, all transgender women.
The panelists discussed how Transparent
both failed the transgender community
and, in their opinion, got it right, too.
Later, they discussed their desire for
stories about transgender individuals that
werent just about their trans identities but
explored them joining a basketball team
or wanting to start a family.
These conversations are likely rare
outside a transgender forum online.
Jamie Broadnax, founder and managing
editor of blackgirlsnerds.com, says she
applauds ClexaCon for its diversity.
But that doesnt mean ClexaCon isnt
problematic.
This con is called ClexaCon and focuses
on the death of a white, queer character,
Broadnax told the Washington Blade.
Meanwhile Poussey from Orange is the New
Black was the queer death of a black character
that didnt get as much of a response. So
there still needs to be that intersectionality
within marginalized communities.
Broadnax says she and the Black Geeks,
a community for African Americans to
discuss nerdy pop culture, are planning
their own fan convention for women,
people of color and the LGBT community.
The convention will take place in
CONTINUES ON PAGE 38
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
Q UEERY: 2 0 Q UE STIONS FOR MEL ANIE KR EID IC H
MELANIE KREIDICH
How long have you been out and who
was the hardest person to tell?
Since I graduated from college, and my
parents were the hardest to tell.
Whos your LGBT hero?
Ellen DeGeneres because she brought
the LGBTQ culture into every living
room.
Whats Washingtons best nightspot,
past or present?
Cobalt
Describe your dream wedding?
I already had it.
What non-LGBT issue are you most
passionate about?
All issues are LGBTQ issues.
What historical outcome would you
change?
I would change that the electoral college
vote determines the winner of the U.S.
presidency. If popular vote was the
determination for presidency, VP Al Gore
and Secretary Hillary Clinton would have
both been president.
Whats been the most memorable pop
culture moment of your lifetime?
Supreme Court ruling allowing LGBTQ
marriage.
On what do you insist?
Love and kindness.
What was your last Facebook post or
Tweet?
My last tweet was a reminder about the
March 12th event.
If your life were a book, what would
the title be?
Do All the Good You Can
If science discovered a way to change
sexual orientation, what would you
do?
No, we are who were are.
What do you believe in beyond the
physical world?
I dont know, but I hope someone is
looking out for us.
Whats your advice for LGBT
movement leaders?
Keep going more work to do.
What would you walk across hot coals
for?
To stop bullying.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you
most?
All of them.
Whats your favorite LGBT movie?
The rst one that I ever watched that
wasnt sad and had a happy ending
But Im a Cheerleader.
Whats the most overrated social
custom?
Hillary Clinton said, We need more love
and kindness. These words have never
been more true.
What trophy or prize do you most
covet?
Who wouldnt want their name engraved
on the Stanley Cup?
What do you wish youd known at 18?
It would be dicult to travel after
college.
Why Washington?
Its the most accepting city of everybody
on the East Coast.
MA RCH 1 0 , 2 0 1 7 2 9
WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
By JOEY DiGULIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
Melanie Kreidich has been involved in activism of all kinds starting in
middle school when she helped her aunt, an environmental activist, with
beach clean-ups, protests and letter-writing campaigns.
Im involved in all kinds, the Florida native says. Im passionate about voting
rights and ensuring progressive candidates are elected in future elections.
Through mutual activists, Kreidich met Vicki Braun two weeks ago and
found out about the Concerned Citizens for LGBT Safety and Rights March,
which will be held Sunday, March 12 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Lafayette Square
in Washington (H and 17th streets, N.W.). The march to Logan Circle will begin
at 10:45 a.m. where a short rally will take place.
Braun was inspired by recent trans murders in the South and Kreidich
agreed to help organize the event.
Not long ago, I was walking around Rehoboth Beach holding hands with my
wife, Susannah, and we were harassed, Kreidich says. So this is a real concern
for all. We need to go forward and not let the hate groups and bullies who feel
empowered with the new administration bring back that environment. With the
bathroom law being overturned, I believe this will help embolden hate groups
even more. We all need to stand up for one another and others.
Look for the event on Facebook for full details.
Kreidich came to the area in 2002 to live in a more liberal environment. She
and her wife live in Montgomery County. Kreidich enjoys reading in her free time.
202.747.2077

3 0 M A RCH 1 0 , 2 017
Actress/singer in D.C.
for Howard Theatre
double-header
By BRIAN WALMER
Star of stage and screen Vanessa
Williams makes her Howard Theatre
debut performing two shows Friday
evening (March 10).
Williams, whose career spans 30-
plus years, is known for her roles in the
TV series Ugly Betty and Desperate
Housewives along with motion pictures
such as Soul Food and Erasure. Along
with her lm credits, she has appeared in
many Broadway shows and released six
solo albums spanning a multitude of hits.
Vanessa has just wrapped up a new
series on VH1 entitled Daytime Divas
and is hitting the road this month for a
handful of concert dates.
During a phone interview Monday while
in Minneapolis promoting her spring
clothing line for Evine, Williams talks
about performing, still being starstruck
and her signature song, Save The Best
For Last.
WASHINGTON BLADE: Friday brings
you to the Howard Theatre for two
shows. Are you looking forward to
your rst time at the historic venue?
VANESSA WILLIAMS: Ive been doing
dates for a long, long time and its always
great to do dierent venues. Every
room has a dierent feel. Thats why
live and theater is so exciting because
the audiences are kind of informed
and I switch up the set on how I feel
the audience is leaning. I may do some
more R&B if the audience is more of an
urban crowd. I might do more Broadway
or standards if its a benet or a gala.
Its always curious to see who ends up
showing up and tailoring the show to
what I feel is going to be their likes.
BLADE: Do you prefer theaters to
clubs or outdoor arenas?
WILLIAMS: You know, each venue is a
unique experience. My rst experience
on tour was in 1997 with Luther Vandross
and we did arenas. Its a huge operation
and everyone has their tour buses
and were all pow-wowing before the
shows and in-between shows, eating
and exercising together. It was a like a
little village camping out every time we
set up in a dierent city. That was really
wonderful and I have so many great
memories of that. I love doing outdoor
venues. Its the summer time and smelling
the barbecue o in the distance. Its hot
and balmy but people are in their picnic
chairs ready to enjoy the day. Thats a
VANESSA WILLIAMS has dabbled in so many elds, she says shes always intrigued to nd out
where fans recognize her from.
whole dierent kind of thing. The breeze
is blowing through your hair and its a lot
more casual and relaxed. Then theres
the concert venues where I do symphony
dates and I have a full orchestra behind
me and feel very professional and classy.
Its also another opportunity to do a
dierent set and do some Broadway stu
with the full orchestra. A theater allows
me to kind of interact with the audience
in a very intimate way so they can hear
the hits, theyre not blasted away by the
huge speakers and they can sing along
and have a personal experience.
BLADE: One of the last times you
were in D.C., you performed for Diana
Ross at the Kennedy Center Honors.
How did that come about?
WILLIAMS: Ive done two Kennedy
Center tributes. One for Tony Bennett
and I did The Best Is Yet To Come,
which was amazing, then I got the call
to do Diana Ross and sang Touch Me
In the Morning. Hanging out with her
afterward at her table with her kids, she
asked me if I wanted to buy her house
in Greenwich and I was like, Its OK I got
my own house about 20 minutes away,
Im cool (laughs). I worked with her on
Motown Returns to the Apollo in 85 and I
was playing Josephine Baker and sang La
Vie en Rose and I think she played Billie
Holiday. She was denitely there and that
was the rst time I met her.
BLADE: Do you still get s tarstruck?
WILLIAMS: Oh yeah! Theres plenty of
people that are legendary that walk into a
room and truly have a presence and take
all the air out of the room. I remember
the rst time I was at acting class out in
L.A. studying with Donna Strasberg and
one of her dear friends was Sophia Loren
and I just couldnt breathe. She was not
only stunning, but shes one of those
movie icons. I saw her couple years later
and age for her I guess stopped years
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HOWARD THEATRE
ago, because again shes stunning and
so elegant and has such a presence. That
was the same thing I felt when I rst met
Lena Horne and I could barely speak and
she goes Its OK honey, its OK. (laughs).
I denitely still get starstruck.
BLADE: Do you feel your music
career is sometimes overshadowed by
your acting career?
WILLIAMS: No. I think theres a time
and season for everything. Particularly
when I rst started recording, I was 25
years old, had one child and were talking
30-odd years later and Im still in the
game. Whatever presents itself to me at
the time, Im up for the challenge. I just
nished doing a series for VH1 and its
kind of coincidental because I started out
in my recording career hosting a show
for VH1 called The Soul Of VH1. Twenty
years later Im back on the network
playing a character in a series so its nice
to be able to do so many dierent things
and have options. Ive always been able
to come back to my music, Broadway,
television and nd a home in a show that
seems to be perfect.
BLADE: Youve done pretty much
everything in your career. How does
it feel to have dierent generations
recognize you for dierent things?
Some know you as Miss. America,
others as Wilhelmina Slater (from
Ugly Betty) how does it feel to have
such a broad fan base and continually
gain new fans?
WILLIAMS: It always surprises me who
recognizes me when Im walking through
an airport or outside walking down
the street because being 53 years old, I
assume people my age know me, but I got
a whole set of young folk that know me
from Ugly Betty. I go across the world
and I was in South Africa and people
recognized me for being a desperate
housewife and in Australia they know
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
O U T & A BO U T
my music. Its unbelievable! Elmo In
Grouchland for the young kids growing
up knowing me as The Queen of Trash.
Im always curious to nd out where they
know me.
BLADE: Why do you think gay men
are attracted to you?
WILLIAMS: Both my parents were
music teachers and my mom had many
gay friends. Some were teachers, hair
stylists and lawyers. My father was
completely open and generous and
had no issues at all so I came from a
family that was completely tolerant and
exposed. When I started doing musical
theater in high school and college, many
of my friends were gay. They helped me
choose music and amplied my diva
ability to be a chanteuse and be a bigger
sex symbol than I probable felt natural
to be, but they highlighted it. Ive always
been surrounded by the gay community
so there was no real transition for me. I
remember my rst grown-up gift was a
bottle of Opium Perfume which I thought
was so, so, so grown up! (laughs). It was
from one of my parents friends who was
a lawyer and drove a gorgeous Porsche
and he had a beautiful apartment with
padded silk walls and there was a sense
of style and elegance that he represented.
That was the rst time I equated style and
panache and femininity with a gay man.
BLADE: Your last album, The Real
Thing, came out in 2009. Any plans for
new music?
WILLIAMS: I would love to have new
music come out. I think the past two or three
labels I was talking to and in negotiations
with, they fell apart. My genre is kind of
disappearing. From going R&B to pop to I
guess you could call it adult contemporary
to smooth jazz is kind of dried up. Theres
not many stations that play whats normally
been my lane for the past 10 or so years.
Its dicult to nd a place in terms of
a new label. The recording industry is
completely changing so a lot of people
are self-producing and self-distributing so
I havent quiet gured out what my next
move is, but I do have a lot of ideas and Im
denitely open to recording more music.
Id love to actually work with my daughter
(Jillian Hervey) whos a recording artist and
doing incredibly well. To do one song with
her would be great. The name of her band
is Lion Babe and shes killing it.
CONTINUES AT WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
VANESSA WILLIAMS
DJ Baronhawk opens
Friday, March 10
7:30 and 10 p.m.
The Howard Theatre
620 T St., N.W.
$60-95
thehowardtheatre.com

WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
O UT & A B O UT
LGBT protestors had a strong presence at the Womens March in January.
Marches, rallies and
demonstrations abundant
in coming months
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
joeyd@washblade.com
The Resist movement is roaring on
several fronts and Washington is even
more a demonstration site magnet than
usual. Here are a few to note:
Indigenous Women Rise: Native
Nations March is today (Friday, March 10)
on the National Mall from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Express solidarity by wearing a turquoise
scarf or shawl or get one at sacredx.com.
Details at nativenationsrise.org.
The Syrian Revolution Anniversary
Rally will be held on Saturday, March 18
from 10 a.m.-noon at the U.S. Capitol to
honor the original demands of the Syrian
Revolution on its sixth anniversary.
Details at revolutionunitesus.com.
Make America Great Again will holds
its Washington D.C. MAGA March on
Saturday, March 25 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. to
march from the Washington Monument to
the White House to stand up for America
our president, vice president, military and
rst responders. Details at magamarch.org.
IfNotNow oers Jewish Resistance
at AIPAC (American Israel Public Aairs
Committee) on Sunday, March 26 from noon-
8 p.m. to greet Trump as he visits the AIPAC to
end AIPACs ction that the American Jewish
community supports endless occupation.
Details at ifnotnowmovement.org.
The Fire the Fool Declaration Rally
will be held on Saturday, April 1 from
noon-8 p.m. on the Mall to impart a
satirical, symbolic and powerful message
of ring (impeaching) President Donald
J. Trump and to empower citizens all
around the country to take power in their
own political systems. Look for the event
on Facebook for details.
The third annual United for Blue
March and Rally will be held on
Saturday, April 8 at noon at the National
Law Enforcement Ocers Memorial (418
F St., N.E.) to support police. Look for the
event on Facebook for details.
The Ascent of the Resistance will
hold its Tax March on Washington on
Saturday, April 15 from noon-4 p.m. at the
U.S. Capitol West Front Fountain to march
and show Donald Trump that he owes us
SHIFT your expectations.
M A R C H 10, 2017 31
SHIFT your senses.
SHIFT your spirit.
WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
transparency. Two-thirds of Americans
are concerned that he may be putting
his interests ahead of the countrys. Until
we see his tax returns, we cant know for
sure. Details at taxmarch.org.
The March for Science and Earth
Day Network Rally and March is
Saturday, April 22 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
on the National Mall to defend the vital
public service role science plays in our
communities and our world. Speeches,
musical performances, trainings with
scientists and a march will be part of the
event. Details at marchforscience.com.
Jewish World Watch oers its third
annual Walk to End Genocide on Sunday,
April 23 at the Holocaust Memorial
Museum (100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl., S.W.)
to show that genocide is not a thing of
the past and to take a step closer to
a world without genocide. Details at
walktoendgenocide.org.
The Moms Clean Air Force presents March 27April 1, 2017
the Peoples Climate March on Saturday,
April 29 to let Trump know that we
wont let him pollute the air and wreck
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
the climate on our watch, the events
Facebook page says. Tickets and details Boulder Philharmonic
at action.momscleanairforce.org. with Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance
Resist D.C. plans its Protest Trump
at the White House Correspondents North Carolina Symphony
Dinner on Saturday, April 29 at the
Washington Hilton (1919 Connecticut
Ave., N.W.). Trump has said he is not
The Knights
attending the event, but it appears the
with San Francisco Girls Chorus
protest is still planned. Look for the event
on Facebook for details. Concerts only $25!
The Workers March on Washington Plus many FREE events:
is Sunday, April 30 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
for teachers, drivers, mechanics, nurses,
pop-up shows, musical hikes, and more!
cooks and anyone who feels their
livelihood is threatened. If youre tired of Learn more at SHIFTfestival.org
SHIFTfestival.org.
working hard and not getting anywhere,
if you feel the American Dream is out of
reach for most of us, come march with
PRESENTED BY
us, its Facebook page says. Looks for the
event on Facebook for details.
The Immigrants March will be held
on Saturday, May 6 on the Mall to show
the world we will not be intimidated by
the attacks on immigrants in our country Generous support of the SHIFT Festival is provided through a matching grant from
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, by Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather,
and those seeking opportunity in the and by Michael F. and Nomi K. Neidorff and The Centene Charitable Foundation.
United States. Local political consultant/ SHIFT is funded in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities,
an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
activist Erick Sanchez is organizing. Look
Additional support is provided by Abramson Family Foundation,
for the event on Facebook for details. Betsy and Robert Feinberg, Morton and Norma Lee Funger, and Daniel R. Lewis.
The LGBT March on Washington SHIFT is presented in association with JFKC: A Centennial Celebration of John F. Kennedy
will be held on Capital Pride weekend on Support for JFKC: A Centennial Celebration of John F. Kennedyis provided by
Sunday, June 11 at 10 a.m. Look for the Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, Chevron, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, and Target.
event on Facebook for details.
 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

LIVE
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
32 MA R C H 10, 2017 O U T & A BO U T

PAUL
THORN
W/ ANDREW DUHON
AND ALICE DRINKS THE KOOL AID
FRIDAY MARCH 10

HOWIE
DAY
W/ KATIE ROSE
SATURDAY MARCH 11
THURS, MARCH 16
THE YOUNG DUBLINERS
W/ JOHN BYRNE BAND PHOTO COURTESY OF MGM NATIONAL HARBOR

FRI, MARCH 17
SOULE MONDE FEAT. RUSS LAWTON CHER!
& RAY PACZKOWSKI OF TREY ANASTASIO BAND
SAT, MARCH 18 Cher comes to the MGM National Harbor (101 MGM National Ave., Oxon Hill,
A GREAT BIG WORLD Md.) for a six-night residency on March 17, March 19-20, March 23 and March
AN EVENING WITH IAN & CHAD 25-26.
W/ ALLIE MOSS The show is called Classic Cher and the set list will include her hit singles (its
basically a revamped version of her recent Vegas show). The pop star will return
SUN, MARCH 19
to the MGM for a summer residency on Aug. 31, Sept. 2-3, Sept. 7 and Sept. 9-10.
AN EVENING WITH
Tickets range from $109.09-$327.28.
RHONDA VINCENT For more information, visit ticketmaster.com.
AND THE RAGE
THURS, MARCH 23 By MARIAH COOPER
LAITH AL-SAADI
THURS, MARCH 23
LIVE NATION & THE HAMILTON PRESENT Vanessa Carlton
YACHT ROCK REVUE to play the Birchmere
(AT THE FILLMORE SILVER SPRING)
FRI, MARCH 24 NIGHT I Grammy-nominated singer Vanessa
RED BARAAT PHOTO COURTESY OF DIGNITY WASHINGTON
Carlton performs at the Birchmere (3701
FESTIVAL OF COLORS Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Va.) on
W/ GANAVYA AND SHILPA RAY Thursday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m.
St. Patricks Day events happening all week in D.C. The show is in support of her latest
SAT, MARCH 25 NIGHT II
album Earlier Things Live, a collection
RED BARAAT Dignity Washington marches in the D.C. St. Patricks Day Parade for the third of live versions of songs from the start of
FESTIVAL OF COLORS year in a row on Sunday, March 12 starting at noon. The parade route proceeds her career. Her hit singles A Thousand
W/ DJ AYES COLD AND THE KOMINAS down Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th streets, N.W. The parades theme is Miles and White Houses are included.
TUES, MARCH 28 Irish in Public Service. Cody Keenan, former director of speech writing for the Tristen and Skye Steele open the show.
White House, serves as the parades grand marshal. For details, visit facebook. Tickets are $29.50. For more
CHUCK PROPHET com/dignitywashington. information, visit birchmere.com.
& THE MISSION EXPRESS ShamrockFest will be at RFK Stadium (2400 E Capitol St., N.E.) on Saturday,
AND THE BOTTLE ROCKETS March 11 from 2-10 p.m. Headliners include Dropkick Murphys, Coolio, House
CAGLCC Mega
THURS, MARCH 30 of Pain and Carbon Leaf. There will be more than 30 bands performing, carnival
AN EVENING WITH rides, Irish dancers and more. General admission is $45. VIP admission is $110 Networking returns
and includes bottomless beer from 2-7 p.m., access to the VIP area, a DJ stage,
BRASS-A-HOLICS VIP party games and VIP seating. For more information, visit shamrockfest.com. The Capital Area Gay & Lesbian
FRI, MARCH 31 Tropicalia (2001 14th St., N.W.) hosts St. Patricks Fiesta on Friday, March 18 Chamber of Commerce (CAGLCC) hosts
THE HAMILTON LIVE AND WPA PRESENT from 8-11 p.m. Latin-fusion band Zakke and alternative latin band Fermina-X its ninth annual LGBT Mega Networking
THE KNIGHTS perform. Doors open at 8 p.m. and show starts at 9 p.m. Admission is free. For and Social event at Town (2009 8th St.,
& CHRISTINA COURTIN more details, visit facebook.com/ama.musicosunidos. N.W.) on Wednesday, March 22 from
W/ HOLLY BOWLING: Star & Shamrock (1341 H St., N.E.) hosts Shamrocks Shave O for Kids with 6:30-8:30 p.m.
A PART OF THE 2017 SHIFT Cancer on Saturday, March 11 from 2-5 p.m. Participants can shave their head, LGBT professionals are invited to
FESTIVAL OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS volunteer or donate to the St. Baldricks Foundation to fund childhood cancer mingle, nd connections and recruit new
research grants. For details, visit facebook.com/starandshamrock. employees. The event has brought more
The Mansion on O Street (2020 O St., N.W.) hosts its Get Lucky hunt through than 1,000 attendees over the past four
Sunday, March 18. Explore the themed rooms and search for secret doors and years. Admission is free but registration
luck-themed items. Tickets are $35. For more information, visit omusueum.org. is required.
For more details, visit caglcc.
THEHAMILTONDC.COM
org/9meganetworking.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
T HE ATE R
From left are TONYA BECKMAN, CHRISTOPHER DINOLFO and ALYSSA WILMOTH KEEGAN in
Fickle: a Fancy French Farce.
Fickle is fast-clipped
farce making world
premiere at Olney
By PATRICK FOLLIARD
Fickle: A Fancy French Farce probes
what makes couples click. Sometimes
its as simple as Cheese Whiz or as
complicated as cash.
In the alliteratively titled, fun new work
by Los Angeles-based playwright Meg
Miroshnik (now making its world premiere
at Olney Theatre Center), a young royal sets
his sights on a young woman whos set to be
married to someone else. Hes got the good
looks and the toys but will he get the girl?
First o, the scenic design is charming.
Charlie Calvert provides a fancifully carved
proscenium stage bookended by two small
balconies exquisitely lit by Nancy Schertler
and further enhanced by Roc Lees witty
sound design. The blue, scalloped curtain
rises to reveal a French (and fancy) castle
where the plays action unfolds. We
rst meet Silvia (Kathryn Tkel), a feisty
peasant from a nearby village, bound to
a luxe chair. Shes been kidnapped by the
Prince (versatile out actor Christopher
Dinolfo), and though impressed with the
rooms riches including a one of a kind of
pink crystal chandelier that hangs center
stage, she is eager to be united with her
betrothed Harlequin (Andy Reinhardt), a
dim fellow villager with whom her loyalties
lie at least for now.
But the Princes desire hits a snag. His
kingdom is ruled by an outsized book of
intricate and arcane laws meticulously
enforced by court advisor Trivelin (Marcus
Kyd). The prince must marry a subject. But
theres a codicil. He cant take her heart
by force. She must give her heart to him
willingly. Courtiers strategize a pleasing
outcome with some unexpected results.
In ne farce fashion, identities are
confused. It seems that Prince rst met
Silvia in the forest where was posing
as a palace guardsman. Hes an avid
M A R C H 10, 2017 33
PHOTO BY STAN BAROUH; COURTESY OF OLNEY
thespian and enjoys immersing himself
in meaty roles. Hes particularly fond of
interpreting Robert De Niros famed Taxi
Driver line: You talkin to me?
Buzzing around the court are two
ambitious but very dierent sisters:
Flaminia, (Alyssa Wilmoth Keegan) a
workaholic advisor bucking for promotion,
and saucy, dumb-as-a-fox Lisette (Tonya
Beckman), whos busy branding herself as
a hot blonde beauty maven. At one point,
Lisette instigates a little immersive theater
involving a male audience member and
beauty mark placement instruction.
Beckman pulls it o winningly.
Eventually, Harlequin stumbles on the
scene in search of his bride with whom
he doesnt actually get along. What
he does like is the palaces unceasing
supply of good food, especially the vast
selection of cheese. In fact, its a shared
love for cheese that sparks a frisson
between Harlequin and the ever ecient
Flaminia. Similarly, Silvia is cozying up to
the idea of painted nails and fancy gowns
(impeccably designed by Helen Q. Huang,
whose whimsical costumes combine the
old and new with droll, Gallic air).
Also on hand are the Lord (Mark Jaster),
an amorous but accident prone old
aristocrat who makes perfect quarry for
a girl on the make, and a pair of gloved
hands that elegantly pass props to actors
from behind the curtain.
Staged by Eleanor Holdrige, the
90-minute Fickle moves at a fun-
lled, fast pace. And the exceedingly
likeable cast gives nely drawn comedic
performances all around, truly.
Based on the play La Double Inconstance
by French playwright Pierre Carlet de
Chamblain de Marivaux, Miroshnik gives a
quirky wildly anachronistic take on the 18th
century playwrights stodgier story. At turns
clever and corny, Fickle is a delightful romp.
FICKLE: A FANCY FRENCH FARCE
Through March 26
Olney Theatre Center
2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md.
Tickets begin at $45
301-924-3400
Olneytheatre.org
 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

3 4 M A RCH 1 0 , 2 017 A RT S & CU LT U RE

This Week in the Arts provided by CultureCapital.com

DANCE
Coyaba Dance Theaters 20th
Anniversary. Mar 11-Mar 12. Dance
Place. danceplace.org.
The Culkin School of Traditional
Irish Dance. Mar 16. Millennium Stage.
kennedy-center.org.
Thats Showbiz! Mar 11-Mar 12. Joy
of Motion. Jack Guidone Theater.
joyofmotion.org.
MUSIC
The Ten Tenors. Mar 13. Kodo. Mar
Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing 15. Eviyan. Mar 16. Ethan Foote. Thru
Thru Mar 26. Signature Theatre. Mar 22. Strathmore. strathmore.org.
signature-theatre.org. WNO: Dead Man Walking. Thru
Based on the real life story of Elva Miller, this touching and funny portrait oers Mar 11. WNO: Champion. Thru
Debra Monk the role of a lifetime as the devoted, warbling songstress whose Mar 18. NSO: Weilerstein plays
operatic, o-key singing became an unlikely pop phenomenon in the 1960s. Shostakovich/Schuberts Ninth
Symphony. Thru Mar 11. NSO:
Environmental Film Festival
Mar 14-26. Environmental Film Festival.
Bruckners First Symphony/Mozarts
Third Violin Concerto. Mar 16-Mar 18.
dce.org. Discovery Artist in the KC Jazz Club:
The 2017 Festival focuses its lens on a planet in transition, exploring what Elena and Samora Pinderhughes.
has happened over the past 25 years and what lies ahead. Presenting 180+ Mar 10. KC Jazz Club: Christie
lms from 32 countries, most screenings include discussion with lmmakers, Dashiell. Mar 11. Kennedy Center.
environmental experts, and cultural leaders, and many lms are free. Check kennedy-center.org.
CultureCapital.comfor the complete schedule of events. Bumper Jacksons. Mar 10.
Carlos Nunez. Mar 14. AMP.
Three Sisters ampbystrathmore.com.
Thru Apr 23. Studio Theatre. Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra
studiotheatre.org. featuring New York Voices. Mar 11.
Stuck in a backwater town, three sisters and their brother search for meaning Milo. Mar 12. GMU Center for the
amidst missed opportunities and misplaced dreams in the everyday clutter Arts. cfa.gmu.edu.
of lackluster birthday presents, pushy in-laws, and underwhelming suitors, in Cappella Pratensis. Mar 12. Inscape.
Chekhovs tragicomic masterpiece about lifes heartbreak and absurdity. Mar 15. National Gallery of Art. nga.gov.
Happenings Happy Hour:
Are the Cards Collapsing? A House of Cards Season 5 Preview Veronneau. Mar 16.
Mar 15. Smithsonian Associates at Ripley Center. Shakespeare Theatre Company.
smithsonianassociates.org. shakespearetheatre.org.
Stef Woods, who explores the intersection of television, politics, and ethics in a Richard Goode, piano. Mar 12.
course at American University, nds plenty of juicy material in House of Cards. Washington Performing Arts at UDC.
Get ready for the newest season as she examines what might be in the cards Brad Mehldau, piano. Mar 16.
for the power-hungry Underwoods. Washington Performing Arts at Sixth &
I. washingtonperformingarts.org.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SIGNATURE THEATRE The Nouveau Classical Project.
Mar 10. Music in Mind: Duo Down
the Danube. Mar 14. The Clarice.
theclarice.umd.edu.
THEATRE Shear Madness. Thru Jun 11. Kennedy
Center. shearmadness.com.
Ari Hest. Mar 10. A BandHouse Gigs
Tribute To Elvis Costello. Mar 11. The
Patrick Garrity & Corey Marshall. King Charles III. Thru Mar 12. The Barns. wolftrap.org.
Mar 16. AMP. Select (The Sun Also Rises).
ampbystrathmore.com.
Midwestern Gothic. Mar 14-Apr 30.
Thru Apr 2. Shakespeare Theatre
Company. shakespearetheatre.org.
MUSEUMS
Signature Theatre. Fickle: A Fancy French Farce. National Archives. Amending
signature-theatre.org. Thru Mar 26. Olney Theatre. America. Thru Sep 4.
Sundance Institute: Theater by olneytheatre.org. archivesfoundation.org.
Palestinians: TAHA. Mar 15-Mar 16. No Sisters. Mar 16-Apr 23. Studio National Gallery of Art. Della Robbia:
Ex Machina/Robert Lepage: Needles Theatre. studiotheatre.org. Sculpting with Color in Renaissance
and Opium. Mar 16-Mar 18. Kennedy The How and The Why. Thru Mar 12. Florence. Thru Jun 4. East of the
Center. kennedy-center.org. Theater J. theaterj.org. Mississippi: Nineteenth-Century
Ragtime. Mar 10-May 20. Fords Rock of Ages. Mar 10-Apr 1. American Landscape Photography.
Theatre. fords.org. Reston Community Players. Mar 12-Jul 16. nga.gov.
Parade. Mar 11-Apr 8. Keegan Theatre. CenterStage at RCC. Library of Congress. World War I:
keegantheatre.com. restonplayers.org. American Artists View the Great War.
Thru May 5. Mapping a Growing
Nation: From Independence to
Statehood. Thru Sep 1. loc.gov.
National Geographic. @NatGeo: The
Most Popular Instagram Photos. Thru
Apr 30. Earth Explorers. Thru Sep 10.
nglive.org.
National Museum of Women in the
Arts. Bold Broadsides and Bitsy Books.
Thru Mar 17. Border Crossing: Jami
Porter Lara. Thru May 14. New Ground:
The Southwest of Maria Martinez and
Laura Gilpin. Thru May 14. nmwa.org.
National Portrait Gallery. Bill Viola:
The Moving Portrait. Thru May 7.
One Life: Babe Ruth. Thru May 21.
npg.si.edu.
Kreeger Museum. RE-VISION: Looking
anew at the art of Philip Johnson and
the design of The Kreeger. Mar 10-Jul
29. kreegermuseum.org.
GALLERIES
The Art League. March Open Exhibit.
Thru Apr 2. Netted: Morphological
State of Our Urban Space. Thru Apr 2.
theartleague.org.
Waverly Street Gallery. Somerset
Artists Exhibition. Thru Apr 8.
waverlystreetgallery.com.
Zenith Sculpture Space. Into The
Woods. Thru Apr 29. zenithgallery.com.
gallery Neptune & Brown. Tim
Doud: Prologue. Thru Apr 1.
galleryneptunebrown.com.
Glen Echo Park. New Fiber Arts
Instructors. Thru Apr 1. Sara Dittrich:
Arrhythmia of the Body. Mar 11-Apr 2.
glenechopark.org.
Goethe-Institut. Games and Politics
(Spiele und Politik). Mar 15-Mar 29.
goethe.de.
Korean Cultural Center DC. Making It
New: Perspectives on Korean Heritage
in Art. Thru Mar 27. koreaculturedc.org.
Studio 3700. Modern Makers, Modern
Quilts. Thru Mar 27. arlingtonarts.org.
AND MORE...
Abandoned Oce Buildings
Aordable Housing. Mar 16. District
Architecture Center. aiadac.com.
The Forgotten Irish: Irish
Emigrant Experiences in America.
Mar 16. National Archives.
archivesfoundation.org.
Popcorn Docs. Mar 16. Docs in
Progress. docsinprogress.org.
Manuel Gonzales, Yona Harvey, and
Gary Jackson. Mar 13. PEN/Faulkner.
Folger Theatre. penfaulkner.org.
From Stanford to San Quentin:
Californias Lamson Murder Mystery.
Mar 13. Hill Center. hillcenterdc.org.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
M US I C
ED SHEERAN stays on course musically with his new album.
New Ed Sheeran album is
middle-of-the-road delight
By CHRIS GERARD
British singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran
just turned 26 and hes already one of
the worlds biggest pop stars thanks to
two mega-smash albums and a string of
chart-topping singles.
All signs point to a third blockbuster with
the just-released (pronounced divide).
Theres zero doubt that will storm the
Billboard 200 and debut at no. 1, as did
his 2014 release x. Sheeran is already
ensconced at the top of the U.S. singles
chart, where Shape of Things has reigned
for six weeks. Sheeran made Hot 100
history in January when he became the rst
artist to have two songs debut in the Top 10
the same week: Shape of Things at no. 1,
and Castle on the Hill at no. 6.
Sheeran is riding high thanks to
an earnest blend of folky guitar-pop
with brushes of modern electronica, a
winsomely photogenic appearance, mild
and reedy tenor vocals that practically
ooze sincerity and the glossy commercial
sheen of his music. Of course, like many
mainstream artists who reach such
complete cultural saturation, Sheeran has
his share of detractors who are dismissive
of his mild-mannered music and persona.
The condescension by serious critics
and music acionados is so toxic that its
almost enough to make one like Sheeran
out of spite if only his music could be
taken out of the equation.
Dont expect great depth of feeling or
originality on most of . Sheeran dabbles
with dierent sonic avors, but overall he
stays within his same tried-and-tested
formula. He opens with a bit of quasi-
rapping on Eraser, an autobiographical
track about the trials and tribulations
of being a rich and famous pop star. I
think that money is the root of all evil/
and fame is hell, he declares. Poor guy.
Yeah, it sucks to be adored by millions,
richer than God, and still be all sad and
misunderstood.
Sheehan injects some Celtic avor on
M A R C H 10, 2017 35
PHOTO COURTESY OF ATLANTIC RECORDS
Galway Girl, another song on which he
attempts to rap during the verses and
then sings a soaring chorus over lines of
ddle that seem more like appropriation
than homage. Its cultural window
dressing. Shape of Things is already
guaranteed to be one of the years biggest
singles, and its easy to see why. Sheehan
develops a pseudo-Caribbean vibe with
an electronic marimba-like hook and a
funky groove to back up the irresistibly
upbeat, radio-friendly melody.
Castle on the Hill is a nostalgic rocker
with an anthemic, arena-rock chorus
that will appeal to the more rock-inclined
members of Sheehans fan-base (assuming
any exist). Dive is a bluesy ballad on which
Sheeran goes for broke on a full-throttle
attempt at an impassioned vocal, but it
comes o ponderous and overwrought,
emotionally on par with something we
might hear from Creed. What Do I Know?
is a peppy acoustic pop ditty that comes and
goes without much impact, but its melodic
bounciness will surely nd enthusiastic
support at pop radio.
As one would expect, there are no
shortage of ballads. Perfect, with its
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 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

3 6 M A RCH 1 0 , 2 017 CA LE N D A R

E-mail calendar items to calendars@washblade.

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

TODAY
Landmarks E Street Cinema (555 11th
St., N.W.) screens The Rocky Horror
Picture Show as part of its CinEinsomnia
series tonight and Saturday from 11:59
p.m.-3 a.m. The live shadow cast the
Sonic Transducers will be featured.
Tickets are $10. For more information,
visit landmarktheatres.com/Washington-
d-c/e-street-cinema.
GAMMA, a peer-supported, self-help
group for gay or bisexual men who have
been involved with women, meets at
Luther Place Memorial Church (1226
Vermont Ave., N.W.) tonight from 7:30-
9:30 p.m. For more details, visit meetup.
com/gammaindc.
The Gay Mens Chorus of Washington
performs How to Succeed in Business
Without Really Trying as an LGBT
production at the Lincoln Theatre (1215
U St., N.W.) tonight, at 8 p.m, Saturday,
March 11 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 12 PHOTO BY JEFF MALET; COURTESY OF DTSB

at 3 p.m. Tickets range from $25-65. For

more information, visit gmcw.org.
LULAC Lambda D.C. hosts a happy
hour at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) today
at 6 p.m. The social get together is
meant for people to meet members and
network. For more details, visit facebook.
com/lulaclambda.
SATURDAY, MARCH 11
Case Design hosts three free seminars on
remodeling kitchens and baths at the Case
Bethesda Design Studio (4701 Sangamore
Rd., Bethesda, Md.), Ferguson Showroom
(5650 General Washington Dr., Alexandria,
Va.) and Case D.C. Designs Studio (1327 14th
St., N.W.) from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Lunch and a
Q&A follows each session. To register, visit
casedesign.com/seminars-events.
Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance
Company holds an open rehearsal at
Georgetown Day School (4200 Davenport
St., N.W.) today from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
The rehearsal is in preparation for its
upcoming New Mexico tour. Admission is
free. For details, visit dtsbdc.org.
The Coven and GLOE present The Pride of
Purim: a Queer Masquerade at Ten Tigers
Parlour (3813 Georgia Ave., N.W.) tonight
from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. DJ Lady Ryan spins
tracks. There will be Megillah performances
by Pussy Noir and the Noir Creative Collective
and tarot card readings. Tickets are $10
online and $15 at the door. Proceeds benet
GLOE. For more information, visit facebook.
com/thecovendc.
Mixtape, a gay dance party, comes
to DC9 (1940 9th St., N.W.) tonight from
10 p.m.-4 a.m. DJ Shea Van Horn and DJ
Matt Bailer will play a mix of indie-dance,
nu-disco and electro-pop. Cover is $10.
The Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company performs Margin at the Smithsonian.
For more details, visit facebook.com/
mixtapeeventinfo.
Distrkt C is tonight at the D.C. Eagle
(ADDRESS) at 10 p.m. This months theme
is A Musical Journey Around the World.
It goes until 8 a.m. Sunday morning. DJ
Barney Philly will open for main DJ Oscar
Velazquez. Details at dceagle.com.
SUNDAY, MARCH 12
Special Agent Galactica performs at
Freddies Bear Bar (555 23rd St., S Arlington,
Va.) tonight from 6:30-9 p.m. This cabaret
show will be a theatrical lip sync with no
words sung or spoken. The performance
will feature new material and Galactica
classics. Admission is free. For more details,
visit freddiesbeachbar.com.
Concerned Citizens for LGBT
Safety and Rights March takes place
at Lafayette Square (H Street and 17th
Street, N.W.) today from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. to
promote safety for the LGBT community.
The march begins at 10:45 a.m. and will
travel to Logan Circle where a short rally
will take place. For more information,
search Concerned Citizens for LGBT
Safety and Rights March on Facebook.
MONDAY, MARCH 13
Author Doug Wead stops by East City
Bookshop (645 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E.)
today from 6:30-8:30 p.m. to discuss his
book Game of Thorns, an in-depth look
at the 2016 presidential election, in a
Q&A moderated by Ken Walsh, U.S. News
and World Reports chief White House
correspondent. The event is free. For more
information, visit eastcitybookshop.com.
Against Me!, headed by transgender
lead singer Laura Jane Grace, opens for
Green Day at the Verizon Center (601 F
St., N.W.) tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets range
from $35-75.
Us Helping Us (3636 Georgia Ave.,
N.W.) holds a support group for gay black
men to discuss topics that aect them,
share perspectives and have meaningful
conversations. For details, visit uhupil.org.
TUESDAY, MARCH 14
The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W.)
hosts a transgender discussion group
tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. All are welcome
regardless of gender or orientation. For
more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Republic (6939 Laurel Ave., Takoma
Park, Md.) hosts Alegre Happy Hour, an
LGBT happy hour, tonight from 5-7 p.m.
For details, visit republictakoma.com.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15
The Tom Davoren Social Bridge
Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the
Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) for social
bridge. No partner needed. For more
information, call 301-345-1571.
Bookmen D.C., an informal gay mens
literature group, discusses Gay Travels
in the Muslim World edited by Michael
Luongo, at the D.C. Center (2000 14th St..,
N.W.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome.
For more information, visit bookmendc.
blogspot.com.
Author Elizabeth Winder stops by
East City Bookshop (645 Pennsylvania
Ave., S.E.) tonight from 6:30-9:30 p.m.
to discuss her new book Marilyn in
Manhattan: Her Year of Joy. The book
explores the life of Marilyn Monroe
during the year she left Hollywood for the
New York theater scene. For more details,
visit eastcitybookshop.com.
THURSDAY, MARCH 16
National City Christian Church hosts a
LGBT happy hour at Uproar Restaurant
and Lounge (639 Florida Ave., N.W.)
tonight from 6-8 p.m. The happy hour is
in support of the churchs involvement
in the Capital Pride Festival. There is a
suggested minimum donation of $10
to go toward a booth at the festival. For
details, visit nationalcitycc.org.
D.C. Lambda Squares hosts a free open
house at National City Christian Church (5
Thomas Circle, N.W.) tonight from 7:30-
9:30 p.m. Guests are invited to stop by
to learn about modern western square
dancing. Refreshments will be provided.
For more information, visit meetup.com/
dc-lambda-squares-dance-club.
Congressional Chorus kicks of its
Road Trip!: Tour the USA in Cabaret
show at the Atlas Performing Arts
Center (1333 H St., N.E.) tonight at 8 p.m.
The show travels the nation via music
exploring the psychedelic rock of Haight-
Ashbury to the blues of Chicago. The
performances continue on March 17-18.
Tickets are $50. For more details, visit
congressionalchorus.org.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
S P O RTI N I N D. C.
Cheer D.C., a gay cheerleading group, was resurrected when new members moved to the D.C. area.
Previously dormant group
springs back into formation
By KEVIN MAJOROS
One of the underlying reasons for the
success of the LGBT sports community
in Washington is the leadership and
structure that has been established by
the members of each team and club.
Originally formed in 2010, Cheer D.C.
planned to take a temporary hiatus when
one of its leaders moved to the West
Coast. It took a little longer than expected,
but the group is back in full formation.
Its Facebook page was kept alive by head
coach Marc Brooks and team member
Greg OBrien with the hope that someone
with the right spark would step forward
with a vision to relaunch the group.
Enter Nicole Bowns who moved to the
D.C. area from Seattle in 2016 with her
anc, Nayely Yepez. After settling into
her job as a coach at Fairfax County Public
Schools, she began looking for a local LGBT-
based cheer squad to continue with what
she loved as a member of Cheer Seattle.
I found Cheer D.C. on Facebook and
reached out to them with the hope of
starting the group back up, says Bowns,
who is now president of Cheer D.C. We
subsequently began holding informal
open gyms and started the process of
setting up a governing board.
The group is now a member of the Pride
Cheerleading Association, a network of
LGBT adult cheer teams that support local
charities and perform at various Pride
events and the Gay Games. The timing of
Cheer D.C.s launch synched perfectly with
Team D.C.s bid for the 2022 Gay Games as
they were included as part of the proposal.
The rst tryout session was held on Feb. 19
with great success as 40 people appeared in
person or via video submissions. The team
was narrowed down to 36 members and
there will be another tryout session after
Capital Pride in July, followed by another
session six months later. In the meantime,
the team is accepting production assistants
M A R C H 10, 2017 37
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHEER D.C.
and volunteers for those who want to
become involved.
Two-thirds of the selection process was
based on the persons willingness to participate
in inclusive volunteerism and their work
ethic related to being part of a collaborative
community, Brooks says. The remaining
one-third was scored on competition skills as
if they were potential competitors.
Brooks was raised in Central Illinois
and cheered in high school as well as on
adult competitive teams. He moved to the
area in 1998 and coaches at Langley High
School along with coaching an all-star
cheer team at Phoenix Elite Cheer. He
also serves as president of the Northern
Virginia Coaches Association.
The people who make up the
36-member Cheer D.C. team are a mix
of members of the LGBT community
and straight allies. Most have an
athletic background and bring dierent
experiences to the team including a few
rock climbers who bring transitional skills.
One member of the team lives 90
minutes away and has been driving
back and forth for the training sessions.
Luke Jackson grew up in West Virginia
and was a varsity cheerleader at West
Virginia University for four years. After
college, he cheered in international co-ed
competitions and did some coaching.
I got a call from my stunt partner from
college who asked if I was interested in
joining, says Jackson, who is serving as
director of community relations. My husband
Andy and I will be moving to D.C. soon and I
cant wait to be a part of the community.
The team will practice on Sunday
nights at Phoenix Elite Cheer in Chantilly
and they have already begun setting up
their choreography. They are hoping to
have a soft launch in California at Long
Beach Pride with other LGBT-based cheer
squads which will lead to their debut in
D.C. set for Capital Pride weekend.
Our biggest performance this year will
be at various venues over the course of
Capital Pride weekend, Bowns says. We
are really looking forward to our debut in
the LGBT sports community of D.C.

3 8 MA RCH 1 0 , 2 017
ClexaCon panelists urge fans to create their own shows
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23
Baltimore April 26-29, 2018.
ClexaCon did make an eort to be
inclusive of diverse voices by including
a panel called Queer Women of Color:
Media Representation, which had a
packed audience. The panel went past its
allotted 50 minutes.
The most popular events at ClexaCon
were the reunion of popular onscreen
lesbian couples from various shows. D.C.
native Gabrielle Christian and Mandy
Musgrave, known for playing Spencer
and Ashley on the teen drama South
of Nowhere, appeared together to chat
about their time on the show. Known
by fans as Spashley, the young lesbian
couple made a huge impact in the lives of
many queer women viewers.
Many fans took the mic to tell Christian
and Musgrave how the show was the rst
time they saw themselves represented on
screen. They also shared how the show
helped them come to terms with their
own sexual orientation.
Christian and Musgrave also appeared
on the lesbian web series Girltrash! and
its prequel lm Girltrash: All Night Long.
Musgrave told the crowd that while playing
queer roles had caused her to sometimes
be typecast as bisexual, it had given her
the best fanbase of lesbian supporters.
Other reunions included WayHaught
from Wynonna Earp, Shoot from
Person of Interest, BAM from All
My Children and Hollstein from
Carmilla.
The lines for the reunion panels were long
and excited cheers could be heard exploding
from the rooms during each one.
The convention wouldnt have been a
true fan gathering without cos-play (i.e.
dressing up). A competition was held to
showcase the best cos-players at the
end of day two. The top three included
Vignette from Ghostbusters and a
couple dressed as Clexa.
However, the rst place winner went to
a little girl dressed as Lexa. Aectionally
called Little Lexa throughout the
convention, the crowd screamed and
cheered uplifting the youngest attendee.
A recurring theme was that change is
needed regarding lesbian representation
in the media. Attorney Mindy Gulati
hosted her panel How Implicit Bias
Aects the LGBTG community in the
Media, and spotlighted one of the major
issues with queer representation.
Whether for good, bad or reasons we
dont understand, people do have a lot
of unconscious biases toward the gay
community, Gulati says. Even those who spoke with the Washington Blade and
work in lm and TV and feel like theyre a said she was blown away to see women
step ahead of people and progressive, a
lot of the time they dont understand how
deep-seated these biases can be.
One way to eliminate these biases is
to have queer women creating their own
content. Several speakers encouraged,
and often pleaded, for attendees to get
creative and tell their own stories.
During a panel celebrating LGBT
actresses in lm and television, which
included Sarah Paulsons younger sister
Rachel Paulson, actress Jasika Nicole
(Fringe) discussed her new dark comedy
lm Suicide Kale. of, Im so glad I came and Why havent I
Nicole explained how she and her
queer friends simply decided to get
together and make a movie one day.
Panel moderator Yael Tygiel knowingly
eyed the audience and said the people
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
A RT S & E N T E RT A I N ME N T
in attendance should get together to
make their own lm that could possibly
premiere at ClexaCon next year.
The urge to be creative and tell stories
that represent marginalized groups was
rampant. Actress and producer Elizabeth
Kenner (The L Word, Skirtchasers)
getting together to learn and grow.
Women have a yearning rst to learn
from other women, but also to nd a
place where they can have the freedom
to talk about sexual orientation or even
make things or create things that have to
do with that but dont even put that in the
forefront. It just is, Kenner says.
She hopes ClexaCon could one day be
on the same playing eld as Comic Con
and happen more than once a year in
dierent cities.
As ClexaCon wound down, exclamations
been to things like this more often? could
be heard in the hall.
Lexas death may have been hurtful for
many, but the characters untimely bury-
your-gays end lit a spark in queer fans.
WASHINGTONBLADE.COM
A D V I CE
Proposal backres in
attempt to solve a problem
that wasnt there
MICHAEL RADKOWSKY, Psy.D. is a licensed
psychologist who works with gay individuals
and couples in D.C. He can be found online
at personalgrowthzone.com. All identifying
information has been changed for reasons
of condentiality. Have a question? Send it to
Michael@personalgrowthzone.com.
MICHAEL,
After a year together, my girlfriend
Beth moved a few hours away to go to
grad school this past September.
Knowing sex is important to Beth, I
worried that with the distance she might
not want to stay in our relationship, as
we could only get together every two or
three weekends. So I proposed that we
agree that we can have sex with other
people when we arent in the same city.
My only interest in opening our
relationship was so that Beth would
not want to leave. I didnt tell her my
reasoning, because I worried shed think I
am pathetic or needy. I just said I thought
it was a good idea for a long-distance
relationship.
I was a little worried that if Beth slept
with other women, she might become
attracted to someone else. But I hoped
that if we saw each other every few
weekends, we would maintain our strong
romantic/emotional connection.
Ive gotten together with just one other
woman since September and I didnt
really like the experience at all. It made
me realize that being in love with the
person I am having sex with is pretty
much why I like sex.
But Beth can and does separate
love and sex. She tells me shes having a
good time with other women when were
not together.
Now Im unhappy with the situation
I created. Jealous even though Beth
says shes devoted to me and not going
anywhere. But Im afraid that if I tell her I
dont like an open relationship, shell want
to leave me. What, if anything, should I do?
MICHAEL REPLIES:
If you dont want Beth to see you as
pathetic and needy, you will have to stop
acting pathetic and needy.
You can accomplish this in large
part by working to better understand
M A R C H 10, 2017 39
Les Ballets
trockadero
yourself and what is important to you,
and then basing your behavior on this
understanding, rather than on what you
hope your girlfriend might want.
de Monte Carlo
Theres nothing wrong with being
considerate of your partner. If Beth wants
an open relationship while the two of you
are living apart, you might consider this;
but not if agreeing to do so would mean
that you sell yourself out. tory dobrin, Artistic director
That said, when you proposed opening
your relationship, were you proposing
something that Beth particularly wanted?
From your letter, it sounds like you came
Parody and
up with this proposal out of fear, without virtuosic technique...
having spoken to Beth or having given
any thought to your own feelings about
in glittering tandem.
an open relationship.
-The New York Times
I am curious as to why you didnt have
a conversation about this, instead of
rushing to oer a solution you thought
Beth would like. Did you ask yourself
what you might like, other than keeping
Beth in the relationship?
Some questions for you to contemplate:
Why are you so desperate to be with
Beth that you would suggest a dramatic
change to your relationship in order to
solve a problem she hadnt even raised?
Is this behavior of yours one-time only,
or are there other times you have striven
to please another person or make
them happy without thinking of your
own wants?
Is it a pattern for you to fantasize about
what another person wants and then do
your best to create that situation without
rst checking with them as to their actual
preferences?
One of my teachers often says: If its
Photo by Sascha Vaughan
hysterical, its historical. Meaning, if
youre having a big, dramatic reaction to
something, your response has its roots in
your history.
I imagine that your desire to try and please
someone else without considering your own
contentment ties to your life story. When did
you rst engage in this behavior? Was it a
dynamic in your family as you were growing
up? What were you afraid would happen
and what were the actual consequences if
you disappointed another person? Starting
to understand the roots of this behavior
may help you separate past from present
March 21 & 22 | Opera House
and fear from reality. with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra
If you continue to twist yourself into
a pretzel in hope of pleasing others,
you certainly arent going to be happy
or content. Nor will you be an alluring
tICKEtS ON SALE NOW!
partner to anyone who values being with KENNEdy-CENtEr.Org | (202) 467-4600
someone who is solid and self-condent.
Tickets also available at the Box Office.
So I suggest you get to know your own
wants, priorities and values. Then Groups call (202) 416-8400.
respect yourself enough to take a stand For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.
when an issue is important to you, even
though you cannot know what response Support for Ballet at the Kennedy Center is generously provided by Elizabeth and Michael Kojaian.
you will get.
 WASHINGTONBLADE.COM

4 0 MA RCH 1 0 , 2 017 P H O T O S BY D A N I E L T RU I T T

Patrons enjoyed a night out at JR.s on Sunday, March 5.

W A SH I N GTO NB LAD E.C OM MA RCH 1 0 , 2 0 1 7 4 1
4 2 MA RCH 1 0 , 2 017 W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

Its Like Retirement, Only Better

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Ingleside at King Farm is expanding with the proposed building of 125 new independent living apartments, 32 private assisted living memory support suites, and a Center for Healthy Living subject to approval by the Maryland Department of Aging.
W A SH I NGTO N B LA DE.C OM
REALESTATE
How to win in competitive bidding scenarios
Bring your cash, limit
your contingencies
By DONNA EVERS
In the highly competitive D.C. housing
marketplace, the big question most buyers
agents are going to ask the agent with a new
listing is: How many bids do you have?
The expectation is that for every new,
well-priced property that comes on the
market in the District below $1.2 million,
there will be more than one buyer, and
often as many as ve or six buyers and
sometimes as many as 10 or 11 buyers.
We have limited supply and tremen-
dous demand, and it has caused a run
on the market. While it is not clear why
we still have such low inventory, there are
lots of good reasons why buyers choose
the District as the place to live: the high
level of cultural and entertainment assets
in the city, walkability (even with Metros
current problems), and the desirability of
our housing stock in a beautiful setting.
When compared to many other popular
locations in the country, we have a great
number of houses, townhouses, co-op
and condo buildings that are architectur-
ally signicant near appealing circles and
squares, monuments, and on tree-lined
streets to give each neighborhood its own
special character.
And, we have jobs with nice salaries at-
tached to them. So our buyers are nan-
cially secure and they want to be here,
or as close in as possible to the District.
Arlington or Bethesda are often second
Pet Friendly
TranslaTion:
TranslaT
Transla Tion
ion:
Previous owner had 27 cats.
VALERIE M. BLAKE, Associate Broker, GRI
Dupont Circle Office 202.243.7700 (o) 202.246.8602 (c)
Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com www.DCHomeQuest.com
Bidding on a house in D.C.? Youre likely to face sti competition.
on lists, and if they cannot aord those
two locations, Hyattsville or Cheverly, are
a few of the up and coming locations.
Buyers face tough choices when they
are confronted with a multiple bid situ-
ation. If they have to get a loan, it will
be very hard for them to compete with
an all-cash oer. If they havent had the
time, inclination or money to do a pre-in-
spection, their oer will be hampered by
including a home inspection contingency.
If they have limited cash, they will want
an appraisal contingency, and this also
pushes them back to the end of the line.
Financial contingencies are not as serious
a limitation, because the listing agent will
be able to evaluate their ability to borrow
based on the nancial information sub-
mitted, as well as the quality of the lend-
ers pre-approval letter. If this sounds like
a lot of requirements, it is. But submitting
a clean oer, with good cash and borrow-
ing power, and few if any contingencies,
is whats required to win in competitive
bidding situations.
Buyers enter the eld of play not fully
believing or understanding what they
have to do to win. Sometimes it takes
two or three failed oers before they un-
derstand they have to bid as high as pos-
sible, with a few or no contingencies, to
win. Oftentimes, buyers parents get in-
volved to supply gift letters and necessary
cash to give these buyers the competitive
THINKING OF BUYING IN REHOBOTH?
Now is the time. Call Joe, Your Working Broker.
LICENSED IN DELAWARE & MARYLAND
MA RCH 1 0 , 2 0 1 7 4 3
edge they need.
Then, there are the escalation clauses,
which are widely used in our area, but not
popular in many other areas of the coun-
try. The escalation clause is a contingency
clause, where the buyer promises to pay,
for example, $2,000 over any other com-
peting bid, not to exceed a ceiling of X
dollars. This way the buyer knows how
high he may have to go (the ceiling) and
will know the amount of money ($2,000)
he is willing to pay to outbid other com-
petitors. Some buyers will not use esca-
lation clauses on their rst bid, but they
soon nd out that it is usually necessary
to be competitive.
In this challenging marketplace, here is
one great piece of advice for all buyers,
rst-time or otherwise: get a good real
estate agent to represent you. Knowing
the terrain and knowing what to expect
in each situation is critical for the buyers
chances of success. Most important, un-
like the buyer, agents retain their objec-
tivity and can keep buyers on track, re-
minding them of their goals, limitations
and objectives, even when the heat is on
and the going gets rough. Having a good
agent makes all the dierence in being
successful, sticking to your game plan,
surviving with minimal stress, and mak-
ing the purchase that fullls your per-
sonal objectives. Hang in there and happy
house hunting!
DONNA EVERS, devers@eversco.com is the
owner and broker of the largest woman-owned
and run real estate rm in the Washington Met-
ro area.
4 4 MA RCH 1 0 , 2 017 W A SH I N G T O N BLA D E . CO M

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